omewhat if the sods are bought in bulk
and the cutting and carting is done by yourself. Under any circumstances
the work will be expensive.

On banks and terraces it is preferable to use sods rather than seeding.
The sods can be held in place with wooden pegs driven through them seven
or eight inches into the bank. Over this work scatter some seed and give
a light dressing of loam; then pound the whole to an even surface.

When the bank is too steep to hold the sods pegged in this way, they
should be piled upon each other horizontally, so that the ends will
form the surface of the bank. This effects the double purpose of
creating a permanent sward and also a depth of ten inches of loam upon
which it can feed.

GOOD LOAM AND FERTILIZERS

Loam is scarce; that is, _good_ loam is scarce. To help make up the
deficiency, every one should form a compost heap, and into it pile
leaves, lawn rakings, pieces of sod, and all such matter, all of which
will be reduced in time by decomposition to the much-desired humus. A
small quantity of this humus, mixed with fairly good loam, will make
good loam of it all, and suitable for sustaining plant life.

In the fall, when the leaves are falling from the trees, it is a good
idea to gather up from the gutters the accumulated leaves and put them
in the compost heap. There may be a little expense and trouble to it,
but there is no question as to the fact that you will be fully repaid
when you find the necessity for some real loam.

Near cities loam of very inferior quality will cost at least $2 per
cubic yard, and if one has a quantity of leaf-mould, made as suggested,
and will mix it with this loam, a very desirable quality can be
produced. The leaf-mould is the life of the soil and absolutely
essential to satisfactory results.

SPRING TOP-DRESSING

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