366 A Practical Hand Book 



raking. It is a frequent objection that barn manure carries 

 quantities of weed-seeds, but as a matter of fact, the weeds spring- 

 ing from this source are usually of small consequence, the greater 

 number having been already in the soil. 



The best season for sowing grass-seed is doubtless in early 

 spring, but good results are obtained when the sowing is made 

 in the fall, early enough so that the grass will make substantial 

 growth before frost. It is well to edge walks, drives, bedding- 

 spaces, and other portions exposed to injury with sods of firm 

 texture, and of a quality that will blend later with the seeded 

 growth. Excellent mixtures of lawn-grass seeds are supplied 

 by reliable seed-dealers, and their advice can generally be relied 

 upon in the selection of a mixture suitable for use in any par- 

 ticular location. As the proportion of non-germinating seeds is 

 often considerable, even in the best mixtures, the quantity sown 

 should be liberal, the usual amount being four bushels per acre, 

 or one-quarter pound per hundred square feet. 



The seed should be scattered evenly, and in sowing it is advis- 

 able to go over the ground twice, lengthwise, -^hen crosswise. 

 The work should never be attempted on a windy day; early in 

 the morning is considered the best time of day. The soil should 

 be moist, yet not wet enough to prevent the easy raking-in of the 

 seed, and a smooth rolling immediately after sowing. The rolling 

 should be done thoroughly by two or more applications of a 

 moderately heavy iron roller. In a dry season, daily watering is 

 beneficial. This should be done carefully and lightly, so as not 

 to wash the seeds from the ground. After the first mowing, the 

 rolling should be repeated once or twice ; and frequent mowing 

 will do much toward inducing a thick, velvety growth. Should 

 the new grass be killed in spots during the first winter, the bare 

 spaces should be resown liberally; depressions caused by the set- 

 tling of newly-graded soil may be filled with finely-screened 

 loam in which seeds have been thickly mixed. Another rolling 

 should follow. 



The care of lawns involves three things: the eradication of 

 weeds, feeding, and mowing. For the first, various chemical weed- 

 killers are found in the market; but their use is no more certain 

 and consumes scarcely less time and labor than the old-fashioned 



