24 
PARK AND CE/AETERY 
How to Make and Care for a Lawn.* 
We always base much importance on preparato- 
ry work, especially the lawn, hence the importance 
of the care taken in starting a new lawn. The for- 
mation of a lawn is often hastily and imperfectly 
done. Mode of preparing is often controlled by 
the position and location of the ground, also the 
season. Excellent results are obtained by prepar- 
ing and seeding in September, south of northern 
New York, and from September 15th to October 
15th south of Maryland; but in the majority of cas- 
es this work is done in early spring in every locali- 
ty as soon as the frost has come out of the ground 
sufficiently to allow working, which should in all 
events be dry. 
Any piece of ground to be put down in lawn, 
whatever condition it may be in, requires plowing, 
deep harrowing and equalizing; deep harrowing is im- 
portant where the soil should form into hard lumps 
after plowing. This method lifts out the clods, al- 
lows the fine soil to fill in the crevices which would 
otherwise fill after heavy rains when the seed is 
sown and lawn finished. The above will apply to 
any location of a slope, even slight, but should the 
location be flat and level, draining is a requisite; 
this can be done even by rubble or tile. An un- 
dulation or a gravelly subsoil will alone insure suf- 
ficient drainage. The depth of soil is an undecided 
point. It is believed, and wisely too, that on high 
points and knolls the soil should have a depth of at 
least 12 to 15 inches to endure drouth, whereas on 
a level it will sustain its requirements at a depth of 
8 inches 
During preparation the question of fertilizing is 
the next consideration. Should the ground be in a 
fair condition through previous fertilizers applied, 
a coating of pure ground bone (600 pounds per 
acre) will suffice. We believe pure ground bone to 
be the best constant feeder — this to be applied at 
time of seeding. 
The ground having been plowed, harrowed, lev- 
eled and raked into a smooth, even surface, is now 
ready for the seed. The fertilizer having been applied 
and thoroughly incorporated prior to the finishing, the 
seed is sown at the rate of three and a half to four 
and a half bushels per acre; (this means twenty 
pound bushels) the sowing to be done by hand, all 
grasses thoroughly mixed before sowing. Should 
it be required to sow wheat, oats, or rye with the 
grass, this should be sown at the rate of one bush- 
el per acre, broadcast, and harrowed in lightly, 
then the grass seed sown. It is not claimed for the 
wheat, rye or oats to protect the grass during win- 
ter or shade it during summer, but to help inbuild- 
*A Paper by J, O. Thilow before the Eighth Annual Convention of the 
Association of American Cemetery Superintendents, 
ing the sod and keep the surface in a condition to 
absorb all the nutriment of the decomposing ferti- 
lizer, as well as absorbing the nitrogen from the at- 
mosphere. After the seed is sown, a careful rak- 
ing with a wooden hand rake lightly drawn over 
the surface evenly distributes the seed and lightly 
covers it. Now must be done the most inportant of 
all the work, and that is the rolling. 
'.Fhe condition of the surface at this time is just 
what it will be as a finished lawn; all alterations af- 
ter this are tasks with poor results. If the lawn is 
sown in the fall, a covering of tobacco stems will 
prove a great benefit, especially if the soil has not 
had a coating of hard wood ashes, the tobacco 
stems will supply the amount of potash and ammonia, 
which will give the lawn new life. If sown in 
spring, a covering of well rotted manure finely 
sprinkled all over about March 15th, and allowed 
to remain a month will give the needed food and 
shading. In raking off the covering use a coarse 
wooden rake, thus allowing a fine mulch to remain. 
What seed to sow: There are many confusing 
suggestions regarding this. Some advocate annual 
types and seed each year; but it is conceded by all 
experts and authority that perennials of tried sorts 
are the best. Avoid all Canadian grasses: they are 
coarse and not very carefully harvested, but excel- 
lent for pasture. 
In our Fairmount Park we have some of the fin- 
est plateaus of grasses which have endured drouths, 
and have been cut every week. These mixtures 
contain perennial rye, Kentucky blue, sweet ver- 
nal, extra cleaned red top, natural green and white 
or Dutch clover. Italian rye is also frequently us- 
ed, being a very free grower, somewhat coarser 
blade, but constant mowing keeps it in condition to 
present the appearance of a finer grass. 
It is customary to use sod on all borders and on 
terraces. The sod should be laid at the borders so 
as to be about half an inch below the surface of the 
soil; this is to be done before seeding. After a 
thorough rolling the soil is brought to a level with 
the sod surface. The manner of laying sod is left 
to the judgment of the experienced. The bevel 
system having been practiced a long time is a good 
one, provided it is laid in the fall or early spring; 
but after April ist it is better to cut it square and 
thick, and lay very closely, fill the remaining crev- 
ices with good soil, and give a light sprinkling of 
grass seed, this will prevent burning the edges. 
Laying sod on steep terraces is successfully done by 
using pins eight to ten inches long, (two to each 
piece of sod,) and driving through, this will neces- 
sitate a thorough beating down of the soil before 
laying the sod hard enough to guard against wash- 
ing and loosening. 
