A lawn that has been properly made will not suffer if it is not given a
yearly dressing, for it will have sufficient food supply in the ground
to keep it going for years.
Strange as it may seem, many good lawns have been ruined by being given
a heavy application of manure year after year. When a top-dressing is
necessary on soil that is good, Canada hardwood ashes and bone meal will
supply all the nourishment that is necessary. Spread the ashes thickly
on the lawn until they show white on the grass, and do the work
preferably before a rain, so that the nourishment may be washed into the
soil.
The Canada hardwood ashes, as usually found in the market, contain from
one to five per cent. of potash, but to get the results you are looking
for, the ashes should contain from seven to nine per cent. of potash. In
purchasing this fertilizer in large quantities demand a guaranteed
analysis, otherwise you are liable to get something little better than
what you take out of your stove, and wholly useless for lawn purposes.
There are good ashes on the market and they can be had if one goes after
them vigorously enough and gives some indication of a knowledge of what
good ashes are.
When it is not possible to get what you are looking for, I would
recommend mixing muriate of potash with finely sifted loam, and
spreading it broadcast over the grass. This treatment is always
efficacious, as you are absolutely sure of getting what is necessary for
the land.