Green World

AN INDUSTRYWIDE PUBLICATION OF THE NEW JERSEY TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION

Volume 5, Number 2 

An unusually large number of mushrooms of the fungus, Marismius oreades, the most commonly 
occurring form in New Jersey, appear in this small fairy ring. Many years ago people believed that 
fairies danced in a circle and caused the mushrooms to grow. Now it is known that a fairy ring is a 
concentric growth of a fungus from a central point.
ABSTRACT
Some Effects of Subirrigation on 
Bentgrass During Heat Stress in the 
Field
J. V. Krans and Gordon V. Johnson 
Aaron. J. 66:526-530 (1974)

Nature As Polluter 
A Recurring Theme
During an international conference 
on biometeorology several years ago at 
the then College of Agriculture and 
Environmental Science of Rutgers Un­
iversity, a speaker provoked a lively 
discussion when he suggested that the 
air over our Continent was thoroughly 
polluted long before the arrival of the 
white man.

A field study was conducted to eva­
luate the merits of subirrigation on 
Agrostis palustris Huds. during a 4- 
month period of heat stress. Effects 
were evaluated from clipping yields, 
chlorophyll content and root distribu­
tion.

Three irrigation treatments were ap­
plied to artificial soils of washed mor­
tar sand and a sand-soil mixture. Tem­
perature adversely affected clipping 
yields and chlorophyll content during 
excessive heat stress (30 to 35 C) early 
in the summer. Clipping yields 
remained low, but color gradually dar­
kened following the initial stress per­
iod. Reduction in clipping yields was 
greater for the mix than sand. Chlor­
ophyll content was not consistently 
affected by the kind of soil.

Sprinkle irrigation and sub­
irrigation from a fluctuating water 
table resulted in similar yields, whereas 
subirrigation from a single stable water 
table at 30 cm produced significantly

In his view, the millions of pine 
trees in the primeval forest loaded the 
air with toxic terpenes, even creating a 
haze over dense forests. How else, he 
asked, could we explain the frequent 
absence of clear air over the Great 
Smokies?

Others have given thought to 
Mother Nature as polluter also, among 
them John M. Patek who offered his 
observations and opinions in “News 
and Views,” journal of the American 
Horticultural Society (and later in 
“The Shade Tree,” bulletin of the New 
Jersey Federation of Shade Tree Com­
missions.) Wrote Mr. Patek:

Spring, 1975

“In general, no satisfactory control 
measure is known for fairy rings at 
the present time. ”

Fairy Ring 
Disease
Of Turfgrasses

Philip M. Halisky, 
Professor of Plant 
Pathology, Cook Col­
lege, Rutgers Univer­
sity

The seasonal occurrence of mush­
rooms and puffballs in turgrass areas is 
relatively commonplace. Such mush­
rooms create an unsightly appearance 
that mars the aesthetic quality of oth­
erwise well-maintained turf. Further­
more, these fungi may present a health 
hazard since some of the species en­
countered on lawns are known to be 
toxic to man.

In a 1964 survey turf specialists from 
30 locations in North America reported 
on the severity of various turfgrass 
diseases. In lawns they ranked fairy 
rings as the most serious disease en­
countered, while on golf courses fairy 
rings were ranked fourth in severity.

SYMPTOMS

Fairy rings are most commonly seen 
as complete rings, arcs, or crescent 
shapes of grass which is dark green. At 
times circles of bare ground or weeds 
are seen without any mushrooms. At 
other times mushrooms may appear in 
a circle without the presence of the 
dark green band of grass.

In mid-summer the affected grass 
wilts, turns brown, and dies. Often the 
ring becomes invaded by weeds. In the 
absence of rain or irrigation the soil in 
the ring may become compact and 
hard.

Fairy rings develop most frequently 
in weakened turf lacking in nutrients, 
or in soil high in undecomposed organ­
ic matter. Commonly they are seen in 
turf areas such as pastures that are dry 
and low in fertility. Fruiting bodies 
(mushrooms or puffballs) may appear 
when soil moisture is available.

(Page 5, please)

(Page 4, please)

(Page 3, please)

Comments and Opinions

BILLIONS!

SUSTAINING MEMBERS

As an undergraduate in the Depression Thirties, I had a 
mathematics professor of Scottish origin who was impressed with 
all the millions of dollars spent by the New Deal. He asked us 
students how long it would take us to count a million dollars. More 
recently we have moved from millions to billions. Northeast 
Agriculture reminded its readers recently that:

One billion seconds ago the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.
One billion minutes ago was a world 40 years after the death of 
Christ.
One billion hours ago man had not set foot on the face of the 
earth.
One billion dollars ago was yesterday. Yes, nearly one billion 
dollars per day or nearly 350 billion dollars for the 19/5-76 budget 
according to reports from Washington. This is a lot of “grass seed”!

- R.E.E.
SAYS TIME TO CALL OFF PESTICIDE ‘WITCH HUNT’

The New Jersey Turfgrass Associa­
tion is pleased to receive the following 
sustaining memberships:

Markos Bros. Nurseries, Inc.
Staten Island, N.Y.

Lofts Pedigreed Seed, Inc.
Bound Brook, N.J.

The Terre Company
Saddle Brook, N.J.

Garfield-Williamson, Inc.
Jersey City, N.J.

Mercer Contracting Co. 

of Trenton, Inc.

Trenton, N.J.

Lawn King, Inc.
Fairfield, N.J.

Greenthumb Spray Service
North Brunswick, N.J.

Leon’s Sod Farm
Frenchtown, N.J.

Rockland Chemical Co. Inc.
West Caldwell, N.J.

OFFICERS OF THE N.J.T.A.

Peter Loft
President
Bert Jones
Vice President
Ralph Engel
Secretary and 
Consulting Editor
William Ritchie

Treasurer

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Paul Boizelle 
Dave Buchholz 
Frank Cacavio

Fred Eden

Edgar Krause 

W. C. “Chuck” Wilson 

Roy Bossolt 
Past President

Green World is published three times a year by 
the New Jerwey Turfgrass Association, P.O. Box 
231, New Brunswick, N.J. 08903. Ralph Engel, 
consulting editor; Russell Stanton, managing 
editor. Please address inquiries concerning adver­
tising to Bert Jones, advertising director, 975 
Ball Ave., Union, N.J. 07083.

“We almost lost 2,3,5-T because they 
were injecting massive dosages of the 
chemical into pregnant mice which 
caused birth defects in the offspring!

“DDT has been fed to weanling 
mice in dosages 30,000 times what a 
human might ingest in a day on a 
weight-by-weight basis.”

Gordon L. Berg, for many years an 
observer of the agricultural scene, 
thinks this kind of research should be 
brought to an end. In fact, the headline 
over his editorial in Farm Chemicals 
magazine shouts: “It’s time to ban 
massive dosages.”

He goes on to report that EPA now 
admits that the research was “unrelia­
ble” that led to its conclusion that 
2,4,5-T was a severe health hazard — 
but only after lengthy and agonizing 
delays with EPA contending that expo­
sure to 2,4,5-T “might present an im­
minent hazard to women of child­
bearing age.”

WHAT’S AHEAD?

Another summer is almost upon us, 
bringing the ususal mixed bag of sur­
prises, hard work, fun, frustrations, 
disappointments, and whatevers.

But sure to be challenging and inter­
esting, particularly in the season of 
1975.

Green World leaves you now to 
return in fall, possibly better than ever. 
You can help make it that way by 
sharing with other readers your exper­
iences and opinions. No need to be 
literary — just helpful to the rest of us.

The editor’s mailbag as usual is wide 

open.

In the same editorial Berg cites Dr. 
Emil Mrak, an internationally recog­
nized food scientist who found someth­
ing of special interest to him in a report 
of the Communicable Disease Center 
of the Public Health Service. This was 
to the effect that about 93 percent of 
the food intoxicants reported at that 
time were microbial and not chemical 
in origin.

In view of these and other circum­

stances, Berg suggests:

“We should all work diligently to 
ban the practice of injecting massive 
dosages of pesticides in test animals. 
The pesticide industry has an enviable 
25-year record when it comes to effects 
of exposure to pesticides.

“It’s high time that the pesticide 
witch hunt comes to an end and more 
effort be expended toward greater food 
production in this era of shortages.”

IN APPRECIATION

In behalf of all members of the 
N.J.T.G.A. your editor wishes to 
express thanks for the generous sup­
port of our sustaining members who 
are listed for your information on this 
page.

Equally worthy of our thoughtful 
and continuing notice are the remind­
ers of useful products offered by our 
advertisers. Their use of our columns 
helps ensure the continued success of 
Green World.

There’s no more sincere way to say it 

than “Thank you.”

(Fairy Ring, from Page 1)

LIFE HISTORY

Initial turfgrass infestation generally 
occurs when pieces of mycelium 
(thread-like fungus body) are intro­
duced with soil, sod, or by wind-borne 
spores. Livestock and poultry manures 
may contain spores of fairy ring fungi. 
Fungus growth starts at a central point 
and spreads outward making an ever- 
widening circle or partial circle. An­
nual outward growth of a fairy ring 
may be as little as a few inches or as 
great as 1 to 2 feet.

The ring grows outward because the 
fungus seeks new food sources after 
having depleted its food supply. Accu­
mulation of soil ammonia also encour­
ages growth of the fungus outward. 
Apparently, stimulation of green grass 
inside the ring is not due to the activity 
of the fungus mycelium. Rather, the 
old mycelium in this soil region is 
decomposed into available nitrates by 
other soil microorganisms. These 
nitrates stimulate the grass which 
grows as though recently fertilized.

In the process of growth of the rings 
the fungi produce such a thick, heavy 
mat of mycelium in the upper 4 to 8 
inches of soil that it becomes difficult 
for water to penetrate to the grass 
roots. Nutrients may also be unavaila­
ble. A lack of water and/or nutrients 
may contribute to the kill of grass.

Fairy rings may persist for years in 
the soil. In certain places in Europe 
they have been observed in the same 
areas for hundreds of years. In western 
Canada one fairy ring is estimated to 
be over 200 years old, while in Colora­
do two giant rings are estimated to be 
approximately 600 years old.

CAUSES OF DEATH

Three theories explain how soil- 
borne fairy ring fungi cause death in 
turfgrasses. They are:

1)  The mycelium of the fungus 
densely permeates the soil 
rendering it impervious to 
penetration by water.

2)  The roots of the turfgrasses 
are invaded by the parasitic 
fungi which cause the fairy 
rings.

3)  These causal fungi produce a 
volatile, highly phytotoxic 
gas called hydrogen cyanide 
(HCN) in the soil.

Throughout the world more than 60 
species of mushrooms and puffballs 
are known to be associated with fairy 
rings in turf. The exact mode of action 
responsible for causing death depends 
on which particular mushroom or puff­
ball is involved and what type of a ring 
is formed.

MUSHROOMS AND PUFFBALLS ASSOCIATED WITH 

TURFGRASS FAIRY RINGS IN NEW JERSEY

Fungus Name

Marasmius oreades
Agaricus campestris
Paneolus retirugis
Lepiota naucina
Calvatia cyathiformis
Clitocybe species
Psilocybe foenisecii
Agaricus arvensis
Total fairy ring fungi 

TYPES OF RINGS

Fairy rings are identified by the type 
of ring or circle that is produced. In 
general, three types of rings are known. 
TYPE 1 — Those rings in which the 
grass is killed or badly damaged, usual­
ly resulting in a circle of bare ground 
that is devoid of grass. The outer area 
in advance of this dead zone is charac­
terized by a ring of stimulated grass 
that is both darker green and taller 
than the surrounding grass. A second 
ring of stimulated grass may be formed 
toward the inside of the dead zone. 
Mushrooms or puffballs may or may 
not be present in any of these areas. 
Type 1 rings impart the most severe 
injury to turfgrasses.
TYPE 2 — Those rings in which the 
turfgrass is stimulated but in which no 
dead zone develops. A Type 2 ring is, 
therefore, less injurious to turf than a 
Type 1 ring. Again, mushrooms or 
puffballs may or may not be present. 
TYPE 3 — Those rings in which no 
effect on the grass can be detected; 
either by stimulation or death of grass. 
Type 3 rings are identifiable only by 
the presence of fruiting structures 
(mushrooms or puffballs). Type 3 rings 
are, therefore, least injurious to turf­
grasses.

From the above descriptions it is 
apparent that a Type 1 or Type 2 ring 
can be detected whether the fruiting 
bodies of the responsible fungus are 
present or absent. In contrast, a Type 3 
ring can only be identified when fruit­
ing bodies are present.
INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENT
The influence of environment on 
symptom expression and on growth of 
fruiting structures is evident from the 
fact that where mushrooms are present 
during a wet year they may fail to 
reappear during a dry year. Similarly, 
green bands of stimulated grass that 
are present one year may disappear the 
following year, and then reappear in 
later years. The unpredictable char­
acter of these phenomena indicates 
that symptom expression and mush­
room development probably are relat­
ed to the vicissitudes of the weather.

Ring Type

Type 1
Type 2
Type 3
Type 3
Type 2
Type 1
Type 3
Type 1

(1964-1968) 
5-Year Total

55
41
20
18
13
11
6
2
                 166

The extent of injury to turf by fairy 
rings is also related to the maturity of 
the rings. Thus, older rings are charac­
terized by more conspicuous zones of 
stimulated grass than are younger 
rings. Very old rings, on the other 
hand, commonly develop zones of wea­
kened or dead grass infested with 
weeds. Lack of moisture also aggra­
vates the damage from fairy rings as 
indicated by their increased prevalence 
during periods of prolonged drought.

FAIRY RINGS IN N.J.

In 1964 a 5-year study was underta­
ken at Rutgers University to identify 
the mushrooms and puffballs causing 
fairy rings in turfgrasses and to cate­
gorize the type of ring each species of 
fungus is associated with. The fleshy 
fungi were collected from turfgrass 
areas during May through November 
each year from 1964 to 1968. The turf 
areas examined included home lawns, 
golf courses, public parks, school 
grounds, industrial lawns, pastures, 
roadsides, and research plots. Along 
with environment were noted such ob­
servations as distribution patterns, 
population numbers, and season of 
greatest abundance. The rings were 
classified into Type 1, 2 or 3 based on 
factors such as turfgrass stimulation,

Fungicides
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turf diseases.
Bromosan Turf Fungicide
The newest broad spectrum systemic fungi­
cide for those persistent trouble areas.
Caddy
PMAS (10%)
Spotrete
Granular Turf Fungicide 
Cad-Trete

Herbicides
MCPP Plus 2,4-D 
Methar 80 
Methar 30 
AMA Plus 2,4-D 
AMA (Super Methar)
Specialties
All Wet
Clear Spray 
Tru-Green 
Grass-Greenzit

P.O. Box 10, Somerset, N.J. 08873

Section through a fairy ring showing the area of soil occupied by the mycelium of the mushroom.

dead-zone formation, and other 
symptoms associated with fairy ring 
formation.

Fungus fruiting bodies were identi­
fied in the laboratory where spore 
prints were made to aid in fungus 
diagnosis. The results of this study 
showing the kinds (species) of fungi 
collected and the types of rings they 
form are given in the table.

In New Jersey the most commonly 
occurring fairy-ring mushroom (Mar- 
asmius oreades) forms Type 1 rings in 
turfgrasses. This is the type of ring that 
injures turfgrasses most severely. In 
fact, 41 percent of all the rings exa­
mined in turfgrass areas in New Jersey 
were of the injurious Type 1 category.

fumigation may appeal to the 
homeowner because the method is safe 
and relatively simple. However, it 
requires the removal and discarding of 
sod from the area of the ring plus 18 
inches around the outside perimeter of 
the ring. Because of the extensive work 
and high cost involved, removal of soil 
and/or fumigation is often prohibitive.
In general, no satisfactory control 
measure is known for fairy rings at the 
present time. All turfgrasses appear 
susceptible to this disease. Persistent 
soaking with water using a tree-root 
probe or hydrogun fastened to a gar­
den hose plus fertilization will help to 
reduce symptoms of fairy rings in turf.

CONTROL OF FAIRY RINGS

LITERATURE REFERENCES

Attempts to control fairy rings in 
turf have proven to be very difficult 
and the most promising treatments 
have been shortlived. Innumerable at­
tempts have been made to retard or to 
eliminate fairy rings by use of fungi­
cides, fumigants, removal of soil, ferti­
lization, and the application of high 
levels of water. Many fungicides have 
been tested to find one that will com­
pletely eradicate the fungus.

To date the search for such a chemi­

cal has been fruitless.

The better fungicides appear to 
retard fungal growth but only tempor­
arily. Eventually the rings reappear. In 
the past, phenyl mercury acetate- 
(PMAS) and cadmium-containing fun­
gicides were used at twice the recom­
mended dosage for foliar application. 
However, these compounds are now 
restricted from use on turf in New 
Jersey.

The newer benzimidazole systemic 
fungicides (such as benomyl) are not 
effective in controlling fairy rings and 
may even stimulate their activity (See 
Green World, Vol. 2, No. 2, May 
1972).

FUMIGATION

1.  COUCH, H. B. 1973. Diseases of turfgrasses.
(Fairy Rings, pp. 41-51) Krieger Publish­
ing Company, Second Edition, 348 pages.

2.  GOULD, C. J. 1964. Turfgrass disease prob­
lems in North America. Golf Course 
Reporter 32(5): 36-54.

3.  HALISKY, P. M. and J. L. PETERSON.
1970. Basidiomycetes associated with fairy 
rings in turf. Bulletin Torrey Botanical 
Club 97:225-227.

4.  KOZELNICKY, G. M. 1974. Fairy ring. Golf

Superintendent 42 (6) June : 32-37.

5.  LEBEAU, J. B. and E. J. HAWN. 1961. Fairy
rings in Alberta. Canadian Plant Disease 
Survey. 41 :317-320.

6.  LEBEAU, J. B. and E. J. HAWN. 1963.
Formation of hydrogen cyanide by the 
mycelial stage of a fairy ring fungus. 
Phytopathology 53 : 1395-1396.

7.  SHANTZ, H. L. and R. L. PIEMEISEL.
1917. Fungus fairy rings in eastern Color­
ado and their effect on vegetation. Jour­
nal Agricultural Research 11 : 191-246.

If the fairways of Florida’s more 
than 600 golf courses were aligned end 
o end you could tour the state by 
t
playing golf around its 1,197 miles of 
general coastline and then up its 447- 
mile length, and finally play across its 
widest breadth of 361 miles without 
ever leaving the interlocking fairways.

Fumigation by formaldehyde or by 
methyl bromide is feasible if the rings 
are few and small. Formaldehyde

Contentment is the smother of in­

vention.

(Nature, from Page 1)

“The concept of nature the purifier 
versus man the polluter is an emotional 
product of the technically uninformed, 
for if our air were totally free of the 
impurities now classified as pollutants, 
there would be no life. They are neces­
sary for life. Nature itself is a great 
polluter, often on a grand scale. Man’s 
problems result largely from concen­
trations of pollutants over limited ar­
eas.

“The oxygen in the earth’s envelope 
of gases is attributed by some to green 
plants. True, they release oxygen dur­
ing their daylight hours of photosynth­
esis, but they also take up oxygen in 
the process of respiration.

“Overlooked is the question of which 
came first, the plant or the oxygen. 
Moreover, when the green plants die 
and decay they absorb oxygen and 
return carbon dioxide to the at- 
mosphre. Thus plants produce no sig­
nificant net gain in oxygen.

“At the University of Utah, scientists 
found evidence of important atmos­
pheric sulfur pollution from bacterio- 
genic sulfur released by anaerobes 
from muds. At particular seasons, these 
compounds may rival industrial sulfur 
effluent.

“Another instance of nature’s pollut­
ing may be found with estrogens which 
have been cited as cancer-inducing 
agents. They are found naturally in 
lettuce, soybeans, and corn which are 
reported to contain quantities of estro­
gens above government limits estab­
lished for synthetic estrogens in food 
products.”

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(Subirrigation, from Page 1) 

lower yields. Subirrigated plots also 
had significantly lower chlorophyll 
production than sprinkle-irrigated 
plots. The reduced color associated 
with subirrigated treatments apparent­
ly resulted from poor aeration.

Root development was deeper (45 
cm vs. 30 cm) and total mass greater in 
the sand than in the mix. This differ­
ence was attributed to a greater % 
air-filled pore space and lower N levels 
in the sand. Differences in root mass 
between irrigation treatments were 
related to aeration differences in subir­
rigated plots and N nutrition in surface 
irrigated treatments. Sprinkler- 
irrigated plots required periodic syring­
ing while temporary wilting was not 
observed on subirrigation plots.

Comments by R. E. Engel, Research 
Professor in Turfgrass Management, 
Cook College, Rutgers University:

All who have labored at watering 
turf have thought about underground 
irrigation of turf. While installations of 
this type which are tried from time to 
time, serve a developmental purpose, it 
is equally important that we learn 
some agronomic facts about the turfg­
rass plant, soil and water. Results of 
special interest from this study are: (1) 
The better grass performance with the

fluctuating water table, as compared 
with a fixed water table, in under­
ground watering shows that a soil can 
be too wet for best growth of bentg­
rass; (2) The reduced color associated 
with subirrigated treatments shows 
something is needed in such systems to 
overcome the problems of excessive 
wetness and poor soil aeration; and (3) 
the greater need to syringe on the 
surface-watered cultures suggests that 
their daily surface watering created a 
more wilt-susceptible turf.

In addition, the soil moisture read­
ings showed that surface-watered plots 
had lower water content below the top 
5 cm of the 30 cm (12 inches) depth of 
soil as contrasted with the drier surface 
and better soil moisture at greater 
depth in the 30 cm of subirrigated soil. 
Does this indicate that we should grow 
turf on a soil that is drier in the two 
surface inches and has higher moisture 
below? This theory offers several ad­
vantages.

With regard to the growing of turf 
on a subsurface water table, I have 
always hoped someone would conduct 
a long-term study to determine the 
cumulative effects on root residues and 
other factors.

Lawn and turf are prey to 100 differ­

ent disease-producing organisms.

ABSTRACT
Evaluation of Kentucky Bluegrass and 
Red Fescue Cultivars for Sod Produc­
tion. R. H. Hurley and C. R. Skogley, 
from Agronomy Journal 67:79- 
82(1975).
Until recently, much of the commer­
cial sod produced in the Northeast has 
been ‘Merion’ Kentucky bluegrass 
(Poa pratensis L.). Many turf authori­
ties now feel that blends of improved 
Kentucky bluegrass and red fescue 
(Festuca rubra L.) cultivars should be 
used to broaden the genetic base of the 
mixture. This type of mixture would be 
adaptable to a wider range of environ­
mental conditions.

‘Merion’, ‘Baron’, ‘Fylking’, and 
‘Pennstar’ Kentucky bluegrasses and 
‘Jamestown’, ‘Highlight’ (Festuca rubra 
var. commutata Gaud.) and ‘Penn- 
lawn’ red fescues were studied singly 
and in mixtures for commercial sod 
production. Cultivar compatibility in 
mixtures was evaluated by turf quali­
ty ratings and tiller counts, rate of 
establishment, durability as measured 
by tensile strength of harvested sod, 
and rate of sod knitting after trans­
plant.

All cultivars and mixtures provided 
acceptable visual turf quality with Bar­
on, Pennstar, and Baron-Pennstar, 
Merion-Baron mixtures providing the 
highest turf quality ratings.

Agri-Chemicals

Division of United States Steel
PO Box 1685. Atlanta. Ga 30301

Tensile strength was not altered by 
use of improved Kentucky bluegrass 
cultivars alone or in mixtures. Red 
fescue significantly reduced sod 
strength when included in mixtures 
with Kentucky bluegrass. This reduc­
tion did not affect handling of the 
harvested sod when up to 67 percent 
red fescue by weight was included in 
the seed mixture.

Jamestown and Highlight red rescue 
produced significantly more tillers than 
Pennlawn, and those cultivars were 
better able to compete with Merion 
Kentucky bluegrass.

Comments by R.C. O’Knefski, Asso­
ciate in Turfgrass Management, Cook 
College, Rutgers University:

This study shows that red fescue can 
be grown with Kentucky bluegrasses 
without serious loss of sod strength. 
This negates one of the reasons why we 
cannot provide mixed sod of Kentucky 
bluegrass-red fescue for the many 
homeowners who are looking for sod 
which can be grown in shade. Use of 
straight Kentucky bluegrass for this 
purpose in the Northeast is futile. 
Many of the newer varieties of red 
fescue are more aggressive and resis­
tant to diseases. Some of these diseases 
have been responsible for the loss of 
sod in moderate or heavy shade.

Thus, we may be able to grow sod in 

the shade better than before.

Dr. Robert Duell of Cook College 
established variety trials last fall at 
Rutgers in moderate shade. These 
should help us to evaluate many of the 
newer varieties for shade purposes. 
These trials should also be on consider­
able value in determining the better 
varieties for sod mixtures.

GAS NEAR RECHARGING
BATTERY CAN EXPLODE
An auto or tractor battery that’s 
being recharged can explode into a 
possible faceful of battery acid and 
shrapnel-like pieces of battery.

Charging a battery generates 
hydrogen gas, and it takes only a little 
hydrogen, plus oxygen, to form an 
explosive mixture with a great deal of 
power. Enough to blow a battery apart.
Obviously, it’s foolish to smoke near 
a battery that’s being charged, but 
equally important, be careful about 
making sparks when you connect or 
remove terminal cables.

To be safe, when you “boost” a 

* Remove the cell caps from both 

battery, do this:

batteries.

*  Connect the positive ( + ) termin­
als of the two batteries first, making 
the first terminal connection to the live 
battery. Then make the negative ( — ) 
connection to the live battery.

*  Connect the negative terminal of 
the dead battery to the frame, bumper, 
engine block, or some other good 
grounding spot away from the battery. 
Then, if you make a spark it will be 
farther away from the battery that is 
emitting the explosive hydrogen.

When you charge a battery remove 
the cell caps. Connect the charger to 
the terminals of the battery, positive to 
positive, negative to negative, before 
you plug the charger into the electrical 
outlet. After charging, first unplug the 
charger, then take off the terminal 
connections.

TURF
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Fusarium Blight, 
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TURF PRODUCTS

New Jersey Turfgrass Association 
P.O. Box 231
New Brunswick, N. J. 08903