GARDENING MOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 71, 23 March 1912, Page 14

GARDENING MOTES.

(By "Experience.") Lawn Making.— ln tho last "Notos" on this subject, there is a roference to drains, in which it guys that it h not difficult to plaoo pipes iv tho bottom. Tho word : should havo been "sufficient," wot "difficult." This is of eonirt importance, lor if drains aro filled up with uoil they may become quite uselbss in a short time by the soil becoming silted together by soakage of water. What is necessary will naturally depend on the character of tho soil and tho source of the water it is proposed to drain oif. Thi§ ia a matter of sufficient importance' to doservo explaining. Sometimes the trouble ia uuderground soakage or springs and not bimaoe water. Iv »uoh cases v* lino of pipes on - the bottom oi the trench is usually sufficiont. But if the trouble is BUrfuco water, tha case ie very different. As an example I romemher when iv. two gardens near together in Wellington there, were lawns,, both subject to tho came (.rpuble— via., water coming from an adjoining property soaking through a bank of looae soil, and co. on to tho lawn belo-w. Now tho water had to be arrested the moment it reached the lawn; obviously there was necessarily something it could not ruu over, but could only 6ink through. A different solution was found in each plaoe. Pipes were laid iv each ca*o at the bottom of a deep trench. Tho soil on both l^Vvus was very solid clay, impervious to wata.r, In on* e»»e too trench was filled almost 'to tho top with broken rock of a somewhat rotten nature ; this drain acted for threo or four weeks, then came an extra heavy full of water, •nd tho drain olqaed up— the water silted in grit and powdered rock, and sealed it up completely ; it cost much money to take it all up again. The other drain was filled Up with UmudM clinkers j a, slight depression was left along the site of the drain, co a.& to make the 'watof li»y. Af- | ter fifteen years that drain was •till acting well. In any circumstances it would bo useless to make ' a drain and then cover jt in with clay ; something should I b« found that will always allow water to •ink through it. In whatever way the lawn, is prepared, whether by digging or filling, it should be made quite firm before putting in the seed. The work should bfl always done while th% soil ia dry; to work it while wet is fatal to suooeee. If the soil is clayey efforta should be' m»de to procure some light stuff to put on top. When, the lawn has a path through or along it, the path should be lower than the lawn. I notice that some novioes reverse this order — thoy think the lawn should drain tha path. Such a° lawn is seldom satisfactory, and the edges of the path are always untidy. The qeed should be scattered very evenly,' choosing a quiet day for the work. Well ■ roll the surf aoo before sowing, scratch the esed in with a nharp rajce, and roll again. If the soil is poor a h'ght dressing of bkiio slag m»y be applied .during final preparations; voi'y tyttle i# required. Sow it an though it were grass eeed and about as thick. The best lawn grasses are fine-leaved shflep'a. fescue, crested dog's-tail, poa ' pratensis, agrostie etplonifera. Theso seeds are more expensive than ryegruee, , which is often used, but a good lawn is frequently the finest feature of a garden ; a lawn of. ryegraas ia always aa eyesore. Where the coil ie very clayey I find the agroatia mentioned doe* better than any other grass. Where iuolined to be. damp use tho poa, and in drviih places choose the fescue and dog's-tail. In a#y oa6e> if the lawn is partly shaded by trees, add <K>rpe poa memoralis^ known as "meadow wojoqude grass,' I , because it suocee,ds in shady places; this in al«o a very fineleaved grass, and is a very deep green in colour. The quantity of eeed required varies somewhat, according to variety and: purpojse. Agrostis ia a spreading grass, and will cover more ground than fesoue or created dog's-tail. For the two last I would allow lib for thirty square yards: the same quantity of the agrostie will be sufficient for fifty square yards. It ia always Wise >to tow a hit generously, if fop no other .purpoea than to allow for birds scratching. For tennis lawns the quantity of eeea should bo increased, aa the sward is required very close and hard. Preparations for planting should now be taken in hand. The wet season will make it possible to work the soil to ad' vantage earlier than usual. It is never desirable to attempt to break up_ new ground while it ie vaxjr dry, for it is not only difficult, but the work is seldom bo well done. When breaking Up ground that ie under grase the turf .ehould f\r»t be pared off—that i« to say, if trenching is to be done, eaoh ifcrip should first be stripped of the turf. It is always wise to staok came of it, for when the grass hae decayed the turves make splendid soil for various purposes. Where the subsoil ie poor, and it: always is where trenching is necessary, the opportunity to enrich it ihautd not bo | lost. Stable manure and vegetable mattor of almost every kind may be used for the purpose, but it is not advisable to manure the upper layer of toil, for manure in that position would interfere with planting. _ I know of no greater nuisance in this connection than to bo continually turning up manure, when planting. It should be understood that no plant will thrive if stable manure is iv contact with its roots. The time t6 manure ib after the planting is done. When it is intended to edge a bed or border with grass, therg are at least three ways of doing it; according to the means ut hand select your plan. The best way iv to lay a strip of turf and so complete the verge at once; if turf is scarce, n strip 4in wide may be put down for each margin ; fill tho centre with soil a and sow seed. If there is no turf available, arrange soil to form tho verge, leaving it three or four inches too wide on each side; sow it with seed; when the grass is up keep it well rolled for a time until it is firm, then out it baok to ita proper dimensions. Box edgings are often the most suitable, and when well laid they are very neat and ornamental, but most frequently they are improperly planted. To Btiok in cutting 3 a few iuohes apart, so that they may make an edging when they grow together, is a very unsatisfactory way of going about it; it never makes an edging worthy of the name. The cuttings, should bo put in in bunohos, bo, that there ib an unbroken line Of them, so thickly placed that they inako a perfect edging at once. Those only are satisfactory. Tho way to set about the work is. 1 throw .out a little treucth about 2iu de«|> throughout tho whole extent of the proposed edging. Mnke. the aide of the trench next, the. path perpendicular; throw all the soil on tbo border. Put in the cuttings against the upright side of the trench, drawing in a little soil to keep them in place; when the Hue is complete, draw in two-thirds of the soil, and ram it hard with a fencing rammer; now take the shear? and clip it into shupo. OJenr away the larger fragments; the small bits may be left in the trench; fill in tho rest of thft Boil and lenvo it loose. Ono of the most pleasing forms of j pleasure ground i& suitable troes, shrubs, 1 etc., arranged oti grow. Not only tiro suoh places when well dune very bsuutiful» Hut it is iho form of garden involving tho smtillcM; amount of !oi/our to keep it. To meny people they avo more beautiful than dug hed«- and border*. True. iC Ihc place ih amall, the number of plants grown is much iostrict«.J ; Hill this arrangement really nuvkoa a ntoiliuin sized ])Uce appear large, tor tbo whole space is available fov walking on.' In most cases where the space .suvroundiitc; tho living rooms of a house is not ftten&ire, a garden of this denuriprion will afford groater pleasure them imlifiVently kept beds and borders arid a small lawn. There is not much labour required beyond mowing tho grass, which often uf> fords healthful oterci&t for tho owner. who may not take kindly to the upada and hoe. Atjain, this stylo of placo if sumoj what iifKleoted siill loolcb wull, for long gru.w is sWU a very bad cyegoi'6;- it is , infinitely hotter than weedy borders. ' In tho ne\t "Noto.«" I will indicate 'ocmie useful MtyUs of planting, and nnuie the fcubjscts most huitaUU for places of difftrott lite*.

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