CHAPTER XVI. 
THE MAKING AND THE MANAGEMENT OF THE LAWN, 
Amongst the earliest recommendations in this volume is one 
in behalf of the greatest possible breadth of well-kept turf 
consistently with the area enclosed for purposes of pleasure. 
To insure the luxury of a “ velvet lawn,” is, to speak gene¬ 
rally, a most easy matter, and, though.it may be comparatively 
costly in the first instance, it will prove in the end one of the 
best of investments of gold in gardening. The soft elastic 
turf of a chalky down will kindly inform the traveller that a 
lawn may be laid on chalk; and the closely bitten grassy 
herbage of a sandy common will in like manner suggest that 
gravel and sand may be clothed for the production of a living 
carpet that will last for ever. It is, however, on a deep loam 
or a clay that has been well tilled, that the best example of 
grass turf is to be looked for, and on such land we should 
prefer to operate, were it required of us to present the best 
possible example of making and keeping a garden lawn. 
In the formation of a lawn, all levels must be carefully 
determined, and the ground thoroughly well prepared, that 
there may be no waste of labour in alterations afterwards. 
In the case of laying fresh turf on the site of an exhausted 
plot, from which bad turf has been removed, a heavy dressing 
of good manure should be dug in, for grass needs nourish¬ 
ment in common with all other plants. The last act of 
preparation consists in spreading over the level ground about 
an inch depth of fine earth, which is to be distributed evenly, 
and every stone removed by means of the rake. Then we 
approach an important question —which is best, turf or seeds ? 
In any and every case turf is to be preferred, for upon the 
instant of its being laid and rolled, the lawn is formed, and 
there is an end of the matter. Two considerations give 
interest to this question—the cost of turf is necessarily far in 
