Improving the .awn 8 nd gathering salad a. the same time. The dandelion will creep into it. do what you wi... Use * long-bladed Knife insert it well below the 



crown of the plant and pull up the top. Do this as early as it is possible to work on the lawn 



Restoring a Run-down Lawn-By Leonard b 



arron, Yo e rk 



THE PHILOSOPHY OF ROLLING 

 TO ROOT OUT WEEDS AND 



^\NE day's work in April will do more 

 v_/ toward putting a lawn into thoroughly 

 good condition than will a week's work in 

 June. The lawn demands attention as early 

 as possible in the season, because the young 

 grass plants start into growth almost as soon 

 as the frost is out of the ground, and being 

 shallow rooters, they generally suffer very 

 largely from heaving of the soil in winter 

 owing to the alternate freezing and thawing. 



THE ONE GREAT RULE 



The very first thing to be done is to see 

 that the roots are brought into close contact 

 with the soil. Even if nothing else is done, 

 this will accomplish much, the chief great 

 benefit of which will be fully realized when 

 the hot, dry weather of August sets in with all 

 its intensity. 



The roots and soil can be brought into 

 contact by beating or by rolling. Rolling 

 is perhaps best. The ground being still 

 soft in the very early spring, beating may 

 result in irregularities of surface which, to 

 a large extent, can be obviated through 

 rolling. I would not use too heavy a roller. 

 A light draught roller, such as one can pull 



LAWNS AND THE FINE ART OF FEEDING AND MAINTAINING THEM-HOW 

 KEEP THEM OUT-APRIL INSURANCE AGAINST AUGUST DROUGHT 



without any effort, should be taken over the 

 entire surface of the grounds at the earliest 

 possible date, and if you can do it two or 

 three times, it will be all the better. 



HOW WINTER ACTS 



Usually the most visible effect of the 

 winter stress upon the lawn is the presence 

 of patches of earth from which the grass has 

 died out. Repair all such by slightly scratch- 

 ing the surface, scattering over it a light 

 covering of finely sifted garden soil— a soil 

 that has been thrown out from greenhouse 

 benches would be ideal for the purpose. 

 Then lightly scatter on the surface a pinch 

 or two of seed of any first-class lawn mixture. 

 The surface should then be lightly rolled so 

 as to insure perfect contact between the seeds 

 and the soil and at this time of year germin- 

 ation is both quick and sure. Where the 

 grass appears unduly thin, as often occurs 

 on insufficiently prepared land, the best 

 temporary relief is obtained by scratching 

 the entire surface with a sharp-toothed iron 

 rake, broadcasting over the whole surface a 

 light dressing of the same sort of soil that 

 might be used for filling in hollows, and 

 162 



sowing seed on the top of this, using about 

 one-quarter of the quantity of seed that would 

 be used in making new lawns. That is to 

 say, give a pint of seed to 600 square feet. 

 On very poor soils, or where the stand of 

 grass has been unusually bad, double this 

 quantity can be used. 



TILLING IN HOLLOWS 



Depressions and hollows in the surface 

 which result from the irregular sinking and 

 settling of the soil below are far better 

 repaired in the spring than at any other time 

 of the year, although the careful lawn-master 

 will be at all times on the lookout and ready 

 to fill up, or even up, any irregularities of 

 the surface that appear.' The perfection 

 of a lawn is its absolutely even surface. 



Where there is a good growth of grass, 

 slight depressions may be filled up by putting 

 soil on top of the grass, but in no case should 

 more than one-half inch be applied in this way. 

 Any greater depression must be remedied 

 by making a clean cut in the sod, with a 

 spade, and then with a sharp spading fork, 

 working under the sod, gradually raised up 

 a portion, leaving a space that can be filled 



