PARK AND CEMETERY . 
418 
to germination and purity, and you will 
know exactly what you are using. Af- 
ter seeding, the soil should be har- 
rowed or raked lightly, just enough 
to merely cover the seed and then 
rolled with a heavy roller to bring 
the seeds into close contact with the 
soil, to prevent a too rapid evapora- 
tion of moisture, washing of the soil 
and also to smooth the surface. 
When seeding always use plenty of 
seeds — fifty or sixty pounds to the 
acre being about right. This will be 
sufficient to cover the ground quickly 
thus preventing the appearance of 
weeds, which will quickly take advan- 
tage of any vacant spaces. 
The best time of day to do the 
seeding is early in the morning or 
a mulch and prevent the evaporation 
of moisture. Seeded at this time the 
grass will generally come up and get 
strong enough to withstand the win- 
ter and .be in fine condition the fol- 
lowing spring. A lot of washing of 
the soil is prevented by seeding at 
this time, as we seldom have such 
heavy downpour of rain in fall as we 
have in spring. 
Grass Mixtures for Special Locations. 
Unusual conditions are sometimes 
encountered in lawn making such as 
places that are either too shady, too 
dry, too wet or too rough for the use 
of ordinary lawn grasses. For such 
places there are usually other grasses 
which will take their place more or 
less successfully. For unusually 
thick turf of a beautiful green color. 
Use about forty-five pounds to the 
acre. 
Where the soil is unusually dry and 
loose or for use on banks which are 
very dry, use the beach grass (Am- 
mophila arenaria). Seed about fifty 
pounds to the acre. 
The red top (Agrostis alba, var. 
vulgaris) will stand hot weather and 
hard usage better than most grasses. 
Seed about 100 pounds to the acre. 
Sheep-fescue (Festuca ovina) is good 
for dry slopes on the lawn or for 
high, dry situations; use thirty-five 
pounds to the acre. 
It is a good plan to prepare a mix- 
ture containing all of the above 
grasses for each particular require- 
OPEN LAWN OP BLUE GRASS. BORDERED WITH 
IRREGULAR MASSES OF SHRUBBERY. 
Busch Place, St. Louis. 
FLOWERS PLANTED ALONG THE SHRUBBERY BORDERS 
WHICH PUSH OUT INTO THE LAWN. 
In Shaw's Garden, Sr. Louis. 
towards evening on a wind-still day. 
While practice will make it possible 
to seed evenly even when quite 
windy, it is better to do the work 
when the air is still. 
There is much discussion of the 
question of what time of the year 
is best for seeding. I like very early 
spring, provided the ground had been 
prepared the previous fall. If you 
have plowed and left rough during 
the winter it will then be in fine con- 
dition to work very early in spring, 
and it will only be necessary to 
smooth it with a harrow or rake be- 
fore seeding. If the ground is in the 
proper condition for seeding about 
the 15th of August or not later than 
the 15th of September, then this is 
an excellent time for seeding, es- 
pecially if you can give the lawn a 
light coat of thoroughly decomposed 
stable manure after seeding to act as 
shady places such as the north side 
of buildings or under trees, the rough- 
stalked meadow grass is well adapted, 
but does not do well on very dry soil. 
It forms a fine, dense turf. Sow at 
the rate of 100 pounds to the acre. 
The best grass for very shady places 
such as woodland parks an.d planta- 
tions is the woodland meadow grass 
(Poa nemoralis). It is very hardy 
and will stand the hot weather well. 
Use about thirty pounds to the acre. 
On unusually wet places use the 
various-leaved fescue (Festuca hete- 
rophylla). Wet places can, however, 
generally be improved by draining. 
The red canary grass (Phalaris 
arundinacea) is also suited to wet 
places; it is, however, a very coarse 
grass. 
On very sandy soil the Rhode Is- 
land bent grass (Agrostis canina) is 
probably the best. It makes a close. 
ment. In this waj^ the one best suited 
to the soil and condition will soon 
cover the ground. 
The biennial sweet vernal grass 
(Antho.xanthum odoratum) is some- 
times used in lawn mixtures to lend 
fragrance to the grass when cut. It 
is useful for no other purpose. If 
fragrance is desired mix in with any 
seed you use about two pounds of 
sweet vernal. 
The following is a condensed list 
of lawn grass mixtures for unusual 
lawn conditions: 
For shady places — per acre. — Ken- 
tucky blue grass, twenty pounds; 
wood meadow, twenty pounds; vari- 
ous-leaved fescue, ten pounds; crested 
dog’s tail, ten pounds. 
For Avet and bottom land — per acre. 
— Kentucky blue grass, twenty 
pounds; rough stalked meadow grass, 
(Continued on page IX) 
