The Minneapolis journal. [volume], May 07, 1906, Page 11, Image 11

About The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939

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HOW TO DEVELOP
BEAUTIFUL LAWNS
Government Expert Gives Important InformationMix-
The Best Grasses.
In speaking of grasses adapted to
successful lawn making the govern
ment horticulturist savs:
"In general, because of the varied
conditions of shade and moisture exist
ing upon a lawn as the result of trees,
shrubs and architectural objects, mix
tures are more desnable than pure
grasses. The dift'eient degrees of shade
and moisture maintained in the soil
which result from the presence of trees,
shiubs, and buildings afford a variety
of conditions under which a single spe
cies would not produce a uniform lawn.
tures Produce Better Results Than Pure Grasses-
Quantity of Seed Is of Great Importance.
Washington, May 7.Civic improve
ment associations of several cities.^ave
asked the hoiticultnrists of the agricul
tural department for advice on lawn
beautification. Responding to these in
quiries L. C. Corbett, the horticulturist
in charge of the Arlington experiment
farm suggests that the lawn should al
ways be useful as well as beautiful. Its
beautv, he points out, depends upon
the contour of the land, the color and
texture of the grass, and the uniformity
of the turf. The use of the lawn is to
provide a suitable setting for architec
tural adornment and landscape plant
ings. "Every device," he says,
"should be employed when working
with small areas of ground to give the
lawn as great extent as possible. The
building should be well back, the foun
dation not too high, and the grading of
the ground should be slightly convex
that is, a gently convex, rolling surface
from the base of the foundation to the
street linerather than concave. The
extent of a lawn is also amplified by
preserving as large areas of unbroken
greensward as possible. This means
the use of trees and shrubs only on bor
ders or margins of the lawn, rather than
a promiscuous dotting of them over the
greenswaul."
These obstructions to the sunlight pro
duce lights and shades in different parts
of the lawn, so that any difference
which may exist in the color of the va
rious grasses in a lawn mixture is not so
obtrusive as it would be were, different
portions of the area made up of grasses
of different hues. Even if there is va
riation in the tints of the green in the
different grasses used in a lawn mixture,
this will not be objectionable unless the
lawn becomes patched and made up of
one variety in one place and a different
variety in another.
"In procuring seed for establishing
a lawn, too great care cannot be exer
cised. Pure seed, of high germination,
is of great importance in securing a
good stand of grass. Pure seed is the
keynote to a clean lawn, provided the
work of preparing the land has been ef
ficiently done. Thoro preparation in
volves not merely the mechanical treat
ment of the soil to reduce it to a proper
seedbed, but the use of weed-free ma
nure and the adoption of a course of
treatment previous to preparing for the
lawn which will serve to eradicate
weeds. Such preparation, coupled with
pure seed, should give a satisfactory
stand of grass which shall need only
the usual care necessary to maintain a
lawn after it is once established. Too
much cannot be said in favor of secur
ing pure seed, and, if possible, special
lv selected seed. This is of considera
ble importance with light seeds like
bluegrass. redtop, and seeds of the bent
grasses. In the case of bluegrass, se
lect seed weighs about twentv-two
pounds to the bushel, while the /ordinary
grade of bluegrass, altho it may be
called pure, averages about twelve
pounds to the bushel. Select or re
cleaned bluegrass is, therefore, the most
economical to buy, altho the original
cost is considerably more than that of
the common commercial article.
Hit &%
"The quantity of seed to be used
upon a lawn is of decided importance.
It is better to use an excessive amount
of seed and allow natural selection to
eliminate the weak specimens, rather
than to s'fced sparsely, with the hope
that the natural habits of the plants
will be sufficient to enable them to
take possession of the entire area. A
thick stand of plants'of the desired
species gives little opportunity for the
development of weeds, while a thin
stand of the same species offers a place
for the growth of weeds, which may
become determined competitors for the
possession of the grounds, thus sub
jecting the gardener to the necessity
of eliminating the weeds or of re-estab
lishing the lawn. Heavy seeding
of grass is, therefore, a very important
matter in the establishment of lawns."
Continuing, Mr. Corbett says: There
is a legitimate difference ojf opinion in
regard to the season at which it is best
to plant a lawn. There are those who
are very successful in lawn-making who
depend entirely upon fall planting, and
there are others who are equally suc
cessful, who advocate the practice of
spring planting. Both of these systems
are successful, and the prospective
lawn maker can use the method which
best suits his convenience.
"Spring planting is more certain of
results than fall planting in the long
run. The drawback to spring planting
is that work must frequently be delayed
longer, than is desirable because of un
favorable soil conditions, particularly
upon heavy and retentive soils. Young
plants suffer severely from heat and
drought if they have not had an oppor
tunity to grow and form considerable
root before the hot period comes on.
Weeds which come in advance of the
spring planting of the lawn can be
overcome in a measure by giving the
land partial preparation in the autumn
and allowing the first crop of weed
seed to germinate before cultivation and
the preparation of th'e seed bed is com
pleted, using this cultivation to destroy
the first crop of weeds as well as to
prepare the seed bed for the lawn. The
later weeds can be held in check by
frequent clippings with the mower.
All the operations connected with
the maintenance of a greensward art*
directed toward securing a uniform sod
or turf over the entire extent of the
lawn. In order to secure this the
plants which constitute the lawn should
be kept in a luxuriant, vegetative con
dition and never pillowed to go to seed.
There is no operation connected with
plant life which is so trying upon the
vitality as the production of seed. In
Mon^^venin-: THE MENINEAPOLIS JOURNAL.
order to keep a close, even surface over
the area, it is necessary to use a mow
er frequently, but in using the mower
the clipping should not be done" close
enough to deprive the plants of suf
ficient leaf area to carry their nor
mal functions
that is ton say as a
general rule the Fawn mower should be
set high rather than low. Upon* newly
established lawns the operation of clip
ping should not be delayed until the
grass is too high. As soon as & mower
with a blade two inches high will cut
the ends of the leaves, the mower
should be passed -over the surface. By
repeating this at close intervals dur
ing the growing season a better and
more uniform stand of grass will be se
cured.
Mistake to Avoid.
"It is a mistake to*let a lawn go in
an unkempt condition during the first
months of its existence. It should from
the beginning be subjected to the same
treatment which is to "be carried on
later in its life. It is not advisable to
clip the lawn frequently during periods
TUESD
of drought, but even during these po- trees and shrubs upon small places
nods it is not well to allow the plants should occupy subordinate positioos.
to produce seed stalks. The general
plan of keeping a lawn clipped to a
height of two inches is a very safe one
to follow. The clipping, too, should be
sufficiently frequent to prevent the ne
cessity of raking' off any considerable
quantity of material after each clip
ping. If the soil is moist, very rich,
and* the growth luxuriant, it will be
cessity to rake off the\ clippings, but
on conrpai atively poor soils the clip
pings will not be detrimental unless
they produce an unsightly effect. Be
fore growth has advanced to any con
siderable extent each spring,'the lawn,
as soon it is comparatively drv,
should be gone over with a heavy lawn
roller, so as to embed firmly any of the
grass roots which may have been
loosened by frosts and to reduce the
surface to a uniform condition.
"While walks and drives should al
ways be direct, they should be made
to conform to the contour of the sur
face. In large areas and where the
surface is undulating thev should fol
low the contour of the land instead of
being made straight. On small areas,
however, there is no advantage in
curved walks, The straight line is the
shortest distance between two points,
and in general furnishes the most ap
propriate approach to a house or out
building. The relation of the green
sward to the walk or drive, however, is
not that of directness, but that of
beauty.
"All walks and drives in private
places or in parks should be sufficiently
Semi-Annual Clean-up of Black and
Colored Dress Goods.
below the level of the greensward to
be hidden from the observer standing
at right angles to the walk and a few
hundred feet from it that is, to such an
observer it ShOTnd present an unbroken,
continuous effect. By this means the
apparent extent of the area can be
reatly increased, while, if the walk or
rive should, be elevated above the level
of the -greensward, the lawn would have
the appearance of being cut up into
small patches or platsa very unde
sirable condition in the lawn 01 a park
or private place.
The edges of the greensward should
be carried to the edge of -the gutter or
walk with a gentle roll rather than
with an abrupt bank. Banks or ter
races are not-desirable. Gentle, sloping
surfaces are more easily kept in posi
tion, more easily, grassed, and present
a more pleasing appearance than abrupt
banks. The gentle roll, when properly
made, will serve the same purpose in
edging the walk, or drive as the abrupt
bank.
Trees and Shrubs.
'As has already^ been suggested,
The should not be scattered promis
cuously over the surface of the lawn,
but should be used in groups about
the border of the grounds, in the bays
of walks and drives, and about the
foundation of the architectural features
of the place. Street trees of necessity
must be planted in rows, but all other
adornments in the form of trees and ^11
shrubs should be used in a free rather*
than in a formal fashion. Sheared
hedges of box or privet along the front
of a place or upon the borders of the
walks and drives are seldom or never
desirable features, unless the "whole
treatment of the place is ^onffel. A
specimen" tree or shrub if properly lo
cated "upon -the lawn so as to break
up the barrenness of a corner or to limit
the vision in any direction is an ap
propriate object. Oftentimes trees and
shrubs can be used to good effect in
the immediate vicinity of buildings for
softening or relieving staring architec
tural lines. Of late many plans for
the decoration of gardens and grounds
have suggested the use of trees and
shrubs more in the manner of paling
fences and statuary than as living ob
jects carrying individuality. The aim
should be to preserve the natural lines
and characteristics peculiar'to each
species of plant used in any decorative
scheme, rather than to shape the plants
into artificial forms. It is the height
of folly to prune evergreens in the
form of Chinese vases, animals and
articles of furniture. This type of
L. S. DONALDSON, President. HEW TOBX, ft Walker St PARIS, 3 Cite Trcvio*.
hort Lengths. From Yards at Price.
SEASON' S FINES AND NEWES FABRICS.
Nothing in the shape of a Remnant reservedAll Remnants marked
at regular prices. You get them at JUST HALF PRICE TUESDAY.
For instance, a remnant, the regular price of which is $2,00, yqu
get it Tuesday at just half, $1.00 and so*on through, entire lot.
Store Open at 8:30 Sharp. Come Early for Choice.
j|^ May 7, 1906.
distortion is becoming altogether ._
talent in the mad rush toward the sup
posed return to nature. Let us not
forget in the treatment of our places
that nature unadorned- is adorned most,
and that the normal, naturally pruned
tree or shrub is much more beautiful
than the one which has been trimmed
into mimicry of some artificial object.
"Trees and shrubs should be used
to conceal unsightly objects in the fore
ground or in the background, to give
the idea of surprise or discovery in
passing from one portion of a large es
tate to another, and for the purpose
of increasing the apparent length in
drives which double back upon them
selves in .parks and pleasure grounds.
Evergreens which are used upon the
lawn should have the lower branches
preserved so as to produce the effect
of raising from the ground not merely
by a single stem but as a mass. Shrub
bery groups should also be chosen so
as to carry the foliage of the group to
the greensward rather than to present
a considerable extent of bare stalk be
tween the foliage of the shrub and
lawn,'' Low BatesM. & St. L. Special Ex
cursions.
To Portland, Ore., Tacoma, Seattle
and Puget Sound points (account meet
ing Hotel Men's association, June 25-
29) one fare for the round
tripC
w/m
MINNESOTA
HISTORICAL
30C1ETY,
vi
variable routes. Tickets on salae Jun"a
18-22, limited to sixty days.r pay
ment of slight additional charge tickets
al1
tho
uWith
2
wa
vn,,+0Ad nna
ma,T +u^"i, ri
on
route
fornia
To Boston, Mass., one fare plus $1.00
for* meeting American Medical asso
ciation, June 5-8. Liberal limits.
Tickets on sale June 2-5.
To Des Moines, Iowa, one fare plus
$2.00 unless fare and one-third makes
less, for General Assembly, Presby
terian church, May 16-29. Tickets on
sale May 14-17 and 21-23, limited to
May 31.
T?o Soringfield, 111., one fare plus
$1.00 for the round trip, account An
nual Meeting, German Baptist Breth
ren, May 31-Juno 5. Dates of sale
June 1, 2, 3 and also on May 29 and 30
to advance delegates. Liberal limits
offered.
To Louisville, Ky., one fare plus 25
cents for the round trip, account Home
coming Week for Kentuckians, June
13-17. Dates of sale June 11-13. Tickets
limited to June 23, except extension to
thirty days from date of sale may be
obtained on payment of 50 cents.
For full particulars in regard to
rates, train service, etc., call on agents
or address A. B. Cutts. G. P. & T. A.,
Minneapolis, Minn.
11
FOR
FANCY DRESSES
FOR
TAILORED SUITS
on Bargain Tables.
FANCY BRILLIANTINES.
FANCY SICILIANS.
PLAIN MOHAIRS.
PARIS VOILES.
PARIS CREPES.
RAINPROOF COATINGS.
GERMAN HENRIETTAS.
ALL WOOL CHEVIOTS.
CREPE ALBATROSS.
Plenty of Room.
Plenty of Help.
~-zr/%f
!R PROVES^
AN EASY MARK
CABL NIMLOS LOSES $50 TO F&BGO i
BUNCO MEN.
Took a Stranger's Check for $100 in
Consideration of a Loan on the Spot
of $50 in CashHis Excuse Is that
"We Don't Have Bunco Men in
London, Don't You Enow.''
Special to The Journal.
Fargo, N. D., May 7.Banco men found an
easy victim in Carl Xlmlos, late of London.
Nimlos has relatives at 216 Corn Exchange, Min
neapolis, and said' if the police found the $50
to have it returned to him at that address. As
an excuse for becoming such an easy mark,
Nimlos announced that "we don't have banco
m in London, don't you know."
He v.as seated in the Waldorf awaiting the
train for Grand Forks. A stranger entered Into
conversation -with him and nab also going- to the
same point. They decided to walk around the
city awhile, and have their grips sent to the
station. Nimlos was. informed that his compan
ion was skipping a carload of groceries to Grand
Forks. On the way to the station they met a
third man, claiming to be the station agent, who
said the groceries were loaded and the freight
would be $50. Nimlos' companion tendered a
check for $100 The psendo agent stated It
was against the company's onders to take checks
and he must have the money.
"Would Mr. Nimlos take the check for secu
rity and advance $50 till Grand Forks wai
reached
Mr. Nimlos would and did.
He waited at the station a few minutes for
his friend who had gone to see about the car
of gioceries, and then told his troubles to the
police.
For seven vears the big threshing machine
firms of the country have refused to have exhib
its at the state fairs. This year they wlU make
an exception In favor of the North Dakota state
fair to be held In Fargo July 23-28. The reason
given is that Fargo stands second of the cities
in the United States as a farm machinery dis
tributing point and as there is suck a large
stock of machinerv here exhibits can "be ar
ranged with less difficulty and expense than at
other fair meetings
The fair management is being overwhelmed
with requests for space Recently it was decid
ed to double the building space for such pur
poses, and now it is feaied that ther will not
be sufficient room
An educational exhibit open to all the high
schools of the state will be an important fea
ture Secretary Wilson announces the premium
lists are about ready for the press, and every
thing Is progressing most satisfactorily.
um
1
FOR
HOUSE DRESSES
emnants
FOR ^C,^* .-rfg
CHILDREN'S WEAR
4f