THE BULLETIN

of the

UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION GREEN SECTION

Vol. 6 

Washington, D. C., September, 1926 , No. 9

Contents

Page
Bent Greens in Southern Virginia and North Carolina....................................  190

The Experiment in Grub-Proofing Turf at Riverton, N. J. By B. R. Leach 
and J. W. Lipp....................................................................................................  191

Farm Manures. By H. L. Westover........................................................................  193

The Control of the Porto Rican-Mole Cricket, or Changa, on Golf Courses. 
By W. A. Thomas..............................................................................................  197

Birds of the Golf Course: the Flicker. By W. L. McAtee..................................  200

A Steam-Box for Killing Weed Seeds in Compost. By D. M. Boude............  202

Some U. S. Golf Association Decisions on the Rules of Golf............................  205

Questions and Answers................................................................................................  206

OFFICERS

Russell A. Oakley, Chairman, Washington, 

D. C.

ton, D. C.

Walter S. Harban, Vice Chairman, Washing­

burgh, Pa.

H. Kendall Read, Secretary, Philadelphia, Pa.

ington, D. C.

Charles H. Sabin, Treasurer, New York, N. Y.
James Francis Burke, General Counsel, Pitts­

W. B. Lydenberg, Executive Secretary, Wash­

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Wynant D. Vanderpool, Chairman, Newark, 

N. J.

H. Y. Barrow, New York, N. Y.

Walter S. Harban, Washington, D. C. 
Russell A. Oakley, Washington, D. C. 
H. Kendall Read, Philadelphia, Pa.

II. Y. Barrow, New York, N. Y. 
William F. Brooks, Minneapolis, Minn. 
Walter S. Harban, Washington. D. C. 
Frederic C. Hood, Watertown, Mass.

Norman Macbeth, Los Angeles, Calif. 
Russell A. Oakley, Washington, D. C. 
H. Kendall Read, Philadelphia, Pa. 
Wynant D. Vanderpool, Newark, N. J.

DIRECTORS

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

Box 313, Washington, D. C., at Room 7213, Building F, 7th and B Streets N. W.

Address all MAIL to P. O. Box 313, Pennsylvania Avenue Station, Washington, D. C.
Send TELEGRAMS to Room 7213, Building F, 7th and B N. W., Washington, D. C.
Subscription Price: To golf clubs that are members of the United States Golf Association 

Green Section, $4.00 per year (included in membership fee).

Entered as second-class matter April 21, 1926, at the postoffice at Washington, D. C., under 
the Act of March 3, 18i9. Copyrighted. 1926. by the United States Golf Association Green Section.

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September, 1926

ADVISORY MEMBERS

W. A. Alexander, Chicago, Ill. 
Eberhard Anheuser, St. Louis, Mo. 
A. C. U. Berry, Portland, Oreg.
C. B. Buxton, Dallas, Tex.
N. S. Campbell, Providence, R. I.
Wm. C. Fownes, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa.
F. H. Hillman, Washington, D. C. 
Thos. P. Hinman, Atlanta, Ga.
A». J. Hood, Detroit, Mich.

K. F. Kellerman, Washington, D. C.
E. J. Marshall, Toledo, Ohio. 
Sherrill Sherman, Utica, N. Y. 
Frederick Snare, Havana, Cuba. 
James D. Standish, Jr„ Detroit, Mich. 
James L. Taylor, Brooklyn, N. Y. 
W. R. Walton, Washington, D. C. 
Alan D. Wilson, Philadelphia, Pa.
M. H. Wilson, Jr., Cleveland, Ohio.

Frank L. Woodward, Denver, Colo.

Bent Greens in Southern Virginia and North Carolina
There has always been a question whether the bent-grasses were 
practicable for use in putting greens as far south as southern Virginia 
and North Carolina except in the mountains. Mr. W. E. Barret, pres­
ident of the Hermitage Country Club, Richmond, Va., has demon­
strated the value of creeping bent at Richmond. His experiences are 
of considerable interest in this connection, and he has kindly con­
sented that The Bulletin publish a copy of his letter of July 24, 
1926, to Mr. C. G. Holland, president of the Piedmont Green- 
Committeemen’s Association, of Danville, Va. His letter follows:

“Our experience here at the Hermitage Country Club with the 
creeping bent greens is highly satisfactory. We began these experi­
ments about four years ago, when we planted a nursery with several 
different strains of creeping bent given us by Dr. Oakley from the 
Arlington Experimental plots.

“Our No. 17 green, planted with stolons of the Washington 
strain, is three years old, and is now and has been for more than two 
years an almost perfect putting green. Last October we put in four 
additional greens from Washington strain creeping bent stolons, and 
we began putting on these greens in May. They have done beauti­
fully up until two weeks ago, when some of them developed a rather 
severe attack of brown-patch. However they are recovering from 
this and are still good greens, and I am sure in about a month’s time, 
when the bent-grass begins its fall growth, they will be better than 
ever. Of course creeping bent-grass is subject to the brown-patch 
disease, but notwithstanding this it is far more satisfactory and less 
expensive to maintain than Bermuda or redtop or bluegrass or white 
clover or any combination of these grasses.

“Experience has taught us that we can not count on getting a 
good putting green at Richmond from Bermuda before July, and in 
an unfavorable season not before August. The Bermuda of course 
browns in November, and by early spring all of it above ground has 
largely rotted away and is unfit for putting, so that in the important 
golf months of March, April, May and June the conditions are very 
bad. With the most favorable season and everything working just 
right we can have good greens here from Bermuda for the five months 
of July to November, inclusive, but this means seven months out of 
the twelve with miserable putting conditions.

“It is probable, in my judgment, that you can have just as good 
creeping bent greens at Danville as have been grown in the latitude 
of Richmond, and I also believe the same would apply to Greensboro 
and Winston-Salem (North Carolina.) It was thought for some time 
that Richmond was too far south for this grass to succeed, but with 

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191

your higher altitude and naturally better grass conditions, creeping 
bent should do just as well with you as it does with us. If it can be 
grown by you successfully you can feel well assured that no other 
grass is worth a moment’s consideration.

“I might add that we are now arranging to put all the rest of our 

greens in bent this fall.”

The Experiment in Grub-Proofing Turf at Riverton, N. J.
By B. R. Leach and J. W. Lipp

An account of previous work in this experiment was published 
in The Bulletin for February, 1926 (pages 34 to 39.) The accom­
panying illustrations show the progress of the work to date. There is 
a total of 105 experimental plots in the area occupied by the experi­
ments, each plot being 10 feet square. A definite treatment as regards 
the amount and depth of application of the poison is being given to 
each of the plots. The grasses under test include creeping bent, Ger­
man mixed bent, Canada bluegrass, and rough-stalked bluegrass (Poa 
trivialis.)

Preparing one of the poisons used in grub-proofing turf.

Plowing the ground for the experimental plots. Riverton (N. J.) Country Club. This is a piece 
of the rough which had not been plowed for many years. Sandy loam soil.

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September, 1926

A section of the plowed area leveled and divided into plots 10 feet square, ready for the 
poison treatment.

Working the poison into the soil.

Weeding the experimental plots for the first time, a month after planting. An outstanding devel­
opment in connection with the work on the grub-proofing of turf has been the decided checking of 
weed growth in the poisoned soil. The cheeking is especially noticeable on crab-grass.

September, 1926

193

Farm Manures
By H. L. Westover

Farm manure consists of a mixture of the dung or feces and urine 
of domestic animals, with the material used for bedding, including 
straw, peat, muck, leaves, sawdust, shavings, and other vegetable 
refuse. It is known under a variety of names, such as manure, barn 
manure, stable manure, farmyard manure, barnyard manure. It 
was one of the earliest materials to be used for soil improvement, and 
no other fertilizer used by the farmer for this purpose is so thor­
oughly appreciated as farm manure. In addition to furnishing a 
small amount of plant food, it supplies humus, which increases the 
water-holding capacity of the soil, improves its physical character, 
and makes the soil a more favorable medium for the growth of 
bacteria so essential to soil improvement.

Value of Farm Manure on the Golf Course

Farm manure is one of the best fertilizers for turf grasses. In’ 
fact, it is very difficult to grow these grasses satisfactorily on certain 
soils without a liberal application of farm manure. The value of the 
manure is due not so much to the nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, 
and organic matter furnished, all of which may be supplied in other 
forms, as to the numerous beneficial organisms and their products 
which the manure carries. It is also probable that there are in the 
manure other beneficial agents whose value can not be measured.

While fresh manure ordinarily contains more readily available 
plant food, well-rotted manure is preferable for the golf course. 
When rotted in a well-compacted and moistened pile, the manure loses 
little in fertilizer value, weed seeds are destroyed, coarse material is 
broken down so that it may be evenly distributed, and the bacterial 
flora is increased. At least six months is required to bring about this 
condition, though a longer time is preferable provided the pile is 
properly protected.

Where the quantity is limited, its value may be greatly increased 
by composting it with loam, sod, or similar material. It is highly 
desirable that the pile be worked over two or three times before it 
is used, in order that the material may be thoroughly mixed.

In sowing fairways, particularly if the soil is low in fertility or 
deficient in humus, a liberal application of well-rotted farm manure 
worked into the top two inches of soil will be found highly beneficial. 
It also gives excellent results as a topdressing for fairways, though 
it is objectionable where it interferes with play. Where courses are 
closed during the winter, a light application of fine manure in the fall 
after play ceases will improve the turf. It should be evenly dis­
tributed, otherwise the grass will be smothered out in spots. In the 
spring any coarse material remaining should be raked off.

In preparing soil for putting greens, fine well-rotted manure 
worked into the soil before sowing the seed will be beneficial, par­
ticularly if the soil is low in fertility or of a very light sandy texture. 
On soils of average productivity, however, better results will be 
obtained where the manure is used with loam or sand in making 
compost to be employed as a topdressing. Frequent topdressings of 
farm manure alone have a tendency to encourage the weedy growth 
in the greens. Furthermore, too liberal use of barnyard manure is 

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September, 1926

almost certain to increase the number of earthworms and other 
pests.

Composition of Farm Manures and Factors Influencing It
The composition of farm manure is extremely variable, but a ton 
of average material contains about 1,500 pounds of water, 10 pounds 
of nitrogen, 5 pounds of phosphorus, and 10 pounds of potash, or a 
total of 25 pounds of actual plant food constituents not including 
lime.

Factors influencing the composition of the manure are (1) the 
kind of animal producing it, (2) the food the animals consume, 
(3) the kind and quantity of litter used in the stable or yard, and 
(4) the manner in which the litter is cared for.

There is considerable variation in the manure of different animals, 
due in part to the amount of water carried in the excrements. Cow 
and hog manures carry much more water than the manure from 
sheep and poultry, and are therefore less concentrated, or, in other 
words, carry a smaller percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus, and 
potassium.

The composition of farm manure is also greatly influenced by 
the character of the food consumed. The nitrogen, phosphorus, and 
potassium taken into the body pass through largely in the form of 
excrements. It is therefore obvious that the amount of these elements 
in the excrements is more or less dependent on the food eaten. There 
can be no more in the excrements than is taken in the food, but they 
are usually in a more readily available form as plant food. The solid 
material consists largely of the undigested portions that were not 
acted on in the digestive process and likewise are not readily made 
available in the soil by bacterial action as food for plants. As a 
result of having passed through the digestive tract, the material is 
however in a finer and softer condition, and therefore more quickly 
available than the same constituents in the food before it was taken 
by the animals. It is evident that the larger the amount of indi­
gestible material in the food the larger is the amount of slowly 
available plant food in the excrements. The constituents of the urine, 
on the other hand, are in a soluble form, and are either directly avail­
able as plant food or readily become so. The more digestible the 
food, the larger the proportion of plant-food constituents in the urine. 
Generally speaking, foods rich in nitrogen are more digestible than 
those low in nitrogen, which results in larger amounts of nitrogen 
in the urine.

The composition of the manure is influenced by the litter, the value 
of which from a fertilizing standpoint is (1) to absorb and retain 
urine, (2) to increase organic matter and plant food, (3) to prevent 
the escape of ammonia in the air, (4) to make the material easier to 
handle, and (5) to influence physical and chemical action. The 
materials most commonly used as litter are straw from the various 
cereal crops (such as oats, rye, barley, and wheat), muck, peat-moss, 
sawdust, shavings, and leaves. The straw and leaves add nitrogen, 
phosphoric acid, and potash to the manure. Muck and peat-moss add 
nitrogen, but in a form that is not readily available. The nitrogen, 
phosphoric acid, and potash in sawdust and shavings are very slowly 
available. Moreover, in fresh stable manure, shavings and sawdust 
from cone-bearing trees, like the pines, spruces, and firs, are apt to be 

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195

toxic to plants. This condition is overcome by allowing the manure 
to rot thoroughly before using.

The value of farm manure may be greatly affected by the method 
of caring for it. In spite of its many advantages, so little attention 
is given to the proper preservation of farm manure that enormous 
losses result. In the average farm manure, about one-half the value 
of the nitrogen and two-thirds the value of the potash, or a total of 
about 50 percent of the plant-food constituents, are in the urine. 
When no effort is made to save the urine, as is all too commonly the 
case, a large part of the most readily available portion is lost. The 
losses from leaching by exposure to rains are also enormous. It is a 
common practice to throw the manure in the yard, often under the 
eaves, where it remains unprotected for months. In the course of 
six months, from 60 to 70 percent of its plant-food constituents may 
be lost. Further losses occur through the escape of nitrogen as 
ammonia, where air has free access to a manure pile which is not 
properly compacted. These losses can be overcome to a large extent 
by having tight floors and gutters to hold the urine and then using 
sufficient litter to absorb the liquid portion, by keeping manure under 
cover to prevent leaching, and by keeping the piles well compacted 
and thoroughly moistened to check heating and consequent loss of 
nitrogen as ammonia. The greater value of the manure will abun­
dantly repay this additional effort.

Horse Manure.—A ton of fresh horse manure contains on the 
average about 1,560 pounds of water, 14 pounds of nitrogen, 5 pounds 
of phosphoric acid, and 11 pounds of potash. On account of the less 
complete destruction in the process of digestion of the organic mate­
rial in the food eaten, horse manure furnishes abundant food for the 
micro-organisms that promote decay, and as a result it is subject to 
various kinds of fermentation. The evolution of heat in the manure 
is due to a special type of fermentation, and unless care is taken to 
have the manure pile well compacted a condition known as “fire- 
fanged” develops, resulting in a loss of much of the fertilizing value 
of the manure. The impression that horse manure is of little value 
is due to the fact that it deteriorates rapidly when proper precau­
tions are not taken to preserve it. For the golf course, good horse 
manure is about equal to cow manure, and preferable to either sheep 
or poultry manure, as the larger amounts used furnish more organic 
matter or humus, which is a most important factor in growing turf 
grasses. Any deficiency in food constituents is easily supplied 
through the use of chemical fertilizers.

Cozv manure.—In composition, cow manure does not vary widely 
from horse manure. A ton of average fresh manure contains 1,720 
pounds of water, 12 pounds of nitrogen, 3 pounds of phosphoric acid, 
and 9 pounds of potash. It represents material that is more com­
pletely digested than does horse manure, and is far more compact. 
Due to the compactness and also to the larger amount of water in 
cow manure, there is not the same danger of losses through heating 
as in horse manure. Cow manure is preferable to sheep or poultry 
manure for use on golf courses for the reasons given in the case of 
horse manure. Shredded cow manure is sometimes offered on the 
market, but when dried, shredded, or otherwise treated it loses much 
of its value. Its best form is as ordinary well-rotted manure.

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September, 1926

Sheep manure.—A ton of average fresh sheep manure contains 
1,360 pounds of water, 19 pounds of nitrogen, 7 pounds of phos­
phoric acid, and 20 pounds of potash. It is a quick-acting fertilizer, 
and because of the small amount of water contained it is concentrated 
in composition and therefore prized by florists. In amounts ordi­
narily used, it does not supply much organic matter, and is therefore 
not nearly as satisfactory for use on golf courses as well-rotted barn­
yard manure, though it is much more easily applied. Any sheep 
manure available should be used in the compost heap. The cost of 
the dried sheep manure on the market is all out of proportion to its 
actual value.

Hog manure.—A ton of average fresh hog manure contains 1,740 
pounds of water, 10 pounds of nitrogen, 7 pounds of phosphoric acid, 
and 8 pounds of potash. On account of the varied character of food 
consumed, the composition of the manure is more variable than that 
of other farm animals. Since it contains a high percentage of water, 
losses by leaching readily occur. Hog manure has been placed on the 
market in dried form, but, like dried sheep manure, the cost is all 
out of proportion to its actual fertilizing value.

Poultry manure.—While variable in composition, a ton of average 
fresh poultry manure contains about 1,100 pounds of water, 20 
pounds of nitrogen, 16 pounds of phosphoric acid, and 8 pounds of 
potash. As the nitrogen is usually in the form of an ammonium 
compound it is a quick-acting fertilizer. Poultry manure ferments 
readily, and without proper care much of the nitrogen is lost as 
ammonia. It is not advisable to mix poultry manure with wood 
ashes or ordinary lime, as the ammonia is readily liberated when it 
comes in contact with an alkaline compound. It is an excellent fer­
tilizer if mixed in a compost heap or with rich soil at the rate of 10 
pounds of manure to 100 pounds of soil. If applied alone it is apt to 
burn the grass. It does not supply nearly the amount of organic 
matter that well-rotted stable manure furnishes.

Mushroom soil.—Mushroom soil or spent mushroom soil is 
treated in this article, as it is really little more than well-rotted 
manure. It is what remains of a good quality of horse manure after 
it has been in the mushroom cellar for a year. In preparing the fresh 
manure for the mushroom bed it is placed in a pile for three weeks, 
being turned occasionally to prevent the temperature from reaching 
a point where the manure burns or becomes “fire-fanged.” After 
having served its purpose in the mushroom bed, the manure has lost 
little of the fertilizer value and is highly desirable for use on the golf 
course as topdressing for putting greens. Mushroom soil should not 
be used alone. Much better results are obtained where it is com­
posted with sand and loam.

Moisture-holding capacity of soils.—Tests have shown that while 
100 pounds of sand can hold only 25 pounds of water, and 100 pounds 
of clay 50 pounds of water, the same weight of humus or decaying 
organic matter can retain 190 pounds of water. The addition of 
humus to sandy soils or others deficient in organic matter is therefore 
an effective means of increasing their moisture-holding capacity.

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197

The Control of the Porto Rican Mole-Cricket, or Changa, on 
Golf Courses
By W. A. Thomas, U. S. Bureau of Entomology

Many complaints have been received from golf clubs in the south­
eastern United States, the West Indies, and even from South America 
relating to the destruction wrought to greens and fairways by the 
Porto Rican mole-cricket, or changa (Scapteriscus vicinus).

This insect is a native of the West Indies and South America, and 
has been known to occur in several sections of the southeastern 
United States for a period of more than 20 years, but only recently 
has it come to the attention of golf clubs in the infested areas through 
its destruction of the grass on golf courses. Its spread, comparatively 
slow for several years, has recently gained momentum, and it now 
infests a large portion of the coastal section from Alabama to North 
Carolina. Its spread inland has been less rapid than that along the 
coast, but in many cases the infested area extends for more than 
100 miles from the coast. Its distribution July 1, 1925, along with 
that of two of its close relatives, is shown on the accompanying map.

Map showing distribution on July 1, 1925, of the Porto Rican mole-cricket and 
its near relatives (Scapteriscus species) in the infested portion of the United States. 
Up to the present the principal injury to golf grasses has been caused by the Porto 
Rican mole-cricket (Scapteriscus vicinus).

The changa, or mole-cricket, also known as the ground-puppy in 
some localities, is brownish in color and approximately m inches in 
length when full grown. It is scarcely at all cricket-like in appear­
ance, the body being longer than that of the common field-cricket, 
and the front feet are shovel-like, being modified for digging and 
resembling those of the common ground-mole. In the following 
illustration is shown an enlargement of a full-grown changa. The 
adult changa has well-developed wings and is capable of swift flight; 
but the insect is seldom observed in flight, except when it is attracted’ 
to strong lights near the close of the egg-laying period, which occurs 
in late July and early August in the Carolinas.

The eggs are oval in shape, about %-inch long and 1/16-inch 
thick, and slightly greenish in color. They are laid in small oval 
chambers in the soil, at an average depth of about 2*4 inches. The 

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September, 1926

eggs hatch, in about three weeks, into extremely active young, or 
nymphs, which have ravenous appetites and during the period of 
rapid growth to the adult stage consume large quantities of vegetable 
and animal matter found in the soil. They are especially fond of 
succulent grass roots and are capable of destroying large areas of 
turf in a short time. The young, or immature form, in general 
appearance closely resembles the adult, except that it is smaller and 
wingless.

For the control of the pest on lands under cultivation a poison 
bait has been used for several years with good results; this method 
has not however been tested under grassland conditions and it has 
therefore been necessary to develop a method of control adaptable to 
the new environmental conditions. By invitation of the Jekyl Island 
Club, of Brunswick, Ga., the experimental work was located on its 
course, and much of the credit for the success of the work is due to 
the loyal cooperation and support of its members. Tests were made 
with various materials and methods, of which only the three will be 
mentioned which gave satisfactory results, namely, carbon disulfid, 
calcium cyanide, and poison bait.

Porto Rican mole-cricket, or changa (Scapteriscus vicinus). Enlarged. The full-grown 

insect is about 1*4 inches long.

In the experiments with carbon disulfid emulsion, a commercial 
product was employed which contained 75 percent of carbon disulfid. 
One part of this emulsion was mixed with 400 parts of water and 
sprinkled over the green at the rate of 2 quarts to the square foot of 
area and as rapidly as the ground would absorb it. In practice it was 
found to be more satisfactory, in order to avoid rapid vaporization 
of the emulsion, to make the application late in the afternoon when 
there was little air movement and the humidity was high. If the 
green was extremely dry, it was sprinkled for about 20 minutes before 
the emulsion was applied, in order to aid the penetration of the emul­
sion and prevent the puddling of the solution on top of the soil.

This treatment resulted in a control of slightly more than 95 per­
cent, the effects of the treatment being apparent for only about one 
month, after which time reinfestation from the fairways began to 
take place around the edges of the green. In the course of from four 
to six weeks, the infestation was sufficiently heavy to justify an addi­
tional treatment.

The cost of one application per green was as follows: Material, 
3% gallons of stock solution of carbon disulfid emulsion at about $2 

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199

per gallon, about $7.50; labor, mixing and applying, 6 hours at 40 
cents, $2.40; total, $9.90. The price of the commercial stock solution 
has not yet been fixed and the figure given is only approximately 
correct.

In the experiments with calcium cyanide, a commercial cyanide 
dust was employed which contained approximately 40 percent actual 
calcium cyanide. Thirty pounds of this material was mixed with 500 
gallons of water, and this was poured as evenly as possible over the 
entire green through a %,-inch hose, the flow being so regulated as 
to prevent excessive run-off. The amount mentioned was sufficient 
to cover approximately 4,400 square feet, about the average size of 
the ordinary putting green. During the process of application the 
solution was kept thoroughly agitated to prevent settling. As soon 
as the solution was applied, sprinklers were set running, and as far 
as possible were kept going all night to carry the material thoroughly 
into the soil. As far as practicable, all applications were made in the 
afternoon when there was little wind blowing.

As far as could be determined, this treatment was as effective as 
the carbon disulfid emulsion, affording a control of slightly more than 
95 percent, but, like the emulsion, its effects lasted for only about a 
month. After this time the reinfestation had developed sufficiently 
to make necessary an additional treatment.

It must be remembered that a green treated with a solution of 
calcium cyanide must be thoroughly sprinkled to prevent burning 
of the grass.

Cost of one application with calcium cyanide, per green: Material, 
30 pounds of calcium cyanide at 19 cents, $5.70; labor, making appli­
cation, 4 hours at 40 cents, $1.60; total, $7.30.

In the experiments with poison bait, the same material was em­
ployed as used for the control of the pest in cultivated fields. In its 
application the bait was scattered lightly over the infested green and 
adjacent fairways. As the insect feeds at night, the bait was applied 
as far as practicable late in the afternoon to prevent excessive drying 
out before the mole-crickets had access to it.

The bait consisted of 100 pounds of cottonseed meal, 100 pounds 
of rice flour, and 10 pounds of calcium arsenate moistened with a 
cheap molasses solution. In preparing this material the proper 
amounts of cottonseed meal, rice flour, and calcium arsenate should 
be thoroughly mixed together and then the solution of low-grade 
molasses, 1 part to 10 parts of water, added to the mixture in suffi­
cient quantities to make the bait crumbly, care being taken to see 
that just the right amount of sweetened water is added to avoid the 
possibility of having the bait too liquid.

Three applications of this bait at the rate of 15 pounds to the 
green, or 150 pounds per acre, when made weekly or at 10-day inter­
vals, gave excellent control. Although the effect was not as imme­
diate as with the carbon disulfid and calcium cyanide treatments, the 
low cost of the material and the ease of application made it prac­
ticable to treat not only the green but also the adjacent infested fair­
ways, thus preventing early reinfestation of the green.

Cost of three applications of poison bait, per green: Material, 45 
pounds of poison bait at 4 cents per pound, $1.80; labor, mixing and 
applying, iy2 hours at 40 cents, 60 cents; total, $2.40.

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September, 1926

The results of these experiments show that both greens and fair­
ways can be economically and effectively treated with the poison 
bait. The carbon disulfid emulsion and calcium cyanide gave effec­
tive results; but the cost of treating fairways is so great as to make 
their use for this purpose almost prohibitive, and in the absence of 
fairway treatment the greens soon become reinfested.

Where immediate results are required to protect the green from 
great damage, either the carbon disulfid emulsion or calcium cyanide 
treatment should be used on the green and the poison bait applied 
thoroughly to all surrounding infested areas to prevent reinfestation 
of the green.

Where the course is in use every day, the poison bait will be 
found more satisfactory on both greens and fairways, as immediate 
use of greens after making an application of either carbon disulfid 
emulsion or calcium cyanide will usually result in some injury to the 
grass.

On badly infested courses, after concentrated treatment has 
stopped, an application of poison bait should be made at periods of 
a month to six weeks during the warmer months of the year to pre­
vent a recurrence of the infestation. The poison bait as far as 
practicable should be applied the same day as prepared. If it is 
allowed to stand for several days, a fermentation takes place which 
almost completely destroys its attractive qualities.

Pulverized manures, including that of poultry, sheep, swine, and 
others, are valuable as ingredients of compost designed for topdress­
ing purposes, of which they should constitute about 10 percent of the 
total material. If well-rotted barnyard manure is available, how­
ever, it is to be preferred, but it should constitute about 20 percent 
of the total material. When pulverized manures are applied to turf 
not mixed with compost, much of their value is lost, due to the mate­
rial being washed or blown away before it becomes available as plant 
food.

Birds of the Golf Course
The Flicker
By W. L. McAtee

The flicker has what is known as a colorful personality. His size, 
striking plumage, varied calls, and interesting antics in the mating 
season, have attracted general attention. As one result of the interest 
which the bird has inspired, nearly 150 different local names have 
been applied to it. Among these are yellow-hammer, pigeon wood­
pecker, high-holder, hairy-wicket, looping bird, and flying auger. It 
is the only one of our woodpeckers that spends much time on the 
ground. The yellow breast with black spots and crescent, the cinna- 
mon-and-black barred back, and the white rump conspicuous in flight, 
are good field marks for recognition of the flicker. The eastern bird 
shows bright yellow in the flight feathers of the wings when they are 
extended, and the western one red. These two forms meet on the 
Great Plains and along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountain region, 
where they hybridize freely. Flickers occur throughout the United 
States.

September, 1926

201

Not for nothing 
have flickers partially 
abandoned the security 
of the tree retreats 
preferred by most of 
the woodpecker race, 
and taken to the 
ground. No, they have 
alluring objectives, the 
principal one, no 
doubt, being ants, 
which compose half of 
their entire subsist­
ence. Now this is a 
very good thing for 
golf courses, for ants 
are among the peskiest 
of the insect pests of 
the links. It is ants 
that persist in throw­
ing up those miniature 
volcanoes of earth 
pellets commonly seen 
on putting greens, a 
feature renewed daily, 
regardless of sprink­
ling and rolling, if the 
little miners are not 
destroyed. Ant era­
dication often proves 
difficult, and birds like 
the flicker, that make 
it their chief business, should be looked upon with a friendly eye by 
the greenkeeper. In many cases flickers have been known to consume 
a thousand ants at a meal; even two and three thousand at times are 
taken, and in one stomach and gullet examined by the United States 
Biological Survey were found no fewer than 5,040 ants. A bird with 
so pronounced a liking for ants certainly is one of our most efficient 
allies in efforts to control these tiny pests.

The Flicker.

The usefulness of flickers is by no means confined to ant destruc­
tion, for the birds are fond of the white grubs, and of dung-beetles 
that are pests of putting greens, and of the grasshoppers, cater­
pillars, and wireworms that damage the fairways. Other nuisances 
of the golf course that flickers are known to prey upon include clover­
leaf and clover-root weevils, larvae of March-flies and crane-flies, the 
chinch-bug, mole-cricket, crawfish, and certain small bees that burrow- 
in greens.

Some have complained of the holes flickers make when digging out 
pests; but that is like objecting to the surgeon making an incision to 
remove an obstreperous appendix. In both cases the wound will heal 
and there has been removed an offending factor which if allowed to 
remain would have been a persistent source of trouble. Therefore, 
smooth out the flicker’s excavations and thank the bird for doing away 
with some of the little pests that are so difficult for man effectively to 
combat.

202

September, 1926

The flicker may be attracted to the golf course and paid for his 
services by providing nest boxes. These birds can excavate nests for 
themselves only in partly rotted wood, and the large dead limbs of 
trees which are preferred for the purpose are constantly growing 
scarcer. A box with floor space of about 7 by 7 inches, 16 to 18 inches 
deep inside, with a 2^-inch entrance 14 to 16 inches above the floor, 
will accommodate a flicker family. The roof should be sloping to 
shed rain, and overhanging to protect the entrance. Put in the box 
enough sawdust or fine shavings to make a good bed over the bottom, 
or the flicker will proceed to manufacture something similar by peck­
ing the inside of the box. Flickers are fond of certain wild fruits, 
especially berries of sour gum, sumac, and dogwood, wild cherries, 
elderberries, blackberries, hackberries, and bayberries. If supplies 
of these are available about the course, it will be a flicker heaven, and 
if not already present some of them can easily be planted to the delec­
tation not only of the flicker but also of other useful birds.

A Steam-Box for Killing Weed Seeds in Compost*
By D. M. Boude^ Miami Valley Golf Club, Dayton, Ohio

The Miami Valley of Ohio has always been a great tobacco center. 
After the timber had been cleared and the supply of brush for burn­
ing plant beds had disappeared, the farmers originated the idea of 
steaming their plant beds before seeding.

At a meeting of the Dayton District Golf Association Green Sec­
tion, in Troy, Ohio, early in 1925, a tobacco farmer, who was a 
member of the Troy Country Club, advanced the idea of steaming 
compost and steaming the beds for greens before planting stolons. 
As a culmination of the discussion, Mr. C. F. Young, of the Miami 
Valley Golf Club, suggested that we put in a steamer and give it a 
trial. Our greenkeeper, Mr. A. P. Bilsbrough, designed a box in 
connection with a mixer that he had previously designed, whereby 
we are able to steam approximately 18 yards of compost per day, at 
a cost of $1.35 per yard including mixing.

A photograph of the steam-box and compost mixer is here pro­
duced, also a diagram of the construction of the box. The steam is 
supplied through a %-inch pipe extending lengthwise through the 
middle of the box and drilled stagger-fashion with i/a-inch outlet 
holes. The box is constructed of boards, with the cover and bottom 
tongued and grooved. The dimensions of the box are 10 inches deep 
by 4 feet wide by 10 feet long, affording a capacity of slightly more 
than one cubic yard of compost. The bottom is in two sections hinged 
along the sides of the box and opening through the middle to permit 
dumping the contents. By the use of a hoist which runs on a track 
overhead, the box may be moved at will from one end of the shed to 
the other. The box is placed near the compost mixer and screen, the 
cover is removed, and the box is filled with the mixed and screened 
material directly from the machine. The top is then replaced, and 
the box may be moved away from the screening and mixing machine, 
where it will not interfere with the work, while the steam, at 100

♦ A bake-oven for killing weed seeds in compost was described in The Bulletin for 

1926. page 5. and the use of a steam-pan in The Bulletin for October. 1925. p^e232,-EditS 

September, 1926

203

pounds pressure, is being forced into the box. After the steam has 
been allowed to penetrate the soil for 20 minutes, the box is lifted by 
means of the hoist and moved to the storage bin, where it is dumped 
by removing the pins which hold the bottom. During the steaming 
the soil is raised to a temperature ranging from 185 to 205 degrees, 
Fahrenheit.

Steam-box for killing weed seeds in compost.

We steamed several samples of compost and placed them in a 
greenhouse together with samples of compost not steamed, under 
ideal conditions for germination. The unsteamed samples developed 
most of the weeds present on our Ohio greens. The steamed samples 
were absolutely free from weeds.

The question then arose as to whether when killing the weed 
seeds in this manner we were also destroying the bacteria and the 
value of the humus and plant nutriments in the soil. This had been 
fairly well settled to our satisfaction in the first discussion on steam­
ing, since the farmers are able to get their tobacco plants two weeks 
earlier in the steamed beds, and get much sturdier plants. However, 
we again took samples of our steamed and unsteamed compost to 
the greenhouse, sowing them with redtop. The steamed samples 
germinated first and developed a deeper, richer color than those in 
the unsteamed samples.

204

September, 1926

This past season we feel we have been amply paid for our steam­
ing outfit, as we have not had to weed any of the ten Washington bent 
greens and have been able to give our members perfect putting sur­
faces through the entire season. The weeding has in past seasons 
cost us from $1,000 to $1,500 each year, while our steamer cost us 
only $650 and will last for many seasons.

DIAGRAM OF CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM-BOX (TOP REMOVED)

A, %-inch pipe drilled stagger-fashion with %-inch holes; B, B, the two sections of the tongued- 
and-grooved bottom, hinged to the sides and opening in the middle; C, steam inlet; D, end of steam 
pipe, capped to permit cleaning out; E, E, E, E, hooks for attaching hoist; F, F, clamps to slip over 
ring holding bottom sections; G, G, pins to hold bottom while loading; H, H, %-inch by 2-inch steel 
suspension rods on inside to keep box from bulging and to hold the bottom sections when loaded; 
I, I, I, I, ends of battens along the two edges of the two bottom sections (the center batten of one 
section being fitted with an overlapping steel plate for holding the other section); J, J, J, J, staples 
(2 on each end and side) for engaging clasps holding top.

Our slogan has always been at Miami Valley to give our members 
the best possible golf at the least cost, and we feel that our steamer 
has gone far to help us accomplish the desired results, and produce 
our weedless greens.

Growing and planting coniferous trees on the farm.—Farmers’ 
Bulletin 1453 has recently been issued by the United States Depart­
ment of Agriculture, under the above title, and may be obtained from 
the department on application. To golf clubs interested in the grow­
ing of coniferous trees (pines, spruces, firs, and the like), on their 
courses, the bulletin offers valuable suggestions as to the best choice 
of trees for the various sections of the country, collecting of seed, 
planting the seed and growing the seedlings in the nursery, trans­
planting the young trees, subsequent care, and underplanting of old 
stands of trees. Where trees are needed for immediate use it is of 
course recommended that they be purchased from a nursery, as the 
growing of such trees from seeds requires two to four years, depend­
ing on the kind of tree.

September, 1926 

205

Some U. S. Golf Association Decisions on the Rules of Golf
In tournament play, if the match is all-square at the end of the 
eighteen holes and one stroke handicap is given by one of the con­
testants to the other player, is it necessary to play nine holes to decide 
the match, or eighteen holes? Does the fact that the stroke falls in 
the first nine affect this in any way?

Decision.—It is customary to play the entire eighteen holes over 

again when a tie occurs in match-play handicap.

In tournament match play, if a player loses a ball and, after 
searching for it for five minutes, abandons the search, then drops a 
ball in the usual way, and plays that one, and while walking to the 
green finds the original ball that apparently was lost, what rule 
covers?

Decision.—After a player has searched for five minutes, the ball 
is considered lost and he must either give up the hole or return and 
play another ball as provided under Rule 22. A player may not under 
the rules play the original ball under the circumstances mentioned.

A is on the green, B is approaching the green from more than 
twenty yards distant. A removes the flag-stick as the ball is played. 
B claims the hole, on the ground that A has no right to move the flag­
stick except for his own side. Rule 32 (1) reads as follows: “Either 
side is entitled to have the flag-stick removed when approaching the 
hole; if a player’s ball strike the flag-stick, which has been so removed 
by himself, or his partner, or either of their caddies, his side shall 
lose the hole.”

Decision.—A was entirely within his rights either to remove the 
flag-stick himself or have his caddie remove it when B was about to 
approach the hole. B’s claim to the hole on the ground that A had 
no right to remove the flag-stick except for A’s own side can not be 
sustained. Rule 32 covers this point specifically.

Has there been any change in the rule providing that when a ball 
is in a sandpit that the ball must remain exactly as it fell into the 
trap without the leveling of the sand surrounding the ball?

Decision.—There is no change in the rules regarding ball in 
hazard. The club may not be soled without being penalized as speci­
fied under the rules. You have probably confused the rule that allows 
a player who has played a shot from a hazard, when the ball still lies 
in the hazard to smooth over the spot from which the first shot was 
played, provided in doing so he does nothing to improve the lie of 
the ball for his subsequent shot.

A small creek runs along the left boundary of the fairway of the 
third hole of our course. It is played as a water hazard and a penalty 
stroke incurred for lifting out of the creek. Please advise as to 
whether a ball which has been lifted out of the creek should be dropped 
on the fairway or near side (this being the side on which the ball 
goes into the creek) or whether the ball must be dropped on the left 
or far side of the creek.

Decision.—The ball must be played as provided under Rule 27 
unless your local committee rules that the position of the creek is such 
as to declare it a “parallel water hazard”; then it is permissible to 
drop the ball on the near side with a stroke penalty. It is usual to 
designate the boundary of parallel hazards by a line of white stakes.

206

September, 1926

" 1 ■ - ■ ■■  - . ....  —1

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
All questions sent to the Green Section will be answered in a letter 
to the writer as promptly as possible. The more interesting of these 
questions, with concise answers, will appear in this column each month. If 
your experience leads you to disagree with any answer given in this column, 
it is your privilege and duty to write to the Green Section.

While most of the answers are of general application, please bear in 
mind that each recommendation is intended specifically for the locality 
designated at the end of the question.

1. Effect on ammonium sulfate of water of high lime content.— 
We are using a city water supply having about 22 grains hardness per 
gallon. Most of this hardness is due to lime and we are wondering 
whether this lime will offset the ammonium sulfate we are using. We 
have a power sprayer outfit capable of treating a green with 
ammonium sulfate in a very short time, and wTe are planning to so 
treat the greens every three weeks, using a light topdressing of com­
post and ammonium sulfate in between. We believe the statement 
has been made in The Bulletin that if ammonium sulfate were 
applied every week a soil such as found in this part of the country 
would be given a sufficient degree of acidity within one year. We are 
of course very anxious to eliminate clover in our greens and to be 
able to reduce weeding to a minimum. (Indiana.)

Answer.—Where there is lime in the water it necessarily slows 
up any process of acidifying the soil, but with the continued use of 
ammonium sulfate headway will nevertheless be made. It is impos­
sible to tell in advance how long it will take to acidify a given soil to 
such a stage that white clover will disappear; but the progress being 
made in acidifying soils can well be watched by means of soil-testing 
outfits now on the market and which are not expensive. Apart from 
the question of acidifying your soil by the use of ammonium sulfate, 
the fertilizing value of the ammonium sulfate will not be decreased at 
all by the use of your water of high lime content.

2. Grasses for conditions of extreme dryness.—We should be 
glad to receive your suggestions for turf grasses for extremely dry 
conditions. We have found that buffalo grass appears to be one of 
the most suitable grasses under our conditions, but we can not find 
that seed of it is on the market. (Alberta.)

Answer.—The turf grasses of the prairie regions of Canada and 
the United States are buffalo grass and grama grass. Both of these 
are excellent for the fairways and rough on golf courses, and for 
lawns, but are not well adapted for putting greens. We do not know 
of any grasses adapted to putting greens that will thrive in the prairie 
regions unless they are irrigated. Seed of neither buffalo grass nor 
grama grass has ever been on the market and they must be propa­
gated by transplanting, unless arrangements can be made for gather­
ing seed in the field. Furthermore, seed of buffalo grass is usually 
very low in germination.

3. A clover green.—Would it in your opinion be practicable to 
attempt to grow all clover greens? We are advised that some very 
excellent greens in California have been obtained in this way. Our 

September, 1926

207

reading of The Bulletin and our advice from experts have been to 
discourage clover wherever possible. In spite of our treatment we 
have one or two greens that run very strongly to clover, and we are 
wondering if it would not be wise to encourage them in this direction 
and try for a complete clover green. (Utah.)

Answer.—For the highest type of greens white clover is not a 
desirable plant. However, in regions where the soils are not acid and 
it is difficult to combat white clover, a good many clubs get along 
fairly well with putting greens made up of a mixture of bluegrass, 
redtop, and white clover. With good treatment these make fairly 
satisfactory greens, and where the soils tend to be rather strongly on 
the alkaline side it is perhaps wise to maintain such greens. A com­
plete green of white clover however can not be secured. For some 
reason white clover will not maintain itself as a pure culture.

4. Fairway grasses for and treatment of sandy soil.—What grass 
would you advise for use for fairways on a very sandy soil? (Illinois.)
Answer.—If your sand is unusually poor it is almost impossible 
to get good turf. In such cases it is necessary to topdress the fair­
ways, or at least their important parts, with a rather heavy loam. 
Frequent light topdressings should be made until you get a surface 
that will grow turf. It is well to add a little manure to the topdress­
ing, not to exceed 25 percent. Very wonderful fairways have been 
made on sandy soil at the Pine Valley Golf Club, Clementon, New 
Jersey, in this manner. The plants that will give best results on sandy 
soil are bent grass and white clover.

5. Getting rid of moss.—On certain places of our course it is 
desirable to get rid of some moss and we have been told to lime the 
ground in order to sweeten it. Is it true that turf, particularly under 
trees, can be better cured of this trouble by fertilizing than by apply­
ing lime? (Connecticut.)

Answer.—Lime is not a cure for moss. Our experimental turf 
plots to which we have applied lime liberally have more moss than 
any other plots in the series. Good nitrogenous fertilizers will in 
most cases eliminate moss entirely or keep it decidedly in check.

6. Acidifying soil before planting.—We are building four new 
greens to be planted with bent stolons. Would we gain anything in 
the way of fertilizing and acidifying the soil of these greens by putting 
on ammonium sulfate in large quantities before planting? (Indiana.)
Answer.—You can save some time in acidifying your soil by 
applying ammonium sulfate to your putting greens before seed or 
grass is planted. We would suggest that you use at least 10 pounds to 
1,000 square feet and mix it thoroughly in the top two inches of the 
soil, and then water thoroughly.

7. Use of creeping bent stolons from nurseries that are produc­
ing seed.—We are planning to use stolons from a creeping bent 
nursery planted last summer and which is now going to seed. Is the 
material too old for the purpose? (Massachusetts.)

Answer.—Information on this subject is given in The Bulletin, 
Vol. IV, pages 163 and 206. The evidence indicates that stolons from 
an old nursery may be used successfully but that they will need to be 
planted more thickly than in the case of stolons from a young nursery.

MR. GREEN-COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN:

Various methods have been suggested for the use of bichlorid and other chemi­

cals against brown-patch.

Frequently W'e are asked to state the best method for applying such chemicals 

to greens.

This problem is like that of passing judgment on whether eggs are best when 
boiled, fried, scrambled, poached, or otherwise; it all depends on who is to eat 
them.

The best method for applying chemicals to greens depends largely on avail­
able equipment, condition of the turf, and other local circumstances; above all, 
on the choice of the greenkeeper.

For those greenkeepers (may their tribe increase) who topdress frequently 
and prefer to apply their fertilizer and bichlorid either with the heavy topdress­
ing or with just sufficient compost to give bulk enough to spread easily, this 
method is best—if the application is uniform.

For those who are firm believers in proportioning machines (and can make 

them work) this method is best—if the application is uniform.

For those who swear by the barrel-sprinkler device, or the good old-fashioned 

sprinkling can, this method is best—if the application is uniform.

For those who choose elaborate spray squipment, this method is best—if 

the application is uniform.

For those (their ranks are growing thin) who are ever ready to argue in the 

cause of dust-guns, this method is best—if the application is uniform.

The important thing is to put the material on evenly, so that all parts are 

equally protected without any excess in spots to produce “burning.”

In other words, quibbling about methods of application does not control 

brown-patch.

We know the fungus and grass have no preference as to method; but many 

greenkeepers are most decided, and frequently vociferous, in their preference.

We have tried them all. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages; 

but if properly used, any of the above will give good results.

The wise greenkeeper will use more than one method and will be able to 

choose that which at a particular time best suits his requirements.

THE GREEN SECTION.