STATE POMOLOQICAL SOCIETY. 49 



Lawns and Landscape Gardening. 



[Continuation of Dr. Weston's report as Corresponding Secretary.] 



England surpasses all other countries in the beauty of its lawns. 

 The humidity of its climate, the frequent rains in the season of 

 growing vegetation, cause the grass to flourish with great luxuri- 

 ance, and the frequent cutting produces a velvet like turf of vivid 

 green, which is a constant delight to the eye. There is nothing 

 so attractive in all nature's domain as this soft carpet, with the 

 most beautiful flowers in a setting of emerald. And no one can 

 contemplate the lawns on the grounds of Oxford and Cambridge 

 and hundreds of other localities, without admiration and a desire 

 to imitate them. 



Although our own country has a more fervid heat and a drier 

 atmosphere, yet experience has shown that we also can cultivate 

 lawns which may be very satisfactory. Evei-y humble home may 

 even have its patch of green grass of greater or less extent, ac- 

 cording to the means of the owner, which may be enjoyed as 

 keenly as the largest landscape garden belonging to the wealthiest 

 landholder, " It is a mistaken idea, indulged in by many, that to 

 make a home place beautiful, requires a large expenditure of 

 money ; and it is still more a mistaken idea that to accomplish 

 this successfully, a person must be acquainted with the rules and 

 principles of landscape gardening in all the minutiae of its details, 

 or if they lack this knowledge themselves they must, perforce, 

 employSsome person learned and skilled in the intricacies of the 

 art, to do it for them. These ideas have no doubt deterred many 

 from undertaking what they have long desired, a home beautiful 

 in its surroundings and adornments. Taste and purpose, com- 

 bined with study and observation, will produce the desired re- 

 sult, often much more satisfactorily than a lavish expenditure of 

 money." 



As the lawn is one of the most important features in landscape 

 gardening, it will first be considered ; and as knowledge derived 

 from experience and example is apt to be most practical and use- 

 ful, I will communicate my own method. 



The very first thing needed in preparing the ground is to pro- 

 vide effectual drainage by stone, tile or brick drains, unless the 

 land is so situated that this is accomplished without extra artificial 

 means. In premises consisting of three-fourths of an acre, the 

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