GRASS-Walks are made, for the most part, not by sowing grass-feed, but by laying turfs; and indeed the turfs from a fine common or down are much preferable to sown grass; but if walks or plats are to be made by sowing, the best way is to procure the feed from those pastures where the grass is naturally fine and clear; or else the trouble of keeping it from spiry or benty grass will be very great, and it will scarce ever look handsome.
In order to sow grass-walks, the ground must be first dug; and when it has been dressed and laid even, it must be very carefully raked over, and all the clods and stones taken off, and then covered over an inch thick with good mould.
This being done, the feed is to be sown pretty thick, that it may come up close and short; it must then be raked over again, to cover the feed, that if the weather should happen to be windy, it may not be blown away. It ought also to be observed, that where grass is sown in gardens, either for lawns or walks, there should always be a good quantity of the white trefoil or Dutch clover sown with it; for this will make a fine turf much sooner than any other sown grass, and will continue a better verdure than any other of the grass-tribe.
In order to keep grass-plats or walks handsome, and in good order, you may sow in autumn fresh feed over any places that are not well filled, or where the grass is dead: but nothing improves grass so much as mowing and constant rolling.
When turf is laid in gardens, it is a generally practice to cover the surface of the ground under the turf, either with sand or very poor earth: the design of this is to keep the grass fine, by preventing its growing too rank. This is proper enough for very rich ground: but it is not so for such land as is middling, or but poor; for when this is practised in such places, the grass will soon wear out and decay in patches.
When turf is taken from a common or down, such ought to be chosen as is free from weeds: and when it is designed to remain for years without renewing, a dressing should be laid upon it every other year, either of very rotten dung, ashes, or, where it can be easily procured, very rotten tan; but these dressings
should be laid on early in the winter, that the rain may wash them into the ground, otherwise they will occasion the grass to burn, when the warmth of the summer begins.
When grass is so dressed, and well rolled and mowed, it may be kept very beautiful for many years; but where it is not dressed, or fed with sheep, it will rarely continue handsome more than eight or ten years.