MOWING A LAWN. 
The nature of some grass plants is to grow, blossom, 
produ.ce seed and die. If we prevent maturity by keeping these 
plants constantly cut to a reasonable height the strength which 
would have gone into stalk and flowers and seed will be expended 
m sending out extra shoots near the surface of the ground. The 
mat of grass thickens -- "stools out" as we say. Blue grass is a 
good example of this and, because it persists year after year and 
has a fine, spear-like leaf, it is considered a good lawn grass. 
Some grasses which are otherwise similar will die out after a year 
o'r two. Red-top is a sample. It is sown with blue-grass, because it 
germinates quickly and forms a protection for the more tender blue- 
grass until the blue-grasses well started. Other lawn grasses pro¬ 
duce a close mat by sending out runners along the surface of the 
ground. For this reason creeping bent is used on golf-greens — 
its naturepermits it to be cut very closely. Grasses sometimes 
improperly used in lawns naturally grow in clumps which make a 
lawn uneven. Timothy is a sample, Timothy seed is cheap, and un- 
srupulous dealers use it in lawn grass mixtures which return them 
a big profit. To avoid this buy your seed from a reliable dealer. 
It is probably a wise provision of Nature that the J 
grasses which present the most beautiful appearance in a lawn are 
those which thrive luxuriantly and persist indefinitely when 
closely cut. Frequent and regular cutting of lawn grasses causes 
the hearts of the plants to grow close to the ground. If the 
grass is allowed to grow longer and then is severely cut back the 
heart is cut out of the plants, leaving little expect the roots 
from which any new growth can come, and the lawn is correspondingly 
damaged. If lawn grass is allowed to grow so long before cutting 
that the clippings leave a swath over the lawn the clippings must 
be removed or the lawn will be damaged. If not more than l/2 inch 
is cut from the tips of the grass at each cutting the clippings 
should be left on the lawn where they will form a valuable mulch. 
If you would have a beautiful lawn mow it when it needs 
mowing. If you wait even one day beyond the 'time when good judgment 
tells you it should be cut your lawn will suffer to that extent. 
Do not mow your lawn too closely — raise the lower knife so the 
grass will not be cut closer than one inch or even a little longer. 
Grass plants thrive best when they have a constantly 
proper soil condition — not soggy wet today and dry tomorrow. 
German peat moss in the soil retains the necessary moisture but 
permits proper drainage — an ideal soil condition. 
