PARK 
AND CEMETERY. 
351 
rlifferciit species to endure, as, for in- 
stance, the St. Augustine grass, which 
has a coarse and very upright leaf, al- 
though it has a creeping rootstock. 
This grass is of special value in Florida, 
as it remains in a green condition prac- 
tically throughout the whole year. 
Korean lawn grass is a maritime grass 
from Asia and Australia, which is prov- 
ing of value along the seacoast from 
Charleston southward. It thrives well 
in the latitude of \\'ashington,. but the 
leaves are not hard}' and assume a light 
straw color in winter. It will, however, 
undniihtedly he a decided actpiisition for 
lawns near the seashore in latitudes 
south of W'ashington. In Texas the 
mesquite, a native grass, is ranked with 
Rermuda grass as a desirable lawn grass. 
l-or certain areas west of the }ilis- 
sissippi River, where the grasses already 
mentioned do not thrive, it has been 
suggested that a native grass known as 
buffalo grass, which has the character- 
istics of a good lawn grass, that is. 
creeping stems and short, upright leaf 
shoots, be employed for lawn purposes. 
This grass has ability to withstand 
drought, and to establish and maintain 
itself under adverse climatic conditions. 
Since buffalo grass is indigenous to the 
region and possesses so many quali- 
ties which are of importance in a lawn 
grass, it is worthy of special considera- 
tion in this area. It has the one draw- 
back that the seed is not now available 
in commercial quantities. On the sandy 
lands of the Pacific coast from San Fran- 
cisco south the rye grasses and Bermuda 
grasses are apt to prove the most satis- 
factory. 
There are a few grasses which in 
themselves are well suited to lawn 
making, but which because of their 
habits of growth are not well adapted 
to use in lawn, mixtures. Italian rye 
grass is a notable example of this type 
of plant. It is in itself capable of mak- 
ing a fairly good lawn, but because of 
its more ram])ant growth and Ijroad 
leaf blades, which possess a shiny ap- 
pearance, it does not blend well with 
other grasses on the lawn — such as red- 
top. blue grass, and white clover. It 
grows more rapidly than do these 
species, anrl always appears as an ob- 
strusive companion on the lawn. It is, 
therefore, not advised as an important 
or desirable feature in a lawn mixture. 
Perennial rye grass is sometimes 
recommended for lawns, but in lesser 
degree has the same objection as the 
Italian rye grass. It is often used in 
mixtures for quick results. It usually 
dies out in two or three \ears. but always 
gives a lawn a weedy appearance. 
KttR SITADY PRATES 
Lawn grasses do not thrive equally 
well in sun and shade. In dense shade 
it is usually impossible to maiTitain a 
turf. Tliis difficulty is especially prfi- 
nounced in small city yards and in the 
grass strips under unthinned Xorway 
maple trees on a city street. There are 
three factors that may contribute to 
this trouble: fl) Shade: (2) local 
drought caused by the twofold action of 
the tree in keeping rain from the ground 
under it by the denseness of its foliage, 
:ind b}' the absorption of moisture and 
plant food by its roots; f.T a possible 
poisonous action of the tree on the soil 
as already mentioned. Probably the 
second factor is the most important as 
dense foliaged shallow rooted trees are 
the most difficult under which to keep 
grass. ITowever, in a drought when 
large open areas of lawns are brown 
and parched, it is often noticeable that 
the grass under the limbs of the sur- 
rounding trees has the richest color and 
keeps growing slowly. The Rhode 
Island bent, creeping bent, and Candian 
'duegrass do well in shade. The latter 
is a grass that is persistent in gravelly 
lands and under considerable traffic. It 
does not make as fine a turf as the 
other shade grasses, it being rather 
wiry. The red fescue and the sheep 
fescue are also desirable shade grasses. 
Unless the sheep fescue is crowded, it is 
apt to grow in clumps or hummocks. 
For this reason it is best used in mix- 
tures and where the seeding is heavy. 
Orchard grass is a coarse grass that 
also grows in hummocks, but where 
crowded with some other grass it will 
often enable one to get a turf where 
otherwise it is impossible. It should 
only be used when the better grasses 
are known not to succeed. In attempt- 
ing to seed in shade it is advisable to 
use as many promising varieties as pos- 
sible in the hope of finding those that 
"•ill resiiond to the particu'ar conditions. 
On broad areas in sun it is desirable to 
use just as few varieties as possible. 
For the small home lot it would be bet- 
ter to use a mixture for there coriditions 
of both sun and shade have to be met. 
By a proper selection of the kinds of 
grasses, sod mnv often be maintainel 
where the conditions arc (|uite severe. 
Kentucky blue grass stands shade well, 
especially where not std)jected to severe 
tramping, and is the basis of shade mix- 
tures as offered by seedsmen. In the South 
it does better in the shade than in the 
open. The wood meadow grass is the very 
best of shade grasses for the regions where 
Kentucky blnecrass and redtop flourish. 
Formerlv this grass was added in large 
f|U intities to the ordinary grass mixture to 
n.ake it a “shady nook" mixture. Its ex- 
cessivcb hicdi |)rice in recent vears Ins 
largely iirohibited its use except in a small 
way. 
.Along the flulf coast the grass known as 
carpet grass is well adapted tc) shade 'ind 
is a strong Cf)mpetitor of Bermuda gr'iss 
for .'ill lawn purposes. It has a habit of 
growth \ery similar to that of Bermmla 
grass, and it is possible that when it shall 
ha\e been given a thorough test its region 
of adaptability will be co-extensive with 
that of Bermuda grass. Under some con- 
ditions it thrives and maintains itself to 
even a greater extent than does the Ber- 
muda grass. It also has another advan- 
tage in that in certain localities it pro- 
duces seed which with little care may be 
gathered and may become a commercial 
commodity. Whether or not carpet grass 
will carry its seeding haliits to its no:'th- 
ern limits remains to be determined. It is 
readil}- propagated from turf, like Rermuda 
grass, and can be easily established upon a 
lawn, but it is not so difficult to eradicate 
if that should be necessary. 
.Another good grass for shade on cla\- 
lands in the moist regions of the extreme 
Sotith is the large water grass, while the 
knot grass is good on sand under the 
same conditions. 
So many of the fescue and bent grasses 
being indigenous to or naturalized in the 
Rocky Alountains and the neighboring 
plains, it seems that the lawn grasses of 
the future for these regions must be found 
among these plants. 
On the Pacific coast south of San Fran- 
cisco the rye grasses arc the most prom- 
ising for use on sand in shade. 
FOrt TERRACES AND TERRACE BANKS 
Terrace banks arc an abomination that 
shotdd be avoided if possible. They have 
their place in landscape design, but their 
use has been abused. i he influence of a 
style of gardening in vogue nearl\' two cen- 
turies ago, and the practice of railroad en- 
gineers who treat their station grounds 
with the same ideals as their right of way, 
still have their effect upon the ordinary 
contractors and gardeners who are respon- 
sible for most of the work on small places. 
Many a city lot has been spoiled by wrong 
grading. 
If the style of the place has demanded 
a terrace it is fair to assume there are 
am|ilc funds to provide ideal conditions for 
the maintenance of the lawn on this area ; 
soil of ideal texture and fertility, and 
proper means of irrigation, so the only 
thing left is to select the one or two kinds 
of gr.'isscs adapted to the climate, Kentucky 
blnegrass for nine-tenths of the I nited 
.‘States, carpet grass, St. .Augustine grass, 
or possible Bermuda .grass with Kentucky 
bluegrass in the remaining tenth. There 
are le.gitimatc terrace banks and other 
legitim.'ite banks in landscape wiwk that 
must be treated besides the illegitimate one' 
mentioned. AA'hercvcr possible these should 
be covered with creeping shrubs, woody 
vines or trailing plants. (Irass should be 
used onI\- where harmony absolutely de- 
nnmds it. The objections to a grass bank 
are two: fir't. the difficnliy of nniintaining 
a close turf on a stec]) incline; second, the 
gre.it diffictdty and consequentls' additional 
cost in keeiiing it projierly trimmed. AAfliere 
grass is chosen lor the covering sodding 
is U'Ually the most satisfactory. For the 
