Repairing carpet burns A guest accidentally drops a cigarette, and the next thing you know you're looking at a burn in your beautiful carpet. Don't be too upset. It's not difficult to repair carpet bums. If the burn is superficial, sim ply snip off the charred ends and then scrub the area with liquid dishwashing detergent and wa ter. After it's dry, wash again with white vinegar diluted with a little water. For deep bums, the new Ortho book "All About Home Repairs" advise? that you cut out the damaged fibers down to the backing. If you can lift the rug or car pet, use a needle to weave * matching fibers through from the back. When the hole is fill ed, put a spot of rubber cement on the backing and then trim the tops of the fibers until it's flush with original. If you can't get to the back of PAGE 8 - PLAINDEALER - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26,1900 the rug, cut away the damaged area and then pull some fibers from under a cnair or little used corner. Roll these fibers into a tuft, glue one end into the hole » and trim the surface. This is one of many well- illustrated ideas in Ortho's book on basic home repairs. Superficial burn 3. When dry wash again with white vinegar 1. Snip otf charred ends 2. Wash with,liquid dishwashing detergent and water SEE US AT THE FOR A IB LITTON S B # M i c r o w a v e C o o k i n g ^ ̂ Free Microwave Cooking Demonstrations DATE: SATURDAY, MARCH 29th TIME: 11:00 AM TO 3:00 PM PLACE: PARKLAND JUNIOR HIGH • Learn how easy it is to cook with Litton's Meai-In-One™ Microwave Oven. • How to cook 1,2,3 foods, even a complete meal, all at once! • How to grill a cheese sandwich in 90 seconds, cook bacon in 2 minutes, bake a potato in 4 minutes! • A trained home economist will answer all your questions about microwave ovens. • Come taste the results for yourself! PRICES START AT: *349.00 Litton... changing the America Cook^. Low price Litton range with microwave, too! More for your money! A microwave and a range all in one. • Combines microwave speed with conventional heat. • Coil top. • Automatic oven control. • 60-minute microwave timer. • Large 3.2 cu. ft. interior. • Cooks with metal utensils. • Easy-clean porcelain interior. ffl LITTON Model 621 CAREY APPLIANCE 1241 ty. Green St. SALES & 385-5 McHENRY, ILL. , . . . .-r-rr-r 9P vTvvvi AU It's nice to relax on a grassy lawn under the shade of a tree. But many people I grow a good lawn in the shade. The fact is that many beautiful lawns are grown in the shade. A new book from Ortho titled44 All About Lawns" gives you tips on how to grow lovely, soft grass in the shade of a tree. One of the important things to do is plant a shade tolerant grass. Ortho's book contains a listing of grasses according to their ability to grow in the shade. How to grow beautiful lawn under the shade of trees Growing a beautiful lawn in the sun is one thing; trying to grow it in the shade of a tree is another. It's not unusual to want a spreading shade tree and a lovely, soft lawn underneath. But if you have tried to achieve this and ended up with thin and spotty grass that gradually died, you know the problem. While many people may think that establishing a qqplitv lawn in the shade is very dif ficult, the fact is that it need not be. Many beautiful lawns are grown in the shade of trees. The important thing is to realize the relationship between the tree and the grass under neath. The grass growing under neath a tree is competing with the tree for water and nutrients. Even more importantly, it's competing for light. If the shade is heavy enough, the tree will almost always win out. But there are many types of shade--half shade, light shade, heavy shade, dappled. The first thing to keep in mind is that a lawn needs about SO percent of the sunlight passing through a tree to sustain it, according to Ortho's new book "All About Lawns." Sometimes the simplest solu tion to providing your lawn with enough sun is to prune the tree. If you thin properly, it's possi ble to remove as much as 40 percent of a tree's leaf surface without drastically altering its appearance. In fact, it usually enhances it. Water deeply, but do not over water. This is important when trees are growing on the lawn. Shallow watering causes sur face rooting, which in turn causes mowing problems and al lows tree roots to rob the lawn of its nutrient needs. Another tip is to mow the lawn higher. More blade length means more light trapping abil- ity. Also, don't leave grass clip pings and fallen leaves, These can smother growing grass and increase damage from pests. This is especially true in shaded areas. One of the most important steps in developing a successful lawn in the shade is to plant a shade-tolerant grass. A good book on lawns, such as Ortho's "All About Lawns." lists grass es according to their ability to grow in the shade. Even within species, certain varieties are more shade- tolerant than others. Therefore, it's important to know the strengths of different types of grasses. The choice of grass may re quire some forethought. If you recently planted a tree, you may feel that shade is not a problem now. However, it may be in the future, so plan ahead. If your lawn is already in and you are considering planting trees, be sure tp choose trees which cast filtered shade. Also, don't over plant and create a blanket of heavy shade. If you want to select a proper type of tree for your lawn, a book such as Ortho's "The World of Trees" will be invalu able in helping you make an educated selection. It's worth the small amount of work necessary to make sure the lawn under your tree is healthy. It not only looks good, but there are no^many things more relax ing on a warm day than sitting on a soft, thick lawn under the shade of a spreading tree. . That age-old question: How often should you mow grass? How often you mow your lawn wilt vary with its rate of growth. A well-fertilized Ber muda grass may need mowing every two or three days in mid summer. Cool season grasses become dormant during summer heat, and mowing may be necessary only once every two or three weeks. According to Ortho's new book. "All About Lawns." the best rule of thumb is this: Mow when the grass is one-fourth to one-third taller than its custom-»• arv mowing height. In other words, if your lawn's mowing height is 2 inches, mow it when it's about 3 inches high, removing one-third of the height of the grass blade. A good book on lawns, such as Ortho's, will give you the correct mowing heights for different types of grasses. If you let your grass grow too high before you cut, you risk damaging your lawn. For example, if you cut away more than naif the blade when you mow. you expose stems that have been shaded and are not adapted to strong sunlight. Mowing when the grass is too fiigh results in deterioration of green leaf tissue at lower levels. Perhaps most important, roots . are severely shocked.by a heavy mowing and may nccA se*enl ? Some homeowners enjoy mowing their lawns. Others enjoy having someone else mow it for them. Whatever the case, an important thing to remember is not to let your grass grow too high before you cut it. According to Ortho's book "All About Lawns," you should mow when the grass is one-fourth to one- third taller than its customary mowing height. The book also gives the correct mowing heights for different types of grasses. weeks to recover. In effect, infrequent mowing and removal of too much grass at one time, will eventually pro duce a lawn with a thin, spotty or burned out appearance. Research has shown a direct relationship between height of cut and the depth of roots. Roots disease. It also has a lUsh and of graseiprapffljMnewuchfr tt* ' heaHh/lbbk/'"" , M correct height will grow deeper. Deep roots are an advantage and make lawn care much easier. Mowing at the right height is an important part of good lawn maintenance, and a well- maintained ' lawn1 resists inva sions of weeds, insects and