14 LAWNS 



good, and of fair depth of top soil, the site 

 may be put into perfect lawn condition by 

 deep ploughing without subsoiling. 



If the ground be poor the preliminary 

 steps in the making of the lawns must consist 

 of heavily manuring or dressing with com- 

 mercial fertiliser, the preference being with 

 the former. On very light soils organic 

 manure is vastly superior to the chemical 

 fertiliser because it adds humus, with the 

 result that it helps greatly to retain moisture, 

 and, moreover, its actual food value is much 

 more lasting. It may not yield such an abun- 

 dance of readily available plant food at the 

 start, but it will spread its benefits over a much 

 greater time. Practically, barnyard manure 

 is the best soil ameliorator; the chemical 

 substances which are introduced for the pur- 

 pose of supplying the equivalent food values 

 do not achieve the same result in the same 

 way. 



Air-slacked lime might be spread on to the 

 soil at the same time as the manure or after 

 the first dressing of the latter has been turned 

 under, using it at the rate of thirty or even 

 forty bushels to the acre. This can be evenly 

 spread over the surface and raked or harrowed 



