88 LAWNS 



in shady places; and clover is frequently 

 included, not because it will serve any special 

 purpose, but merely because some people like 

 to have clover in a lawn. 



The ideal lawn grass is one with a creep- 

 ing, permanent stem and adapted to the 

 greatest variety of soils. Kentucky blue 

 grass fulfils these requirements, but it takes 

 a long time to grow a good turf from it. 

 Whether a lawn should be seeded with Ken- 

 tucky blue grass alone, or with one of the 

 numerous lawn mixtures, is a much discussed 

 problem. Circumstances should govern the 

 decision. If an immediate result is wanted 

 the mixtures offer distinct advantages, be- 

 cause they contain some quicker germinating 

 grasses; and if the soil is of an uncertain or 

 mixed quality the mixtures again are valuable, 

 because one grass or another out of the lot 

 will surely fit each special soil condition. 

 Kentucky blue grass, though slow in germin- 

 ating, makes a strong, permanent turf, but it 

 does not attain its proper development until 

 the third year after sowing. 



I must confess a prejudice in favour of the 

 mixture if only because I get a quicker result. 

 That alone is worth a great deal in ninety- 



