GARDENS NEAR THE SEA 



that while one variety will do well in a particular soil, 

 it may do but poorly in another. Redtop grass seed, 

 one of the most generally used varieties, is not well 

 suited to the sandy soil of many seaside places, as 

 it is very susceptible to droughts and the sunshine on 

 the sand during the early stages of its growth. Ken- 

 tucky blue grass, one of the most enduring of grasses, 

 takes, on the contrary, a good hold on sandy ground 

 and forms a strong turf, although not of so fine a quality 

 as other varieties that demand more from the soil. 

 Red or creeping fescue has been found to resist droughts 

 and to form a durable turf on soils that are light and 

 sandy. 



Seedsmen and others skilled in making fine lawns 

 suggest, as has been intimated, various kinds of grass 

 seed for diverse soils, and although individual experi- 

 ments are apt to bring out many unexpected and 

 interesting phases of the way in which particular 

 seeds act on certain soils, there is already enough 

 systematized knowledge on the subject to start the 

 amateur lawn maker cheerfully on his way. 



The grass seed of lawns should, moreover, be sown 

 by one skilled in this art, which requires much care. 

 Then, after the seed has been worked into the soil with 

 a fine-toothed rake, it should be rolled heavily. This 

 rolling is important to form an even surface, and 

 should be repeated at intervals even after the ground 

 is green with the upspringing blades. Frequent mowing 

 tends to strengthen and thicken the growth of grass, 

 and heavy rolling, when the earth is moist, helps to 

 keep its surface even. In times of drought the lawns 



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