6 
CHAPTER II. 
THE RENOVATION OF A WORN OR POOR TURF. 
The chief causes of a worn or poor turf are hard usage, poverty of soil, 
or want of proper drainage. 
The result of hard usage is shown by the appearance of bare patches; the 
trade mark of a poor soil is a thin turf and bare patches, with moss and an 
increasing number of weeds; while moss and stagnant water usually denote 
faulty drainage. Further on we deal with weeds and drainage separately, and 
we will now presume that the lawn is suffering from hard wear or poverty 
of soil. In both these cases the remedy is the same. Mow the lawn with a 
mowing machine, cutting the grass as short as possible, then rake and cross¬ 
rake the surface with an iron toothed rake, taking care to thoroughly open up 
the surface. It is well to remember that the more the existing plant appears 
to be ruined, short of actually pulling it out by the roots, the better will be 
the results ; and that unless the surface is loosened sufficiently, the roots of 
the young grass will not be able to penetrate the old turf, and consequently 
they will die, and the whole work prove a failure. There are now two ways 
of completing the work, the first being to sow the seed on the raked surface, 
choosing a dry day, otherwise a quantity of the seed will stick to the wet leaves 
of the existing plant and so perish. If the raking has been carried out well, 
the surface will present a multitude of little furrows, which will receive the seed, 
and make excellent seed beds. Sow the seed thickly or thinly, according to the 
the state of the turf. Cover the seed with prepared soil or compost (see page 
15), either by scattering it with a shovel or by hand. The alternative is to 
scatter prepared soil over the area under treatment before sowing the seed, then 
to sow and cover in the usual manner, the finishing touch being given with a 
light roller, which should be drawn over the lawn in two different directions. 
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23 7, 238, & 97, High Holborn, London. 
