— INTRODUCTION — 
There is probably no single factor that sets a home 
off to better advantage than to have it surrounded by a 
rippling sea of velvety, green grass: and, conversely, 
there is nothing worse than a mongrel patch of weeds, 
crabgrass, insects, and bare-spots with, here and there, 
a wistful stand of turf grasses. Perfect lawns, like many 
other worthwhile things in life, do not just happen. On 
the other hand, a FAITH Lawn, the lawn that you can 
walk on and enjoy, can be yours for the asking if certain 
simple but essential principles are adhered to in its cre- 
ation and maintenance. 
For the past quarter of a century we have been an- 
swering volumes of mail each year on the care and main- 
tenance of a fine lawn. This little handbook is a com- 
posite answer to those questions—the problems which 
confront the average lawn builder. 
We think that you will find this handbook both 
interesting and informative. The indexing feature will 
keep pertinent information at your finger-tips. 
THE USE OF LIME 
East of the Mississippi River, most soils are deficient 
in lime. Lime serves several important purposes in the 
soil; it is a valuable and necessary plant food, it neutralizes 
the acidic by-products of organic decomposition, and, 
most important of all, it regulates the acid or alka- 
line condition of the soil—a condition which affects the 
metabolism of the plant. 
The metabolism of the plant is nothing more than the 
ability of the plant to convert available food into sturdy 
cells and tissue. Biological tests have proved that turf 
grasses feed best and remain sturdy and healthy in a 
soil that is just slightly acid, or, to use a scientific term. 
a soil with a pH of 6.5. Improperly-limed soils give rise 
to a thin, undernourished turf that will invite weed and 
crab-grass invasion. 
Realizing the need for a rapid and accurate acid test 
of the soil, The Doughten Seed Company, has developed 
the FAITH SOIL TESTER AND GUIDE, a simple little 
pocket-laboratory that will accurately and quickly give 
you the acid or alkaline condition of your soil, and, by 
means of a_ specially-designed slide-rule, automatically 
convert the reading into necessary additions of lime. The 
FAITH SOIL TESTER AND GUIDE can also be used 
for gardens and flower beds. Sufficient testing materials are 
supplied for over one hundred tests. 
Lime is too important a fundamental of lawn care 
to be either neglected or indiscriminately applied. Too 
INTRODUCTION 

