Notes and Gleanings. 245 



Seed for Lawns : Quantity and Kinds. — In a former number, we gave 

 an article, from one of our correspondents well versed in grasses, upon the 

 subject of a lawn and its seeding. Another of our correspondents, whose 

 knowledge is not to be disregarded, objected to some features advised in the 

 first article ; and, from time to time during the season, we have had letters of 

 inquiry in relation thereto. While we generally concede to our correspondents 

 all knowledge, we confess that neither of these writers advised just as we should 

 do, and have done during a quarter-century of practice, in the making of many 

 dozens of beautiful lawn-grounds. To meet the questions of our inquiring 

 friends, we will give our practice ; which is, first to trench our ground for the 

 lawn proper, not less than eighteen inches deep, either with spade or plough, 

 according to its extent. In this trenching, if we can, we bury a heavy dressing 

 of manure at the bottom ; we make sure of at least ten inches, and the more the 

 better, of true soil (not manure or weed trash) at the top. We rake all smooth, 

 and leave it to settle for a week or two, or, at any rate, until we have one good, 

 hard rain ; then we go over it, and dress up with additional soil such places 

 as have settled out of line or level ; next we use two bushels of blue-grass, two 

 bushels of red-top, one bushel of creeping bent grass, and twenty pounds of 

 white clover, to each acre. We mix our seed, and then divide it into three equal 

 portions, sowing first one portion, raking it in ; then another portion, going cross- 

 wise in our sowing and raking ; then sow our third and last portion, and roll 

 down with as heavy a roller as two men can drag. In this way, we have made 

 good lawns by seeding in September, October, March, April, and May, — lawns 

 that required frequent mowing early in July. In our practice, we have found all 

 grains sown with grass-seed to be injurious rather than beneficial. We once 

 used the sweet-scented vernal grass ; but the aroma from it does not compen- 

 sate for its coarse, strong habit, which often destroys the small and more valua- 

 ble plants. Again : we use the quantity of seed given, because we find that it 

 is cheaper to supply plenty of grass-seed, and fill up the ground therewith, than 

 to spend a summer's labor of one, two, or more hands in pulling weeds ; for, if 

 the ground is not full of one thing, it will be of another, — at least, until the 

 season's growth has tillered out the grass-roots to cover it. F. R. E. 



The Large-flowered Blue Clematis. — Clematis asurea grmidijlora 

 is one of the most splendid of hardy climbers. It grows eight or nine feet high. 

 We have two of them against a sunny wall, where they have stood for ten years, 

 bearing annually hundreds of their large, blue, star-shaped blossoms. These are 

 four or five inches in diameter, and consist of five or six petals radiating from 

 the centre. The plants have usually had no other protection than a little straw 

 and litter thrown about the roots, which have never been injured in the hardest 

 winter. The tops have generally escaped unhurt ; though at times the ends of 

 the shoots are killed back for a foot or two, which does not prevent a pro- 

 fuse summer bloom. Clematis Sopliia is another variety of still more vigorous 

 growth, and somewhat larger flowers, a shade lighter in color. Both grow well 

 in any light soil, enriched with thoroughly-rotted animal or vegetable manure. 



P.P. 



