12 LAWNS 



labour of repairing was very little. The 

 surface merely had to be lightly scarified, 

 fine surface soil scattered over it, and grass 

 seed distributed. By the middle of the season 

 after this was done there was very little trace 

 of there ever having been any damage at all. 



Naturally when this course is followed all 

 the refuse matter and debris from the build- 

 ing has to be carefully carted away and dis- 

 posed of according to the most convenient 

 method. This involves an amount of labour, 

 however, that is not usually counted upon 

 in making an estimate for the foundations and 

 cellar of the house. 



Yet it would be a mighty good thing if it 

 were always understood that the excavated 

 earth be removed entirely or filled in at some 

 point where it could be properly covered with 

 fertile top soil in due course. Too often this 

 inert, hard soil, which has never been brought 

 under cultivation (and which in the ordinary 

 course of events would take several years of 

 close cultivation before it could be considered 

 a good soil), is simply scattered around, gen- 

 erally as near the house as possible, burying 

 completely whatever good soil was originally 

 there. If there are unevennesses in the 



