VII. SHRUBBERIES. 



of the spade as the workman proceeds j and when the 

 whole is laid, a roller of iron or of stone, of sufficient 

 weight, is passed over the plat. During the next winter, 

 care must be taken to roll again when the ground is in a 

 dry state, after every frost. In the month of April, it 

 will be necessary to begin to mow j for the grass will 

 grow very well. Grass-plats are the greatest beauties of 

 pleasure grounds if well managed -, but, unless you be 

 resolved not to spare the necessary expense for this pur- 

 pose 5 if you think that you cannot have the perseverance 

 to prevent your plat from becoming a sort of half mea- 

 dow at certain times, the best way is not to attempt the 

 thing at all. During the "month of May, grass must be 

 mowed once a week. From the first of June, to the 

 middle of July, and especially if the weather be wet, 

 twice a week may be necessary ; or, one mowing and one 

 swarding or poling, and sweeping. The mower can 

 operate only in the dew : he must be at his work by day- 

 light, and the grass must be swept up before it be dry. 

 It is the general practice to mow every Saturday morn- 

 ing, and to pole or sward the grass in the middle of the 

 week, to knock or cut off the heads of the daisies, and 

 to take away the castings of the worms, which are very 

 troublesome in the greater part of grass-plats. Where 

 the thing is well done, the worm-casts are rubbed off by 

 a pole or rod the evening before the mowing is per- 

 formed, otherwise they interrupt the progress of the 

 scythe and take off its edge. A good short-grass mower 

 is a really able workman ; and, if the plat have a good 

 bottom, he will leave it very nearly as smooth and as 

 even as the piece of green cloth which covers the table 

 on which I am writing : it is quite surprising how close 



Q 



