THE BULLETIN

of the

UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION GREEN SECTION

Vol. 10 

Washington, D. C., April, 1930 

No. 4

Contents

Page

The pH Value as an Expression of the Acidity or Alkalinity of Soils. By

E. F. Snyder .......................................................................................................... 59
Common Wild Foxtail Grasses. By Morgan W. Evans........................................ 62
A Lesson in Distributing Fertilizers..........................................................................  66
Beautifying the Golf Course with Herbaceous Perennials.................................... 67
Bent Seed Production in Rhode Island. By K. F. Kellerman..............................  69
The Greenkeeper’s Dwindling Budget. By R. Avery Jones................................  70
Questions and Answers................................................................................................ 71

EXECUTIVE
W. D. Vanderpool, Chairman, P. O. Box 77, 

Newark, N. J.

Ganson Depew, Vice-Chairman, Buffalo, N. Y.
Harvey L. Westover, Washington, D. C.
H. Kendall Read, Philadelphia, Pa.
Walter S. Harban, Washington, D. C.

COMMITTEE

H. Y. Barrow, New York, N. Y.
John Monteith, Jr., Washington, D. C.
Cornelius S. Lee, New York, N. Y.
Robert M. Cutting, Chicago, Ill.
Robert F. Arnott, Upper Montclair, N. J.

RESEARCH COMMITTEE

United States Department of Agriculture
K. F. Kellerman, Acting Chairman 
A. J. Pieters 
Harvey L. Westover 
Russell A. Oakley

United States Golf Association

John Monteith, Jr. 
Kenneth Welton

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

W. A. Alexander, Chicago, Ill. 
Eberhard Aniieuser, St. Louis, Mo. 
N. S. Campbell, Providence, R. I. 
Wm. C. Fownes, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa. 
F. H. Hillman, Washington, D. C. 
Tiios. P. Hinman, Atlanta, Ga. 
Frederic C. Hood, Marion, Mass. 
K. F. Kellerman, Washington, D. C. 
Norman Macbeth, Los Angeles, Calif.

George V. Rotan, Houston, Tex. 
Sherrill Sherman. Utica, N. Y. 
Frederick Snare, Havana, Cuba 
James D. Standish, Jr., Detroit, Mich. 
Charles E. Van Nest, Minneapolis, Minn. 
W. R. Walton, Washington, D. C. 
Alan D. Wilson, Philadelphia, Pa. 
M. H. Wilson, Jr., Cleveland, Ohio 
Frank L. Woodward, Denver, Colo.

The Bulletin is published monthly by the United States Golf Association Green Section. 

At Room 7207, Building F, 7th and B Streets, N. W., Washington, D. C.

Address all MAIL to P. O. Box 313, Pennsylvania Avenue Station, Washington, D. C.

Send TELEGRAMS to Room 7207, Building F, 7th and B Streets, N. W., Washington, D. C.
Subscription Price: In United States of America, Mexico, and West Indies, $4.00 per year; in 

all other countries, $5.00 per year.

Entered as second-class matter, April 21, 1926, at the post office at Washington. D. C., under the 

Act of March 3, 1879. Copyrighted, 1930, by the United States Golf Association Green Section.

58

Vol. 10, No. 4

Delay In Publication of the Bulletin

During the year the publication of the Bulletin has been delayed 
and many of our readers have written to inquire as to the cause. The 
Green Section staff is a small one and has many demands made on its 
time. The unfortunate combination of illness and a season of an 
unusually large number of calls for aid has made it impossible to keep 
up to schedule with everything, and something had to be set aside. 
Since important experimental work and demands for advice and 
service could not be postponed without permanent loss it was felt that 
the publication of the Bulletin could best be delayed. Since no at­
tempt is made to include in the Bulletin items of news that have value 
only in timeliness, a delay in its publication does not affect its value 
as would a similar delay in a publication carrying stories of news 
value. The editors hope to be able to put out several issues of the 
Bulletin within the next few weeks and again publish it on the regular 
schedule soon after the New Year.

Missing Numbers of the Bulletin

The Green Section is frequently asked to supply a complete set of 
volumes of the Bulletin to libraries or individuals who have recently 
become interested in turf work. Unfortunately the supply of certain 
numbers in the early volumes has long been exhausted and it is there­
fore impossible to supply full sets of the Bulletin. No doubt many 
of the missing numbers are still in existence and serving no useful 
purpose. Many of our readers no doubt have kept old volumes of the 
Bulletin in which they may be no longer interested. We would 
greatly appreciate receiving any of the numbers listed below, since 
they can be placed where they will serve some useful purpose for 
reference. If any of our readers have complete volumes which they 
no longer need we would be glad to receive the entire volumes. If 
only a single number of those listed below is found we request our 
readers to send it to us if it is no longer needed, as it may happen to 
be just the number missing from some other returned set. These 
missing copies are needed largely for libraries of State experiment 
stations or other institutions where they will be used for reference, 
and no doubt will be of greater service in that capacity than they 
would be in private files. The numbers of which the supply is ex­
hausted are as follows:

Vol. II, 1922. All numbers.
Vol. Ill, 1923. January, February, March, April, May, June, 

November, December.

Vol. IV, 1924. January, February, March, May, June.
Vol. V, 1925. June, July, August, December.
Vol. VI, 1926. January and March.
Vol. VII, 1927. February, April, May, June, November.

Spare time can be no better employed than in determining the 
exact areas of the putting greens on a course. Unless these are 
known the application of chemicals, fertilizers, and compost is a mat­
ter of guesswork. The difference in appearance of a 6,000 and an 
8,000 foot green is not great, but the difference in material to be 
applied during a season is considerable.

April, 1930 

59

The pH Value as an Expression of the Acidity or Alkalinity 
of Soils
By E. F. Snyder

Bureau of Chemistry and Soils, United States Department of Agriculture

In regard to soils, the use of the words “sour” (when one wishes 
to express a condition of acidity) and “sweet” (when one wishes to 
express the absence of acidity) is quite general. However, if one 
were to say that one soil had a pH value of 5.6 and another soil had a 
pH value of 7.5, one would be stating practically the same thing, 
namely that the former is sour and the latter is sweet, but would be 
employing a widely used technical term which expresses definitely 
the intensity or degree of acidity, just as a reading on the Fahrenheit 
or the centigrade scale may be said to express definitely a degree of 
heat. In brief, therefore, the pH or pH value is a number which ex­
presses definitely the intensity or degree of acidity, and one which can 
be accurately determined. One should bear in mind the distinction 
between intensity of acidity and quantity of acid; the pH value is an 
expression of the intensity only, and not a measure of the quantity 
of acid or acid substances present nor the lime requirement as indi­
cated by the Truog method or the Veitch method. For example, an 
aqueous solution of vinegar (acetic acid) and an aqueous solution of 
sulphuric acid may each contain the same quantity of acid and yet the 
intensity of acidity would be greater in the sulphuric acid solution. 
This is because a greater percentage of the total hydrogen in the sul­
phuric acid solution exists as hydrogen ions than in the case of the 
vinegar solution. The concentration of hydrogen ions represents the 
intensity of acidity, whereas the total hydrogen, including that as 
hydrogen ions, represents the quantity of acid.

The meaning of the pH value may be further simplified by dis­
cussing briefly the physico-chemical significance of acidity. From a 
chemical point of view, water may be considered as yielding to a very 
small degree two simpler component parts, one part (the hydrogen 
ion) characteristic of acids, and the other part (the hydroxyl ion) 
characteristic of alkalies. In pure water the concentrations of these 
two parts have been found to be equal and the resulting condition is 
one of neutrality, that is, the water is neither acid nor alkaline. At 
this neutral point the pH value is calculated to be approximately 7.0, 
and values below 7.0 indicate increasing acidity, and values above pH 
7.0 indicate decreasing acidity or increasing alkalinity.

It should be mentioned at this point that there are factors which 
cause slight variations in the neutral point; however, pH 7.0 may be 
considered as a convenient point of reference for the differentiation 
of acid from alkaline solutions, except in those instances where great 
accuracy may be demanded. In any aqueous solution, soil extract, or 
suspension, there exists what may be termed a condition of balance 
or equilibrium between the part characteristic of acids (the hydrogen 
ion) and the part characteristic of alkalies (the hydroxyl ion). That 
is, if the concentration of the acid part (the hydrogen ion) is in­
creased by the addition, for instance, of an acid or acid substance, 
then the concentration of the alkaline part (the hydroxyl ion) is de­
creased but never becomes zero. An example of this would be the ap­
plication of sulphate of ammonia to a soil whereby a strongly acid 
reaction can be produced. And likewise, if the concentration of the 

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Vol. 10, No. 4

alkaline part (the hydroxyl ion) is increased by the addition of an 
alkali, then the concentration of the acid part (the hydrogen ion) is 
decreased but never becomes zero. In this regard the use of car­
bonate of lime, a saturated solution of which has a pH value of about 
8.4, would decrease the acidity or increase the alkalinity. It is known 
from physico-chemical laws that the product of the concentration 
of the acid part (the hydrogen ion) and the alkaline part (the hy­
droxyl ion) is equal to a constant value, so consequently the concen­
tration of neither part can ever become zero regardless of the in­
crease in the concentration of either part. It is evident, therefore, 
that there are always present in any aqueous solution, whether acid, 
neutral, or alkaline, both the acid and the alkaline parts. The final 
reaction, therefore, depends upon the relative concentrations of the 
acid (the hydrogen ion) and the alkaline (the hydroxyl ion) parts. 
There are available methods for determining directly the concentra­
tion of the acid part (the hydrogen ion) and it is this concentration 
which is expressed in a form called the pH value. Having determined 
the concentration of the acid part (the hydrogen ion), the concentra­
tion of the alkaline part (the hydroxyl ion) may be easily calculated. 
The pH scale is, therefore, a continuous acidity scale in that it is an 
expression of the concentration of the acid part (the hydrogen ion) 
in acid, neutral, or alkaline solutions.

It is quite apparent, therefore, why one can speak of the acidity 
or the pH value of a neutral or alkaline solution, meaning by this that 
when the concentration of the acid part (the hydrogen ion) is equal 
to the concentration of the alkaline part (the hydroxyl ion), the reac­
tion is neutral; and when the concentration of the acid part (the hy­
drogen ion) is less than the concentration of the alkaline part (the 
hydroxyl ion), the reaction is alkaline. Instead of stating the acidity 
in terms of the concentration of the acid part (the hydrogen ion), 
which would necessitate the use of unwieldy values, this is more 
conveniently done by converting these concentrations over to pH 
values. As a result of this change it so happens that as the pH value 
increases, the intensity of acidity decreases, and vice versa. Values 
below pH 7.0 therefore represent acid conditions; that is, as the pH 
value decreases below 7.0, the intensity of acidity increases and the 
concentration of the acid part (the hydrogen ion) becomes greater 
than the concentration of the alkaline part (the hydroxyl ion). The 
intensity of acidity of a soil at a pH value say of 4.5 is therefore 
greater than that at a pH 5.0, that at pH 5.0 is greater than at pH 6.2, 
and that at pH 6.2 greater than at pH 7.0, the neutral point. The neu­
tral point, pH 7.0, is merely that point at which the acid and alkaline 
parts are present in equal concentrations. As the pH value increases 
above 7.0 a soil or aqueous solution becomes alkaline, that is, the con­
centration of the acid part (the hydrogen ion) becomes less than the 
concentration of the alkaline part (the hydroxyl ion). The intensity 
of acidity at pH 8.2, for instance, is less than at pH 7.0, the neutral 
point, and the reaction is alkaline; that at pH 8.8 is less than at pH 
8.2, and the reaction is more alkaline; that at 9.0 is less than at pH 
8.8, etc. Stated in other words, the alkalinity at pH 8.2 is greater 
than at pH 7.0, the neutral point; that at 8.8 greater than at pH 8.2; 
that at pH 9.0 greater than at pH 8.8, etc.

Two general methods which are widely used for the determination 
of the pH value of soils are the electrometric and the colorimetric.

April, 1930

61

The determination of the pH value by the electrometric method neces­
sitates the use of complicated electrical apparatus, whereas the col­
orimetric method, the simpler of the two, and sufficiently accurate for 
practical purposes, employs substances known as indicators, the 
colors of which exhibit distinct changes with small variations in the 
pH value of the substance being tested. Comparison is then made 
against color standards of known pH values, which have been stand­
ardized by the electrometric method. Because of its ease of manipu­
lation, as well as the simplicity of the apparatus it requires, the col­
orimetric method, of which there are many adaptations, has found 
wide use not only in the laboratory but in the field and among florists, 
nurserymen, and others, or wherever a laboratory may not be avail­
able.

The determination of the pH value has also found extensive appli­
cation among greenkeepers and in the field of fine turf investigations. 
Oftentimes what is called “sourness” of soils, without a knowledge 
of the pH value, does consist of an injurious acidity; but sometimes 
when assumed on the basis of poor drainage there is involved another 
factor. It is quite probable that this other property of badly drained 
soils may be their reducing power. In such instances the application 
of lime may not be called for so much as proper drainage. In the 
June, 1929, issue of the Bulletin attention was called to the fact that 
certain injuries to turf, including some fungous diseases, are more 
serious when the soil is extremely acid, and that applications of lime 
under such conditions give beneficial results not obtained from fer­
tilizers or fungicides.

To the investigator in almost any field of research, an accurate 
knowledge of the intensity of acidity, the pH value, alone or in con­
nection with other factors, is of considerable importance.

Grasses play an important part in the building up of land. Beach 
grass is the means of constructing extensive dunes along the Atlantic 
coast as far south as Maryland. Extensive mud flats and tidal estu­
aries on the Atlantic coast are occupied by species of grass called 
Spartina, which thrive in the soft mud submerged at high tide. Their 
stout underground stems form dense lateral networks, ever pushing 
outward, assisting in the formation of good dry land. The building 
of land on a large scale has recently taken place in England, France, 
and Holland by a species of Spartina, the only plant found capable of 
gaining a foothold on the bottomless areas of mud along those coasts. 
Spartina planted outside of the dikes of Holland is building up land 
at a rapid rate.

Not all mice are bad mice. The grasshopper mouse, which is 
found over a wide range in the western United States, has a fondness 
for grasshoppers and other injurious insects which stamps it with 
real value. In appearance it resembles the white-footed mouse, but 
is shorter and of a heavier build. It utters a bark like that of a tiny 
terrier, and at times a howl like that of a miniature wolf. It is 
credited with being able to rid kitchens, basements, cellars, and green­
houses of cockroaches and other insect pests. The mice are easily 
handled for this purpose if kept in cages and allowed to run loose at 
night.

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Vol. 10, No. 4

Common Wild Foxtail Grasses
By Morgan W. Evans
Bureau of Plant Industry, United States Department of Agriculture

In the northern half of the United States there grow wild two 
picturesque foxtail grasses 1, yellow foxtail (Chaetochloa lutescens) 
and green foxtail (Chaetochloa, viridis). Another common name for 
these foxtails is pigeon grass. Yellow foxtail is the one which is more 
common in the Northeast. It is also the more conspicuous in meadows 
and fields during the last days of summer and early autumn, due not 
only to its greater abundance but also to its striking appearance 
especially as regards color of leaves, stems, and seed heads. Accord­
ing to Dr. A. S. Hitchcock, of the United States Department of Agri­
culture, the genus Chaetochloa includes about 65 species of grasses,

A well developed plant of yellow foxtail showing the large number of branches 

that may be produced by a single plant.

at least 18 of which are found in the United States. Yellow foxtail 
and green foxtail are annuals; others of the species, such as Chaeto­
chloa geniculata, a common grass in the Southern States, are peren­
nials. An annual species introduced into the United States and grown 
extensively as a hay crop is Chaetochloa italica, which is our common 
or foxtail millet.

1 Yellow foxtail and green foxtail on golf courses are generally regarded as weeds. They are 
frequently found in fairways and rough, especially on new courses or in places where the turf 
is thin. They often grow around compost piles or on bare places such as those left when sod is 
removed. Occasionally they are found on putting greens. Where they occur in closely clipped 
turf they may be mistaken for crab grass or goose grass.—Editors.

April, 1930

63

Botanists distinguish grasses and other plants by certain essential 
differences among their parts, some of which are often invisible to 
the naked eye due to their minute size. These differences have been 
chosen as identification marks because of their persistence wherever 
or under whatever condition the plant may be grown. While such 
detailed knowledge is essential to the botanist yet a novice may learn 
to know plants from their more obvious characteristics. When I 
was a boy on my father’s farm in northeastern Pennsylvania I think 
I knew every tree, or at least every common tree, in the locality, and 
could distinguish a tree of one kind from another at a distance so 
great as certainly to render impossible the application of the botanist’s 
system of identification. There is something more or less intangible 
in the combined effect of size, form, method of branching, shade of 
green of the leaves, and other characteristics which gives to the tree 
that which is akin to personality in human beings; and this situation 
applies to grasses as well as to trees. If one can develop a sufficient

A well developed plant of green foxtail. Its more slender stems and pendant inflorescence 

distinguish it from yellow foxtail.

interest in grasses or other plants to note their characteristics, become 
familiar with their common and their scientific names, and learn 
something of the interrelationships of the species of plants which he 
studies and of their relationships to other groups of plants, he will 
derive a greatly enhanced pleasure and profit from his contact with 
nature.

In the latitude of northern Ohio, in fields where yellow foxtail 
grew the preceding season the seeds of the grass germinate about 
the first of May and produce seedlings in large numbers. In culti­
vated fields, where growth of the seedlings during spring is prevented 
by tillage, seedlings may continue to develop in large numbers from 
seeds which have remained dormant in the soil for months or even 
years, provided cultural operations cease at about the close of spring 
or even in early summer. During late July or early August the spike­
like inflorescences appear, and late in August or early in September 
the seeds mature. The number of stems on a plant and the length 

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Vol. 10, No. 4

of the stems depend upon the conditions for growth. If the plants 
are much crowded, and especially if the soil is not fertile, only a 
single stem may be produced. Under favorable conditions the plant 
will branch and rebranch, until a large number of vigorous shoots 
have been formed.

Yellow foxtail is somewhat coarser and of more erect growth than 
green foxtail. The habit of growth of the two species is shown in 
the accompanying illustrations.

Early in the growth of yellow foxtail, when the plants have no 
more than 3 or 4 leaves, the sheaths of the leaves, after several days 
of exposure to the light, become reddish brown, and the lower parts 
of the plants remain thus colored, to a greater or less extent, during 
most of their period of growth. In late summer, as the time for the 
maturity of the seed draws near, the coloring of the plant becomes

Three periods in the life of an inflorescence of yellow foxtail. The illustrations show the inflo­
rescence about three-fourths natural size. The seeds in the seed head at the reader’s left have 
reached maturity; in the middle head the seeds have partially fallen; the head on the right has 
shed all its seeds and the inflorescence retains its original outline, the hare bristles remaining 
for a period well into the winter.

more striking. In a field where the grass is very abundant the pre­
dominant color is the somewhat yellowish green of the leaf blades. 
Intermingled with this are the tawny color of the bristles of the 
inflorescence and the reddish brown of the lower parts of the shoots. 
The combined effect gives the field a somewhat golden-yellow-green 
color, harmonizing with the prevailing colorings of the late summer 
and early autumn vegetation.

The seeds of yellow foxtail become detached and fall from the 
inflorescence as soon as or very soon after they have matured. The 
bristles of the inflorescence remain, however, so that the form of the 
inflorescence is still retained. It reminds one of the grinning Cheshire 
cat in “Alice in Wonderland.” The cat would slowly vanish from 
sight but its grin would remain. The same striking phenomenon 

April, 1930

65

seems to greet us in yellow foxtail as the empty seed head persists 
long after its seeds have fallen. One may indeed often behold these 
vestiges of the inflorescence as he walks through the fields in winter.

They are held up on their stems, above the snow, like ghosts of the 
grasses of late summer.

Pocket gophers and other rodent pests are a serious menace on 
golf courses, in orchards, and to irrigation dams and railway embank­
ments in many sections of the United States. In 1928 Federal and 
State agencies treated 793,000 acres with poisoned bait in Arizona 
alone in the control of these pests, more than 130,000 pounds of the 
bait being distributed.

One of the finest municipal airports on the southern border, lo­
cated at Douglas, Ariz., recently became infested with pocket gophers, 
which threw up more than 2,000 mounds of earth on the field, making 
the landing of planes difficult. The field is unique in that its southern 
border is the international boundary line between the United States 
and Mexico. The aviation committee of the City of Douglas requested 
the assistance of the Bureau of Biological Survey of the United States 
Department of Agriculture in clearing the field of pocket gophers and 
provided a crew of men to place poison and traps. Three days’ work 
under the supervision* of the Bureau’s leader of rodent control in 
Arizona resulted in complete eradication. The control operations 
were conducted in cooperation with the Arizona Agricultural Exten­
sion Service.

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Vol. 10, No. 4

A Lesson in Distributing Fertilizers

Fairways marked with zebra-like stripes such as shown in the 
accompanying illustration of a fairway at Washington, D. C., are 
not uncommon. Such markings usually indicate that careless methods 
are used by the greenkeeping force in applying fertilizers. The 
fairway in the illustration is covered with a young turf of Kentucky 
bluegrass and redtop. As the turf was poor, even though the stand 
of plants was good, it was decided to apply sulphate of ammonia. 
The application was made in early April with a lime spreader. The 
fertilizer was mixed with sand to give sufficient bulk for even dis­
tribution through the spreader. However, the latter was clogged on 
one side when the application was begun, a fact which remained un­
noticed during the entire operation over all the fairways. Care­
lessness in using a machine in this condition resulted in the applica­
tion of the fertilizer from one side only. As the spreader was drawn

The wavy stripes with which this fairway is decorated were not in the golf architect’s 
plans but are due to a partly clogged fertilizer distributer.

over the course, alternate strips of the turf received sulphate of am­
monia at the rate of 200 pounds to the acre and the intervening strips 
received no fertilizer. Although this application was heavy, no burn­
ing resulted. A few days after the fertilizer was applied a spring 
rain washed it into the soil, and the grass responded with a vigorous 
growth in the fertilized strips but retained its starved appearance in 
the strips over which the clogged half of the spreader had passed. 
The illustration shows the appearance of the turf about two weeks 
after the fertilizer was applied.

If turf of uniform appearance is desired it is essential that any 
fertilizer must be distributed evenly. A good greenkeeper will inspect 
his equipment regularly to see that it is in proper working order. 
Occasionally a striped appearance of turf resulting from a clogged 
fertilizer distributer can not be avoided; but it is hard to find justi­
fication for continuing the use of such a machine over all the fairways 
of a golf course or even over a single fairway.

Another thing made clear by the illustration is the value of a good 
nitrogenous fertilizer on turf at a season of the year when a desirable 
turf grass such as Kentucky bluegrass can best utilize fertilizer.

In cutting fairways, cut them one time in one direction and the 

next time in the opposite direction. The results will be better.

April, 1930 

67

Beautifying the Golf Course with Herbaceous Perennials

Nearly every golf course has an area set aside for a flower garden. 
In most cases the work of planting and caring for the flowers is han­
dled by the regular greenkeeping force. Many of our readers will 
therefore be glad to obtain for their files a copy of Farmers’ Bulletin 
1381, “Herbaceous Perennials,” written by F. L. Mulford, Bureau of 
Plant Industry, United States Department of Agriculture, Washing­
ton, D. C., copies of which may be obtained by requesting them from 
the author or from the Office of Information of the Department. 
Though written primarily for the home and amateur gardener, the 
bulletin applies also directly to the small plantings about club houses 
or elsewhere on the property of golf clubs. In the bulletin, perennials 
are defined as plants which grow for three or more seasons, and her­
baceous perennials as those with soft stems which do not form hard, 
woody tops and, in temperate regions, die to the ground each year, 
being distinguished in this respect from shrubs, which form more or 
less permanent, woody growth.

In discussing the uses of herbaceous perennials, Mr. Mulford says: 
“Herbaceous perennials may be used very much like annuals, to add 
the color of flowers to permanent shrubbery plantations, and they 
may also be used in garden making, either alone or with other classes 
of plants. Because of the time it takes to grow them or the expense 
of purchase they are not suited for producing temporary effects in 
the way that annuals are sometimes used. Shrubs are so readily 
established in their appropriate places that no advantage is gained 
by substituting herbaceous perennials for them. Neither annuals nor 
herbaceous perennials give the idea of stability and permanence that 
is produced by woody plants, as in winter most perennials are no 
more effective than annuals. In garden making, perennials have the 
advantage of relative permanence, as when once planted most of them 
do not need to be reset for three years or more, and when transplanted 
a majority of them can be divided, thereby increasing the plantations 
if desired. Many of them produce their flowers in the spring before 
the annuals have gotten above the ground, and many more produce a 
wealth of bloom in late summer or fall. There are few, however, that 
bloom in midshmmer, so that where abundance of bloom is wanted at 
that season it is frequently necessary to use annuals with the peren­
nials.

“To be satisfactory, herbaceous perennials must be able to with­
stand adverse conditions, either winter or summer, in the place 'where 
they are grown. Naturally those plants native to a region, or native 
to a region with similar climatic conditions, are most likely to suc­
ceed. Fortunately there are many desirable plants in all sections 
of the country that can be cultivated and give excellent results, as, 
for example, various species of violets, phlox, trilliums, rudbeckias, 
sedums, yuccas, columbines, asters, and goldenrods. These native 
plants form fully as important a part in the list of hardy perennials 
as the introduced plants, although probably none of them is so widely 
cultivated as some of the introduced ones, such as peonies and irises. 
One reason for the great popularity of these plants is the large num­
ber of attractive varieties that have been produced as a result of 
centuries of cultivation, selection, and breeding. There is every rea­
son to expect as great a development in some of our native plants as 

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Vol. 10, No. 4

in these. Already the phlox and the graceful, attractive aster have 
many cultivated forms which are an improvement on the wild ones, 
and the betterment of other plants has begun.

“By the introduction of perennials anywhere in the United States 
it is possible to add touches of desirable color to the permanent tree 
and shrub plantings. Likewise, an attractive flower garden or a 
border may be made up of these plants obtained from the wild. Roots 
of the plants may be collected, many of them may be grown from seed, 
or they may be purchased from nurserymen who specialize in them. 
Some of the rarer kinds must be purchased from collectors.

“In using hardy perennials for adornment of the home grounds, 
they should be planted in irregular clumps at appropriate openings 
in the shrubbery groups, but not in bands or ribbons either along the 
shrubbery, the foundation of the house, or the borders of the lawn. 
In flower gardens they may be appropriately planted in straight or 
curved lines if that is in harmony with the garden design.

“Herbaceous perennials are adapted to a wide range of conditions. 
A few are found wild, with their roots growing in water-soaked soil. 
Others are found on rocky cliffs or on hillsides. Others again are 
found on rich bottom lands, while still others thrive on poor, gravelly, 
or sandy soils. These natural habitats suggest some of the places in 
which the plants may be appropriately cultivated. Fortunately, how­
ever, many of the plants succeed under a wide range of conditions 
other than those suggested by the natural conditions under which 
they are found growing. For example, the rosemallow, usually found 
in wet places, succeeds in good garden soil of average moisture con­
tent. On the other hand, columbines usually grow on rocky hillsides 
but can be grown almost anywhere except in marshy places.”

Attention is called in the bulletin to the nature of herbaceous per­
ennials, which makes them, with their showy flowers, admirably 
suited to beautify the landscape in any kind of setting. Through 
their great diversity they may be chosen for successful planting in 
any section of the country no matter what type the soil, climate, or 
cultural requirements may be. Suggestions are given for the arrange­
ment of these plants to make them appear to best advantage in both 
formal and informal plantings and as borders, mixed plantings among 
shrubbery, naturalized plantings, rock or wall gardens, and other 
special types of landscaping. Directions also are given for the proper 
preparation of soil and treatment of surroundings where best results 
are to be obtained. The different species of a wide range of herba­
ceous perennials are described, also the conditions best suited to each, 
and a list of the most satisfactory varieties for special use is given. 
On a map of the United States the parts of the country having differ­
ent growing conditions are marked out and numbered. Each section 
is briefly described as to climatic conditions and a summary is pre­
sented showing the plants for which it is best suited.

The bulletin is generously illustrated from photographs of indi­
vidual specimens of plants as well as group plantings considered to 
be the best.

A very conveniently arranged index of the common names of her­
baceous perennials is included at the end of the bulletin, with page 
reference to the description of each. The approximate flowering sea­
son of each plant is shown in a separate table, also its height, the 
regions in which it may be grown, whether it requires irrigation or 

April, 1930

69

protection over winter, and whether it is a native to the region. The 
author emphasizes that selections of perennials “must be made of 
those adapted to each section of the country and the type of garden 
or other planting in mind, as well as to the season when flowers are 
most desired.”

Bent Seed Production in Rhode Island

Statements by members of the Bureau of Plant Industry, as well 
as statements appearing in issues of the Bulletin of the United States 
Golf Association Green Section, have been made, directly or indirectly 
indicating that seed of the bent grasses, particularly seed of Agrostis 
capillaris or colonial bent (Rhode Island bent) had formerly been 
produced in considerable quantities in Rhode Island but that at the 
present time the seed production was a declining industry in that 
State as regards both quantity and quality. A recent personal review 
of this matter at the request of the officials of the State Department 
of Agriculture of Rhode Island and the State Experiment Station 
shows a very active and increasing interest in the production of 
bent seed.

The Rhode Island Agricultural Experiment Station about two 
years ago inaugurated a comprehensive series of tests of different 
species and strains of bent grasses for the study of methods of both 
seed production and harvesting, as well as of more technical physio­
logical and genetic problems relating to improvement in this industry. 
It is contemplated that these experiments will be carried forward 
for a number of years. From the commercial standpoint the produc­
tion of various varieties of bent grasses for seed has been developed 
over a considerable acreage, and apparently extension of this acreage 
is in prospect. The most interesting phase of this survey is the 
recognition that fields composed very largely of velvet bent have been 
successfully grown for seed and harvested.

I am glad to correct any unintentional disparagement of the bent 
seed industry in Rhode Island, which at the present time impresses 
me as a rapidly developing one, honestly and progressively handled.

Acting Chief of Bureau of Plant Industry, 

United States Department of Agriculture.

K. F. Kellerman, 

August 19, 1930.

Trapping seems to be the most effective way of disposing of moles, 
although it is slow and requires patience. Poisons and poisonous 
gases are almost useless against moles. This is due to their highly 
developed sense of smell and also to the difficulty of introducing 
poison into food they are willing to eat.

The greenkeeper’s library is not complete without several nursery­
men’s catalogues. Perennials especially find an acceptable place on 
the golf course. New and improved varieties are regularly appearing 
on the market. A well-selected assortment of herbaceous and shrubby 
perennials will furnish beauty from early spring to late fall. As a 
rule they require little attention, and if properly placed never appear 
overgrown or unsightly.

70

Vol. 10, No. 4

The Greenkeeper’s Dwindling Budget
By R. Avery Jones

Baltusrol Golf Club, Short Hills, N. J.

In the past few years, golf clubs have referred to one another for 
information on all manner of subjects. Almost every month a ques­
tionnaire is received, and usually information is sought on the cost 
of maintaining the golf course. Figures are required for the pur­
pose of comparison; in some cases, no doubt, to support a request for 
an increased budget; in others, perhaps, to furnish material for a 
criticism of a present system or criticism of individuals who may be 
regarded as extravagant.

The interchange of information on technical matters, such as the 
growing of turf, control of pests, fertilizing, and golf course main­
tenance generally, is interesting and instructive and has contributed 
greatly to the improved standard of golf course maintenance. There 
was a time—not so many years ago—when a check on the prices of 
materials, seed, fertilizers, and the like was necessary; but today 
there is little or no excuse for lack of knowledge on that subject; 
indeed, there is far more need for a check on the expenditures in most 
club houses than outside of the club houses.

Unless there is similarity in the construction of courses, soil con­
ditions, cost of labor, and standard of maintenance desired and at­
tained, comparing the cost of maintenance expense is of little value. 
The form of accounting often varies greatly too, and what is greens 
expense at one club may be charged to another account elsewhere; 
or like service involving that expense may not be rendered in both 
clubs. Elaborate cost accounting reports are required of some green­
keepers, the value of which seems to be over-estimated. The differ­
ence in season may easily account for wide difference in the cost of 
such items as mowing rough, raking traps, and watering greens, and 
the figures covering the past five years, including as they do one of 
record rainfall and another of record drought, can not have any real 
comparative value.

The desire for better maintenance is another factor. Every golfer 
and every one concerned in the operation of a golf club is continually 
striving for better things. These better things cost money, and a 
steadily rising cost is inevitable. In a well-established golf club, 
where there is continuity of policy, it is of some value to be able to 
compare the yearly accounts of various departments, and each club 
must decide for itself just how much detail its statements should 
furnish. There is some advantage to be gained by comparing the 
costs of maintaining two 18-hole courses in the same year and in the 
same county of the same State, provided those making the compari­
son are familiar with the physical differences and the general con­
struction of the two courses and the difference in standard of main­
tenance each club regards as suitable to its particular needs.

Not very long ago a club in the Far West sent a questionnaire to 
many large clubs in the East inquiring the cost of annual maintenance 
and the cost of building the courses. Very recently a questionnaire 
from the State of Washington sought information on the value of the 
pi opi ietary certificates of Eastern clubs. Just imagine what a spread 
there will be between highs and lows in these returns and of what 
practical use they could be to the inquiring club.

April, 1930

71

It is safe to say that not more than 5 per cent of the members of 
any golf club take the trouble to study the treasurer’s report; but 95 
per cent are deeply interested in the standard of golf course main­
tenance. If that standard is poor, the members are unhappy and 
there is no pleasure for the board, the golfers, nor the staff. At the 
end of such a season, who cares whether the balance reported by the 
treasurer is $1,000 or $2,000, one way or the other?

Surely the reduction of greens staff for the closing months of a 
golf season, with the inevitable drop in maintenance standard in 
order to keep costs within a budget, is of the utmost folly. Perhaps 
one day some one will ask a far more important question—“What 
proportion of the club’s income is spent on the golf courses and essen­
tial facilities of a golf club, and what proportion on the trimmings 
that go to make a country club ?” It is far easier to obtain appropria­
tions for such items as orchestras, interior decorations, and the like, 
than for such essentials as fertilizer or new greens equipment. Very 
frequently the equipment at the disposal of greenkeepers is of poor 
quality and inadequate, and rarely indeed is the greenkeeper fur­
nished with proper buildings for storage of equipment and supplies.
The success of a golf club depends almost entirely upon the quality 
of the golf course. Yet the greens budget is the one that is cut to 
the lowest possible figure, and today club houses usually consume 
more of the club’s income than the game for which the clubs were 
founded and to which they owe their existence.

In many large clubs, the cost of running the club house exceeds 
the costs of maintaining tioo golf courses. In addition, the club-house 
restaurant has a loss running into several thousands of dollars while 
green fees received from the courses run to nearly half the main­
tenance budget. The net result is something to ponder over. Such 
a situation might be expected in a community country club, where 
golf is but one of its attractions; but it often happens that clubs allow 
themselves to drift from “golf” to “country clubs” until they become 
neither one nor the other. In these days when golf clubs are so 
numerous there is real competition, and the one that falls behind in its 
standard of golf course or courses is apt to see a declining member­
ship and declining income—a very serious situation for the club en­
cumbered with many country club facilities and activities which are 
not self-supporting.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Injury to greens from excessive fertilization.—Our putting greens, 
which are creeping bent planted one year ago, are now, in June, in 
poor condition, some being so poor that there is no place for a cup. 
Last year we fertilized them only with sulphate of ammonia, at the 
rate of 75 pounds to a green, the greens being 5,000 to 6,000 square 
feet in area. We watered them about three times a week, and cut 
them as often to about 5/16 inch. Last September they suffered as 
if from brown-patch. They came up pretty well in April of this year, 
but about May 15 the grass began to die. We have fertilized them 
this spring with activated sludge at a rate of about 250 pounds to each 
green, and we have now just completed fertilizing them with a 
mixture of 40 pounds of activated sludge and 3 pounds of sulphate of 
ammonia to each 1,000 square feet. We have top-dressed each green 

72

Vol. 10, No. 4

twice this year, using about 1^ cubic yards at each application. We 
do not think the injury is due to brown-patch, for the reason that we 
have been treating each green twice a month with a combined fungi­
cide and fertilizer, the fertilizing element being urea. We have at 
times thought that the grass might have been scalded by the sulphate 
of ammonia that has been applied. Do the greens require lime? We 
are sending you a specimen of our turf and shall be glad to have your 
advice in the matter. (Michigan)

Answer.—An examination of the specimen of your turf indi­
cates that the soil contains plenty of lime. The grass roots do not 
penetrate below 1 inch. There is considerable organic matter mixed 
in the top inch of soil. This may be muck used either in the con­
struction of the greens or in the top-dressing applied, or it may have 
been occasioned by the application of too much activated sludge. 
The soil below the top inch is a sandy loam and should be a good 
medium in which the roots may develop. There is no doubt that 
something is dwarfing the root system of the grass, and from what 
you write we are inclined to think that the main trouble is the use of 
too much fertilizer. From your letter it appears that so far this 
season you have applied a total of about 90 pounds of activated sludge 
to each 1,000 square feet of surface. In addition, each 1,000 square 
feet has received 3 pounds of sulphate of ammonia, and also the urea 
contained in the combined fungicide and fertilizer. It is a wonder 
that the turf is not completely ruined by this extremely heavy ferti­
lization. The application of 40 pounds of activated sludge and 3 
pounds of sulphate of ammonia to 1,000 square feet would be suffi­
cient at certain times to ruin a green. In hot weather we would not 
apply activated sludge at a heavier rate than 20 pounds to 1,000 
square feet on putting greens, and would certainly not risk the appli­
cation of sulphate of ammonia along with the sludge on putting greens 
during hot weather, since it is likely to cause burning. We would 
recommend that you do not fertilize your greens again until Septem­
ber, and that you make use of a fungicide which contains no fertilizing 
element, at least until the greens are in a healthy condition, since if 
they are now overloaded with nitrogen from the fertilizers it would 
not be good practice to continue to apply nitrogen. There are a 
number of fungicides on the market which are not combined with 
fertilizer and may be advantageously used by following the directions 
supplied with the fungicide. In place of these, however, you could 
apply corrosive sublimate at a rate not exceeding 2 ounces to 1,000 
square feet in hot weather. You will probably have to use any of 
these fungicides as often as every 2 weeks, or more often, to keep 
brown-patch under control, as it is necessary to apply a fungicide 
with each appearance of the disease.

Renovating fairways.—Our fairways, which are on sandy soil, 
have not been dressed or seeded for twelve years and are getting 
very thin and patchy. The following method of renovation has been 
suggested to us and we should appreciate your advice in the matter. 
It has been suggested that as soon as play is over for the season we 
take an adjustable disk-harrow, attach weights to it, and adjust the 
plates straight so that it cuts but does not turn the soil. This is 
to be drawn in four directions over the turf. A certain commercial 
fairway fertilizer and shredded cattle manure are then to be broad­

April, 1930

73

cast at the rate of ton of each to the acre, and worked in by 
dragging with a large bundle of tree branches. A mixture of colonial 
bent, Chewings’ fescue, and redtop seed is then to be sown at the rate 
of 75 pounds to the acre, and this also dragged with tree branches. 
The fairways are then to be rolled. (New York)

Answer.—On most established fairways we do not recommend 
reseeding unless there are large areas several inches in diameter with 
no grass. From what you say your fairways seem to be suffering 
mostly from lack of fertilizer. Hundreds of golf clubs have found 
that the same amount of money put into fertilizer will improve fair­
ways far more than if put into seed. It is therefore suggested that 
you concentrate this year entirely on a heavy fertilizing program and 
perhaps follow it next season with further fertilizing of the areas 
that are still thin. Another year it might be desirable to put seed 
into the areas where the turf is still patchy. If established turf is 
poor due to lack of fertility there is no reason to assume that seed­
lings resulting from new seed will make any better turf. Old starved 
turf can quickly thicken and give a fine fairway if sufficient food is 
supplied. Sandy soils are much more apt to be starved than clay 
soils, due partly to the fact that plant foods are more rapidly washed 
out of sand than out of clay. All in all we consider the program you 
outline as a rather expensive method of treatment. On sandy soils 
there is usually little to be gained from disking established turf. In 
hard baked clay fairways there is some value in disking if it is pro­
posed to work into the soil manure, other forms of organic material, 
or sand. When manure is applied to fairways it is better to do the 
disking after the manure is applied, so as to work it into the soil. 
Manure lying on the surface, whether the surface has first been 
disked or not, soon dries out and thus loses most of its value. More­
over, shredded cattle manure is one of the most expensive fertilizers 
you can use for the results to be obtained. You could probably use 
mushroom soil to much greater advantage than shredded cattle ma­
nure, and if this wrere disked into your fairways you would no doubt 
get much better results, since mushroom soil in addition to the manure 
it contains also contains some clay, which greatly improves very 
sandy soil. We suggest also that you get prices on other fairway 
fertilizers, such as activated sludge, poultry manure-tankage, cotton­
seed meal, bone meal, and a number of trade mixtures of which you 
know the composition. On page 112 of the Bulletin for June, 1928, 
you will find a list of the common fairway fertilizers, showing their 
relative fertilizer values and rates of application, and with the figures 
there presented and the prices you can get on the various fertilizers 
delivered you will be able to determine which fertilizer you can use 
to best advantage.

Treatment of peat deposits for utilization as top-dressing ma­
terial.—We are sending you a sample of soil of which there is a large 
deposit available for our use. We are thinking of trying this soil on 
our fairways which, due to their sandj’ nature, suffer much from 
drought in summer. Your recommendations on the proper use of 
this soil will be appreciated. (Massachusetts)

Answer.—The material you send is very largely sedge peat. It 
would be of some value applied directly to your fairways but would 

74

Vol. 10, No. 4

be much more effective if it could first be composted or cultivated 
for about a year. It is very acid and not well decomposed. By com­
posting it or cultivating and adding lime to it, its decomposition 
would be hastened and thus a very fine material would be obtained 
for use as top-dressing. The cheapest way to prepare it properly, 
provided it is possible, would be to drain the bed of peat and cultivate 
it where it lies. By running a few lines of tile or open ditches across 
the bed, provided with good outlets, the moisture would soon be 
drained out so that the peat could be plowed. It would then be well 
to apply about V2 ton of limestone to the acre and plow it in as deeply 
as possible. After the plowing another V2 ton of limestone to the 
acre should be spread and disked in. A disk or cultivator should 
be run over the bed every few weeks to keep it well stirred and 
aerated. After a year of such treatment the top layer of the bed 
would be ready for spreading on the fairways. If the bed is deep, 
the treatment as described above could be repeated and another layer 
prepared for the following season’s use. If it is not practicable to 
cultivate the material in this manner in the bed where it now occurs, 
it could be spread on a piece of the rough or some abandoned land 
and then mixed with soil. A layer of the peat should be spread to a 
depth of 3 or 4 inches and then plowed into the soil after an applica­
tion of limestone at the rate of 1 ton to the acre has been made. It 
should then be disked occasionally. After a few months this mixture 
of soil and peat should provide an excellent top-dressing material for 
use on your fairways. If neither of these plans is practicable, the 
peat may be applied to your fairways as a thin top-dressing, and lime­
stone then applied at the rate of ton to the acre.

Meaning of fertilizer formulas.—What does the 6-8-2 as applied 

to a fertilizer mean? (Massachusetts.)

Answer.—These figures represent the percentages of nitrogen, 
phosphoric acid, and potash respectively contained in the fertilizer. 
A fertilizer analyzing 6-8-2 therefore contains 120 pounds of nitrogen, 
160 pounds of phosphoric acid, and 40 pounds of potash in each ton, 
the remainder of the weight being made up of inert matter, which is 
not considered as plant food. Further information on this subject 
will be found in the article entitled The Fertilizer and the Bag, on 
page 113 of the Bulletin for June, 1928.

Controlling mole crickets.—Can you give us instructions regard­

ing the best method of controlling mole crickets? (Florida.)

Answer.—Probably the best method of controlling the mole 
cricket is by the use of poison bait. Both Paris green and arsenate of 
calcium have been used successfully as the poison element, but for 
some reason the moles will not readily feed on bait containing arse­
nate of lead and consequently it is not as effective. Poison bait is 
made up of 100 pounds of cottonseed meal, 100 pounds of rice flour, 
and 10 pounds of arsenate of calcium, moistened with a cheap 
molasses solution. The bait is made crumbly and applied at the rate 
of 15 pounds to a putting green or 150 pounds to an acre.

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All that I have accomplished, or expect, or hope 
to accomplish, has been and will be by that plodding, 
patient, persevering process of accretion wThich 
builds the ant-heap—particle by particle, thought 
by thought, fact by fact.

Elihu Burritt