This information on lawn making 
represents the opinion of the best 
authorities on the subject and if fol¬ 
lowed carefully will assure a fine lawn 
for anyone who is willing to make the 
necessary investment of time and 
money. 
First, determine the soil reaction by 
testing it with litmus paper for acid, 
or by sending a sample to your State 
Experiment Station. If soil is strongly 
acid, lime should be applied in suf¬ 
ficient quantity to correct this condition. 
NEW LAWNS 
Preparing the Soil: 
If your plot is small, dig it up to the depth of a 
spade or digging fork; if it is large, plow it. The 
top soil should be from 6 to 10 inches deep if 
the subsoil is gravel—12 inches, or preferably 
more, if the subsoil is a stiff clay. After soil is 
broken into fine particles spread on well-rotted 
manure at the rate of 500 bale of peat moss or 
other humus to each 1000 square feet. Mix this 
thoroughly with the soil, then rake and roll to 
secure a general slope away from the house for 
proper drainage. 
When the soil has been properly prepared, apply 
a complete plant food (see paragraph headed 
“Applying Plant Food”). 
Seeding: 
The best times to seed are in the early spring 
and from the middle of August to the First of 
October. The latter period is to be preferred 
as the weather conditions are generally more 
favorable. Use only the best seed. The dealer 
whose name appears on the cover of this book 
will be glad to help you choose the kind best 
suited for your particular locality. 
Use 4 to 5 pounds of a good lawn seed mixture 
to 1000 square feet. Distribute seed, either by 
hand or machine, in two directions—one at 
right angle to the other to get complete coverage. 
After spreading seed, rake lightly to cover to a 
depth of i/ 8 inch. It is important that you then 
roll the lawn so that soil is in close contact with 
the seed. 
Watering: 
Keep a newly planted lawn moist at all times, 
using a fine spray and watering well. After 
lawn is firmly established it will not be necessary 
to water it every day—once a week being 
sufficient. 
HOW TO IMPROVE 
ESTABLISHED LAWNS 
Applying Plant Food: 
After raking, apply a complete plant food at the 
rate of 4 pounds per 100 square feet if no manure 
has been used, or 3 pounds per 100 square feet 
if the soil has been manured. 
A good commercial fertilizer such as Vigoro, 
Loma or similar types is particularly beneficial. 
Follow direction given by manufacturer for 
applying. 
Reseeding the Lawn: 
Thin spots in the lawn should be reseeded, 
using about 3 lbs. of grass seed per 1000 square 
feet. The soil in bare spots should be pulverized 
with a steel-toothed rake, then seeded, using 
"Don't he'penny wise' when buying your 
lawn seed. A few cents more invested in 
our quality seed means a smooth, weed- 
free lawn." Henry. 
about twice as much seed as is used on thin 
turf. Cover seed lightly with top soil to protect 
and give it a chance to germinate. 
Rolling: 
A very important feature of lawn care that many 
overlook is rolling of the lawn in the spring, just 
as soon as turf is reasonably dry. This brings 
the grass roots again in firm contact with the 
soil so growth can go on. 
Mowing Makes the Lawn: 
No lawn—large or small—can thrive without 
frequent mowing with a good mower. This is 
not merely because mowing makes the grass 
look better, but principally because it makes the 
grass plants grow better. When the grass is 
permitted to grow tall, the roots are robbed of 
their vitality, their growth is stunted and re¬ 
seeding of the lawn may thus be made necessary 
the following spring. Whether the weather is 
dry or wet, grass should always be kept mowed 
to a height of less than three inches but should 
not be cut shorter than one and a half inches. 
If the clippings are short it is satisfactory to 
leave them on the lawn; however, if they are 
long they must be removed or they will smother 
out the young grass plants. 
Watering: 
Sandy soil will, of course, require more watering 
than loam or clay soils. When the grass needs 
water, soak it thoroughly to a depth of 4 or 5 
inches and do not water again until the soil gets 
fairly dry. A Lawn Should Not Be Sprinkled 
Lightly. By wetting only the top inch or so of 
soil, it encourages grass to send its roots to the 
surface and then the grass cannot stand either 
the hot summer weather or cold winter 
temperatures. 
Weeds: 
Like any other growing plant, grass cannot 
thrive where there are weeds to rob it of fer¬ 
tility, moisture, sunshine and the space it needs 
to grow. 
As some weeds produce thousands of seeds in 
one year, the surest way of eliminating your 
weed trouble is to prevent their seeding. Mow 
your lawn regularly to prevent annual weeds 
from seeding. Perennial weeds which propagate 
themselves by roots should be taken out as soon 
as they appear. Weeders for combating this 
enemy of your lawn are shown on pages 4, 5 
and 7 of this book. 
Page 2 
Copyright, 19J7, by L. A. Hocflich 
