by Jerry Klein
SC' ihiieihiie: !
Our ingenious scientists have made it possible for you to have a luxurious lawn without yesteryear's back-breaking toil.
Mm
Top: With a power mower you can cut your lawn with
ease; and if you attach the spike aerator behind, the
packed soil is loosened, helping better lawn growth.
Bottom: Special applicator allows you to water and
fertilize at the same time. Tube in pail draws the
plant-food solution into hose, mixing it with water.
Ireen thumbs are ' on the way out this
Spring. So are sprained backs, skinned knuckles,
and broken fingernails.
On the way in is a new era in which you'll be
able to grow a rich green lawn with practically
none of the formerly tedious labor. You'll never
be able to acquire a lush carpet of grass without
some work, but new mechanical gadgets and
chemical aids reduce lawn labor to a minimum.
Let's say your lot is barren because the soil is
sandy or hard-packed. Your local garden-supply
or hardware store can recommend a fertilizer that
will get it ready for seeding. They may suggest
using " humus, peat moss, manure, other organic
matter or superphosphate.
You can also get a conditioner to mix with the
topsoil that breaks tight soil into crumbly loam
without spading or screening.
When and how you prepare your lot for seeding
depends, of course, on where you live and the
condition of the soil, but there are some general
principles. In many parts of the country, the
county agricultural agent or state experiment sta
tion will analyze a sample of soil to see if it
requires sweetening lime before grass is planted.
When your ground has teen prepared, it's time
for the grass seed. It's been said that 75 percent
of the seed strewn by the nation's 25 million lawn
owners is wasted because it's the wrong type or is
improperly cared for. So let your local gardening
supply house or agricultural agent advise you on
the best seed for your particular soil and climate.
To make doubly sure of a durable, thick carpet
of green, grass seeds' now are treated with dis
infectant chemicals to help protect them against
decay after planting. Treated seeds have produced
more than twice as much grass as the same seeds
untreated, and the plants are bigger, healthier, and
greener, and have stronger roots.
' Seed should be spread evenly . on moistened
earth, covered with a light layer of soil or pressed
down with a roller or board. Then it should be
kept moist as it germinates.
Almost as soon as the young plants are above
ground, they are subject to attack by fungus
organisms. To fight these off, modern chemistry
has provided fungicides to control turf diseases.
As your grass grows, it will be invaded by crab
grass or other weeds. But no longer need you root
them out. You just spray your lawn with special
chemicals that kill the weeds but not the grass.
To lawn growers, crab grass seems to be Public
Enemy No. 1. Before being killed by frost each
Fall, this weed can throw some 90,000 seeds to in
sure survival in the Spring. But the new chemicals
eliminate crab grass before it runs rampant. They
can be .applied with a sprinkling can, pressure
sprayer, or siphon applicator which automatically
mixes them with the water from your hose.
Also available is a perforated plastic film which
you spread over freshly-seeded ground to speed
growth. Used on grass, flowers, or vegetables, this
plastic prevents the growth of weeds, retains
moisture, and increases the sun's effectiveness.
As the days grow hotter, your lawn will get
thirstier. But remember that frequent, shallow
watering encourages weeds. It's better to water
your grass less often, but give it a good soaking.
Such thorough dousings don't mean the lady of
the house has to become a "grass widow" several
. evenings a week while hubby handles the hose.
There are plenty of sprinkling attachments that
water the lawn for you.
. Thanks to all this care, of course, grass has the
habit of growing. And the faster it grows, the
faster your lawn mower must spin. But even keep
ing your grass trimmed needn't be fatiguing, with
today's power-driven mowers.
You can even get attachments which enable your
power mower to do a variety of other chores. With
these units, for example, your mower becomes a
snowplow, sprayer, pump, tiller, aerator, or electric
generator!
Besides, the day may soon be here when you'll
scarcely have to cut your lawn at all. American
and British scientists have been working on a
chemical to stunt the growth of grass. This triumph
of easier lawn growing may go on sale soon.
4 ' Family Weekly, April 7, 1957