21 



LAWNS and LAWN-MAKING 



0 



AS the lawn is the foundation of all garden improve- 

 ments, it should receive particular attention at the 

 outset; for a good sward that is pleasing to the eye and 

 pleasant to the foot adds greatly to the enjoyment of a 

 landscape. Green is the most restful and soothing color 

 there is, and for this reason the art of lawn-making is 

 very important. Anyl^ody can grow grass, hut to make 

 a turf is another thing. 



PREPARING 



THE GROUND 



A lawn consists of fi\-e 

 parts — three parts preparation, 

 one part seed, and one part 

 care. Without thorough prep- 

 aration neither good seed nor good care will amount to 

 much. The ground should be at least mellow enough 

 and rich enough to grow a crop of corn, or if anything, 

 better; for you can cultivate the corn after seeding, but 

 cannot cultivate the lawn. After all, the air is the great 

 resolvent and, by chemical action, makes available the 

 plant food that is in the soil. The main object of spading 

 or plowing is to bring to the surface new soil particles 

 to be acted upon by the air so that the plant food is made 

 digestible, so to speak, to the various forms of vegetation ; 

 and in the case of lawns this tillage must be done in ad- 

 vance of the seeding and thoroughly enough to last a great 

 many years. It is good practice to spade 8 or 10 inches 

 deep, turning under at the same time a good top-dressing 

 of well-rotted manure. 



Kentucky Blue Grass is our main 

 SEEDING dependence for lawns, and it makes a 



THE LAWN beautiful and durable greensward. It is 



slow in developing, however, and in 

 most situations it is l)etter to use a mixture, including some grasses 

 of cjuick and precocious growth as fillers, until the Blue Grass is 

 strong enough to occupy all the ground ; for sooner or later, 

 usually in about three years, it will make elbow-room for itself by 

 crowding out all the others. 



xAU lawn seeds, with the exception of Wdiite Clover, are very 

 light and it is not possible to distribute them evenly on a windy 

 day. Usually towards evening the air is still, and seeding may 

 be clone at that time ; otherwise it is better to wait for a quiet day. 

 Broadcasting by hand is best, letting the seed filter through the 

 fingers, and the writer's practice is to go over the ground twice, 



Plate 9 

 A PARK SCENE 



This is a park scene. The bow-bridge in the background spans a valley which, 

 at that particular point, is narrowed to the throat of a ravine. The stately tree in 

 the foreground is a Linden, which stands like an oasis of comfort in the middle of 

 the valley. The grove in the background lining the driveway is composed of 

 Lindens also, and reminds the writer of the famous avenues of Germany. An auto- 

 mobile journey Unter den Linden, in Berlin, is one of the happy experiences of his 

 Hfe. 



the second seeding at right angles to the first, as this secures a 

 much more even distribution. In the case of White Clover I mix 

 with five parts of sand, when it can be used by the handful and 

 kept in good control. After seeding, a light raking is necessary 

 to cover the seed, and then roll to firm the soil. 



As a matter of personal preference I wish to say here, paren- 

 thetically, that I do not like White Clover in a lawn and do not 

 recommend it ; for the white blossoms blotch the green so badh' 

 that much of its beauty is lost. I am well aware, however, that 

 this is merely a matter of choice, and that many people of dis- 

 criminating tastes like White Clover, and it is in justice to them 

 that I give directions for sowing it. One thing to be said in its 

 favor is that it makes a lawn that is easily managed. It will not 

 run awav from vou. If you can't mow it this week, next week 

 will do!' 



