I<> 
c. WATSON. PHILADELPHIA, TRA1)K LIST, SPRING, iqo?. 
Photograph of I.awn on Estate of J. IV. Gribtel , Esq., Jenkintown, Pa., showing how a good green sod can be had 
in 6 weeks from sowing by the use of Watson's Lawn Grass. t Sown Sept. ./, iqot. Photographed Oct. 16 , tyoi. 
THE COMMON 5ENSE OF LAWN 
MAKING. 
Extract from an article by George C. Watson , in 
Public Ledger. 
Nearly every seedsman says his mixture of grass 
seeds for lawns and pleasure grounds is the ‘ perfect ’ 
lawn grass; but a ‘ perfect ’ lawn grass has not yet 
been discovered. The most a seedsman can do is to 
have an ideal and try to reach it. If he wishes to make 
a perfect lawn grass he can but use the best varieties 
for this climate, using the experience of the past as to 
what does best here and the proper proportion of each 
sort. 
From first to last it is an endless chain, with links 
closely interlocking. The good, the indifferent, the 
bad grass mixtures— the world is full of them. But the 
good are hard to find. Are they worth finding? You 
can get a good lawn grass if you want it, but you must 
take the trouble to find it. 
Many good gardeners tell us that a mixture is 
unnecessary, that Kentucky blue grass is all that is 
needed to "make a perfect lawn, and will point to 
instances in their experience for a demonstration. 
This contention is so far true that seedsmen have now 
come to make Kentucky blue grass the foundation of 
their lawn mixtures. The reasons for adding other 
varieties to the Kentucky blue are various, one of the 
principal being that this fine species does not stand our 
not summers so well as some others. Then, again, it 
will not do as well as the wood meadow grass will in 
the shade of trees. For upland, where the soil is light, 
there is nothing better than the sheep’s fescue, and for 
a tennis green or golf course, or any piece of grass 
where there is much walking over, the crested dogstail 
and hard fescue should always be used. Some species 
start earlier in the spring than the blue and some con- 
tinue green later in the fall. The sweet vernal is 
greatly valued on account of its early growth. Rhode 
Island" bent is a valuable permanent species for lawns, 
especially where the ground is at all inclined to be wet. 
In New England it is often sown alone to make a lawn, 
and in this latitude it is usually included in liberal pro- 
portion in a mixture. Meadow foxtail is a good perma- 
nent grass, and has come into favor on account of its 
being so well liked by sheep; and, by the way, there 
are no more useful animals than these in making a 
good sward. They will pay' for themselves twice over, 
in helping to make a good lawn. 
It is hard to tell from looking at a mixture of seeds 
for a lawn whether all the proper varieties are included 
in it or how much pains have been taken in putting{it 
together. Use will tell. But then it wi 1 be too late. 
The only sure way is to buy from a seedsman of expe- 
rience and reliability. I liave seen people using the 
sweepings of the hay loft, being persuaded that grass 
was just grass. The hay loft sweepings would most 
likely* consist of timothy, red clover and weeds, all 
three of which are not wanted in a lawn, the first 
because it is not permanent, the second because it is too 
rank, the third because they are always in the ground 
in plenty anyway. 
The best time to commence making a lawn is in the 
fall or early in the spring. First see that the drainage 
is good, and if it is not naturally so it must be made 
right before doing anything else. If the subsoil is of a 
sandy nature, or if the ground has a sloping undula- 
tion, no drainage will be required. The various levels 
of the ground should then be marked off and all ine- 
qualities removed. The leveling should be done very 
carefully, as the close cutting lawn mowers now in use 
exnose any holes or inequalities very conspicuously. 
After this the ground should be dug over to a good 
depth, and all stones and roots removed. In cases 
where the soil is very poor and sandy' it should receive 
ten inches of good top soil from some old pasture, for 
it is useless to expect grass to grow unless there is suffi- 
cient nourishment for the plants to live on. 
The best time to sow the seed is early in the spring, 
as the moist weather then experienced is favorable to 
the quick germination of the seed, and gives the y'oung 
plants a chance to get established before the summer 
comes with its burning heat. The next bes time is in 
September when the weather is comparatively cool, and 
sufficient growth may be made before the winter sets 
in. .Sow thinly and evenly, selecting a calm day for 
the purpose. Cover the seeds with a wooden rake, and 
after the grass is well up, a moderately' heavy roller may 
be passed over it to firm the surface. In fall sowing it 
is usual to sow oats with the grass seed to mother it; 
these will die out of themselves. During the season 
frequent mowings and waterings are necessary. Where 
the lawn is large enough to admit it put some sheen on; 
they will do wonders towards giving you a fine soci. 
