ld that has been allowed to run to
tall grass, can be reclaimed quite simply. Go over it early in the
spring with a heavy roller to get rid of minor hollows and general
unevenness. Thin, worn spots, where it is obvious that no grass has
grown for years, should be fortified with a load or two of good top
soil, rolled and planted to grass seed. Other spots, usually under
shade trees where there is the mossy growth of sour soil, should be
sprinkled liberally with lime. Repeated treatments will soon correct
this condition and grass can again be made to grow there. As soon as
the grass is of proper length begin to cut it with the lawn mower.
Also, continued applications of the weighted iron roller throughout
the spring will gradually improve the general contour and make for
smoothness and ease in lawn mowing.

This is strenuous work both for the lawn mower and the person
operating it. The former will probably be nearly worn out by the end
of the summer, so in choosing this tool get a good but not too
elaborate one. Later, when the grounds are in good condition will be
time enough to indulge in the better grades of hand or even power
driven lawn mowers. Likewise, we do not recommend the task of either
rolling or breaking in a lawn to a man who has led a sedentary life
for years. It will be cheaper in the long run to engage a muscular
individual in the locality who understands and is accustomed to such
work. Whether such an one is engaged by the hour, day, week or year,
we would add a word of warning based on our own blundering
experiences. Beyond being sober, honest, and willing, make sure he is
strong enough for such heavy work, that he is reasonably intelligent
and, most important of all, that he is not "working to accommodate."
The latter is frequently voiced by members of decadent native families
who resent the curse of Adam and like to assume that any gesture
toward the hated thing, called work, is purely voluntary rather than
necessary. If these words fall from the lips of a man you are
considering for odd jobs and tilling of the soil, leave him severely
alone and look for a good energetic individual who knows he was made
to work and is glad of it. Otherwise, the "accommodating" one will
condescendingly show up for work an hour late, regard you with a
pitying smile as you outline the job, and then allow that of course
you are the boss but you are going at it all wrong. When, after
lengthy discussion of how an intellige