MUDDY LAWNS. 
A typical piece of worm infested, soft, muddy turf. Requires brushing and rolling 
daily from September to June, which means damaged turf, roots bruised and exposed, 
fine grasses smothered, and ultimate bare patches. 
The soft, sticky, muddy, and wet condition of tennis courts and lawns during 
the Autumn and early Spring is entirely due to the movement of millions of worms 
which loosen the soil and throw to the surface tons of slimy, sticky, wet mud. 
If any attempt is made to make the grass firm by rolling, the casts either stick 
to the roller and soil is actually taken away from the lawn, or else they roll down hard 
and smother out the fine grasses. If they are swept off with a broom, the lawn is not 
only impoverished by loss of soil, but the grass, being smeared over with the slimy 
mud, becomes unhealthy, and the action of the broom bruises the surface roots of the 
grass and exposes them to the air, with the result that many of the finest grasses 
die; and, in both cases, the lawn remains soft, dirty, wet, and 
cannot be used. 
When the worms are exterminated a soft, wet, sticky lawn improves 
immediately, and becomes firm, clean under foot and healthy, and 
games can be played both early in the Spring and quite late in the Autumn, 
when wormy lawns are absolutely unplayable. 
237, 238, & 97, Hicii HomOKN, London.— igio. 
