The preparation for the grass-seed consists in working the soil with the plow and snbsoiler or the spade to a depth of at least, one foot. All stones and rubbish are removed to ob tain a clean, fine. and well-tilled seed-bed. A rich soil is essential, and the land for a lawn should be enriched by heavy applications of well rotted barnyard manure or when the manure cannot be obtained by a heavy dressing of com mercial fertilizers. A complete commercial fer tilizer. i.e. a fertilizer containing nitrogen, phos phoric acid, and potash, is used and liberal quan tities of lime and bone-meal are worked into the soil in addition. The selection of grasses is de termined by the climate of the locality, and the color, texture, and sod-forming habit of the dif ferent species. The most common grasses com bining the qualities of a lawn-grass to a greater or less extent are Kentucky blue-grass, fescue grass, bent grass, Saint Augustine grass. and Bermuda grass. The finer varieties of fescue and bent grasses form an especially soft and elastic turf, qualities highly esteemed in a lawn. Saint Augustine grass and Bermuda grass are well adapted to warm climates, and are extensively used as lawn-grasses in the Southern United States. In order to obtain evenness in the text ure of the turf and the color of the lawn. it is customary to sow only one kind of grass. Mix tures of different grasses, however. are also fre quently used. A light, scattered stand Of white clover is often considered desirable. The grass seed is sown thickly. from 50 to GO pounds hieing used per acre. Care should be taken not to intro duce weed-seeds in the manure or with the grass seed. The time of seeding, depends upon the cli
mate and the prevailing weather. The seed should be sown when the conditions for its growth are the most favorable. Moisture is an absolute re quirement, and for this reason sowing shortly before an expected rain is the common practice. Windy weather prevents the even scattering of the seed. In general, sowing is done during the moist months of spring. but where conditions permit in the early fall. After the soil has been made perfectly smooth and fine, the seed is scattered evenly over the surface and thinly covered With a tine-toothed iron rake, followed by an iron roller. To avoid covering the seed too deeply, the land is sometimes rolled without the previous use of the rake.
Small grass-plats are often covered with trans planted turf instead of beginning with the seed. N1 hen the grass has grown several inches high, mowing with the lawn-mower is begun and re peated at short intervals. Frequent mowing and rolling improves the turf. During dry sum mers, when there is danger of exposing the roots to the drying action of the Ina SOIL too frequent mowing is injurious. The lawn should be rolled at least once each spring when the weather is moist. for the purpose of compacting the turf. To keep up the fertility of permanent lawns, land plaster. nitrate of soda, and hardwood ashes are applied as top dressings ill the spring or a dress ing of tine compost is applied in the fall. Con sult tales Drpartoirnt of .1yriculture Icar-Book, 1897 ( Wash ington, 1898 ) .