GRASS SEEDS FOR TENNIS 
95 
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DEVONSHIRE PARK, EASTBOURNE. {Photo, by C. Breach , Eastbourne.) 
A SIMPLE GROUND PLAN. 
20 yards 
4 yards. 
4 yards. 
4 yards. 
4 yards. 
20 yards — 
* Pegs to hold string. 
A PLOT, 20 YARDS EACH WAY, OR 4OO SQUARE 
YARDS, READY FOR SOWING, MARKED OUT WITH 
STRING INTO 25 SQUARES OF 4 YARDS EACH 
WAY, OR l6 SQUARE YARDS. 
Covering the Seed. 
After the seed is sown, and before removing the 
string, sifted loam should be evenly laid over by hand 
at the rate of I bushel for the 4 yards each way, or 16 
square yards, or about 18 bushels per 20 yards each 
way, or 400 square yards. If this operation is carefully 
carried out the seed will all be covered to a depth of 
about ^-inch, it should not be more. This will nourish 
the seed and also hide it from the birds. 
As regards using loam or sand for covering, the 
operator must be guided by whichever it is easiest to 
procure, but generally it may be taken that a very 
heavy clay would be improved with a covering of sand, 
and a poor sandy ground would be improved with a 
covering of good loam. Any soil that binds loo 
tightly when rolled should not be used. 
The best soil is that found where turf has been 
removed from an old pasture. It should be as free 
as possible from weed seeds. 
Rolling. 
The seed being covered with fine sifted loam 01 
sand, the next operation is to roll once very lightly ; 
if rolled hard the top covering may be incl'-ned to harden 
and cake, which makes it difficult for the young 
seedlings to penetrate. It must be done with judgment, 
and with an eye to keeping the correct level, or it 
may be found that certain spots will require a sprinkling 
of soil to bring them up ; the soil used in such places 
should have a little seed mixed with it. 
If there is any danger of birds taking the seed, a 
simple way of frightening them is to peg black thread 
across in various ways about two inches off the ground. 
Under favourable circumstances, that is to say, if 
the seed and soil has been moistened by rain or 
watering, the growth will be showing in little spears 
in a ft-w weeks. These will spread into grass plants 
in about five or six weeks. At this stage the grass 
seedlings should reap the benefit of further nourishment, 
and we recommend the use of compost (see note, p. 96 ), 
which, when spread over the growth to a depth of not 
more than ^ inch, or at the rate of about I bushel for 
the 4 yards each way, or 16 square yards, or 18 bushels 
per 20 yards each way, or 400 square yards, will assist 
to protect the small plants from excessive cold, heat, or 
drought ; at the same time the manorial constituents 
materially strengthen the rootlets and consolidate the 
sole of the turf. 
RENOVATING WORN GRASS. 
In spring or autumn, whichever is the nearest, cut 
the grass as short as possible. During dull weather 
scratch out w'ith a rake all moss or weeds, collect and 
burn the refuse, then loosen the bare patches so as to 
assist the tender roots of the new grass to penetrate 
down ; this is very important. We have seen dead 
turves lightly scratched and then sown with seed, 
which has germinated, but the seedlings being unable 
to penetrate through the old turf perish during frost, 
intense heat, or drought. All dead turf recently laid 
should be removed, as the decaying roots stifle the 
seedlings. 
937, 9^8, & 97, High Hoiioix, Londoh.— 1904. 
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