SOUTHERN HOME GROUNDS 3 
perhaps the best is a combination known as 
evergreen lawn mixture. In this compound 
some of the varieties are at their best in early 
spring, others in the summer, and more late 
in the year. Thus you always have a nice 
green carpet of grass, whereas, if you sow but 
one variety, you get only one period of green 
grass each year. 
To sow the seed, select a day when there is 
little or no wind, in order that the seed may 
not blow away. Scatter the seed carefully, so 
it will be distributed evenly. The proper time 
to sow is from September to November 15, or 
in early spring. After sowing, the lawn should 
be gone over thoroughly with a fine-toothed 
rake to cover and set the seed. Then it should 
be rolled, to firm the .'«>il and make the surface 
level, for smoothness in a lawn is always desir- 
able. After the grass is up a few inches, run 
the mower over it, leaving the cut grass to act 
as a mulch, and then roll the lawn. Rolling 
is as essential to good appearance as mowing, 
and should be done just as often, if best results 
are to be expected. 
The best method for eradicating the weeds 
that appear is to uproot them with an old 
knife. By encouraging the growth of gra.s3 
with good care, we discourage the weeds, for 
they thrive most where the grass is thin and the soil poor. Old lawns should 
have a dressing of sheep manure in the early spring. In the fall a light top 
dressing of wood ashes will be of lasting 
benefit. 
A few pointers: Be sure of drainage; select 
a good seed mixture; do not be afraid to fer- 
tilize; mow and roll often; and, above all. if 
weeds get started, do not let them go to seed. 
Then you will have a good lawn. 
Laying Out the Grounds 
After having laid our lawn, the next step 
is to supply various units, such as drives, walks, 
gardens, and, maybe, a laundry yard, in such 
a way as to have tliem serviceable and still 
produce a harmonious whole. Bear in mind, 
throughout, that the chief service of the lawn 
and attendant tj-ees and shrubs is to supply a 
setting for the more individual features of 
the grounds. 
Either straight or curved drives and walks 
are proper on some places, but two general 
rules that it is safe to follow are: (i) Make 
them as serviceable and inconspicuous as pos- 
sible, and (2) follow the contour of the ground. 
A noted horticulturist says: "Nature has but 
little use for the shortest distance between two 
Kig. B 
