BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN 
LEAFLETS 
THE BROOKLYN INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES 
Series VII Brooklyn, N, Y., April 2, 1919 No. 1 
MAKING A LAWN 
In lawn making', as in all branches of gardening, the prepara- 
tion of the soil is a primary consideration. The lawn presumably 
is intended to be a permanent feature, and when one is convinced 
that a little extra care at the outset will save a great deal of 
trouble and disappointment later on, the desirability of thorough 
preparation is at once apparent. 
There should be at least six or eight inches of good top soil. 
If it is deeper than this, so much the better. The result will be 
evident during dry spells in the shape of fresh green grass when 
lawns which have an insufficient depth of top soil will be brown 
and dreary looking. It is important that the soil be of uniform 
depth and fertility. If it is not, the lawn will present a patchy 
appearance, especially in periods of drought, owing to moisture 
and nutriment being unequally distributed. 
When grading is necessary, strip the top soil from the part to 
be cut or filled before the grade is corrected. When correcting 
the grade, make allowance for the top soil that is to be replaced 
and also for the subsidence of the disturbed subsoil. 
Kentucky blue, the best lawn grass, succeeds best on lime- 
stone soils. If there is a deficiency of lime, with a resultant 
sourness in the soil, an application of 15 pounds of ground lime- 
stone, or half this quantity of air-slaked lime, to 300 square feet, 
will be an advantage. The desirability or otherwise of liming 
may be determined by pressing blue litmus paper on a handful 
of the moist soil; if the litmus turns red it indicates an acid con- 
dition and the need of lime. 
The fertilizer should be spread over the surface before the 
operation of spading or plowing is commenced. The best fer- 
tilizer is well decayed barnyard or stable manure applied about 
three inches thick all over the plot. This will provide the neces- 
sary humus in addition to the fertilizing elements it contains. If 
barnyard manure is unavailable, one of the numerous brands of 
prepared humus may be used in smaller quantities. When the 
