Lawn Making Made Easy— By h. w. Doyle, 



TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FALL SEASON FOR WORKING OVER THE 

 NEW LAWN, AND HAVE THE GRASS ALREADY GROWING BY SPRING 



kHE lawn 

 is such a 

 common 

 t h ing. 

 the making of 

 the ordinary 

 medium-sized lawn is no small man's 

 job. It requires considerable skill and 

 hard labor. The much practiced method 

 of ''leveling down" the subsoil excavated 

 to form a cellar is responsible for many 

 woeful failures. A good lawn cannot be 

 established on subsoil, because it is sour, 

 lacks humus, nitrogen and other elements 

 of fertility, and needs the mellowing effects 

 of the weather. It pays to put the subsoil 

 underneath, where it belongs. There is 

 just one way to do it, and that is to scrape 

 off the surface soil to a depth of eight or 

 ten inches; then, when the subsoil comes 

 from the cellar it may be evenly spread out 

 and the top replaced on top. 



With large lawns not affected by cellar 

 excavation, or where the subsoil is hauled 

 away, ordinary methods of soil preparation 

 are sufficient. 



Nothing makes more for a spotted con- 

 dition of the lawn than depressions or 

 basins in which water will stand after heavy 

 showers, and in the winter to freeze and 

 winter-kill the grass. Consequently the 

 surface should slope in all directions from 

 the house, and on poorly drained soils, nat- 

 urally cold and heavy, it may be necessary 

 to tile drain in order to bring out that 

 bright green appearance of the lawn which 

 is so gratifying. Three-inch tile 

 may be laid in the fall three or four 

 feet deep in lines twelve to sixteen 

 feet apart. 



After clearing off sticks, stones, 

 stumps and rubbish, and under- 

 draining if necessary, the land 

 should receive its rough grade, that 

 is, graded to the general lines or 

 contour desired. 



For small areas the contour 

 should be simple, and more or less 

 uniform and level. A perfectly 

 flat grade is very unnatural, and 

 gives the impression of limited 

 space. A rounded and curved 

 outline is much more natural and 

 beautiful; the convex surface tend- 

 ing to give the idea of increased 

 area, while the concave surface 

 seems to shorten the distance. The 

 most pleasing results are probably obtained 

 by grading to a curved line, slightly con- 

 vex, running from the base of the building 

 to the outer edge of the lot. A man with a 

 "good eye" can often grade a small lawn 

 without the aid of instruments, but if a 

 craftsmanlike job is desired it is best to 

 use a carpenter's or mason's level, a straight 

 edge, stakes and lines. 



Having in mind the general outline to 

 which it is intended to grade, select points 

 over the area and at regular intervals drive 



rows of stakes. By laying the straight 

 edge from stake to stake one can determine 

 their comparative heights by the use of 

 the level. Fasten near the tops of and 

 stretch the line or string between the stakes 

 and drive each stake so that its top will 

 correspond with the surface line, thus show- 

 ing the necessary depth to fill or excavate. 

 In some places holes will have to be dug 

 and the stakes driven to the desired depth. 

 Remove the line and level with a team and 

 scraper, cutting down mounds and filling 

 depressions. Then spread evenly over the 

 surface any top soil which may have been 

 taken to one side. 



Any soil with the right amount of humus, 

 fertility and drainage will grow a good 

 lawn. The other parts of the garden can 

 be replanted from year to year, while the 

 lawn is a permanent institution. It is 

 well, then, to see that the soil is thoroughly 

 fertilized. A large supply of humus to 

 absorb and hold moisture is necessary if the 

 grass is to withstand summer drouths. 

 Humus can be bought "ready for use," or 

 it can be grown. A very good way is to 

 turn under stable manure at the rate of 

 twenty-two horse wagon loads to the acre 

 in the spring, and, delaying the seeding of 

 the lawn for some months, or even a 

 year, sow cowpeas, soy beans or some- 

 thing similar. Turn these under in the 

 fall, at which time also give a top dress- 

 ing of thirty bushels of air-slacked lime 

 to the acre. 



If it is intended to wait until the follow- 



A good start is essential, 

 around on the surface. 



Be sure that the soil from the cellar is 

 Either remove it or cover with good top 



ing year to seed, allow the soil to stand 

 throughout the winter in a rough lumpy 

 state, so that the frost may have a chance 

 to pulverize and mellow it. Whether the 

 grass is planted in the spring or fall the soil 

 should be thoroughly harrowed and kept 

 in a fine loose condition, allowing no weeds 

 to get a start, until the time of sowing. It 

 is a good plan to harrow in four or five 

 hundred pounds of bonemeal to each acre 

 just before planting. 



Now as to fall or spring planting: there 



49 



are ardent advo- 

 cates of each, and 

 no general rule can 

 be laid down. What 

 is best in one sec- 

 tion may not do 



at all in another. The latitude, rain- 

 fall, temperature and so on — the climate 

 — are important factors in such matters. 

 It has been my experience in Kansas, 

 and I believe it is true in all places of 

 similar climate and conditions, that lawns 

 are easiest and best established in early 

 fall. Here the hot sun and often pro- 

 tracted rainfall of mid-summer have an 

 injurious effect on young and tender grass 

 plants. They do not soon enough acquire 

 sufficient root systems to penetrate to the 

 more moist soil beneath. Whereas seed 

 sown in very late August or early Septem- 

 ber is just in time to get the full benefit of 

 fall rains. Under other conditions, where 

 rainfall is sufficient during the months of 

 July and August, one can get as good if not 

 better stand by planting in early spring 

 when the peach trees blossom. If the 

 ground can be prepared in the fall before 

 freezing a very good stand may often be 

 obtained by sowing in the winter on the 

 snow, which washes the seed into the earth 

 to germinate at the earliest possible time 

 in the spring. 



The passerby should see a harmonious 

 whole, a pretty picture, rather than have 

 his attention diverted to curious oddities or 

 the disintegrated parts of a whole. Walks 

 and drives should be as few and 

 simple as possible, and the reason 

 for every curve apparent. Have 

 them as narrow as practical con- 

 venience and relative proportion 

 with the size of the area will per- 

 mit. It is well to have them sev- 

 eral inches below the surrounding 

 level of the lawn in order that they 

 may be less conspicuous. All trees 

 and shrubs are best planted before 

 seeding as the lawn would be 

 badly cut up by the planting op- 

 erations. 



The final smoothing and pul- 

 verizing before planting is very 

 important. First give the area a 

 thorough harrowing, or if the 

 space is too small go over it with a 

 steel hand rake, leveling, smooth- 

 ing and breaking up the larger 

 lumps. Now roll, going one direction and 

 back again on the same track, then change 

 directions and roll at right angles to the 

 first rolling. Rake again, filling up any 

 depressions made by the roller, breaking up 

 lumps and loosening the surface to a depth 

 of about one inch. Repeat this treatment 

 if necessary to bring the soil into a fine 

 loose condition. 



The best grass seed to buy is that known 

 as "fancy recleaned." Don't buy cheap 

 seed, and buy by the pound. Fourteen 



not left 

 soil 



