54 



rlRA^ 



)IEED^ FOIR ILA.'W^Bo GOLF COUIRSES, ETCo 



The Henderson System of Lawn Making 



HOW TO MAKE A LAWN— By Peter Henderson 



Seeding 



Mowing 



Rolling 



Reno- 

 vating 



THE VALUE OF A LAWN. That an expanse of smooth 



green turf, surrounding a 

 dwelHng in a distinct asset, adding much to the appearance, and 

 therefore the value of a house is generally admitted; but not 

 infrequently we see, after dwellings costing it may be from 

 five to thirty thousand dollars are erected, that the grounds 

 surrounding it are left to the tender mercy of some incompetent 

 to grade and put in shape. The architect's duties usually end 

 with the completion of the building, and very often the con- 

 tractor is commissioned without any particular instructions to 

 make the lawn. This frequently results in the beauty of the 

 place being marred — for this matter requires both intelligence 

 and good taste, and if the lawns are of great extent some 

 knowledge of the principles of landscape gardening. 



The character of the turf which is to form the "green carpet" 

 is the first and most important consideration, for unless this be 

 of the best, all the subsequent labor will be in vain. The matter 

 resolves itself into the question — what grasses are the most 

 suitable for forming a perfect lawn? The answer is "turf-form- 

 ing" grasses, which will form a closely interwoven, firm, deep and 

 elastic turf; growing so closely that weeds are unable to obtain 

 a foothold. All "bunch grasses" that is, all grasses that form 

 tussocks, by growing in separate clumps, must be rigidly excluded 

 from any combination of grasses for a lawn. 



GRASS SEED MIXTURES. '^^^^^ ^^^ 



hundreds 

 of varieties of grasses but only about sixteen 

 of them are suitable for use in making a lawn, 

 and a perfect and enduring lawn cannot be 

 made by sowing any single one of these varie- 

 ties. Kentucky Blue Grass for instance which 

 is sometimes recommended for lawns grows 

 but sparsely during midsummer, is slow to 

 form a close sward — requiring two years to do 

 that; and loses color in hot weather. A good 

 lawn can only be made by sowing a combina- 

 tion of grasses so arranged that they arrive 

 at their best during different months of the 

 year, one kind constantly succeeding another 



THE IMPORTANCE OF ROLLING. 



In the winter time, alternate thawing and 

 freezing causes the ground to heave, leaving 

 air spaces and fissures exposing tender 

 feeding roots to the air which dries them out 

 and kills them. Also in very hot weather the 

 ground bakes, and cracks appear which lead 

 down to the roots. These must be closed up 

 by thorough rolling or the roots are killed. 



so that perpetual verdui-e is maintained. Another great advan- 

 tage secured by sowing mixtures, is that the plant food in the 

 soil is made use of to the fullest extent, because such grasses, 

 having different root formations — some being shallow rooted 

 and others deep rooted in habit — seek their food at different 

 levels, and -treble the usual number of plants are able to grow on 

 every square foot of land. Thus a close turf is formed which 

 takes entire possession of the soil to the exclusion of all weeds, 

 and a perfect lawn is produced which is constantly covered 

 with a carpet of living green. The Henderson Lawn Grass Seed 

 is a combination of just such grasses as those described. It is 

 the fruit of years of experience and close study of American 

 conditions and is undoubtedly the best for the American climate. 

 CRADING ^^^ °^ *^® ^^^^ conditions for a perfect lawn is, 

 that the land be perfectly drained either natural- 

 ly or artificially. If the subsoil is sand or gravel, so the water 

 can quickly pass through it, then there will be no need for 

 artificial drains, but if there is a stratum of adhesive clay for a 

 subsoil then drains are indispensable every fifteen or twenty 

 feet. As the formation of the lawn is the foundation of all 

 subsequent operations, it is imperative that it be carefully 

 done; for if badly done at first it cannot be changed or altered, 

 unless to the great detriment of trees or shrubs that have been 

 planted or flower beds or walks that have been laid out. 



The first thing to be done is to get the 

 ground shaped to the desired grade, taking 

 care in grading that when hills or rocks are 

 removed, sufficient subsoil is also removed to 

 be replaced with top soil, so that at least five 

 inches of good soil will overlay the whole in all 

 places; and where trees are to be planted there 

 should be twice that depth of good soil. When 

 the grading is finished, if the nature of the 

 ground requires it, drains should be laid where 

 necessary; then the whole should be thorough- 

 ly plowed, a subsoil flowing in the wake of the 

 common plow, until it is completely pulver- 

 ized. A heavy harrow should then be applied 

 until the surface is thoroughly fined down; all 



