THE BULLETIN

of the

UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION GREEN SECTION

Vol. 11

Washington, D. C., November, 1931

No. 11

Contents

Page
Effects of Cutting and Fertilizing on the Growth of Grass. By C. M. Harrison 210
Change in the Scientific Name for Colonial Bent.................................................... 217
Methods of Applying Chemicals to Turf. By Arnold S. Dahl............................ 218
Kinds and Quantities of Turf Seeds Purchased by Golf Courses........................  222
Home-Made Leaf Rake................................................................................................ 224
Questions and Answers................................................................................................ 225

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Ganson Depew, Chairman, Marine Trust Bldg., 

H. Kendall Read, Vice-Chairman, Philadel­

Buffalo, N. Y.

phia, Pa.

Robert F. Arnott, Upper Montclair, N. J.
Robert M. Cutting, Chicago, Ill.

Walter S. Harban, Washington, D. C. 
K. F. Kellerman, Washington, D. C. 
Cornelius S. Lee, New York, N. Y. 
John Monteith, Jr., Washington, D. C. 
Wynant D. Vanderpool, Newark, N. J. 
Harvey L. Westover, Washington, D. C.

RESEARCH COMMITTEE 
United States Department of Agriculture
K. F. Kellerman, Chairman ; Associate Chief. Bureau of Plant Industry.
F. II. Hillman. Botanist, Seed Investigations.
A. J. Pieters, Principal Agronomist in Charge, Forage Crops and Diseases.
Oswald Schreiner, Principal Biochemist in Charge, Soil Fertility.
W. R. Walton, Senior Entomologist, Cereal and Forage Insects.
Harvey L. Westover, Senior Agronomist, Forage Crops and Diseases.

United States Golf Association Green Section 
John Monteith, Jr. 
Kenneth Welton

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Douglas Call, Richmond, Va.
N. S. Campbell, Providence, R. I. 
William S. Fownes, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa.
A. J. Goetz, Webster Groves. Mo. 
William Harig, Cincinnati, Ohio. 
J. McRae Hartgering, Detroit, Mich. 
Frederic C. Hood, Marion, Mass.
Norman Macbeth, Los Angeles, Calif. 
John Morley, Youngstown, Ohio.
Guy M. Peters, Chicago, Ill.

Alex Pirie, Fort Sheridan. Ill.
William J. Rockefeller, Toledo, Ohio.
George V. Rotan, Houston, Tex.
George Sargent, Columbus, Ohio.
John Shanahan, West Newton, Mass.
Sherrill Sherman, Utica, N. Y.
Frederick Snare. Havana, Cuba.
Charles E. Van Nest, Minneapolis, Minn.
Alan D. Wilson, Philadelphia, Pa. 
M. H. Wilson, Jr., Cleveland, Ohio.

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

at Room 7207, Building F, Constitution Ave. and 7th St., Washington, D. C.

Address all MAIL to P. O. Box 313, Pennsylvania Avenue Station, Washington, D. C.
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Entered as second-class matter, April 21, 1926, at the post office at Washington, D. C., under 
the Act of March 3, 1879. Copyrighted, 1931. by the United States Golf Association Green Section.

210 

Vol. 11, No. 11

Effects of Cutting and Fertilizing on the Growth of Grass
By C. M. Harrison

Questions arise in golf course maintenance as to what sort of re­
sponse grass plants will make upon being cut at different heights. 
Will they produce the same or different amounts of top growth? Do 
the different grasses respond alike to any one treatment with respect 
to top and root growth? What effect will cutting have upon the weight 
and length of root systems? How will the treatments affect the 
plants in their ability to produce new rootstocks (underground run­
ners) or new stolons (surface runners) ? What effect will fertilizers 
have upon the grasses cut at different heights? To answer some of 
these questions a preliminary experiment was started in the green­
house at the University of Chicago in the spring of 1929.

Three common grasses were selected for study, namely, Kentucky 
bluegrass (Poa pratensis), red fescue (Festuca rubra), and colonial 
bent (Agrosb’s tenuis). These grasses differ somewhat in habit of 
growth. Kentucky bluegrass grows upright and produces few leaves 
at the base of the plant. It spreads by means of rootstocks. It con­
tinues this upright growth even under close cutting, with the result 
that practically all of its green leaf parts are removed when the plant 
is cut close.

Red fescue, on the other hand, tillers or branches at the base of 
the plant, and under close cutting and favorable climatic conditions 
many fine, short leaves are produced close enough to the ground to 
permit the leaf parts to continue their function of aiding in nourish­
ing the plant. Colonial bent also produces many leaves close to the 
ground.

These three grasses were grown separately in flats of soil in the 
greenhouse and were cut to three different heights,—14 inch, 1|4 
inches, and 3 inches. Additional flats of each grass were cut to 14 inch 
and fertilized twice with sulphate of ammonia. The first application 
was at the rate of 2 pounds to 1,000 square feet and the second at 7 
pounds to 1,000 square feet. The grasses were cut sixteen times be­
tween April 15 and July 5. The grass roots were then washed from 
the soil. The roots were distinctly matted in the grass cut to the 
higher levels, but in that cut close they were not sufficient in 
quantity to hold the soil wall. The tops were cut from the roots and 
the roots dried and weighed. The results are shown in table No. 1 
and illustration No. 1.

Table 1.__Dry Weight of Grass Roots, in Grams, to a Square Foot of Surface
Area at Different Heights of Cutting

Short cut 
M inch

Red fescue....................
Bluegrass.......... ...........
Colorfal bent ............

1.4
1.6
2.1

Short cut 
H inch. Sul­
phate of am­
monia added.

1.0
1.3
killed

Medium cut 
lYz inches

Long cut 
3 inches

8.6
7.5
5.0

13.7
11.7
7.7

From the table it is seen that the root system of the bent grass 
which was cut short weighed much more than the root system of

November, 1931

211

either of the two other grasses receiving the same cutting treatment. 
The increase in weight of roots with increase in height of cut was 
marked.

Illustration 1.—Bulk of roots produced by 3 different grasses when 
cut to 3 different heights and when nitrogen fertilizer in the form of 
sulphate of ammonia is added to the short-cut grass. Weights of the 
roots are given in table No. 1. In the upper row (reading left to 
right) are Kentucky bluegrass roots from turf cut long, cut medium, 
cut short, and cut short and fertilized with nitrogen. In the middle 
row are fescue roots, treated the same as the bluegrass. In the lower 
row are colonial bent roots, also treated the same; roots from the 
colonial bent turf that was cut short and fertilized are missing, as 
the grass was killed

The short-cut bent which was fertilized showed a peculiar response 
to a light shading. All of the grass flats were shaded about the first 
of June to cut down the heat and light intensity. Before this shading, 
the fertilized short-cut bent was a beautiful dark green while that 
unfertilized but cut short was a yellowish green. No later than three 
days after the shading, the unfertilized grass turned a dark green 
color and that which was fertilized took on a water-soaked, scalded 
appearance. These latter plants soon died, and after microscopical 
examination of the material their death could not be attributed to 
fungous troubles. The bent in the medium and long cutting heights 
was not affected to a noticeable degree and neither were any of the 
cutting heights of the other two grasses. It appeared that the shad­
ing, which had followed a heavy application of a nitrogen fertilizer, 
cut down the rate of carbohydrate (starch and sugar) manufacture 
by the tops of the plants, by cutting down on the amount of light. 
This manufacture of starches and sugars takes place only in sunlight 
and in the green parts of plants. By cutting down on the amount of 
light, the rate of manufacture of foods by the tops was not sufficient 
to balance the added nitrogen, and as a result the nitrogen became 

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Vol. 11, No. 11

toxic to growth, which was not the case before the plants were shaded.
In order to supplement this preliminary study another experiment 
was begun in the fall of 1929. Only Kentucky bluegrass and red 
fescue were used and they were sown in flats of soil on September 25.

Table 2.—Dry Weight of Roots, in Grams, of 3 Square Feet of Kentucky 
Bluegrass and Red Fescue Turf Under 3 Different Heights of Cutting 
Without Fertilizer and 3 Different Heights of Cutting With 4 Different 
Fertilizer Treatments

Fertilizer treatment

Checks (not fertilized) ....
Nitrogen alone (sulphate of 
ammonia) ....................
Nitrogen and phosphorus 
(ammonium phosphate) .
Nitrogen and potassium 
(potassium nitrate and 
sulphate of ammonia).. .
Nitrogen, phosphorus, and 
potassium (potassium 
phosphate and sulphate 
of ammonia)................

| Bluegrass 

1 

Cut 
Vz inch
1.9

11.5

8.9

Cut 
. iy2 
inches
23.6

22.2

21.0

Cut 
3 inches
36.5

Cut 
Yz inch
14.8

Fescue

Cut 
. iy2 
inches
25.2

Cut 
3 inches
43.3

28.3

28.6

18.2

14.9

26.3

22.5

33.1

29.1

11.1

23.8

24.0

16.2

21.1

29.3

7.3

23.5

27.9

16.6

20.6

33.2

Table 3.—Comparison of Rootstock Production of Kentucky Bluegrass 
When Cut at 3 Different Heights, Fertilized With a Complete Ferti­
lizer, and not Fertilized. The Complete Fertilizer Used Consisted of 
Potassium Phosphate and Sulphate of Ammonia

Total dry weight of rootstocks of Kentucky bluegrass 
in milligrams per flat

Cut 3 inches..........................
Cut V/2 inches......................
Cut % inch............................

Fertilized
726
400
18

Not fertilized

594
225
8

Cutting was started on November 7 and continued each week 
thereafter until April 21, the heights of cut being i/2 inch, 11/2 inches, 
and 3 inches. The clippings were removed from the flats. Some of the 
flats of grass in each cutting height were fertilized with nitrogen 
alone, some with nitrogen and phosphorus, some with nitrogen and 
potassium, and some with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Three 
flats of grass were used for each treatment and three set aside as 
checks in each cutting height. The fertilizers were added once a 
month in January, February, and March. The roots were washed 
from the soil beginning April 21; the dry weights of the roots are 
shown in table No. 2. It is apparent from the table that the difference 
in cutting heights made considerable difference in the amount of 
roots produced. The mineral fertilizers were evidently not as ef­
fective as top growth in the production of roots, since there was far 
greater variation in the weight of roots between the flats with dif­
ferent heights of cutting than there was between the flats receiving 
different fertilizers. In the case of the grass cut at 3 inches the 
weight of the roots of the fertilized flats was in each case less than 
the weight of the roots of the unfertilized flat.

November, 1931

213

Illustration 2.—Mass and length of roots produced by Kentucky 
bluegrass grown in 3 flats each of which was cut to a different height. 
All of the flats received 3 applications of a complete fertilizer. 
Above are shown the various heights of cuts; in the middle the charac­
ter of turf produced; at the bottom the mass and length of roots. The 
rules in the illustration are 6 inches long

The best top growth appeared to be in the flats which received the 
complete fertilizer. The grass from these flats was photographed and 
is shown in illustrations No. 2 and No. 3.

The rootstocks were carefully picked out of the three fertilized 
bluegrass flats, as well as three check flats. The oven-dry weights of 
the rootstocks are shown in table No. 3. Many more rootstocks were 

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Vol. 11, No. 11

produced by the grass cut at 3 inches than by that cut at IV2 inches 
and decidedly more were produced by the grass cut at V/2 inches 
than by that cut at % inch. In fact, very few of the plants which 
were cut short had any visible rootstocks.

It was observed that the shorter cutting of the fescue brought 
about much more tillering or branching of the plants at the crown 
than was the case in the longer-cut grass. The grass cut to a medium 
height had much stiffer leaf blades than that cut long, the long-cut 
plants having a tendency to lop over. This was probably due to the 
difference in the length of the leaf blades between the two cutting 
heights. The plants which were cut short tillered more than those 
cut to a medium height, but the leaf blades were not nearly as stiff 
as those cut to a medium height. The grass cut to a medium height 
would hold up a golf ball while neither that cut short nor that cut 
long would do so. None of the three cutting treatments resulted in 
a thinning of the fescue turf. The grass in the unfertilized check 
flats could be told from that in the fertilized flats by the difference 
in color. The grass receiving no nitrogen was yellowish in color 
while that receiving fertilizer was dark green. There was also a 
difference in the length and thickness of top growth, in favor of the 
fertilized grass. The bluegrass turf, on the other hand, thinned when 
cut short; that with the medium cutting height produced a good turf 
with stiff leaf blades; and that cut long produced a turf that lopped 
over as did the fescue when it was cut high.

The effect of the nitrogen in the fertilizer on the bluegrass was not 
apparent until after the second application in February. All of the 
bluegrass had been a dark green color, until soon after the second 
application of fertilizer, when the weather became bright and clear 
as contrasted with the cloudy period preceding it. During these 
sunny days the flats of grass receiving no nitrogen fertilizer turned 
from a dark green to a yellowish green. The grass in the flats re­
ceiving added nitrogen remained a dark green. Between cutting 
periods, the grass cut long and that receiving nitrogen grew approxi­
mately 3 inches, while that in the checks grew 1 inch. The medium­
cut grass showed the same response but to a less degree, the growth 
in height being about 2 inches in the fertilized flats as compared with 
% inch in the unfertilized ones. In the flats of grass cut short and 
fertilized, each plant sent up one spindling blade and the turf thinned 
badly due to death of some of the plants. On the other hand, the 
grass in the unfertilized short-cut flats did not become thin, several 
short leaf blades being present on each plant.

It was noted that the shorter the cutting, the smaller the newly- 
produced parts became. The roots were shorter and finer and the 
new leaves were narrower and shorter. The new leaf growth corre­
sponded in height to the size of the plant; that is, the new growth 
produced by the short-cut plants was much less than that of those 
cut long.

No attempt was made, in conducting these experiments, to study 
the effect of different soils on the growth of grass, nor the effect of 
varying temperature or supply of water. Any or all of these factors 
may materially alter the effects produced by cutting. Some evidence 
has been disclosed in the experiments, however, to indicate that 
seasonal differences of light and temperature may have a relation to

November, 1931

215

Illustration 3.—Mass and length of roots produced by red fescue 
grown in 3 flats each of which was cut to a different height. All of 
the flats received 3 applications of a complete fertilizer. In the top 
row are shown the various heights of cut; in the middle the character 
of turf produced; at the bottom the mass and length of roots. The 
rules in the illustration are 6 inches long. The greater amount of root 
system of red fescue (when cut short) as compared with Kentucky 
bluegrass is observable in a comparison with illustration No. 2
the effect of height of cutting upon both bluegrass and fescue. Pres­
ent results suggest that fescue does not tiller abundantly during the 
summer months when cut short, and that bluegrass, on the contrary, 

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Vol. 11, No. 11

is more adversely affected by the growing conditions of the winter 
season. These problems as to the effect of seasonal differences upon 
the growth of different grasses are of considerable importance and 
warrant further investigation.

Summing up the general observations, it appears that fertilizing 
with nitrogen produced increased top growth in all cases except in 
the case of the short-cut bluegrass. When grown under favorable 
seasonal conditions, the fescue which was cut short tillered more than 
that cut long. The fescue cut at a medium height had the stiffest, 
most upright leaf blades.

The killing of the plants in the short-cut flats was not due to a 
cutting off of the buds but to the removal of food-manufacturing parts 
of the plant to a point beyond which the plant, could not maintain 
itself. The green leaf parts of a plant, in common with other green 
parts of the plant, serve as a factory—as it were—in which carbohy­
drates (starches and sugars) are manufactured, under the action of 
sunlight, from the carbon dioxide of the air and water. This food­
manufacturing process is known in plant physiology as photosyn­
thesis. The carbon dioxide enters the leaves of the plant through 
small openings in the leaf known as stomata. The substance which 
gives the green color to plants, called chlorophyll, aids in this food­
manufacturing process, which takes place only in the light. The 
organic food (starches and sugars) manufactured by the green parts 
of the plant is as important an element in the nourishment of the 
plant itself as are the mineral substances absorbed from the soil by 
its roots. It is thus evident that the removal of the leaves of a plant 
can not be carried on beyond a certain limit without weakening the 
plant and thus decreasing its resistance to drought, disease, heat, cold, 
or the competition of neighboring plants such as white clover, dande­
lion, crab grass, knotweed, and plantain which, by their prostrate 
habit of growth, can escape severe cutting. Kentucky bluegrass, with 
its upright habit of growth, is thus particularly susceptible to injury 
from close cutting. Bluegrass turf in the rough, which is generally 
left uncut for longer periods of time and cut higher, is usually rela­
tively free from such troubles. Because of the difference in the 
height of cut, the grass plants in the rough retain more of their green 
leaves than those on the fairways and, as a result, often remain thick 
and green after the fairways have become dry and sparse.

The foregoing data show in general that root growth will not re­
spond to fertilizer applications if the ability of the plant to manu­
facture carbohydrates is hindered by close and frequent cutting. The 
mowers should be raised on the fairways where the cutting treatment 
is proving dangerous, and cutting should be discontinued in the fall as 
early as possible in order that the plants may manufacture and store 
food for use during the season of short and frequent clipping.

It would seem probable, therefore, that if the fairways could be 
cut in such a manner that a greater amount of leaf surface could be 
left uncut than is true with the usual short-cutting treatment, they 
too would remain in better condition in so far as the growth of the 
grass is concerned. This result might be brought about by lengthen­
ing the intervals between cuttings or by cutting more frequently with 
the mower raised. The first method would probably prove trouble­
some because of the height to which the grass would grow during the 

November, 1931 

217

intervals between cuttings. It would also be undesirable during the 
summer months when the recovery from short cutting of grass which 
has grown long, is very slow. The second method might prove usable, 
since it would provide a suitable playing surface and yet prevent 
serious injury to the grass because of too close clipping. Using the 
latter method some leaves would always remain, whereas with the 
first method there would be times immediately after cutting when 
nothing but stubble would be left. This stubble recovers very slowly 
when soil and weather conditions are unfavorable.

Change in the Scientific Name for Colonial Bent

A classification of the common bent grasses was given in the 
Bulletin for March, 1930. In this classification the name used for 
colonial bent was Agrostis capillaris. The policy of the Bulletin is 
to use the botanical classification and scientific names recommended by 
A. S'. Hitchcock, botanist of the United States Department of Agri­
culture. Since making his recommendations for the names used in 
that number of the 1930 Bulletin, Doctor Hitchcock has had an oppor­
tunity to make a more detailed study of some of the earliest recorded 
specimens of bent grasses in European hebariums. As a result of this 
study he has decided to discontinue the use of the name Agrostis 
capillaris for this grass and to use the name Agrostis tenuis. There 
are several technical reasons for this change but they are not likely 
to be of particular interest to most of our readers. The Bulletin will 
hereafter use Agrostis tenuis as the scientific name of the species of 
grass commonly known as colonial bent. It is hoped that this name 
will be generally used in the seed catalogues in order to avoid con­
fusion. It is suggested that our readers who keep files of the Bulletin 
refer to pages 47 and 49 of the Bulletin for March, 1930, and where 
the word is used there cross out capillaris and insert tenuis.

Accelerating the melting of snow.—At times it happens that a 
greenkeeper would welcome the melting of the blanket of snow that 
lingers on his putting greens in the spring in order that the turf may 
dry the more quickly and permit the starting of desirable spring work. 
The same problem has been encountered by the Forest Service of the 
United States Department of Agriculture at their nurseries at various 
locations in the United States, and a simple method has been devel­
oped for hastening the melting of the snow. In some years it happens 
that sites chosen for reforestation by planting are ready for seedlings 
from the forest nursery while the nursery is still buried in snow. By 
the time the snow in the nursery has melted and the trees are ready 
for transplanting the soil in the planting sites may be too dry. The 
problem in such a case is to melt the snow and advance the working 
season in the nursery. To melt the snow, fine black soil is broadcast 
on the snow over the compartments of the nursery from -which plant­
ing stock is to be removed first. This soil, because it is black, absorbs 
considerable heat which would otherwise be reflected from the snow, 
if uncovered, on account of its whiteness. The operation hastens the 
melting of the snow and enables the workers to get out the planting 
stock as much as two weeks earlier in some instances.

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Vol. 11, No. 11

Methods of Applying Chemicals to Turf
By Arnold S. Dahl

The maintenance of good turf on putting greens requires intensive 
cultural methods, frequently involving the use of concentrated chemi­
cals as fertilizers, fungicides, or insecticides. The use of this type of 
material has introduced new problems into greenkeeping practice. 
Extensive damage to turf has sometimes resulted from the applica­
tion of concentrated chemicals. When injury occurs as a result of 
their use the chemicals invariably are criticised, when, as a matter of 
fact, carelessness or poor judgment in making the application is the 
real source of the damage. One of the distinct advantages of using 
concentrated materials is that a small amount will cover a large area. 
On the other hand it is more difficult to distribute evenly small 
amounts of material than it is to spread bulky substances.

Concentrated chemical fertilizers and fungicides may be applied 
more satisfactorily if they are diluted to give much greater bulk. 
Only rarely should an application be made without any dilution. It is 
largely a matter of choice whether they are applied in water or in the 
dry state mixed with soil, sand, or other material. The putting greens 
on a course should be treated with a fungicide soon after an attack of 
disease is noticed, as the injury to the turf is greatly reduced by 
prompt attention. Applications of fertilizers to putting greens should 
likewise be made rapidly, so as to interfere with play as little as 
possible. The method to use is that which will give the most even 
distribution in the shortest time at the least cost. This will vary on 
different courses according to the individual preference of the green­
keeper.

Many golf clubs in recent years have acquired power sprayers for 
use in treatment of turf diseases and for applying chemical fertilizers. 
The cost of such equipment is considered prohibitive on some courses 
but others prefer to use this method and also use the sprayers for 
spraying trees and shrubbery on the course and therefore consider the 
equipment as necessary. It is felt by some greenkeepers that power 
sprayers reduce the cost of application and the time necessary to 
treat the greens. Fertilizers or fungicides that go into solution 
readily are well adapted to use in spray equipment. When applications 
of a chemical are made to coat the leaves with a film of poison, as is 
the case in combating many plant insect pests and diseases, a spraying 
outfit is most effective. This is also true when small amounts, less 
than V2 ounce to 1,000 square feet, of corrosive sublimate are applied 
at frequent intervals to check attacks of large brown-patch. The use 
of insoluble chemicals such as lead arsenate, hydrated lime, and calo­
mel in particular, necessitates sufficient agitation in the tank to keep 
the material in suspension. In the use of calomel many greenkeepers 
have found it necessary to add more agitators to keep the material 
from settling to the bottom of the tank, for any such settling results 
in uneven distribution.

Some difficulty has been experienced in dissolving corrosive sub­
limate for spraying. Solution of many chemicals can be hastened by 
the addition of other chemicals. Corrosive sublimate mixed with one- 
fourth its weight of common salt or ammonium chloride will readily 
go into solution and the addition of these materials will not harm the 

November, 1931

219

grass. A small amount of salt increases the solubility of corrosive 
sublimate many times, so that it is possible to dissolve in a gallon jug 
enough to treat more than one green. Less than 1/2 pound of the 
mercury compound will slowly dissolve in a gallon of water, but a 
mixture of 4 pounds of the chemical and 1 pound of salt will quickly 
dissolve in the same amount of water. The latter amount will treat
approximately 22,000 square 
feet of turf, or four moderate­
sized greens. During the hot 
summer weather this amount 
used at reduced rates will be 
enough for eight greens. The 
solution may be prepared in 
earthenware or glass jugs or 
in wooden kegs and used 
whenever an attack of disease 
occurs. Corrosive sublimate 
solutions should never be 
placed in metal containers, 
because of their corrosive ac­
tion on metals. Not only 
would the container be cor­
roded by the chemical but the 
solution would be weakened 
and it would be impossible to 
calculate the amount to use to 
get the desired control of dis­
eases. The area of each green 
should be determined and the 
quantity of the solution to be 
used should be calculated so 
that all guessing is eliminated.
Barrel sprinklers are often 
used on golf courses but they 
are much slower and more 
cumbersome than power 
sprayers. It is generally rec­
ognized that such equipment 
is antiquated and that more 
efficient methods are needed 
for applying concentrated
chemicals. With barrel sprinklers as with power sprayers it is neces­
sary to provide sufficient agitation to keep insoluble materials such as 
calomel and lead arsenate in suspension. With the use of either 
method the operator must watch the treatment carefully so that over­
lapping does not occur since this frequently causes severe burns due 
to doubling the rate of application.

Corrosive sublimate can be dissolved rapidly 
by adding a little table salt to the water. 
Each of these four tubes contains equal 
quantities of corrosive sublimate and water 
in the proportion of four pounds of corrosive 
sublimate to one gallon of water. The tube 
on the right in each of the two pairs had 
common table salt added at the rate of one 
pound of salt to one gallon of water. The 
two tubes on the left were photographed 
immediately after the mixture was pre­
pared; the two tubes on the right were pho­
tographed immediately after they had been 
shaken for three minutes. The tube to which 
salt had been added and w’hich had been 
shaken three minutes (that on the extreme 
right) contains a complete solution. In 
each of the other three tubes the undis­
solved material may be seen in the bottom

Many greenkeepers prefer to apply chemicals in the dry state. 
This method has an advantage over the spray method in that it does 
not require a large outlay for expensive equipment nor is there heavy 
equipment to haul over the golf course. Some greenkeepers find that 
they can treat their greens more quickly by the dry method. When 
chemicals are applied in the dry state they should, for the best re­

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Vol. 11, No. 11

suits, be mixed with comparatively dry, finely-screened topsoil, com­
post, or sand. An eight-quart bucketful to 1,000 square feet is a fair 
amount to use, but the quantity will depend on the preference and 
skill of the man who applies it. Some men can broadcast a small 
amount uniformly; others prefer a larger amount. In mixing the 
chemical with soil it is necessary to obtain a uniform mixture and to 
pulverize all the lumps of the chemical, for if lumps of a concentrated 
chemical are permitted to lie on turf they are likely to cause severe 
local burns. An excellent method of mixing chemical with soil is to 
first mix it with a small quantity of dry, sharp sand; preferably about 
twice as much sand as chemical should be used. These are then rolled 
together with a rolling pin, a piece of pipe, or a bottle. In rolling them 
together the lumps are broken by the grinding action of the sand.

Lumps of chemicals are readily broken by rolling them in a small quantity of fine 
sand. This is best done on heavy paper or canvas, which can be lifted at the 
corners to throw the rolled material back into a pile and to expose new lumps of 
chemicals to the rolling operation. The rolling and piling are repeated until no 
lumps of chemicals remain in the mixture

The rolling and mixing should be continued until a uniform mixture is 
obtained as indicated by the absence of streaks. The chemical and 
sand can also be forced through a very fine screen, but this will not 
result in as fine a mixture as rolling. The soil to be broadcast is spread 
out on a tight floor or smooth concrete so that it is in a layer not 
more than two or three inches deep. The chemical and sand mixture 
is then scattered over the soil, raked in thoroughly, and shoveled over 
several times so that it is uniformly mixed. A revolving barrel churn 
or a small revolving concrete mixer may also be used for mixing the 
chemical and sand with the soil. The mixture is then ready to be 
broadcast over the green at the rate of a bucketful to 1,000 square 
feet, or at any other rate that is preferred for even distribution.

Chemicals may be mixed with soil and stored until needed. Stor­
ing in this way for a short time does not affect the efficiency of chemi 

November, 1931

221

cal fertilizers. The storage of mixtures of mercury fungicides will, in 
part, lessen the danger of chemical burns if an excess is applied, but 
if such a mixture is allowed to stand from one season to the next it 
loses some of its effectiveness. Experiments have shown that mer­
cury fungicides mixed with soil and stored for a period of years lose 
much of their value. Some, however, is retained so that a green­
keeper who has a supply already mixed, left from the previous season, 
may use it, but, to be effective, it should be applied at higher rates 
than recommended for the freshly-mixed materials. It is well not to 
mix more than a month’s supply at a time, so that only a minimum 
will be lost.

A mixture of chemicals and fine sand can be given greater bulk so as to assure 
more even distribution on greens if it is mixed with screened soil. A pile of soil 
is spread out flat and the rolled mixture of sand and chemicals is spread evenly 
over the pile and worked in with a rake. The pile is then turned over several 
times to make a thorough mixture

Most chemical treatments on turf should be well watered after 
application so as to wash the material off the leaves. Only those 
treatments which are purposely left on the leaves, as mentioned 
earlier, are excepted. Any of the other chemicals used at the recom­
mended rates will severely burn the grass if left on the leaves. This 
is true of treatments applied dry or with water in sprayers and 
sprinklers.

Seventeen states have laws relating to the sale of fertilizers. The 
percentage of plant food which a complete mixed fertilizer sold in 
those 17 states must contain is as follows: 16 per cent in Alabama, 
Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Wisconsin; 14 per 
cent in Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Ten­
nessee; 12 per cent in Georgia, North Carolina, West Virginia; 11 
per cent in Virginia.

222

Vol. 11, No. 11

Kinds and Quantities of Turf Seeds Purchased by Golf Courses

The facts and figures here presented are taken from a report re­
cently published by the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, United 
States Department of Agriculture, based on replies received from 
1,189 golf courses in the United States in response to a questionnaire 
sent by the Bureau to more than 3,800 golf clubs and municipal 
courses. Of these 3,800 golf courses, 1,733 replied to the question­
naire; 1,189 gave figures indicating the quantity of seed they pur­
chased, intended to purchase, or their average annual purchases; 495 
gave no figures but indicated that they usually purchased little or no 
seed because they had sand greens or else native grass that did not 
require reseeding or for other reasons; and 49 failed to indicate 
whether or not they ever purchased seed. Included in the 3,800 
courses within the survey were also some courses that were not in 
operation.

Average Annual Purchases of Turf Seeds Made by 1,189
Golf Courses

Pounds

Rye grasses: 

Italian ..................................................................  333,500
Domestic (mostly Italian, with a small propor­

tion of perennial and other  rye grasses).......210,500
Perennial ................................................................. 14,400

------------ 558,400
Kentucky bluegrass................................................................... 213,900
Redtop .........................................................................................  161,700
Fescues: 

Chewings’ ............................................................ 63,400
Meadow .................................................................... 16,300
Sheep’s ..................................................................... 9,300
Other fescues........................................................... 2,500
------------  

91,500

Bents: 

Mixed ...................................................................  27,500
Colonial ...................................................................  15,800
Seaside creeping..................................................... 15,400
Velvet ....................................................................... 1,833
Other bents (unclassified).......................................  2,930
------------  

63,463
Bermuda grass .. ........................................................................ 48,900
Mixtures (commercial) ........................................................... 26,300
Timothy.......................................................................................  15,700
White clover............................................................................... 9,900
Carpet grass............................................................................... 3,300
Clovers other than white clover............................................... 3,200
Rough-stalked bluegrass........................................................... 1,900
Miscellaneous ............................................................................. 8,187

Total ...............................................................................  1,206,350

“No attempt has been made,” the Bureau states, “to estimate what 
percentage these purchases represent of the total purchases made for 
ill golf courses in the United States. It is believed, however, that a 

November, 1931

223

majority of the larger clubs furnished reports in the survey. Many 
clubs found it very difficult to estimate their annual purchases of the 
different kinds of seed because the purchases varied so much from 
year to year, depending largely upon whether new construction work 
was undertaken or extensive alterations were made on their courses 
or reseeding was necessary because of droughts, floods, or other 
reasons.”

“Only a very small percentage of the clubs indicated,” the report 
states, “that they intended to purchase or that they usually purchase 
bent stolons, and these clubs were situated mainly in Illinois, Ohio, 
Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Indiana. Many clubs, however, grow 
their own stolons and maintain their own bent turf nursery for use 
in repairing old greens. The most popular strain of bent stolons 
was indicated to be the Washington, but many clubs were using the 
Metropolitan.”

Most of the purchases of rye grass seed, the survey showed, were 
made by clubs in Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi. In those states 
it is generally sown each fall on Bermuda grass greens for winter 
play. This explains the greater annual consumption of rye grasses 
as compared with strictly perennial grasses, such as Kentucky blue­
grass, the bents, and redtop.

More Kentucky bluegrass seed was purchased by clubs in Illinois, 

Ohio, New York, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, than elsewhere.

. Purchases of redtop seed were shown to be the largest in Illi­

nois, New York, Ohio, Florida, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

Purchases of fescue seeds were mainly by clubs in New York, 

Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Ohio.

More bent seed was purchased by clubs in New York, Pennsyl­
vania, California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, than elsewhere.
Florida courses buy much more Bermuda grass and carpet grass 
seed than any other courses. South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and 
North Carolina courses trail far behind Florida in Bermuda grass 
purchases.

The relatively large amount of white clover purchased would 
seem to indicate that some clubs are buying it to deliberately sow on 
their courses, even though most greenkeepers, and others interested 
in golf courses, are willing to spend large sums of money to eradicate 
this pest on the golf course, and especially on the greens. It is pos­
sible that some of the white clover seed purchased is planted as part 
of seed mixtures in certain locations.

In spite of the fact that fall is generally considered to be the best 
time to sow grass seeds, the report shows that the heaviest seed pur­
chases were made by clubs in the spring. This does not mean neces­
sarily that they are planting this seed in the spring. Considering 
that a club needs new seeding and has an item for seed in its budget 
when this is made up in the spring, the usual plan is apparently to 
buy the seed then and carry it over until fall. It is possible that many 
seeds bought in the spring are intended for spring planting, but, due 
to procrastination, they are not planted until fall. Relatively small 
quantities are purchased during the months of May, June, and July.

Judicious use of fertilizer will do more to thicken up a thin stand 

of grass than the best methods of reseeding.

224

Vol. 11, No. 11

Home-Made Leaf Rake

The removal of leaves and other litter from golf turf is usually 
a costly procedure. Machines have been developed in recent years 
designed to speed up this type of work and reduce the labor cost, but 
on most courses the leaves are still removed by use of the hand rake. 
The ordinary wooden hand rake, designed primarily for raking small 
lawns, is the most common implement in use for this work. A good 
many of the common gardening or lawn tools have been decidedly im­
proved in recent years to meet certain requirements in the mainten­
ance of golf courses, but the lawn rake has seldom been modified.

At the Meadowbrook Country Club, in the Detroit district, there 
is in use a modified lawn rake which has proved to be much superior 
to the common rake. This modified rake was designed by William 
H. Aston, chairman of the green committee of that club. The change 
was made by merely increasing the width of the rake to 48 inches, 
the customary width of rake being about 23 inches. In making this 
rake, Mr. Aston states, a %-inch pine strip 2^2 inches wide and 48 
inches long is used. Into this holes are bored, not larger than the 
wire to be used for the teeth, one inch apart on the 2^-inch way of 
the strip. The teeth are made by bending 12-inch lengths of heavy 
wire into the form of a staple and inserting them half their length 
through the holes. The ends of the wire are turned and fastened se­
curely to the wooden strip. The staples are then bent forward as in 
the ordinary wire rake so they will slide under the leaves. An ordi­
nary rake handle is then attached.

Much time can be saved in raking up leaves and other litter if a wide rake is used

This rake, which covers a much wider area than the ordinary rake, 
is much more effective in removing a light covering of leaves from a 
comparatively flat area. There is little increase in its weight over 
the ordinary rake. Men who use these rakes state that they are no 
more difficult to handle than rakes of standard size and that with 
them one can cover a much greater area in a given time. It is a simple 
device which anyone can easily make from material readily available.
A rake of this kind with teeth on both sides, Mr. Aston points out, 
would be very desirable, one side to be used for pushing and the other 
for pulling, simply by turning the rake over as desired. The operator 
could turn such a rake over and by pushing ahead could walk away 
with great piles of leaves in a fraction of the time it would take with 
the ordinary raking motions.

For raking around flower gardens, shrubbery, or similar irregular 
areas of turf such as are found around lawns, the standard rake is 
to be preferred, but there seems to be no reason why a much wider 
rake can not be used to advantage on the larger areas of a golf course.

November, 1931

225

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

All questions sent to the Green Section will be answered in a letter to 
the writer as promptly as possible. The more interesting of these questions, 
with concise answers, will appear in this column. If your experience leads 
you to disagree with any answer here given it is your privilege and duty to 
write to the Green Section. While most of the answers are of general 
application, it must be borne in mind that each recommendation is intended 
specifically for the locality designated at the end of the question.

Bulbous bluegrass as winter turf on Bermuda greens.—We under­
stand that bulbous bluegrass (Poa bulbosa) teams admirably with 
Bermuda grass, one being dormant while the other is verdant, thus 
giving excellent greens for golf play throughout the year. The Ber­
muda grass here is killed by frost each year, or if not killed it becomes 
very thin. Do you think bulbous bluegrass would be satisfactory to 
use in southern Texas? Would the hot summers hurt it, and would 
it become dormant in time in the spring for the Bermuda to get a 
proper start? Would the fact that our winter is late interfere with 
the growth of the bulbous bluegrass? We have our first killing frost 
in early December, although the Bermuda begins to get thin about 
the middle of October when the nights grow cool. Would cool nights 
and hot days affect the growth of the bulbous bluegrass? How should 
it be planted? (Texas)

Answer.—We have been doing some experimental work with bulb­
ous bluegrass, but chiefly at Washington, D. C., and at Gainesville, 
Fla. The main benefit of bulbous bluegrass for golf course purposes 
would be as an alternate with Bermuda grass. We recognize that it 
would be most convenient if the bulbous bluegrass would come into 
the greens in the South as soon as the Bermuda grass becomes dor­
mant and if the Bermuda would return in the spring as soon as the 
bulbous bluegrass becomes dormant. This condition, however, has not 
developed in any of our experimental work to date. At Washington 
the Bermuda becomes dormant a month or so before the bulbous 
bluegrass does much growing, and the Bermuda comes back very 
patchy in the late spring when the bulbous bluegrass dies. The 
second winter the bulbous bluegrass comes in patchy, especially if 
the Bermuda has been vigorous during the preceding summer. We 
recognize, however, that Washington is too far north for ideal condi­
tions for early Bermuda growth in the spring and for early winter 
growth of bulbous bluegrass. At Gainesville it was found that the 
bulbous bluegrass grew well in late fall as soon as the Bermuda grass 
began to get thin, but that much of it died during the summer. It 
was thought that the soil was too hot and the bulbs were thus killed 
during the summer. This experiment was carried on in sand. In 
our opinion, the rotation of Bermuda grass and bulbous bluegrass 
would take place more uniformly in Texas than it has at Washington 
and in Florida, since it is possible that the grass would not die dur­
ing the summer on the heavier Texas soil. Cool nights do not at all 
affect the growth of the grass. We also know from our results at 
Washington that an occasional warm day does not interfere with it; 
but this might not hold true under Texas conditions, since your days 

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Vol. 11, No. 11

might become considerably warmer and the air much drier than at 
Washington. We would advise you to try the grass in a small way. 
It may be planted from either bulblets or bulbs, both of which may 
be obtained from seedsmen. We have had much better results from 
the bulbs than from the bulblets. The bulbs are planted about 
inch deep and are fertilized and watered the same as grass seed.

Ridding putting greens of clover; sulphate of aluminum.—What 
information have you as regards the use of sulphate of aluminum 
for ridding putting greens of clover? (Ohio)

Answer.—In some work we have done with sulphate of aluminum 
we have severely injured grass, and we do not believe it is safe to 
use it on turf in the control of clover. For the purpose of ridding 
putting greens of patches of clover the following treatment has proved 
satisfactory. With the advent of fall and its better growing con­
ditions, clover can be considerably set back by dusting the patches of 
it with sulphate of ammonia early in the morning when the dew is 
on the grass. This will severely burn the clover. As soon as the 
burning of the clover is apparent the green should be watered to 
prevent the chemical’s injuring the roots of grass that may be in or 
around the clover patches. Much can be done to enable turf grasses 
to compete with clover by regular fertilizing so as to keep up the 
nitrogen supply in the soil. Organic fertilizers high in nitrogen 
should be used in the spring and fall, supplemented during the re­
mainder of the season by occasional light applications of nitrogen in 
a soluble form, such as sulphate of ammonia. Attention must also 
be given to preventing the introduction of clover seeds to a green in 
top-dressing material. Manure usually contains clover seed. Before 
being used, top-dressing material should be tested for the presence 
of clover seed, by setting out flats of the material and keeping them 
under growing conditions to see whether or not clover develops in 
the flats.

Plantain in bent seed.—We recently had some samples of seed of 
seaside creeping bent tested by the state seed laboratory and were 
informed that while the content of weed seeds was low the samples 
still contained as large a number as several thousand seeds of black- 
seeded plantain to the pound. We have been told however that this 
would make very little difference in seeding putting greens, as black- 
seeded plantain is easily killed. Is this true? (New York)

Answer.—If soil conditions and the fertilizing program are satis­
factory for the proper development of bent putting green turf, weeds 
such as the different kinds of plantain are seldom given an oppor­
tunity to develop, due to close clipping, and therefore are not ordi­
narily serious pests. For ordinary use it is therefore improbable that 
plantain seed contained in the bent seed to which you refer would be 
objectionable.

Is lead shot falling upon a green from trap-shooting harmful to the 

turf? (Connecticut)

Answer.—The only harm the shot could do would be to your 
mowers. It would be no more harmful to the turf than coarse sand or 
gravel. In order to protect your mowers it might be necessary to drag 
a steel door mat over the green previous to mowing, thus collecting 
any shot which may be on the surface.

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It is well for a man to respect his own vocation, 
whatever it is, and to think himself bound to uphold 
it, and to claim for it the respect it deserves.

Charles Dickens