THE LAWN. 25 



or in the more southerly states in October. To keep the 

 lawn in proper condition, it should be mowed over once 

 every week if the weather is moist, and not less than once 

 in two weeks even in dry weather ; for if the lawn has 

 been properly made in the first place, and "top dressed" 

 with a good coat of well-rotted manure in fall, and the 

 rough parts raked off in spring, the weather must be dry 

 and hot indeed to prevent its growth. 



LAWNS ON SLOPING BANKS. 



It is exceedingly difficult to get a growth of grass from 

 seed on a sloping bank at an angle of even fifteen degrees, 

 because a heavy shower of rain on the sloping bank would 

 wash off the fresh soil before the grass seed has formed 

 enough roots to hold the young grass in place. To 

 remedy this the following plan will be found most 

 effective. To an area fifteen by twenty three hundred 

 square feet or in this proportion, be the area large or 

 small, take two quarts of lawn grass seed and mix it with 

 four bushels of rather stiff soil, to which add two bushels 

 of cow manure ; mix the whole with water to the con- 

 sistency of thin mortar. This mixture is to be spread on 

 the sloping bank, first having scratched the surface of the 

 bank with a rake. It should be spread as thinly as will 

 make a smooth and even surface ; in short, just as plaster 

 is spread on a wall. The grass seed will start rapidly, 

 and quickly make a sod of the richest green, its smooth, 

 hard surface preventing its bein? furrowed out by the 

 rains. It will be necessary, until the grass has fully 

 covered the surface, to keep the plastered bank covered 

 with hay or straw to prevent the covering from drying or 

 cracking. If the weather is dry a gentle watering will 

 hasten the growth of the seed. If sown at a season when 

 the temperature averages seventy degrees, a green sward 

 will be obtained in fifteen days. By this method, using 

 orchard or other strong growing grasses, no cheaper or 



