March, 1912 
seeding has been applied, going 
over the surface twice from op- 
posite directions, the area should 
be again raked and treated with a 
heavy roller till perfectly level. 
After two weeks, or when the 
lawn starts to grow, all weeds 
should be removed by hand pro- 
cess for the first part of the Sum- 
mer, although a lawn properly 
made will contain very few weeds. 
When the grass is three to four 
inches high it should be cut with a 
scythe till strong enough to bear 
the mower. Should any bare spots 
appear, they must be made mellow 
and again seeded down. The ex- 
pense of constructing a lawn in this 
way, under ordinary conditions, would be about $60.00 
per acre, the seed and manure costing $40.00 and the labor 
about $20.00. 
In the treatment of old lawns that have become poor 
through a lack of fertility, they should be either entirely 
plowed up, after covering the entire area with twenty tons 
of manure per acre, and constructed as is prescribed for a 
new lawn, or temporarily maintained by a top dressing with 
about two inches of rich top soil, mixed with chemical fertil- 
izer, and seeded down and rolled, although this process is 
nearly as expensive as overhauling and making an entirely 
new lawn, which would last for many years. 
The annual treatment of a lawn requires the use of a 
heavy roller in the Spring, after the early rains, and again 
about June, and in September. During the Summer dry 
spell, where a lawn is built on shallow top soil or with in- 
sufficient drainage, and where plants are shallow rooted, the 
area must be watered artificially. Other than the usual 
cutting with the lawn-mower, there is no other care, unless 
the entire area be covered with manure in December, and 
after the Spring rains have washed the nutriment into the 
soil, the spreading be removed.. 
Now that we have discussed the method of making the 
lawn, let us see what things we must not do in the operation. 
When this lawn is fully “‘grown’’ it will be one of the attractive 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
features of the house, 
We should not attempt to make a 
lawn on soil that is not naturally 
rich till it has been thoroughly fer- 
tilized. A precaution in the matter 
of manure is that green manure 
contains weed seed, and a satisfac- 
tory lawn cannot be made with it. 
The physical condition of the soil 
should be very mellow and friable. 
This is secured only by plowing 
twice, in opposite directions, and if 
a clayey soil, a subsoil plow should 
be then used to give the lawn depth 
and to supply better drainage. On 
sandy soils, the matter of drainage 
generally cares for itself, although 
a gradual slope from the house 
should always be provided for; but 
ona heavier clayey soil a soggy condition exists at certain sea- 
sons of the year, and this excess water must be immediately 
removed through the employment of ample artificial sub- 
drains. Ground that is drained furnishes a greater area 
for root growth, and lawns that are subdrained are less apt 
to dry out during seasons of drought or to freeze during 
severe Winters, and such lawns always present a healthier, 
greener appearance, because of their extra feeding ground 
and abundant supply of plant food. These lawns are more 
permanent and satisfactory. 
A word about the variety of seed. The seedsman in 
your locality has made a test of the varieties best suited to 
your local climate and soil conditions, and has a mixture of 
seed better adapted than one that you might prepare your- 
self. The very best quality should always be bought, and 
usually at an advanced price. Such seed are free from 
weeds, and it is cheaper to avoid weeds by purchasing the 
best quality of seed. 
Where there is considerable shade, and in such localities 
that will be constantly damp, it is unwise to attempt to de- 
velop a lawn. If you are not fond of Myrtle or Honey- 
suckle, raise such herbaceous plants as Iris, Lily of the Val- 
ley and other Lilies, Yucca, etc. Where the grade is steep, 
(Continued on page 108) 
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