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Show CARE OF YOUR LAWN AN'Iv day's work now will do more II toward putting a lawn into thoroughly thor-oughly good condition than will a week's work in June. The lawn demands attention as early as possible in the season, sea-son, because the young grass plants start into growth almost as soon as the frost is out of the ground, and being i shallow rooters they generally suffer very largely from heaving of the soil in I winter, owing to the alternate freezing ; and thawing. The very first thing to be . done is to sec that ihr rr.nts k..i, . into close contact with the soil. Even if nothing else is done this will accomplish accom-plish much, the chief great benefit of which will be fully realized when the hot, dry' weather of August sets in with its intensity. Do not use too heavy a roller. A light-draft roller, such as one can pull without any effort, should be taken over the entire surface of the ground at the earliest possible date, and if you can do it two or three times it will be all the better. Usually the most visible effect the winter stress upon the lawn is the presence of patchs of earth from which the grass has died out. Repair all such by slightly scratching the surface, scattering over it a light covering of finely sifted garcdn soil a soil that has been thrown out from greenhouse benches would be ideal for the purpose. Then lightly scatter on the surface a pinch or two of seed of any first-class lawn mixture. The surface should then be lightly rolled so as to insure perfect contact between the seeds and the soil. and at this tin : of year germination is both quick and sure. Where the grass appears unduly thin, as often occurs on insufficiently prepared pre-pared land, the best temporary relief is obtained by scratching the entire surface sur-face with a sharp-toothed iron rake, broadcasting over the whole surface a light dressing of the same sort of soil that might be used for filling in hollows, and sowing seed on the top of this, using about one-quarter of the quantity of A 11 V. .... J : ...... 'at L- U3LU ill lUUJVlll ill tv lawns. That is to say, give a pint of seed to 600 square feet On very poor soils, or where the grass has been unusually bad, double this quantity can be used. D epressions and hollows in the surface sur-face which result from the irregular sinking and settling of the soil below arc far better repaired in the spring than at any other time of the year. The perfection perfec-tion of a lawn is its absolutely even surface. sur-face. Where there is a good growth of grass, slight depressions may be filled up by putting soil on top of the grass, but in no case should more than one-half one-half inch be applied in this way. Any greater depression must be remedied by-making by-making a clean cut in the sod with a spade and then with a sharp spading fork, working under the sod, gradually raise up a portion, leaving a space that can be filled with 'earth. In using the lawn mower, remember this: That the faster the knives work, the better they cut , therefore, don't dawdle. Get a good gait and keep at it until the job is completed. You will in this way get a perfectly even cut, whereas otherwise the lawn is left with a peculiar wavehkc effect |