62 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



through a coarse sieve. Bare places may be sown with a little seed, as advised for the 

 main lawn, and a thin lawn may he sown w ith a mixture of grass and White Dutch Clover, 

 using these at one-fourth the rate advised previously, and at the same time a liberal dressing 

 of soil is given. In the summer months, a sprinkling of such artificial manures as Clay's 

 Fertiliser, guanos, bone dust, etc., may be given during showery weather. These are not 

 unsightly, while they quickly promote a rich sward. In late autumn and winter, well-decayed 

 manure from a stable where peat moss litter is used, soot, wood ashes, or any dressing of good 

 soil may be given with advantage. These must not be so overdone as to cause rankness of 

 growth; but if well attended to, and a good quality grass has been obtained, there is little 

 fear of coarseness. Where a lawn is being made near to a newly-built house, pay great 



attention to the matter of 

 mortar, bricks, etc., that in- 

 variably get buried or mixed 

 up with the surroundings, 

 removing these where too 

 prevalent, and afterwards pro- 

 ceeding on the above lines. 



No Lawn Tennis 

 COURT can be pleasurable 

 unless the grass be evenly 

 cut, of cushion-like softness, 

 and perfectly level. The 

 dimensions of a tennis court 

 are as follows : Full length, 

 78ft. ; width, 27ft. ; net to 

 be in centre and extend 3ft. 

 over each side of the court ; 

 3ift. high at the ends, and 

 3ft. high in the centre ; ser- 

 vice lines 21ft. from the net 

 upon each side. 



Grass and Gravel 

 WALKS. — Walks are needful 

 in all gardens, but there is 

 often needless multiplicity of 

 them, cutting up lawns and 

 pleasure grounds into irritating 

 squares. Every walk should 

 be made with an object and 

 to lead somewhere, but this is 

 not always done, as one may 

 see by visits to English gardens. Always make them thoroughly well, otherwise there will be 

 constant after troubles, and the work will have to be undertaken again. If laid with care at 

 first they will last for years, but when the work is not done well at the commencement no amount 

 of patching up or surfacing with various materials can be satisfactory. The choice of material 

 is wide, and oftentimes one can find some close to hand that is equally as good as the more 

 expensive gravels, etc., from a distance. The main point is to have a dry walk, one that 

 water runs from quickly and does not leave a sticky or muddy surface after every shower. 

 One of the greatest pleasures of gardening is a walk round after a spring or summer shower, 

 and this cannot be enjoyed if the paths are not well made. 



Gravel is the material most used, and is generally the least expensive. Some gravels are 



A NATURAL GRASS WALK. 



