THE PHILADELPHIA FLORIST. 53 



§ CI;e florist anb IWtrolfnral Sonrnal 



Pliiladelphia, June, 1852. 



We need not commence on the 21st of May to tell our friends and 

 supporters how to manage their spring operations 5 for the majority of 

 amateurs have "fixed up" in their yards for the summer. A few will 

 want the gardener's hook or scythe periodically to trim their grass 

 plat; and some will allow him to extend his care to the stirring of their 

 flower border with the rake ; many attend to both themselves; we think 

 they are right — the gardener will not lose much by this. Most per- 

 sons who intended sowing annuals, have already done so; small lawns 

 are laid down with mixed lawn grass, obtained ready mixed of the 

 seedsman. We hope they may be pleased with their grass plot when 

 it vegetates, for many are disappointed ; in fact, few take the neces- 

 sary precautions to insure success. They do not dig deep, and get 

 soil minutely pulverised ; they do not roll it properly after being dug; 

 they do not rake it properly; they do not take care to banish a quan- 

 tity of worms who cut up the surface after seed is sown ; in fact, they 

 do not lay down their plot in grass, but scratch it up and scatter the 

 seed. We astonished a very learned amateur a few days ago, when 

 on enquiry as to the proper depth to dig his yard, we replied spade 

 deep. Oh nonsense, said he — but did not wait till we had finished, 

 and he misunderstood us. 



To those who have not been successful in their grass plot, we would 

 say procure good loamy soil, dig it spade deep; tread it or roll it; rake 

 it until all lumps are taken off and it becomes quite level — at least 

 with no inequalities of surface ; sow the seed which should be in se- 

 veral sorts — clover a large proportion, sweet vernal grass, (Anthoxan- 

 thum odoratum); also a large share sheep's Fescue, (Festuca ovina), 

 Timoihy or Herds grass, (Phleum nodosum) and Cock's foot(Dactylis 

 ghmerata,) with a quantity of Lolium perenne, or perennial rye. Now 

 to procure all these in mixture, the necessity of having to purchase 

 the grass seed already mixed is obvious, for the amateur who wants 

 sixpenny worth cannot purchase a cents' worth of each, but he has 

 them already prepared, and trusts to the honesty of the mixer. We 

 may state that many other sorts of grass seed may be substituted for 

 some of the above mentioned ; take care however to have White Clo- 

 ver, sweet vernal Timothy, and Perennial Rye. For shady places 

 I take in preference Dactylis or Cock's foot, called Orchard grass ; for 

 CV parched and dry situations prefer Poa or Meadow grass; and Sheeps' «~p 

 (2 Fescue instead of Sweet Vernal and Perennial Rye. However, few 



