PUBLISHED FIVE TIMES Y E A R LY AND DISTRIBUTED FREE TO LOVERS OF B E A U T I F UL T U RF Vol. VII No. 3 June-July 1934 T HE P R O B L E MS OF S H A D ED L A W NS o 'Z a o m a o O IN T HE March-April issue of LAWN CARE, we discussed some of the diffi- culties of growing grass in the shade. As was brought out then, absence of sun- light is not alone the only problem of shade. Of equal or even greater impor- tance is the lack of moisture and plant nutrients resulting in part, at least, from unfavorable soil conditions. Soil Conditions The enormous water requirements of trees was discussed in the previous issue, as one reason for the lack of a sufficient moisture supply for the grass. Another reason, strangely enough, is the direct re- sult of an excess of moisture during cer- tain seasons of the year. this saturated condition it does considerable damage In late winter and early spring prac- tically all lawns receive and hold too much water unless they are well drained. If lasts very long to grass, directly, by keeping much needed air from the grass roots, and, indirectly by causing a "puddled" soil. The un- favorable effects of keeping oxygen from grass roots is apparent but the puddling damage requires some explanation. Texture and Structure All soils are composed of particles of varying sizes. In one gram of very fine sand there will be approximately two million particles while same amount of clay there would be about forty-five million particles—more than the in twenty times as many. The size of par- ticles in a soil determines what is called its texture. These particles have a cer- tain arrangement. In some soils each particle acts as a separate unit whereas in other cases various minute particles become grouped together so that groups act as single units. The arrangement of soil particles is called its structure. These mechanical characteristics are of great importance in determining the moisture movement in soils. The best turf soils are those having a "crumb" structure. Where many small particles are grouped together to act as a single large unit such a crumb structure permits easy and rapid movement of air and wa- ter, at the same time presents a condi- tion where the optimum moisture supply is retained. Soil "puddling" occurs in the heavier soil when small soil particles are forced or floated in between larger particles. Thus the soil becomes more compact and at the same time plastic. The potter works clay to break down the crumb structure to make it plastic so he can mold it into any desired shape. Heavy soils become compact and tight because of excessive moisture or of hav- ing been worked when wet. In the case of soils under trees, these remain wet until late spring because evaporation is slow. This means that the soil gradually becomes more and more compact until in late spring there is a heavy, gummy mess. Excessive Drying Sooner of later, this soil under trees will dry out. It will dry very fast with the advent of warm weather coupled with the scant rainfall that reaches such soils in summer. As the soil loses so much water its volume shrinks greatly, making large cracks in the lawn. These in turn cause a great loss of moisture from the subsoil by evaporation. So the condition is continually aggravated until by midsummer both tree and grass are suffering acutely from moisture shortage, unless drastic measures are taken to pre- vent this situation. Mere artificial irrigation during dry weather will not provide much of a remedy. Temporary improvement may follow the use of enormous quantities of water but in the end it will only aggra- vate the unfavorable soil condition. It is not possible to describe in this ar- ticle all of the steps necessary to over- come a puddled or unfavorable soil. For full details the reader is referred to our book Lawn Making and Maintenance. One of the principal factors involved in improvement of compact soils is pro- vision for adequate surface and under- ground drainage. The former can be taken care of by surface grading while the installation of tile drainage is about the only means of improving under- ground drainage. Friable Soil Needed At the same time a friable, loamy top soil should be installed, if possible. Ex- tremely sandy or clay soils will never support good turf. Heavy soils should be broken up with coarse sand and a lib- eral supply of organic matter. This fur- nishes a home for the needed friendly bacteria, and retains moisture and plant food. A sandy soil may be made more compact by adding soil of heavier tex- ture and also incorporating enormous quantities of organic materials. Given a fairly suitable soil, the mois- ture problem of tree-shaded lawns can be solved. Water should be applied in- frequently during drouth in the form of a medium fine but long continued spray. The soil should be thoroughly soaked to a depth of five or six inches. No definite period of watering can be prescribed be- cause of factors. However, a lawn cannot be considered as having been properly irrigated unless an actual examination shows the water to have penetrated six or more inches into the ground. It does not take any more water to give a lawn a good soak- ing once a week than to give it daily light sprinklings. the many variable Absence of Sunlight in As indicated, shade in itself is not a considerable problem lawn making. There are certain grass species which tol- erate shade, in fact do best where they are protected from direct sunlight. Some such grasses come from the forests of Bavaria, certain sections of Denmark, and from New Zealand. Unfortunately many so-called shady in name only. lawn mixtures are that They are prepared to sell at a price rather than to solve the shade problem. An acceptable shade mixture must sell for more than open place seed because the suitable varieties cost more to pro- duce. There is less seed of such varieties harvested, greater difficulty in threshing and re-cleaning them, and added expense in importing. There is still much to be considered on factors will be issue of LAWN the shade problem. Other discussed in the August CARE. frThe Turf Builder is doing wonders for my lawn and in another year I be- lieve I will have a lawn to be proud of." — M. C. ALLAN, Earlham Way, Hills- grove, R. I. Applying Turf Builder During Hot Weather FOR applying Turf Builder evenly many friends have written us that they mix the material with sand or soil so as to cut down the concentration. Hun- dreds of others have purchased the me- chanical spreaders now listed in our or- der blank and they are giving unusual satisfaction. One of the more novel contrivances is suggested by Mr. P. G. Sturtevant, vice-president of the Erie County Elec- tric Company of Erie, Pennsylvania. We quote from two letters written on the subject by Mr. Sturtevant, reproduce a HYDRAULIC APPLICATOR, As Devised by Mr. Sturtevant. photograph which he was kind enough to send, and also gratefully acknowledge receipt of one of the "applicators" which he presented to us. "This applicator is made up of very inexpensive material and consists essen- tially of one % inch T, one piece of J4 inch pipe eighteen inches long, a nozzle made out of a piece of % inch pipe having a dipper shaped lip so that the spray will assume a fan shape. The con- the fertilizer nection for the hose can be made by a simple clamp on a nipple. This equip- is then attached to the regular ment water line hose and is made into a thin mash in a pail. The wa- ter is turned on and the siphon effect is started by placing the thumb momen- tarily over the nozzle opening. The re- sult is the uniform application of your fertilizer with plenty of water applied at the same time to soak it into the ground. "I divide my lawn into several plots the area of which I can roughly esti- mate. I then mix up a batch of Turf Builder using about five pounds of fer- tilizer to eight or ten quarts of water, mixing it into a thin mash in an ordi- nary twelve quart pail. I then start at one corner of the grass plot carrying the pail with my left hand and the distribu- tor with the hose attached in my right. With the water turned on I put my thumb over the nozzle which expels the air from the suction line. Upon removal of thumb the solution of fertilizer and water comes out in a fan shaped spray about 4 to 6 feet wide. I walk slowly forward dragging the hose and waving the nozzle from right to left so that I cover a space about fifteen feet wide and possibly thirty feet long. I will then go back over the same area. This process is repeated until the necessary amount for the area involved has been applied. "After getting on the required amount of Turf Builder I simply use the nozzle to spray water on the lawn, thoroughly washing the fertilizer into the sod. "With some types of fertilizer there is considerable difficulty in making a mash with water. This is especially so of bone- meal which does not mix readily, making a lumpy solution that blocks the nozzle frequently. With Turf Builder I had but little trouble in this respect. It is essential that one has plenty of hose to reach within ten feet of the farthest corner and that a good water pressure is available. The water pressure at my house varies between 50 and 70 pounds. "I have loaned this equipment to sev- eral of my friends who are quite enthu- siastic about its results." French-Canadian Takes the Laugh Out of "Dandelions For Sale" TN FEBRUARY L A WN CARE, page 2 appeared a brief story entitled "Dan- delions for Sale!" Perhaps you will want to read it again to get the full signifi- cance of the following rebuttal by J. Ign Bilodeau, 82 Rue Richelieu, Quebec, Canada. He not only knows there is a market for dandelions but furnishes a few recipes! "Your article on dandelions made me laugh. Most people seem to ignore that there is much money to be made with dandelions, for nothing is lost in this plant. "First: What you, I believe, call the rootstalks (that white part that is in the ground), when dug from the ground im- mediate the day after snow is disappeared make the most delicious salad, it could even be eaten like that it is so tender, even old it is good also but it could then be fried. It tastes like egg-plant. The leaves could also be boiled and fried. "Second: The flower makes the most delicious wine still more delicious than the one made with cherry or grapes. One acre of dandelions in flower could easily make 600 gallons of wine which would cost about $70.00 and could be sold for not less than $1.50 per ga1ion. "In the spring the farmers bring dan- delions on the market which they sell for 25c per pound. How many pounds of this is there in an acre? Certainly at least two tons which means $1,000.00. Do you believe that the fellow in sweat- ing and swearing after dandelions is drawing as much as that from his field?" Whole Lawn of Dandelions Gassed Ed Wynn-like is Mr. R. P. Hocker of Dayton, Ohio, who says, "I'll stick to my oil can when it comes to killing dandelions. Have tried several prepara- tions as recommended in L A WN CARE but nothing works as easily or as posi- tively as gasoline. I use an old can, put a few drops in the center of the plant, and in four or five days the dandelion is gone never to return again. We had a whole yard simply covered with dande- lions so there was plenty of opportunity to prove the effectiveness of the gasoline remedy." -VJ.— Ants Active Numerous requests have been received this spring for data on how to kill ants which are ruining the grass. L A WN CARE has carried a number of items on this subject but F. G. Bee, 866 South Cham- pion Avenue, Columbus, Ohio, reports instant results with the following pro- cedure: "Take 1 pound of sugar, 1 quart of water, and 125 grains of sodium arse- nate. Make a solution and bring to a boil. Saturate a piece of sponge with the solution and place it at the hole where the ants go in and out of the hill. Pin the sponge down with a piece of wire." According to Mr. Bee the ants that have visited the sponge will go into the hill but not come out again. — *— You may have the twenty-nine pre- vious issues of L A WN CARE for the ask- ing. Send 10 cents to cover postage. I SCOTT'S LAWN SEED IS SOLD ONLY IN BAGS OR CANISTERS BEARING THIS OVAL TRADEMARK I J