IN CALIFORNIA 179 



CARE OF LAWNS 



Lawns will need to be watered often as lawn grass 

 does not root over two or three inches deep, but 

 water thoroughly and induce deep rooting. 



Some may not have fertilized their lawns as yet, 

 though the time is ripe. Try some commercial fer- 

 tilizer this spring and note the season's growth of 

 grass; these balanced mixtures should prove much 

 superior to weed-bearing stable manures. From now 

 until winter the grass should make a steady, luxu- 

 rious growth, receiving no check. 



MAY 



During the summer it is not best to water many 

 plants during the heat of the day. Water in the 

 evening so that the plants may absorb the moisture 

 during the night and they will be the better able to 

 stand the evaporation occurring during the day ; or 

 do the sprinkling very early in the morning. 



Throughout the summer the air is generally hot 

 and dry and dissipates much of the moisture in- 

 tended for plants to consume; consequently it is 

 during the prevalence of hot weather and rapid 

 growth that plants require food in soluble form. 

 Liquid fertilizers are readily absorbed by the feed- 

 ing roots and at once assimilated by the tissues of 

 plants. The excess of moisture lost through evapo- 

 ration is compensated for by the plant food con- 

 tained in the part that is absorbed. 



In the case of house and porch plants, small, neat 

 beds against the house, etc., it is often impracticable 

 to use stable manure, especially if none but the 

 coarser kinds are obtainable, but every one, espe- 

 cially in the suburbs or country, may keep a supply 

 of liquid manure. Fill a common grain sack with 



