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Show LEASES' horn mm, 5"wvVSrvr,5L.j?ARRIET MAY WILSON ' Essentials in Lawn Planting Beauty in lawns like beauty in persons per-sons is considerably more than skin deep. It is not to be had merely through surface applications of water wa-ter and fertilizer, but depends in large measure upon certain fundamental funda-mental requirements which must be met when the lawn is started. Those fundamental requirements are, (1) attention .to sub-surface drainage, (2) proper leveling of the soil, (3) kind of soil, (4) preparation and fertilization of the seed bed, and (5) kind and quality of seed used. SUB-SURFACE DRAINAGE A clay loam with sandy sub-soil will require no artificial sub-surface drainage since the sand will readily carry off any excess moisture. If, however, the surface soil is underlaid under-laid by a hard clay, so compact that, instead of draining readily it allows water to stand about the roots of the grass, it will be advisable to use tile drainage. To afford such drainage, the U. S. department of agriculture says that "Lines of four-inch four-inch tiles, spaced 20 to 30 feet apart, laid IVz to ZVz feet deep, with a fall of from 3 to 4 inches for every 50 feet, should ordinarily insure sufficient suf-ficient underdrainage." GRADING AND LEVELING As a rule, when the builders leave the scene of their labors, the ground from which the lawn is to be made is in much less favorable condition for the growing of grass than it was before the necessary excavating was done. The topsoil has been covered cov-ered with infertile subsoil and is mixed with considerable waste from the building construction. Before anything else is done, all such subsoil sub-soil and waste should be removed to a depth of at least four inches-six inches-six is better and replaced by a good grade of topsoil. If it is necessary neces-sary to make extensive fillings around the buildings, do not use broken bro-ken boards, pieces of concrete and other debris for the purpose. Lawns built on such fillings will not remain level, nor will they retain proper moisture content in dry seasons. Necessary fillings should be made with soil, to insure satisfactory results re-sults in the finished lawn. SURFACE DRAINAGE The next important point to consider con-sider is that of surface drainage. As a rule lawns are constructed so as to result in an even slope of 1 to 2 per cent from the house, in all directions. di-rections. After the ground has been graded, it must be carefully leveled to avoid the presence of pockets which will hold water and thus ruin the health and' appearance' of the lawn. After grdir.' arid leveling, water the-lawn t'lorvuMy r.r nrte where viools have t tndecy to form then re-level with cafe, before be-fore seeding. SOIL FOR LAWN GROWTH Although there are grasses which will make a fair growth even on poor soil, any grass will give much better results on good soil. A good garden soil that is, one which is light and friable, with sufficient fertility fer-tility to maintain a luxuriant growth and sufficient humus to retain a proper supply of moisture is the most satisfactory soil for grasses. If the soil is of heavy clay it must be lightened by addition of sand a surface layer of one inch, worked well into the clay to a depth of three or four inches; if, on the other hand, it is very sandy, a similar layer of clay should be incorporated. Since subsoils thrown up from excavations are usually deficient in organic matter, mat-ter, such matter must be supplied if the subsoil must be used for the lawn. Well-rotted stable manure, oi mushroom soil, mixed with the subsoil sub-soil at the rate of one-half ton per 1,000 square feet, will supply the required organic matter. If the lawn is very large it may be necessary to furnish organic matter by means of a green manure crop a legume, by choice plowed into the soil. PREPARING SEEDBED The ideal seedbed is firm and has a finely pulverized surface. It is advisable to water the lawn thoroughly, thor-oughly, some time in advance of sowing, in order to encourage the germination of any weed seeds that may be in the soil. The germinating weeds may then be destroyed by raking, before the grass seed is planted. Just before sowing the seed, a fertilizer rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium should be evenly distributed and worked thoroughly thor-oughly into the soil. For information with regard to the kind of seed best suited to your locality jid to the care of the newty-seeded lawn, send rive cents to Superintendent of Documents. Washington. D. C, asking tor Farmers' Bulletin No. 1677. THE WORTS No doubt you have wondered why so many plants bear names ending in the syllable wort. This suffix is an Anglo-Saxon word meaning simply any plant or herb, but especially espe-cially a pot herb. Among the commonest com-monest in America are colewort, a variety of cabbage; liverwort, which is a member of the beautiful Hepati-cas; Hepati-cas; the lovely golden ragwort, in habiting marshy places, and the bcllwort, native to the U. S., whose iemon-yellow, bell-shaped flower.-beautify flower.-beautify the forests in early spring |