176 Abridged Communications. 



only be necessary to have some sets of letters, of the size 

 wished, cut upon blocks of wood ; and the sole additional 

 requisite would be, that the blocks should be of one length, 

 and straight on the sides : the letters could then be picked 

 out as readily, and placed as evenly, as the present printing 

 letters are ; and might be held together, during the time of 

 marking, by any of the well known modes of compression. 



Allow me, also, to suggest that all the iron punches made 

 in future, with either letters or numbers, should be made 

 straight-sided. It would then be easy to put two or three, or 

 more, letters together, side by side, and to make impressions 

 upon lead or copper with them, in a neat and even manner ; 

 whereas, at present, from the bulging sides of the punches, 

 they must be used one at a time ; and, when thus used, it is 

 difficult to make the letters of the same depth, or even in a 

 straight line. — R. Feb. 17. 1832. 



To repair and. improve Lawns without the Aid of Turf. — In 

 the metropolis and its neighbourhood, the turf laid down in 

 small gardens seldom lasts more than one season ; and re- 

 quires to be renewed at an expense, including the purchase 

 of the turf and laying it down, of from 3d. to W. a square 

 foot. Instead of being at this expense, if the ground to be 

 turved were to be stirred up to the depth of 3 in. or 4 in. 

 every spring, in the last week of March or the first week of 

 April, and thickly sown with the following seeds, it would 

 soon become green ; and, if regularly sown, will remain as 

 close and thick as any turf whatever during the whole sum- 

 mer ; dying, however, in the succeeding winter, and requiring 

 to be renewed in the spring. 



The grasses used for this purpose are : — ^4grostis vulgaris 

 var. tenuifolia, Festiica duriuscula, Festiica ovina, Cynosurus 

 cristatus, P6a pratensis, ^/vena flavescens, and Trifolium 

 minus. These seeds are mixed together in equal portions, 

 and are sown at the rate of from 4 to 6 bushels per acre. 



In lawns and shrubberies in the country, the turf frequently 

 fails under large trees and in various other places. There is 

 no cheaper or better mode of making good these defects, 

 than by sowing the above mixture as early every spring as 

 the situation and the soil will admit. Of this there is a proof 

 at Clarence Lodge, Roehampton ; where the very intelligent 

 gardener, Mr. Henderson, at the suggestion of Mr. Sinclair 

 of the New Cross Nurseries, has practised this mode with the 

 greatest success for two years. — R. S. B. March, 1832. 



