anything can be grown upon it.
Lawns made on such land are always luxuriant and resist the effect of
drought even of long duration, drawing upon the supply of water that
extends deep down below the surface.

GRASS SEED

So much has been written on the subject of lawn-making that about every
one interested in this work is fully competent, theoretically at least,
to carry through the process of land renovation and preparation, whether
it be for a small lawn or an area consisting of acres. The subject along
these lines has been exhaustively treated, but, strange to say, the
equally important subject of grass seed has been rather neglected. While
many amateurs can talk freely on the preparation of the land, they are
not so confident when treating of grass seed. It seems strange that this
is the case when so much depends on the suitability of the grass seed to
the land for the making of a successful lawn. The only reason, as far
as I can see, why people are not versed in this matter is that they have
been frightened by the botanical names of grasses, which seem wholly
unsuitable and too difficult of pronunciation for such commonplace
things. There is, however, just as much individuality in a plant
produced from a grass seed as in the choicest plant in a greenhouse. One
kind of grass seed will produce a low-growing plant while another grows
high; one wants a moist situation, another a dry one; some will
germinate in the shade, others will not, and so on through the list. If
a person knows each kind and its possibilities and requirements, he will
be able to choose the grass best suited for his wants, and by careful
trials arrange the mixtures with better success than the man in the
wholesale house who is obliged to guess at what is best for his
wants. Start out, then, in the primer class and tabulate some of the
best grasses used for lawns, and tag them with both their names, the
botanical and the common ones.

[Illustration: For sloping banks and terracing, a mixture of Kentucky
Blue, Rhode Island Bent, Creeping Bent, Sheep Fescue and White Clover,
in the proportions given, will probably answer]

Kentucky Blue Grass--_Poa pratensis_. Fine for lawns; grows slowly but
vigorously almost everywhere but on an acid soil.

Red Top--_Agrostis vulgaris_. Shows results more quickly than Blue
Grass; will thrive on a sandy soil; fine in combination with Blue Grass.

English Rye Grass--_Lolium perenne_. Grows quickly and sho