310 
MANAGEMENT OF £chap. ix. 
she have strength enough to use one of Bud¬ 
ding’s mowing machines,, In whatever way, 
however, the operation may be performed, it 
should be repeated very frequently. In large 
establishments, the lawn is always mown 
every week during summer; and even in the 
smallest gardens the grass should never be 
suffered to remain more than a fortnight 
during summer without mowing. The roots 
will thus become weakened, and will not be 
able to send up any but dwarf and fine blades 
of glass, which will form in a few years that 
beautifully smooth and soft velvet-like turf, 
which it is the principal beauty of a lawn to 
possess. “It is a great mistake,” says Mr. 
Loudon, in his Suburban Gardener , “ to sup¬ 
pose that anything is gained in the way of 
economy by suffering the grass of lawns to 
grow long before mowing, in order to save 
the expense of once or twice mowing during 
the season; for, in proportion as the grass is 
allowed to grow long before mowing, in the 
same proportion are the roots strengthened 
and enabled to send up still longer leaves 
and stems; whereas if a lawn w r ere kept 
short by frequent mowing for two or three 
