DESIGN FOR GARDEN. 



25 



mown regularly at intervals of eight or ten days. The 

 seed must be sown as evenly as possible/ and for this rea- 

 son a calm day must be chosen, as a very slight wind will 

 throw the seed into heaps. After sowing, the ground 

 may be lightly harrowed if the surface is large, but if 

 not, give it an even raking, but in either case the ground 

 should be smoothed down with a roller or patted with a 

 spade, so to form a smooth surface to be mowed. Al- 

 though if a choice can be had, it is best to sow the lawn 

 seed in early spring, yet it can be sown nearly as profita- 

 bly in September, or in the more southerly states in Oc- 

 tober, or for that matter, even as late as May and June 

 in spring, only if so late, it is better to mix one quart of 

 oats to every bushel of grass-seed, that the oats may 

 shade and protect the young grass from the sun until it 

 has root enough to support itself. But if sown in March 

 or April, or in September or October, there is no need of 

 using the oats, as no injury will be done by the sun at 

 these seasons. To keep the lawn in proper condition, it 

 should be mowed over once every week if the weather is 

 moist, and not less than once in two weeks, even in dry 

 weather, for if the lawn has been properly made in the 

 first place, and " top dressed" with a good coat of well- 

 rotted manure in fall, and the rough raked off in spring, 

 the weather must be dry and hot indeed to prevent its 

 growth. 



CHAPTER IX. 



DESIGN FOR GARDEN. 



As this book is intended to comprehend all the wants 

 of a cottage or suburban garden, including flowers, fruits, 

 and vegetables, it would increase its size too much to 

 2 



