ground is already covered with a growth of sod, the necessity of 
applying humus is not so urgent, as the decay of the grass roots 
and tops will supply any lack. In such cases the addition of 
commercial fertilizer in the proportion of 5 % nitrogen, 8% phos- 
phorus, and 10% potash, at the rate of 12 to 18 pounds to 400 
square feet, will suffice. 
The fertilizer having been evenly distributed over the plot, 
the next process is spading up the top soil or plowing in the case 
of large areas. Never attempt any work on the soil when it is so 
wet as to be sticky. When spading, the soil should be dug up to 
a depth of a foot, if the good earth extends that far, at the same 
time thoroughly mixing in the fertilizer. All clods should be 
broken up and large stones thrown out. If the ground is covered 
with grass, the sods should be buried grass side downward. The 
surface should now be raked with an iron-toothed rake until a 
finely pulverized seed bed is formed. Usually the tramping the 
plot receives in the process of fining the surface is sufficient to 
pack the ground to the required degree of firmness, as shown by 
footmarks beingbarely discernible when the plot is walked upon. 
If the ground is not compacted sufficiently, it will be necessary to 
consolidate it by more tramping or by rolling with a light roller. 
The surface must be loosened to a depth of half an inch or so 
with a rake, before the seed is sown. 
When the plot is of such a size that plowing is possible, the 
work of pulverizing the soil after plowing, preparatory to seed 
sowing, can with advantage be done by using a harrow. It will 
be necessary, however, to use a rake for the finishing touches as 
in the case of ground prepared by spading. 
A calm day should be chosen for sowing the seed or there 
will be great difficulty in distributing it evenly. Do the work 
systematically. Divide the seed into two equal portions. Take 
one of these, and, starting at one end of the plot, walk back 
and forth scattering the seed as evenly as possible. Keep the 
hand low and do not attempt to cover too wide an area at a time. 
The other half of the seed should be distributed by walking over 
the plot at right angles to the route travelled in sowing the first 
portion. This ensures an even distribution of the seed. If a 
large plot is to be sown, it is a good plan to mark off the area 
into several equal-sized plots. Divide the seed to correspond, 
and sow each plot separately. This is very helpful in apportion- 
ing the seed evenly all over the area. 
When the seed has been sown, the surface should be lightly 
raked to cover the seed, and then rolled. If a roller is not avail- 
able, a tamper is a fair substitute for firming the soil about the 
seeds. A suitable tamper can readily be improvised by sawing 
about eighteen inches from a plank two or three inches thick and 
a foot wide. A hole should be bored in the center of this, and a 
