to Increase Home Beauty and 
?roperty Value with a Fine Lawn 
Like the carpet on the floor, a home is unfurnished and unfinished 
unless your landscaping is built on a fine lawn. There's only one 
kind of good lawn ... the kind thal grows, rich and green, in 
every spot you want it. ‘Cheap’ lawn seed is no bargain! It's 
the kind of seed and the proportions of mixture that count in 
determining a dependable lawn seed value. 
The only sure way to get such a mixture is to depend on a seed 
specialist who knows our local soils and growing conditions. 
Whether you are building or restoring your lawn it will pay you 
to come in and talk it over. 
Starting a New Lawn 
SOIL PREPARATION. Spade or plow the 
area to a 8 or 10 inch depth. Pulverize the 
soil thoroughly. A heavy clay soil can be 
lightened by mixing with sand and hu- 
mus. A light soil can be improved by 
adding a top dressing of heavier soil. 
For best results soil should be slightly 
heavy. If the soil is acid, scatter crushed 
limestone. 
Peat moss or Terralite are invaluable addi- 
tions to both light and heavy soils be- 
cause they help retain soil moisture with- 
out allowing the water to be dissipated 
down below the root lines. Too, they keep 
soil particles loose and friable. Spade them 
into the soil or apply as a top dressing at 
least half an inch deep. In a heavy clay 
soil use one inch or more, A newly 
planted lawn needs a rich well-balanced 
soil, because grass roots are heavy feed- 
ers. By feeding the soil the vital elements 
contained in plant food, such as nitrogen, 
phosphorous, potash, etc., you are headed 
toward a successful planting. We can rec- 
ommend the best plant food for your local 
soil condition. 
Mix the lawn food with a top dressing or 
rake and work it well into the soil. Be- 
cause fresh ‘manure usually contains weed 
seeds its use is not advisable for a new 
lawn, 
SEEDING. The generally accepted rule for 
the amount of seed required is five 
pounds per thousand square feet. Skimp- 
ing on seed in quality or quantity is costly 
in time and labor. A well sown lawn 
checks the immediate introduction and 
development of weeds. Too much seed 
retards growth. Choose a calm windless 
day for sowing. A more uniform dis- 
tribution of seed is possible with a 
spreader. Whether sown by hand or 
spreader, however, sow in two. direc- 
tions, one at right angles to the other. 
This insures against leaving bare grassless 
areas. 
Rake the seed into the soil lightly or 
brush it in by dragging some light flexible 
object over it such as a sack. The seed 
should be covered by an eighth of an 
inch of fine soil or new top dressing, 
ROLLING. May be properly employed to 
press the soil firmly around the new seed. 
Use a light water ballast roller, empty to 
one third full. Remember the soil becomes 
compacted if rolled too heavily too often 
or when wet and sticky, For leveling your 
lawn whether new or old 
= use top dr - 
ing, never a roller. . “— 
WATER with a fine spray so the seed bed 
will not be disturbed. If the normal mois- 
ture is enough to keep the lawn just 
slightly damp try not to water it again 
until the seed has germinated, but do not 
let it get dry at any time, 
In the Spring 
Fine lawns start with very early spring 
care. Here are some suggestions: 
1. REMOVE all the winter accumulations 
of leaves and debris by raking, 
2. APPLY PLANT FOOD as directed by the 
manufacturer. If grass has started apply 
when grass is dry, then soak the lawn to 
wash the plant food off the blades and 
into the soil. 
3. RE-SEED thin and bare spots using 
about “a pound to each 200 square feet. 
Pulverize the soil in bare spots, then 
cover the seed lightly. 
4. ROLL the lawn with a_ lightweight 
roller when soil is dry enough to prevent 
compacting. 
Fall planting offers many advantages in 
lawn starting. If you plant in the spring, 
seed early—long before you begin work 
on your flower garden, for seedlings need 
a chance to grow sturdy before weeds 
germinate. Planting delayed until mid- 
summer can be successful if diligently 
followed by ample watering and weeding. 
During the Summer 
1. MOW frequently enough to keep grass 
from exceeding a 22 inch height. Set the 
mower to cut about 114 inches high. Very 
close cutting scalps the rough spots and 
unless done exira-frequently injures the 
grass ‘by sudden exposure to the sun 
after it has been shaded by dense growth. 
Short mower clippings leit on the lawn 
are beneficial, They are harmful however 
if the quantity is so great the grass is 
smothered and new growth retarded. 
2. WEED CONTROL with the many excel- 
lent and selective types now available as- 
sures weed elimination with the least ef 
fort and time, Get those weeds early be- 
fore they seed or spread and your sum- 
mer lawn care is considerably easier. 
Refer to our weed killer selection in the 
back of our Garden Annual. 
3. WATERING is a point that depends 
much on your good judgment, If the turf 
is dry it is far wiser to soak limited areas 
to a six to eight inch depth on successive 
evenings than to sprinkle the whole lawn 
with a limited supply of moisture that 
will attract the dry grass roots up to the 
surface. Water sloping areas more liberally 
at the top to compensate for drainage 
‘losses, 
Fall Lawn Care 
FEEDING the lawn with a balanced plant 
food and seeding the bare and thin spots 
will amply reward your sffort the follow- 
ing spring with a sparkling, healthy new 
growth. 
Fall Is A Good Time To Make A New 
Lawn. During the moderate fall weather, 
grass seed germinates quickly and makes 
vigorous. arowth, Also, few weeds ger- 
minate in the fall, thus permitting the 
lawn to flourish without interference, 
LAWN 
TROUBLES? 
CONSULT 
US! 
