Bulletin of the Green Section of the U. S. Golf Association Vol. I. Washington, D. C., March 23, 1921 No. 3 A MONTHLY PERIODICAL TO PROMOTE THE BETTERMENT OF GOLF COURSES ISSUED BY THE GREEN COMMITTEE OF THE UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION CONTENTS Editorial. Purchasing for a Green Committee..................... 30 Ammonium Sulphate. C. V. Piper and R. A. Oakley ..... .......... 31 Green Building in Mid-winter at Washington, D. C. Dr. Walter S. Harban......................... 33 Rolling the Turf. C. V. Piper and R. A. Oakley................... 36 South German Mixed Bent Seed Described. F. H. Hillman.......... 37 Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua). C. V. Piper and R. A. Oakley.... 39 Turf Experiment Plots at Golf Courses. C. V. Piper and R. A. Oakley ............ 42 The Use and Abuse of Lime. C. V. Piper and R. A. Oakley... ......... 43 Correction ........................... 45 Questions and Answers................................................................................ 45 MEMBERS OF THE GREEN COMMITTEE OF THE UNITED STATES C. V. Piper, Chairman, R. A. Oakley, Vice Chairman. E. J. Marshall, Vice Chairman, George W. Adair, W. A. Alexander, Sterling E. Edmunds, Wm. C. Fownes, Jr., Dr. Walter S. Harban, Frederic C. Hood, Norman Macbeth, W. P. Stewart, James L. Taylor, Wynant D. Vanderpool, Alan D. Wilson, Frank L. Woodward, GOLF ASSOCIATION: Inverness Club, Druid Hills Golf Club, Old Elm Club, St. Louis Country Club, Oakmont Country Club, Columbia Country’ Club, The Country Club, Wilshire Country Club, Audubon Golf Club, Ekwanok Country Club, Morris County Golf Club, Merion Cricket Club, Denver Country Club, Washington, D. C. Washington, D. C. Toledo, Ohio. Atlanta, Ga. Fort Sheridan, Ill. St. Louis, Mo. Pittsburgh, Pa. Washington, D. C. Brookline, Mass. Los Angeles, Calif. New Orleans, La. Manchester, Vt. Convent Station, N. J. Haverford, Pa. Denver, Colo. HONORARY MEMBERS F. H. Hillman, Washington. D. C. W. R. Walton, 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. O. Box 676, Eleventh Station, Washington, D. C. 30 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE [Vol. 1, no. 3 EDITORIAL Purchasing for a Green Committee It may be not inaccurate to say that roughly one-third to one-half of a golf club’s revenue is expended on maintenance. Someone must purchase the labor and material. Shall it be the greenkeeper or the chair­ man of the greens? Common sense would seem to indicate that the chairman of the greens should at least have his hand on all purchases. He ought to know or take the pains to inform himself as to the quality and prices of materials and the amount required for use. The greenkeeper may be ever so honest and competent and his judg­ ment may be entitled to the greatest respect, but the money to be spent belongs to the club, and it is the duty of the committee to see that it is honestly and effectively spent. There are dealers in materials of all sorts who will get business, if they can, by bribery, either by payment of commissions or by favors, cigars, loans, or what not. The Federal Trade Commission has felt obliged to condemn vigor­ ously such practices in many cases. An honest greenkeeper would not think of accepting a commission or a favor and would instantly inform his chairman if one was offered. A greenkeeper who accepted a com­ mission without the full knowledge and consent of his committee would expect to be discharged if his offense were discovered. It is the positive duty of a green committee to know as much as pos­ sible about the business it has charge of; and why should not the chair­ man, or some one on the committee, see that purchases are properly made ? Any good purchasing agent gets samples and prices because he knows there will be a new purchasing agent on the job if he does not get a dol­ lar’s worth for every dollar. He sees to it that the prejudices, whims, and personal interests of those who use or work with the materials he buys do not lead him to pay high prices or to secure poor quality. A green committee should handle its purchases for its club exactly as a member handles the purchases in his business. The dealer who is directly or surreptitiously dishonest soon finds out that the committee is applying sound business methods, and either looks for some easier victim or gets down to brass tacks. Only by keep­ ing in touch with purchases can a committee know what is going on. If fertilizer or seed is to be bought there should be definite informa­ tion as to kind and quality; besides, the quantity should be figured with accuracy, based on so many acres or square yards to be treated and a fixed quantity to the acre or yard. Why buy a lot of stuff and have it left over to deteriorate ? And why buy less than enough ? If you want seed, you can get it either full of weeds and chaff, or clean; and you can get it with or without “bunk.” Get samples and prices. Submit the samples to expert tests as to identity and germination. The honest seeds­ man who expects to stay in the business and hopes to sell the same cus­ tomer twice will be glad to have his seed so tested. Every committee should know and take into consideration the treat­ ment given the course in previous years, and a definite policy should be Mar. 23, 1921] UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 31 carried out, which, of course, is impossible if control of purchases is not maintained. Equipment such as mowers must be renewed from year to year, and should be purchased only after careful study. It goes without saying that the type and make should not be changed every year to meet mere whims and fancies. In employing labor the same principles apply. A fair rate should be paid, but loafers or lazy favorites should not be tolerated. It is only by close personal contact with purchases that green committees can see that materials are of good quality and get a dollar’s worth for a dollar. The labor expense incident to proper maintenance is the largest item and must be given careful attention, but it is believed that economy is not always to be realized by putting workmen on a common labor basis. If the work is properly arranged so that employment can be given to trained men during a large part of the year, it is obvious that these men, because of their training and experience, should not be classed as common unskilled labor, and it would seem that they should be entitled to from ten to twenty per cent, more than common labor in the vicinity. Manu­ facturers can figure the cost of training or “breaking in” employees to do a particular job; so it would seem that a man who has been trained is worth more to a green committee than a common laborer. The buying is not all. The materials should be weighed, counted, or checked on receipt. True, a business man who happens to be on a green committee can­ not look after all the details himself, but he should see to it that this is honestly and properly done by some one; and if it is known that such a man is on the job and giving the supervision he should, a wholesome re­ straint will be felt by those who might be dishonest. Business is business, whether conducted for money or pleasure, and it becomes foolishness when neglected. Ammonium Sulphate C. V. Piper and R. A. Oakley A recent article in the daily press regarding the effects of ammonium sulphate on turf grasses as determined by experiments continued through twenty years at the Rhode Island Experiment Station has created much interest. The article referred to was brief, and emphasized particularly the effect of ammonium sulphate in banishing weeds. Broadly speaking, the article was not inaccurate; but for better understanding there are certain details that need clarification. The Rhode Island experiments are noteworthy and rich in significance to golf courses—certainly for the New England states, and probably for all the northern tier of states except in the semi-arid region. Detailed accounts of the way in which they were conducted and the results secured have been published from time to time, but particularly in the bulletins and reports of the Rhode Island Experiment Station. The soil at Kingston, Rhode Island, is a well-drained loam of good texture but “acid” or “sour”—that is, it turns blue litmus paper red. The natural grass growing in the old pastures in the vicinity is mainly 32 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE [Vol. 1, no. 3 Rhode Island bent, which in fact is the dominant grass on well-drained soils in New England and in parts of New York. In places, however, practically pure stands of fescue may be found. Both of those grasses thrive well in acid soils. The experimental turf plots consisted of 19 plots divided into three nearly equal series. One plot of each series was seeded to the same grass or grass mixture, namely, bluegrass, redtop, Rhode Island bent, red fescue, and seven grass seed mixtures; so there was one plot of each grass in every series. One series was treated with an acid fertilizer—namely, ammonium sulphate, acid phosphate, and muriate of potash;, the second with a neutral fertilizer—consisting of nitrate of soda, acid phosphate, ground bone, and muriate of potash; the third with an alkaline fertilizer—containing nitrate of soda, Thomas slag phosphate, and. muriate of potash. No lime was used. The fertilizers were applied so as to furnish equal amounts of plant food. A formula for the acid fertilizer is 250 pounds sulphate of ammonia, 400 pounds acid phosphate, and 250 pounds muriate of potash per acre; or about two pounds of the mixture for each 100 square feet. After some years the most striking result was that all of the alkaline fertilizer plots were very weedy; the neutral fertilizer plots were much better; but the acid fertilizer plots were practically free of weeds, includ­ ing crab grass. None of the grasses on the most acid plots succeeded well except the bents and the fescues; these remained pure in the acid fertilizer plots but were very weedy in those treated with alkaline chemi­ cals. Bluegrass tended to persist on the alkaline plots. Rhode Island bent invaded and captured all the acid plots that had been seeded to other grasses, and on such plots treated with acid fertilizer the turf be­ came equal to that on plots where the bent was originally sown. The fescues spread but little into adjacent plots, perhaps because there was little fescue near the plots to produce seed. Two conclusions are especially clear from the Rhode Island experi­ ments: first, the bents (Rhode Island, and creeping or carpet) and red fescue are by far the best turf grasses for the conditions; and second, alkaline fertilizers bring about the invasion of numerous weeds in the turf of all these grasses. On the plots treated with acid fertilizers there was a gradual increase in the acidity of the soil, and there can be little doubt that this secures a weedless lawn of the grasses mentioned. In 1916 the acid fertilizer plots were very acid, the calcium oxide requirement being 6200 pounds per acre foot; the alkaline fertilizer plots were much less acid, with a lime requirement of 3800 pounds per acre foot. There is good reason to believe that similar results can be secured on all northern soils that are naturally acid. Where soils are neutral or alka­ line in reaction it is apparently not easy to change them to an acid con­ dition by any method yet known; at least efforts in this direction at Ar­ lington Farm, Virginia, have thus far not proved successful. Frequent applications of ammonium sulphate was one of the methods tried at Ar­ lington. The experiments are being continued, as all the evidence points to the desirability of an acid condition of putting greens to grow bent or fescue turf of the best quality. One of the new methods being tried is to mix relatively large quantities of ammonium sulphate in the soil before sowing the grass. Theoretically at least this should give results much sooner than the necessarily small surface applications to the turf. Ammonium sulphate may be used in place of sodium nitrate in ferti­ lizing putting greens, but the same care is necessary in its use, as am­ Mar. 23, 1921] UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 33 monium sulphate will burn grass quite as readily as does sodium nitrate. It is recommended that it be used at the maximum rate of five pounds to each 1000 square feet. It may be applied by pulverizing thoroughly and mixing with ten times its bulk of sand. After scattering the material, the green should be watered thoroughly. Or the ammonium sulphate may be dissolved at the rate of one pound to ten gallons of water and sprinkled on the green, but this should be succeeded by a thorough water­ ing afterwards. Such applications can be made at frequent intervals, if desired. Ammonium sulphate has long been used in England to a much greater extent than in this country. Many English writers have commented on its tendency to make soils acid, and various English authorities claim that its continued use will eradicate white clover. It is noteworthy that there was practically no white clover on the acid plots at Rhode Island, while it promptly invaded those treated with alkaline fertilizers. Ex­ periments at Arlington indicate clearly that eradication of white clover in a neutral soil is not to be secured in a single season by numerous surface applications of ammonium sulphate, but it is very likely that in time such a result will ensue. The one conclusion that stands out most prominently from the Rhode Island experiments is to avoid the use of lime or any other alkaline ferti­ lizer for bents or fescues, as this tends to encourage the invasion of un­ desirable plants. Both bent and fescue can be grown on soils heavily limed and make good turf. Such greens composed of bent are illustrated by the Taylor greens at Sunnybrook and at Columbia, and by the beauti­ ful fescue fairways and greens at the Links. But there are numerous examples on various courses of equally good greens on which lime has never been used. There is actually no good evidence pointing to the use of lime having improved the turf of bents or fescues. The weed factor alone is an excellent reason to avoid using lime, at least for these grasses. Green-Building in Midwinter at Washington, D. C. Dr. Walter S. Harban The building of a putting green in the midwinter in this latitude stands as a novel achievement. The long, mild dry spell of weather in February prompted the green committee of the Columbia Country Club to make the attempt, and accordingly on Monday, February 14, grading was started, and by the following Saturday the last piece of sod was put in place. The entire work was conducted under most favorable weather conditions and the results promise to be eminently successful. It may be of interest to describe the methods employed in the construction of this green as well as many others heretofore built on the course that have proved to be satisfactory and more or less economical. Grading When much grading is to be done, as was the case in this instance, an ample compact force is desirable. In the grading of this green we use one plow-team, four-wheel scoops, and two snap-teams—in all, seven 34 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE [Vol. i, No. s teams, or fourteen horses, manned by twelve men under one foreman. In two days’ time the rough grading was completed and this force was laid off. The wheel-scoops, especially where the earth has to be brought some distance, are most expeditious in handling the work. When fully loaded by the assistance of the snap-teams, one-half a yard of earth is put in place with each load; and besides the trampling of the horses and the wheels of the scoops constantly passing over the new dump, pack the soil more thoroughly than any other means. The rough-finishing work was accomplished with one team and two men. First the grades and undulations were established by means of a drag-scoop, a spike-tooth liarrow, and a wooden drag. The entire surface was then deeply worked up by means of a 7-tooth garden expansion cultivator drawn by one horse, worked many ways across the green. This work required one and one- half days and the green was then ready for top soil and fertilizer. It will be noted that no cinders, stone, or tile were put under the green. Occa­ sionally, when hill-seepage may require it, we use tile set two feet deep all around that part of the> green, giving a free outlet, but we never sep­ arate the upper soil from the lower by the introduction of a foreign layer. Our natural soil is a fine quality of reddish clay, and when well broken up with sand and manure forms as desirable a soil for a green as can be imagined, possessing both the quality to let the water into the ground and capacity of holding moisture, as well as the humus introduced to sustain the turf for many years. Ten dump-wagon loads of sharp sand and a like amount of well pul­ verized mushroom soil were now spread on the surface. By means of the cultivator and harrow the manure and sand was well incorporated in the soil. After repeated harrowings, draggings and rollings, the surface was raked carefully to make it smooth, and rolled and raked until true and firm. Before applying the sod, a dressing composed of two parts of sand and one of coal soot was spread lightly over the finished surface, and 400 pounds of bone meal were sown broadcast. After a final gentle raking the green was ready for the sod. Mar. 23, 1921] UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 35 Lifting the Sod As the turf to be lifted was on a nearly fiat surface, the horse sod­ cutter (Fig. 1) was used. The blade was set to cut 12 inches wide and 2 inches deep. It was drawn by means of a horse attached to a long rope, so that the sod was lifted in ribbons the entire length of the green without trampling or injury. By means of an implement made for this purpose, the ribbons were chopped into one-foot lengths for easy handling (Fig. 2). The sod, being cut regularly at 2 inches in thickness, was uni­ form and did not require trimming. Laying the Sod. Care should be taken not to disturb the smooth surface of the new green. Therefore a line of boards should be laid for the wheelbarrows, as well as for the men to walk upon. A rope or cord is stretched across the green, in order that the first strip of sods may be laid straight, the two straight sides of sod cut by the machine should be parallel to the rope. If the sod has been cut carefully the squares should be the same width and lie in even strips. The chopped end will necessarily be on the bevel, and care should be taken that the sods are laid as they are lifted and carefully lapped so as not to leave any exposed surfaces. Work in straight lines all the way across the green. Two or more men can work on the same walk. Each man can conveniently lay two or more rows. The sods should be laid without special care; that is, no attempt should be made to have them close together. Spaces of from one-eighth to one- quarter of an inch will be found ideal, as they leave room for the sod to spread under packing and rolling without danger of buckling later. Should any narrow gaps remain, they will be filled by the final dressing. Ten men lifted, handled, and laid in one day the sod for this green, which is 85 by 100 feet. It can literally be said that ‘ ‘ the next day it snowed, ’ ’ as the following morning six inches of snow covered the ground, and it remained for one week, much to the satisfaction and delight of the com­ mittee. Two weeks later, when the soil was sufficiently dry to permit of roll­ ing, the turves were pressed down to a true surface by means of a heavy roller, 34 inches in length and weighing 1400 pounds, drawn slowly by man-power so as not to push or disturb the turves, as the new roots had already grown to a depth of one inch or more. A heavy dressing com­ posed of one part of mushroom soil, one of sand, and one of coal soot was then spread upon the surface and after several hours, when thoroughly dried by the wind and sun, was dragged in all directions with a brush made of three ordinary hickory stable-brooms spliced together, two broom handles set into them like shafts. This implement will be found useful and more efficacious than the ordinary birch brush in spreading all dress­ ing. By March 11 the grass on this green had grown to such length that it had to be cut to preserve the texture; it was then rolled with a large sectional roller weighing less than 500 pounds. Care should be taken not to roll turf when the ground is wet, and this is especially true in spring and summer. After a green has been trued by heavy rolling once or twice in early spring, a light wooden roller is all that is needed thereafter. A newly turfed green should be dressed or brushed several times and never allowed to become completely dry in summer or before the roots have penetrated deeply. 36 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE [Vol 1, No. 3 A green built and finished as above applies only where the turf is to be laid. When it is to be seeded or vegetatively planted an entirely different seed surface should be laid—which, however, is another story. Cost The cost amounted to $424.75. The rough grading alone cost $265.00, or nearly two-thirds of the entire expense. Rough-grading (2 days)............................................. $265.00 Mushroom soil......................... 37.50 Sand........................................................................ -.... ..... . 11.25 Bone meal__________ 15.00 Labor, including use of our own team.............................— 96.00 $424.75 Rolling the Turf C. V. Piper and R. A. Oakley Ten years ago rolling was used on most golf courses to excess. Per­ haps in consequence of bad results that ensued on some courses, the ten­ dency in recent years has been not to use the roller enough. Every north­ ern golf course requires a good rolling early in the spring as soon as the ground is fairly dry and the grass has begun to grow. This is to compact the surface soil, which has become very loose as a result of freezing and thawing, as well as to smooth out the unevenness. The loosening or heaving effect of freezing and thawing is much more pronounced on clayey soils than on sandy soils. Generally speaking, excess of rolling is practically impossible on sandy or sandy loam soils, provided the rolling be done when the ground is not actually wet. On clay soils and even on clay loams it is possible to compact the soils too much for the best growth of grasses. Particularly is this liable to be the case if the roller is used when the ground is wet. A safe rule to follow is, never use a roller when the ground is wet. This does not mean use it when the ground is dry. The best time is when the soil is just slightly moist. Where the fairways are well turfed, damage from rolling, even on clay soils, is rare. It can occur if a heavy roller be used when the ground is wet; but it is doubtful if it ever occurs on sandy soils. On putting greens nice judgment is necessary, depending on the soil texture, on the degree of moistness, and on the density of the turf. A heavy rolling in spring is nearly always necessary. Thereafter rather frequent light rollings are better than occasional heavy rollings. Mar. 23, 1921] UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 37 South German Mixed Bent Seed Described By F. H. Hillman, Assistant Botanist, Seed Laboratory, U. S. Dept, of Agriculture The importance to the golf course of the proper seed and the uncer­ tainties and disappointments experienced in its purchase, justify a de­ scription of the seed which has been most sought and, as an available article, is the most desirable seed now obtainable. This is the imported seed which now bears the name “South German mixed bent” and which for many years prior to the world war was handled by the trade under the names “Agrostis stolonifera,” “Creeping bent,” “German bent” and various combinations of these names. “Creeping bent” and “Ger­ man creeping bent” appear to be the names in common use at the present time. As the name implies, this seed is imported from Europe, sometimes from Germany, but more frequently from Holland, Belgium or England. The origin of the seed, however, is southern Germany. The uncertainty and disappointment connected with the purchase and use of this seed have resulted chiefly from the use of redtop as an adulterant of, or a substitute for, the bent seed. This has been possible in the past because of the difficulty and improbability of detection. Stud­ ies upon this group of seeds within recent years have made it possible to distinguish the several kinds of seeds involved and thus prevent the sowing of undesirable seed. The nature of the South German mixed bent seed may best be under­ stood by considering the several kinds of seed which constitute the fine bent seed from different sources. The name “bent” is applied to the different species and varieties of species of the genus Agrostis of the family of grasses. Of the twenty-five or more species of Agrostis known to prevail in this country, but three of them are commonly of interest in connection with turf making, while another kind from Europe is coming to be recognized as having an im­ portant bearing on the question of the most desirable golf turf. Of the four kinds referred to, one is the common agricultural redtop (Agrostis alba) sometimes called “white bent.” Another is the Rhode Island bent of New England (Agrostis tenuis) often referred to as Agrostis vulgaris. Another is velvet bent (Agrostis canina), and the fourth a species having pronounced creeping habit, is now called carpet bent. Its proper tech­ nical name is at present undecided. While this grass is closely allied to, if not identical with Agrostis stolonifera, the very limited occurrence of its seed in commercial bent seed does not justify the application of this name to the German bent seed. In addition to understanding the kinds of Agrostis seeds connected with the bent seeds handled commercially, it is important to know their commercial sources. Redtop seed is produced chiefly in southern Illi­ nois, which is the source of the American commercial seed even though it may have been returned to this country in commercial quantity from Europe. Rhode Island bent is produced chiefly in Rhode Island. Seed of the same grass is produced commercially in New Zealand where it is called “colonial bent” and “brown bent.” Again it is produced in south­ 38 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE [Vol. i, No. 3 ern Germany and comes to us in the German bent seed, but we have no English name in common use referring to this seed as coming from Ger­ many. Velvet bent seed comes only from Germany and only as an in­ gredient of mixed seed, never as a single kind, as redtop and seed of other grasses. The occurrence of this grass in this country is confined to places where the imported bent seed has been sown or their vicinity. Carpet bent is known only where German bent seed has been used. Its seed is not available commercially as an individual kind. South German mixed bent seed is likely to contain as ingredients each of the kinds named above. Redtop seed varies in quantity from a mere trace to five or ten per cent, of the actual seed of the bulk. Its presence to this extent is merely incidental to its growth with the other bents and thus is unavoidable. Seed of Agrostis tenuis (identical with Rhode Island bent) is the most abundant ingredient of the South Ger­ man mixed bent seed and generally constitutes three-fourths or more of the actual seed. The other ingredient appearing in quantity is the velvet bent. In some lots this amounts to 40 to 50 per cent, of the total seed. Fifteen to thirty per cent, is the usual proportion, but some lots appear to contain not more than 5 to 10 per cent. Since velvet bent is, to some extent, a creeping plant, the presence of this seed appears to be the chief excuse for the commercial use of the name “creeping bent” as applied to the South German mixed bent seed. Seed of carpet bent is known to be present in at least some lots of the German bent, but it is not certain that it occurs in all lots. Its seed can be distinguished from that of the other bents referred to, but only by careful, expert examination. Owing to its very small quantity and relative unimportance in consequence, search for its presence in the usual sample of the German bent seed is not made. Stated briefly, the important characteristics of the South German mixed bent seed are the small proportion of redtop, the large proportion of seed identical with Rhode Island bent, the usually large proportion of velvet bent which comes only in the South German mixture, and the possible presence of seed of carpet bent. This mixture may be contrasted with the Rhode Island bent of the trade which consists of the Rhode Island bent and a variable proportion of redtop; and with the New Zea­ land colonial bent of the trade which consists of Agrostis tenuis only thus differing from the commercial Rhode Island bent only in the absence of the redtop. The important thing to consider in the purchase of fine bent seed is to avoid adulteration by the use of redtop seed. Some lots sold as fine bent have been found to consist largely of redtop, while other lots have consisted wholly of this seed. Owing to the minute size of fine bent seed, thorough cleaning of the seed is not done as a rule and in consequence it is very chaffy. The only exception to this we have observed has been in some of the South German mixed bent seed shipped from England, where most of the chaff had been removed. Important significance is to be attached to the character of the chaff of the fine bent seed. Seed that is well matured readily falls away from the chaff, which, in turn, separates into individual scales which constitutes the bulk of what is termed “chaff” in this seed (see fig. 4, c). On the other hand, poorly developed seed does not fall apart and the chaff has the appearance shown in fig. 4, a and b. Seed covered by the chaff in this way is practically worthless. It may be said that very little of this con­ dition prevails in the South German mixed bent seed. Mar. 23, 1921] UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 39 Many kinds of weed and other grass seeds are found in seed of the fine bents from all sources, but none is sufficiently serious to command attention. They are very helpful to the seed analyst, however, in deter­ mining the source of the seed. Enlarged illustrations of the three important kinds of bent seed are presented for comparison. It will be seen that seeds of redtop are slightly larger than those of either of the other kinds. Some of the seeds of Rhode Redtop (Agrostis alba) Rhode Island bent (Agrostis tenuis) Velvet bent (Agrostis canina) Chaff of bent grass a and b, side and edge views of poorly developed chaffy seed, c, the chaffy scales separating, as in well developed seed. Island bent bear an awn, or bristle, from near the broad end of the seed. Many of the velvet bent seeds bear a similar bristle from near the middle of the seed. Seeds of redtop and of Rhode Island bent are smooth, while those of velvet bent are minutely roughened and dull. With the aid of a good hand lens (not a reading glass) any observing purchaser can de­ termine the presence of a large proportion of redtop. Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua) C. V. Piper and R. A. Oakley In early spring perhaps no other grass is as much the subject of in­ quiry as the subject of this sketch. At this time of the year it is con­ spicuous in lawns and on putting greens as well as in shady places where most other grasses do not thrive. On putting greens it commonly appears in autumn, and indeed in the latitude of Washington, D. C., often blooms before winter. In the early spring it grows rapidly and blooms before any other turf grass. When once established it volunteers year after year, increasing in abundance. In spring it is often the most abundant grass in some putting greens and in shady lawns. It vanishes completely by mid-summer, at least as far north as Washington, D. C., but in Phila­ delphia and northward some plants may be found at any time during the summer. Poa annua, the scientific name being quite as familiar as its common name, is easily distinguishable by its small tufts, fibrous roots, bright green not at all bluish color, soft texture, and the cross crumpling of the leaves near the base. The grass is native to Europe, but it now occurs practically everywhere in the United States. Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua Linnaeus) Plant in bloom, natural size: a, spikelet with four florets, enlarged; e, a single floret, enlarged; c, d, the boat shaped tip of the leaf, enlarged; 6, the ligule, where the blade and sheath join enlarged. Mar. 23, 1921] UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION 41 As a putting grass Poa annua is not without merit, at least in some latitudes. When abundant enough to make a solid turf, its putting quality is most excellent but a little slow. If only scattered plants occur in the turf, it is sometimes objectionable, as it may make the putting surface uneven. No matter how closely the grass is cut it will still blossom and make seeds at the very surface of the ground. As the grass nears maturity it gradually becomes paler, partly due to the abundant flowers, and is then not so attractive. A young plant of Annual Bluegrass just as it begins to bloom in Spring On the whole the grass is to be considered desirable rather than a weed. Certainly it would be very expensive to keep it out of greens al­ together, and surely its demerits if any are not sufficient to justify the attempt. Seed of annual bluegrass has occasionally been obtainable in the trade, hut usually containing much other grass seed harvested with it. 42 BULLETIN OF GREEN SECTION OF THE [Vol. i, no. a Turf Experiment Plots at Golf Courses C. V. Piper and R. A. Oakley There is still a boundless field for investigations to select the best strains of turf , grasses and to determine the most satisfactory way to grow them in nearly, every part of the United States. At the present time such investigations are being made at only two or three places, most notably those at Arlington Farm, Virginia. It must be evident that the work at only a few places cannot solve the problems for the whole coun­ try. Under present conditions the most promising opportunity to increase such investigations to the desirable degree is for every golf club that is financially able to establish a turf experimental garden. At Arlington Farm many of the plots are 8 by 8 feet, arranged in checker-board fash­ ion, and this size of plot is very satisfactory for most purposes. Of course these plots must receive all the c