ON THE MANAGEMENT OF LAWNS.
The homes of our fair country are so much beautified by our
nicely-shaven lawns, which nowhere are so green and smooth as in “Merrye
Englande,” that a few words upon their management can hardly be out of
place in a treatise on grasses; we would, therefore, direct attention to
the following questions connected with the maintenance of lawns in a
good condition.
1. Lawns should have grasses which combine the finest possible
leaf-growth with a capability of restoring growth and colour under
constant cutting.
2. Lawns should be entirely free from plants other than grasses, unless
we except the Dutch clover.
3. Lawn grasses should possess the property of intimately weaving one
with the other.
4. After cutting, they should grow as near the same height as possible.
1. _Fine Lawn Grasses._—The annexed engraving (_Festuca ovina_)
represents one of our finest-leaved grasses; it is one, too, that will
even bear the constant nibbling of sheep without losing either its
vitality or its colour. This, and a larger variety called the _F.
duriuscula_, are two forms of this genus well adapted for lawns.
If to these we add the _Lolium perenne_, _Poa pratensis_, and
_Cynosurus cristatus_, we shall have nearly all the useful lawn grasses.
As regards _Poa pratensis_, we should, however, leave it out where we
have borders cut in the turf, as its creeping underground stems are
mischievous, from their habit of getting into the borders with the
flowers. This, of course, would lead us to discourage any couch-like
grass. If, then, we have plots, and the soil of the lawn be sufficiently
moist, we should recommend _Poa trivialis_ to be sought in its stead.
[Illustration: _Fig. 22_ (_bis_). Sheep’s Fescue.]
Something like uniformity of colour is desirable; as, if we see bunches
of the silvery-leaved Soft Grass, or the brown patches of the _Fiorin_,
it is so unsightly that we should feel the necessity of introducing a
new turf where it occurs.
2. _Lawn Weeds._—Plantains, dandelions, and daisies can only be
considered weeds whenever they occur in grass, but especially in the
lawn. They are easily guarded against, if in laying down turf we only
choose clean specimens, or in laying down seeds we obtain pure samples,
and sow them on well-cleaned ground. But however careful we may be, we
shall be sure of a few weeds. These can be kept under by cutting them
out with a knife, taking care to drop a pinch of salt on the crowns that
we leave behind; and then, if we use a little fine lawn-grass seed to
the vacant places, and well roll after the process, we shall certainly
keep them under. This should be done in spring, and not in autumn, as we
shall then be more certain of success, upon the principle before
explained.
If, despite all we do, a few crowns still send up shoots, our mowing
must always be frequent enough to prevent their seeding; and as in the
height of summer, seeding, in the case of all three of the plants, will
take place in a few days, such neglect as our own lawn once got when we
were away for a month’s vacation, in not being mowed sufficiently often,
may take years to remedy.
3. _The Mixture of Grasses_ is secured by constant mowing and rolling,
by which means anything like a wild method of grass-growth is avoided.
When, however, a lawn is left for a long time without such careful
treatment, some of the grasses are sure to stool out and grow bunchy. In
this case, the quickest way of putting the matter to rights will be to
remove the offending tufts, and introduce new turf, taking care to keep
the whole in order by the scythe and the roller.
Talking, however, of these implements of lawn-culture reminds one to
remark that with some the scythe and roller are almost discarded, at
least in summer. Our own lawn is rolled with an iron roller during the
winter and early spring; but when mowing begins, we prefer the new
lawn-mowing machines. We have now used one of Samuelson’s for four
years, and it has not cost us a single sixpence for repairs; a strong
boy can use it, and it possesses the advantages of cutting close and
evenly, collecting not only the cut grass but scattered leaves as it
goes, and, withal, most completely rolling the turf at the same time. We
are, too, not awoke by scythe whetting at four o’clock in the morning,
to secure the dew upon the grass, as the dry part of the day is perhaps
the best for the use of the mowing-machine.
There is, then, no excuse for weeds or bunchy grass with a
mowing-machine, as the whole operation, as here described, is done in
less time than was formerly occupied in the scythe in mowing alone.
4. _Evenness in height_ is a matter of importance for the lawn; for if
we have grasses together, some of which make three inches of growth
while the majority are growing but one inch, the whole look uneven and
ugly.
[Illustration: _Fig. 31._ The Taller Grasses.]
The annexed cut (fig. 31) shows the effects of this, the taller grass
being a root of cocksfoot, which is not only bunchy, but its leaves are
too broad for a good lawn grass, and it grows twice as fast as the
smaller species (_a_); its colour, too, would be so much lighter than
that of the surrounding herbage as to be at once visible, and to strike
one as a great blemish. Here, again, the offending patch should be
removed, and better turf introduced, which operation should be performed
in the autumn if possible, so as to have the full benefit the following
summer.
These points in the cultivation of lawns are more particularly
applicable in the process of laying down lawns with cut turves, which is
the usual practice, and especially when an immediate effect is required.
In this case, then, it cannot be too strongly urged that much trouble
and expense may be saved by choosing the finest turf for our purpose;
and the trouble of picking out an objectionable grass or weed before
laying down will be amply rewarded.
If it be thought desirable to sow grass seeds to get a lawn, we would
propose the following mixture:—
5. _Proposed mixture for lawns, cricket-grounds, bowling-greens, &c._
---------------------+---------------------+-----------
Botanical Name. | Trivial Name. | Quantity
| | Per Acre.
---------------------+---------------------+-----------
| | lb. oz.
Lolium perenne | Perennial Rye | 25 0
Festuca duriuscula | Hard Fescue | 4 0
„ ovina | Sheep’s „ | 2 0
Poa pratensis | Smooth Meadow | 1 8
„ trivialis | Rougher „ | 1 8
Cynosurus cristatus | Dogstail | 7 0
Trifolium repens[4] | Dutch Clover | 8 0
---------------------+---------------------+-----------
[4] As some people object to Clover in a lawn, we should add a little
more Sheep’s Fescue in its stead.
These seeds should be sown upon clean, well-pulverized, and
smoothly-rolled ground, and the garden roller should be actively
employed from the time the grass seeds have well come up until they are
fairly established, when, if mown the second year with the machine, its
rolling will be sufficient.
Occasionally there will be bald places in parks, such as some of the
worn spots in Hyde Park, which it would be advisable to provide seed
for, that should have an immediate effect. In this case we should mix a
small quantity of the _Poa annua_ with the above, as it not only effects
the object of making the whole look green very quickly, but so small a
grass scarcely interferes with the growth of the more permanent species,
which would meanwhile be making their position, and so ultimately drive
out the annual.
It now only remains to point out that the constant mowing of lawns,
although it only takes away young grass, must in time have the effect of
impoverishing the lawn. In such case, the grass will not be of so bright
a colour as formerly, and it will become more or less mixed with moss.
In this state of matters the grasses die, and different species of
agarics live upon the decaying roots.
In this condition we find that colour and fertility are restored by a
good sprinkling of soot, which usually operates very beneficially for
four or five years. After this period a little guano, say one part to
three parts of soot, will do better. Another method of restoring
fertility is that of an occasional use of house slops, diluted with five
parts of water; this showered evenly from a watering-pot, engine, or
hydropult, usually has a most beneficial effect.
In concluding this subject of “How to Grow Good Grass,” the author would
wish to impress upon his readers the important fact, that as our country
is so peculiarly adapted for the growth of pasturage, and as this
interesting genus of plants furnishes the best kind of herbage, so then
the grass tribe is deserving of the most careful study of the
home-producer of MEAT, MILK, CHEESE, and BUTTER.
* * * * *
NOTE.—Belcher’s Plantain Extractor and Turf Inoculator will be found a
most efficient implement in extracting plantains, and preparing good
turves to fill up the holes. We fancy, too, that it will be found useful
in laying down land for permanent pasture by a system of inoculation,
but await the result of experiments before stating more positively.—_The
Author._
[Illustration: Trifolium repens. White Clover.]
HOW TO GROW GOOD CLOVER.