56 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
rain. Every alternate rolling should be done in the oppo- 
site direction. 
In autumn, about November, top-dress with basic slag 
at the rate of four ounces per square yard if the lawn be 
on a clay soil, and with bone meal at the same rate if >on 
a light or loamy soil. If the turf be at all thin give it \a 
dressing of two parts good soil and one part thoroughly 
decayed manure, in addition to the slag or bone meal. 
The oompost should be isifted fairly fine and be applied 
fairly liberally. After it is applied go over ithe turf and 
slightly rake it, then give a good rolling. Tennis lawns 
may be treated in the same way, or, better still, be given 
a dressing of sand — sea sand is good — and fine charcoal. 
For forty yards square 3 cwt. of charcoal and two cart- 
loads of sand will be a good dressing. Charcoal and sand, 
indeed, are splendid materials for lawns of any kind. 
Where lawns or tennis courts have become very firm 
through much treading it is most beneficial to them to 
slightly loosen the turf as follows : Stretch a garden line 
across the lawn to mark off a strip a yard wide. Get a 
digging fork and thrust this in full depth, then give a 
gjentle lift so as to move the turf slightly. Do this at 
regular intervals till the strip is finished, then mark off 
another and treat this likewise till the whole is done, and 
finally top-dress as previously advised. This loosening 
of the soil and turf encourages fresh root action, and 
results in a splendid dense growth of grass the next 
season. 
The presence of moss on lawns is an indication of 
poorness of the soil and absence of proper drainage. The 
remedy in the first place is an annual liberal dressing of 
compost as previously advised, and in the second case the 
lifting of the turf and draining the soil. Before applying 
compost to mossy lawns well scarify the surface with an 
iron-toothed rake to detach the moss. In spring sow a 
good grass seed mixture, rake and roll it in. A good 
oompost for a mossy lawn is two parts soil, one part 
manure, and one part lime. 
Weedy lawns are a great eyesore. Plantains and dan- 
delions should be cut off well into the soil and a pinch of 
salt put on the root stump left in. Daisies, if not very 
