'Take $ Tip ftom Seed This Autumn Time to stop looking and start Scotting! All applications are easily made with a SCOTTS SPREADER. Any lawn improve- ment program will be more successful if the soil is kept rather moist. If Crabgrass is rampant, stop it with Double Rate SCUTL. Eliminate competition of dandelions, plantain and Buckhorn with 4-XD or W E ED & FEED. Feed grass with nutrient packed T U RF BUILDER. Okay to seed immediately after feeding. Heavy rain or watering is needed after weed control applications prior to planting of seed. If possible, keep lawn moist after seeding. Continue regular mowing at not over iy2 inch height so young grass is not smothered by tall growth or heavy clippings. Those who want the better lawn should not pass up the plus benefits of fall. It's the time when perennial grasses make good root growth if supplied with food and moisture. Autumn time. Seed can be planted sparingly since each seedling has a better chance to develop into a mature plant. is the economy seeding FOR THE PERMANENT LAWN, only perennial grasses will do the job. SCOTTS LAWN SEED meets this specifi- cation since it is made up entirely of the perennials Kentucky Bluegrass, Poa Trivialis and Bentgrass. A light planting will produce an ex- cellent stand of grass when the seed bed is properly prepared. Our research plots consistently show that two pounds Scotts Lawn Seed per 1000 square feet is all that is needed. There are approximately three mil- lion seeds in each pound of SCOTTS. At this reduced planting rate, a uni- form seeding will mean 40 seeds per square inch, enough for a thick stand of grass even if the birds get quite a few. Spreader Setting. To plant the low rate of 2 lbs per 1000 sq ft of Scotts Lawn Seed it is advisable to make two crosswise hitches at it. The SCOTTS SPREADER setting at scale mark No 4 will distribute it at the one pound rate. Some conditions require a quicker growing, more rugged type turf. For such, SCOTTS SPECIAL is recommended. This is composed of larger seeds so it is necessary to plant more heavily, four pounds per 1000 sq ft is ample. Clover seed is generally not recom- mended for fall planting. Copyright 1954, O M Scott & Sons Co Seed for Shade. Lawn success in the shade is more a matter of growing con- ditions other than lack of sunlight. In some situations, such as under Norway maples, the surface root competition is so severe that grass will not last through a summer. Trimming trees to let in light and air is helpful in almost any tree shaded condition. To help the grass, frequent feeding is important as well as care in mowing and in keeping leaves removed. If the area can be kept reasonably moist, then Scotts Lawn Seed is suggested. If apt to be quite dry, Scotts Special. See LAWN CARE BOOK Chapter 13. New Lawns in the Fall The autumn season is the best time to seed a new lawn. Weather condi- tions favor stronger root growth, weed competition is at a minimum and the moisture supply is usually good. It is advisable to proceed as early in the season as possible. Fall seedings may be made as late as the soil can be worked but the longer the fall grow- ing period, the better will be the turf. As in growing flowers or garden crops, better results can be expected if the new lawn is planted in good topsoil. A friable garden loam is ideal but few are so blessed. Most have an extreme of a heavy clay or the opposite of a dry, lifeless sandy or gravelly condition. to obtain. At is expensive and diffi- stuff in is no better for grass than times the Good topsoil cult brought the soil already in place. A heavy clay or a sandy soil can be much improved by the incorporation of humus forming organic materials. These are of little value unless used generously and thoroughly mixed into the upper four inches. A good quality of weathered peat moss will improve almost any soil — if used at 1 or 3 cu yds per 1000 sq ft. Raw materials such as green leaves, fresh sawdust or straw are not suitable. In most instances the lawn builder will have as good results if he goes ahead with whatever soil is available. He can offset in part the disadvantage of poor physical condition by taking rela- tively simple precautions, including 1) Careful working of the soil while moist but not wet. 2) Using lime if the soil is quite acid, testing less than pH 6.0. 3) Probably of prime importance: building up the fertility with Turf Builder, the soil — the more of it. the poorer A seedbed of firm soil is advised but care should be taken to avoid compres- sion of heavy clay or silt. This is apt to result in a rough surface because of uneven settling. The goal in soil prep- Successful seeding of bare or thin spots in a lawn requires loosening of the surface soil. Only shallow working is needed and several tools are handy for the job. A spading fork or flat spade can be to advantage. The wheeled utilized tool shown is actually an edger. Used in bare places it will open up shallow grooves in which seed can find good lodging. A half moon turf edger or ice scraper is good for compact spots. Left. Subsoil fortified with TURF BUILDER. Result, a good stand of grass. Right. Same subsoil, same seed, same watering but no f e r t i l i z e r. O M Scott Research Photo _ J OOD TOPSOIL is much to be desired for lawns. But the critical factor is the amount of plant food immediately available to the sprouting grass. In many instances a better stand of grass has been developed on subsoil adequately fertilizer. Heavy clay soils are difficult to prepare for seeding because they dry so slowly. Even so, if that is the soil in place, it's probably better to go ahead and use it in preference to purchasing expensive topsoil. topsoil without the average fertilized than on aration should be a two or three inch seedbed over a firm sub-surface. Large clods must be broken up as otherwise air pockets will interfere with moisture movement through the soil. Alternate raking, dragging and rolling is advised to pulverize any large lumps so the seeding soil particles are from pea to marble size. Definitely to be avoided is seeding in the deep dust mulch developed at times by repeated cultivation of dry soils. In such condition the seed may become buried so deeply it cannot sprout, or it may be washed away by heavy rain, or blown away by the winds. There is also the possibility of such soils crusting over so seedlings cannot emerge. A moderately coarse surface will not appear as attractive but will have crevices into which seeds can lodge and will later be covered by the action of rain and watering. There is less chance of crusting of a rough surface and seedlings will be better protected after emergence. Unless an extra good topsoil is used, two applications of Turf Builder are recommended, the first one during the latter stages of cultivation. The second can go on just ahead of seeding and need not be raked or watered in. The best way to apply Turf Builder and seed is with a SCOTTS SPREADER. For more even distribution of the seed, half of it is planted in one direction, the other half crosswise to the first. If seed seems to lie mostly exposed it will be a good idea to mix it lightly into the soil. A flexible steel door mat used as a drag is one of the best ways to accomplish this. Dragging the re- verse side of a broom-type leaf rake is another possibility. Wooden and ordi- nary garden rakes are also used but care must be taken lest the seed be imbedded too deeply. Use of a roller to firm the surface soil completes the job. Heavy rolling is not advised. A water ballast roller about a fourth full is usually adequate. If in doubt whether to rake in, a possibility is to do so after the first half of the seed is sown, and roll only after the second seeding. Mo/sfure Supply. Good seed will live months in dry soils but after swelling occurs, the tiny sprouts are quite vulner- New Scoffs Spreader Positive On/Off control, easily operated — that stays put! New principle of Rate Setting. Easy to read — without stoop- i ing or squinting. Strong tension spring holds flow control plate exactly in place. It does not jiggle on rough ground or move out of adjust- ment when handle is flexed. Every lawn needs the ministrations of a SCOTTS SPREADER a dozen times March through October. Use in the winter too — spread sand or T U RF BUILDER on icy drives and walks. At other times, the spreader is easily hung up out of the way in the garage or tool room. able to severe drying. After germination begins it is important to prevent serious surface drying. Areas exposed to sun and brisk winds may need watering two or three times a day until the new grass has reached mowing height of an inch or two. Mowing. Too often the cutting of new grass is delayed on the mistaken as- sumption that grass will grow stronger if permitted to grow tall. It is better to start mowing with a sharp mower as # soon as there is anything to cut, grass or weeds. The surface soil should be on the dry side. Young grass may be in- jured if the mower or the operator's footprints sink into the ground. Uneven growth is probably the rule with most new lawn plantings. If seed- ing is done evenly on a well prepared seedbed, uniform coverage should fol- low. There may be variation in grass emergence due to some seeds being covered deeper, some spots lower or higher, variations in moisture supply. First Aid to Drought Stricken Lawns 1. If dandelions, plantain and similar weeds have invaded, apply WEED & FEED. Action will be delayed until the benefit will not be lost. is moist but the soil 2. A p p ly T U RF BUILDER w h i le g r a ss is dormant to insure speedier re- covery when rains come. 3. Wait until after a good rain to proceed with seeding. 4. The earlier in the fall, soil mois- ture is restored, the better. Do this by irrigation if at all possible — if adequate rains do not come. Sirs: We planted Scotts Special Seed last Sep- tember and we had the most beautiful grass, very green all winter. We used Scotts Turf Builder before we seeded the lawns. St L o u i s, Mo M RS EVELYN ESKRIDGE Sirs: Got started last summer when I used Scotts Lawn Seed between stones on a new flagstone terrace. The results were so good that I was almost glad when I lost my front lawn in last summer's drought, so that I could tear it up and reseed with Scotts. Falmouth, Mass R F WYRICK The moderately Soil preparation lumpy surface of the illustration above is about right for the finished surface of clay soils. takes some good hard hand work or use of power equipment. Those blessed with sandy loam have an easier those with heavier silts and clays. No soil should be worked if it is so gummy that it sticks to the tools. This tends to compact the soil. job than O M SCOTT & SONS CO. M A R Y S V I L LE - - O H IO MC-283 E V E RY P A C K A GE OF S C O T TS 8254 L A WN C A RE P R O D U C TS B E A RS T H IS T R A D E - M A RK A ND IS S E A L ED F OR Y O UR P R O T E C T I ON