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Manures and Composts for Top-Dressing. 
We now come to the top-dressing manures and composts. These we will 
divide into prepared composts and raw material. 
The former consists of stable or farm manure, fresh or old, which has been 
mixed with all or any of the following soils : leaf mould, night soil, old rotten turf, old 
potting soil, old hot beds, wood ashes, etc., and has been allowed to stand in aheap 
for some time, and has been turned over at least once or twice during that time. 
This compost, before use, should be chopped up with a spade, and thrown 
through a *-in. straight wire sand screen, and applied by scattering it with a shovel 
over the lawn any time of the year with the exception of the summer. 
The fine dressing produced and used in this way can be brushed in with a birch- 
broom or bush harrow, or, if left to the weather, will disappear from sight after the 
first rain shower, and so prevents the unsightly appearance of a lawn covered with 
clods. Another compost can be made up with good light soil and Carter’s Com¬ 
plete Grass Manure, used in the proportion of 7 lbs. of the manure to a barrow of 
soil. The quantity required for a tennis lawn would be about 1 cwt. of manure and 
from 12 to 16 barrows of soil, well mixed together and sifted (see page 36). 
Unprepared dressings may also be applied any time throughout the year, with 
the exception of the summer months, and consist of leaf mould, old potting soil, 
rotten turf, old hot beds, wood ashes, etc., sifted and scattered in the usual way. 
By this means the turf is sure to benefit, and the garden is rid of certain unsightly 
heaps. 
Always turn over the heaps of soil several times before use, and sift top- 
dressings before spreading them on the lawn, if only to lengthen the life of the 
mowing machine. It is good policy to give a weedy or mossy lawn a thorough 
raking before applying the top-dressing. 
SEA=SAND. 
Sea-sand is frequently used as a dressing for Putting Greens, resting upon 
stiff soils, with the two-fold object of firming up the surface,'and fining down a 
too vigorous growth of grass. 
I he sand must be applied with judgment, otherwise the grass may be 
smothered, and to reap its full benefits, the worms must be killed before it is 
applied, or they will quickly cover it with their casts, and no lasting improvement 
will be obtained. It is not advisable to use sand on poor hungry soils, as it 
contains little or no nourishment. 
SOOT. 
Soot is generally applied in the spring at the rate of ^ bushel to a rod of 
ground, but beyond giving a bright colour to the grass, it does not do much good, 
as' it contains little nourishment. 
Only City Address: 53A, Queen Victoria Street, E.C. 
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