American Green: the Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn.Maintaining the ideal lawn is a constant battle against crabgrass crabgrass, name for any of several grass species of the genera Digitaria, Eleusine, and Panicum, especially the species D. sanguinalis. Crabgrass is a common lawn weed, especially in the S and E United States. , drought, weeds, and lawn-destroying vermin vermin /ver·min/ (ver´min) 1. an external animal parasite. 2. such parasites collectively.ver´minous ver·min n. pl. . For many people, this means the marshaling of gas-powered machines, potent fertilizers, and nasty herbicides. As toxic as that combination might sound, many homeowners wage this war with enthusiasm, writes historian Steinberg. He examines the evolution of people's obsession with the perfect lawn and reveals how turf grass, which isn't native to North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. , became the most popular crop in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . He traces the lawn's history from colonial days, when the Pilgrims transplanted turf from England, to its proliferation among post-World War II conformist con·form·ist n. A person who uncritically or habitually conforms to the customs, rules, or styles of a group. adj. Marked by conformity or convention: suburbanites. With humor and wit, Steinberg reveals the whimsical side of lawn care. This obsession with turf, however, has a darker side, in its dependence on pesticides and fertilizers, the author says. Steinberg offers suggestions for a more balanced approach to lawn care. Norton, 2006, 295 p., b&w photos, paperback, $16.95. |
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