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HOW TO MAKE A LAWN— By Peter Henderson. 



Digging 



Draining 



j& 

 Grading 



Fertilizing 



Seeding 



Mowing 



Rolling 



Renovating 



THE VALUE OF A LAWN. 



That an expanse of smooth green turf, 

 surrounding a dwelling is a distinct as- 

 set, 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 ignorant pretender 

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

 with the completion of the building, and very often 

 the contractor is--- commissioned without any " 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 

 glasses are the most suitable for forming a perfect lawn? The 

 answer is " turf-forming " 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 com- 

 bination of grasses for a lawn. 



GRASS SEED MIXTURES. 



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. 



There are hundreds of varieties of grasses 

 but only about sixteen of them are suit- 

 able for use in making a lawn, and a perfect and enduring lawn cannot be 

 made by sowing any single one of these varieties. Kentucky Blue Grass for 

 instance which is sometimes recommended for lawnj 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 combination cf grasses so arranged that 

 they arrive at their best during different months of the year, 

 one kind constantly succeeding another so that perpetual 

 verdure is maintained. Another great advantage secured by 

 sowing mixtures, is that the plant food in the soil is made use 

 of to the fullest extent, because such grasses, havi.ig differ- 

 ent 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 con- 

 stantly covered with a carpet of living green. The Hen- 

 derson 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 (see 

 pages 3, 4 and 5)- 



