2 3 
BIRDS. 
Sparrows are the chief offenders under this heading, and they undoubtedly 
do serious damage to newly sown lawns, especially around big towns, where 
they seem to thrive to a remarkable degree. The best mode of scaring them 
is to use a gun ; but this entails early rising, as the sparrows take their breakfast 
at sunrise. A small lawn can be successfully protected by stretching garden 
netting over it, or by the liberal use of pegs and black thread, the thread to 
be stretched tight from peg to peg, and to be about 4 ins. from the ground. 
Pigeons are also a source of trouble, as they eat the coarse weed seeds found 
in hay lofts, and these are dropped about the lawn in their excrement. 
MOWING. 
Cut the young grass for the first time when it is about 2 ins. high with 
a sharp scythe. For safety’s sake it is advisable to cut it once or twice more 
with a scythe, so as to allow the young plants to become sufficiently strong 
to resist the slight snatching movement of the mowing machine. 
Never allow the grass, whether it be young or old, to grow long and ragged. 
Two inches may be considered the extreme length to which it should attain at 
any time of the year. It is not advisable to keep grass too closely cut during 
hot and dry weather. 
If a lawn be free from weeds, and is kept closely cut, the machine can be 
used without the box; the cut grass will not be very noticeable, and will afford 
the roots of the grass a certain amount of protection during hot and dry weather 
This must not be practised on weedy lawns, as the machine would cut off 
and scatter the weed seeds all over the lawn ; whereas, were they collected in 
the box together with the cut grass, they would be removed and destroyed. 
MOWING MACHINES, A FEW HINTS ON. 
In the first place buy a good one, avoiding all cheap foreign-made machines, 
as they are often made of soft metal and are generally very disappointing. 
We have, ourselves, used for a great many years machines made by Messrs. 
Ransomes, Sims, & Jefferies, Limited, of Ipswich, and can confidently recommend 
them as being of excellent make and material. 
Sweep the lawn before cutting; this removes stones, worm casts, rubbish, 
&c., which would blunt the knives. 
Oil the bearings, the edges of the knives, and ledger blade with best “sperm” 
or olive oil, every time before using the machine. 
Only City Address: 53A, Queen Victoria Street, E.C* 
