58 YARD AND GAEDEN 



Fresh manure is not only damaging to the grass 

 but is ahnost certain to be filled with minute 

 seeds of various weeds. Let the manure re- 

 main until early spring and a double benefit 

 will be derived from the dressing. It will not 

 only impart plant food to the soil, but it will 

 serve as an effective mulch which will to a great 

 extent overcome the injury caused by the alter- 

 nate thawing and freezing during the winter. 

 When the grass shows a vigorous growth in 

 the spring, rake the coarser material from the 

 lawn and follow this by rolling. 



In the spring it is best to top-dress the lawn 

 with an application of finely ground bone meal 

 mixed with hard-wood ashes. Combine the mix- 

 ture by using equal parts of each by weight, 

 and spread the fertilizer on the lawn until it 

 takes upon itself a grayish appearance, or to 

 be more exact at the rate of one ton to the acre. 

 It is best to select a day for applying this top 

 dressing that is still and promises a light rain. 

 Another fertilizer that has a beneficial effect on 

 lawns is nitrate of soda. Apply this at the 

 rate of one ounce to the square yard, and make 

 sure, if it is applied in dry form, that it is broad- 

 casted immediately preceding a shower. It is 

 perhaps best to apply this to the lawn by dis- 



