CHAPTER V 



LAWNS 



THE first part of this chapter treats of conditions in the North and 

 the second part of the chapter treats of conditions in the South. 



LAWNS FOR THE NORTH 



PREPARATION OF LAWN AREAS. The keynote of success in securing 

 a good lawn is thorough preparation of the area before seeding. Fail- 

 ures are almost invariably due to poor preparation rather than to poor 

 seed. Grading should be finished with a view to seeding either in the 

 early fall or spring. Prepare the soil thoroughly, for the permanence 

 of the sod rests entirely on this initial outlay. The soil should be deep 

 and porous to produce deep rooting of the turf, which means success 

 in combating winter-killing and drought. For the ideal lawn the 

 ground must be prepared to a depth of one foot; but eighteen inches is 

 preferable. If the area is large enough it should be plowed; otherwise 

 spading must be resorted to. When the soil is naturally good and there 

 is ample topsoil (six inches to eight inches) deep plowing without subsoil- 

 ing is sufficient. In heavy soils the clay subsoil should be broken up 

 but not brought to the surface. After plowing, if the area is large enough 

 to permit the use of a team, the soil should be worked fine by harrow- 

 ing. Follow this operation by levelling with shovels and hoes, and 

 finally with rakes. The top layer of soil should be made very fine to 

 induce quick germination of seed and permanency of sod. 



The average lawn to which the author refers is the lawn developed 

 in the immediate vicinity of the residence. If building operations have 

 extended over the greater portion of this lawn area, as is general on the 

 smaller residence lots, then all of the topsoil should have been stripped 

 and placed in one or more large piles prior to the commencement of any 

 building operations. In the preparation of a lawn area under such 

 conditions it is very advisable to delay actual work upon this area until 

 after that portion of the building operations apt to cause further litter 

 to be thrown over the lawn area is completed. While the ideal lawn 



