Grass Spaces 123 



phosphoric acid and .40 per cent, potash. This, of 

 course, may vary somewhat and still make a good top 

 dressing. 



Sandy ground as well as worn out ground is also 

 greatly benefited by the application of a clay loam 

 taken from good grass land or where crops have already 

 thriven. The clay content of such loam should vary 

 from 25 to 50 per cent., of the whole. This treatment 

 may be said to be indispensable, in a way more so than 

 manuring, to get the best results. Moreover, it should 

 always be kept in mind that the problem is continually 

 varying according to the nature of the special spot of 

 land under consideration. 



The use of clay, sand, lime, and stable manure or 

 humus may seem to involve considerable expense. 

 But their value for the establishment of a good lawn is 

 great. If the foundations of a lawn are not well es- 

 tablished by drainage and by cultivation and by enrich- 

 ing with a top dressing of clay soil or sand or manure, 

 it will be comparatively useless to sow grass seed. 

 These underlying principles of treatment of the soil 

 need application first to give value to the skill displayed 

 afterwards in carrying out such work. 



"The ingredients in the soil may be divided into 

 two classes: 1st, the purely mineral matters; 2d, the 

 organic ingredients constituting the humus. 



"There is a vast difference in the fertility of a 

 sandy and a garden soil. Sandy soil may contain 



