P U B L I S H ED IN F E B R U A R Y, M A R C H, A P R I L, A U G U ST A ND S E P T E M B ER BY O. M. S C O TT & S O NS CO. M A R Y S V I L L E, O H IO Seventeenth Year Number 78 LAWNS CITED FOR WARTIME SERVICE TH E RE has been no official award of a medal or even a flag but based on actual use, lawns have demonstrated their importance in these times. Lawns have not been discarded as an unnecessary item in war times—rather they have enjoyed the distinction of being the rallying-point for an active household. Many folks have resumed maintenance of their own lawns where they left off some years ago—the regular lawn force having gone to war. Service men on furlough enjoy the lawn— people devoting long hours to the various war industries get genuine relaxation in outdoor work. Without attempting to glo- rify it we can verify, by reason of the half- million or more direct contacts, that the home lawn is more than holding its own in these strenuous times. get a head start over weeds, particularly the annuals, which mostly germinate late and will be better kept in check if the grass is growing vigorously. Grass wakes up hungry so if the food is put on while the ground is honeycombed from freezing and thawing, it will work down into the cracks and crevices. There the roots can quickly take it up. Turf Builder will be available this spring, at least in sufficient quantity to take care of the early feedings. This is fortunate since grass in most sections of the country the usual winter injury because of drouth con- ditions. The shortage of sub-soil moisture has been made worse by the absence of even a normal amount of rain or snow in the early part of the winter. is suffering more than Cold Weather Injury Protection and conservation are the order of the day in lawns as in other things about the home. A friendly word of caution may save the usual winter dam- age of trampling. Paper boys and others either walking or riding bikes can leave bad scars, especially when the grass blades are stiff with frost and not covered by a protecting blanket of snow. Few people realize that grass can be mutilated even when it is dormant. Zero weather does not impair the good of a Turf Builder treatment nor does it harm early sown seed. In contrast, nature co-operates by opening up the soil like a sponge to bury the seed and provide the necessary moisture for germination with the advent of the first warm days. The job of feeding and seeding can be done in an hour or two even on a sizeable lawn, especially if a Scott Spreader is avail- able. Those not fortunate enough to own one will be cheered by the news that more in With so much outdoor work the spring, what with gardens and other projects, it is a good idea to plan the lawn work for late winter. The spring feeding can be taken care of, also seeding while it's still winter. Turf Builder and Scotts Seed can be put down any time from now until May. The earlier part of the season is better because that enables the grass to COPYRIGHT BY O. M. SCOTT & SONS CO. spreaders are now in the process of manu- facture. A fair supply of the medium and larger sizes should be ready for spring use. or For the smaller l a wn a h a n dy f a rm t y pe seed sower is available. This consists of a canvas knapsack that holds either s e ed T u rf B u i l d er and to which is attached a long tube sow- ing spout. It is ad- justable within a ^ limited to apply either Scotts S e ed or T u rf Builder at varying rates. While one of these does not take the place of a Scott Spreader is better than hand broad- casting. The cost is only a dollar each. - . • range it Roll With Caution lawn surface. Water An open winter usually results in a rough in the soil freezes, expands and many grass plants are pushed up from their moorings. The object of rolling is to push such plants back, not to iron out a normally rough surface. Compacting when the ground is wet results in the forming of a crust which tender seedlings simply cannot penetrate. Rolling is a chore which the average person likes to get out of the way early. Actually it is better to wait. The surface may be damp but not wet when rolled and regardless of the soil, a heavy roller is injurious. A water ballast roller, empty or at least not more than half full, insures sufficient weight. If the surface is still uneven after rolling, topdress lightly to fill in the low spots. The winter's accumulation of leaves and other debris should be raked or brushed out before rolling. Dogs Barking Again Following the dog discussion in LAWN CARE, Bulletin No. 76, we were deluged with letters. By some, our motives were misunderstood. To our rescue comes Mr._ Edward Faust, Editor of "Our Dogs," a magazine devoted to dog welfare: "I have the circular which deals with the loose dog problem and, believe me, I join my fellow dog writers in condemning the owner who per- mits his dog to violate the property of other peo- ple. Attached you will find a copy of a recent issue of a magazine in which I have dealt with this subject, believing that the loose dog is becom- ing a national problem and, having a deep affec- tion for dogs, I write as you do because it is in the interest of the dog itself that it not be per- mitted to run free. Let me commend you on the circular which you have issued." Treasure Hunt At Home The following item from Anthony Cole, in the Elizabeth, New Jersey, appeared New York Times: "My own back yard has never been good and I always wondered why. This year, when trying to spade it up for a Victory Garden, I found out. The speculation builders who put up my house used clay and rock from my cellar for the fill. I unearthed thirty stones as large as this typewriter. T wo spade depths below this rock pile is a layer loam. Of course, my grass of excellent black couldn't get to it. This sort of thing, I am told, exists throughout "Suburbia," although the coun- try preaches soil conservation." Thousands of unsatisfactory lawns have just been trying for years to overcome such a handicap. Sirs: — © — Regarding use of the gasoline torch as a Dan- delion and all around weed killer, I mix 4 ounces of old crank case oil to a quart of gas and give the weed one or two shots from a large oil can. For creeping type of weeds, I use a medium size artist's brush for painting the main stem with the gasoline mixture. The gas-oil mixture does not seem to injure the soil. The adjacent grass that is discolored seems to grow out again in two or three weeks. Toledo, Ohio. E. R. GARLAND O. M. SCOTT & S O NS CO. MAR YS V I L LE • • O H IO EVERY PACKAGE OF SCOTTS LAWN SEED BEARS THIS TRADc-MARK AND IS SEALED FOR YOUR PROTECTION £ -