Soil

This is the mother of all vegetation. Nothing, not even grass, will

flourish on a poor soil. The quality of the soil varies in different

localities. We often find a fine sward on a stiff clay soil, and also on

a light gravelly one. The soil best adapted to the growth of a good

sward, is a sandy loam with a gravelly bottom. In making new lawns,

there is sometimes more or less grading to be done, and often where a

knoll has been cut off the sub-soil is exposed, and it will not do to

sow the seed upon these patches until the spots have been thoroughly

covered with manure which is to be worked in. If a new lawn of any

extent is to be made, it should first be plowed deep, and if uneven and

hilly, grade it to a level surface. The surface should have a heavy

dressing of manure, which should be lightly plowed under, and then the

surface should be dragged several times until fine, and then rolled with

a heavy roller. The seed may now be sown, after which it should be

rolled again. The spring is the best time to do this work, although if

the fall be dry, it will answer nearly as well to do it at that time.

The dryer the ground in preparing it for the seed, and for the sowing of

the same, the better. In preparing a small plot of ground for a lawn,

the spade, hand-rake, and small roller may be used in place of the

larger implements.