BEAUTIFYING GROUNDS 



141 



are well established they will suffer much from drought. 

 For this reason summer planting is usually not successful. 



Nurse crops are sometimes used in the starting of grass 

 on lawns. For this purpose annual grains, such as oats in the 

 spring or rye in the fall, may be used. The purpose of the 

 nurse crop is to shade and protect the young grass plants while 

 starting. Only a little grain should be used and this should 

 be mowed before becoming tall to prevent the stealing of 



Fig. 84. — A farm home with a beautiful side yard with greensward and mixed border. 

 The family can be as justly proud of this as a city family, 



moisture and nourishment from the grass. In some seasons 

 several cuttings of the nurse crop will be necessary before it is 

 killed. 



Care of Lawns. — A number of points must be carefully 

 attended to if lawns are to be kept in the best possible 

 condition. 



1. The soil should be made" in fine condition before seeding. 

 Plenty of fertilizer should be used at that time, unless the 

 ground is very rich. The addition of fertilizers from time to 

 time will help the lawn. Nitrogenous fertilizers, such as 

 nitrate of soda, will give best results. 



