LAWN AND FLOWER GARDEN 99 



time for grasses is August and September for early 

 maturing grasses, and the early spring for seeds that are 

 scattered late in the fall. 



Lawn Grasses. 



The best grasses for the lawn are June grass (Ken- 

 tucky blue grass), and red top, equal parts of each, with 

 a little white clover (10 Ibs. per acre); forty to fifty 

 pounds of this mixture will seed an acre. The seed-bed 

 should be very thoroughly made, working the soil deep 

 and fine. It should be smoothed and rounded with a 

 flowing outline and no perfectly level places except for 

 lawn tennis or croquet grounds. Terraces should be 

 avoided as artificial, difficult to make, and expensive to 

 keep in good condition. The surface of a terrace will often 

 slide down when the frost is coming out of the ground 

 in the spring, and it soon becomes uneven, while it is 

 difficult to cut the grass smoothly. A rounded, even 

 though rather abrupt surface will remain solid, and the 

 grass may be easily cut with the lawn-mower. Care 

 must be taken that no basins are formed that will hold 

 water after heavy rains or during the winter, as the 

 grass is often killed by a close covering of ice. 



Sowing the Seed. 



When the soil has been satisfactorily graded and a 

 seed-bed of fine rich soil made, the seed should be sown 

 evenly over the whole surface. To ensure even distri- 

 bution of seed requires some skill, but it can be best 

 done by the amateur by dividing the seed into two or 

 three equal lots. Then sow the first lot over the whole 

 piece one way, and rake in with a long-toothed iron rake 

 or potato-hook. Then sow the second lot over the whole 

 surface in the opposite direction, and after raking it in 

 sow the remainder diagonally over the whole piece. If 



