144 



Nature-Study Agriculture 



The final 

 slope 



Preparing 

 the soil 



Fertiliza- 

 tion 



The 



different 

 grasses for 

 lawns 



Sowing 



Frequently a lawn is given a gentle slope almost to 

 the sidewalk and then is made to drop off steeply to the 

 edge of the walk. It is nearly impossible to keep the 

 grass in proper condition on such a sharp incline. The 

 slope should be about the same all the way, or the drop 

 at the sidewalk should be vertical, with a retaining wall. 



It is much easier to store a large amount of fertilizer 

 in the soil while it is being prepared for grass than to 

 apply the fertilizer little by little afterwards. Well- 

 rotted stable manure is the most satisfactory fertilizer 

 to apply. It makes humus, which, as we know, helps 

 the ground to hold moisture and furnishes nitrogen and 

 other plant foods. It is well to add a little lime and 

 ground bone to the stable manure. The lime sweetens 

 the soil if it is sour, and the bone slowly decomposes 

 and furnishes the grass with phosphorus. Two pounds 

 of manure and an ounce each of lime and ground bone 

 may be applied to each square foot of lawn. 



Kentucky blue grass is more commonly used for lawns 

 than is any other grass. Bermuda grass is much used 

 in the South, especially on light sandy soils. Italian 

 rye grass makes a quick lawn, but it is coarse and soon 

 dies out. Redtop, bent grass, and white clover are used 

 east of the Allegheny Mountains where the soil is too 

 acid for other grass. White clover is usually planted 

 with Kentucky blue grass, as the two make a more 

 satisfactory lawn than does either grass alone. 



Grass seed should be sown thickly, so that weeds 

 will not have much room to get a start. If there is 

 too much grass, some of it will be crowded out in time 

 and no harm will be done. Where a combination of 



