THE BULLETIN

of the

UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION GREEN SECTION

Vol. 7 

Washington, D. C., February, 1927 

No. 2

Contents

Page 
Ammonium Sulfate as a Help for Poor Lawns. By Alan D. Wilson.............. 22

Additional Experiments in Grub-Proofing Turf. By B. R. Leach and J. W. Lipp 23

Annual Report of the Chairman of the Green Section of the United States

Golf Association for the Year 1926................................................................... 32

Troublesome Weeds of the Rough. By L. W. Kephart and M. W. Talbot.... 35

Letter to United States Golf Association Member Clubs. By William C.

Fownes, Jr........................................... 39

OFFICERS

Russell A. Oakley, Chairman, Washington,

Walter S. Harban, Vice Chairman, Washing­

H. L. Westover, Acting Chairman, Washing­

I). C.

ton, D. C.

ton, D. C.

H. Kendall Read, Secretary, Philadelphia, Pa.

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

burgh, Pa.

G. T. Cunningham, Executive Secretary, Wash­

ington, D. C.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Wynant D. Vanderpool, Chairman, 

N. J.

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

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

DIRECTORS

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

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

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

Washington, D. C., at Room 7207, 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 7207, Building F, 7th and B Streets N. W., Washington, D. C.
Subscription Price: In United States of America, Canada, Mexico, and West Indies, $4.00 per 

year; in all other countries, $5.00 per year.

Entered as second-class matter, April 21, 1926, at the postoffice at Washington, D. C.. under 
the Act of March 3, 1879. Copyrighted, 1927, by the United States Golf Association Green Section.

22

February, 1927

ADVISORY MEMBERS

W. A. Alexander, Chicago, Ill 
Eberhard Anheuser, St. Louis, Mo. 
A. C. U. Berry, Portland, Oreg. 
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, Mioh. 
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.

Ammonium Sulfate as a Help for Poor Lawns
By Alan D. Wilson

Some three years ago the Green Section experiments at Arling­
ton made it quite clear that by the use of ammonium sulfate you 
could at one and the same time stimulate the growth of grass and 
discourage the growth of weeds; so we at once began to use it on the 
Merion greens with prompt and good effect and each succeeding year 
the results seemed to prove more and more satisfactory.

Ever since then I have been experimenting in a more or less casual 
and desultory way in an effort to find a safe and simple method of 
using it on small lawns.

On golf courses, we have the intelligent supervision of our greens- 
keepers, skilled labor, topdressing, and a watering system, and with 
such a combination it is a simple matter to choose the proper day or 
hour, mix your ammonium sulfate with topdressing, apply it to your 
greens and water it in.

However, with lawns—large or small—we generally have a very 
different situation. No supervision, unskilled labor in the shape either 
of the permanent or itinerant gardener or caretaker, no topdressing, 
and no way to get any, and seldom a watering system which will cover 
the entire area.

The following plan has been used with success and is suggested 
only because it more or less meets the above conditions, is extremely 
simple and fairly fool proof.
(1) Wait for a rainy day.
(2) When it comes, put a tumbler full of ammonium sulfate in 
the usual three-gallon watering can and fill the latter with water.
(3) Sprinkle this over a patch of lawn about 10 feet square and 

repeat the operation until you have covered the area desired.

The 10-foot square area requires no thought or care. From 100 
to 150 sq. ft. is just the area the contents of a three-gallon can will 
normally cover put on with the usual nozzle.

A table glassful of ammonium sulfate weighs about half a 
pound, so this amount applied* to 100 sq. ft. is at the rate of 5 
pounds per thousand square feet. This is all right for spring or fall, 
but in warm weather when there is more danger of burning, you can 
reduce the dose, either by decreasing the amount of ammonium sul­
fate or by sprinkling less heavily and making each canful cover a 
patch say 15 feet square, which would reduce the dose to a little over 
2 pounds per thousand feet.

There is one serious disadvantage to the plan; you can not apply 
it when you please but must wait for a rainy day. Still we are apt to 
have frequent rains spring and fall and this is the best and safest 
time to apply your ammonium sulfate.

February, 1927 

23

If you have a water system which covers the entire area, you can 
avoid this disadvantage. Apply the ammonium sulfate as sug­
gested above and then water it in but this must be done at once or 
you will burn your grass badly. You must promptly wash this solu­
tion entirely off the leaves of your grass or you will injure the plants 
instead of helping them.

Avoid applying the solution to the borders of flower beds at the 

edge of the turf.

As a test, I sprinkled a patch 10 feet square with this solution last 
spring and did not water it in at all. It burned the grass so badly that 
it has taken six months of careful effort to get it right again.

Another DON’T is: Do not apply ammonium sulfate where you 
have seeded until germination has taken place and the young grass is 
at least a month old. Before that time the grass is too young and 
tender to stand the stimulant. It would be like giving cocktails to 
children.

A side-issue use of ammonium sulfate is as a weed destroyer. 
If you have thick patches in the lawn of such broad-leaved pests as 
chick-weed, creeping Charlie, or pennywort, scatter the ammonium 
sulfate over them dry in its powdered form; then sprinkle lightly 
with water—not enough to wash the ammonium sulfate off the leaves 
but just enough to dissolve it. It burns them badly, and while it 
will not kill them all it does discourage them mightily and gives your 
grass a chance to grow.

The great majority of lawns get so little nourishment that we can 
safely say most of them are starved; the grass has not enough food 
to flourish and increase and so the weeds come to fill in the vacant 
places. Ammonium sulfate would help such situations tremendously 
and I hope this method may prove as useful to' others as it has to 
me. Even if it can not be used over the entire lawn, it will be found 
valuable for use in small areas where it is difficult to make grass grow, 
such as the heavily shaded spots or in places where there is a good 
deal of wear.

Additional Experiments in Grub-Proofing Turf
By B. R. Leach and J. W. Lipp

The usual steps in turf maintenance, such as planting, mowing, 
topdressing, etc., are the cause of no serious trouble to the average 
well-informed greenkeeper of today. On the other hand, the problems 
of controlling brown-patch, grubs, worms, etc., are still problems of 
serious import to even the best informed greenkeepers. Such a con­
dition is due to the fact that the study of grass itself has progressed 
over relatively long periods, whereas the study of insect and disease 
control has been undertaken seriously only during the past few years. 
Promising methods have been developed, but considerably more 
research must be done before these methods are complete.

The Green Section has given considerable support in the last few 
years to research in insect and disease control. It would seem that 
the pushing of this field of research should constitute one of the major 
duties of the Green Section. It has come £o a point where not the 
growing of turf but the keeping of turf after it is grown is of pressing 
importance and the cause of more financial loss than any other phase 
of green keeping at the present time.

24

February, 1927

Grub Control With Carbon Disulfide Emulsion

This method was originally worked out for the control of the Jap­
anese beetle grub in turf but is now being extensively used in many 
sections of the country for the control of other grubs in turf. 
Eighteen tons of this material were used during 1926 at New Haven, 
Conn., for the control of the Oriental beetle grub in lawns. It has 
also proved satisfactory for the control of June beetle grub in lawns 
and golf greens. In short, the method has enabled greenkeepers to 
cope successfully with grub infestations formerly uncontrollable. 
Unfortunately the method is not simple and it is necessary for the 
operator to be thoroughly trained before undertaking the treatment 
of turf independently. In the hands of the experienced man the 
method is very efficient; in the hands of the inexperienced man the 
method is dangerous. Furthermore, while the carbon disulfide emul­
sion kills any grubs present in the turf at the time of treatment it 
gives no insurance against future infestation or injury. In the latter 
event another treatment must be made.

The Poisoned Soil Method

Several years ago, in view of the limitations of the carbon disulfide 
emulsion method in practice, the question of a simpler method was 
considered. As a result the work on the poisoning of soils was begun 
in 1921. Much information has been obtained and a greater knowl­
edge of the factors involved has been secured. It now appears that 
the method offers a simple and fool-proof answer to the problem of 
controlling grubs and worms in turf. It is the purpose of this paper 
to give an account of the work and results to date and to indicate to 
the Green Section the points which should be cleared up by additional 
research along these lines.

Last year at the Green Section meeting in Chicago* the first 
account of this work was given. At that time it was pointed out that 
arsenate of lead, when mixed with the soil at the rate of 1,500 pounds 
per acre to a depth of four inches, had given control of grubs over a 
period of four years and that most golf course grasses grew well in 
soil so poisoned. Up to this year the field work was conducted on 
a small scale as is usually the case in the early stages of an experi­
mental project. The results were so promising, however, that the 
field work this year was extended to take in about one-fourth acre 
of grass plats, each 10 by 10 feet. The results of this year’s work 
are herein presented.

The Chemicals Used for Poisoning Soil

Arsenate of lead: Experiments have been conducted with this 
material during the past five years. It is a standard insecticide of 
commerce, used in many phases of agriculture such as the spraying 
and dusting of fruit trees, vegetables, etc., and can be purchased 
from almost any agricultural supply house. It has been selling for 
14 to 15 cents per pound in 500-pound lots. It is a white fluffv 
insoluble powder, readily mixed with soil. Since the compound is 
insoluble it can not be washed into the soil. 
eompouna is
Barium silicofluoride: Another compound which has been under 
experimentation for the past two years is barium silicofluoride a 
white insoluble powder made from a by-product of the acid phosphate 

♦ See Green Section Bulletin, February, 1926, pp. 34-39.

February, 1927

25

industry. The laboratory work resulting in the discovery of this 
material and its value as a soil poison for grubs was carried out by 
Mr. Lipp in the course of a study in which more than 30 compounds 
were tested for their value in this connection. A report of this lab­
oratory work with barium silicofluoride will shortly be published. 
During the past year extensive field tests with barium silicofluoride 
have been carried out by the writers and at present the material looks 
promising from many angles. As yet, however, the results are not 
conclusive enough to warrant making any recommendations regard­
ing its use in practice. Judging by the results so far obtained, it 
would appear that barium silicofluoride is worthy of extensive testing 
in those sections of the country, particularly the far west, where the 
soils are inclined to be alkaline in nature. Whether it will be equal 
or superior to arsenate, of lead in the eastern and middle sections of 
the country can not as yet be said.

Another result of Mr. Lipp’s work on arsenical substitutes was 
the discovery that mercurous chloride, commonly known as calomel, 
was also very toxic to the grub in the soil. Unfortunately the com­
pound is too expensive ($1.30 per pound) to be used as a grub poison, 
but it was felt that it might have some value for the control of brown­
patch. The writers have accordingly some plats of creeping bent at 
Riverton growing in poisoned soil, the plats having received several 
topdressings during the season, said topdressings being poisoned with 
arsenate of lead and calomel. These results are very interesting in 
view of Montieth’s * work during the past summer showing the value 
of calomel as a control for brown-patch.

The Experimental Plats

Moorestown, N. J. The plats at Moorestown were established 
and planted in the early part of September, 1925. An account of 
them was published in the February, 1926, number of The Bulletin 
of the Green Section. They consist of poisoned and unpoisoned plats 
of creeping bent, perennial rye, German mixed bent, Chewings fescue, 
sweet vernal grass, Canada bluegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, Poa tri- 
vialis and meadow fescue. The results during the past year with 
these grass plats have been excellent and the grass growing in the 
poisoned soil has at all times been superior to that in unpoisoned soil, 
with the exception of Poa trivialis and Canada bluegrass. The absence 
of grubs and worm casts in the poisoned soil plats is pronounced as 
compared with the unpoisoned soil. These plats have not been weeded 
during the past season. The unpoisoned plats were heavily infested 
with weeds while the poisoned plats were virtually free from weeds. 
The results indicate that poisoned soil has a decided value from the 
standpoint of weed control.

Riverton, N. J. The grass plats at Riverton, begun in the spring 
of 1926, cover about one-quarter of an acre and include over one 
hundred plats each 10 feet by 10 feet in size. The experimental 
ground is located in the rough near the ninth tee. The land was 
ploughed and harrowed early in April and a coat of mushroom soil 
applied. Incidentally this was probably the first plowing this piece 
of land had received in the last 20 years. After leveling, the land was 
divided into plats and each plat given the treatment called for in the 
general plan of experimentation. Owing to the difficulty of securing

♦ See Green Section Bulletin, October, 1926, pp. 221-226.

26

February, 1927

certain chemicals and the necessity of manufacturing them in quan­
tity in the laboratory, the work of seeding and the planting of stolons 
was delayed until the middle of June. As a result of this late seeding 
and the subsequent hot summer, the stand of grass, especially the 
seeded area, was nothing to boast about, and even today the German 
mixed bent plats are bare in spots. This of course will be remedied. 
The creeping bent plats with few exceptions have filled in beautifully. 
At the present time the various plats are in such condition that the 
experimental results are obvious.

Plan of the Experiments

Roughly speaking, the plats are divided into two classes: (1) 
Plats in which the soil was poisoned to a depth of 2, 3, or 4 inches 
with arsenate of lead or barium silicofluoride before the grass seed or 
stolons were planted. These plats received topdressing which is itself 
also poisoned. (2) Plats which were not poisoned previous to plant­
ing but which have been topdressed with soil containing poison. 
For the purpose of comparison so-called check plats are scattered at 
intervals throughout the area which have received no poison at all, 
either before planting or in the topdressing.

As an indication of the scope of these tests it may be said that 
arsenate of lead at the rate of 1,500 pounds per acre has been put into 
plats to a depth of 2, 3, and 4 inches, also 750 pounds to a depth of 2 
inches and 1,125 pounds to a depth of 3 inches. A series of plats as 
outlined is plahted to German mixed bent seed and a duplicate set 
planted to creeping bent stolons. This entire layout of plats poisoned 
with arsenate of lead has been duplicated, using barium silicofluoride 
instead of arsenate of lead. In addition a series of plats, unpoisoned 
to begin with, has received topdressings throughout the season con­
taining various amounts of the poisons. Let it be understood at this 
point that. no plat contains both arsenate of lead and barium sili­
cofluoride. The two compounds have been kept distinct and apart.
Another phase consists in treating poisoned and’ unpoisoned plats 
of both grasses with such fertilizers as ammonium sulfate, ammonium 
nitrate, synthetic urea, etc. As stated above, other series of plats, 
poisoned and unpoisoned, have been treated with calomel.

Does the Poisoned Soil Method Fit in With the General Scheme of Turf 
Maintenance?

The management of the golf green is a complicated affair from 
both the practical and chemical angles. In the latter respect it 
involves the use of animal manures, stimulating fertilizers such as 
ammonium sulfate, and mercury compounds for the control of brown­
patch. It is fairly obvious that the introduction of another step in 
this already complicated chemical scheme must be very carefully 
considered in order that no chemical incompatibility may arise.

From a theoretical standpoint, at least, arsenate of lead is admir­
ably fitted to be used in soil for grub control without interfering with 
other chemical steps in green keeping and without the lead arsenate 
in turn being affected. Experimental work conducted during the past 
five years shows that when arsenate of lead is applied to ordinary 
ground at the rate of 1,500 pounds per acre, 500 pounds or one-third 
of the total amount is broken down chemically, resulting in the forma 

February, 1927 

27

tion of some soluble arsenic and a basic arsenate which is non-poison- 
ous to the grub. It is pretty generally recognized that such fertilizers 
as phosphates, potash salts, and calcium compounds hasten the break­
down of arsenate of lead in soil when they are present in more than 
normal amounts. Fortunately, from the golf course angle, these 
chemicals have not been found essential or desirable in the growing 
of good turf, so that their action in the above respect is not of serious 
moment. Such fertilzers as ammonium sulfate, nitrates, etc., are not 
believed to exert any chemical action on arsenate of lead, while the 
mercury compounds, themselves toxic to grubs in a measure, exert 
in all probability only a slight chemical action on arsenate of lead. 
It may be said at this time that extensive work is being done by the 
writers to determine the ultimate effect of all these materials upon 
arsenate of lead and barium silicofluoride. We have no reason to 
believe at this time that any of the present recommended fertilizers or 
brown-patch treatments will fail to prove compatible with arsenate 
of lead, with the possible exception of ammonium phosphate.

Effect of Arsenate of Lead on Greens

As stated above, when arsenate of lead is mixed with the soil of 
a golf green at the rate of 1,500 pounds to the acre (31/-) pounds per 
100 square feet) one-third of the poison is acted upon by the soil, 
resulting in the formation of soluble arsenic and a basic arsenate 
which is non-toxic to the grub. This chemical reaction all takes place 
within a few weeks. At the end of this time a chemical equilibrium 
is established and the remainder of the arsenate of lead remains in 
the soil apparently unaffected. It is this unaffected arsenate of lead 
thoroughly mixed in the soil which causes the mortality of the grubs 
and worms. Experiments show that turf so poisoned remained grub­
proof over a period of five years. How much longer this will continue 
we are unable to say at this time.

Effect of Arsenate of Lead Upon Grass

The fact that a portion of the arsenate of lead applied to the soil 
undergoes a chemical change, resulting in soluble arsenic, gives rise 
to a soil condition unsuitable for the growth of many plants. Grasses, 
however, particularly the bents, are an outstanding exception. Ex­
perimental work covering three years shows that, far from being 
injured by the arsenate of lead, these grasses are actually stimulated 
by the presence of this material in the soil. Bent grass growing in 
the poisoned soil is more vigorous and dense and has a better color 
than that growing alongside in unpoisoned soil. The result would 
seem to indicate that in the case of poisoned turf the use of nitrogenous 
fertilizers will not be necessary to such a great extent. Unfortunately 
the superiority of the grass growing in poisoned soil can not be 
shown by photographs. It is necessary to see the actual turf to 
appreciate the difference.

Weed Growth in Poisoned Soil

The term “weed” as used in this connection refers to any plant 
growth whose presence is undesirable in fine turf. Among those 
which may be mentioned are crab grass, chickweed, dandelion, sour 
dock, etc. Most of these weeds do not grow well in poisoned soil.

28

February, 1927

They are stunted in their growth and the percentage of the germi­
nation of weed seeds is very small. The poisoned plats at Moores­
town, planted in the fall of 1925, were not weeded during the growing 
season of 1926. Practically no weeds were present in the poisoned 
plats at any time during this growing season, whereas the untreated 
plats alongside were heavily infested with chickweed, crab grass, and 
dandelion. The results indicate that the poisoning of turf will 
result in the reduction of the bill for weeding in the course of the 
season.

View of experimental plats at Riverton C. C., October 1, 1926 

The Method in Practice

The Building of a Poisoned Green
. The plowing, application of compost, disking, smoothing contour- 
ing, and other steps prior to the planting of the seed or stolons should 
be carried out in the usual way. The area of the green should then 
be calculated accurately. Let us suppose that the area of the green 
in question is 5,000 square feet. For this area 175 pounds of arsenate 
of lead (3% pounds per 100 square feet) should be thoroughly mixed 
with a cubic yard of dry soil or sand. The use of heavy clay or loam 
is not advisable. Begin by mixing the entire amount of arsenate of 
lead with about one-quarter of the cubic yard of soil. This should 
be done by spreading the soil in a layer on a hard (preferably con­
crete) floor, spreading the arsenate of lead on top of the soil layer 
and turning the mixture over several times with shovels until the 
poison has been thoroughly mixed with the soil. Spread this mixture 
on the floor in turn and cover it with one-half of the amount remain! 
mg of the original cubic yard of soil and again mix thoroughly by 

February, 1927

29

turning over with the shovel. Spread this mixture out again and add 
the remainder of the original cubic yard of soil, and mix as before. 
If properly done this should result in a cubic yard of soil evenly im­
pregnated with the arsenate of lead. There is some labor connected 
with this operation, but it has been found necessary in practice for 
the following reasons: (1) Arsenate of lead is a light, fluffy powder 
and any attempt to dust it on the surface of the soil results in a large 
loss due to its blowing away. (2) It is a very difficult matter for 
the novice to apply pounds of arsenate of lead evenly to 100

Applying poison to green with topdressing spreader

square feet. For these reasons the arsenate of lead is mixed with 
the soil first, thereby preventing the loss by blowing and giving a 
large bulk which can be spread over the surface to be treated with 
less chance of error. In this connection please remember that the 
poison must be evenly distributed over the area to be poisoned. Any 
carelessness in this respect will result in a spotty, uneven control of 
the grubs.

Having mixed the arsenate of lead with the soil as outlined above, 
it should be carried by truck to the green in the process of construc­
tion. It can be applied to the surface of the soil by hand or by 
machine. If it is done by hand, divide the green off into 6 or 8 strips 
of approximately equal area and spread the poison out of buckets. 
After one strip has been covered it is usually possible to tell whether 
it is being put on in the right proportion by comparing the area 
treated and the amount used with the area left to be treated and the 
amount of poisoned soil left in the truck.

Another and decidedly better method in large scale operations in­
volves the use of a topdressing spreader. Adjust this machine so that 

30

February, 1927

it will feed as lightly as possible. Starting on the outer edge of the 
green, run the machine around the green, gradually working toward 
the center. Watch the area already covered and the amount of mate­
rial left, so that there will be no danger of running short before the 
total area is covered. Any poisoned soil left, after the whole green has 
been covered in this way, should be scattered over the green by hand. 
As soon as it has all been spread on the surface the material should 
be worked in to a depth of 3 inches with a disc harrow. Do not set 
the discs so that they will go deeper than 3 inches and be sure that

Disking in the poison
the driver laps each time so that the green will be left fairly smooth. 
This disking should be done both ways across the green. After disk­
ing, harrow with a spike, spring-tooth, or, preferably, a Meeker har­
row. When properly used, these implements leave the green smooth. 
The green is now ready for seeding or planting stolons. If stolons 
are used, they can be covered with ordinary, unpoisoned soil, since 
only a light covering is used.

Of course, all contouring of the green should be done before the 
poison is applied. This is fairly obvious when one considers that the 
finished job calls for the upper three-inch layer all over the green to 
be impregnated with the poison. If the contouring is done after the 
application of the poison it means that this three-inch poisoned layer 
will be removed in places, leaving these places devoid of poison, and 
heaped up on places already having a poisoned layer.

In the last analysis, all that is required in a seemingly complicated 
operation of this sort is a clear mental picture of the ultimate results 
desired and the judicious use of common sense. The method as out­
lined above is not theoretical but is the result of extensive experience 
in building poisond greens at the Riverton Country Club and at the 

February, 1927

31

new course of the Huntingdon Valley Club at Willow Grove, Pa. The 
Riverton Club has finished three poisoned greens. The remaining 
15 greens will ultimately be poisoned according to present plans. All 
the greens, 28 in number, at the new Huntingdon Valley course have 
been poisoned. Several other clubs in the vicinity of Philadelphia 
are experimenting with this new method.

The handling of these greens in the future will be the same as that 
of the unpoisoned greens, except that all topdressings must contain 
poison.

Smoothing after disking

Topdressing With Poisoned Soil

The above discussion.has considered only the question of greens 
poisoned prior to planting, but it is fairly obvious to us, as a result of 
conferences and meeting with golf maintenance authorities, that the 
question of being able to secure protection from injury by grubs and 
worms by means of topdressing with poisoned soil is of great import­
ance. This is the case because the average club with reasonably 
good greens is not desirous of tearing up, poisoning and replanting. 
For this reason a great deal of experimental work has been done the 
past season in the topdressing of turf already established, but unpoi­
soned. In these experiments arsenate of lead, at the rate of 5 
pounds per cubic yard of soil, was applied to turf twice a month 
uring the growing season. The application resulted in the stimu­
lation of the growth of the grass and at the present time there are 
few or no worm casts on these plats as compared with the untreated 
plats.

In order to preserve the appearance of the plats no diggings have 

32

February, 1927

been made to ascertain the grub population, but the appearance and. 
condition of the grass seems to indicate that there has been no grub 
injury as compared with the check, or untreated plats. Frankly, it 
is too early to tell whether or not one year’s topdressing with poisoned, 
soil will give a grub and wormproof top layer. But if the results in 
worm control are any indication, it is possible that the continued 
topdressing with poisoned soil will attain this desired result in the 
course of two or three years.

In topdressing greens which were poisoned to a depth of three 
inches before planting, use 2^ pounds of arsenate of lead per cubic 
yard of topdressing. In topdressing greens which have not been 
poisoned prior to planting, use 5 pounds of arsenate of lead per cubic 
yard. The poison should be mixed with a small bulk of soil and then 
gradually mixed with the remainder of the cubic yard, as outlined 
above.

Future Experimental Work

Extensive work is now under way on the compatibility of fer­
tilizers with these soil poisons. This work, as well as the work of 
testing the compatibility of the mercury compounds with these poi­
sons, should be continued. At least one year’s work, and probably 
two years’ work, will be required in order to obtain all the necessary 
data on these points.

The question as to whether a grubproof layer can be built up, on 
a green already established, by means of topdressing with poisoned 
soil can not as yet be definitely answered, although the experimental 
results to date appear favorable. This question can not be entirely 
answered by means of small experimental plats. Fortunately the 
greens at the Riverton Country Club and at other country clubs near 
Philadelphia which are receiving these poisoned soil topdressings can 
be kept under observation until the desired data are obtained.

During the past year some very interesting results in controlling 
the June beetle with poisons have been obtained. Observations and 
results indicate that a method can be evolved whereby this insect 
can be controlled at a low cost for labor and materials. In view of 
the promising outlook experimental work along this line should be 
continued.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE GREEN SEC­
TION OF THE UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION
FOR THE YEAR 1926

To the Members of the Green Section :

That an organization should suffer such misfortune as the Green 
Section has during its sixth year and still function efficiently speaks 
well for its vitality and usefulness. In the loss of its former Chair­
man, Dr. C. V. Piper, the Green Section has been dealt a blow from 
which complete recovery is doubtful, and must at best be slow. The 
long, though temporary absence of his colleague and successor, Dr. 
Oakley, has of necessity placed a burden on untried shoulders.

Nevertheless, the Green Section’s sixth year has been one of ac­
complishment and growth. Gratifying progress has been made in 
the control of brown-patch, and previous years of work in the grub­

February, 1927

33

proofing of turf are pointing to more definite and widespread con­
clusions than originally were even hoped for.

Green Section Membership

Number of clubs enrolled on Dec. 31, 1925...............................................  893
Number of new clubs enrolled Jan. 1, 1925 to Dec. 1, 1925.....................  99

992
Number of clubs withdrawing Jan. 1 to Dec. 1, 1926..............................  52

Net enrollment on Dec. 1, 1926....................................................................  940

This enrollment of 940 clubs was constituted as follows: 

United States clubs members of the U. S. Golf Assn..............................  609
United States clubs not members of the U. S. Golf Assn.....................  291
Canadian clubs .......................................................................................... . 31
Other foreign clubs....................................................................................... 9

940
The growth in membership of the Green Section, by years, is as follows:
Membership on Dec. 31, 1921......................................................................  287
Membership on Dec. 31, 1922................................................... .................. 557
on Dec.  31, 1923...................................................................... 653
Membership 
on Dec.  31, 1924...................................................................... 802
Membership 
on Dec.  31, 1925......................................................................  893
Membership 
on Dec.  31, 1926......................................................................  940
Membership 

Financial Statement

A detailed financial statement for the Green Section for the year 
ending November 30, 1926, has been published in the Report of the 
Executive Committee of the United States Golf Association. A sum­
mary of the figures is here presented:

Cash in bank and on hond, Nov. 30, 1925...................................... $3,771.86

RECEIPTS

Club dues .......................................................................................... 15,417.51
Sales of Bulletins and Special Services.......................................... 2,676.74
Contributions for Experimental Work and Research................... 345.00

DISBURSEMENTS

$22,211.11

Bulletins and binders......................................................  $3,001.67
Field service and office expenses (salaries, traveling, 
experimental supplies and equipment, stationery, 
books and periodicals, etc.)....................................  17,000.26  $20,001.93

Cash in bank and on hand, Nov. 30, 1926...................................... $2,209.18

Cooperative Experimental Work

The time seems ripe for making the cooperative work carried on 
at the various college experiment stations more extensive, both by 
increased financial assistance and by more frequent personal contact 
with the men in charge of these stations. This branch of the Green 
Section’s experimental work should be widened as soon as possible 
to the point where scientific studies of local problems, peculiar to each 
important golfing section of the country, are being made. Investi­
gations of value to the South should, for example, be conducted on a 
much larger scale than has so far been possible. In some sections 
of the country further experimental work may prove the advisability 

34

February, 1927

of planting pure strains of velvet bent by those clubs desiring turf of 
absolutely the finest texture obtainable. Experimental work should 
be undertaken farther west than has yet been done.

At present cooperative experimental work is conducted at New 
Brunswick and Riverton, N. J., Gainesville, Fla., Madison, Wis., St. 
Paul, Minn., Lincoln, Nebr., and Manhattan, Kans. Premature pub­
lication of the results obtained has wisely been avoided but the time 
is not far distant when important results may be properly made 
public, at least from those stations where the work has been carried 
oh for several years.

The Bulletin

The Bulletin now has a mailing list of 2,600. In addition to 
the Green Section member clubs on this list appear the names of 
manufacturers and distributors of golf course supplies and equipment 
of many kinds, architects, libraries, publications, writers, foreign 
golf associations, and many individuals well known to the world of 
golf. Requests for old copies of The Bulletin are constantly being 
received, as a result of which many issues can, unfortunately, no 
longer be obtained. The publication of several special numbers, each 
dealing with a single subject, is now advisable and probable in the 
near future.

The Service Bureau

Correspondence with member clubs has been heavy, and analyses 
of seed, soil, and fertilizers has, as formerly, been no small part of 
the service rendered by the Green Section. Personal service by visits 
to clubs has of necessity been far less frequent than desirable.

Local Service Bureaus and Green Sections have for the most part 
kept in close touch with the Green Section and sought its advice on 
many questions. At least one new local Green Section has been 
organized during the year.

The Green Section Abroad

Interest in the Green Section’s work is increasing in foreign coun­
tries as is evidenced by many applications for subscription to The 
Bulletin by individuals and golf associations, by the publication in 
several successive issues of one of Great Britain’s foremost golfing 
magazines of articles descriptive and. appreciative of the Green Sec­
tion’s attainments, and by personal correspondence.

Green Sections in Other Countries

Concerning the progress made by the Green Section organized a 
little over a year ago in Great Britain we have as yet learned little.
On the other hand, we are happy to know that the Green Section 
of the Royal Canadian Golf Association is rendering splendid service, 
not only to its members but to other Canadian clubs, not only through 
scientific investigation, its greenkeepers’ meetings, and its excellent 
Bulletin, but by a more personal service than our own Green Section 
has so far been able to give.

It now seems definitely assured that the future of the Green Sec­

The Future

February, 1927

35

tion is not uncertain; that by a still closer union with its parent, its 
hopes of a wider sphere of usefulness are to be realized; and that, in 
the future even more than in the past, its ideals will be cherished by 
that organization which safeguards the true spirit of the game, the 
United States Golf Association.

H. L. Westover,

Acting Chairman.

Troublesome Weeds of the Rough
By L. W. Kephart and M. W. Talbot

There is today, both in course construction and maintenance, a 
definite tendency toward the lessening, if not elimination, of the influ­
ence of luck in the playing of golf. This fact is deplored by many 
golfers, particularly those of the older school, if such an expression 
may properly be used to describe the men whose devotion to the spirit 
of the game has done so much to popularize it in this country, but in 
any event the tendency seems to be a very definite one.

Long, skillful, and accurate play is rewarded by both architect 
and greenkeeper, and wildness punished. Unfortunately, on many 
courses extreme wildness, particularly from the tee, is often penalized 
less than the shot which is only a little off the fairway. While this 
condition is frequently unavoidable on parallel holes because of lack 
of space, where more acreage is available there is now quite generally 
an effort to make the punishment fit the crime, at least so far as the 
condition and quality of the rough is concerned.

So the rough has been shorn of indiscriminate roughness until on 
the best kept courses it is designed to provide exactly so much handi­
cap for the errant shot, and no more nor any less. Play from it 
should be increasingly difficult as it recedes from the fairway but 
should never be impossible.

The ideal rough is, therefore, one that provides a difficult but not 
insuperable problem: it furnishes a lie everywhere inferior to one 
on the fairway, and while comparatively cuppy its vegetation is not 
dense enough to cause frequent loss of balls or serious interference 
with the backswing.

There are really very few plants common in this country that 
meet all these requirements, the list being confined very generally to 
Canada bluegrass, sheep’s fescue, and a few of the bunch grasses. 
All other plants are weeds, so far as the rough is concerned. Even 
Kentucky bluegrass, the invaluable friend of the fairway, is unsuited 
for the rough because when long it makes a thick dense mat in which 
the ball too often sinks out of sight and in which it is impossible to 
get a fair backswing. Rarely does the native vegetation provide 
good rough, for it usually consists of Kentucky bluegrass, clover, or 
of big coarse weeds and vines that swallow a golf ball at one gulp 
and hold it against the onslaught of any club except a niblic. As a 
rule the native vegetation can be destroyed and good rough estab­
lished by scraping away the surface of the ground and sowing fescue 
or Canada bluegrass. Sometimes, however, the old vegetation per­
sists, in which case a real weed problem exists and must be handled.
During the next few months The Bulletin will contain short 
articles on the Troublesome Weeds of the Rough. These will deal 

36

February, 1927

with the kinds of plants that are especially objectionable in the rough, 
with suggested methods for their destruction or control.

1. Poison-Ivy

One of the most common and certainly one of the most undesir­
able weeds around a golf course is poison-ivy. Although the repu­
tation of poison-ivy is well known, , a surprisingly small number of 
persons recognize it when they see it with the result that much suffer­
ing and distress follows cases of ivy poisoning contracted unawares 
by golfers while playing a ball out of the woods. Obviously, a plant 
of this character has no place around a.golf course. Aside from its 
virulence, poison-ivy is undesirable because of its viney character. 
A ball driven into it is lost to sight and difficult to find. If found, it 
is difficult to extricate; consequently, poison-ivy would be taboo in 
the rough even though it were innocuous otherwise.

Identification of Poison-Ivy. Several closely related plants belong­
ing to the sumac family and called poison-ivy, poison-oak, or by 
various other local names, are of wide occurrence in the United States. 
The several kinds differ chiefly in growth habit, shape of leaflets, and 
size of fruits. Figure 1 illustrates the species especially common in 
the eastern and central sections of the country. It is usually called 
poison-ivy, but is known locally as poison-oak. In the Pacific Coast 
region a different species generally known as poison-oak is a bush 
with leaflets resembling the leaves of western oaks.

Poison-ivy thrives in woods and in the open, on comparatively dry 
as well as damp soils, on slopes and on level ground. In growth 
habit, the plant varies from a climbing vine or trailing shrub to a 
rather erect bush. By means of aerial rootlets, it attaches itself to 
convenient supports, such as' rock walls, fences, stumps, and trees. 
Patches may occur along stream banks, in gullies, and in areas of tall 
grass. Large plants produce dense masses of foliage, illustrated in 
the inset portion of the photograph. Poison-ivy leaves have three 
leaflets and are thus distinguished easily from the five-leaflet leaves 
of the harmless Virginia creeper which occasionally is confused with 
poison-ivy. The shape of the poison-ivy leaflets is variable. A glance 
at the illustration will show that some leflets have irregular notches 
or teeth in the margins, whereas other leaflets are without teeth or 
divisions of any sort. Small yellowish green flowers, appearing in 
early summer, are followed by scattered clusters of berries slightly 
smaller than elder berries but whitish or cream-colored at maturity. 
The only shrubs occurring in the United States with white berries 
and leaves having three leaflets are the various species of poison-ivy 
and poison-oak.

At certain stages of growth some forms of poison-ivy bear a 
rather close resemblance to other plants, and ability to recognize the 
plant at sight can hardly be acquired from pictures or brief descrip­
tions. Recognition is much easier after one has been shown the 
growing plant. Persons unfamiliar with the weed usually can find 
some one to point out the location of any patches of poison-ivy which 
still persist on the course.

Eradication of Poison-Ivy. Poison-ivy is not an easy plant to 
destroy. If all of the leaves can be reached spraying the foliage with 
a saturated solution of common salt, prepared by adding about 3 Vs 
pounds of salt to a gallon of slightly soapy water, will kill the leaves 

February, 1927

37

and fine stems but not the main stems and the roots. Additional 
sprayings will be required to kill the leaves and young shoots that

Poison-ivy (Rhus radicans)

soon spring up. The first spraying is most effective if done not later 
than the end of June. Usually within a month new leaves appear. 

38

February, 1927

These should be sprayed as soon as they are fully grown. Under 
favorable conditions, the plants are killed by two sprayings. Some­
times three or more sprayings are required. The great advantage of 
this method is that contact with the plant can be avoided.

Crank-case oil, thinned with kerosene until it sprays easily and 
applied like the salt solution, is also effective in killing poison-ivy;, 
and perhaps is more effective than salt for late-season defoliation. 
Oils should not be used where they are likely to come in contact with 
the bark of valuable trees. 

•

The use of chemicals to kill poison-ivy growing in woods may or 
may not be practicable, depending upon whether one wants to kill 
the other undergrowth with which the poison-ivy is mingled. In 
many instances the killing of all small undergrowth is desirable, in 
which case two birds can be killed with one stone. In a heavy growth 
of poison-ivy, it is often impossible to reach all of the lower leaves 
with the first spray. In such places a second visit should be made 
about a week after the first treatment and the remaining leaves 
sprayed.

Poison-ivy plants growing as long vines on trees can be killed by 
severing the stems of the poison-ivy with a hatchet or an ax, care 
being used to chop completely through the vine which often is found 
fitting in a groove of the bark of the tree. After a month or six 
weeks, the new tops which always spring up from the lower portion 
of the plant may either be pulled up or killed with spray. 

!

If willing workmen can be obtained, and if the expense is justified, 
the most satisfactory and effective way to destroy small isolated 
clumps of poison-ivy plants is to pull or grub them out, provision 
being made to go over the ground again at intervals of a few weeks 
until no more sprouts appear from root fragments. To do this work 
it may be possible to employ the occasional person who is practically 
immune to ivy poisoning. Workmen unfamiliar with the plant 
should be warned of the risk involved. Experience has shown that 
leggings, leather gloves, and heavy work shirts offer considerable 
protection. In the absence of leggings and gauntlets, it is a good 
plan to tie the trouser cuffs snugly around the tops of the shoes, and 
in similar manner to connect the shirt sleeves and the cuffs of short 
gloves. Workmen should be warned against touching the gloves to 
the face; or permitting twigs of poison-ivy to brush against the face. 
Also, in burning dried uprooted plants, care should be taken to keep 
away from the poisonous smoke.

Treatment of Ivy Poisoning. Up-to-date advice relative to the 
treatment of ivy poisoning can be obtained from the United States 
Public Health Service, Washington.

Announcement of the personnel of the newly appointed 
Green Section Committees will be made in the March 
number of THE BULLETIN.

February, 1927

39

United States Golf Association
Office of the Secretary, 110 East 42nd Street, New York, N. Y,

TO THE MEMBER CLUBS OF THE UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION:

At the annual meeting of the Association held at Pittsburgh on January 8, 
1927, recommendations of the Executive Committee proposing amendments to 
the Constitution of the Assosiation dealing with the form of membership and 
the dues, were unanimously adopted. In addition, the suggestions concerning 
the method of carrying on the work of the Green Section were adopted. The 
action taken, briefly stated, was this:

Hereafter the Association will be comprised of active members only, at an­
nual dues of $30 per year. Membership in the Association will carry with it, 
without further charge, the Green Section service including The Bulletin. The 
U. S. G. A. Green Section, which has functioned until now as a separate cor­
poration, will be dissolved and the work of the Green Section will be managed 
by a committee of the Association to be known as the Green Section Committee. 
Mr. Wynant D. Vanderpool has consented to serve as Chairman of this Copi- 
mittee and he will be assisted by such committeemen in various sections of the 
United States as he may designate. There will be no change in the personnel of 
the technical staff at Washington; likewise such men as Mr. H. Kendall Read, 
Dr. Walter S. Harban, Mr. H. Y. Barrow and many others who have worked so 
faithfully for the Green Section in the past will continue to do so in the future.
The total expenditures for the Green Section work in 1926 were $20,001.93. 
This amount seems small when compared with the great sum of money spent 
annually in this country for maintenance and construction of golf courses. There 
are virtually four thousand active clubs in this country today, and placing the 
average cost of upkeep at the conservative figure of $5,000 would mean a total 
expenditure of $20,000,000 per year for maintenance alone. That there still is 
great waste in the expenditure of this money is beyond question, and that a 
large part of this waste can be prevented by a thorough knowledge of the prin­
ciples governing golf course construction and the care and preservation of turf 
grasses is also beyond question. This educational and preventive work is only 
one branch of the activities of the Green Section, and small as its yearly budget 
has been, the Green Section in the few years since its inception has secured 
much reliable scientific information, has distributed this information in the most 
effective way, and the files of the Association contain many letters giving con­
crete instances of where reliance on the Green Section has saved clubs many 
thousands of dollars. . 

.

While the Green Section service is one of the material things which the As­
sociation offers to its members, we believe that the Association merits the sup­
port of golf clubs generally for the other things which it does for the good of 
the game, that is to say, its watchfulness that the highest standard of amateur­
ism is maintained, its formulation and interpretation of the rules, its control 
of the implements of the game, and its administration of the National Cham­
pionship competitions. These matters may seem of remote significance to the 
average golfer, whereas in fact they are not remote but bear directly on the 
very fundamentals of the game. It is only by carefully safeguarding the funda­
mentals that the game will continue to grow in the strength and vigor which 
it enjoys today.

Fixing the dues of $30 per year the Executive Committee was guided by a 
desire to put the membership within the reach of all clubs. If the Green Sec­
tion work is to be broadened and extended as the Committee believes it desir­
able, it will be necessary to increase the members of the Association accordingly. 
You are therefore urged to use your best efforts to bring in new member clubs 
to the end that the enrollment of the Association and the service rendered by 
it may be truly national in character.

WILLIAM C. FOWNES, JR., 
President, United States Golf Association.

UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION
Office of the Secretary, 110 East 42nd Street, New York, N. Y.

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE GREEN SECTION WHO ARE NOT 

MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION:

At the annual meeting of the Association held at Pittsburgh, 
January 8, 1927, the Green Section, which has functioned heretofore 
as a separate corporation was dissolved, and the work of the Green 
Section has been taken over directly by the Association, Mr. W. D. 
Vanderpool becoming chairman of the Green Section Committee.

There will be no change in the personnel of the Technical Staff 
at Washington; likewise such men as Mr. H. Kendall Read, Dr. Wal­
ter S. Harban, Mr. H. Y. Barrow, and many others, who have worked 
so faithfully for the Green Section in the past, will continue to do 
so in the future.

The Association has abolished the allied memberships and its 
membership now consists of active members only, at annual dues of 
$30.00, which will include the Green Section service and The Bulle­
tin. In fixing the dues at $30.00 for the membership and the entire 
service, the Executive Committee was guided by a desire to put the 
membership within the reach of all. We are enclosing herewith an 
application form and hope that your Club will see fit to send in its 
application, not only that you may continue to receive all the benefits 
of the Green Section, but also that you may in this way assist in 
promoting and conserving the best interests and true spirit of the 
game.

H. H. RAMSAY,

Secretary.