PARK 
AND CEMETERY. 
4A2 
THE MAKING OF A GOOD LAWN 
Sodding a Lawn. 
Lawns are often made by means 
of sodding. The preparation of the 
ground for sodding is the same as for 
seeding. Good clean sod is gen- 
erally hard to obtain and it is a ques- 
tion if there is anything gained by 
sodding, except when used on ter- 
races, steep sloping banks and along 
the edges of walks and drives. Of 
course if clean blue grass sods are 
to be obtained, immediate results are 
secured, but with poor sods seeding 
is to be preferred. Sodding is much 
more expensive than seeding. 
In cutting sods take a board twelve 
inches wide and sixteen feet long, 
lay it on the ground and with a sharp 
spade cut down into the sod along 
the edge of the board. Removing the 
board start at one end of the strip 
and cut it as thin as possible, one 
By L. P. Jensen in Bulletin of Mis- 
souri State Board of Horticulture 
(Concluded) 
not to let the transplanted grass get 
dry until it is thoroughly established 
in its new location. 
Sods may be laid successfully at 
any time during summer, fall or 
spring. When laying sods on ter- 
races, steep slopes, etc., it will be nec- 
essary to fasten them with wooden 
pegs driven through and into the 
ground to prevent their sliding or 
washing away until they have formed 
roots enough to retain their position. 
If much sod is to be cut, a sod 
cutter may be purchased or a very 
serviceable one may be made at 
slight expense by taking a piece of 
ordinary rough oak board two inches 
thick, three feet long and as wide 
as the sods are desired to be, say 
twelve to fifteen inches. The front 
end of the board should be rounded 
upwards like a sled so as not to in- 
about the center of the plank by 
means of screws passing through the 
upturned ends of the knife in such 
a manner that the blade of the knife 
is parallel to the underside of the 
board, and distant from the plank 
the thickness of the sod desired. The 
cutting edge of the knife should be 
a little farther from the plank than 
the back edge, so as to make the cut- 
ter hug the ground and cut uniform- 
ly. A single-tree is attached to the 
center of the front end by means 
of a ring and the driver stands on 
the plank just in front of the knife 
while cutting. With this machine one 
man can cut as much in one day as 
ten men with the spade and board. 
Care of the Lawn. 
Mowing. — After' the lawn has been 
seeded and established the grass 
must be ciit. For this purpose use 
RAVINE SPANNED BY RUSTIC BRIDGE CONNECTING TWO LAWNS ON THE SAME GROITNDS. 
man rolling it ahead as another cuts 
it with a sharp spade. In this way 
the sods can be cut very uniform and 
are easily handled and laid. After 
laying, the sod should be thoroughly 
watered and rolled, care being taken 
jure the surface of the turf. Have a 
steel knife made three inches wide 
and one-fourth inch thick with both 
ends turned upwards at right angles 
so that the upturned ends will just 
fit the edges of the plank. Fasten 
a very sharp and properly adjusted 
lawn mower. If a lawn mower is 
dull or not adjusted right it will pull 
up a lot of the young grass. For the 
first cutting a scythe is to be pre- 
ferred. Cutting should be commenced 
