A YEAR'S GARDENING 



But whether the lawn be made by laying turf or by sowing seed, 

 the proper preparation of the ground is equally im- 

 PrMaration portant. The early autumn, during the first two weeks 

 of Ground ^^ September, is one of the best seasons for sowing the 

 seed, as the soil is then warm and rain and heavy dews are generally 

 prevalent a little later. This gives an opportunity for the seed to 

 germinate freely and" allows the young grass to become established 

 before the winter frosts set in, enabling it, by the time spriiig has 

 arrived and all growth is most vigorous, to overcome the weeds 

 which would then begin to fructify from any weed-seeds which may 

 have lain dormant in the soil. A word of caution against hurry 

 may, perhaps, be necessary. The old adage, " The more haste, the 



. less speed," is most applicable to the preparation of the 



Avoid Hurry gj-o^j^j for making a lawn, and it is certainly wise to 

 allow a week or two for the new surface to settle and consolidate, and 

 find its own level, before sowing the seed or laying the turf. 



The first step in the preparation of the ground is to mark out the 

 limits of the plot. Then it should be dug over to the 

 Digging and depth of 10 to 12 inches, turning the soil completely, 

 anuring breaking it up fine, and taking out all large stones, 

 weeds and roots. Then the whole surface should be spread with 

 manure, forking it in to a depth of 3 or 4 inches. This part of the 

 preparation is one so often omitted that it is necessary to insist upon 

 its importance; without a well-nourished soil to begin with the 

 results are sure to be unsatisfactory. The best general manure is 

 well-rotted stable litter, which is usually easily procured. 



The next step is to find a general level, which to the amateur may 

 seem a difficult operation, but is reaUy fairly easy. A 

 Levelling stout wooden peg, some 2 feet long, sharp pointed at 

 one end but with a flat head, should be driven into the centre of the 

 plot, allowing the top of the peg to stand up from the ground at the 

 height required for the level of the plot. From this centre, in 

 radiating lines at distances of some 15 feet apart, similar pegs should 

 be driven in, and by means of a spirit-level and a level-edged board 

 placed from peg to peg the tops of aU the pegs may be brought to an 

 exact level. 



Now comes the making of the seed-bed, which is done by careful 

 . raking of the ground into a fine surface and to a 



Seed-bid ""i^"™ i^^t ^^ J^^fi > , ^\ projecting pegs 



Then it should be trodden firmly aU over (or a small 



roller may be used), pressing in any lump or stone so that an even as 



well as a l6vel surface is obtained, until the whole is so well con- 



122 



