CHAPTER IX 
THE LAWN 
Grading. In order that the lawn may be well drained, 
it should have a gentle slope toward the street. If it is 
necessary to remove elevations, the topsoil should first 
be taken off in such a manner that it can be replaced. 
A good lawn needs at least five inches of loam; for a 
good growth of shrubbery there must be twelve inches. 
In case the topsoil has been disturbed in making ex- 
cavations for constructing the building, new soil must 
be provided. Three inches of clayey loam should be 
added if the soil is mostly sand. 
A lawn that is elevated eight or ten inches above the 
walk and held in place by a cement curbing usually has 
a neat appearance, especially if the front yard is small. 
Terraces in which the soil is held in place with turf are 
attractive for home yards, but they should, as a rule, be 
avoided in school yards. 
Manure. After the yard has been given a uniform 
slope, spread over it a layer of from one to two inches 
of well-rotted barnyard manure from which all coarse 
material has been removed, so that the entire yard will 
get a uniform coating of the good material. Manure 
taken from cow barns is best. Fresh manure should 
not be used; it may contain weed seeds that will be 
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