Now, we come to the most important part of lawn 
making—preparing the top two to three inches of 
soil. It is in this top few inches of earth that seed will 
germinate and roots of young grasses grow. 
Think of your new lawn area as a huge seedbed in 
which conditions must be ideal for the germination 
and development of the seedlings. If you do this, it 
is easy to see that soil should be prepared with just 
as much care as that for the planting of flower seeds. 
To provide ideal conditions, a two to three-inch 
layer of humus-rich compost is spread over the area. 
Food for the young plants is needed, too. It is pro- 
vided by three parts dried commercial manure and 
one part bonemeal, applied at three pounds per fifty 
square feet. On acid soil, the addition of three to six 
pounds of raw ground limestone per fifty square feet, 
depending on the degree of acidity, is advisable. 
The easiest way to apply this top layer of enriched 
compost is to mix well one part of good topsoil with 
One part of finely granulated horticultural peat moss 
(which is one of the best sources of humus). Screened, 
well-rotted compost can be substituted or commercial 
humus or mushroom soil. To this mixture the lime, 
bonemeal and dried manure can be added at the rate 
noted above. The whole mixture should be run 
through a 3/4-inch screen before spreading. 
If plenty of well-rotted cow manure is available, 
this can be used instead of the peat moss and dried 
manure, the same bulk being used. Plenty of humus is 
especially needed. Manure provides this. 
If it is necessary to use a chemical fertilizer (such as 
4-12-4 or 5-10-5 analysis) this should be spread on 
the lawn area, and cultivated in, preferably ten days 
or more before applying the top layer. Use three to 
five pounds per hundred square feet. 
Grass seed germination in soil without (left) and with 
(right) compost top dressing. Surface at left has formed 
_ crust. Seed and all other conditions identical. 
Eight days after sowing. «| 
