Full TGIF Record # 283
Item 1 of 1
Material Type:Book
Monographic Author(s):Dawson, R. B.
Author Affiliation:Director, Board of Greenkeeping Research, St. Ives Research Station, Bingley, Yorkshire
Monograph Title:Practical Lawn Craft, 1939.
Publishing Information:London, England: C. Lockwood & Son
Edition:1st
# of Pages:316
Collation:300, xvi pp.
Series:Agricultural and Horticultural Handbooks
Series Editors:Long, H. C.
Evaluative Review:Appears in The Australian Greenkeeper, 3(4) March 1939, p. 4
Keywords:TIC Keywords: Lawn turf; Drainage; Sodding; Seed mixtures; Seed availability; Roadside turf; Mowing; Mowers; Topdressing; Fertilizers; Ferrous sulfate; Soil pH; Lime; Weed control; Weed identification; Mosses; Irrigation; Earthworm control; Insects; Fungi; Pest control; Turf renovation; Sports turf
Abstract/Contents:Includes chapters devoted to: The Lawn as a feature of Home and Garden; The History of the Lawn and the Scientific Study of Turf; Good and Bad Lawns (The causes of bad lawns -- The ideal lawn); Lawn Grasses; The Construction and Drainage of Lawns (Grading the site, Pre-treating and cultivating the soil, Final preparation of the soil bed, Drainage systems, Tile draining, Mole draining, Other ways of draining, and Drainage difficulties); How to Choose and Lay Sods; Grasses Procurable in Commerce; Choice of Seeds Mixture and Rate of Sowing; The Purchase of Grass Seeds; Sowing Seeds and Treating the New Sward; Making Verges and Banks; and The Vegetative Production of Turf; Grass Mowing and its Effects (Intensity, Frequency, Intensity and frequency combined, and Practical considerations); The Choice of a Mower; The Preparation and Use of Top-dressings; Fertilizers and their Practical Use; The Evaluation, Purchase, and Compounding of Fertilizers; Sulphate of Iron; Lime and the Preservation of Soil Acidity; The Weed Problem and Some Common Species; Weed Inhibition and Eradication (The use of sulphate of ammonia and sulphate of iron and Other methods of control); Moss; Mechanical Operations in Turf Upkeep Surface operations (rolling, raking, brushing and harrowing, switching and pricking) and Sub-surface operations (forking and spiking)); Artificial watering; Earthworm Inhibition and Eradication; Insect and other Pests of Turf (Leaher jackets, Cockchafer grubs, Dung beetle grubs, Fever fly grubs, Ants, and Other species); Fungal Diseases of Turf (Diseases of newly-sown turf and Diseases of established turf); Eradication of Vermin (Moles, Rabbits, Rats and field mice, and Birds); Turf Growing Under Trees and in Difficult Situations (Turf under trees, Lawns in towns and cities, Moorland soils, Sandy soils, and Verges and slopes); the Renovation of Neglected Lawns; Some "Don'ts" in Lawn Upkeep -- A Summary; A Diary for the Year; Golf Course Management; Upkeep of Turf for Bowls, Lawn Tennis, and Croquet (Bowling greens, Lawn tennis courts, and Croquet lawns); Management of Football, Hockey, and Cricket Grounds (Hockey pitches, Association and Rugby football pitches, Cricket grounds, and Sports grounds used all the year round); Upkeep of Polo Grounds, Racecourses, and Other Turf Areas (Polo grounds, Racecourses, Turf on made-up land, Play grounds, and Cemetery turf); Establishment and Upkeep of Aerodromes; and Turf Upkeep in Some Other Countries.
Library of Congress
Subject Headings:
Lawns
Language:English
References:Chapter refs.
See Also:See also related article "English authority prefers fall sowing" Lawn Care, 12(57) September 1939, p. 4, R=263309. R=263309

See also 2nd revised edition, 1945, R=210584. R=210584

See also revised and reprinted unnumbered edition, 1947, R=210495. R=210495

See also 3rd revised edition, 1949, R=33218. R=33218

See also 4th revised edition, Practical Lawn Craft and Management of Sports Turf, 1954, R=280. R=280

See also 5th revised edition, Practical Lawn Craft and Management of Sports Turf, 1959, R=281. R=281

See also 6th revised edition, Practical Lawn Craft and Management of Sports Turf, 1968, R=37360. R=37360

See also 7th revised edition, Dawson's Practical Lawncraft, 1977, R=37359. R=37359
See Also:Other items relating to: Classic Reads in Turf
Note:Pictures, b/w
Figures
Tables
Maps
Foreword by R. G. Stapledon
Includes appendix: "Table of composition of fertilizers"; pp. 282-283
Includes appendix: "Fertilizer mixing table"; p. 284
Includes appendix: "Dimensions of grounds, etc."; p. 285
Includes appendix: "Diagrams of sports grounds"; pp. 286-293
Includes index; pp. 294-300
Includes advertisements, p. i-xvi.
"First published MCMXXXIX"
Annotation from Turfgrass History and Literature: Lawns, Sports, and Golf, by James B Beard, Harriet J. Beard and James C Beard:"A relatively rare book on the basics of turfgrass establishment and culture as they evolved in England in the 1930s. A set of chapters in the back discusses golf courses, bowling greens, lawn tennis courts, croquet courts, soccer fields, rugby fields, hockey fields, cricket grounds, polo fields, horse racecourses, cemeteries, and airfields. Some references are cited. Also discussed is the development and maintenance of turfgrasses in other portions of the world. This book is a must for collectors of historical turfgrass books. There is a foreword by Professor R. George Stapledon. R.B. Dawson proposed the following compost preparation procedure for material to be used in topdressing greens:

In practice a good compost heap is best built up with alternate layers of soil (9 in. deep) and organic matter (3 to 4 in. deep) the heap being allowed to stand for a period of about 12 to 18 months to ensure good decomposition. The material is then cut down and screened. Sharp sand may then be added. For most purposes a 3/16-in. mesh is adequate, but for finer turf a 1/8-in. mesh should be used, and when large quantities have to be handled a rotary screen is essential. It is advisable to test the material for weed seeds by placing some in a box and keeping it moist and warm. If dung is used as the source of organic matter it is important to realize its variability, due to the type of food fed to the animals, the kind of animal, the age of the dung, the storage, and the nature of the litter. Horse manure on peat moss-bedding is generally accepted as the best for this purpose, since more of the liquid excrement is retained in the peat and there is less likelihood of weed impurities than with straw litter. Compost heaps and prepared material should always be protected from the elements. A heat exposed to rain loses nitrogen, while screening is made difficult if the material is saturated with moisture. It is a good plan for a new heap to be in course of construction at the time the old one is being brought into use so that a continuous supply is available. All the dangers and anxieties of using soil and manure containing weed seeds in compost piles can readily be overcome by the process of sterilization by heat. There are three main methods by which this may be carried out, namely by baking, by steaming, and by electricity." p. 206-207
Beard Section Heading:Bibliography of books/monographs on turfgrass culture
Beard Rarity Statement:Relatively rare
Beard Special Note:Identified by James B Beard in Turfgrass History and Literature: Lawns, Sports, and Golf (2014) as being old and rare based on his experience.
Quotable quotes"From the earliest times an adequate, well-maintained lawn has been an essential and basic feature of the gardens of this country. Indeed, our lawns and sports grounds are as characteristic of our national life as our homes and firesides. Wherever men of these islands have made their homes, even in the most inhospitable parts of the earth, they have striven to produce and maintain lawns as an unconscious link with their Homeland." p. 15
ASA/CSSA/SSSA Citation (Crop Science-Like - may be incomplete):
Dawson, R. B. 1939. Practical Lawn Craft. 1st. ed. 300, xvi pp. London, England: C. Lockwood & Son.
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Accession number: 9780422
Accession number: 476437056    Note: 1938
Accession number: 315846462
Accession number: 559620597
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MSU catalog number: b1790249
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