Cricket 1896

S e p t . 17, 1896. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 435 ON CRICKET GROUNDS. N ote . — A. small portion of this article, which is by an expert, appeared last week in Lawn Tennis ; but with the permission of the Editor of Lawn Tennis the author has kindly greatly enlarged its scope, and adapted it to the requirements of cricket grounds. His instructions will be founl most valuable. The wear aud tear which a crickeb fi^ld undergoes during the season of play makes it imperative that the work of restoring to the turf the fine grasses that have disappeared should be taken in hand directly play has erased. The fertility of cricket fields is a point too frequently overlooked, forgetting or not knowing that it is impossible to grow a fine healthy close-bottomed turf under a system of management which signifies starvation. It is not generally known that the present season of the year is a very favourable one to undertake the formation of a new ground or the renovation of grass that has b :en under constant use through the summer, and it is with this that we are just now more concerned. As a rule people do not realise the fact that a cricket pitch cannot go on for ever without some kind of cultivation. Grass is continually, year after year, being cut from it, and nothing is added to the soil to stimulate the plant, which weakens and wilts by constant mowing. Con­ sequently, in timeit becomes impoverished, and moss and weeds take the place of grass; it has a bad appearance, and causes disappointment all round. Often, too, the ground is over-run with coarse­ leaved weeds, such as plantain, dandelion, daisy, buttercup, and yarrow, and these robust plants soon assert their authority. Where they are not spread thickly, there is no more satisfactory plan than hand weeding. Firstly, then, all weeds must be taken out, not merely cut off at the top, but spudded out, root and all, and it requires a deal of perseverance to do it effectually. The operation may give the whole an unsightly appearance for a little time, but if the following instructions are noted, a fine clean piece of grass may later on be looked for. At the leading cricket grounds I believe it is the custom for the groundmen to carry a small spudder in their pocket, and whenever walking across the grass they see a weed it is their duty to lift it out. In this connection a schoolmaster cricketer of my acquaintance had a novel experience. His cricket ground was one mass of plantain, and thinking he would make a good job of it, he employed a duzen boys from his school to eradicate them as he thought, but the wily lads, instead of lifting the plants out, root and all, simply cut off the tops for the sake of expediency. All went well for a while, but these selfsame crowns, although shorn of their growth, had been storing their sap through the winter only to push forth with renewed vigour at a favourable season in the spring, so that the last stage of that ground was worse than the first. Here, then, is the remedy for the benefit of those it cjneerns. Thoroughly scratch the surface with a heavy rake or close-tinned harrow as a preparation for the seed, and to clear out many of the weedy grasses that have laid hold of the soil by pushing Out the useful varieties, level all depressions with fresh soil free from weed roots and weed seeds; sow grass seeds at the rate of one to two bushels per acre (if only the pitch and wickets are renovated two gallons of seed will be sufficient), cover the seeds slightly with soil, if the herbage is thin, and roll the whole tightly down. At one time nothing but turf from old pastures was used for the purpose of mending worn grounds; now, however, many of the leading clubs keep a reserve of turf beds sown with pure grass se3ds for cutting up as wanted on damaged wickets, whilst the “ outfield” is sprinkled with fresh seeds, which are well rolled in, and materially thicken the herbage and give it that elasticity so much sought after on a good cricket ground. It would not require that we should go back many years to find that the practice of forming of repairing a cricket or other pleasure ground with grass seeds was almost unknown—at any rate, the method was only followed by experts and others who were aware of the advantages such a system afforded over laying down common turf taken from waysides, or commons (always so full of weeds of the vilest description), and it is now pleasing to find that the custom prevails in the other direction, and every­ one uses pure grass seeds if he is to expect a fine, close and clean sward of grass covering his ground, and to such an extent does the fashion rule that the business of collecting and cleaning the seeds up to the highest standard of excellence is quite an important industry. Messrs. Carter, the well-known London teedemen, tell us that nothing but grass seed produces the delightful green herbage in the London parks, at Lord’s, the Oval, and many other leading resorts of pleasure and recreation. The tropical rains that have fallen during the last week have put a good deal of colour into the grass, but if an examination is made, it will be found that the grasses that have been mostly encouraged by this natural consequence, are generally those of a course nature, and in making a rank growth they literally smother those varieties which, from their fineness of character, form the backbone of good turf, and ought to be in evidence and induced to pre­ ponderate. Another enemy to these fine grasses, that make the verdant carpet thick and lasting, are the ponderous rollers that are used on many cricket grounds—in my opinion they do more damage to the pitch than all the spikes and batsmen’s fancies. What with the sun, hard water, constant shearing, and heavy rolling, it is a wonder that any herbage is visible at all; indeed, it is impossible for tender growth to exist under such drastic treatment. In face of the most adverse circum­ stances, it is marvellous what good management will effect—and the splendid face that ia put upon wickets prepared for first-class matcties at both u jrd ’s and the Oval, reflects the greatest credit upon . the superintendents of these famous resorts. Both are situated well inside the influence of the London smoke, generally s> hurtful to grass, and yet under a scientific course of culture and the en­ couragement of those grasses that will best withstand it, the depth of colour presented at both these grounds iscommon remark; and is, no doubt, greatly helped by the use of carefully prepared manures. It is a common, but fallacious, notion that grass seed will grow and become lastingly green wherever, whenever, aud however it may be sown. I have known instances where the seed hasbeen scattered on bare clay, which had not even been honoured with a scratch of the rake. I need hardly mention that the birds highly approved of this method, which they evinced by devouring every seed. Not very long ago, a lady came to me sorely perplexed because she could not get grass to grow upon her lawn—it would persist in coming up between the gravel stones on the garden path. The cause of this was not far to seek; she had simply scattered the seed on the surface, without any attempt to press it into the soil, with a result that the wind carried it to a spot where it could safely lodge, and spring into growth. This brings to mind a defect often apparent in country cricket fields. A small piece is kept shorn for the pitch, while the out-field and the headlands are allowed to run to waste. It is in such places that the vilest weeds find their happy lot cast, and they flower and flourish amazingly, the wind blows their seed about in all directions, aud no better resting place can be found than the prepared piece iu the centre of the field, wuere constant treading and rolling help to make a seed bed of the finest order, and up come the weeds, which soon assert themselves over the struggling grass. These self-same weeds, however, are of nature’s offering, and all that can be done is to keep them in check to the best of one’s ability. D. M c D o n a ld . GRANVILLE: TOUitldl\j v. -EKiji’.—Played at .Lee on September 12. T o u r is t s . W. llorris, c F.Glover, b Passmure .......... 0 S. Ellis, c F. Glover, b Passmore................. 5 F. G. Bull, c Wilson, b Passmore ..........29 C. J. M. Godfrey, st .Lloyd, b Pate........ 9 A. S. Johnston, c and b Hersee ................ 0 L. it. Havers, not out 60 VV. Austin, not out... 9 Extras................ 3 Total(5 wkts)*115 C. Austin, F. E. Lander, P. P. Lincoln, J. Moore, and A. It. Layman did not bat. *Innings declared closed. E. T. Lloyd, c Bull, b Godfrey .................11 W. J. Greer, c John­ ston, b Godfrey .. 3 L. R. Glover, c Mor­ ris, b Godfrey.......... 5 E. Furze, not out A. Hersee, b Bull Extras.......... Total (4 wkts) 25 F. Helder, J. A. Johnston, W. S. Pate, R. F. Tay­ lor, F. B. Wood, T. L. Passmore, E. F. Lamb, F. E. Glover and H. Wilson did not bat. N E X T ISSUE, T HUR SDA Y , OC TOBER 29.