April  28,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
3G3 
LAWNS  AND  ALLIED  SUBJECTS. 
[Concluded  from  page  327.) 
Croquet  Grounds  and  Bowling  Greens. 
The  revival  of  croquet  some  three  years  since  leads  one  to  infer 
that  this  ^aine  will  wiu  its  way  to  a  measure  of  that  favour  accorded 
to  it  thirty  years  ago.  Unlike  lawn  tennis,  it  does  not  necessitate  a 
specially  prepared  space  in  the  form  of  a  parallelogram  for  its  exclusive 
requirements,  although  all  that  is  essential  in  the  matter  of  a  thoroughly 
^ven,  well-kept  sward  for  tennis  playing,  is  equally  applicable  to  the 
space  upon  which  the  croquet  hoops  are  to  be  pitched.  Within  the 
kept  grounds  surrounding  an  English  home,  and  in  the  more  immediate 
vicinity  of  it,  one  or  more  portions  of  the  lawn  embracing  those 
features  of  comparative  privacy  and  pleasing  surroundings  can  be  at  a 
minimum  of  expense  adapted  to  the  purpose ;  but,  needless  to  say, 
such  will  be  upon  those  parts  of  the  lawn  where  little  deviation  from 
the  level,  natural  or  artificial,  obtains.  The  extent  of  the  portions 
devoted  to  this  will,  as  a  rule,  be  not  less  than  60  feet  by  50  feet,  and 
may,  according  to  circumstances,  considerably  exceed  that.  Given  a 
good  level  plateau  with  scrupulous  attention  paid  to  its  keeping, 
particularly  in  the  way  of  a  good  grass-collecting  machine  being  used, 
little  remains  to  be  s;rid  beyond  that  an  occasional  vigorous  use  of  the 
birchbroom  may  be  given  with  advantage ;  the  object  being  that  the 
balls  should  run  clean  in  damp  weather. 
The  bowling  green  in  the  form  of  a  sunk  panel  is  now  rarely  to  be 
met  with,  yet  serving,  as  it  can  be  readily  made  to  do,  the  dual 
purpose  of  that  which  its  name  implies  and  a  skating  rink  on  a  small 
scale,  one  wonders  that  it  is  not  more  in  evidence.  Owing  to  the 
bowling  green  being  seldom  requisitioned  for  its  legitimate  purpose, 
■excavating  to  the  orthodox  depth  of  30  inches  may  in  most  cases  be 
considered  unnecessary,  half  ol  that  depth  being  probably  sufficient. 
If  this  is  made  either  in  the  form  of  a  parallelogram  or  an  oval 
embracing  an  area  sufficiently  large  for  croquet  playing,  and  for  which 
purpose  it  is  eminently  adapted,  given  the  congenial  surroundings  of 
groups  of  Rhododendrons  or  other  ornamental  plants  of  a  similar 
nature,  it  forms  a  pleasing  and  characteristic  feature  in  the  entourage 
of  the  kept  grounds.  With  due  provision  for  the  inlet  and  outlet  of 
water  during  winter,  when  the  shallow  reservoir  formed  by  the  sunk 
panel  is  converted  by  a  few  degrees  of  more  or  less  continuous  frost 
into  a  safe  medium  for  the  enjoyment  of  skating,  the  so-called  bowling 
green  commends  itself,  I  think,  for  consideration  to  those  who  would, 
in  every  sense,  make  the  most  of  their  pleasure  grounds.  Granted  that 
the  water  supply  from  a  higher  level  is  at  hand,  the  small  amount  of 
•engineering  necessary  to  convey  it  to  and  from  the  bowling  green, 
with  the  provision  of  plugs  obviously  necessary,  presents  in  most  cases 
little  difficulty.  Outlets  at  the  sides  must  be  jrrovided  to  carry  off 
surface  water,  and  in  excavating  into  what  may  be  an  uncongenial 
subsoil,  the  remarks  previously  made  upon  its  unsuitability  to  the 
growth  and  maintenance  of  health  of  the  finer  grasses,  are  especially 
applicable. 
Grass  steps  partake,  perhaps,  more  of  the  ornamental  than  useful 
in  character,  and  may  wisely  be  regarded  from  this  point  of  view,  for 
where  continued  use  renders  them  unsightly  something  more  sub¬ 
stantial  may  well  be  employed.  Yet  if  more  space  were  afforded  in 
■constructing  them  than  is  often  given  much  of  this  might  be  obviated. 
Some  little  difficulty  is  often  experienced  in  their  formation.  In  the 
worst  case  I  had  to  deal  with  the  best  results  were  obtained  by 
building  up  the  steps  with  ordinary  turves  packed  face  downwards 
strata  uixm  strata  to  the  required  depth,  the  whole  being  well  watered 
and  beaten  as  the  work  proceeded,  the  rising  part  of  each  step  being 
cut  with  a  sharp  verge-cutter  to  a  slight  angle  inclined  inwards. 
After  being  thus  consolidated  and  properly  shaped  a  sprinkling  of 
rich  compost  was  given,  and  sheets  of  turf  as  large  as  it  was  possible 
to  handle  formed  the  cover  to  the  whole,  being  gently  but  firmly 
beaten  into  position.  A  broad  flight  of  steps  thus  formed  were  as 
solid  and  satisfactory  after  ten  years  use  as  at  their  creation,  although 
it  must  be  added  that  workmen  were,  as  a  rule,  prohibited  from  using 
them. 
Mowing. 
Modern  method-!  of  mowing  lead  one  whc  can  look  back  prior  to 
the  lawn  mower  coming  into  general  use  to  conclude  that  we  have 
gained  a  great  deal,  but  lost  something.  Young  gardeners,  to  whom 
the  scythe  is  an  antique  implement,  can  scarcely  credit  the  possi¬ 
bilities  which  lay  in  it  when  wielded  by  skilful  hands,  and  practically 
they  have  no  opportunity  of  comparing  the  new  order  of  things  in  this 
respect  with  the  old.  I,  at  least,  from  my  own  experience  now  regard 
scythe  mowing  as  a  lost  art,  and  regret  that  it  is  so.  Taking  a  broad 
view  of  scythe  v.  machine  mowing,  the  best  methods  appear  to  be 
those  where  the  scythe  is  brought  in  as  an  auxiliary  to  the  machine. 
For  instance,  the  first  mowing  of  the  season,  which  may  well  be 
delayed  until  a  fairly  good  growth  of  grass  has  taken  place,  should  be 
■done  with  the  scythe,  and  a  thorough  sweeping  and  rolling  given  to 
the  sward.  Such  measures  are  not  only  invigorative  to  the  grasses, 
but  cleanse  and  pave  the  way  for  good  machine  work  to  follow. 
Wherever  I  have  been  located,  and  whenever  it  was  possible  during 
the  family’s  absence  to  allow  old  lawns  to  grow  freely  until  it  was 
necessary  to  resort  to  the  scythe  to  make  them  again  amenable  to  the 
machine,  it  was  done,  and  proved  decidedly  beneficial.  However,  as 
previously  inferred,  the  garden  labourer  of  to-day,  as  a  rule,  chops  and 
hacks  and  scores  in  every  direction  but  that  of  success  in  the  endeavour 
to  practise  what  he  has  never  learned,  and  what  few  gardeners  are  now 
qualified  to  teach. 
If  it  is  admitted  that  few  can  now  perform  creditably  with  the  ' 
scythe,  the  conclusion  is  generally  arrived  at  that  most  garden  workmen 
can  use  a  machine.  In  a  sense  only  is  the  latter  true,  for  the  intelligent 
workman  who,  understanding  the  anatomy  of  his  machine,  works  in 
sympathy,  if  it  may  be  so  termed,  with  it,  c  m  aUne  do  justice  to 
its  mechanical  capabilities.  As  there  are  workmen  and  workmen,  so 
are  there  machines  and  machines,  all  good  in  their  way,  but  variously 
adapted  to  the  purpose.  In  conjunction  with  this  phase  of  our 
subject  may  be  taken  the  various  methods  of  machine  mowing.  On 
the  larger  scale,  and  with  a  large  extent  of  comparatively  level 
surface,  the  horse-power  machine  is,  of  course,  facile  princeps  in  its 
working,  but  with  undulating  and  obstructed  ground  (by  planting  in 
any  shape  or  form)  the  insistence  of  its  use  as  a  saving  of  labour 
is,  I  believe,  a  mistake,  and  often  detrimental  to  good  effect.  The 
good  work  done  by  16-inch  hand  machines,  and  the  ease  with  which 
the  lighter  makes  of  them  can  be  propelled,  leaves  little  to  be  desired 
or  attained  in  that  direction.  After  the  preliminary  clearing  ot  the 
sward  by  scythe  mowing  and  sweeping,  I  see  no  reason  why  what 
is  known  as  the  American  method — viz.,  allowing  the  machine  to 
scatter  the  grass  instead  of  collecting  it — should  not  be  resorted  to ; 
that  is,  when  the  mowing  is  done  with  uninterrupted  regularitv, 
weekly,  or  even  bi-weekly,  when  the  grass  is  in  the  full  flush  of 
growth. 
On  the  choice  of  machines  there  is  less  to  say  than  on  the  use  and 
abuse  of  them.  Cheap  machines  there  are,  of  course,  answering 
perfectly  for  the  limited  requirements  of  villa  residences,  which  are  ill 
adapted  to  the  continual  strain  imposed  by  almost  constant  working. 
My  experience  tends  to  the  preference  of  a  machine  with  high 
driving  wheels,  and  this  will  be  found  almost  a  necessity  in  the  case  of 
mossy  lawns  of  a  yielding  nature.  A  good  Avorkman  will  make 
himself  acquainted  with  all  parts  of  his  machine,  and  take  the 
opportunity  aflorded  by  a  wet  day  to  thoroughly  clean  and  overhaul 
it,  readjusting  to  that  nicety  essential  to  its  satisfactory  working. 
In  selecting  a  machine  it  should  not  be  overlooked  that  its  life  can  be 
prolonged  by  being  able  to  renew  the  worn  parts  when  necessary  ; 
hence  a  proper  understanding  with  the  vendors,  that  such  can  be 
obtained  when  required,  will  prevent  a  disappointment  not  infrequently 
met  with  when  fashions  change,  and  each  season  sees  new  patterns  on 
the  market,  although  the  improvement  may  be  questionable.  Whilst 
advocating  “  the  American  method  ”  of  distributing  instead  of 
collecting  the  cut  grass,  the  grass-box  must  be  considered  as 
indispensable  in  the  mowing  of  the  tenuis  and  croquet  grounds,  and 
where  possible,  it  may  be  also  worth  repeating,  that  a  daily  run  over 
with  a  machine  specially  kept  for  the  purpose  is  indubitably  the  best 
economy. 
It  is  still  an  ojien  question  as  to  the  matter  of  oiling  the  cogs  of 
the  driving  wheels,  one  experienced  workman  I  am  acquainted  with 
never  doing  so,  and  applying  very  little  to  the  bearings.  As  a  rule, 
far  too  much  oil  is  applied  to  the  lawn-mower,  and  the  end  of  easy 
running  is  defeated  by  an  accumulation  of  grease  and  dirt.  My 
bumble  friend  alluded  to  above  has,  by  a  little  attention  to  details  and 
intelligent  practice,  reduced  his  mechanical  mowing  to  a  fine  art,  and 
there  are  few,  if  any,  better  examples  to  be  seen  of  the  lawn  ns  it 
should  be,  a  well  kept  lawn,  that  grand  feature  of  English  gardens. — 
Sylva. 
HARMFUL  AND  HARMLESS  QARDEN  MOTHS— 19. 
Those  birds  which  largely  supply  their  young  brood  with  insects, 
especially  grubs  and  caterpillars,  thereby  meriting  our  gratitude  (which 
they  do  not  always  get),  may  be  observed  very  busy  amongst  trees 
and  shrubs,  also  in  low  herbage  or  grass.  Probably  they  pick  up  their 
prey  more  rapidly  on  the  trees,  but  from  low  plants  they  obtain  some 
of  the  juiciest  caterpillars.  There  is  frequently  a  migration  amongst 
insects  after  winter.  Caterpillars  living  near  the  ground  in  autumn 
seek  food  upon  twigs  and  branches  in  spring,  and  many  that  have 
begun  existence  high  up,  attain  their  maturity  by  feasting  upon  the 
herbage  of  the  new  season. 
Amongst  the  Noctuas  this  is  often  the  habit,  and  their  fat  cater¬ 
pillars  are  lucky  if  they  escape  birds  and  gardeners,  beside  insect 
foes,  to  hide  while  in  chrysalis  beneath  the  soil  ;  even  then  they  may 
be  dug  up  to  be  devoured.  Gardens  sometimes  produce  specimens  of 
•  the  double  dart,  or  Noctua  augur,  in  its  various  stages.  The  greyisb 
