28 LITTLE GARDENS 
away. Using lawn sand according to directions is a simple way of 
getting rid of coarse weeds. 
Mossy Lawns.—Moss on lawns indicates either the need for 
drainage or the presence of poor soil. In each case the remedy is 
obvious. Sometimes one part of the lawn is always mossy and damp ; 
in this case it may be taken as certain that drainage is needed. ‘his 
is one of the things that should be determined before the lawn is 
made, as it is a great nuisance to have to take up the grass for the 
purpose of laying drains. As the pipes must be 2 feet below the 
surface it is hardly safe to relay the turf, or to sow seed, for three 
months at least, for the soil will not have settled to its normal 
position before then. When, as is often the case, poor soil is respon- 
sible for the presence of the moss, the latter should be raked out 
with an iron rake. This operation will spoil the appearance of the 
lawn for a little while, but if given a light top dressing of rich soil it 
will soon improve. Wood ashes -—the ashes resulting from the burn- 
ing of garden refuse—are admirable for mixing with soil as a top 
dressing for the lawn. 
Worm Casts.—These are a great nuisance on newly made lawns, 
and interfere with the work of rolling, as well as disturb and 
spoil the lawn surface. The simplest way to get rid of them is 
by watering the lawn, either before or after sowing, with lime water. 
A barrel is filled with water, and freshly burnt lime is added until 
the water will take up no more. When the latter has become clear 
it is ready for use. Its application to the ground through a “ rose” 
fixed on the spout of a watering can will bring out the worms in 
numbers. They may then be collected and destroyed. Salt water 
will kill them. 
Lawns that Deteriorate.—It does not seem to be generally 
realised by amateur gardeners that lawns, just as much as plants and 
shrubs, need stimulating food occasionally. We give manure to 
plants in pots and borders, and why should not we do so to lawns, 
which more often than not have to bear a good deal of hard wear ? 
After a time bare patches appear, or the grass gets thin in places. 
If the matter is taken in hand in time a put top dressing of rich 
soil—sifted soil, with which special lawn manure, or wood ashes, or 
some other suitable fertiliser, such as Clay’s or Guano, has been 
mixed —will work wonders. If the bare patches are neglected it will 
a necessary to dig them out, replace with soil, and sow more 
seed. 
Quantity of Seed to Sow.—The quantity of grass seed 
usually recommended for sowing lawns is about 5 bushels per acre. 
It may be useful as a guide to mention that a tennis lawn would 
take about 3 pecks of seed. It is best to sow pretty thickly ; one 
gets a satisfactory lawn far more quickly than by sowing thinly, and 
the latter method saves little in the cost. 
