Bulletin of the Green Section of the U. S. Golf Association Vol. IV Washington, D. C., June 21, 1924 No. 6 Page A MONTHLY PERIODICAL TO PROMOTE THE BETTERMENT OF GOLF COURSES CONTENTS. Brown-Patch Is With Us________________________________________ 134 An Inexpensive Drainage System. Elliot D. Pierce__________________ 134 Suggestions for Making Compost. R. A. Oakley____________________ 135 Some U. S. Golf Association Decisions on the Rules of Golf____________ 137 Instructive Golf Holes IX. No. 15, Hollywood Golf Club_____________ 138 Preparation of the Greens for Vegetative Planting. Lyman Carrier-_<___ 141 White Pine as an Ornamental for Golf Courses. F. L. Mulford________ 142 Protecting White Pine from the Blister Rust. J. F. Martin___________ 144 Less Serious Diseases of White Pine. Haven Metcalf___________ ______ 147 Insects Injurious to White Pine. William Middleton_______ l________ 148 Some English Books on Golf Course Construction and Turf Upkeep_____ 150 New Member Clubs of the Green Section_________________________ 150 Getting Service Out of Fairway Mowers. W. R. Hurd, 2d____________ 151 How the Green Section Helps the Golf Clubs. George Low___________ 151 Questions and Answers__________ ,_______________________________ 152 Meditations of a Peripatetic Golfer_____-__________________________ 156 MEMBERS OF THE GREEN COMMITTEE OF THE UNITED ‘Dr. C. V. Piper, Chairman Dr. R. A. Oakley, Vice-Chairman *E. J. Marshall, Vice-Chairman W. A. Alexander Frank B. Barrett A. C. U. Berry J. K. Bole Wm. F. Brooks C. B. Buxton A. H. Campbell N. Stuart Campbell W. C. Ferguson Wm. C. Fownes, Jr. •Dr. Walter S. Harban Dr. Thos. P. Hinman A. J. Hood Frederic C. Hood Norman Macbeth P. D. Maxwell Sherrill Sherman James L. Taylor •Wynant D. Vanderpool •Alan D. Wilson Frank L. Woodward Inverness Club Old Elm Club Hollywood Golf Club Waverly Country Club Mayfield Country Club Minikahda Club Dallas Country Club Toronto Golf Club Agawam Hunt Club Glen Echo Country Club Oakmont Country Club Columbia Country Club Druid Hills Golf Club Detroit Golf Club Kittansett Club Wilshire Country Club Dornick Hills Country Club Yahnundasis Golf Club Ekwanok Country Club Morris County Golf Club Pine Valley Golf Club Denver Country Club ASSOCIATION C. C. STATES GOLF Washington, D. Washington, D. Toledo, Ohio Fort Sheridan, Ill. Deal, N. J. Portland, Oreg. South Euclid, Ohio Minneapolis, Minn. Dallas, Texas Toronto, Ont. Providence, R. I. Normandy, Mo. Pittsburgh, Pal Washington, D. C. Atlanta, Ga. Detroit, Mich. Marion, Mass. Los Angeles, Cal. Ardmore, Okla. Utica. N. Y. Manchester, Vt. Convent Station, N. J. Clementon, N. J. Denver, Co]o. •Executive Committee member. Hugh I. Wilson, Merion Cricket F. H. Hillman, Washington, D. C. Club, Haverford, Pa. James W. R. Walton, Washington, D. C. D. Standish, Jr„ Detroit, Mich. ADVISORY MEMBERS Published by the Green Committee of the United States Golf Association, 456 Louisiana Avenue Washington, D. C. Editorial Offices: P. O. Box 313, Washington, D. C. Subscription price: To golf clubs that are members of the Green Section of the U S Golf Association, $4.00 per year (included in membership fee). Entered as second-class matter December 16. 1921, at the postoffice at Washington, D. C.. under the Act of March 3, 1879. Copyright, 1924, by the Green Committee of the U. S. Golf Association. 134 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE Vol. IV, No. G Brown-Patch Is With Us When we contemplate the brown-patch w’e say with the poet “the melancholy days have come.” Surely we are in for it for a few months, and apparently all we can do about it is to be on the job and use the few means we have at hand to keep the damage down to the minimum. Bor- t deaux still seems to be our stand-by. At least we feel a little more com- ‘fortable with it than without it when it comes to the control of the large brown-patch. Since the Green Section-has been to a considerable degree responsible for suggesting the use of Bordeaux for the treatment of large brown-patch, it feels it a duty to urge the conservative use of this fungi­ cide. A light dusting or spraying of the greens at times when experience indicates that the disease may be expected is all that can possibly be helpful. Of course the occurrence of brown-patch can not always be successfully forecast, but an observant greenkeeper will hit it a large percentage of the time. Bordeaux must be on the leaves of the grass to be effective, but only a small quantity is required. When applied with an efficient duster, pound to 1,000 square feet is ample. Heavy and fre­ quent applications of Bordeaux are very likely to cause copper-poisoning of the turf, and this is much worse than brown-patch itself. So please consider this the Green Section’s warning, and be sure to heed it. There is little real evidence that Bordeaux is useful in the control of the small brown-patch certainly there is none from the work done at Arlington—but there are two important things to do in case either the large or the small brown-patch attacks the greens. (1) Water liberally, early in the morning if you can, but water anyway. (2) Apply a light dressing of well-screened compost, not to exceed 1 cubic yard to 5,000 square feet of turf, and add to this, before applying, 5 to 7 pounds of ammonium sulfate. After applying the compost-ammonium sulfate mix­ ture, water in thoroughly to avoid burning. The reason for this treat­ ment is to stimulate the development of the dormant grass buds to replace the plants killed by the disease. If new leaves are not brought into evi- deSce S0<>Vfter the brown -patch kills the old ones, the stems and roots Ik jie ^reePlnS bent responds more quickly to restorative treatments than do the other turf grasses that are susceptible to brown-patch. This is because it has an abundant supply of buds on its submerged stems or runners, and all these need is a little stimulating. to bring them into growth. * In a nutshell, we have only the above suggestions to offer for the treatment of brown-patch. There is being much said regarding certain orgamc mercury compounds, but as yet the Green Section lacks evidence of their efficacy. It wishes all of them success but must withhold judg­ ment until more data are available. An Inexpensive Drainage System.-“An interesting problem in drainage was taken care of on our No. 5 hole. On the fairway just in front of the green a portion located at the foot of a small rise was so saturated with moisture that in -walking across one sank into the soggy soil to the depth of an ordinary low shoe. We dug a ditch 2 feet across and 2 feet deep along the upper edge of the fairway, which we filled with stone The total length of the ditch was about 50 feet. Starting at the middle of this ditch, and using it as a T, we laid a 4-ineh land-tile drain across the June 21,1^24 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 135 fairway. The stone drain catches the water and seepage. The tile across the fairway carries off the water. The effect produced was so cheering that we put in three systems across that particular fairway. AVe have had such a success that all of the players have congratulated me, and the work done has made them very happy. The system has been tested out by several very hard storms, and the drains are working splendidly. This is a comparatively inexpensive way of doing it, and it certainlv brings results.Elliot D. Pierce, Greenkeeper, Kittansett Club, Marion, Mass, May 21, 1924. Suggestions for Making Compost By R. A. Oakley Regardless of whether you are contemplating any unusual work on your greens this summer or fall, you will need a liberal supply of compost to put and keep them in first-class condition. If you are to do much new sowing, or if you intend to use the vegetative method of planting creeping bent this fall, you 'will need a very considerable quantity of compost. The time to start with your preparation is now. Don’t put it off because you do not have just the kind of manure or other organic matter you think should be used. Don’t put off the making of a compost pile just because you think the only manure you can get at a reasonable price is coarse and full of straw and weed seeds. Both weed seeds and straw will decay in a relatively short time, if properly treated. The kind of treatment to give compost is important. In some respects quite as much so as the materials included in it. If a supply of good manure or mushroom soil is available, the question of making compost is a simple one. If neither of these materials can be had, then the problem is, How can a good quality of compost be made without them ? Straw and coarse manure are commonly available where well-rotted manure or mushroom soil are difficult to obtain. It is intended here to suggest a means of treating straw and coarse manure so that they may be converted into very valuable material for top-dressing greens or covering bent stolons at the time of planting. The Bulletin for Febru­ ary, 1922 (page 36), contains a brief discussion of a method of rotting straw quickly and thereby rendering it suitable as an ingredient of com­ post; The method was devised by the Rothamsted Experiment Station and may be described briefly as follows: To each ton of dry straw used in the making of compost add 100 pounds of ammonium sulfate and moisten thoroughly. Keep the straw moistened until the fermentation or rotting is well under way, and then mix with loam or clay loam as in the making of compost with manure. The whole mixture then should be kept moist and worked over occasionally. The Rothamsted investigators advise the addition of lime to the ammonium sulfate and straw, but experiments con­ ducted here in a crude way indicate that lime is not necessary, and where compost is to be used on putting greens, especially on bents or fescue, it is not desirable. Since the publication by the Rothamsted Experiment Station of this method of converting straw and similar vegetable matter into a form approximating barnyard manure, at least one concern in Eng­ land has attempted to commercialize it. Doubtless the method used bv this concern involves some modifications of the simple one here described. 136 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE voi.iv. No. 6 There are some points in the making of compost by the Rothamsted method that should be considered carefully. These are as follows: (1) In determining the quantity of ammonium sulfate to use, be sure to estimate the straw or other organic matter on a dry basis, keeping in mind that a ton of ordinary straw and manure is equal to little more than one-fourth of a ton of dry straw. (2) Keep the compost pile moist and work it over two or three times during the season. (3) After the compost has rotted sufficiently and is screened and ready for use on the greens, do not forget that ammonium sulfate was included at the time the pile was started. Make allowance for this when adding ammonium sulfate to the screened compost before applying it. A little experimenting with the ammonium sulfate method should en­ able any club to use it advantageously. It will surely aid in making avail­ able for composting a supply of organic matter that would otherwise be regarded as unfit. Furthermore, it has other good points. One which should be mentioned specifically is that it hastens the devitalization of weed seeds in the compost pile. In the minds of many persons, weed seeds in manure make it thor­ oughly taboo. The thought of weed seeds has done more to deter the making of compost than any other single factor outside of sheer careless­ ness and neglect, and where it has not been offered as a legitimate reason for not making compost it has been used as an excuse. In the first place there are relatively few kinds of weed seeds carried in manure that really cause trouble when they germinate on putting greens. Most of them produce seeds of weeds that are naturally tall growing and will not live under putting green conditions. There are some of course that cause trouble. Crab grass is one of them, but crab grass seed in manure is relatively quickly devitalized in the compost pile; and this brings up the point desired to be established. The devitalization or killing of treed seeds in manure is easily accomplished by composting. This statement is not based on hearsay or guesswork, but on actual investigations. The whole question will be discussed in full at some later date; but if you are a bit curious about it, take a representative sample from your compost pile that has been in existence for three months, put it in a tray and keep it moist and ■warm. Then note the number of noxious weed seedlings that appear. Repeat the experiment with a sample from the same pile after it has stood six months. After you have done this the chances are that you will be less inclined to blame your compost for the presence of ■weeds in your greens. Another suggestion for the making of compost involves the use of green or freshly cut vegetable matter. On almost every golf course there are tall-growing weeds or plants of some kind growing in places where they can be cut with a side-bar mower or a scythe. Sometimes a patch of sweet clover is present. It is an easy matter to rake up this material and haul it to the compost pile. If properly layered with soil and treated as though it were manure, it will make a good quality of compost. Again, don’t be unduly afraid of weed seeds. M hile the conclusion that the proper kind of organic matter is not available and the fear that the weed seeds may be introduced have de­ terred many from making compost, quite a number of clubs have delayed making it because it was felt that not enough organic matter was available for the making of compost of suitable quality. It is indeed an exceptional case where a sufficient quantity of organic matter emi not be had to make June 21,1924 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 137 compost that will be highly useful in maintaining putting green turf. In fact, the present tendency seems to be in the direction of too much manure. Probably the ideal compost pile should start off with organic matter, at the rate of the equivalent of one part of good manure to three parts of soil, to be composed of loam or clay loam, and sand, in the proportions required by the soil of the greens to which the compost is to be applied. The more clay in the soil of the green, the less sand, and vice versa. As it is screened and ready to apply to the greens, the compost that is now being used at the Arlington Experiment Farm on bent turf on stiff clay soil, by actual analysis contains approximately only 6 per cent of organic matter on a moisture basis equivalent to that of ordinary manure. An analysis of a sample of compost now in use on the greens of the Merion Cricket Club, Philadelphia, was found to contain 8 per cent. Bear in mind that it is easily possible to include too much manure or organic matter in compost, and that good results may be obtained w’ith even a very small percentage. To sum up this feature of the subject, compost poor in or­ ganic matter is better than no compost at all, if the proper proportions of loam, clay loam, and sand are used. While it is not intended here to discuss the effect of compost when applied as a top-dressing to turf, the rate of application is of such im­ portance as to justify a brief reference at this time. Recommendations or instructions have usually been given in terms of depth of application. This is an exceedingly indefinite matter. No two individuals will make estimates of a depth of application of compost anywhere nearly alike. The best way to get at it is to make an application that appears to be suit­ able, then measure the area, and estimate the quantity of material applied. In experiments at Arlington it has been found that for regular treatments of creeping bent turf, 1 cubic yard of screened compost is sufficient to top- dress 5,000 square feet of turf. For covering bent stolons at the time of planting, iy2 cubic yards of screened compost are necessary for 1,000 square feet of planted surface. You may not agree with the rates here suggested, but surely you will agree that this is the proper -way of stating the. rate of application. Some U. S. Golf Association Decisions on the Rules of Golf Question.—One of our subscribers has recently raised the following question based on Rules 31 and 20. Suppose that in a single match both players are using the same make of ball. They reach the putting green, and A, assuming that the ball farther away from the hole is his, plays it and holes out. He goes forward to the hole and picks up the ball, and then discovers that he has played B’s ball. Now the question is, Does the statement printed below the footnote to Rule 20, which says,’“On the putting green, the ball shall be replaced,” mean that B’s ball must be re­ placed and that the hole is then played out in the proper order without any penalty, or does this statement emphasize only the fact that on the putting green the ball is to be replaced instead of dropped, according to the pro­ visions of Rule 20? From the manner in which Rule 20 and the state­ ment above mentioned are printed in the rules, I have taken it that the ball must be replaced and played on the putting green. In addition to this consideration, it would appear to me that it would be fair to replace the ball, since the opponent is put to no disadvantage on the putting green, where the mistake may readily be discovered. 138 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE Vol. IV, No. 6 Answer.—The Rules of Golf Committee of the United States Golf Association rules as follows: Rule 20, paragraph 2, does not apply to this ease. It covers only the case where the ball is not engaged in the match. A loses a hole under the provisions covered by Rule 20, paragraph 1, unless he replaces the wrong ball with which he has played and plays out the hole in proper order; or if each of the players plays the wrong ball, the hole stands as played with the balls thus exchanged. Rule 31. paragraph 2, provides for playing out of turn and does not provide for playing the wrong ball. Question.—Can a ball in a hazard lying within a club’s length of a water pipe in the hazard be dropped back without penalty? Also, if in a deep ditch, say about 5 feet deep, a water pipe runs across the top of the ditch and a ball rests immediately below the pipe more than a club’s length from the nearest point of the pipe, could a ball be dropped back jyithout penalty if the pipe interferes with the swing in playing the ball? Our committee was called upon to give a ruling in a similar case, and would feel greatly obliged to have an official answer to the above question. Answer.—A our first question is answered in the affirmative, attention being invited to the footnote to Rule 11. Our answer to your second question is that the ball could not be moved, as it is more than a club’s length from the pipe. Your committee should form a local rule to cover this situation. Instructive G-olf Courses IX No. 15, Hollywood Golf Club, Deal, New Jersey A beautiful one-shot hole ex­ tending due west, whose length can be varied from 160 to 185 yards, thanks to generous tee­ ing ground. From tee to green there is a slight upgrade, every detail of the hole standing out clearly. The green is strongly guarded, particularly by a long bunker in front. Behind, it is flanked by ridges so that a well- played ball does not roll over the rather small green. This measures about 4,500 square feet. Baek of the green is grass, from which a pitch of about 8 feet is necessary to put the ball on the green. June 21, 1924 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 139 . e e T m o r f w e i V . b u C l f l o G d o o w y l l o H , 5 1 . o N e l o H 140 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE voi.iv,No.6 n e e r G g n i t t u P f o w e i V p U - e s o l C . b u C l f l o G d o o w y l l o H , 5 1 . o N e l o H Jane 21,1924 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 141 Preparation of the Greens for Vegetative Planting By Lyman Carrier In view of the interest being taken in creeping bent and the vege­ tative method of planting it, a brief discussion of the preparation of the soil before planting may be helpful. As the vegetative method of securing bent grass turf is somewhat new and unusual, many greenkeepers feel that it must require an unusual preparation for planting in order to insure success in the future development of the putting green. This is not the case. Creeping bent is in no sense of the term a finicky grass as far as soil requirements go. One of the strongest points in its favor is its ability to thrive and make excellent turf under adverse conditions. On the other hand, the most valid objection yet raised to the grass for putting is, that it is a little coarse where the soil is very rich. Nature should be our guide in a matter of this kind. Greenkeepers the country over are fast getting away from the artificial methods, which were in vogue a few years back, of building up a soil for putting greens. Thousands of dollars have been spent in the construction of single putting greens, but the results have in most cases been disappointing. Layer- cake greens built up with infinite care have seldom had the fine quality of turf that obtains from common agricultural methods of preparing the soil and seeding the grass. Creeping bent is quite widespread in this country and is to be found growing naturally on most of the older golf courses, especially those where bent seed was used in the original seedings. The creeping bent is usually found along ditches and in the low moist places. This gives us a clew to its desires. It wants plenty of water. As to soil requirements, it is found on sands, loams, clays, and muck, and apparently thrives with equal success on all of these where moisture conditions are favorable. The Sylvania Country Club, at Toledo, had a fine nursery on top of a sand dune, and the Inverness Club, a few miles away, had one on heavy clay. The Park Ridge and Edgewater clubs, at Chicago, have grown creeping bent successfully on sticky black gumbo soils. The soil of the Arlington Turf Garden, at Washington, where the vegetative method was originated and where most of the selections and breeding work with this grass has been done, is a heavy brick clay notorious as poor agricultural soil. Experiments at Arlington on this poor soil in comparison with a rich compost have been in favor of the natural soil. The same is true at the Youngstown (Ohio) Country Club, where the versatile greenkeeper, John Morley, scraped off the top soil and planted creeping bent in a test with a rich garden loam. The creeping bent on the subsoil was finer-textured than it was on the rich soil. To put the matter in a few words, any fairly good agricultural soil in the North, if well watered, will grow creeping bent successfully. I am becoming more and more convinced that we should lean to a soil rather low in fertility rather than incorporate a lot of manure and fertilizers in the preparation for planting. If, after the grass is established, it appears unthrifty, it is a comparatively simple matter to encourage a better growth with an application of a quick-acting fertili­ zer, such as ammonium sulfate. The greenkeeper can control the growth of turf by judicious fertilizing on top, but he is helpless if the soil under­ neath is too rich or it has been ruined by layers of cinders, humus, or other materials which are objectionable for plant growth. 142 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE voi.iv,No.6 To be specific as to the recommendations for building a putting green which is to be planted with creeping bent, I would leave the soil as nearly like nature had formed it as possible. First I would scrape off the top 5 or 6 inches of soil and pile it aside. Then I would build up the green according to the architect’s plans, using the subsoil from the traps, taking care that the finished surface of this sub-base has no water pockets—that is, low places where the water does not run off naturally. All greens on clay soils in the Middle West should have tile drains underneath them. These should be installed by a competent drainage engineer. After the green is contoured according to the architect’s plans, and the drains in­ stalled, the top soil should be put back-in an even layer over the surface. In most cases a light application of well-rotted stable manure is probably desirable, but excessive amounts, such as 25 cubic yards of manure to the green, should be avoided. The green is then ready for planting. After the stolons of creeping bent are scattered, they should be covered to a depth of about %-inch. This top-dressing should be of such a nature that it will not run together when -wet and bake into a crust when dry. Ordi­ nary soil may be used if enough sand is added to make it friable. Creeping bent planted on greens prepared in this wray, and kept moist until the stolons have had a chance to become well rooted, will make excellent turf with great certainty. White Pine As An Ornamental for Golf Courses By F. L. Mulford, Horticulturist, U. S. Department of Agriculture In the northeastern fourth of the United States the white pine can be used effectively in adding an attractive note to the plantings on many golf courses. In those sections where it thrives, its blue-green foliage, symmetrical form when young, and large size and rugged outline when old, give it claims for consideration whenever ornamental plantings are being considered. It is native from Iowa to southern Ohio and Delaware, and northward. It is usually found on sandy lands or gravelly and poor soils, not on rich, moist bottom lands. This suggests its use on dry hill­ sides or ridges or in other well-drained situations with moderately rich to poor soils. In such locations it may be planted in groups or ciuinps, without other species of plants, or with only an occasional specimen; or it may be used with other things. Its foliage is in great contrast to the deep, somber hues of the firs and some of the spruces, many of which are a dark, heavy green, and their formal, often stiff habit of growth generally gives an almost depressing effect to the landscape in which they pre­ dominate. On the other hand, the long needles, more open habit of growth, and characteristic color of the w’hite pine give it an airiness that is stimulating whether the trees are used in almost pure stands or to give contrast to darker evergreens or mixed with deciduous plants. When young, its growth is regular, forming an oval, symmetrical head, but as it gets older it loses its lower limbs and badly shaded branches Its wood is brittle, so that as it attains maturity it is apt to assume an ir­ regular though sturdy and picturesque form, due to the breakin" out of branches by wind, but more especially by ice or sleet storms. As it is June 21,1924 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 143 one of the tallest of the trees of the regions where it is native, old speci­ mens are apt to dominate the landscape by their height. In addition to white pine being effective in combination with other plants, it is handsome even as a single specimen. The attractiveness of the tree at all stages of growth, combined with its habit of losing its lower branches on approaching maturity, suggests its suitability for planting to the rear of some of the tees on the last two-thirds of the course, where as a young tree it would serve to relieve some of the bareness that is often so noticeable; as it gets older it might also serve to give welcome shade to players passing by on a hot summer day, as well as to be a dominant feature in the landscape. Like other evergreens, white pine should be transplanted with a ball of earth on the roots, in late spring about the time deciduous trees are coming into leaf, or in late summer. Because of its tendency to form White pine either as a single tree or in groups or groves adds beauty to the landscape. tap-roots instead of a fibrous root system, the tree is hard to dig with a ball of earth on the roots, and it is therefore usually best to transplant white pine when it is small in size. If the soil falls from the roots in transplanting, the roots should be puddled (dipped in a thin clay batter) and the tree planted immediately. If dry weather follows planting, watering will be necessary, especially with the larger sizes of trees. The larger the ball of earth which has been moved with a tree, the better will it withstand adverse weather conditions. 144 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE Vol. IV, No. 6 Protecting White Pine From the Blister Rust By J. F. Martin, Pathologist, U. S. Department of Agriculture Many golf courses within the natural range of the white pine have this tree in more or less abundance on their grounds. Like other trees, it is subject to the attack of diseases, one of the most destructive of which is the white pine blister rust. This disease is native to Europe and was brought here about 1900 on white pine planting stock. Since that time the disease has spread rapidly and is now present in the New England states, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the lake states, Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia, and the state of Washington. It will doubtless spread into otlier states and provinces where the white pine is a valuable forest and ornamental tree. The blister rust is a parasitic fungus (Cronartiurn ribicola Fischer) which requires two different kinds of host plants to complete its life cycle. In this respect it is like the wheat rust, the apple rust, and similar plant diseases. Its host plants are the so-called white or five-needle pines (that is, those pines which have five needles in each leaf bundle) and all kinds Infected white pine branch with “blisters” breaking through the diseased bark. Each blister is full of powdery spores, which are carried by the wind to the leaves of currant and gooseberry bushes. The under side of the infected leaves becomes covered with the rust, and it soon produces other spores, which carry the disease back to nearby pines. of wild and cultivated currant and gooseberry bushes. The disease can not pass directly from one pine to another. From the pine it spreads to currant and gooseberry leaves, where it passes part of its life, and from these returns to the pine. By destroying the currant and gooseberry bushes, the life cycle of the fungus is broken, and pine infection can not take place. The white pine blister rust is a bark-killing disease which girdles the trees, causing their death. When it becomes established in areas where wild or cultivated currants and gooseberries are abundant, the white pines growing within infecting range of these bushes suffer’severe damage. Pines of all sizes are attacked and readily succumb to the disease. Young trees are killed quickly, while older trees withstand the attack of the rust for a much longer period, because the twigs and branches are usually first infected and it takes the disease longer to work back to the trunk. ' As a rule, slightly infected young and old trees have a normal ap­ pearance. Badly diseased young trees under ten years of age are stunted June 21, 1924 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 145 in growth, bushy in appearance, and often of a faded yellow color. A twig here and there may be dead, and close examination will probably show the presence of many cankers on the stem and branches. Large white Trunk of a large white pine girdled by the blister rust 22 feet from the ground. This tree is nearly dead, and many of its branches are dead or dying from the disease. Some of the branches show the blisters bursting through the bark. .146 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE voi.iv.No. 6 pines attacked by the blister rust ultimately become unsightly from the death of many limbs, and their ornamental value is greatly reduced a number of years before the trees are actually killed. Often one or more dead or dying branches, commonly called “flags,” are apparent, depend­ ing upon the age of the infection. Sometimes the top of a tree is dead, or it may be broken off where the main stem has been girdled and weak­ ened by the rust. These characteristics are more striking and can be plainly observed from a distance, if a group of pines is badly diseased. The growing of white pine on golf courses or elsewhere within its natural range should not be given up on account of the danger from blister rust. These trees, whether in natural stands or in forest or ornamental plantings, can be protected against the white pine blister rust at low cost by the systematic eradication of all wild and cultivated currant and gooseberry bushes within 900 feet of the trees. Under especially favorable local conditions, 600 feet is sufficient; but on the other hand experience has shown that large patches of cultivated black currants may cause serious damage if located within a mile of white pine. Cultivated black currants are much more susceptible to the disease than other kinds of currants or gooseberries, and should not be grown in white pine regions. The eradication of all currant and gooseberry bushes in and around white pines will prevent further infection of these trees. In infested regions this work should be done immediately, as the prevalence of the rust is constantly increasing in unprotected areas, and delay may mean the loss of the pines. Before starting the eradication of wild currants and gooseberries, information on the best methods of finding and destroying these plants should be obtained from the State Forest Service or the United States Department of Agriculture, to assure efficient work. These agencies are now cooperating in the control of white pine blister rust in the north­ eastern and lake states, where the white pines greatly exceed the currants and gooseberries in value. The destruction of currant and gooseberry bushes in these regions is provided for by state laws. At the present time there are about forty blister rust control agents located in the principal pine growing counties of New England and New York. These men are engaged in organizing property owners for the cooperative eradication of currants and gooseberries in a concerted community-effort to secure the prompt protection of the white pine forests. Ornamental white pines already infected with blister rust can be saved by cutting out the diseased parts, if the treatment is applied before the fungus has so far girdled the trunk as to make the saving of the tree impossible. Whether a heavily infected pine is worth treating in this manner depends on the value of the tree. The individual forest tree is not of sufficient value to make the use of tree surgery methods practicable, but the cost of treating valuable ornamental white pines in this way is less than the expense of replacing the trees. The practicability of saving a pine must be governed by the extent of the injury already caused. If the disease has nearly girdled the main stem, it is a waste of time and money to try to save the tree. It is also unwise to spend money on a pine which has so many limbs infected that it will be left weak or unsightly after the diseased parts are removed. Where new pine infections are annually occuring in abundance, it is necessary to cut them out each year to prevent the disease from reaching the trunk and killing the tree. The yearly repetition of this operation will be expensive, and soon the pines will become so badly mutilated that their ornamental June 21, 1924 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 147 value will be destroyed. Therefore currant and gooseberry bushes in the immediate vicinity should be destroyed in order to eliminate the source of new infections before an attempt is made to cut out the diseased parts. Details of the treatment of ornamental white pine infected with blister rust can be obtained from Circular 177, United States Department of Agriculture. Less Serious Diseases of White Pine By Haven Metcalf, Pathologist. U. S. Department of Agriculture Compared with the blister rust, all other diseases of white pine are of negligible importance.- The most conspicuous one, if it may be called a disease, is the so-called “white pine blight.” There have been several occurrences of this trouble, of which the most sensational was that of 1907 and 1908. Over a large area of country from central Maine to central Pennsylvania the young trees, and particularly the ends of the youngest needles, suddenly appeared brown. This was at first popularly believed to be an epidemic of some kind, but no specific causal organism was ever isolated, and after about two years all but about three per cent of the trees recovered. The cause of the trouble is not definitely known, but it is generally believed to be an unusual type of winterkilling. Frequently dead areas of sapwood will be found inside of the sound bark. Conditions of this kind are sometimes local, but usually widespread over a consider­ able area of country. Under conditions surrounding the golf course, the most important thing to remember, in a case of this kind, is to refrain from cutting down a tree because it looks unsightly. As indicated above, more than 97 per cent of such trees recovered spontaneously. It is good advice in general, in dealing with ornamental trees, particularly conifers, not to cut them down until you are absolutely sure they are dead. In general, the white pine is a sensitive tree, particularly liable to serious and permanent injury from wounds which may appear to be almost of a trivial nature. If a young tree becomes sharply bent, without any external indication of breakage, it is almost sure to die. A compara­ tively small wound extending less than one-third the circumference of the stem will usually kill a tree, especially the very young trees. On this account greatest care must be taken that white pines are not injured by being bent, by having bark knocked off by lawn mowers, or otherwise injured. The white pine, although often broken by ice storms, the weight of snow, and high winds, does not as a rule suffer as seriously in this regard as many other trees. Any damage of such a nature should, however, re­ ceive prompt attention, following the lines of treatment advocated in Farmers’ Bulletin 1178, United States Department of Agriculture. The principles of tree repair and tree surgery discussed in that bulletin are too extensive to consider within the limits of an article as short as this, but they are easily put into practice. Every caretaker of a golf course should have a copy of that bulletin, which can be obtained free upon request made to the Department of Agriculture. The white pine is sensitive to smoke, and particularly to a great number of chemical by-products which frequently occur in the smoke of manufacturing cities. The death of white pines, and indeed of all conifers on many old golf courses which are within the atmospheric influence of manufacturing cities, is thus easily explained. There is no remedy for 148 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE Voi.iv.No.6 this condition. In cases where all conifers have been killed, the much- desired evergreen effect can often be obtained by planting holly where that tree is within its climatic range. In many places the holly has proved particularly resistant to smoke. Frequently, particularly serious damage to or even death of white pines and other trees will be noticed along driveways. This may often be observed to be due to change of level in the process of grading roads or paths. A change in the level of the surface of the ground raises or lowers the water-table in the soil, thus drowning or drying the roots. Few trees are able to resist such changes. Often materials used in road building or repairing, such as calcium chloride, get deposited under certain trees, re­ sulting in the death of the trees at a later period, w’hen perhaps the presence of the salt has been forgotten. A coal-burning fire-engine oper­ ating under a large tree on a curb will often leave no conspicuous imme­ diate effect, but the tree will die -within the following year. Finally it must be remembered that there are cultural limits to the well-being of large trees particularly. Growing naturally in close asso­ ciation with its fellows, and under the right forest humus, the white pine, like all other trees, is unfavorably affected by the hard soil and shaved lawn of the average golf course and park. It is well recognized that it is necessary to maintain a certain minimum of fertility in order to save the trees beyond a certain age; and finally it must be remembered that the age limit for ornamental trees in general is much lower than for the same trees growing in the forest. A great deal of money is wasted in trying to save trees which have reached the term of their existence under the un­ natural conditions in which they grow. The death of such trees can be foreseen with a reasonable degree of accuracy; and all such mature trees should therefore have understudies, eventually to take their places. Insects Injurious to White Pine By William Middleton, Specialist in Shade Tree Insects, U. S. Department of Agriculture The most serious insect pest of white pine in the southern portion of its range is the southern pine beetle or pine barkbeetle {Dendroci onus frontalis Zimm.). This insect feeds on the inner bark of living pines, making mines which destroy the living tissues, thus girdling and killing the trees. Pines infested by barkbeetles very rarely are so lightly attacked as to permit their recovery, and they are a menace to the neighboring healthy trees. It is important to recognize infested trees early in the course of the attack of the barkbeetles and before these tree-killing species have an opportunity to complete their development and leave the trees. In­ fested pines are recognized by the following characters. The foliage fades through pale green, becoming yellowish and finally pale brown. The bark of the trees will usually show some fresh pitch tubes or crater-like resinous masses in which fragments of reddish bark are mixed. When the bark is removed, small blackish to reddish-brown beetles or small whitish to yel­ lowish grubs are found in their galleries between the bark and the wood. Such trees should be located and marked between November 1 and March 1, and treated by removing and burning the infested bark before March 1, either by peeling and burning, or cutting down the tree and burning it, or June 21, 1924 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 149 using the wood for fuel during the winter. It is essential to complete the destruction of the material before the beetles leave the bark in the spring. Cooperation of the other land-owners of the vicinity is es­ pecially important. It is of little use to treat the trees after the tree-killing barkbeetles leave. After the new’ generation leaves the trees, the foliage becomes reddish brown and partially or completely fallen, and the bark of the trunk is completely riddled w’ith the exit-holes of the barkbeetles, re­ sembling shot-holes. Another insect pest of white pine is the white pine weevil (Pissodes sp.), with which young trees are often infested. This insect attacks and kills the pine leaders, and while it seldom kills the tree, often stunts it, causing it to become crooked. The adult snout-beetle of the w’hite pine weevil appears on the pines in the spring, feeding somewhat on the terminal shoots, producing resinous w’ounds, and then deposits its eggs in small pits cut in the bark of the previous year’s growth. The larvae or grubs hatching from the eggs feed on the inner bark, constructing mines which girdle and kill the shoot. When the grubs are full-grown they terminate these mines in rather large cells excavated in the wood, where the resting or pupal stage is passed. These cells are very characteristic of the work, in that they are surrounded by shredded wood fiber. The adult weevils emerge in July and August of the year in which the eggs were laid, and hibernate over w’inter. The w’hite pine w’eevil must be combatted by the removal and destruc­ tion of the infested leaders over as w’ide an area and as thoroughly as possible. This wrork should be done in the late spring or early summer, while the leaders still contain the insect in its injurious stages. Burning is usually resorted to, but the infested leaders may also be placed in tight barrels having the ends covered w’ith wire fly-screen netting, which will permit the parasites of the w’eevils to escape but at the same time retain the weevils. Such treatment is required for several consecutive years. Still another insect injurious to white pine is the pine bark-louse (Pineus sp.). While this insect is seldom a serious menace to the life of the pine, infested trees are often of a poor and unhealthy appearance. Its presence is evidenced by a coating of a dirty or grayish-white waxy or cottony material on the smooth bark of the upper trunk and limbs. The pine bark-louse is a small sucking insect which coats itself with the pro­ tective w’axy or cottony grayish-white material observable. The activity of the insect begins in the spring about the time the tree starts new growth. The forms overwintering on pine, feed, develop, and lay eggs, w’hieh pro­ duce winged forms that migrate to spruce. The louse deposits its eggs on spruce, and the forms hatching from these eggs overwinter and lay their eggs in the spring. The lice hatching from these eggs enter the opening spruce buds and cause them to develop abnormally into spruce twig-galls. Winged forms develop in these galls, and emerging migrate back to pine. A wingless form continues to live on pine throughout the season. The pine bark-louse can be controlled by spraying both infested pines and spruces early in the spring when the new growth starts on the twigs of pine and the buds are opening on spruce, with a kerosene emulsion. This emulsion is prepared by dissolving i/2 pound of fish-oil or laundry soap in 1 gallon of boiling water. When the soap is dissolved, its container is at once removed from the fire, 2 gallons of kerosene immediately added, and the mixture thoroughly agitated or churned for about five minutes, or 150 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE _Voi.iv, No. g until it becomes uniformly creamy. One-third gallon of this mixture is diluted with 2 gallons of water, and sprayed thoroughly and with force. A fourth insect which calls for attention here in the pine leaf-scale (Chionaspis pinifoliae Fitch), which sometimes infests the needles of white pine. This insect is a small white comma-shaped body usually found in quantities extending along the needles. Although small, the insects are rather conspicuous, the white scales imparting a grayish cast to the pine foliage. They are hardly to be considered a serious menace to the life of the pints, but may contribute materially to their poor appearance, causing the needles to become faded to yellowish. Under the whitish scale a soft-bodied sucking insect is found which sucks juices from the needles by means of its long thread-like beak. The instct overwinters in the egg stage, the eggs hatching in the spring, the time of hatching varying with the locality and advance of the season. The young scale-insects crawl about until they find a suitable place, which is usually the new needles, where they settle and insert their beaks and commence to feed and prepare for the development of their protec­ tive covering, the scale. There may be two or three generations during a year, depending on the locality and the season. The pine leaf-scale is often controlled by natural enemies, such as ladybird beetles, although it occasionally becomes sufficiently numerous to affect the vitality of the tree, when artificial control measures should be adopted. Spraying with a kerosene emulsion prepared and diluted as directed for the pine bark-louse will be found effective if resorted to when the young scales or crawlers are appearing. A careful watch of infested trees, using a hand lens on the scabs and young needles, will enable one to determine the presence of the young scabs or crawlers with greater as­ surance than will a reliance on their time of appearance above indicated; it can, however, be stated that in the vicinity of Washington, D. C., the first generation usually hatches from the eggs about the middle of May. Some English Books on Golf Course Construction and Turf Upkeep. Some Essays on Golf Architecture. By Colt and Alison. Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, N. Y. The Book of the Links. By Sutton. W. II. Smith & Son, Stam­ ford Street, S. E. 1, London, England. Golf Architecture. By Mackenzie. Simpkins, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., 4 Stationers’ Hall Court, E. C. 4, London, England. The Laying Out and Upkeep of Golf Courses and Putting Greens. By Sutton. Simpkins, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., 4 Stationers’ Hall Court, E. C. 4, London England. Lawns, Links, and Sportsfields. By Macdonald. 1923. Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, N. Y. (It is suggested that the. purchasing of these books may be facilitated by ordering them through your local bookstore.) New Member Clubs of the Green Section.—Champlain Country Club, St. Albans, Vt.; Coronado Country Club, Coronado Beach, Calif.; St. Charles Country Club, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Kokocache Club, Dover, Mass.; Chet- remon Country Club, Cherry Tree, Pa.; Centre Hills Country Club, State College, Pa.; Grantwood Golf Club, Cleveland Ohio; Southwood Golf June 21,1924 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 151 Club, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Monroe Golf Club, Pittsford, N. Y.; O-te-sa-ga Golf Course, Cooperstown, N. Y.; Weston Golf Club, Weston, Mass. Getting Service Out of Fairway Mowers.—I have read quite a number of articles in The Bulletin about fairway mowing units not being built heavy enough for tractor w’ork. Last year we used five * * * mowing units with our fairway tractor, and by having the man who operates the machine clean the grass and dirt out of the gears each day as he finished cutting, we ran the whole season without breakage. We ran our machine about 5 miles an hour. We have quite a number of outcropping ledges on our course which are just about level with the surface of the fairway; these are ideal machine-breakers if the operator does not use his head.— IT. R. Hurd, 2d, United Shoe Machinery Athletic Association, Beverly, Mass. How the Green Section Helps the Golf Clubs Address by George Low, Baltusrol Golf Club, before the annual meeting of the Green Section, January 5, 1924. Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen.—When I got a letter from Dr. Piper asking if I would care to read a paper on this subject at the annual meeting, I felt at first highly complimented. On second thought, however, it did not seem to be such a compliment after all, for I honestly believe he picked on me as a sort of handy man around a golf course who had been sadly in need of the advice of men who have made a lifetime, scien­ tific, and practical study of soils and grasses. I venture to say that most of our greenkeepers are foreign born. With the equitable climates of Great Britain and Ireland they don’t have to know very much about soils and.grasses, but with our hot summers, severe winters, grubs, crab grass, and brown-patch, it’s a hard job. Now are Ave not most fortunate in having the Department of Agriculture at Washington as our advisors and cooperators in our host of troubles which arrive about August? If you are in trouble and require advice, one of the experts at Washington wall try his best to visit you (although it did take them a long time to visit me at Baltusrol). This country is only scratched with golf courses, and we need more of those experts to cover the ground. Now, Mr. Greenkeeper, notwithstanding the large amount of investi­ gational work that these men at Washington are doing, there will always be left something on your own dung-hill on which you can exercise your own genius; and if you do discover anything worth while, broadcast it through The Bulletin for the benefit of the rest of us. Remember this: the Green Section is not too proud to receive advice. It is working for you all the time, saving the club’s money by broadcasting the results of its experiments. It even indicates the qualifications which the chairman of a green committee ought to possess. Is not that helping the green­ keeper? What could be more satisfactory than your and the chairman’s knowing that at the end of the week the "work on the course is being conducted intelligently? Will it not be nice if next August just before the qualifying round you find that after all your hard work grooming your course for a tournament none of your greens are attacked by brown-patch ? 152 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE Voi.iv.No.6 Before closing, let me tell you a Scotch story apropos of this gather­ ing. A Scotch golf professional, after being six years in America, went home to visit his folks at St. Andrews. One Saturday evening his father, along with his pal, John, were strolling down the street, and in the course of conversation John said, “Aye, mon, they tell me Willie is hame.” “Yes,'Willie is hame, richt enough,” replied Willie’s father. “I suppose he’ll know a lot noo after being a’ that time in America,” John remarked. “Well, I don’t know sae much aboot that,” answered the old gentleman; “but one thing I do know. He knew something before he went to America, but he’s guessing a’ the time noo.” Now the Green Section is going to prevent your guessing. Back Numbers of The Bulletin These are available as follows: Vol. I (1921). Reprint, in paper covers; price, $2.25. Vol. II (1922). Following months are available, all other months exhausted: March, June, July, August, September, October, November, December; price, 35 cents per copy, index included. Vol. Ill (1923). Bulletins for all months are available, except January, February and April; price, 35 cents per copy, index included. (Reserved for member clubs.) Binders. Price, 50 cents per set. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS All questions sent to the Green Committee 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 each month. If your experi­ ence leads you to disagree with any answer given in this column, it is your privilege and duty to write to the Green Committee. While most of the answers are of general application, please bear in mind that each recommendation is intended specifically for the locality des­ ignated at the end of the question. 1. Changing Bluegrass Greens to Bent Greens.—We have very good bluegrass greens but desire to change some of them to creeping bent. How can this best be done without putting the greens out of play? (Kansas.) Answer.—We know of no way in which this can be done immediately. The change can eventually be accomplished, however, through a period of several seasons, by seeding the greens each fall with bent. The bent seedlings will of course make slower headway in old turf than they would if started in a clean seed bed, and for this reason the change from blue­ grass to bent is a slow process. We started an experiment last fall to obtain the same results as you desire, by chopping up creeping bent stolons, spreading these stolons on several greens, top-dressing with about %-inch of compost, and keeping the greens watered every day for two or three weeks. The indications at the present time (June 1) are es­ pecially favorable for success. The old turf upon which the bent clip­ June 21, 1924 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 153 pings were scattered last fall gives promise of becoming good bent turf soon. 2. Frequency of Watering the Creeping Bent Nursery.—On page 57 of the March, 1924, Bulletin, in discussing the watering of the creep­ ing bent nursery, you state you seldom give the newly planted nursery more than a single initial watering. On page 59, in discussing the treat­ ment of the newly planted green, you state it should be kept continually moist. I am wondering if these statements are just what you intended to make, and if there would be any harm done in keeping the nursery plantings moist at all times. (Iowa.) Answer.—Whether in nurseries or in greens, the stolons should be kept moist until thoroughly rooted and growing. The need for watering can be determined by the appearance of the soil. We are inclined to think that there will be little likelihood of overwatering, as it is very important indeed that both nursery rows and greens be kept moist. 3. Mowing Greens Newly Planted with Creeping Bent Runners.— Our green which we recently planted with creeping bent runners is com­ ing along nicely and the grass is of the most beautiful texture and color, that 1 have ever seen. Would you advise us to cut this grass as closely and as often as a green in play? (Indiana.) Answer.—We would advise you to keep your creeping bent in the new green cut nearly as closely as if the green were in play. The best way to make good creeping bent turf is to keep it cut down closely. If you do not do this you will have a springy mat of runners and roots on the surface and it will be difficult to get the turf in a really good putting green condition even though it is top-dressed liberally and frequently later. Don’t be afraid to cut creeping bent closely; that is what it needs to convert it into good turf. 4. Unsuitability of Straight Compost as a Turf Bed.—Our soil is a sticky clay, varying in places to hard-pan, and said to be unfit for the growing of turf. If we water our greens sufficiently during hot weather to keep them soft, they become waterlogged and slimy and the grass thins out rapidly, and if we water them lightly they become so hard that a pitched ball will not hold. It is our desire to replant the greens to creeping bent, using for the purpose creeping bent sod, and to some extent stolons, from a bent nursery which we have established. Before replant­ ing the greens, we intend this fall to remove their present turf, and replace the clayey top soil with an 8-inch layer of sandy loam on top of which 2 inches of compost will be spread. The new turf beds on the greens will be allowed to settle during the winter, and early in the spring will be leveled and sodded, or where we have not sufficient sod for a green we will plant the green this fall with stolons. Your opinion of our plans will be appreciated. (Minnesota.) Answer.—Creeping bent does better on natural soil than on straight compost. We wmuld therefore suggest that instead of using separate layers of the sandy loam and compost, you mix the two, using thus a single layer, and mixing in also a little clay. On our owm experimental plots the soil is a very poor quality of heavy clay, and yet we find that creeping bent does better on this heavy clay than it does oh straight compost. Straight compost is excellent as a top-dressing, but will not in itself produce good turf. We would suggest also that you exercise care to see that the clay foundation of your greens contains no pockets when the top soil is applied. 154 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE Vol. IV, No. 6. 5. Controlling Dallis Grass.—We were troubled a great deal last season with Dallis grass. How would you advise us to get rid of it? (Tennessee.) ■ ■ Answer.—The only way you can get it out of your putting greens is by hand-weeding, and you will find it easy to remove by that method. As regards the fairways, it is sometimes a question whether the expense of removing it is justifiable. The grass is certainly not desirable on the fairways, and if there is not too much of it on your course or in the immediate neighborhood wTe believe it would pay you to weed it out at once so as to prevent its reseeding. If, however, the whole neighborhood is covered with Dallis grass, this would mean a continuous fight, as it probably would be impossible to prevent seed from the neighborhood getting into your fairways. 6. Perennial Rye-Grass in Putting Greens.—I am sending you a sample of grass which is appearing in many small spots bn our greens. It is very coarse and much lighter in color than the bent grass, and is thus unsightly. What is it and how can we get rid of it? (West Virginia.) Answer.—The sample you send is perennial rye-grass. It is not an aggressive grass, as it does not spread by runners or produce seed under close cutting, but it is persistent, in that it has a tendency to remain in turf a long time under close cutting. We would suggest that you have the plants removed by hand without delay. Perennial rye-grass is very common in the northeastern part of the United States and appears in cul­ tivated turf almost everywhere in that general region. 7. Characteristics of the Fungus Causing Brown-Patch.—Kindly furnish me a means of identifying the brown-patch fungus and advise if this appears at all times above the surface of the ground or whether it originates beneath the surface. Both little and large brown-patch con­ stitute one of our greatest difficulties in this locality and I am con­ templating several experiments with regard to their control. Is the cob­ webby growth above the surface of the grass the fungus itself, or the result of the fungus? (Missouri.) Answer.—Your questions are answered in a general way in the article on page 87 of the April, 1924, Bulletin. Only the fungus which causes the large brown-patch has been identified. It seems probable, however, that the fungus which causes the small brown-patch is closely related to the one which causes the large brown-patch, inasmuch as both of these fungi have much the same habit of growth. The fungus which causes the large brown-patch is one which inhabits the soil, retaining its existence there through small corky resting-bodies. These start to grow or germinate in hot weather, and then produce the cobwebby growth, or mycelium, which is responsible for the browning of the grass. The my­ celium grows on the leaves of the grass, but the resting-bodies, or sclerotia, live on the surface of the soil or in the soil. The large brown-patch fungus does not attack the roots of the grass, nor are the roots of the grass killed immediately when the leaves of the grass are attacked. The roots, however, soon die, as the result of the browning of the leaves unless restorative measures are taken. The difficulty in treating this fungus is due to the fact that the resting-bodies are so tough or corky that they are not easily penetrated by fungicides. If they were easily" killed, one or two applications of a good fungicide, such as Bordeaux mixture, would doubtless be all that would be necessary as a preventive measure at the June 21,1924 UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 155 beginning of the season. Answering your specific question, the cobwebby growth is a part of the fungus, just as the leaves of a plant are a part of the plant. In fact, it is the main visible part of the plant. The resting-bodies are in reality the seed; and the cobwebby growth, or my­ celium, is the plant that results when the seed germinates. We have thought that if some agitating "factor could be introduced which would prevent the continuous development of the mycelium in late night or early morning, progress would be made toward the solution of the brown-patch problem. In our experiments in which we have tried brushing the greens early and watering them very early, we have met with considerable success. We are now going to try an air-blast on suspicious nights. It is our opinion that any mechanical device which would interfere with the de­ velopment of the mycelium, or cobwebby growth, without injuring the turf, would produce good results. 8. Wireworms in Turf.—We are sending you a tin box containing worms which we have found on our greens and which seem to be destroy­ ing the grass. Our superintendent calls them wireworms. What is the proper method of getting rid of them? (Michigan.) x Answer.—Wireworms are the young of the common click-beetle or skipping-jack with which you probably were familiar in your boyhood days. It is difficult to recommend methods of control for wireworms in turf, because practically all of the effective remedies involve cultivation of the soil, and of course it is not possible to employ such remedies in the case of golf greens. We have, however, never known of any case where wire­ worms were really seriously injurious to turf. They are normally dwell­ ers in sod, and while they undoubtedly destroy some of the roots of the grass the effects of their feeding do not usually become visible and it is only when such crops as corn, potatoes, or sometimes wheat are introduced that the insects become serious factors. We are inclined to believe, therefore, that unless you feel positive that you can attribute some serious injury to your grass to these insects, their presence may be disregarded. It is almost impossible to poison wireworms except by applying mineral poisons to such an extent as to be fatal to all vegetation. 9. Sod Cutters.—We want to get a sod cutter for taking up little pieces of sod here and there to put on our putting greens, and are won­ dering whether a rectangular or a round cutter would be better. (Massachusetts.) Answer.—For your purpose we should think a sod cutter of the nature of a hole cutter would be best. We understand that sod cutters of this kind are made considerably larger than the ordinary hole cutter, as well as appreciably smaller. Hole cutters of assorted sizes are certainly very useful. We would suggest that you take the matter up with the following dealers. * * ♦ 10. Late Planting of Stolons.—How late can stolons be safely planted in Ohio, central Michigan, and central New York? (Ohio.) Answer.—The best time to plant stolons in Ohio, central Michigan, and central New York is between August 15 and September 15. Here at Washington we have planted them as late as Thanksgiving day and they have survived but have not made any growth in the fall. In central Michigan and central New York they probably could be planted as late as the first of November and survive, but they would make little growth during the fall. It is highly desirable to plant them early so as to get the vigorous fall growth so characteristic of creeping bent. Meditations of a Peripatetic Golfer Take a stroll over the course with your greenkeeper some aitemoon. ¥ou will find it profitable and certainly more interesting than playing a mediocre game of golf. Ingalls once said in effect, “all grass is not bluegrass or the devil’s occu­ pation would be gone.’’ The Kansan was right. Much of the grass that will be in evidence for the next few months will be crab grass. His majesty’s busy season is just commencing. The greenkeeper can not change his crops as does the farmer, so he changes the soil by top-dressing his turf with compost. The effect of crab grass that is allowed to grow unchecked on greens can best be expressed as corrosive. A hay meadow and a patch of turf do not necessarily call for the same fertilizer treatment. The things you learn from the yellow and black may or may not help you a lot with the white. If it could be measured it would doubtless be found that the damage to greens from crab grass is greater than that from brown-patch. If earthworms brought to the surface of greens by corrosive sublimate were poisonous to birds a certain robin would have been dead long ago. One man, woman or child can remove more crab grass from greens when the plants are young than three can after the plants have branched. Just add a little water and pull. The problem of weed seed in compost is best solved by making the compost a year in advance. Why not reduce the need for hand weeding of crab grass by the systematic use of ammonium sulfate? Judging from present indications, soybean meal will soon Win a place for itself among putting green fertilizers. “China, we owe a lot to you.’’