NEW LAWNS —SIMPLIFIED THERE pasture and the coop. Choice of seed was slim, since it was collected by scoop- ing chaff from the hay mow. T he re- sulting weeds had to be hand dug or endured. Watering was left pretty much up to Nature. Nowadays modern science has taken much of the work out of these steps and also made them more effective. For Uneven grass growth. Grade subsoil first. topsoil produces uneven example—motor driven soil tillers can be rented in most towns. Unpleasant smelling manures have been replaced by weedfree, odorless Turf Builder. Weeds and chaff are removed from carefully selected seeds by triple clean- ing. Weeds developing from seeds in the soil are eliminated without effort by chemicals. Scotts Spreaders distribute fertilizer, sow seed and apply weed con- trols in just a few minutes' time. Should topsoil be used? A new lawn can either be built on the native soil which is on the site, or topsoil can be hauled in. The decision rests largely on the quality of the native soil. Often it is easier and cheaper to improve it. Loose soil settles a third to a half so a couple of inches of loose topsoil may wind up as an insufficient one inch. If the soil underneath has not first been broken the roots won't penetrate it and is no mystery about the building of a successful lawn. The method can be boiled down to a few simple fundamentals which apply wherever you might be living. In general, the same soil cultivation and improvement are done as in plant- ing any kind of a garden. Food and water are essential to grass as they are to garden plants. Once established, a lawn is, if any- thing, easier to maintain than a garden. Grass is not subject to as many insect pests and diseases. A problem lawn, like the troublesome garden, was prob- ably built without regard these fundamentals: for (1) THE SOIL should be as good as possible. It is loosened so it can breathe in oxygen and drink in water and so the grass roots can wend their way through it. (2) FOOD is provided anything that grows must eat. because (3) SEED planted must be tops be- cause only good seed can be expected to produce good plants. (4) WATER is needed to sprout the seeds, keep plants from wilting. In the old days these same steps were followed in the fashion of the time. Hand spading loosened the soil. Some the nourishment was meted out in Grass roots inhabit the best soil. If top- soil is thin the lawn will be shallow. manures salvaged from the stable, the the lawn will be too shallow to be sturdy. In figuring soil required, re- member it takes 4 cubic yards to build up each inch on 1,000 square feet. Most power cultivators will work soil 6 inches deep. Before soil is added, grade the native soil just like the final lawn surface is to be. This is the only way to make certain the topsoil will be of uniform depth and the lawn of uniform color and quality. Most nurseries or garden supply stores can furnish or tell you where to obtain topsoil in your locality. Or look under "Topsoil" in the yellow pages of the phone book. Or write your county agricultural agent. Using native soil. Most folks will use the soil on their site. In the northwest coastal areas, 50 lbs of agricultural lime- stone can be cultivated into each 1,000 sq ft to correct excessive acidity. Elsewhere in the west, soil is likely to be alkaline and bake hard when dry. If 100 pounds of agricultural gypsum is cultivated into each 1,000 square feet it helps to keep the soil crumbly. How deep to cultivate. On good soil grass roots may grow down one or two feet; but it is not necessary to have that much good soil. Most power cultivators will work to a depth of 6 inches and that is adequate. With mass-produced lawns soil preparation is likely to be slighted, with no immediately apparent ill effects. The trouble develops later after watering and use have compacted the soil. After cultivation the soil will be loose and eventually will settle so the contemplated lawn level may change. final grading Watering well before helps to settle it and make the finished grade more accurate. An easy way to pulverize the seedbed and also make it smooth is to drag a plank or weighted steel doormat back and forth over the area. Don't forget the food. When the seed bed is ready, be sure to provide a good meal where it will be within reach of the first short roots when the seeds be- gin to sprout. Just before sowing the seed spread Turf Builder at double rate and rake into the top inch of the seedbed. It will help get the new lawn off to a good start. Do not attempt to work in weed con- trols at this point as they adversely af- fect the germination of grass seed. Tackle the weeds later when the grass is more mature. What seed to use. In choosing the seed you choose your lawn. Selection should be made on the basis of your lawn goal, the soil and environment as described Divide seed and sow second part at right angles to first part. in Lawn Care 125-PS. Send a postcard to Scotts at Palo Alto, California, if you don't already have a copy. Seed blends are best because they are most adaptable; but avoid those con- taining too many different types. "Tickling in" is lingo of the seed in the filled. Avoid heavy rolling. How to SOW seed. Grass seed is best planted in two parts. Sow the first half in one direction such as north and south. Then cover it carefully by shallow rak- the ing. descriptive term the lawn man. Next sow the second half of the seed in a direction at right angles to the first, such as east and west. This gives the most even coverage. Do not rake in the second seed but simply press it in contact with the soil by tamping if the area is small and rolling if it's large. Use a water ballast roller just a third It compacts the soil. Is mulching necessary? Good lawns are started without mulching so long as the new seeding is kept moist. Where the sun is hot or drying winds prevalent, surface moisture is retained longer by mulching. It cuts down the frequency of sprinkling required and is quite generally practiced throughout the west. is done by spreading a thin covering (about one-quarter inch) of pulverized humus such as peat moss or steer manure. Keep it moist. After the seed is planted, things are pretty much up to the assist- ance given Nature in keeping the seed bed moist. The secret is to keep the surface damp but not saturated. It does no good to water below the surface of the seed at first. Deep watering comes later as the roots begin to form. This It is hard to beat the fine, soft spray provided by using the hose nozzle, if it is the adjustable kind. It takes five to fourteen days before the seed coating softens enough to per- mit sprouting and the first green fuzz appears, but this will be prolonged by inconsistent sprinkling, too deep a cov- ering or intermittent cool spells. It is seldom that a seeding doesn't "Take" if given adequate time and moisture. Weeds. Most all soils contain weed seeds in varying amounts. By nature, weeds develop faster than desirable turf grasses and on a weedy soil may appear Apply water in a fine, soft spray that doesn't slap the seed around. to to take over. They should not cause panic. Many are annuals which will succumb regular mowing. Most others can be easily eliminated by chem- icals, without hand-digging, as soon as the grass is old enough to withstand the use of chemicals. This point is reached after the new grass has been cut a few times. 4 - XD can be used safely on relatively young lawns. There- fore, its weed control abilities can be utilized earlier than with the ordinary spray weed controls. First cutting. With the mower set to cut one-and-a-half to two inches high, mow whenever the vegetation is long enough to produce any clippings. Water the lawn after the first cutting because removal of the topgrowth in- creases evaporation from the soil. By the same token it is better to make the first few cuttings in the cool of early evening rather than the heat of midday. Additional feeding. The new lawn de- velops faster and forms a sod sooner if feedings are provided. Many successful lawn builders apply a normal rate of Turf Builder once a month for the first two or three months. When good seed is planted, adequate food and moisture supplied, chances of success are so certain that no one should hesitate to undertake a new lawn. follow-up (ED.—If you have a tract lawn that isn't up to snuff read Lawn Care 124- PS. It tells how to convert them to bet- ter lawns without rebuilding.) Little Hop Clover D u r i ng Spring, one of the most frequent weeds sent in for identifica- tion is Little Hop Clover—also, called Japanese Clover. It is one of the first to show up in lawns each year and is well established throughout the West, from the Cana- It looks like a dian border to Mexico. miniature edition of regular clover, never growing more than a few inches high in lawns. It can survive close mow- ing by flattening itself out. It has a little, yellow, clover-like blossom and a long slender tap root which pulls out easily if the soil is moist. for is doing Pulling out by hand, however, is no the longer necessary. 4 - XD work thousands of homeowners every year. It takes two applications about ten days apart to rid your lawn of Little Hop. The first one sets it back and the second one finishes it off. If Scotts 4 - XD is applied when the weed foliage is moist from sprinkling, rain or dew, the kill is quicker. Japanese Clover is an annual. The old plants die but new ones come up each Spring from seeds produced in previous years. As in any weed control program, it is better to make treatments before the weed goes to seed. There are a few other Western weeds which are likewise partially resistant — require more than a single treatment. Mouse-ear Chickweed is one; Knotweed is another. Both can be treated success- fully the same as Japanese Clover. Spreading 4 - XD over the whole lawn is best, simply because there may be other weeds starting but still too young to be noticed. However, spot treating of the individual weeds can be done if there are not too many. It is a simple job if a box of 4 - XD is kept on hand. It is always ready to use — no water, no mixing, no measuring needed. "Your materials and counsel are tops." —R B Early, Portland, Ore. "We are going to put in quite a few fairly large lawns in a trailer court so again I come to Scotts as before we have had such wonderful results with all of your products."—Mrs W F Schieck, Las Vegas • Palo Alto, western states headquar- ters for Scotts, is a residential city ad- mired lawns. The owner of one of these is Mr Erling Eldrup who has this to say: its beautiful for "This year I stayed exclusively with Scotts products and have done the follow- ing: I have used Scotts Turf Builder at in- tervals of about six weeks. In May I used your Pest Control and again in Septem- ber. With these two items, plus deep water- ing, I have had a better lawn than before and at lower cost. I am still using my third bag of Turf Builder lawn food and the area of both my lawns total about 3,000 square feet. The Turf Builder has also been used on my roses and they have done very well, too." Mr Eldrup confirms the wisdom of put- ting lawns on the Scott Program. Want a Better Lawn? • tips If you are not quite happy about your lawn, you will likely find some wonder-working in any one of several separate Lawn Care bulletins. Just let us know the subject of special interest to you: Spring Program Lawn Moth Control Weed Control Grass on Slopes Grass in Shade Wise Watering Proper Mowing Feeding Lawns L A WN CARE has been published for twenty-five years. Previous issues are revised and con- densed for ready reference. A full loose-leaf set in r i ng b i n d er is only a dollar; in p a p er b i n d i ng twenty-five cents. S ee y o ur l o c al Scott dealer or mail coin, stamps or check to Scotts at Palo Alto, California. O M SCOTT & SONS CO. M A R Y S V I L LE - - O H IO P S - 6 17 3 1 9 53 EVERY PACKAGE OF SCOTTS LAWN CARE PRODUCTS BEARS THIS TRADE - MARK AND IS SEALED FOR YOUR PROTECTION