160 
the AMERICAN 
garden. 
FOBMATION AHD MANAGEMEITT OF LA WES- 
A smooth, velvety lawn should, at this 
season, form the most attractive and cheer¬ 
ful feature of every counti’y home j hut un¬ 
fortunately there are a great many country 
residents to be found who are far fi'ora 
priding themselves about the beauty of their 
la^vns. Immense sums of money are an¬ 
nually spent to but little piu'pose, simply 
because the owners expect impossibilities 
and do not give sufficient time for prepara¬ 
tion. 
“I shall have a good lawn next year, if it 
takes- all summer,” said a friend, the other 
day, who had made several ineffectual at¬ 
tempts in this direction. “You will be more 
successful if you take all this summer and 
fall,” was om- reply, and as there are, no 
doubt, many others among our readers in a 
similar situation, we give below some of the 
very appropriate remarks of our coiuespond- 
ent. All'. Chas. E. Parnell, before the New 
York Horticultural Society: 
In forming a new lawn, the work should 
not be too hastily and imperfectly done, as 
this will prove to be a serious mistake, and 
one that cannot be rectified afterward. In 
th'e first place we must see that our groimds 
have the desired grade, and that they are 
thoroughly and properly drained, and in the 
condition necessary to produce a good crop 
of vegetables; if so, they -will produce good 
la-wns. 
The preparation of the ground is best done 
in the fall, so that it can become well settled 
by the time we.are ready to sow the seed in 
the spring. Prepare the groiuid by giving a 
hea-vy dressing of well decomposed stable 
manure, and work it in well by plowing thor¬ 
oughly. A subsoil plow should follow the 
common plow. Then harrow thoroughly, 
and finish by leveling the whole as neatly as- 
possible. As soon as the weather becomes 
settled in the spring, apply to each acre from 
five to six hundred pounds of bone-dust; 
harrow it in thoroughly, and be careful to 
have a good surface soil of from eight to ten 
inches in depth throughout the entire ground, 
and finish by having the surface as finely 
pulverized as possible, removing all sticks, 
stones, etc. 
The ground being properly prepared, the 
next consideration is the sowing of the seed. 
This should be done as early in the spring as 
practicable, choosing a calm day. The sow¬ 
ing should be carefully done, in order to dis¬ 
tribute the seeds equally over the entire 
surface, and not in spots, as this looks bad 
and IS not creditable to the sower. Sow 
thickly at the rate of from four to five bushels 
to the acre, and rake the seeds slightly in. 
Give, if possible, a sprinkling of soot or wood 
ashes, in order to render the seed distaste- 
thoroughly. 
What varieties of grass to sow in order to 
obtain a satisfactory result is really a serious 
question. I have no hesitation in saying: 
oow pJuae or Blue grass-only. 
In advocating the sowing of .June gi-ass 
pure and simple, I am aware that I am tread’ 
Jug on dangerous ground, for I know that 
many will differ with me. I admit that the 
-June grass will not form a lawn quite as 
mixtures known as lawn 
or in partial shades, an j fj-gm 
drought, when retain 
rverdui-etothelast. Howevei^ some 
insist upon haidng a mixture; 
a very good one can be made by addi g 
pounds of sweet vernal grass and one pound 
white Clover to four bushels of June 
of 
grass. ■. 
About the middle of Juno our lawn will be 
looking pretty green ; but among the young 
grass a great many weeds will bo noticed, 
and the temptation to remove them will be 
very strong; but don’t do it, for, depend 
upon it, any attempt at their removal at this 
time will do more hurt than good. About 
the first of July our lawn will be ready to be 
mowed; but we must not cut too low, and the 
eliiipings should be permitted to remain, in 
order to protect the young and tender roots. 
After mowing, roll thoroughly; and after 
this, mow weekly, if necessary, until the 
grass ceases to grow. In the autumn the 
annual weeds will have disappeared, and the 
perennial ones can be cut out with a stout 
knife. 
It often happens that it is very incon¬ 
venient to prepare new- lawns, and in such 
cases we must try to restore the old. In 
order to do this properly, we must commence 
in the autumn. First fill up all inequalities 
by carefully lifting the sod, filling in and 
replacing it. At the same time, remove all 
perennial weeds, and then give a good dress¬ 
ing of stable manure. As soon as the 
-n-eather becomes settled in the spring, the 
manure should be removed. Then rake 
thoroughly, using a good iron rake, and be 
particular to remove all dead grass, moss, 
etc. When this is done, give a good dressing 
of bone-dust and sowgi-ass-seed as for a new 
lawn. Roll well, and as soon as the grass is 
long enough, mow weekly throughout the sea¬ 
son, excepting in seasons of severe ch-ought. 
It seems almost superfluous to remark that 
mowing should always be done with a lawn- 
mower in preference to the scythe. The 
work IS thus more quickly accomplished, to 
say nothing of its neater and more attractive 
appearance when finished. 
Moles are sometimes very annoying. The 
only remedy for these pests consists in the 
proper use of a good trap. 
Sodding, at the best,is slow and e.xponsivc 
work, and, unless for places of very small ox 
ent, I would not advise tho use of sods In 
lorming new lawns, however il iu ^ 
as heavy rains might wash aw,.v ii ^ ’ 
Jorethoseedhiistadrir^^^^^^^^ 
clear sod can bo used for this , ^ 
being taken to firm it wo , ;; 
the spado. back of 
In seasons of severe dronibu 
to watering; but unless one harayT’''' 
dant supply of water and thn 
fficilitios for doing the work Ihr 
better not to make the alloin 7'V'^’ 
thing short of thorough waterii’ 
>nore hurt than good. If the ^ 
to, and tho clippings ,, 1 / b nly uttondod 
»n. t 
apprehended. “‘ought nood bo 
PLANTING FOEESTS. 
A writer in the American Journal 
estnj, in pointing out the requisites f 
eess in stocking artificial forests \ 
two very important essentials’ 
thorough preparation of the soiraT^'^’ 
selection of healthy and vigorous **1 
Prairie and other land is to be ve ^ 
- ighly plowed, andharrowed andreha^*^'*®^' 
7- I’onarrft 
till reduced to a complete state of ppi^ 
tion. It will do no harm to plant the 
thus prepared for one season with (j 
Potatoes, in order to continue and perfH 
condition. 
The yoiiiig trees before setting out sh 
be well examined, the writer assert" 
no doubt with truth, that a very large 
centage of all the forest trees planted on^th' 
north-western prairies are practically de I 
before they are set out. This is especiafl! 
true of Evergi-eens, .and the trouble is ag®^ 
vated by the fact that many planters do not 
know a dead Evergreen from a live one, and 
set out much stuff which is only fit for the 
brush-heap. 
This remark will apply to other than forest 
planting, judging fi-om the large number of 
dead Evergreen trees all through the country 
ivithin a few months after transplanting. 
There is a great deficiency in the proper and 
intelligent care of young trees, from the 
moment they are lifted from the nursery row 
till well and properly fixed in a fine mellow 
soil where they are to remain; and the rem¬ 
edy appears to be line upon line until owners 
and their employds understand that trees are 
to be treated with a care equal to that given 
to young animals, and that they cannot be 
thrown about and exposed to the air at the 
roots with impunity. 
No planter should value himself on his 
skill until he can take up and set out a 
thousand or even ten thousand young trees 
without a single lost one, for if all have a 
good and equal chance none will die. 
! BEAUTIFUL MAPLES. 
[ Two new varieties of the Norway_r 
; have recently- been introduced from Ger- 
! many, and promise to become important 
acquisitions. Both have the vigorous, ele¬ 
gant, clean gi-owth for wliich the type is so 
justly esteemed. Jlfr. W. C, Barry describes 
them as follows: 
.-leer Schwcdlerii has bronzed purple leaves, 
which apiioar to tho best advantage during 
the spring-time and early summer. As tho 
season advances, tho loaves change to a 
duller sluido, which is loss attractive. 
ill tills respect it differs little from purple- 
leaved (roes goneviilly, as they all lose their 
ricliost tints during tho hot suinnior days. 
A. Bmtcnhaehi is of quite roeont introdne- 
i'oii, and ivhilo its folingo lacks tho richness 
and bi-illiancy of color for which .1. 
lerii. is noted, its puvplo shade is more en- 
dui-iiijr m„] iiists till late in llio season. 
A. horbonjn is also quite now, but it 
“ot dilVor oiioiigh from tho old vnrioty, - • 
'lissnci 111 ) 1 , to 1)0 of much value. The laW"' 
is a rui-o and haudsomo variety, iH“i 
always boon scarce, owing to tho 
'vhicli nursorymoii oxporioncod in ohtiim‘“b 
salable specimens, its growtli boing idwaj® 
more or loss erookod. J,orbc)'gn soouis to ® 
ii bettor grower, and as it can bo propngs-i’® 
more successfully it may displace dii>soc^' 
