206 FARM GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 



MAKING THE LAWN 



The greatest of care is necessary in preparing the 

 seed-bed. The ideal condition for the successful grow- 

 ing of fine lawn grass is a deep, rich, friable, loamy 

 soil. Too much emphasis can not be laid on the im- 

 portance of good soil and thorough preparation. Deep 

 plowing of larger areas and deep spading or trenching 

 of small plats is required to a depth of at least ten 

 or twelve inches. Where the fertile surface soil is but 

 a few inches in depth it should be turned so as to 

 leave the good soil still at the surface. 



While the plowing or spading is being done is the time 

 to enrich the land for years of future productiveness. 

 Well rotted barnyard manure, free from weeds and in 

 good condition for mixing with the soil, is probably 

 the best fertilizer that can be used. It is often difficult 

 to obtain manure of this quality. Where used its fer- 

 tilizing effecft may be increased and prolonged by add- 

 ing also some commercial fertilizers. In preparing 

 land for a lawn, manure may profitably be applied at 

 the rate of from thirty to fifty tons per acre. It is 

 desirable to add phosphoric acid and potash in larger 

 quantities than are supplied by the manure. Using 

 bone meal at the rate of from three hundred to six 

 hundred pounds per acre, or superphosphate of lime, 

 commonly called acid phosphate, in smaller quantities, 

 will supply the needed phosphoric acid. 



Potash may be had in the form of wood ashes, which 

 should be applied at the rate of five to ten tons per acre. 

 Ashes contain also much lime, which is helpful to the 

 growth of clovers and most of the grasses, except the 



