23rd Year No 108 PS T.M. REG PUBLISHED FIVE TIMES YEARLY FOR L A W N T H U S I A S TS EARLY-BIRD LAWNS or gypsum into the soil, where it will do the most good. Here are some things that can be done early to give the lawn the advan- tage of extra time. For example, heavy soils that com- pact and bake very hard in summer can be improved with gypsum or lime to assist in making the ground more crumbly and friable, assuring deeper root penetration. Gypsum is better to use on alkaline soils in California and Arizona because it does not further alkalize the soil. In the northwest, lime is better since it improves the mechanical condition or structure of the soil and also reduces acidity. Either material is available at most garden supply stores. Recommended rates vary but 100 pounds of gypsum on each 1000 square feet is good for a single application or not over 50 pounds of ground agricul- tural limestone per 1000 square feet. BREAKFAST IN BED T he f i r st feeding of the year is another step t o w a rd more beautiful lawns that can be ' a c c o m- plished before the press of other garden- ing activities. Lawns fed in February or March wake up earlier and begin putting out GOVERNMENT surveys say new homes are being started at the rate of almost 1,000,000 a year. With a sizeable portion of these in the ever-expanding West, it is a logi- cal consequence that there is devel- oping a growing interest in good western lawns. Those families with new lawns to build must bear in mind that most soils and particularly heavy clay should not be worked when wet. To them we sug- gest writing for Scotts free LAWN CARE Digest Chapters 1 and 2, which will help them get their new lawns started off on the right foot. interested In spite of all the projected new lawns, most folks have theirs already established. They are in maintaining or improving its beauty. LAWN CARE endeavors to bring timely suggestions which have been tried not only in the laboratory and on test plots but right at home by thousands of typi- cal American gardeners. Costly mis- takes are thus sorted out and improve- ment is certain. EARLY START There is no need for the ground to be clear of snow when these materials are applied. They can be broadcast right over a light snow. When the snow melts it will help carry the lime new roots. An early start in this is a big advantage in localities where sum- mers are hot and dry because a deep, extensive root system helps grass keep its sparkle. Lawn Food can be applied even when grass is dormant for it will be there, ready to be used with the first awakening of the grass. Where the ground is not blanketed with snow during the winter, a suc- cession of heavy frosts often discolors lawns. The first of these to recover their green are the ones which are fed as soon as frosts are over. OVERSEED OLD LAWNS It isn't so long after lawn planting time to hot weather when beneficent rainfalls must be replaced by lawn sprinklers. Hot weather is the period of maximum competition from weeds. Very often this change to summer occurs almost overnight. So it is helpful to have the seed planted, ready to germinate as soon as temperatures are right. With lawn food and seed in the soil, new grass has a jump on the weather and the weeds. It simply Freezing temperatures do not harm seed. lies dormant until growing weather arrives. In some parts of the country it is customary to over- seed football fields around Thanksgiv- ing time after the last game of the sea- son. The seed lies dormant all winter, then comes up in the spring with an earlier start than spring sown seed. Unlike some plants, grass is not trans- planted. It is started right where it spends its whole life. Too much of it is started too late and then expected to hurry along and produce a mature lawn in a matter of just a few weeks. Mother Nature can be assisted but she is a little stubborn about being hurried. FOR EVERY L A WN If a lawn is composed of perennial grasses as provided in the use of good seed, there is every reason to expect it to grow indefinitely with reasonable care. It should even improve in beauty. Reasonable care, however, includes a beauty treatment each spring whether the lawn be one year old or ten. The first step is an even application of a mild, long lasting grass food put on "ahead of the season." The next step is a light overseeding of the lawn to reinforce the turf by replacing those plants which have fallen victims to insects, disease or wear. It fills in the vulnerable spots that would otherwise become occupied by weeds. Such a seeding requires only 2 or 3 pounds of good seed for each 1000 square feet. Every lawn owner should adopt this annual spring program if he wants to enjoy his lawn to the utmost in the months ahead. OWN A SPREADER A .precision spreader, like the one illustrated here, makes it easy to apply lawn materials accurately and speedily. The Scotts Spreader is quickly adjusted to proper rates for seeding, feeding, pest control and weed control. "Today we planted a new lawn. The spreader made play of work."—Elk Grove, Calif. NUMBER 108 PS Likes The West One of the most common lawn weeds of the west is a grass known as Poa Annua, Annual Bluegrass or Low Spear Grass. It has made itself at home in Utah, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and California. It loves cool, moist weather such as is typical of early spring and late fall. The new growth of Poa Annua is quite beautiful. It comes up like a newly seeded lawn. In fact, it has been self-seeded by the previous year's plants. It is a dwarf grass and its blades are fine textured and a brilliant green. But for its conspicuous seeding habits and its short life it would make a desirable lawn grass. It goes to seed while the weather is still cool and after thus assuring its continuation for another year, begins to yellow and die out with the advent of warm weather, leaving a weakened lawn open to invasion by weeds. Spots of this dying grass are sometimes mis- taken for fertilizer burns. It is strictly a volunteer. We receive hundreds of specimens every year ask- ing what it is. Some people like it and want to know where to get the seed which isn't commercially available. Others who have experienced its un- reliability want to know how to get rid of it. If it can be kept from going to seed it can be lessened because the plant itself is an annual and dies within the year. To prevent seeding altogether is impossible because many seed heads are close to the ground and escape the mower. Nevertheless, close mowing during the seeding period, and catch- ing the clippings will help. The best offense is a good defense. Develop a good thick stand of desirable lawn grasses by correcting the com- pactness of the soil, sowing good seed and keeping the ground well fertilized. Wherever Poa Annua is conspicuous, good lawn seed should be sown to pre- vent a bare spot when the Poa Annua dies out. N ow Get A f t er B e r m u da Patches Those blemishes of ugly brown grass in lawns may be Bermuda Grass still indulging in its winter sleep. It's only asleep, not dead. It will come very much to life when the weather gets hot. The time to fight it is before then. One can easily see where his lawn is being invaded by Bermuda Grass when it is dormant and brown. Mark those spots well and keep an eye on them during the summer. It may save you having to rebuild your lawn. Later on, as you mow your lawn, stop to pick out any Bermuda sprigs you find appearing in these marked areas. In early spring Bermuda patches can be raked out, or dug out and the soil replaced, then fertilized and seeded. Doing this early will get the new grass in better fighting trim to play a delay- ing action against Bermuda Grass this summer. FOG, SMOG, FUMES Some readers have inquired con- cerning the pos- sible effect on l a w ns of f o g, smog, and various fumes. ¿»mM&iimmu'"* F o g, we are happy to report, has a good repu- tation. It reduces evaporation, indeed even provides additional moisture and communities in the fog belts are often noted for their beautiful green lawns. Fog also prevents frost and its accom- panying browning of turf. Smog remains something of a mys- tery both as to its causes and also its effect on lawns. There have been no reports of damage to grass and no ail- ments peculiar to the smog areas alone. So far, smog is not a suspect. Fumes, on the other hand, have no such clean record. It is well known that gas escaping from an underground main will injure and usually kill the immediately above the turf growing spot. Sulphur fumes, wind carried from copper smelting plants have also been reported as damaging to lawns. • Many folks use the grass clippings from their lawns to scatter as a mulch along hedges and in shrub beds. This conserves moisture and reduces the need for watering. It also reduces weed growth in these areas. Eventually the clippings get cultivated into the soil, adding valuable humus. Clippings can also be added to the compost pile where they contribute to the making of superior lawn topdress- ing soil. L o w - D o wn On Western Lawns Many changes in lawn maintenance have evolved since the first issue of L A WN C A RE in August 1928. To keep pace with things new, earlier issues have been revised and condensed into thirteen chapters: 1. PLANNING THE LAWN. 2. THE LAWN SOIL. 3. ROUGH GRADING AND DRAINAGE. 4. FINAL GRADING AND SEEDING. 5. PROPER LAWN MOWING. 6. WATERING LAWNS. 7. PROPER FEEDING AND LIMING. 8. CONTROLLING BROAD-LEAVED WEEDS. 9. GRASS-TYPE LAWN WEEDS. 10. SUMMER LAWN INJURY. 11. CONTROL, GRUBS, MOLES, ANTS. 12. LAWN RENOVATION. 13. GROWING GRASS IN SHADE. Binder Sets A ll lrtr« ,n t h e se chapters plus the new recent issues are avail- able in a heavy paper cover for just 25 cents. T he same set of bulletins in a green leather s t y le r i ng b i n d er with room for future bulletins is $1.00. At your local Scott dealer or send check, cash or stamps to Scotts, Palo Alto, Calif. TESTIMONIAL "I now have the only green lawn in my neighborhood. Put your Lawn Food on late last fall. Am going to use it again this month, it is good insurance."—Stockton, Calif. O M SCOTT & SONS CO. M A R Y S V I L LE - - O H IO EVERY PACKAGE OF S C O T TS LAWN CARE PRODUCTS BEARS T H IS TRADE . MARK AND IS SEALED FOR YOUR P R O T E C T I ON