20 GARDEN GUIDE 



ground warmed slightly. It is an advan- 

 tage to get it well started before the 

 trees begin to shade the soil, perhaps 

 as early as April. If sown later, espe- 

 cially in Midsummer, the hot sun will 

 make it difficult for the grass to start. 

 The soil will need careful and thorough 

 watering. Grass seed may also be sown 

 A lattice screen, supported at in the Autumn from mid-August to Oc- 



the base by a wall. Between the tnhpr with o-nnH rp<inlt<s Tf a Hav inct 

 chinks of the stones and in a ^Der, Wllll gOO UllS. II day JUSl 



channel along the top, suitable before a rain can be chosen it will be 



found that the grass will be up in a few 



days. If no rain is in sight, give a thorough sprinkling of water, but 

 not with force, else the seed will be washed out. If it is windy, how- 

 ever, the seed will scatter badly, and will not come up evenly. 



When large areas are to be sown it is best to divide the lawn into 

 approximately ten-foot squares and teeat each separately, else it will 

 be difficult to sow uniformly. To cover the seeds, the areas should 

 then be raked in two directions, after which the lawn should be thor- 

 oughly rolled. This will compact the soil so that the seeds are in con- 

 tact with the soil particles. 



THE YEARLY CARE of the lawn consists first of a slight mulch of 

 thoroughly rotted manure in the Winter. This not only protects the 

 grass from the cold, but supplies plant food as well. In the Spring, 

 when growth first starts, the coarser material should be removed and 

 the lawn given a dressing of bonemeal. An application of nitrate of 

 soda, which is best applied in solution (one oz. to two gallons of water), 

 will give the lawn a good start. To renovate the lawn, seed can usually 

 be sown about one-half as thickly as for new lawns. 



Frequently bad spots are found. These are often due to the fact 

 that in grading some large stone has been left in the soil which cuts 

 off the supply of water from below. At other times" the soil becomes a 

 little sour. If the bad spot is dug up deeply and the stones removed, 

 fresh soil, a little lime and decayed manure added, the fault is often 

 remedied. It is advisable to give an extra heavy seeding also. 



MOWING. When the young grass has been up for perhaps two 

 weeks it is often good to roll it and defer the first cutting until the 

 plants are about three inches tall. The new lawn should not be cropped 

 too closely, but should be cut regularly. The grass will then be in- 

 duced to spread out rather than grow tall. If cut weekly, the clippings 

 should not be removed; they will be useful to protect the roots against 

 the sun as well as to furnish an excellent mulch. If, however, the grass 



