LAWNS AND THEIR UPKEEP. 



373 



little care is given to the choice of sorts likely to succeed. Not only 

 is this so, but, because grasses will grow anywhere, the preparation 

 of the ground is not always so thorough as it should be. 



When it is remembered that the ideal lawn consists of myriads of 

 grass plants, all equally healthy, it will be readily seen that great 

 care is required, to get such a condition of affairs. In making a lawn 

 the local pecuHarities have to be carefully considered, and as these 

 vary very greatly it is impossible to give directions that will be alike 

 applicable to all. A practical demonstration in lawn-making is 

 equally out of the question. I will, however, explain how we made 

 lawns at Harpenden this year, and illustrate the work by reference 

 to the figures. 



Fig. 96 shows a general view of the turf nursery. The idea is 

 to grow a bed of each of the most useful varieties of grasses, each 

 divided from the others, by a narrow gravel path, so that they can 

 be kept in every way quite distinct. The two ends are treated so as 

 to get the best results in lawn turf culture, while the centre is allowed 

 to grow on, for the variety to develop itself fully. Two spaces near 

 the centre are treated as meadow land. The photographs were taken 

 a little over three months from the date of sowing. 



The space selected was partly orchard and partly arable land, with 

 an irregularly undulating surface. The trees in the orchard were 

 carefully rooted out and burnt, and every particle of rubbish cleared 

 away from the arable land. Levels were then taken, and the whole 

 area bastard trenched, taking care to retain the best soil on the top. 



Frequently when this stage has been reached the ground is raked 

 over and the grass seed sown. This method may be expeditious, but 

 it is the cause of many failures. The grasses germinate and grow 

 for a time, but in a few months — except in exceptional cases— the 

 finer grasses die away, and only the coarser and stronger varieties 

 remain. If grass seeds are good they may be sown on a ploughed- 

 up furrow, and they will grow and look well for a time, but they will 

 never make a lawn. 



Instead of adopting this rough-and-ready method, the whole of 

 the ground was sifted to a depth of about three or four inches. This 

 may seem to some an elaborate system of preparation, but if a good 

 result is desired no detail of cultivation should be considered too much 

 trouble. Besides, it is the cheapest way in the long run. The ideal 

 lawn must possess a perfectly smooth face, covered with a thick, close 

 growth of grass. To obtain this result the sifting was necessary, and 

 after it was done a sprinkling of chemical manure, consisting of 20 per 

 cent, phosphates (mostly soluble), 7 per cent, nitrogen, 10 per cent, 

 potash, mixed with a local preparation, was sown over the ground, 

 and hghtly raked in. Now, if instead of sifting the soil to get an 

 ideal surface before sowing the seed, this important detail of culti- 

 vation was left until the seed had been sown, and a smooth surface 

 tried to be got by the agency of a roller, the result could not have been 

 nearly so good. There is only one way of getting a good lawn from 



