36 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



roller filled up, then raked again, and this work repeated 

 until a satisfactory surface is obtained. 



All trees and shruhs should, if possible, be planted before 

 the grass-seed is sown. If planting cannot be done at this 

 time, it should be delayed until the grass has become well 

 established; otherwise the lawn will be very much cut up 

 in the process of planting. 



LAWN-GRASSES 



Only those grasses that make a fine spreading growth, 

 i.e., tiller or spread by underground stems, give good results 

 in lawn-making. The best kinds for general purposes are 

 the bent-grasses (Agrostis alba, A. vulgaris, and A. stoloni- 

 fera) and June-grass or Kentucky blue-grass (Poa praten- 

 sis), all of which spread rapidly by underground stems, that 

 quickly fill up any vacant spaces between the grass-plants 

 and thus prevent the growth of weeds. They also succeed 

 on a greater variety of soils than almost any other varieties. 

 On very light land and under shade of trees there might be 

 added to the above the wire-grass (Poa cornpressa) and sheep- 

 fescue (Festuca ovina) and its varieties, although the latter 

 grows somewhat in tufts. "White clover (Trifolium repens) 

 is generally used in making a lawn, as it grows close to the 

 ground and fills up all spaces not occupied by the grass- 

 roots, thus preventing the growth of weeds. None of the 

 coarser grasses, like timothy (Phleum pratense), orchard- 

 grass (Dactylis glomerata), tall fescue (Festuca elatior), and 

 rye-grass (Lolium perenne), have been found satisfactory by 

 the author except where immediate effect is of more im- 

 portance than a permanent and fine lawn. 



