The Weekly Florists^ Review 



Apuil 8, lOti'.t 



HOW TO MAKE 



GOOD LAWNS 



IZI 



SOD AND SODDING. 

 For Lawns and Parking. 



'I'liriT ;ii'(' ti'w lldiists wild i\ li ;il 



^(ili;c liiiii' (Mlculiliti r llic llc('(| (if |i|iii|iii- 

 IIIl; II!' ri-lli'W iii;^ mhI. In \n\ own state 

 I ln\\,-|i. l.iliic yrass is Sii uiii\ci's;illy iisnl 

 Icir iliis |iui|)ns(' llint till" wluilc (jucstiiiii 

 ii'S(il\('S itsclt' intd (iiic ni gi'dwiiit; liluc 



L:I;|'-^ SllrccSsI iill v. 



Till' \iiy liict iliat tlir ]iraetic(' is so 

 loiiimiiii may iiiakr it aiijicar ;i waste nl' 

 time 1.1 ilisciiss it. l-;\eiyiiiif kimws lliat 

 all llial Villi iieecl til ilo is t(i jiiit a piiH'e 

 111' sml (Ji- a liii dl' dfass Seed in eoiUiicl 

 with the lerliie sdil ol' Iowa. :iiul of 

 riinise the ;;iass will >,n'(iW ! 



^'et thii-e are mail} a\1u) ilu not iiii 

 ileistaml the ]ir(i}U'r treatment of <rrass. 

 ami e\eii those who liavc rcpetitiMlly tried 

 the indress niny liinl soiiietliiiig of inter- 

 est in this Iiiief pajier. 'I'lie uiscnssioii 

 lien ]ii-e-eiitc(l is restrieteil to the eon- 

 siileiatidii of sod for lawns anil |)aikine, 

 tlidiiyh the fundtmiental priiicijiles iii- 

 \dl\ec| are applictilile to blue grass J)ms- 

 ; iiies as \\ ell. 



Developing a Strong Root System. 



]!liie gi-a-s is nsiKilly grown for tile 

 piii|H!se iif ileveloiung a dense, jierina- 

 iieiii -.nil. I'lir this jmrpipse it is essential 

 that a \ ienroiis root system he developed, 

 which will not only sustain a ri<di carpet 

 di' i^ieeii during tlie growing season, but 

 will maintain the life of the plants dur- 

 ing the winter and tiie dry summer. 



It is ;' fact well kiidwn to students of 

 plants th.at as tiie surface features be- 

 cdine hai-hei- and the supjilv of food 

 ami watei* liecdines less constant or h ss 

 certiiin, the pliints growing upon sacii 

 siirlaces produce relati\ely larger root 

 -^y-teins ,'ind smaller lops, and are thus 

 able td wiihsland dry conditions, during 

 liiilh winter and summer, which would 

 loiiNe latal to plants with roots lying 

 iiearer tin' siiri'aee. 



I II view df this w ell-estnl)lished pi'in- 

 riple. it wduld ap]ioar to be advtmlage- 

 dii^ to sdiiiewliat abuse blue grass, a |)laul 

 (juiie adaptable to a \i\riety of condi- 

 iidiis. ill oidei' tliat tli(> rdot system may 

 lie eldalged, and the J)eipetuity of the 

 -nil be ilms insured. Ivxperience has 

 shdv\n that this is retilly true, t'lir blue 

 gfa-s t'dinis a finer ;ind iiuire lasiiiiL; sod 

 lijii.n pddier siiils than iipiui the riidiest 

 lii.-iiii. and it is a signilicant ftict that 

 blue ;;iass and tii'es. the t \vd gretitest 

 and must cdmmon beaut ifii'is of our sur- 

 riiiiiiilings. iii.'iy lie gruwn upon soils 

 which ;ire inferinr, (u- almnst worthless, 

 t'lir utiier purjioses. 



The Soil is Often Too Rich. 



^'| t iMdst jiersOTis who siiw blue d|-;iss 



^eed I'd!' "-dd Cdlis'hl. r it desi|-;|l ill- til 



Spread rich snil, ur a i.aige anidunt of 

 fertili/ir. updii the surface before sow- 

 ing. Indeed, the w fiter has known of 

 cas'S ill which pinperty owners removed 

 the ]ioorer surf.'ice soil and replaced it 

 with rich soil at considerable expense, 

 aiid til the detriment of their sod. This 



pr.-ictice is .■ipp.areiit ly sustained by the 

 fact that ill rich seil bine grass ijiiickly 

 semis up xi^iirdiis blades and culms, but 

 the i-odts dii udt peneti'iite to gretiter 

 depths, and the tirst snowless winter or 

 dry summer will ctiuse many of the plants 

 to perish. The blue grass will also be 

 mure easily crowded mit by weeds. In 

 several cases which Inive eoine to the 

 \\riler"s attention, diie of them in his 

 iiw 11 experience, a part of the tilling of 

 ,1 hit w.as made with rich soil, and a part 

 witli pniirer subsoil, and in every in- 

 stance the licli sdil ]ii(iiliiced niore vigor- 



Fi 



Florentine 

 I Gold Art 

 Baskets 



Artistic arrangements in Art 

 Baskets, filled with choice 

 blooming plants, will be on 

 display in our show rooms 



Friday and Saturday 



April 9th to 10th Inclusive 



Orchids* Violets 



Gardenias and Roses 



SAMUELSON 



FLORIST 



(Established 1887; 



Telephone Calumet 1600-1601 



2127-2129 Michigan Ave. 



k: 



Mail Orders Receive Prompt Attention 



An Attractive Retail Advertisement. 



dus Iddkini; ei-;i>;s ul tiist, lull an iiiferier 

 sod in the end. 



'i"hi' ]iiinei|ial suliseils df [nwa are 

 hiess. the yellnu clay which cuvers most 

 (it' the we-teiii. iiiiitliern and e;istern j>or- 

 tidus III' the slate; the drit't, consislin;^ 

 ,t\' jdiiit clays with inure d|- less sainl, 

 [lelililes .-ind liiiidders, and a|i])eariii;f ,'il 

 the surface ehiclly in the iinrtli central 

 |iart df llie state; ;ind allnvinin. a cdin- 

 liinatidu nf the niateritils of the Iwn pre- 

 eediiiL:. with an adinixturii of orf^anie 

 ui.attei', fduiid aldii;,' nur strettnis and 



lake lidldelS. 



Good Sod on Poor Clay Soil. 



On tiie uplands loess and drift, wh 

 ;iii' (du'iniccilly praetieally the s;ii 

 eMiywliere form tlie suhsnil, and u 

 this e(un(^s to tlic surface it is reo.n, 

 as a poor soil. Yet upon these \ 

 clays, |i!irli('ularly tluil known ;is 1,, 

 Idue j^iass will form a sod uiie(|u;, 

 elsewhere. 



The writer has had excellent sue 

 ill de\('l(i|iinjr sod on loess (day in 

 spouse to the following treatment : 'I 

 surface of the (diiy is ji;radec| to iiiv 

 yiidd drainaj^e, as blue grass does 

 thrive on jioorly drained areas. It 

 grounds have lieen grmh^l so that 

 disturbed clay is at the sui-face, it slm 

 1)0 [ilowed or s[)aded. On reeently lili 

 surfaces this is not necessary. The ^ 

 face material is then reduced tn as tin. 

 (Mindilion as possible with an (inliii; 

 garden rake, and upon it pure bine ;;r;. 

 seed is sown. A thin sprinkliiiy nl' li; 

 widl decayed fertilizer will helji ; 

 \diiiig |dants, but cntirse and cdinpai 

 tively fresh manure should be avuid 

 The surface is llnui reworked with 

 r.ake until the seed is just coxcicd. 



Treatment of the Young Grafs. 



If this is ihme very etirly in the sprit . 

 iif an ordiimry year, no further tre:i' 

 irieiit is necessary for some time, as tin 

 natural rainfall and slowness of ev;i|iiir 

 tion at that season of the year will in 

 \idi^ sufTicicntly for the seedlings, lin' 

 ing dry seasons or periods, and esjM 

 ciiilly if the etfort is made rtither late ;■ 

 the season, artili(dal Avalering will 

 tirst be necessary, but an excess of wai' i 

 should be avoided, as the plants ai' 

 forced to rapid growth, and become ii > 

 der. The writer has succ(>eded in tli ■ 

 Wiiy ill eetting g<ioil Sml fniiu seed s.,\,i 

 late in ,!i;;)0. 



()rdina;il\, jnire blue grass seed siid,!!' 

 lie us.,: This gives a more unifdie 

 ■ ienser stand, which adds mindi tn tin 

 beauty of a lawn. When oIIkm' seed, sm 

 as barley, oats, and so funh, is inixe 

 with the blue grass, the latter is lik(>ly i 

 be more or less crowded by the mer. 

 rapidly growing grains. If such seed ■ 

 addled as a protection to the bhn^ gi'i- 

 seedlings, it shouM be in rehitively sm ; 

 (jitantities, CIov(M', with its tendems ' 

 unit, alsd ci'owds out the blue gras-, 

 least for a time. 



Mowing and Watering. 



Frequently a crop of weeds will at fi' 

 overtop the blue grass, and thcsc^ v- 

 serve as nurses for a time. They shoii 

 hdwcxer. be (diecked before they are 

 tall td cut \\itli n lawn mower. The fi 

 cutting will serve this purpose, and '■ 

 usually leave a fairly pure stand of i' 

 erass. Cutting shouhl be repeated ' 

 iiiieiitly endii;:li to (irevent the blue gi 

 frmii getting tno tall for the lawn mo" 

 This will give a denser and nioi-e unif' 

 sod. 



The siilisef|neiit care of the lawn > 

 t'lir but little Cdinment. Tt should iin' 

 i\atered frequently, fur the reasdn~ 

 ready stated. Tt should nut be cimj- 

 too closely, especially during dry sea- 

 ITdwever. a reasonable annnint of cult 

 keeps it denser and inore uniform, 

 places from which the snow is reu' ^ 

 swcfit, or during stiowh^ss winters, a ^ 

 innhdi, 1(1 be removed early the fullnw - 

 seasiin, will he of advantage. .Ml ' 

 may be troublesome, Imt is pracfic:: • 

 dii small tracts. 



Objections to Sodding. 



The laying of sod is a practice not 

 be encouraged, except in rare crtsCs w^' ' 



