AGRICULTURAL bulletin 
OF THE 
STRAITS 
AND ' 
FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 
No. 9.] SEPTEMBER, 1903. [Vol. II 
TURF AND FODDER GRASSES 
The question of turfing ground for lawns and tennis courts is one 
that is constantly recurring, and some notes upon the subject may 
be of use to gardeners and others in the Malay Peninsula. To pre- 
pare a lawn for tennis and other such games, the first requisite is 
of course to level the ground, and dig it well over, eradicating all 
unnecessary weeds and especially Lalang ( Imperata cylindrica). 
In rolling the prepared soil it is not advisable to use loo heavy a 
roller, especially if the soil is stiff clay with much iron in it. In one 
instance many years ago this was done with a cricket pitch, on new 
made ground, and after it had been used for many years, it was 
found that the turf peeled off in places. Investigation showed that 
the grass roots had been unable to penetrate sufficiently deeply 
into the stiff under soil which, by rolling, had been packed into 
what had become almost a rock from the depositing of iron oxide 
so that when the dry weather came, the turf had no hold on the 
soil at all ; it is much better to roll new made soil gradually rolling 
it down as each layer is thrown on the ground. On the top of the 
soil levelled and raised as high as required, should be thrown a 
top-dressing of a mixture of cowdung and earth in about equal 
proportions, which has been well mixed, allowed to dry in the sun, 
and then passed through a sieve. 
The ground being prepared, suitable turf must be procured cut 
into pieces about 6 inches square, planted two or three feet apart, 
being well pressed into the soft soil. If the weather is excessively 
dry it may be advisable to water the lawn, but it is not usually 
necessary. In from 3 to 6 months the ground should be completely 
covered, and the turf carpet level. The turf should then be well 
rolled with a fairly light roller, and all objectionable weeds, such as 
Tutup Bumi, Elephantopus scaber , Sensitive plants, and Lalang 
should be weeded out. 
This turf will consist of mixed grasses, together with a few other 
plants which are not grasses, but which occur in most of our turfs ; 
the most useful of these are the little clovers, Desmodium heteio- 
phyllum and D. triflorum. These play the part of the white clover 
