20 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



people ever think of manuring at all, and yet grass needs manure just 

 as much as any other plant, and, in view of the fact that grasses grow 

 all the year, except in the depth of winter, they perhaps on this account 

 require more sustenance than other plants which grow for a shorter 

 season only. It is certainly an entire mistake to suppose that grass can 

 sustain its verdure and strong growth without any stimulant whatever. 

 The same fatal mistake was made for many years in laying down land 

 to pasture. When land was not required for anything else it was sown 

 to grass and left to look after itself, and to many and many a farmer it 

 never occurred that grass required feeding like other crops. 



Generally speaking, the principal constituents of plant food required 

 by grasses which are often found in deficient quantities in an old lawn, 

 are nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potash, and lime. All such manures, 

 however, must be applied with discrimination and after careful con- 

 sideration of local conditions, as certain classes of soil will naturally 

 become more deficient in one constituent than in another. If too strong 

 a nitrogenous manure is applied, the grass will grow so quickly as to 

 cause the turf to become hollow. An excess of ammonia will encourage 

 coarseness of leaf in the plants, but if applied in moderation it un- 

 doubtedly improves the colour of the herbage. A dressing of bone meal, 

 superphosphate, and basic slag will supply the turf with phosphoric acid, 

 while kainit provides potash. 



Sometimes old lawns become thin and poor. Any such tendency 

 should be at once checked, otherwise restoration may take some time and 

 necessitate considerable outlay. Raking or harrowing will often prove 

 beneficial, but this will seldom be sufficient unless accompanied by a good 

 top-dressing of artificials. In addition, suitable renovating seeds should 

 be sown at the rate of a bushel per acre, or more, and, as in the case of 

 the original sowing, it can take place with equal advantage either in spring 

 or autumn. 



Mossy Turf. — One of the most frequent causes of annoyance in old 

 turf is moss, which makes its appearance freely under certain conditions, 

 and is almost invariably due to indifferent drainage and consequent 

 sourness of soil. When moss becomes really troublesome, the drainage is 

 probably defective ; and it is a serious question whether, despite the cost 

 and the outlay entailed, it may not be true economy to have the drains up 

 and entirely relay them. If this is out of the question, however, the 

 quality of the turf may be greatly improved by severely tearing the sur- 

 face with an iron-tooth rake to detach the moss. Such moss should be 

 collected and destroyed by burning. 



A compost of fine soil, slaked lime, and well-rotted manure sifted 

 through a half-inch-mesh sieve and applied as a dressing to a depth not 

 exceeding half an inch, and followed by an application of bone meal at 

 the rate of four ounces to the square yard, will prove most beneficial. 

 This should be raked carefully over and well rolled down. 



Weeds. — As all those who own a lawn know to their cost, it is 

 astonishing in how short a time a lawn will be disfigured by the appear- 

 ance of various kinds of weeds, such as dandelion, plantain, thistle, 

 and daisy. Some of the seeds of these weeds are introduced by. birds, 

 others are blown by the wind. Various suggestions have been made for 



