Bulletin of the Green Section 
of the U. S. Golf Association

Vol. 1

Washington, D. C., June 20, 1921

No. 6

A MONTHLY PERIODICAL TO PROMOTE THE 
BETTERMENT OF GOLF COURSES

ISSUED BY THE GREEN COMMITTEE OF THE 
UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION

CONTENTS

Announcements............. .... . .......................................... -........................ -...  98
How We Solved the Problem of Good Fairway Turf at Pine Valley.

Alan D. Wilson............................................ - 

-..............  98

The Changa or West Indian Mole Cricket as a Pest on Golf 
Courses. W. R. Walton.........................-..................-..............  104
Making Putting Greens on a Southern California Golf Course. 
Norman Macbeth ..... .................................... -......... -................. 107
Experience with Brown-Patch at the Morris County Golf Club. 
W. D. Vanderpool... ...................... -........... -.........................  Hl
The Brown-Patch Disease of Turf. C. V. Piper and R. A. Oakley... 112
Power-Mowers for Fairways........... .......................................................... 115
Questions and Answers........................... -...................................................  H7

MEMBERS OF THE GREEN COMMITTEE OF THE UNITED STATES
GOLF ASSOCIATION:

*C. V. Piper, Chairman,
R. A. Oakley, Vice Chairman, 
*E. J. Marshall, Vice Chairman,
W. A. Alexander, 
Wm. F. Brooks, 
C. B. Buxton, 
A. H. Campbell, 
N. Stuart Campbell, 
Sterling E. Edmunds, 
Wm. C. Fownes, Jr., 
*Dr. Walter S. Harban, 
Dr. Tiios. P. Hinman, 
Frederic C. Hood, 
Norman Macbeth, 
W. P. Stewart, 
John S. Sweeney, 
James I.. Taylor, 
*Wynant D. Vanderpool,

W. R. Willett, 
*Ai.an D. Wilson, 
Frank L. Woodward,

Inverness Club, 
Old Elm Club, 
Minikahda Club, 
Dallas Country Club, 
Toronto Golf Chib. 
Agawam Hunt Club, 
St. Louis Country Club, 
Oakmont Country Club, 
Columbia Country Club, 
Druid Hills Golf Club, 
The Country Club, 
Wilshire Country Club, 
Audubon Golf Club, 
Lochmoor Club, 
Ekwanok Country Club, 
Morris County Golf Club, 
Louisville Country Club, 
Pine Valley Golf Club, 
Denver Country Club,

* Executive Committee member.

Washington, D. C.
Washington, D. C.
Toledo, Ohio.
Fort Sheridan, Ill.
Minneapolis, Minn.
Dallas, Tex.
Toronto, Ont.
Providence, R. I.
St. Louis, Mo.
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Washington, D. C.
Atlanta, Ga.
Brookline, Mass.
Los Angeles, Calif.
New Orleans, La.
Grosse Point Farms, Mich.
Manchester, Vt.
Convent Station, N. J.
Louisville, Ky. 
Clemonton. N. J. 
Denver, Colo.

HONORARY MEMBERS

Hugh I. Wilson, Merion Cricket Club, Haverford, Pa.
F. H. Hillman, Washington, D. C.
W. R. Walton, Washington, D. C.
Lyman Carrier, Washington, D. C.

Copyright, 1921, by the Green Section of the United States Golf Association

Address all communications to W. B. Lydenberg, Executive Acting Secretary, P. 0. Box 670, 
Eleventh Street Station, Washington, D. C.

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BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE [Vol. i. No. 6

Announcements

First Meeting of the Delegates to the Green Section of the U. S. 
Golf Association.

There will be a meeting of delegates to the Green Section of the U. S. 
Golf Association at the Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, D. C., between 
July 19 and 22. The exact date of the meeting will be announced on the 
bulletin board of the Columbia Country Club the first day of the Open 
Championship. Look for the notice and don’t make any dates until you see 
it. There are many important subjects to be discussed relative to the 
work of the Green Section, and every delegate to the Section should be 
present.

Any member of a subscribing club, even though not a delegate, who is 

interested in the work of the Green Section, will be welcome.

Turf by Vegetative Propagation.

Recently attention has been called by the press to the vegetative 
method of propagating turf of the bent grasses for putting greens. The 
statements that have been made are for the most part inadequate and leave 
the reader somewhat misinformed with regard to the more important fea­
tures of the method. In view of this the Green Committee wishes to an­
nounce that the July issue of the Bulletin will contain an article in which 
the subject of the vegetative propagation of turf will be discussed in full 
detail.

How We Solved the Problem of Good
Fairway Turf at Pine Valley

Alan D. Wilson

Pine Valley, to be entirely Irish, is made up of hills—big, bold, sandy 
hills which some freak of nature has pushed up from the level Jersey plain 
by which it is surrounded. Small lakes lie among them, and when George 
Crump, while on a shooting trip, first discovered the country, it was cov­
ered with a dense growth of pine and oak. After eight years of experiment 
and effort, we now have good playable fairways with plenty of fescue and 
bluegrass; but it is still far from perfect turf. We think we are on the 
right road, however, and can report very real progress.

Few people would have had the vision to see a golf course in such 
surroundings, and fewer still the courage to start to make one in the face 
of such serious obstacles. Thousands of trees had to be cut, and, worse 
still, the stumps had to be pulled. The sand was beautiful, clean, gray sea 
sand, just such as you see fifty yards back from the surf along the Jersey 
coast. Perfect mounds and bunkers ready made, everywhere. No mud, no 
dust, the best of all soil for golf, but, by that same token, little or no food 
for plant life and nothing to hold moisture. And so Crump faced the 
problem of how to make grass grow in the sands of Pine Valley.

The first eight fairways built were covered with manure, and this was 

June 20, 1921] UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 

99

worked well into the ground with disc harrows. The ground was well 
cross-harrowed, raked, and then seeded with sheep and red fescue. The seed 
germinated quickly, grew beautifully and everything promised well, 
although the grass was somewhat sparse and a lot of wash took place after 
every heavy rainfall.

It was hoped that these were youthful troubles which maturity would 
cure, but when the first hot dry summer came, the dream was shattered. 
The grass grew brown, curled up, and large areas of it died. These were 
refertilized and reseeded and the whole course given a winter covering of 
manure. In the spring, disc or chain harrows were used, seed and top 
dressings put on, sometimes of humus, sometimes of mushroom soil, some­
times of bone meal. In a constant effort to enrich the soil, everything was 
tried.

During cool, wet summers, great progress was made and hopes ran 
high. The fescue grasses behaved as is their natural habit in a sandy soil, 
and grew in tussocks, leaving bare patches of sand between; and as these 
had no grass roots to hold the soil, the wash of the rains quickly trans­
formed them into little cuppy hollows. The fairways looked green; but of 
course the ball seldom stopped on a tussock, usually finding its way to the 
little hollows between.

It was essential that in some way the grass should be coerced or seduced 
into growing in these hollows and making a solid mat, and it was thought 
that this would be accomplished by just a little more enrichment of the 
soil. Manure was always on the course at this period, and George Crump 
could never get enough. Once an admiring friend—and no man ever had 
or deserved to have more of them—asked him if there was not something 
he really wanted for a Christmas present, to which George at once replied: 
“Why, yes; a carload of manure.”

The constant fertilization helped the existing grass but did little for 
the bare patches; for as soon as a heavy rain came the manure washed 
away from them, and if we had no rain it dried up and blew away; and the 
same thing happened to seed and top-dressing, which were regularly ap­
plied twice a year. The net result was progress, but only a small increase 
in grass for the large effort spent. Again a dry summer came and again 
the grass simply faded away.

A water system of 120 gallons a minute had been installed, and while 
it saved the greens, it did not leave enough water to be of much use to the 
fairways. It was, of course, realized that in using the manure and other 
materials as a top-dressing, we were putting it where it would do the least 
good; that we were not only losing a large percentage of its value by having 
it wash or dry out and blow away, but, worse still, we were inducing the 
roots of the grass to seek food near the surface, when we should have been 
forcing them to go deep, the only place of safety in a sandy soil during 
our hot dry summers.

There seemed no way to accomplish this in the holes already built 
unless they were ploughed up; but all the remaining holes as they were 
constructed were covered very heavily with manure and this was ploughed 
under before seeding. This proved a distinct improvement in method and 
produced much more vigorous grass, but still the fescue behaved like fescue 
in the uncut natural state, and grew in tussocks; and still there were bare 
patches between, though not nearly so large or so numerous. This method 
was also used in renewing bad portions on several of the old fairways.

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BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE [Vol. i. No. 6

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June 20, 1921] UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION- 

101

Clay loam brought in from Pennsylvania mixed thoroughly with our own 
soil, in building several new greens, had proved entirely successful; it 
produced a perfect putting-green turf.

This then was the situation in January, 1918, when Pine Valley suf­
fered its only real tragedy in the untimely death of George Crump, the 
man who dreamed it and who had then worked and slaved and succeeded 
in turning his dream into a wonderful reality for the benefit of those of us 
who were left—we who had advised so much and helped so little. He had 
not only done all the work but he was the real spirit and inspiration of 
Pine Valley, and his sudden death left the club in a peculiarly helpless 
condition. Fortunately his brother-in-law, Mr. Howard D. Street, took up 
the burden, and has since acted as secretary of the club and chairman of 
the green committee.

Early in 1918 a portion of the first fairway was topdressed with a 
mixture of clay and manure, and in the autumn another portion which had 
entirely gone to pieces during the summer, was covered with clay and 
manure, which was ploughed in, and the ground was then seeded. The 
results were so promising in each case that we wished to go further, but 
were in doubt as to the proper road.

In the spring of 1919 representatives of the Department of Agri­
culture were called on for advice, and felt that it was imperative that 
the sandy soil be given some heavier body to prevent the loss from wash and 
to hold food and moisture. As it was, the rain ran down through the sand 
and left no moisture; the top dressing largely washed off or blew away; 
the grass got little good of either, and the hollows between the tussocks 
deepened until the roots of the grass were actually exposed.

Two remedies were suggested. First, the radical, and undoubtedly the 
best plan, had it been practical, of covering all the fairways with four or 
five inches of clay and manure compost, ploughing it in deep, reseeding, 
and starting afresh. This would have put the clay and manure just where 
they would have done the most good, i. e., several inches under ground, and 
the roots of the grass would have been forced to grow down if they wanted 
food and water—the only safety for grass roots in a hot, dry climate and a 
sandy soil. But this meant putting the entire course out of play for at least, 
a year. The second remedy was to seed with a quickly growing grass and 
topdress in spring and fall with a compost of clay and manure, in the hope 
that the clay would fill the hollows between the tussocks of fescue; that the 
quickly growing grass would root in the clay, thereby keeping it from 
washing away, and that the clay would work down into the sand, just as 
sand goes down when applied to greens on a clay soil.

We tried the first method on one entire fairway—our worst—and on 
hopeless spots of others. The second we employed on all the rest of the 
course. Both methods have been entirely successful. The first is a big 
undertaking, but it is, we believe, the logical answer, for it forces the grass 
roots to go deep, and therein lies safety. Also, you do it once and for all.
On fairways where we have used both methods, the grass with clay and 
manure ploughed under has a better color and a more vigorous look in dry 
weather than the surrounding clay-topdressed grass. Far be it from us, 
though, to decry the second method, for it has been our salvation and has 
given us better fairways in two years than we expected to get in four or 
five.

The hollows between the tussocks have disappeared, the ground no 

102

BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE [Vol. i. No. 6

longer washes unduly, there is a good solid green carpet throughout the 
course, the clay disappears down into the sand with amazing speed, and 
it has enabled us to keep the course regularly in play; but it is a constant 
and expensive work and the end is not yet. We will certainly have to 
continue spring and fall topdressings for three or four years to come, in 
order to get the same result which, by ploughing in, we would have gotten 
at once; and it is highly probable that we may have to go on with occa­
sional top dressings of clay, say once a year, for a long time to come.

In the beginning, we were fearful that this clay top dressing would 
result in mud and detract from the previous joy of playing shots from 
the light sandy soil; and so at first we put it on only sparingly, one-third 
clay and two-thirds manure. We found, however, that in a few weeks, if 
we had some rain, the clay would entirely disappear, and so we increased 
the amount of clay to one-half. Now we are recommended to try seventy- 
five per cent clay and twenty-five per cent manure ; but when we see the 
first sign of clay remaining on the surface, it will be the signal to stop until 
it disappears.

Various grasses were experimented with for use as a “filler” to the red 
fescue, such as bent, redtop, white and Japanese clover, Kentucky blue­
grass, and even crested dog’s-tail; and for some strange and to us perfectly 
unknown reason the blue grass proved by far the best suited to our purpose. 
It is supposed to like a clay soil with plenty of limestone, yet it thrives 
with us and acts as if its roots were following our clay topdressing down 
into the sand in the hope of finding limestone below, while most of the other 
grasses germinate, grow a while and disappear.

Now, as to methods. As soon as active work is over in the fall, we 
begin a compost pile on each fairway, clay which has been screened and 
manure in three-inch layers, about fifty cartloads to a fairway. These are 
turned several times during the winter. When spring comes, each fairway 
is given an application of about 750 pounds of fine bone meal, about 50 
pounds of seed, red fescue and Kentucky blue grass mixed, apd then top- 
dressed with 50 cartloads of clay compost, which is applied with an ordinary 
manure spreader. As soon as this is done, new compost piles are made and 
the treatment, except for the bone meal, is repeated early in September. 
This means in all about 750 tons of manure and 750 tons! of clay a year.

For the sake of economy, we use a local clay, light in character, which 
contains a fairly large percentage of sand. A heavy clay could hardly be 
treated in the same way but would probably have to be ground fine and 
kept dry until application.

The success of the past two years tempts us at times to think “we 
have solved the problem;” but we recognize that the past two summers 
have been most unusual in that there has been little hot weather, plentiful 
rains, and no protracted dry periods—in other words, perfect weather in 
which to grow grass. Our method is evidently good in favorable seasons; 
but how will it stand adversity in the shape of a drought ? We fully realize 
that we are still following the lines of the old mistake in putting too much 
on top of the ground and too little below. This has been forced on us 
because we did not feel justified in ploughing up the course and putting it 
out of play for a year; but the fact remains that we are not forcing the 
roots of the grass to go deep but are encouraging them to stav too near the 
surface.

The clay ue have put on will hold moisture; but have we put on enough 

June 20, 1921] UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 

103

and has it gone deep enough to be useful in really dry weather? This we 
do not know, and so we are fearful of an unusually dry summer. Certain 
it is that one week without rain makes our grass lose its color; two weeks 
turn the fairways completely brown; but where it used to die, one day’s 
rain now makes it green again. The suddenness of the color transformation 
is amazing. In any event, we do not intend, to take a chance on losing our 
grass if it can be avoided, and so we are now putting in a water system 
which will give us 500 gallons a minute and which is planned to water 
all the fairways and to give each square foot of soil a pint of water every 
other day if needed, and every day in a pinch. This, it is thought, will 
give a penetration of three inches, which will not only prevent too quick 
evaporation but will encourage our grass roots to stay down where they 
belong. With this help we hope to get through even a dry summer, not 
without damage, but without disaster, and if so we may then be justified in 
saying we have “solved the porblem.”

The other turf problems at Pine Valley are chickweed, crab grass, 
goose grass, pearlwort, brown-spot, moles, divot-making members who never 
replace, and the grubs of the green beetle. These problems we fight but 
have never yet solved.

After our struggle to secure good turf in the pure sand at Pine Valley, 
the sum of our experience is that three things are absolutely necessary to 
be added to insure success: clay or loam, manure, and a plentiful supply of 
water. Somewhere in his writings, Horace Hutchinson has said that the 
ideal soil for golf turf is a sandy soil with a “spit of clay” in it.

From our experience at Pine Valley we now are sure that one can not 
procure and maintain good golf turf in pure sand without adding the ‘ ‘ spit 
of clay,” without manure to give sustenance to the grass, and, in our 
climate, without a plentiful supply of water for both greens and fairways 
during the summer season. To secure sure success, both the clay and 
manure must be ploughed deep into the soil before any seeding is done.

After the turf is secured it is necessary to continue topdressings regu­
larly, in order to have a well consolidated, smooth surface to the turf, and 
to avoid cupping.

It is a very costly undertaking to construct a golf course in a soil of 
pure sand. But it is wise and economical to spend your funds right in the 
beginning. It saves years of time; it saves labor, anxieties, and in the 
long run it saves money. Above all, it insures successful results.

When brought to good condition, it is truly the ideal course for golf, 
incomparably better in every way than any course constructed on clay soil.

Golf for All

Ex-President Taft in a recent newspaper article (copyrighted by the 
Public Ledger Co.) says: “Golf has been said to be the game of the 
rich. This is not true in Scotland, where there are many public golf 
courses and where working men can play in the long twilights of the 
summer, morning and evening. There is no reason why it should not be 
a game for the w’age earners and those of little means in this country; 
and it is most gratifying to note that in many of the large cities free golf 
courses are being laid out and offered to the public.”

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BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE [Vol. i. No. 6

The Changa or West Indian Mole Cricket 
As a Pest on Golf Courses
W. R. Walton

Many reports of injuries to golf courses by the “West Indian mole 
cricket” or “changa,” have been received from the Gulf and extreme 
southeastern states.

This insect, a native of the West Indies and South America, has be­

come well established in the southeastern United States.*

Because of the fact that the West Indian name is both euphonious and 
brief, we shall refer to it hereafter in this article as the changa. Another 
common name having considerable vogue in this country is that of ‘ ‘ ground 
puppy,” a name which is rather misleading, because there is nothing dog­
like about this insect, which resembles a mole rather than any member of 
the canine tribe. A native species, the northern mole cricket, has been 
known to entomologists for many years, and is of comparatively little 
economic importance, although widely distributed throughout the country 
east of the Rocky Mountains. Another introduced species, the European 
mole cricket, recently has become quite a pest in the nurseries of northern 
New Jersey, where it is said to injure the roots of young trees as well as 
root crops, such as beets, etc.; the native species has been known to injure 
potato tubers quite severely at times. The changa is reported as being the 
“most serious insect pest of general agriculture in Porto Rico,” where it 
damages crops to the extent of $100,000 or more annually. The changa 
is rather closely related to our common field crickets, although in appear­
ance it is quite different. It is known to be present in Georgia, Florida, 
and Alabama, and is believed to be spreading to other states nearby. As 
its name and form imply, it is essentially a subterranean creature, spend­
ing the greater portion of its existence burrowing through the soil under­
ground. The changa avoids the light, and for this reason, whenever it 
becomes necessary for it to emerge above ground, the dark hours of the 
night are selected. The insect requires a soil containing considerable 
moisture for its operations and in cases of prolonged drought is known to 
travel under cover of the night for considerable distances. Although the 
mole-like fore-legs of the changa (see illustration) render it a rather clumsy 
creature, it is capable of running rapidly, and the adults fly with consid­
erable facility. The insect is particularly partial to the lighter, more 
compressible soils which permit of tunnelling without the removal of the 
material displaced by its movements.

The changa feeds almost entirely upon vegetable matter, remaining 
underground and feeding from below. It is especially fond of the tender 
loots of glasses and hence arises its motive for injury to golf courses and 
especially to the greens.

In Porto Rico it feeds upon many kinds of vegetables as well as 
grasses, sugar-cane, and rice. The adult changa is brownish in color and 
about one and one-quarter inches in length. It is provided with two pairs 
of wings, the upper pair of which are small and horny or leathery in tex­
ture. The lower pair are large and soft in character, and it is this pair 

M f/!ldiiLCUS?i0£-Of ihis P-est ? £°£° Rlco has been published as Bulletin 
No. 23 of the Porto Rico Experiment Station, by Mr. R. H. Van Zwaluwenburg 
from which most of the accompanying text has been complied.

June 20, 1921]

UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION

105

E. L. Worsham and W. V. Reed, Georgia Experiment Station.

of wings which sustain the insect while in flight. Like ordinary crickets, 
the changa possesses a chirping or stridulating apparatus which is operated 
by rubbing together the upper wings or tegmina. The adult insects are 
cajiable of living for several months, and may survive for as long as six 
months under favorable conditions. The eggs of this pest are laid in 
underground, oval chambers from 3 to 8 inches or more below the surface 
of the ground. The egg is about one-eighth of an inch long, half as broad, 
and grayish or greenish in color. The eggs hatch in about 19 days, and in 
warm climates, such as that of our extreme southeastern states, may con­
tinue hatching during the warmer 7 or 8 months of the year.

The young changas are active immediately upon hatching and are born 
with ready-made appetites. They feed voraciously almost from the begin­
ning of their lives and consume food in proportion to their size as they 
develop. The young insects resemble the adults very closely, except that 
they do not possess wings. When held captive in the hand, mole-crickets 
develop an astonishing amount of energy in their fore-legs. Instances are 
on record from the West Indies of fowls being killed by the changa. In 
the Windward Islands fowls are said often to be killed by swallowing live 
changas which, finding themselves in uncongenial quarters, promptly bur­
row through the bird’s crop or gullet, resulting in the death of the bird 
and the escape of the insect.

The insects are inclined to be exceedingly impolite among themselves, 
as they do not hesitate to commit cannibalism and devour one another upon 
slight provocation. If a strain of such individuals could be successfully 
propagated and turned loose on the putting green, the troubles of the 
greenkeepers in Florida and Georgia with this pest would be mitigated, to 
say the least. However, as such a scheme obviously is preposterous, the 
foilowing suggestions for the control of the changa on golf courses may be 
found useful.

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BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE [Vol. i, no. r

Suggestions for Control.

Plowing.—Where it is possible to plow up the infested area, this opera­
tion is said to be of great value, as exposure of the insects, their eggs and 
young to the sun and air results fatally to a great number of them. How­
ever, this method doubtless will be applicable but seldom on golf links, and 
some less drastic treatment must be used.

Trapping.—Although the adult insects are often attracted to lights at 
night, it was found that trap-lights proved altogeher inadequate in the 
experiments carried on in Porto Rico. Burlap bags laid flat on the ground 
are said to have been successfully used as traps for this pest in the Isle of 
Pines. The bags should be inspected each morning and any crickets found 
under them killed.

Flooding.—In case infested greens are in such locations as to make it 
practicable, flooding them with water for a few hours might be tried. The 
changas will not be drowned, as they are capable of surviving submerged 
for hours, if not for days. But many of them will be brought to the sur­
face of the ground by contact with the water, where they may be gathered 
up and destroyed.

Poisoning.—This is said to be the most practicable and simple means 
of control for the ehanga, at least in agricultural lands. Whether it will 
be equally successful on golf grounds remains to be ascertained. In the 
case of cultivated crops, but a limited supply of food for the insects is 
present at any time, while on the golf courses and particularly on the 
greens, an abundant supply of tender grass roots is available, unless the 
greens have already been very thoroughly devoured by the insects. The 
most satisfactory bait used in the Porto Rico work was ordinary low-grade 
wheat-flour with which was mixed three per cent of Paris green. This 
was distributed broadcast at the rate of 300 pounds per acre and resulted 
in a fairly satisfactory control. The distribution of this bait in small heaps 
near the entrances to the burrows of the insects may be tried on greens, 
but in this case it will be very necessary to guard against the liability of 
poisoning any domestic animals which could gain access to the poison. 
White arsenic may be used in the place of the Paris green where desirable, 
as it usually may be obtained much more cheaply. There is a bare possi­
bility that the tender grasses of greens may be burned by the application 
of the arsenicals as recommended and in this case hydrated lime may be 
added to the bait in sufficient quantities to overcome the trouble.

Fumigation.—Little, if any, work of this character seems to have been 
attempted against the ehanga but it seems quite possible that, under some 
conditions, such soil fumigants as carbon disulfid or even para-dichloro­
benzine might be found useful. Since the burrows of the insect are often 
but a short distance beneath the surface of the soil, it may be found pos­
sible to reach them successfully with soil fumigants. The use of carbon 
disulfid may be attempted in cases where the infestation is of limited ex­
tent and injury is severe, in the following manner: Inject about one tea­
spoonful of the liquid into the soil at intervals of a foot or two over the 
surface, by means of a long-spouted oil can, and cover the same for an hour 
or two with large pieces of heavy canvas or burlap which have been pre­
viously wetted with water. This precaution will prevent the heavy gases 
from diffusing into the air and allow them to penetrate the soil. This 
method should be applied with caution as injury may result to the turf 
from this gas. Doubtless the best time to use this method would be the 
evening hours, just before dusk.

June 20, 1921] UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 

107

Making Putting Greens on a Southern 
California Golf Course
Norman Macbeth
I. Grass Greens.

Nothing has been written in golfing journals about grass putting greens 
in Southern California for the simple reason that there have been none, 
until quite,recently, to write about.

Eleven years ago there were three grass putting greens in this locality, 
and all of them were failures in’ every respect. They were poor to putt 
on and too hard to pitch upon. Not much could have been expected, as 
no attempt was made to get good soil or suitable seed. These three greens 
disappeared ten years ago, and during the next six years no attempt was 
made to get anything better than oiled sand putting greens. It was com­
monly understood that there was no use attempting to get grass greens; 
that while you could grow anything else in Southern California, you could 
not get putting greens.

An explanation can be made for a general lack of interest in the mak­
ing of further experiments, which is that the majority of local golfers had 
learned the game on courses which had sand putting greens, and the fair­
greens of which had a growth upon them for only a few weeks after the 
winter rains. It was not, however, until it became demonstrated by means 
of irrigation that good fairgreens were easily obtainable that any further 
attempt was made to get grass putting greens. About four years ago one 
of the local clubs made one grass putting green, and while it was not par­
ticularly good it was a sufficient improvement to encourage the gradual 
elimination of sand greens on that course. Inside of two and a half years 
all of the eighteen greens were in grass, and all were passable. The fair­
ways were of Bermuda grass, which very quickly predominated in the 
putting greens. Most of these had been sown with mixtures of redtop, 
bluegrass, Australian rye and clover, but as no attempt was made to keep 
out the Bermuda very little could be concluded as to the suitability of any 
particular grass.

Something more than a year ago I took the responsibility of creating 
a golf course for the Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, and as it had 
been demonstrated that Bermuda grass would make excellent fairgreens in 
this climate, and on a similar soil, I chose it rather than try an expensive 
experiment. There was so little to be concluded from the local grass put­
ting greens that very naturally I sought information from the east, and 
from such sections of the south as had used Bermuda grasses. From no 
one did I get much encouragement to believe that any particular grass 
would be an undoubted success, and in the end New Zealand fescue and 
redtop were sown in equal proportions upon the majority of the greens. 
From the previous local results I had made the following conclusions:

1. That to judge the results from sowing fescue and redtop a fight must 

be made to keep Bermuda grass out of the greens.

2. That the best way to keep Bermuda out was to isolate the greens as 
much as possible from fairways. This was made easy in a great 
many cases by the topography of the ground

108 

BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE [Vol. i, no. 6

3. That in cases where sand bunkers could not be used to separate the 
greens from the fairways, the greens must be very large so as to 
permit of a periodical and very thorough raking of the edges to 
keep the Bermuda out.

4. That a careful selection of soil must be made, not only to get a good 
seed bed, but to avoid adobe because of its hardness when dry.
5. That because the greens must depend upon continual and heavy sprink­
ling there should be no pronounced high spots; and that tiling was 
advisable.

6. That as Bermuda seed was being sown in the surrounding fairways it 
would be policy to sow the greens rather lightly at first to give a 
better opportunity to weed out such Bermuda as would inevitably 
blow in at the start.

The greens were sown in June, July, and August of last year, and 
were opened for playing in December. The grass was thin, but stood the 
heavy traffic from continual play during our cold weather unexpectedly 
well. The preparation of the soil was the same as would be required else­
where, a good deal of sand and peat-moss being worked into the seed bed. 
It was impossible to get rotted manure of any kind, or mushroom soil; so 
in order to avoid weed seeds a manure from steers fed on cotton seed was 
used and found satisfactory.

In greens where an equal weight of Chewings fescue and redtop seed 
was sown, the redtop most decidedly predominated in growth, and became 
coarse. Where planted sparsely this grass became very coarse indeed— 
along the edges of sand-traps for instance. One green was sown with 
only Kentucky bluegrass and two greens with only redtop. The texture 
of these two grasses seemed identical for putting purposes, but neither 
gave good enough results to be continued alone, and in March of this 
year every green was sown with as much New Zealand fescue seed in 
weight as had originally been used of all seeds combined. This seed was 
worked in after the greens had been spike-rolled and a topdressing of soil, 
steer manure, and peat was applied. This new seed has already improved 
the greens to a most noticeable extent, and in a couple of months more 
there should be a very good and true putting surface.

There was some rye-grass in the greens, and while our mowing ma­

chines do not cut it, by now it is almost entirely eliminated.

A month after these greens were first sown there were some greens 
on a neighboring course planted with New Zealand fescue only. The 
planting was much heavier than at the Wilshire Club, and the greens 
were given three months longer to grow before being played upon. The 
growth on these greens is very promising, and while the putting surface 
is not yet good, the stand of fescue grass was good, and encouraged me 
to use only fescue for the spring seeding of the Wilshire greens.

It is too early to draw definite conclusions as to whether fescue will 
thrive here, or whether the continual play throughout the year will be too 
hard upon it. So far it is an improvement upon redtop in every visible 
respect. Another twelve months should be a sufficient time to determine 
the fate of New Zealand fescue for putting greens, and if it grows suc­
cessfully the principal menace to good putting greens will be the continual 

June 20, 1921]

UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION

109

enroachment of Bermuda grass. Time alone can tell whether the fight 
against it can be successfully maintained, although up to the present the 
Wilshire greens have been kept without it.

II. Oiled Sand Greens

In Southern California, where oiled sand putting greens were used 
for more than twenty years, the construction of them became well under­
stood and uniformly good putting surfaces were obtained by the majority 
of the clubs. Where they can be afforded, grass greens are now being 
made, but many “skin” courses still remain in California and Arizonia, 
and are likely to be used for some years to come.

All sand putting greens in this part of the world are treated with 
oil, and although I understand that there are sand greens made at Pine­
hurst which are sprinkled with water, I have never seen that type and 
cannot, therefore, draw comparisons. To obtain a good putting green 
with an oiled sand surface the method of construction described below 
cannot be departed from very much.

Base.—The putting greens need a carefully prepared base, and, quite 
apart from reasons connected with the design of a golf course, care must 
be exercised to choose places for greens which are not settling basins for 
moisture. If moisture collects under the base it generally results in set­
tling, and if the green is placed where rain water flows across it con­
tinued trouble from the washing of sand will result.

On a good many courses the sand putting greens are slightly raised 
above the level of the surrounding grass or dirt fairways, and on others 
the edges of the greens will be raised and the inner portion ’slightly 
dished. In my opinion it is generally more satisfactory to make' them 
without any change in level from the surrounding ground, as when greens 
are raised an approach shot will frequently be deflected away from the 
center of the green, and when the greens are dished an approach will 
often gain impetus as it reaches the edge, or curl in from the sides, with 
a better result than was deserved by the player.

To make the base, the soil should be well broken up to a depth of 
four inches and dried so as to be friable. Crude oil (from 16 to 40 grav­
ity) should be mixed into the soil and then a tamper should be used. 
This base should be made as compact as a soft mass can be,'and I do not 
advise less than from 3 to 4 inches in thickness. If too thin it will peel 
up with continual play.

When the base has been well tamped and the oil has become fairly 
well-absorbed, the surface should be trued up with a straight-edge. A 
board V/2 inches thick and 10 feet long, with sharp edges, will be found 
good for this purpose, and all hollows should be eliminated. Sand putting 
greens should be either perfectly flat, or else sloped distinctly in one di­
rection only, for the reason that curves or undulations are extremely diffi­
cult for a player to see because of the dark color of oiled sand. When tin 
surface of the base has been fixed, a coating of heavy oil should be ap­
plied. In California it has been customary to use what is called “85 per 
cent road oil,” the coating being about a gallon to a square yard. This 
should be sprinkled with dry sand, which will absorb the surplus oil. 
Generally it is policy to apply dressings of sand lightly, several days 
apart and only when the sun has brought too much oil to the surface. 
This surface should be rolled and allowed to harden before being used 
to play.

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BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE ivoi. i, No. 6

Putting Surface.—This is made by applying a dressing of oiled sand 
to the base. The base should be hard enough so that it does not absorb oil 
from this topdressing and so that there is no adhesion of the topdressing 
to the base. The topdressing must be made of a sand which does not pack, 
and as a rule a sea sand will be suitable because it will be both fine and 
clean. There should be no silt or soil in it, as the presence of dirt makes it 
form into lumps. This sand should be mixed, before application to the 
greens, with a crude oil of about 16 gravity. The amount of oil to mix 
with it can be learned only by experience, but very thorough mixing must 
be given in order to get a uniform texture in the top dressing.

The top dressing of sand should be spread very thinly over the base 
and brought to a uniform degree of thickness by the use of a broom. A 
large street-sweeper’s broom will be best for this, and most greenkeepers 
obtain the best surface by dragging the broom. The man using it will drag 
the broom after him and brush in a circular way, beginning at the hole 
and walking around it in a constantly increasing circle. This not only 
makes it easy to spread the sand fairly evenly, but it also makes the brush 
marks run across the line of a player’s putt, no matter from what part of 
the green he may be playing the ball.

No definite quantity of oil can be named as being exactly right for 
each cubic yard of sand used in topdressing the greens, as the temperature 
of the day will vary the conditions, as also will the kind of sand used. 
Ordinarily the putting greens will be keener to play on in the morning 
than later in the day, when the sun will have softened the oil somewhat. 
Too much oil can be very quickly corrected by sprinkling with dry sand, 
and after brushing this into the surface (rotary brushing) an immediate 
improvement will result. If the topdressing is too thick it should be 
corrected by removing sand, and this can best be done by using the broom 
in straight lines from the hole to the outside edge of the green, and shovel­
ing the sand into a wheelbarrow for removal. The bare places can be 
covered by dragging the brush in the rotary manner previously suggested.
If the topdressing becomes too hard or crisp, as it sometimes does in 
cold weather, it can be softened by sprinkling with distillate and using the 
brush.

The amount of sand put on as a topdressing must be learned by ex­
perience, but of course very slow putting will result from a thick covering, 
and vice versa. Pockets or hollows in the surface of the base will fill up 
with sand and will not be noticed by players, but each one means a sudden 
slowing up of the ball, and great care should be taken to avoid them in 
making the base.

Brushing the line of putt.—There are few oiled sand greens which 
do not require continual brushing, because footmarks are left sufficiently 
deep in the topdressing to deflect balls. It is usual therefore to brush the 
line of the putt, and for this purpose a piece of old carpet is perhaps the 
most serviceable. The flag-stick used to mark the hole is frequently used 
as the handle of the “sweeper,” and in such cases it should be only about 
5 feet long. Attached to the top of it should be a cross-piece like a thin 
broomhead, 2 feet wide, and to this is nailed a strip of carpet.

This brushing of the line of putts is a nuisance which adds greatly to 
the time required to play round a course; but it is difficult to obviate. It is 
less necessary when the topdressing of the greens is thin and fairly dry; 
but I have never seen it eliminated. In some clubs on crowded days a man 

June 20. 1921] UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION

111

will be kept at every green to do the rotary sweeping with the broom just 
after each match leaves a green, and the players are not then allowed to 
use the carpet sweeper. This saves time, but frequently one man or caddie 
in a fourball match will spoil the line of a putt.

Local rules are essential when oiled sand greens are used, as to brush 
a putt the ball must be disturbed and replaced; also it is necessary to 
allow the cleaning of balls on putting greens, as occasionally a grain or two 
of sand will, because of the oil, adhere to the ball and if in putting these 
come between the club face and the ball a muffled shot usually results.

In laying out a course on which it is intended to use oiled sand putting 
greens it is a great mistake to design holes requiring a pitch shot onto a 
green. No matter how much back-spin is imparted to the ball, it can seldom 
be made to hold, because the base of the greens is too hard. This type of 
green can be made so that it is delightful to putt upon; but on the whole 
an indifferently good grass green is preferable, because it does not eliminate 
pitch shots.

Experience With Brown-Patch at the 
Morris County Golf Club

AV. D. Vanderpool

About three and one-half years ago, in the middle of August, the newly 
constructed greens and fairways at the Morris County Golf Club, Convent, 
N. J., were in splendid shape, considering their newness. The weeds and 
summer grass had all been removed and they were ready for the usual light 
topdressing which is applied at that time of the year.

By September 1 six of the new greens and six of the new fairways 
were practically ruined. The greens were so badly damaged that it was 
necessary to turn them under and reseed them. The fairways were given 
a heavy topdressing of compost, seed was sown the following spring, and 
they are now in good shape.

In this article I am going to describe the conditions; but I can not 
offer any positive solution of the problem, at least as far as the fairways 
are concerned.

There is no question in my mind (and this conclusion has been cor­
roborated by the Department of Agriculture) but that the cause of the 
damage was the brown-patch fungus in its most virulent form. It is a very 
serious matter if this form of blight is going to do such extensive damage.
Shortly after the grass was seen to be getting brown, we started with 
light topdressings and sprinkling; this, however, had the effect of stimu­
lating the growth of clover, and did not help the grass. On my return, 
about the first of September, I found dead patches of grass, with the very 
green clover growing rankly and spreading every day.

The fairways were badly damaged in places; but the clover was not 
as abundant there as it was on the greens. The new greens were all seeded 
with a mixture of Chewings New Zealand fescue and German bent in 
the autumn, and when the disease struck them they had had about twenty 
months’ growth. The failways were sown about the same time as the 
greens, and redtop was substituted for the bent; the greater part of the 

112

BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE [vol. i, no. 6

fairways was composed of Chewings fescue, 'which, up to the time of the 
disease, had made a strong and vigorous growth.

This gives a general idea of the proposition which we had to con­
tend with, and we decided to analyze the situation and see what deductions 
we could make, with the following results:

1. All the damage done was confined to the area which had been 

recently woodland and had been cleared for the golf course.

2. Poor drainage had nothing to do with this blight, as the greens 
which appeared most affected "were of the Cape and Redan type, both 
built up and both under-drained, with no possible chance of having any 
water remaining there.

3. Wherever the morning sun did not strike the fairways the damage 

was inconsequential.

4. Although there were four other greens built at the same time, by 
the same method of construction and with the top soil procured from the 
same place, these were scarcely damaged at all. Why was this ? Our only 
answer is that they were not in the newly opened woodland.

What, then, can be done to prevent a recurrence of this trouble1? 
From my experience and observation it seems that poor drainage was not 
the cause of the severity of the blight and that .topdressing, such as we 
gave, did little good—it simply helped the clover. The remedy we now 
use (and we use it whenever we have hot and muggy spells in July and 
August) is Bordeaux mixture. We have had several periods during the 
last two years when the conditions were propitious for a severe attack 
Whether the Bordeaux mixture prevented it or not, I do not know; but 
I do know that we have not had any severe recurrence of the blight. 
Possibly, as a severe disease makes a person immune from a recurrence, 
this attack may render the soil more or less immune. I do not know. This 
is merely a suggestion. The treatment of the fairways with Bordeaux mix­
ture is out of the question, owing to the large area which would have to be 
treated; it would involve too great an expense.

The Brown-Patch Disease of Turf

C. V. Piper and R. A. Oakley

Until recent years practically every brown area that appeared on 
putting greens during the growing season was regarded as the effect of 
“sun scald.” Now it is known that a fungus is responsible for many, 
if not for most of them. Drought and heat certainly cause the grass to 
burn, but the areas injured by disease are quite different in appearance 
from those injured by other causes. Whether the fungus disease is more 
prevalent now than formerly is not definitely known, since a critical study 
of the cause of browning was not made until 1914, when patches appeared 
in the turf experiments of Mr. Fred W. Taylor at his home near Phila­
delphia. These patches were particularly abundant on a strain of red 
fescue which Air. Taylor transplanted from the Olcott turf garden, located 
at Manchester, Connecticut. The spots were a foot or less in diameter and 
very numerous. Mr. Taylor observed that they increased in size concen­
trically and that a fine white cobwebby covering could be seen on the newly 
formed patches in the early morning. This indicated a fungus as the 
causal agent; but laboratory examinations made at that time failed to 

June 20, 1921] UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 

113

disclose the presence of an organism that could be suspected as being re­
sponsible for the trouble. Many cases were called to the attention of the 
writers in 1915. They ranged westward as far as Chicago and northward 
to the New England States.

The following year there was abundant opportunity to study the 
malady on putting greens and other pieces of fine turf in the vicinity of 
Washington, D. C. It was then that the trouble was definitely traced 
to the action of a fungus and the specific causal agent positively identified. 
Because of the appearance of the affected turf the name “brown-patch” 
was given to the disease.

The Disease and Its Characteristics

By orthodox laboratory methods, which involved inoculation of various 
culture media with material from freshly infected turf and likewise the 
inoculation of perfectly healthy turf in the laboratory and field, it was 
proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the fungus causing brown-patch 
is the one botanically known as Rhizoctonia solani. It is a soil organism 
which attacks a large number of plants in addition to grasses. Prior to 
this, however, it was not known to attack grasses. Rhizoctonia solani pro­
duces minute hard black bodies known as sclerotia. These form on the 
dead stems and leaves of the plants attacked and remain in the soil or 
on the surface until favorable conditions develop for their germination. 
They function as seeds or tubers and are very abundantly produced. 
When these resting bodies germinate they produce a fine white cobwebby 
covering called mycelium or “mildew,” and it is through the agency of 
the mycelium that grass and other plants are injured, or, under extreme 
conditions, are killed.

The original infested areas may be very small, not larger than a 
dollar, or they may be several feet in circumference. The infection may 
spread concentrically for several successive days, or it may terminate with 
one night’s growth. The grass during the period of active infection has 
a smoky, withered appearance, such as might be caused by hot water or 
some strong chemical.

Conditions Favoring Brown-Patch

Brown-patch is a warm-weather turf disease. The conditions most 
favorable for its growth occur in periods of moist, hot weather of late 
spring, summer, or early fall. During such periods patches of mycelium 
may be seen on turf in the early morning. A little later these spots take 
on the smoky or scalded appearance just referred to, and as the day ad­
vances and the temperature rises they turn brown as if touched by fire. 
If conditions favoring brown-patch continue, permanent injury to the 
turf commonly results, but if cool, dry weather follows, much of the in­
fected turf revives and recovers completely, or nearly so, with the advent 
of fall. However, there are far too many cases of such complete killing 
of turf by brown-patch that it has been necessary entirely to remake 
putting greens which have been attacked by it.

Preference for Certain Sixties

Some turf grasses are much more seriously injured by brown-patch than 
are others. In fact, some appear to be nearly immune to it. Bermuda 
grass and crab grass, for example, have not been known to be attacked, 

114 

BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE [Vol. i, no. 6

and white clover likewise seems to escape. Kentucky bluegrass is but 
very rarely affected. Most strains of the bents and fine fescue are very 
susceptible, particularly so the velvet bents. Some of the turf-infesting 
weeds are attacked, including mouse ear chickweed and veronica. Yarrow, 
which is really a good turf plant, offers but little resistance. Vegetative 
plantings of most strains of carpet and velvet bents are usually more 
susceptible to brown-patch than is turf produced from seeding, and pure 
strains of these grasses are even more susceptible, as a rule, than mixed 
cultures. Why this is true is somewhat of a mystery.

Time of Appearance and Distribution

No very definite survey has been made to determine the first dates 
of appearance of brown-patch in the spring or its distribution through­
out the United States. In 1917 the first spots appeared in the turf garden 
at Arlington, Virginia, on June 3. In 1918 they were in evidence as 
early as May 30, but did not become numerous until July 12. Northward 
they do not usually develop until late in June. This year, 1921, a few 
spots were noticeable at Arlington on June 6, and specimens of brown- 
patch-infected turf were received from Massachusetts about the same 
date. The disease is likely to appear at any time after May 15 if hot, 
humid weather obtains. Reports received by the writers indicate that 
brown-patch occurs from Maine to Minnesota and at least as far south 
as bents and fescues can be grown successfuly for putting greens. In the 
northern part of its range it usually does much less permanent injury 
than in the southern part although at least one example of very serious 
damage to putting greens occurred in New Jersey in 1918.

Treatment

Golfers very naturally will be more interested in learning of the 
remedy for brown-patch than of the details of the disease itself. In this 
they are due for some disappointment, since no really successful remedy 
has been discovered. Numerous experiments have been conducted with a 
rather long list of fungicides, and about the only one that offers sufficient 
promise to justify its use is Bordeaux mixture. Experiments indicate 
that the disease can be held in check by frequent light sprayings of half- 
strength Boideaux; but this is a very expensive and tedious method of 
treatment. The difficulty with the use of Bordeaux or any similar fungi­
cide is that as soon as it is removed from the plants by rain or by mow­
ing, the disease starts new growth. It is not affected by the fungicide 
that is in or on the soil or on the older stems or leaves of the grass. Amon"1 
the chemicals that have been used to combat brown-patch are mecuric 
chloride, iron sulphate, sulphur, and copper stearate; not one has "iven 
promising results.

Experiments are still being conducted with fungicides. But while 
waiting for help, very serious attention should be given to drainage 
Poorly drained greens are more susceptible to brown-patch than are 
well drained greens; and during hot, humid weather it is very doubtful 
if late night watering is to be advised. An excess of moisture on the 
leaves of the grass during the night favors the development of the dis- 
ease. If the spots that first appear are small it is well to remove them 
and transplant healthy turf. This may be done in many cases with a 

June 20, 1921] UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 

115

hole cutter. In this way infection may be checked. The use of Bordeaux 
when occasion seems to justify the expense and effort, attention to drainage 
and watering, and the quick removal of the first infected spots, are about 
the only suggestions for controlling brown-patch that can be given at 
this time.

Hope in Resistant Strains.

Just as some species are less susceptible than others to the attack of 
brown-patch, so there are strains of certain species that seem to be much 
more resistant than others. This is particularly true of the bents, and 
it is especially encouraging, since the disease is a serious menace to vegeta­
tive propagation of these grasses. It is hoped that strains of carpet bent 
will be found to be highly resistant if not actually immune to the disease. 
A careful search is now being made for such strains, and if it is success­
ful it will go far toward solving one of the most serious greens prolems.

Power-Mowers for Fairways’

It now seems that greenkeepers in the United States are in a fair 
way to solve the problem of cutting the grass on fairways. The problem 
of cutting the rough is still unsettled, and the solution of these problems 
may effect a radical change in the method and practices now in vogue as 
to the sowing, fertilizing, and treatment of fairways. Heretofore the 
efforts of greenkeepers have been directed to the production of turf of 
dwarf grasses which are easily cut; but it would seem that when the 
problem of cutting grass has been completely solved, it may be better to 
use seed of the less expensive grasses, the kinds that grow most readily and 
thus produce a more luxuriant growth, and then keep it down by proper 
cutting. When a tractor is developed that will cut all the fairways of 
a course in a single day of say 10 hours, so that one man can cut the 
course two or three times a week, there would seem to be no reason why 
most golf courses should not have a good turf, as fertilizer can be applied 
until that result is obtained.

It must be remembered that all the cutting units now on the market 
were designed to be drawn by horses and are neither designed nor built 
to stand the high speed and rough usage of the tractors whose speeds 
vary from 4 to 15 miles an hour.

Nothing has been done up to this time but to fit tractors to existing 
mowing equipment. A great variety of tractor-mowers have come on 
the market within the last year and arc now being tried out with more 
or less success in different parts of the country; but we are yet a long 
way from having perfect equipment. It would seem that the study and 
development of the future should be along the right lines to determine 
the most effective speed and the speed limits of rotary types of mowers, 
and that effort should be made to design and construct mowers capable 
of operation at speeds that are high in comparison with the old horse- 
drawn equipment. It goes without saying that mowing equipment must 
be designed with heavier and better gearing, bearings, and automatic lubri­
cating devices; and when the most effective speed limit of the mowing

* The Green Committee expects to prepare a questionnaire covering various 
phases of this subject, and the answers will be published for the benefit of clubs 
contemplating the purchase of grass-cutting equipment.

116 

BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE [Vol. i. no. 6

unit is established, obviously a tractor must be worked out with an ample 
reserve power capable of drawing the mowers at the speed desired. Again, 
the tractor weight must not be so great as to unduly pack the soil.

It would also seem that the best result may be expected from tractors 
which push rather than pull the mowers, for the reason that by so doing 
the grass is cut ahead of the tractor, giving a better appearance to the 
work; but it may nevertheless be possible to work out something by the 
use of the caterpillar type of tractor or some other type that would pull 
the mowers and at the same time leave no tractor marks. It would seem 
that less power is required to pull than to push a load, and it may be 
that a tractor developed to pull the mowers will show an advantage in 
that respect over those which push them.

Mechanical means must be worked out by which the drivers of the 
tractors can raise or lower the mowers from the driving seat and put 
them out of gear in crossroads and the like. The tractor must be capable 
of making a turn around bunkers and so operating without injury to 
the turf, and it must be capable of working close to the greens so as to 
minimize the handwork.

The advent of the tractor may bring about new cutting methods. 
With horse-drawn equipment the common practice is to start at the out­
side and keep taking inside turns until there is a narrow strip of grass 
down the middle of the fairway left to be cut. With the tractor, which 
must take wider turns, the practice is to make the first cut down the 
middle of the fairway, then turn and go back on an outside edge, and 
keep making the cuts so that the last cut removes the grass on the far 
side of the fairway next to the middle. To illustrate: on a fairway run­
ning north and south, the first cut would be down the middle, then 
along the cast edge of the fairway; the next cut would be on the west 
side of the middle, then around the east side again, each cut moving to 
the west until the last cut, as above stated, takes the western edge of the 
fairway.

hile seyei al of the tractors now on the market are doing very good 
woik on the fairways, none of them appear to be wholly fit on the rough. 
Of course, it is possible to cut the rough with the rotary type of mower, 
but if it is so done it must be cut and kept fairly close—too close, in our 
opinion. It seems to be understood that the rotary type of mower will 
not v ork in grass that is over four or five inches in length, and it is 
therefore to be hoped that some concern will work out a tractor and 
equipment that can be adapted to the work on both the fairways and the 
lough. This may possibly be accomplished by having rotary mowin" 
equipment for the fairways and some other type for the rough. The equip” 
ment foi cutting the lough must be so arranged as to collect and pile up 
the grass cuttings. The raking of the rough after cutting should be avoided. 
1 his can. of course, be done by some sort of a grass catcher, bv means of 
which the grass can be dumped into piles or windrows

The tractor must be capable of being worked over a wet course. The 
ful value of the tractor will only be realized when it displaces horses, 
and therefore it must be workable m the spring and fall, when the courses 
are wet. It also appears that a tractor, to be most serviceable around 
the golf course should be so designed that it can be used for other pur­
poses^; and it horses are to be displaced entirely the tractor should be 
capable of pulling or pushing rollers, pulling loaded wagons and the 

June 20, 1921] UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 

117

like, and it should also be capable of furnishing power to operate saws 
and do the work now done by stationary gas engines.

In the early stages of the development of the equipment, little atten­
tion was paid to economy of operation, and it goes without saying that 
the most successful tractor will be the one that will operate with the 
smallest consumption of gasoline and oil and against which the smallest 
charges for repairs and depreciation must be made; in other words, the 
successful tractor must not only have the widest utility but be the most 
economical as to initial costs, operation, and maintenance. The next im­
portant step in the development of this equipment, in our opinion, is the 
redesigning and proper construction of the mowing equipment to stand 
the speed, use, and abuse that will be called for. Better materials and 
better construction must be put into the mowing equipment.

The day may not be far off when a horse will be a strange sight on a 
golf course, but it is not believed that the best type of tractor and mowing 
equipment will be worked out short of several years of trial and experiment. 
(Contributed to elicit discussion.)

I
Questions and Answers
I 
s All questions sent to the Green Committee will be answered as promptly 
I as possible in a letter to the writer. The more interesting of these ques- 
i tions, with concise answers, will appear in this column each month. If 
s your experience leads you to disagree with any answer given in this column, 
| it is your privilege and duty to write to the Green Committee.
4.---------------- --- ------------- ------------------------------- —————

Keeping Tees in Good Condition

We are indebted to Mr. Walter J. Travis, Garden City, N. Y., for 
the following helpful suggestions submitted in the way of a comment on 
the answer to question 10, page 47, of the March 23d number of the 
Bulletin.

Your advice makes no allowance for wind or weather conditions; it 
makes the hole inelastic, and consequently monotonous—unless there are 
several tees. Even then, definition 4 and rule 2 are dead letters; or else 
the back part of the tee is useless.

“Grass tees may easily be kept in condition by moving the plates be­
fore any sign of wear appears—by starting at the front and working 
backward, never forward, except the whole length of the tee. Short-hole 
tees suffer most; but if the divot marks are covered frequently with loam 
mixed with seed (preferably fescue, w’hich is more wear-resisting than the 
softer grasses, such as bents), the scalps will heal rapidly and the tee 
generally be maintained in good condition. A tee is almost as important 
as a green. If the tees on a course are kept in good shape one may be 
sure to find the greens well cared for; they are unfailing barometers, as 
it were. ’ ’

1. I have sent you by parcel post today a sample of a fluid which 
is being sold as an inoculating fluid for soils and seeds, and great things 
are claimed for it. I would like to have this sample tested and to know 
what good, if any, it will do to our putting greens and fairways. They 
claim this is a germ inoculation for either seed or soils. M. S., Iowa.

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BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE [Vol. i. no. 6

The sample you send is a liquid culture of bacteria useful under cer­
tain conditions with some of the leguminous crops, such as beans, peas, 
and clovers. It has no effect whatever on the growing grasses and is 
usually not necessary in growing white clover. There are many of these 
liquid cultures on the market. They contain bacteria which attack the 
roots of peas, beans, clovers, and other legumes, causing the formation 
of nodules on the roots and enabling the plant to utilize the free nitrogen 
of the air. Legumes growing under this condition thrive much better than 
when these bacteria are not present. The soil where legumes have been 
growing generally carries sufficient bacteria for inoculating the roots, but 
when the legumes are planted on new soil it is necessary to mix into 
the new soil earth from a field where the legumes have formerly been 
grown, or else artificially supply the bacteria by means of prepared cul­
tures. The liquid is of no use whatever on your putting greens and fair­
ways.

2. Kindly send as soon as possible full information regarding the 

eradication of clover from putting greens. F. IV. H., Michigan.

We know of no highly satisfactory method of eradicating white clover 
from putting greens. Many writers recommend the use of sulphate of 
ammonia for this purpose. Particularly is this true of English writers 
and English greenkeepers. So-called turf specialists very generally recom­
mend sulphate of ammonia for the eradication of white clover. However, 
our experiments so far have not made us very enthusiastic over the method. 
In fact, for the most part our results have been quite negative. Never­
theless we propose to continue the experiments, and we still have tests under 
way which we hope will throw some light on the subject. We think there 
is little doubt that a fertilizer tending to produce an acid reaction in the 
soil, especially in clay soils in the northeastern part of the United States, 
favors the growth of the bents and turf-forming fescues against white 
clover and other plants. A summary of experiments in this line con­
ducted by the Rhode Island Experiment Station, Kingston, R. I., is con­
tained in the article entitled “Ammonium Sulphate” in No. 3 of this 
volume of the Bulletin. Why not treat half of one of your greens regu­
larly with ammonium sulphate and leave the other half for a check ? In 
this way you should get some first-hand information.

3. We are having a hard time in eradicating ants and would be glad 

to have any suggestions you can make. L. IV. M., Neiv York.

Mhile numeious experiments have been conducted in the eradication 
of ants no very satisfactory methods have resulted from the standpoint 
of efficiency and practicability. The best method we have found is to 
inject a small quantity of caibon bisulphide into the burrows by means ol 
an oilei writh a long stem and a spring bottom, such as is used by engi* 
neers. Success has also been had with a solution of potassium cyanide \ 
but those who have tried both prefer the carbon bisulphide. This liquid 
is readily volatile and forms a gas that is heavier than air, and because 
of this it sinks into the lover chambers and kills the ants with which it 
comes in contact. If you wish to try the solution of potassium cyanide 
we would suggest one ounce of 98 per cent potassium cyanide to one 
quart of water; the two should be carefully mixed and the solution lib­
erally injected into each ant hill for which purpose an oiler may be 

June 20, 1921] UNITED STATES, GOLF ASSOCIATION

119

used. Potassium cyanide is a very poisonous substance and great care 
therefore should attend its use. There are some experiments now under 
way which we trust will result in the development of better methods of 
killing ants than are now used.

4. We have decided to seed to creeping bent if it is possible to pro­
cure the seed. As we will not seed before August or September this year 
we wish to ask you if in your opinion it will be possible to procure the 
seed from this year’s crop. We are under the impression that this seed 
is harvested at or about the same time as our own bluegrass, and if that is 
the case would it be possible for the bent seed to reach this country in time 
for our needs? We are being urged to buy what little seed of this kind 
that we can now, though we are not satisfied that the seed is of average 
good quality, nor do we believe that the price of $1.40 per pound is a fair 
or reasonable one even at this time. H. A. L., Ohio.

We would suggest that you secure quotations and samples of South 
German mixed bent seed and then submit the samples to us for examination. 
Names of dealers who have recently had good stocks of this seed will be 
submitted on application. The German seed crop of the season never 
reaches up early enough in the fall to be use during the same year.

5. There is a great deal of moss and some sorrel in our fairways. 
We have been using crushed lime rock and are planning to put on addi­
tional dressing this spring. However, this appears to bring in white clover; 
in fact, our fairways are very largely white clover. Should we continue 
the crushed lime rock treatment? E. B. P., New Hampshire.

The conditions are very exceptional on golf courses where we recom­
mend the use of lime at all. The presence of sorrel and of moss is much 
more due to poverty of the soil than it is to any acid conditions. In fact, 
we know of many acid soils 'which have excellent turf, but the soils are 
such as can be regarded as rich or moderately rich. We are sure that by 
the use of appropriate fertilizers your moss and sorrel trouble will dis­
appear. Some mosses, however, come in shaded places and illy drained 
places. Correction of the drainage, and in some places of too great shade, 
is the remedy. However, for shady conditions in New Hampshire you can 
get most beautiful turf either -with red fescue or with Poa trivialis (rough- 
stalked bluegrass).

6. The writer would like to know whether you have had any experi­
ence in building greens with sterilized soil in a manner similar to what the 
tobacco growers use. Roughly speaking, they steam the soil under a pan 
until a potato ivill bake about 6 inches below the surface. This is done to 
eliminate all weed seeds and to kill any fungus and bacteria which may be 
in the ground. It would seem as though this might save a very consid­
erable amount of work after the greens are seeded and come up, in keeping 
the weeds out; but I would like to know whether you have had any experi­
ence with greens handled that way, and, if so, ivhat your opinion of it is. 
V. W. B., Connecticut.

Sterilization of soil for tobacco beds, which, after all, is only partial 
sterilization, -was primarily for two purposes, one to destroy weed seeds 
and the other to destroy fungus diseases, insects, nematodes, etc., which 
might be present in the soil. The oldest plan for doing this was simply by

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burning trash piled over the seed bed, a plan still used in some regions. 
The plan now generally adopted by progressive tobacco growers is by means 
of a steam pan, under which hot steam is kept in contact with the soil 
for some time. In the Connecticut valley contractors sterilize soil tor 50 
cents to $1.00 per 100 square feet. At the rate of $1.00 per 100 squaie 
feet, that would mean $100 to sterilize a large putting green. 

.

Still another method of sterilizing soil is by using formaldehyde, using 
1 gallon of formaldehyde to 50 gallons of water and then applying 2 quarts 
of this to each square foot. Before applying this the soil should be pie- 
pared for seeding, and it is better to apply the liquid m several applica­
tions than in one. After applying the liquid the surface needs to be cov­
ered with wet bags or blankets so as to confine the gas for 24 hours. Alter 
these bags or carpets are removed the soil must be allowed to air for 8 to 
10 days so the formaldehyde can evaporate. The cost of the formaldehyde 
treatment is very considerably greater than that of the steam-pan tieat- 
ment. All of these methods are described in detail in the U. S. Department 
of Agriculture Farmers Bulletin No. 96.

In our judgment the expense involved is vastly greater than any pos­
sible benefits than can accrue. Temporarily it may be helpful, but not to 
a degree to justify the expense. Sooner or later organisms that live m 
the soil are sure to return and weed seeds are carried on to the greens 
bv the feet of golfers, and by other means.

Notwithstanding this adverse opinion, it would be an extremely inter­
esting thing if your club could see its way clear to try out the scheme 
on one or more greens and give us all the benefit of the results you secure. 
After all, a real experiment is the only way to get the right answer.

7. Our soil is medium heavy loam with clay sub-soil; rather acid. 
For our new- fairways we are ordering Kentucky bluegrass and redtop 
exclusively. Is anything else indicated for this kind of soil for this cli­
mate? E. B. P., Neiu Hampshire.

For your fairways it is all right to seed a mixture of 4 pounds of 
Kentucky bluegrass and 1 pound of redtop. Kentucky bluegrass may not 
be adapted to your conditions without liming, and we would not advise you 
to use Kentucky bluegrass unless it will take care of itself. The dominant 
grass in New England is Rhode Island bent, and our judgment is that re­
gardless of what you seed your fairways to, in two or three years’ time 
they will be Rhode Island bent with more or less white clover, but on 
account of the availability and cheapness of the seed bluegrass and redtop 
are the things to sow.

The Vitality of Weed Seeds in Manure.

Several years ago the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station 
conducted some experiments with a view to determining the length of time 
various seeds remain viable in barnyard manure. Results of these experi­
ments were published in Bulletin 128 of that station. It was found that 
one year is sufficient to devitalize practically all of the common weed 
seeds when manure is kept in piles under ordinary conditions and that 
six months kills a large majority of the seeds. However, no chance should 
be taken. When in doubt, make the box test referred to in the article 
on humus-making materials in Bulletin No. 4 of this volume.