512 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 11, 1896. 
HINTS FOR AMATEURS. 
The Making of Lawns. 
If there is one feature more than another that is by 
everyone considered indispensable to a good garden 
it is a close verdant sward of grass. Without it the 
most elaborately-filled flower beds, the finest shrubs 
and trees have their beauty heavily and sadly 
discounted With it, each bed and shrub and tree 
borrows new lustre, and appears to all the greater 
advantage. A well-made and well-kept stretch of 
lawn surrounding a house —no matter what the style 
of architecture may be—is always admired, and in 
fact may be compared to the setting of a diamond. 
But there are other recommendations to be urged in 
favour of the green grass, besides that of mere beauty, 
powerful and all-sufficient as this is. Tennis is the 
favourite summer game amongst those of gentler 
birth, who care not for the rude vicissitudes of 
cricket, or who are fain to snatch the opportunity of 
a more or less serious flirtation with some especially- 
charming member of the other sex, whose tendencies 
lie in the direction of the wielding of the racket 
rather than the needle, as fair damsels were wont to 
do in days of yore. A well-managed tennis lawn is 
an essential feature to every house of any size. And 
not only is it to be found within the precincts of the 
stately homes of England, but there is a vast number 
of houses of far less pretensions where many a happy 
hour is whiled away in this so-called genteel game. 
It matters not whether the lawn in the smaller 
garden of the amateur is able to vie with those 
appertaining to great houses in the point of size; but 
there is really no reason why it should not look quite 
as well as those of colossal proportions with regard 
to condition. Now it is very certain that if we want 
to get a lawn to look well it must be made properly 
to start with. We will consider, first of all, therefore, 
the best way to make a lawn, and give a few practical 
hints which we trust will be of benefit to our 
readers. 
There are, of course, two ways of procuring a 
sward, viz., by seed sowing, and by laying of turf. 
As the present month is the most suitable time of the 
year for the sowing of grass seeds we will treat upon 
that first of all. In advising the majority of 
amateurs as to the' best way to make a lawn, it is 
usually the safest plan to tell them to pin their faith 
to turf. Certain it is that there is less chance of 
their going wrong in doing this, and the results of 
their labour are reaped soon after, of course much 
sooner than would be the case were the land sown 
down. If properly executed, both methods maybe 
made to yield a close, thick, velvety sward. The 
expenses of preparing the ground are about equal for 
both methods, and indeed such preparations are 
similar to each other in character in most cases. 
Preparation of the site. — That there must Le a 
certain amount of preparatory work before the spot 
selected is in fit condition for sowing down, even the 
veriest tyro in things horticultural will be able to 
perceive, but comparatively few, however, grasp the 
fact in its entirety, or we should not hear so many 
complaints from time to time from ownersof gardens 
whose lawns are anything but articles of beauty. 
Drainage.— Although of the first importance, this 
is a subject that is far too often given scanty attention, 
and sometimes by men whom we would have 
given credit for knowing better. Perhaps it is such 
a general failing to assume that this will be all right, 
that the thought rarely enters the mind of the 
operator, and if it does, is dismissed very quickly. 
Of course, in many situations the natural drainage of 
the soil is sufficient for all purposes, This may be 
usually ascertained if the behaviour of the plot in 
question during a wet autumn or winter is carefully 
watched. If no pools of water are observed to be 
standing upon it, it may generally be taken for 
granted that all is well, and that artificial drainage 
is unnecessary. If, on the other hand, such pools 
are observed to be present, some steps must be taken 
to rectify this error, for it is useless to expect to 
establish a grassy lawn upon the surface of a bog. 
In sour, wet land , moss is sure to make its appearance, 
and the grass grows visibly less in extent and weaker 
in constitution each year. It is all very well to 
apply lawn sand, soot, bone-dust, and various other 
specifics, or to scratch and worry the sward with an 
iron toothed rake, but it will be all to no purpose if 
the land is sour and sodden with stagnant water. 
The cause must be first removed, and the effect will 
follow as a matter of course. 
The size of the pipes and the distance of the 
drains from each other must in all cases be regulated 
by the amount of the rainfall in the particular 
district, and also by the precise nature of the soil. 
In no case need the pipes be laid very deeply below 
the surface, as the roots of the grass do not 
penetrate to any great depth. Fifteen feet between 
the drains, and three feet below the surface are, 
generally speaking, sufficient distances for localities 
in which the rainfall is about the average. The 
smaller pipes should effect their junction with the 
mains at an acute angle, for, if the angle they 
describe with the main is large, the flow of water 
through the latter is greatly impeded. Another 
point that must receive attention, is the setting in of 
the pipes into their sockets with cement where trees 
or shrubs are in close proximity, for the fibrous 
rootlets they put forth will enter in by the smallest 
crevice in the drain-pipe, with the result that the 
interior sooner or later becomes choked and useless. 
In all cases where draining by means of pipes in the 
manner suggested is thought to be necessary, it must 
be done for some months before the seed is actually 
sown ; if six months so much the better. No matter 
how liberally the rammer is used the disturbed soil 
will be sure to sink to a greater or less degree, and if 
the seed has been sown, or the turf laid, as the case 
may be, the work will have to be done all over again 
in order to get rid of the hollows, answering to the 
courses of the drains that will make their appearance. 
Land drained last autumn, should, therefore, be in 
prime condition for sowing down this April. 
In addition to being well-drained, the ground upon 
which the lawn is to be made must be nicely firm, 
and possess a fine friable and perfectly level surface. 
To obtain the latter a great deal of pains is usually 
necessary. All will, however, depend upon the 
natural conformation of the ground. Sometimes, of 
course, there is but little to be done in the way of 
levelling the hills, and filling up the valleys, but the 
surface is naturally fairly true throughout. In such 
a case as this the operator finds a heavy task taken 
off his hands; but in others it maybe necessary to 
remove a considerable quantity of soil from one 
place to lay it on another, or where no lowering is 
is needed, soil may have to be brought from a 
distance to fill up the existing hollows. Here again 
some care will be needed. If the whole of the soil 
that is thus brought to the scene of operations from a 
distant source is all of the same sort, well and good. 
It may then be simply carted to the places requiring 
it, and trodden firmly in. But where a great deal of 
stuff is wanted, it may well happen that the soil that 
is brought to fill up may vary a good deal in character 
and consistency. At such times it would not do to 
fill up part of the lawn with clay, another part say 
with light loam, and a third with material of a sandy 
nature. Such a method of procedure would only 
result in imparting a patchwork like appearance to 
the lawn, as each kind of soil will naturally foster 
the kind of grasses which naturally take to it best. 
Where a good deal of making up has to be done 
the new soil should be spread in layers over the 
whole piece of ground putting the heavier or clayey 
material at the bottom, and finishing off with the 
fine light stuff at the top. The surface may then be 
made smooth and even, and very suitable for the 
reception of the seed. If the nature of the ground 
does not call for a great deal of alteration, there will 
be so much trouble saved. The plot may then be 
dug over one spit deep; broken up finely and 
levelled. 
A continuation of the subject, dealing with the 
levelling, seed-sowing proper, and laying of turf will 
appear in next week’s issue.— Rex. 
-- 
Correspondence. 
Questions asked by amateurs on any subject pertaining 
to gardens or gardening will be answered on this page. 
A nyone may give additional or more explanatory answers 
to questions that have already appeared. Those who desire 
their communications to appear on this page should write 
"Amateurs' Page ’’ on the top of their letters. 
Replies. — Your are quite right, L., Ashton, in suppos¬ 
ing that Doronicum plantagineum is a native of 
Great Britain. We have found it growing wild in 
one or two places in the southern counties. D. 
austriacum is a well-known garden plant, that is in 
flower at the present time. It usually runs about 
i ft. in height, and bears flowers of large size. 
Dentaria digitata is, as you say, Uranus, a very pretty 
plant for a rpckery. Possibly its comparative rarity 
in cultivation is due to the fact that it bears lifting 
badly. Toothwort is the everyday name applied to 
the plant. It is perhaps not so high-sounding as the 
botanical appellation ; it may also be somewhat 
easier to remember, and is decidedly shorter. 
Still the longer, name is fairly well descriptive of the 
character of the plant. Dentaria from dens a tooth, 
has reference to the fanged roots. 
The Clematis of which you speak, M. if., is C. 
montana. It is not a native of Japan, but of Nepaul, 
in Northern India, from whence it was brought about 
the year 1831. It is quite hardy, in the South of 
England at all events, and you may expect a grand 
spectacle when your plant rambles over the arbour 
against the sides of which you have planted it. It 
expands its flowers in early summer. The specific 
name of japonica indicates that the plants bearing 
it come from Japan, J. Estell. It is a pity that 
specific names are thus manufactured. It is all very 
well, of course, when the plant is only found in that 
particular country from which it takes its name, but 
when it is given before other likely spots have been 
explored and it turns up in two or three other places 
besides the one that was made its name mother in 
the first instance, the title is apt to be misleading, 
and certainly not distinctive. 
Speaking of the manufacture of names, Argus has 
sent us one this week for us to give him the history 
of its origin and subsequent evolution—the word 
“ponniker ” (We believe that is the way our corre¬ 
spondent spells it). Probably the name sprang into 
existence during the period when Fortune introduced 
so many plants from Japan to which the specific 
name of japonica was attached. Some sprightly 
wight may have applied the name “japonica " to one 
or more of the gardeners with whom he came in 
contact. This speedily became “ japoniker." 
Finally the initial syllable was left out, and we get 
“poniker,” which, according to the many-eyed one 
takes another “n” and becomes a full-blown 
“ ponniker.” 
With regard to your lawn, Extenso, we think 
you will find the information you need as to what 
kind of grass to sow, and how and when to sow it 
in the Amateur's Page next week. Rex will furnish 
another article as a continuation of the one in 
print in this issue. Armeria (A. vulgaris syn. 
maritima), the Thrift, makes a capital substitute 
for a grass verge, as edging to a herbaceous border, 
W. Duff. It will grow almost anywhere. Your best 
plan will be to divide the roots up after flowering is 
over for the season and to plant two or three rows of 
it, according to the width of the required edging. 
There are several forms of the original species, viz., 
A. v. alba, A.v. laucheana with deep pink flowers; and 
the variety known as Crimson Gem, which grows 
much taller than the true species, and has large 
heads of bright, crimson-pink flowers borne on 
stalks from 8 in. to 9 in. in height. 
You may easily save seed from your Primulas if 
you so desire, S., Acton. About a dozen seed pods 
may be left on each of the plants if they are fairly 
strong and vigorous, a less number being left upon 
weaker plants. All the remaining flowers and young 
seed vessels must be picked off, so as to throw the 
whole strength of the plant into the work of matur¬ 
ing the seeds. Do not starve the plants for want of 
water, but keep them supplied the same as usual 
until the fruits appear nearly ripe, when less water 
may be given so as to accelerate the process of ripen¬ 
ing. 
B. Joyce may save seed from his Cinerarias by 
cutting off the old flower heads when nearly ripe, 
and placing them upon a shelf in the sun to dry and 
finish ripeniog. When sowing your Cineraria seed 
for the next seeson, John Boyd, do not bury it too 
deeply. We are inclined to think that this was the 
true cause of the failure of your first sowing last 
year, and not because the bought seed was inferior 
to that which you had saved yourself and which you 
sowed when the other failed to germinate. We have 
known plenty of seedlings come up on a border on 
which the old plants had been stood for awhile after 
they had been removed from the conservatory, and 
so vigorous we re these self-sown seedlings that some 
of the best of them were taken up and potted and 
soon outstripped in size those that were raised under 
glass in the ordinary way. This is all sufficient 
proof that no amateur need be deterred by a lack of 
the possession of heated houses from raising his own 
Cinerarias from seed, either saved by him or 
purchased from the nurseryman. 
