HOW TO FERTILIZE AH ESTABLISHED LAW 
Food is just as essential to a plant as it is to an ani¬ 
mal. A lawn which receives no attention except mowing and watering 
will not thrive indefinitely. 
The food of a plant consists of a considerable number of 
different elements, and if we are to have proper growth all of 
these elements must be available so the plant can absorb them in 
the best proportion. Different plants require different proportions 
of certain plant-food elements. One element produces leaf-growth, 
another supports the stalk, another effects the growth of flowers 
and fruit, etc. Plants will usually select the proper proportion 
of plant-food elements if a sufficient quantity is available, but 
this is not invariably true. An excess of nitrogen, for instance, 
will produce excessive leaf-growth at the expense of flowers or 
fruit, which would not be good in the case of certain plants. The 
presence of an excessive amount of one plant-food element will not 
off-set a shortage of some other element - results will be- limited 
in proportion of the element that' is lacking. 
Soil may .be in excellent physical condition for the 
growth of plants and yet be lacking in available plant-food. Water 
is"essential to the growth of plants, but water and infertile soil 
can accomplish little. The cure for infertile soil is to supply 
the necessary elements so they can be used in proper proportion. 
The plant-food elements most likely to be lacking in 
infertile soil are nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. A good lawn 
fertilizer is always strong in nitrogen and contains varying pro¬ 
portions of• the other two elements. For lawn use a mixture of or¬ 
ganic fertilizers has much to recommend it. Blood-meal, bone-meals 
and fish-meal are organic fertilizers and a mixture of these is an 
excellent lawn fertilizer. Sulphate of ammonia and muriate of pot¬ 
ash are representative of chemical fertilizers. Super.phosphate is 
a natural ground-rock fertilizer, acid treated to make it soluable 
in water. All these latter items are frequently used by fertilizer 
manufacturers in producing a well proportioned mixture, and no mis¬ 
take is made in using such a mixture produced by a reliable company. 
On an established lawn spread two pounds of such ferti¬ 
lizer evenly over each 100 square feet, at least twice each year, 
when the grass is dry. This may profitably be done at any season 
except directly before extreme weather in cold climates. If the 
fertilizer is not evenly distributed the grass will show an uneven 
growth.and uneven color. If the fertilizer is applied when the 
grass leaves are wet the grass will be burnt. Immediately after 
applying< the fertilizer wash it off the leaves thoroughly with a 
misty spray on a hand hose, or a stationary sprinkler, and soak the 
ground thoroughly. In four days your lawn will be greatly improved. 
If you would give your lawn the best possible advantage* 
spread evenly one bale German peat, moss to each 800 square feet 
before spreading the fertilizer - then apply the fertilizer over 
the peat moss and proceed as recommended above. Peat moss will * 
absorb and hold the fertilizer until the grass can use it. 
