142 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENING 



2. When the lawn is first sown plenty of seed must be 

 used. A dense stand is always more beautiful. As the lawn 

 becomes older, any places where the grass is thin should be 

 re-seeded and the seed raked in or rich soil sprinkled over it. 



3. Nearly all lawns require an application of lime every 

 few years. This is true whether the soil be heavy or light. 

 If plenty of lime was used at first, then two years later a 

 second liming should take place. This may be done at almost 

 any time of the year, but wet weather is more favorable than 

 dry. 



4. In early winter, when the ground begins to freeze, a 

 top dressing of rich but well-rotted stable manure, free from 

 weed seeds, should be spread on the lawn. The manure pro- 

 tects the crowns of grass from winter killing and the plant- 

 food from the manure is well washed into the soil during the 

 winter and early spring. As warm spring weather approaches, 

 the lawn may be raked and a vigorous dark green growth of 

 grass will follow. 



5. All lawns should be cut a number of times each season. 

 It is very detrimental to grass for it to become tall and form 

 blossoms or seeds. Lawn grasses should spread by the growth 

 of underground stems or similar vegetable ' parts.- Never 

 expect them to spread by the formation . of seed. Frequent 

 cutting has another advantage in the killing of many kinds 

 of weeds. Frequent cutting is detrimental to weeds and 

 beneficial to grass. 



6. In the early part of each season lawns should be rolled 

 to overcome the bad effects of any heaving by the action of 

 winter frost. If lawn-mowers with rollers are used this will 

 accomplish the purpose. Otherwise a special roller may be 

 used once or twice during the spring. Another purpose of 

 rolling is to cause the root stalks or runners to become well 

 rooted, pressing them firmly against the soil, causing them 

 to take root and the sod is made mucli denser. 



Flower Planting. — The use of flowers in beautifying both 



