UNITED 
GREEN  SECTION  EASTERN  REGION 

STATES  GOLF  ASSOCIATION 

N O R T H E A S T E RN   D I S T R I CT 

M I D - A T L A N T IC   D I S T R I CT 

R u t g e rs 

U n i v e r s i ty 

NEW 

B R U N S W I C K. 

N EW 

J E R S EY 

7 11  W e st 

A v e n ue 

J E N K I N T O W N, 

P E N N S Y L V A N IA 

EASTERN 

TURFLETTER 

A L E X A N D ER  M.  R A D KO 
E A S T E RN  D I R E C T OR 

C H A R L E S K . H A L L O W E LL 
M I D - A T L A N T IC  D I R E C T OR 

R A Y M O ND  E.  H A R M AN 
N O R T H E A S T E RN  A G R O N O M I ST 

Noo  4 

A u g u st  1 9 61 

T HE  H E A T 'S  ONJ 

"The  h a p p i e st  p e o p le  a re  t h o se  w ho  a re  too  b u sy  to  be  u n h a p p y" 

In  s u m m e r,  g o lf  c o u r se  m en  in  m a ny  w a ys  r e s e m b le 

•••so  goes  the  old  q u o t e]  W e l l,  t h e re  are  few  b u s i er
k e rs  t h an  t h o se  w h o se  p r o f e s s i on  is  to  m a i n t a in  and  m a n a ge  t u rf 
g r a s s es  for  g o l f#  
the  p o p u l ar  " o n e - a r m ed  p a p e r - h a n g e r " • • • t h ey  h a ve  n u m e r o us  d e t a i ls 
to  t a ke  c a re  o f . • • s o me  m i n u t e . • . s o me  r a t h er  s i z e a b l e . •#b ut  a ll 
e x a c t i n g]  F or  t h e se  b u sy  m e n,  their  r e al  b a r o m e t er  for  h a p p i n e ss 
is  the  a p p e a r a n ce  of  " t h e i r"  g o lf  c o u r s e . • . Y ou  c an  a l m o st  g u e ss  t he 
c o n d i t i on  t he  c o u r se  is  u p on  a r r i v al  w h en  y ou  s t ep  up  and  s h a ke 
h a n ds  w i th  the  m an  in  c h a r g e. 

  s u m m er  w o r-

T h e re  a re  n u m e r o us  o b s t a c l es  in  the  p a th  of  h a p py  t u r f,  and 

h a p py  s u p e r i n t e n d e n t s.  S o me  of   the  m o re  i m p o r t a nt  o n e s • • / d i s e a s es 
• • . w i l t . . . s c a l d . . . w e e d s . . . h e a vy  s o i l s . . . t h a t c h , • . h u m an  e r r o r . •. 
g r a i n . . . c o m p a c t i o n.  To  s t a te  t h em  is  s i m p l e,  b ut  the  d i a g n o s e s, 
the  c a u s al  r a m i f i c a t i o n s,  and   the  c o r r e c t i o ns  for  e a ch  a re  n ot  so 
s i m p le  to  c o me  up  w i t h . . . e s p e c i a l ly  w h en  t h e se  p r o b l e ms  a re  com-
p o u n d e d. . . i . e.  d i s e a se  on  w i l t . . . d i s e a se  on  d i s e a s e . . . m e c h a n i c al 
i n j u ry  on  w i l t . . . w e e ds  in  a  n ew  s e e d i n g . . . e t c. 

L e t 's  e x a m i ne  the  p r o b l em  of  S C A L D « . . w h i ch  is  a l so  d e f i n ed 
s o m e t i m es  as  W ET  W I L T , . .a  p r o b l em  w h i ch  is  p r e v a l e nt  in  a r e as  of 
this  r e g i on  at  this  w r i t i n gs 
s a t u r a t ed  c o n d i t i on  of  the  s o i l,  f o l l o w ed  by  h i gh  t e m p e r a t u r es  and 
h i gh  h u m i d i t y.  T h is  S p r i ng  s e a s on  w as  v e ry  r a i ny  and  s o i ls  h a ve 
b e en  too  w et  r i g ht  a l o n g . . . t h en  c a me  o c c a s i o n al  v e ry  h e a vy  r a i n-
f a l ls  in  m i d - J u ly  f o l l o w ed  by  h i gh  t e m p e r a t u r es  and  h i gh  h u m i d i t y. 

S c a ld  o c c u rs  w h en  we  h a ve  a  s u p e r-

U n d er  t h e se  c o n d i t i o n s,  the  s o il  m o i s t u re  and  the  m o i s t u re  in 

t h a t ch  b e g in  to  h e at  up  ( S u p e r i n t e n d e n ts  w i ll  s w e ar  it  b e g i ns  to 
B O I L)  and  the  o x y g en  s u p p ly  is  c u t - o f f . . . g r a ss  r o o ts  are  s t a n d i ng 
in  w a t er  and  c a n n ot  f u n c t i on  p r o p e r l y . • • t h ey  c a n n ot  b r e a t h e,  so 

t h ey  b e c o me  l i mp  and  d i s c o l o r ed  and  if  n ot  r e c o g n i z ed  q u i c k ly  as 
a  c o n d i t i on  of  s c a l d,  t h en  the  g r a s s es  w i ll  die* 

A  s y m p t om  t h at  u s u a l ly  a c c o m p a n i es  s c a ld  is  the  s c a l p i ng  of 
g r e e n s . . . t he  s o i ls  a re  s o ft  and  g r a s s es  a re  p u f f y . . . a nd  the  m o w er 
s i n ks  into  the  t u rf  and  c u ts  lower  t h an  it  n o r m a l ly  w o u l d. 

W h at  is  the  c o r r e c t i on  r e q u i r ed  to  k e ep  the  g r a s s es  f r om 

d y i ng  w h en  i n j u r ed  by  s c a l d?  As  c o n t r a ry  as  it  s o u n d s,  t he  f i r st 
t h i ng  to  do  is  to  a p p ly  w a t e r . . . j u st  a  l i t t le  b i t . . .a  s h o w e r i ng
s y r i n g i ng  of  the  t u r f . . . r e g a r d l e ss  of  t i me  of  d ay  or  w h e t h er  or  n ot 
the  s un  is  b e a t i ng  d o wn  on  the  t u r f.  O f t - t i m es  a  m e m b er  of  the 
G r e e ns  C o m m i t t ee  w i ll  be  c o n c e r n ed  t h at  w a t e r i ng  w h i le  the  s un  is 
b e a t i ng  d o wn  on  the  t u rf  is  d e t r i m e n t a l.  It  is  n ot  the  t i me  of 
d a y,  b ut  h ow  m u ch  w a t er  is  a p p l i e d ' t h at  is  i m p o r t a n t] 

  or 

Y e s,  it  is  n e c e s s a ry  to  s y r i n ge  or  s h o w er  the  t u rf  s e v e r al 

t i m es  d a i l y - - a nd  this  is  to  C O OL  T HE  T U R F . . . by  c o o l i ng  the  t u r f, 
we  s l ow  d o wn  its  r a te  of  r e s p i r a t i o n . . . a nd  by  d o i ng  s o,  we  r e d u ce 
the  u r g e nt  n e ed  for  o x y g e n . . . a l s o,  there  is  s o me  o x y g en  f o r c ed 
t h r o u gh  the  b l a d es  w h en  s y r i n g e d . . . a nd  so  the  l o ss  of  t u rf  is  m i n-
i m i z e d. 

W h at  o t h er  t h i n gs  m u st  be  d o ne  at  the  t i me  of  S C A L D? 

(1)  A e r a te  the  m o st  t r o u b l e s o me  g r e e n s . . . t h o se  w h i ch  a re 

p o o r ly  d r a i n ed  or  h a ve  h e a vy  s o i l s . .. those  on  w h i ch  the  t u rf  c o v er 
h as  t h i n n ed  or  h as  b e c o me  e n t i r e ly  b r o w n. 

(2)  A p p ly  s o me  h y d r a t ed  l i me  at  the  r a te  of  1 /2  to  1  l b.  per 

1 0 00  sq.  f t.  T h is  is  b e st  a p p l i ed  in  the  e v e n i ng  as  a  d u st  or  a 
l i g ht  s p r a y . . . a nd  a l l ow  it  to  r e m a in  on   the  g r a ss  b l a d es  o v e r n i g ht 
. . . t h en  s y r i n ge  it  in  l i g h t ly  the  n e xt  m o r n i n g. 

(3)  K e ep  up  the  p r e v e n t a t i ve  s c h e d u le  of  d i s e a se  c o n t r o l . .. 

b e c a u se  w h en  c o n d i t i o ns  a re  r i g ht  f or  s c a l d,  t h ey  a re  a l so  r i g ht 
for  d i s e a se  i n v a s i o n. 

(4)  C o n t i n ue  to  s y r i n ge  g r e e ns  s e v e r al  t i m es  d a i l y,  b ut  be 

c a r e f ul  n ot  to  a p p ly  too  m u ch  w a t e ri 

(5)  Be  s u re  to  a p p ly  s o me  i n s e c t i c i de  to  a e r a t ed  g r e e n s . .. 

a e r a t i on  h o l es  are   c u s t om  m a de  h o m es  for  the  c u t w o rm  and  s o d w e b w o r m. 

T h e re  a re  s o me  s i de  e f f e c ts  of  c o n d i t i o ns  r i g ht  for  s c a l d . .. 

and  t h e se  a r e --

(1)  G r a s s es  t a ke  on  a  P U F FY  g r o w t h — g r a i ny  g r a s s es  l o ok 

g r a n i e r . . . a nd  l o ok  o i ly  or  w a t e r - l o g g e d. 

(2)  S a t u r a t ed  soils  a re  S O F T . . . t h ey  p e r m it  the  m o w e rs  to 

" d i g - i n"  and  s c a lp  the  turf  b a d l y. 

(3)  A l g ae  ( b l a ck  s c u m)  f o r ms  on  the  s u r f a ce  and  s m o t h e rs  the 

g r a s s e s. 

(4)  P U F FY  g r a s s es  are  e a s i ly  b r u i s e d. 

W h at  a re  s o me  of  the  f a c t o rs  t h at  d e t e r m i ne  the  s e v e r i ty  of 

P o o r ly  d e s i g n ed  g r e e n s . . . p o or   i n t e r n al  d r a i n a ge  of  s o i l s . .. 

S C A L D? 
no  t i le  and  h e a vy  s o i ls  c o n t a i n i ng  a  h i gh  p e r c e n t a ge  of  s i lt  or 
c l a y . . . h e a vy  t h a t c h . . . p o or  s u r f a c e ' d r a i n a g e . . . p o or  air  d r a i n a g e— 
to  m e n t i on  a  f e w. 

G r e e ns  in  a  " p o c k e t"  s u r r o u n d ed  by  h e a vy  u n d e r b r u sh  and  t r e es 
. . . g r e e ns  b u i lt  in  low  a r e as  w h e re  h u m i d i ty  is  h i g h er  t h an  on  o t h er 
g r e e n s.  T h is  is  w hy  it  is  o f t en  r e c o m m e n d ed  t h at  t r e es  and  u n d e r-
b r u sh  be  c l e a r ed  in  the  d i r e c t i on  of  the  s u m m er  w i nd  ( S o u t h w e s t)  to 
i m p r o ve  air  d r a i n a ge  over  the  g r e e n. 

F I E LD 

D A YS 

A u g u st  9  -  -  R u t g e rs  U n i v e r s i ty 

A u g u st  23  -  -  U n i v e r s i ty  of  R h o de  I s l a nd 

S e p t e m b er  6 -7  -  -  (noon  to  n o o n) 

P e n n s y l v a n ia  S t a te  U n i v e r s i ty 

1 9 61  Y e a r b o ok  of  A g r i c u l t u re  e n t i t l ed  " S E E D S"  is  n ow  a v a i l-

a b l e.  T he  b o ok  is  d i s t r i b u t ed  m a i n ly  by  m e m b e rs  of  C o n g r e s s. 
is  a l so  sold  t h r o u gh  the  S u p t.  of  D o c u m e n t s,  G o v e r n m e nt  P r i n t i ng 
O f f i c e,  W a s h i n g t on  2 5,  D.  C. 

It 

Eastern  Turfletter 

USGA  GREEN  SECTION 

U. 

B U LK 

R A TE 

P O S T A GE 

S. 
P A ID 

P E R M IT  N O.  3 66 

N EW   B R U N S W I C K.   N. 

J. 

Dr. James  Watson 
Research  Division 
Toro  Manufacturing   Company 
82nd  &  Lindale 
Minneapolis,   M i n n.