O. M. Scott & Sons Co., Marysville, Ohio 



should be preserved. The task of building a good top-soil 

 by the addition of humous materials to a sterile subsoil is 

 too difficult and expensive a labor to be undertaken lightly. 

 On limited areas the top-soil should be entirely removed be- 

 fore grading, and spread again over the graded surface. 

 Hollows should be avoided or provided with surface drain- 

 age, as the alternate freezing and thawing of the winter sea- 

 son is ruinous to the grass roots in spots where water col- 

 lects. 



DRAINAGE 



7 ■'HE matter of drainage, under usual conditions, is of 

 vital importance. 



Soil of close texture resists the passage of water and tends 

 to become cold and lacking in air and bacterial life. This 

 condition is inimical to the growth of plants. The remedy is 

 in laying tile in the subsoil. 



A gravelly or sandy subsoil is porous and may be expected 

 to care for the drainage without help. A clay subsoil, how- 

 ever, is often impervious and, particularly on flat land, must 

 be tiled. 



Low ground, naturally, should be carefully drained. A 

 soggy soil not only inconveniences the players but favors 

 weed growth and permits the breaking up of the surface by 

 trampling. Particular attention should be given to the 

 drainage of greens flanked by higher ground. 



Careful thought should be given to the whole scheme of 

 drainage, provision being made for a sufficient fall to carry 

 off the water. Tile on the golf course need not be laid as 

 deeply as on land used for agri- ^ 

 cultural purposes. It should be .W' 



