62 BRECK’S NEW BOOK OF FLOWERS. 
Many other plants are often used for edgings, but there 
is nothing that makes so neat and trim an edging as box. 
It is a good time to clip old box edgings in June. They 
should never be suffered to grow tall, but be kept down low. 
It is best to give some protection to box in the winter, by 
coarse litter, or by throwing up a few inches of the fine 
gravel on one side and the earth of the border on the other. 
ON LAWNS. 
No flower-garden can be complete without some grass. 
There are but very few, however, who can afford the 
luxury of an extensive lawn; but every one wishes for a 
few rods, at least, about the house; this may lie between 
the house and garden. When there is but a small surface 
to grass over, it may be done with turf, if it can be ob- 
tained of a good quality, which is not often the case. The 
best way is to begin at the beginning, and do the work 
up thoroughly. First, see that the ground is well prepared 
by deep digging or trenching; for it is in vain to expect 
the lawn to preserve its greenness in summer, unless the 
soil is pulverized so that the roots of the grass may pene- 
trate two feet deep. After the soil is thus prepared and 
levelled, it should be left to settle a week or ten days; 
then it is to be raked off smooth, and it will be ready for 
the seed. The New England Red-top, or Bent-grass, alone, 
makes the finest lawn for this climate; but if it is desirable 
to give immediate effect to the lawn, there should bea 
mixture of White Clover. Three bushels of Red-top to ten 
pounds of White Clover, or four bushels of Red-top without 
it, is none too much for an acre. This may seem a heavy 
seeding, but it is none too much. After sowing the seed, 
it should be rolled with a heavy roller. 
To have a fine Jawn, it is necessary not only to mow it > 
often, but roll it also, especially after a rain. By doing 
thus, a close texture and fine velvety turf may be obtained. 
