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Issued By The

UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION GREEN SECTION
P. O. Box 73
Benjamin Franklin Station 
Washington, D. C.

To control webworms it is important that treatments be made sufficiently

WEBWORKS: 
early in the season to affect -the majority of the brood. If there is any uncertainty 
as to the presence of the webworms in your turf, they may be detected by the applica­
tion of pyrethrum extract at the rate of 1 fluid ounce in 5 gallons of water, distrib­
uted with an ordinary sprinkling can over an area of about 50 square feet. Shortly af­
ter the application, the webworms, if present, will appear on the surface of the turf.
They can usually be controlled with arsenate of lead applied in the form 

of a spray at the rate of 1 to 2 pounds to 1,000 square feet. When applied by the dry 
method, 2 to 4 pounds should be mixed with 6 quarts of fine sand and distributed over 
each 1,000 square feet. It is advisable to apply the poison during clear weather, as 
it should remain on the foliage for at least two nights.

The common contact poisons, such as pyrethrum, derris, and rotenone are 
also effective when applied in a dilution of 1 to 400 which is not injurious to turf. 
Approximately 100 gallons of this dilute solution should be applied to 1,000 square feet.

In hot, humid weather bent turf is likely to suffer from at­
BROWNPATCH CONTROL: 
tacks of brownpatch. This is particularly true in low areas where air circulation 
is poor. Corrosive sublimate or calomel, either alone or in combination, are usually 
recommended at the rate of 3 ounces to 1,000 square feet. In particularly hot, humid 
weather it is wise to reduce the rate to 1 or even 1/2 ounce to 1,000 square feet.

If the fungicides are applied by the spray method, the amount of water 
required depends on the kind of spray equipment used. Ordinarily 2 to 3 gallons of 
solution to 1,000 square feet give a good cover. If applied dry, the fungicides must 
be mixed with sufficient screened soil or sand to insure even distribution and the 
grass watered lightly after the application to prevent burning.

The most readily soluble compound will give most rapid results, where­
as the more slowly available forms such as calomel will have more lasting effects. 
Since corrosive sublimate is more readily soluble and quickly available, it can well 
be used alone during periods in which brownpatch is extremely active.

DYE FOR GRASS; One of the possible remedies for brownpatch is a dye which was devel­
oped a few years ago by the Green Section. It is made up of three chemicals in approx­
imately the following proportions: 

Auramine 0 
Malachite Green 
Crystal Violet 
As a fungicide, this dye has some possibilities where grass is so suc­

67 percent
30 percent
3 percent

culent that it is readily injured by mercury fungicides, although its effects are not 
so lasting as are those of the common mercury fungicides. It can also be used to tem­
porarily color grass which is off color due to disease, cold, or other cause.

Since these chemicals are not absolutely uniform products, and since 

grasses vary somewhat in their shade of green, the proportions of these chemicals may 
be varied to produce any desired shade of green.

About 1/5 to 1/2 ounce of this mixture of dyes dissolved in from 2 to

5 gallons of water is sufficient to cover 1,000 square feet of turf. The material 
should be applied as a fine spray. It is not poisonous to man or animals and does not 
harm the grass. The dye readily comes off when wet, but it sticks well as soon as it 
dries. A heavy rain usually washes off the dye so that a new application must be made 
in order to retain a uniform green appearance.

June 1940

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EXPERIMENTAL GREENS: Where turf is subjected to trying conditions it is not uncommon 
to find small areas in which the grass remains conspicuously commendable. These limit­
ed areas usually consist of single plants which possess either unusual vigor or resist­
ance to disease, drought, or even insect injury. Many such plants of creeping bent 
have been transplanted to nurseries and propagated by stolons on a fairly large scale. 
The Washington and Metropolitan strains, for example, have been developed in this way.
The Green Section has thus collected promising strains of creeping bent 

from various parts of the country and has tested them in plots under trying conditions 
at Arlington. During the past few years several strains have shown much promise.

It is difficult, however, to pass judgment on a strain of grass without 
comparing its behavior with that of other well-tested strains in adjacent plantings. 
In order to make such comparisons and to test promising strains under as many environ­
mental conditions as possible, the Green Section has established at least one experimen­
tal green in almost every principal golfing section where bent can be grown. A typical 
experimental green contains 12 wedge-shaped sections, each planted with a different strain 
of bent, and is used as a regular or practice green so that it will be exposed to the 
regular wear and tear of play. Each green contains standard strains for comparison, 
but these as well as the newer strains are designated only by numbers to avoid possible 
partiality in scoring them. To date, the Green Section has established 40 such greens.

Golfers, greenkeepers, and others interested in turf are scoring the 

grasses periodically. At the end of the season, we shall have a record of the perform­
ance of each strain under various local conditions and over the country as a whole.

As shown in the above map, it is more than likely that there is an exper­
imental green in your district. You are urged to visit it and to pass judgment on the 
various strains. We shall be glad to send you a list of the cooperating clubs. Your 
rating will help determine which strains are for general use and which are of particular 
value locally. These experimental greens are already stimulating interest of visitors 
in improved strains of grass.

June 1940

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If you are in or near the Japanese beetle zone and are wondering

JAPANESE BEETLES: 
whether or not you should protect your turf from grub injury, you should watch for the 
adult Japanese, oriental, and Asiatic garden beetles. It is not necessary to go to the 
expense of applying arsenate of lead to your turf for protection against the grubs unless 
adult beetles are present in your immediate vicinity in considerable numbers. However, 
as suggested in the May, 1940 issue of T.T.T. you may have to apply the arsenate to con­
trol white grubs, if the May beetles and June bugs have been active near your turf.

The Japanese beetles are easily detected, because they are most active in 

the middle of very hot days. The adult beetles begin to emerge about the middle or end 
of June, becoming increasingly numerous as the season advances. They prefer to feed on 
the leaves of apple, linden, horsechestnut, sassafras and elm trees as well as of rose 
bushes, spiraeas, flowering cherry, quince, etc., hibiscus, hollyhocks, dahlias, zinnias, 
and Virginia creeper. If present, they will be found on the foliage of such plants. 
They can also be seen at times in large numbers on the turf. In general, they tend to 
shift from one food plant to another during the season. In early summer they seem to 
prefer weeds, sassafras, sweet cherries and grapes; in midsummer, fruit and shade trees; 
and in August and September, plants which are in flower or which tend to put out new 
foliage that is more tender than the older foliage of their former food plants.

The oriental and Asiatic garden beetles, the grubs of which cause injury 
to turf similar to that caused by the Japanese beetle, also give ample warning of im­
pending -turf injuries by their presence in full daylight on favored vegetation. The 
adult oriental beetles feed very little. Even on hot days, they do not feed sufficiently 
intensively to cause alarm. In some cases they feed on grass blades., but oftener they 
are found feeding on flowers, particularly light-colored roses, hollyhocks, phlox, 
dahlias and Japanese iris. The eggs, however, are laid in sod and the resulting grubs 
cause particularly severe damage to turf because they feed just beneath the surface of 
the soil, eating off the grass roots one-half inch below the surface.

The Asiatic garden beetles prefer the leaves of sumac, Viburnum, Ailanthus, 

devil’s-walking stick, ragweeds, and the flowers as well as foliage of roses, chrysan­
themums, asters, dahlias, sunflowers and strawflowers. Fortunately, these beetles tend 
to lay their eggs in weedy, uncultivated areas, although large numbers may be laid in 
well-kept turf. Also, when the grubs hatch out of the eggs they tend to feed deeper 
than do the grubs of the Japanese and oriental beetle and therefore eat only the lower 
rootlets of the grass, causing less damage to the turf.

None of these beetles fly far from their feeding ground to lay their eggs. 

Therefore, if they are not found feeding in large numbers in your immediate vicinity you 
need not fear serious injury from their grubs, even though other areas in your district 
may experience severe infestations.

Crabgrass is encouraged by a liberal supply of water,. fertilizer, and sun­

CRABGRASS: 
shine. It usually begins to germinate late in May. Therefore, if crabgrass is prevalent 
in your district you will find it advisable to use both water and fertilizers as spar­
ingly as possible during the next three months. If the turf is cut as high as possible 
it will shade and discourage seedling crabgrass and thereby help your desirable turf 
grasses to fight a winning battle this season.

WHAT IS PYRETHRUM? Pyrethrum extract, the insecticide, is prepared from the flowers of 
a chrysanthemum-like plant known as Pyrethrum. This plant grows well in the United States 
but the fact that harvesting the crop of flowers has necessitated too much hand labor has 
meant that we have depended for our supply largely upon imports from Dalmatia prior to 
1914 and from Japan and from Kenya in British East Africa since that time. The Bureau of 
Plant Industry has recently announced the experimental development of a machine to harvest 
the crop and thereby eliminate the hand labor of gathering the flowers.

THE ANNUAL TURF MEETING SPONSORED JOINTLY BY THE U.S.G.A. GREEN SECTION AND THE 
GREEN-KEEPING SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION WILL BE HELD AT THE ARLINGTON
TURF GARDEN ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 AND 17.

June 1940 

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