THE BULLETIN of the UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION GREEN SECTION Vol. 11 Washington, D. C., January, 1931 No. 1 Contents Page Herbert H. Ramsay Becomes President of the United States Golf Association. 2 Ganson Depew Becomes Chairman of the Green Section..................................... 3 Mr. Vanderpool Resigns as Chairman of the Green Section............................... 4 Death of Frank L. Woodward................................................................................. 4 Annual Report of the Green Section for 1930...................................................... 5 Questions and Answers.............................................................................................. 16 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Ganson Depew, Chairman, Marine Trust. Bldg., H. Kendall Read, Vice-Chairman, Philadel­ Buffalo, N. Y. phia, Pa. Wynant D. Vanderpool, Newark, N. J. Robert F. Arnott, Upper Montclair, N. J. Robert M. Cutting, Chicago, Ill. Walter S. Harban, Washington, D. C. Karl F. Kellerman, Washington, D. C. Cornelius S. Lee, New York, N. Y. John Monteith, Jr., Washington, D. C. Harvey L. Westover, Washington, D. C. RESEARCH COMMITTEE United States Department of Agriculture K. F. Kellerman, Acting Chairman A. J. Pieters Harvey L. Westover Russell A. Oakley United States Golf Association John Monteith, Jr. Kenneth Welton ADVISORY COMMITTEE W. A. Alexander. Chicago, Ill. Eberhard Anheuser, St. Louis, Mo. N. S. Campbell, Providence, R. I. Wm. C. Fownes, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa. F. H. Hillman. Washington, D. C. Thos. P. Hinman. Atlanta, Ga. Frederic C. Hood, Marion, Mass. K. F. Kellerman, Washington. D. C. Norman Macbeth, Los Angeles, Calif. George V. Rotan, Houston, Tex. Sherrill Sherman, Utica, N. Y. Frederick Snare, Havana, Cuba James D. Standish, Jr., Detroit, Mich. Charles E. Van Nest, Minneapolis, Minn. W. R. Walton, Washington, D. C. Alan D. Wilson, Philadelphia, Pa. M. H. Wilson, Jr., Cleveland, Ohio The Bulletin is published monthly by the United States Golf Association Green Section, At Room 7207, Building F. 7*h and B Streets, N. W., Washington, D. C. 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, Mexico, and West Indies, $4.00 per year; in al) other countries, $5.00 per year. Entered as second-class matter, April 21, 1926, at the post office at Washington, D. C.. under the Act of March 3, 1879. Copyrighted, 1931, by the United States Golf Association Green Section. 2 Vol. 11, No. 1 Herbert H. Ramsay Becomes President of the United States Golf Association At the annual meeting of the United States Golf Association held in January, 1931, Herbert H. Ramsay, of New York City, was elected as its president for the year 1931. Mr. Ramsay is a leading lawyer and business man of New York City. He graduated in 1905 from Phillips-Andover Academy in Massachusetts, where he was captain of the academy’s golf team. He then entered Yale University, from which he graduated in 1908. He afterward graduated in law from New York University, and as a result of his subsequent brilliant Herbert H. Ramsay, newlv elected president of the United States Golf Association career as a lawyer has earned the degrees of Ph. D., I LD.. and J. D. He was elected to the executive committee of the United States Golf Association in 1924, becoming its secretary, and later vice-president for several years. He has served in a highly efficient way as chairman of its principal committees, his last service as such being on the important Championship and Rules of Golf committees. His hard and useful work on the executive committee, with his unquestioned qualifications for president, made his election inevitable. His clubs are National Golf Links of America, Deepdale Golf Club, The Creek Club, Yale Club, Racquet and Tennis Clubs, Links Club, St. Anthony Club, Union League Club. He is vice-president of a large commer­ January, 1931 3 cial corporation in New York City and director in a number of others. The Green Section, in common with golfing interests in general throughout the United States, is to be congratulated in having as its chief executive a man of such outstanding business qualifications and so devoted to the sport. In his address when elected president of the United States Golf Association, he said, “There is no more important work affecting the game of golf than that being carried on by the Green Section.” Ganson Depew, the new chairman of the executive committee of the Green Section Ganson Depew Becomes Chairman of the Green Section Ganson Depew, of Buffalo, New York, was appointed by President Ramsay as chairman of the executive committee of the United States Golf Association Green Section for 1931, having served as vice-chair­ man in 1930 under Chairman Vanderpool. Mr. Depew has always had a keen interest in turf development, having been for fourteen years chairman of the green committee of the Country Club of Buffalo. His activities in the business world, in the civic affairs of his home town, and in golf have been many and varied. He belongs to and has been president of many of the clubs and organizations in Buffalo and is an honorary member of many. He has been interested in the develop­ ment of golf for more than thirty years. He helped organize the 4 Vol. 11, No. 1 Buffalo District Golf Association twelve years ago and has been its president since its inception, being the donor of all of its champion­ ship cups. He helped organize the League of the Lower Lakes, in which is played annually the Depew Cup Matches of the district golf associations of Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, and Toledo. Mr. Depew is honorary life-president of the league. He helped organize the New York State Amateur Golf Association, has been its first vice-president ever since, and is also donor of its championship cup. He is and has been a member of the executive committee of the United States Golf Association for the past four years, his chief work on it being as chairman of the Public Links Section, the development of which has been one of his keenest interests in the tremendous strides public­ links golf is making in this country, its players now numbering over 750,000. This year he is chairman of the Green Section Committee and is also chairman of the Public Links Committee and a member of the Championship and Sectional Affairs committees. His interest in golf is shown in his having attended all of the National Open and Amateur championships for the past eighteen years, and his wide and friendly acquaintance with many of the golf club officials and greenkeepers of the country will be helpful in a close and cordial co­ operation between them and the Green Section. Mr. Vanderpool Resigns as Chairman of the Green Section It is a matter of deep regret that, because of a desire to be relieved of many arduous business and other activities, Wynant D. Vanderpool of Newark, New Jersey, has resigned as chairman of the executive committee of the United States Golf Association Green Section. Elected in 1926, he has loyally, efficiently, and ably served it for five years. He was one of its staunchest supporters from its inception, and much of its growth and development is due to his vision and efforts. His record in connection with the United States Golf Asso­ ciation has been a distinguished one. Elected to the executive com­ mittee in 1920, he served as secretary that year and in 1921. In 1922- 1923 he was one of its vice-presidents, and his able services as secre­ tary and chairman of important committees were rewarded in his being made president in 1924. So valuable was his advice in golfing matters regarded that he was elected in 1927 as an honorary member of the executive committee, an unusual and unique honor which has come to him every year since and which he still holds. At all times he has upheld the highest traditions of the game of golf. He has con­ sented to act as a member of the executive committee of the Green Section, which is most fortunate in its having for the future his advice and wise counsel. Death of Frank L. Woodward The game of golf lost one of its devoted and best known represen­ tatives in the death on October 11, 1930, of Frank L. Woodward, of Denver, Colorado. He was a former president of the United States Golf Association, and at the time of his death was president of the United States Senior Golf Association. He served on the executive committee of the United States Golf Association as vice-president in January, 1931 5 1913-1914, and as president in 1915-1916, and rendered distinguished service. He was one of Denver’s outstanding citizens and a leader in the civic affairs of the city. He was a graduate of Yale University and a lawyer by profession. He was a member of many social clubs and other organizations, and president of the University and Country clubs of Denver. He also held membership in well-known clubs out­ side of his city. He always had a keen interest in the better mainte­ nance of golf links and was a member of the Green Section Com­ mittee from 1927 until his death. His passing away will be deeply regretted by every lover of the game of golf both in this country and in Canada and Great Britain. Annual Report of the Green Section for 1930 A meeting of the executive committee of the United States Golf Association Green section was held in Washington on February 8, 1930. On account of Dr. Oakley’s expected absence from Washing­ ton for an indefinite period it was decided to make some changes in the organization of the Green Section. Dr. K. F. Kellerman, associate chief of the bureau of plant industry, United States Department of Agriculture, kindly consented to serve as acting chairman of the re­ search committee during Dr. Oakley’s absence. Dr. A. J. Pieters, who is now acting in charge of the office of forage crops and dis­ eases, bureau of plant industry, in the absence of Dr. Oakley, was also added to this committee. The work of the Green Seection may be classified into three major divisions: research, education, and advisory service. The main re­ search work of the Green Section during the year has been carried on at Washington, Chicago, and Madison, Wis. Contributions have been made for turf research work conducted by the New Jersey and Penn­ sylvania state agricultural experiment stations. Our educational work has been carried on through the mediums of various Green Sec­ tion meetings and exhibits, publication of our Bulletin as well as material in certain private publications pertaining to golf, and numer­ ous educational programs in which the Green Section staff has partici­ pated upon invitation of sectional organizations and officials of college short courses in greenkeeping. The advisory service is carried on chiefly through correspondence, but as much as can be handled by the limited staff of the Green Section is conducted by personal interviews either on golf courses or in the Green Section office or laboratories. By means of this service member clubs have their own special prob­ lems analyzed and scientific procedures are outlined. During the year a large proportion of the clubs which are members of the United States Golf Association have availed themselves of the opportunity to have the Green Section staff render reports on seed or soil analyses and give advice as to seeding, fertilizing, watering, mowing, and in­ numerable other problems confronting those who care for our golf courses. The different activities of the Green Section for the year are given below. Arlington Turf Garden The reorganization work -which was begun in 1929 at the Arling­ ton turf garden was completed during the spring and early summer of 1930. As now laid out, the turf garden is much better than here­ 6 Vol. 11, No. 1 tofore and contains many more test plots than it has in the past. It now has a larger number of grasses and selections of special strains of grasses than ever before. Many of the old fertilizer plots which had already served their purpose have been discarded and new fertilizer tests have been started. A larger area has been set aside for turf disease studies and tests of various chemicals which may have some possibilities for controlling various diseases. A new section was es­ tablished for testing the value of sand and various types of organic material in changing the physical condition of clay soils to make them more suitable for golf turf production and upkeep. In another new section fairway grasses were planted for the purpose of doing some work toward the solution of various fairway turf problems; these include tests with different combinations of fairway grasses, different fertilizers, and other experiments. The borders of the garden have been laid out in 64 plots for work on problems of main­ taining good turf on the approaches to putting greens. Preparing land for planting the shaded turf garden at Arlington There have been established on the garden new demonstration plots, which are kept in putting condition and enable visitors to test the relative putting qualities of the different types of putting green grasses. There are 10 of these demonstration putting plots, each 20 by 24 feet, which provide ample space for making putting tests. Each plot is planted with a different grass; five of them (colonial bent, German mixed bent, seaside creeping bent, red fescue, and annual bluegrass) represent the common putting green grasses pro­ duced from seed; the other five plots (Metropolitan, Washington, Virginia, and Columbia creeping bents, and a new strain of velvet bent) are representatives of putting greens planted with the stolon method. One-third of each of these 10 plots has a 6 per cent grade, one-third a 3 per cent grade, and the remainder is on a 1 per cent slope. With this combination of grades one is able to observe accur­ ately any effect the various putting green grasses may have on the January, 1931 7 putting qualities of turf planted on greens with different degrees of slope. These various grades will enable the Green Section staff to make careful tests, with the aid of the Arnott mechanical putter, to determine accurately one of the questions that cause so many argu­ ments around golf clubs, namely, whether one type of grass is more likely to affect the putting on undulating slopes of putting greens than are other types. A number of new grasses at the garden attracted much attention during the summer on account of their resistance to disease or because of certain other characteristics which marked them as having much promise for putting green purposes. There has been much interest during the year in the 29 distinct strains of velvet bent grass grow­ ing in the garden. Some of these strains have outstanding merit but need to be tested much more carefully before they can be recom­ mended to clubs for general use. Some distinct advancements have been made in the study of dis­ eases of putting greens, notably in the control of leaf-spot disease. This is the disease that causes so much damage to the Virginia strain of creeping bent and accounts for the browning of whole putting greens during the summer months. It also causes much damage to Kentucky bluegrass on fairways and tees. The result of this scientific work at the garden will be summarized in the Bulletin as soon as the data collected are sufficient to justify publication. A new turf garden has been prepared at Arlington chiefly for the study of turf diseases. This is a small garden located a few yards from the Potomac River. It is only a few feet above the mean river level and is bordered on three sides by trees. It is therefore in a loca­ tion which very closely resembles the low greens in air pockets on so many golf courses where great difficulty is experienced in main­ taining turf. In conjunction with the turf garden work a systematic study of the relationship of the acidity of soil to the growth of bent grass was conducted at the Arlington experimental farm. Much of this work was done in one of the greenhouses of the United States Department of Agriculture during the early spring months and was continued out-of-doors during the summer. This work will undoubtedly throw much light on the question of the degree of acidity that is most favor­ able or most injurious to the growth of bent grasses. During the winter a new building near the turf garden was com­ pleted. This building serves as a combination tool, fertilizer, and soil shed and has greatly facilitated the work at the garden and has provided much more efficient utilization of the time of the greenkeep­ ing force. During bad weather, soil for the garden was prepared and screened in the shed and stored in readiness for top-dressing whenever needed. Since the only soil available was found to be badly contami­ nated with weed seed, the entire season’s supply of soil for top-dress­ ing the garden was sterilized with steam during the winter. New com­ post piles and a new soil bed were prepared for the preparation of top­ dressing material relatively free from weed seeds for use in the future. In the spring a new hard-surface road running alongside the turf garden and the Green Section buildings at Arlington was com­ pleted. This road has made it much more pleasant for the many visitors who call at the turf garden even during wet weather. It has also added greatly to the general appearance of the garden. 8 Vol. 11, No. 1 The Mid-West Turf Garden Our Mid-West turf garden, located at Everett, Ill., was partially planted in 1928. It was extended in 1929, and this year the entire property leased to the Green Section was in use as a turf garden. Some grading, tile drainage, and other additional work were neces­ sary during the season, but the garden is now practically completed and in full operation. Many of the experimental plots using different fertilizers and different grasses are already showing interesting vari­ ations, which can be expected to be more marked as the garden be­ comes older. The large demonstration plots (like those at Arlington) planted with different grasses and maintained in putting condition for comparing the putting qualities of the grasses, are of special inter­ est to the golfer. The large number of test plots where various chemicals and treatments are being compared over a period of years are naturally of chief interest to those who are concerned with caring for courses in addition to playing them. Discussing the fertilizer treatments on the Mid-West turf garden, Everett, Ill., at the Green Section’s summer meeting of July 8 During the year the Botany Department of the University of Chi­ cago has been cooperating with the Green Section to the extent of making generous provision of laboratory and greenhouse facilities for one member of the Green Section’s staff. The work being conducted at the University of Chicago has been a continuation of the work begun in 1928 on certain physiological studies of golf course grasses. Chief attention has been given to the study of various methods of cutting grasses and the influence of these methods on the growth and permanence of grass grown for turf purposes. There has been a great deal of discussion for a number of years as to the proper height for cutting grasses on both fairways and putting greens. This dis­ cussion has been based not only on the effects from the standpoint of playing the game but also from the standpoint of maintenance of the turf, economy of upkeep, disease resistance, and other problems. Discussion of these problems has seldom had even crude data with which to support the various arguments advanced. The work of the January, 1931 9 Green Section in cooperation with the University of Chicago should definitely settle some phases of this discussion and undoubtedly will serve as a guide for the modification of certain faulty practices which are now in use on golf courses. The laboratory and greenhouse work at the university is being correlated with actual turf conditions by means of close connection with our Mid-West turf garden. Contributions to Experiment Stations During the year the Green Section contributed $1,000 to the turf work being conducted by the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at New Brunswick. This was a continuation of the United States Golf Association’s contributions toward turf work at the station which was started at New Brunswick upon the advice of Dr. Piper in 1925. During the past two years the work at the New Jersey station has been enlarged with state appropriations. New experimental work on turf was begun this year by the Penn­ sylvania State College Experiment Station at State College, Pa. Suf­ ficient funds were not available for starting this work, and the Green Section was glad to have the opportunity to assure its establishment by appropriating $1,000. It is planned that this work will be sup­ ported by state funds; the Green Section’s part was only to enable those who are interested in the work to get it started. In the fall of 1928 a small turf garden was established in Califor­ nia in cooperation with the Leland Stanford Junior University. It was hoped that this garden might be further expanded. However recent developments have made it seem desirable to abandon the garden. For a number of years the Green Section has been giving some financial support for the turf work conducted by the state agricul­ tural experiment stations at Gainesville, Fla., Lincoln, Nebr., and Manhattan, Kans. The work in which the Green Section has been cooperating with these states has been of much assistance in the de­ velopment of the Green Section program. During the year it was de­ cided by officials of these state experiment stations and the Green Sec­ tion that the work at these respective stations had served the purpose for which it was originally planned and it was thought best that it be discontinued or reorganized. It was decided that since the funds for the Green Section are limited it would be best, for the present at least, to discontinue the work being done at these three stations. The Green Section wishes to acknowledge at this time its gratitude for the cordial cooperation it has had from state authorities during the years in which this cooperative work has been in progress. Demonstration Gardens In 1928 the Green Section established several small demonstration turf gardens on golf courses in several states. These were scattered in such a way as to provide small turf gardens where they would be readily accessible to member clubs under widely different soil and climatic conditions. Additional gardens were planted in 1929. During 1930 those gardens proved to be of even greater interest than in pre­ vious years. At the time they were planted it was of course recog­ nized that some of them would not be cared for in a way that would 10 Vol. 11, No. 1 make them valuable as a part of the Green Section’s system of turf garden organization. When one of the demonstration turf gardens is neglected or otherwise seems undesirable the Green Section plans to discontinue it. The results of the past two seasons have demon­ strated that the cooperation from the clubs where these gardens are located is even more thorough and whole-hearted than was antici­ pated. As a result of the cooperation of those in charge of the gar­ dens the Green Section has obtained very valuable reports on the progress of the various grasses and treatments throughout the sea­ son. These reports are consolidated at the end of each year and published in concise form in the Bulletin. The results obtained from these various gardens thus become available to clubs throughout the country. A great many visitors, singly or in groups, have examined these different gardens from time to time during the year and have found them useful in many ways. Planting the new demonstration turf garden at the Hyde Park Golf and Country Club, Cincinnati, Ohio Numerous well-attended gatherings of golf club officials and greenkeepers have been held at these gardens and the behavior of the different grasses, fertilizers, and other treatments has been discussed on the ground. At some of these meetings members of the Green Section staff have been present to explain the work. Discussions of turf problems are much more effective in such gatherings than they can possibly be indoors, for the demonstration of variations in the grasses or response to fertilizers can be much more effectively pointed out where the actual grass is available than is possible where one has only access to speech and lantern slides. Such meetings at the dem­ onstration gardens and our larger experimental gardens called at­ tention to the greater effectiveness of summer meetings and led the Green Section to believe that the formal winter meetings which have been held heretofore in connection with the annual meeting of the United States Golf Association could well be abandoned and that the money used for paying the expenses of our winter meeting might January, 1931 11 be used to better advantage for the summer programs. The develop­ ment of these gardens has also enabled the Green Section staff, in answering questions from the Washington office, to refer officials of distant member clubs to their local gardens for certain information that is difficult to convey in correspondence but easily conveyed by actual inspection of the gardens. The demonstration turf gardens which have been in operation during the year are as follows Address Golfing District Sewickley, Pa. Miami Beach, Fla. White Plains, N. Y. Newton Centre, Mass. Northfield, N. J. Richmond, Va. Detroit, Mich. Atlanta, Ga. Cincinnati, Ohio Grand Rapids, Mich. Hopkins, Minn. St. Petersburg, Fla. Grosse Pointe, Mich. Amherst, Mass. Northville, Mich. Niagara Falls, N. Y. Oakmont, Pa. Matteson, Ill. Bala, Pa. Greensboro, N. C. Tulsa, Okla. Upper Montclair, N. J. Metropolitan Clayton, Mo. East Williston, L. I. Pittsburgh Miami Metropolitan Boston Atlantic City Richmond Detroit Atlanta Cincinnati Grand Rapids Minneapolis-St. Paul St. Petersburg Detroit New England Detroit Buffalo Pittsburgh Chicago Philadelphia Greensboro Tulsa St. Louis Metropolitan Allegheny Country Club *Bay Shore Golf Club Century Country Club Charles River Country Club Country Club of Atlantic City Country Club of Richmond Detroit Golf Club Druid Hills Golf Club *Hyde Park Golf & Country Club Indian Trails Golf Course Interlachen Country Club * Jungle Country Club Lachmoor Club Massachusetts Agr. Exp. Sta. Meadowbrook Country Club Municipal Golf Course Oakmont Country Club Olympia Fields Country Club *Philadelphia Country Club *Sedgefield Country Club *Tulsa Country Club Upper Montclair Country Club * Westwood Country Club Wheatley Hills Golf Club * Gardens planted in 1930. 12 Vol. 11, No. 1 Green Section Meetings The Green Section held an indoor meeting at the time of the United States Golf Association annual meeting at New York, Janu­ ary 10, 1930. This meeting embraced only a single session, at which several interesting and instructive papers were read. In conjunc­ tion with the formal meeting, the Green Section had an exhibit of seed, fertilizers, soil, and other materials of interest. The meeting was well attended, and those who were present undoubtedly obtained information of much value. Two large summer meetings were held on the Green Section’s ex­ perimental turf gardens, one at the Mid-West turf garden, Everett, Ill., on July 8, and the second at the Arlington turf garden, Arling­ ton, Va., on September 22. A group of greenkeepers and members of green committees attending the meeting at the Green Section’s demonstration turf garden on the course of the Interlachen Country Club, Hopkins, Minn. Smaller but well-attended meetings were also held on our demon­ stration turf gardens as follows: June 30, Detroit Golf Club, De­ troit, Mich.; July 1, Indian Trails Golf Course, Grand Rapids, Mich.; July 2, Niagara Falls Municipal Course, Niagara, Falls, N. Y.; July 9, Interlachen Country Club, Minneapolis, Minn.; July 14, Allegheny Country Club, Sewickley, Pa. Several hundred visitors attended these gatherings and the Green Section staff felt much encouraged at their apparent interest in the work. Undoubtedly these summer meetings are becoming more and more valuable in carrying the Green Section work out to our mem­ ber clubs where it can be applied to the general betterment of play­ ing conditions. In addition to the above meetings, sponsored by the Green Sec­ tion, the staff of the Green Section was present at various gatherings of chairmen of green committees and greenkeepers at the following places: Baltimore, Md.; Boston, Mass.; Chicago, Ill.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Louisville, Ky.; Madison, Wis.; New Brunswick, N. J.; Okla­ homa City, Okla.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; St. Louis Mo. • Toledo, Ohio; Tulsa, Okla.; Washington, D. C. January, 1931 13 Greenkeepers’ Short Courses Last year the Green Section staff was invited by the officials of the Pennsylvania State College, State College, Pa., and the Univer­ sity of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis., to take part in the programs of the greenkeepers’ short courses which were conducted by these two institutions. The Green Section was glad to cooperate with these educational programs by providing speakers. Correspondence and Service to Member Clubs During the year the Green Section office in Washington has con­ ducted the usual large amount of correspondence and service to member clubs. During the latter part of the season there was an excessive amount of inquiries from clubs in the regions affected by the drought. An exceptionally large number of letters was received this year also from clubs whose courses were infested with cutworms of various kinds, army worms, or closely related insects. This was probably due to the excessively dry ground and parched fields, forc­ ing the insects to congregate on putting greens to deposit their eggs where food would be available for the young grubs. A great many soil and seed samples were examined and reports rendered to mem­ ber clubs. The Green Section staff visited a large number of courses on request and gave advice on numerous turf problems. Due to the limited staff of the Green Section a good many requests for personal visits to courses could not be arranged. In an attempt to give as much of this service as possible an effort was made to set aside re­ quests in one district until others accumulated in order that several courses could be visited on one trip. This method, although occa­ sionally causing some delay in giving advice, at least made it possible for a larger number of courses to be visited. During 1930 members of our technical staff visited courses located in Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Okla­ homa, Ontario, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, West Vir­ ginia, and Wisconsin. Green Section Bulletin During the year the publication of the monthly Bulletin of the Green Section fell behind its regular schedule because of a combina­ tion of illness in the editorial staff and the rush of more important work. The Bulletin does not pretend to be a news publication, but rather a publication devoted primarily to material that is of more or less permanent value. Publications of this character naturally do not lose in value because of delayed appearance. On the other hand, most of the experimental work and the demands for immediate serv­ ice from member clubs can not be neglected for a time without caus­ ing much loss of valuable experiments, or great inconvenience and frequently loss of funds to our member clubs who depend on Green Section service. However the publication is rapidly being brought up to schedule, and it is hoped that next year, with additional help in the Washington office, all phases of the Green Section work may be carried on without undue delays. The plan of the publication this year has been the same as in the past two years; that is, the group­ 14 Vol. 11, No. 1 ing of related material in individual issues. This enables a subject to be covered from various angles both from the scientific and prac­ tical viewpoints. In this work the Green Section has had the ready cooperation of various scientists in the United States Department of Agriculture and state experiment stations as well as some of the country’s best greenkeepers and golf course superintendents. This system of grouping articles on related subjects makes the Bulletin much more convenient for ready reference at later times for readers who wish to look up material in back numbers. It also facilitates the work of the Washington office in answering correspondence, for when some one belonging to a club which is not a member of the United States Golf Association writes for information on a subject such as fairway fertilizers, watering systems, golf course construc­ tion, and the like, he can be furnished with a copy of the Bulletin which contains a very thorough discussion of the subjects both by practical and scientific men. Two copies of the Bulletin were, as heretofore, sent to each mem­ ber club of the United States Golf Association. In addition it was also sent to the following classes of subscribers: Privately owned or daily-fee golf courses..................................... 25 Canadian clubs ................................................................................. 177 Miscellaneous domestic ..................................................................... 377 Foreign (Argentina, Austria, Australia, Bermuda, Chile, Eng­ land, Federated Malay States, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden, Union of South Africa, Uruguay) ...................................................................................... 70 Public links (complimentary) ............................................................ 110 Correspondents (complimentary)...................................................... 185 Plans for the Future It is planned during next year to continue most of the work as outlined above. The assistance previously given to a number of the experiment stations was discontinued during the year and it is not expected that similar work will be undertaken at present at other state experiment stations. The two main turf gardens near Chicago and Washington are strategically located for the experimental work applicable to a large section of the country. The enlarged system of coordinated demonstration gardens scattered throughout the country is expected to continue to serve as effective outposts of the Green Sec­ tion’s experimental work. It is hoped that new demonstration gar­ dens can be established in the vicinity of certain golf centers not already covered, where there is sufficient demand by local organiza­ tions for such gardens. At present the organization of the Green Sec­ tion is inadequate to meet all the demands made upon it. Experi­ mental work in any field is a long, tedious procedure, and the work on any one problem is greatly hampered, if not nullified, if the workers must be constantly switched around to work on new unrelated prob­ lems from time to time. It seems there are two problems at present causing the greatest concern to golf courses in various parts of the country which are now not being adequately studied by the Green Section or other organiza­ tions equipped to do experimental work. These are problems related to the control of various insect pests and to fairway improvement. January, 1931 15 Turf Insect Control Insects continue to be the greatest source of trouble on many golf courses. Since the work done at Riverton, N. J., which was partially supported by the Green Section, was discontinued, there has been no systematic experimental work done on controlling golf course insects. The mole cricket remains one of the most important problems on southern golf courses. There are several so-called remedies for ants that are occasionally effective, but as yet we have no standard remedy which can be relied on to give even 50 per cent control. Grubs, cut­ worms, army worms, grass webworms, and many other insect pests cause much damage on courses every year; clubs are spending large sums of money each year to check them, and a large part of this is un­ doubtedly wasted because of inadequate information. An entomolo­ gist working full time on controlling golf course insects might under­ take the mole cricket problem part of the year and for the remainder of the year could work on the control of ants and_grubs. Many pos­ sible insect poisons have not been thoroughly tested on golf course turf. If some of the cheaper insecticides are found to be as effective against some turf insects as is arsenate of lead, the saving in money to a single club might easily support research work on insect control for several years. Fairway Improvement In recent years there has been evident a decided increase in in­ terest in fairway improvement throughout the country. Clubs are no doubt wasting many thousands of dollars due to the absence of definite tests to indicate the best procedures to follow. Our few dem­ onstration gardens have helped a little on these problems but are alto­ gether inadequate. The large increase in the number of courses which are using fertilizers freely on fairways, installing elaborate sprink­ ling systems, and otherwise attempting to nurse along fairway turf indicates that the golf clubs of the country are determined to have better fairways regardless of new problems that such improvements always bring up. Some of the fairway problems which we or others are not equipped to answer definitely are best methods of preparing, fertilizing and seeding soils for fairway purposes; fertilizing pro­ grams, including source of material, time of application, and rotation of various fertilizers; best seed mixtures for various soils and climatic conditions; best use of water; best height to cut; control of weeds (particularly clover) ; the renovation of poor wreedy turf; the perpetua­ tion of good Bermuda turf; the place of carpet grass in southern fair­ ways ; the propagation of centipede grass in the South; and the treat­ ment best suited to bring about recovery from emergencies such as the drought of 1930. A systematic study of such problems would un­ doubtedly save the clubs many times the cost of the investigation. Leakage of electric currents from high-power transmission lines often causes serious injury to trees. Another common type of injury to trees and shrubs is scorching or burning as a result of the plants being where whitewashed or light-colored walls reflect the heat of the sun. Other types of injury to trees are caused by dense shade or too intense sunlight. 16 Vol. 11, No. 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. If your experience leads you to disagree with any answer here given it is your privilege and duty to write to the Green Section. While most of the answers are of general application, it must be borne in mind that each recommendation is intended specifically for the locality designated at the end of the question. Controlling white grubs and earthworms with arsenate of lead.— Our course is infested with white grubs. Two fairways are badly damaged, in others the grubs are numerous but have as yet appar ently caused no damage. Three greens are also affected. At what rate should arsenate of lead be applied for controlling grubs, and in what proportion should it be mixed with activated sludge, top soil, sand, compost, or other material? We have sufficient compost with which to mix the arsenate of lead in treating the greens, but have not enough activated sludge or soil for treating all the fairways, although we could substitute sand in the fairway treatment should it be satis factory. Could the application be made in late fall or early winter? (New York) ANSWER.—Activated sludge is frequently used as a carrier for arsenate of lead, but other fine material, such as sand, may be used for the same purpose. If you intend to fertilize your fairways, which is advisable when treating for grub injury, it is economical to mix the arsenate of lead with the fertilizer and apply the two together, the fertilizer thus serving as a carrier for the arsenate of lead. We would not advise you to make the applications to your fairways in late fall or winter, as much of the value of the application may be lost before spring, especially if applied to sloping ground; further more, the injury from the grubs will be negligible over winter. An application in early spring will be in time to prevent further damage from the grubs. The rate of application for fairways is 5 pounds of arsenate of lead to 1,000 square feet, which is a little over 200 pounds to the acre. Applied at this rate, the protection against the grubs may last for several years. As light an application as 125 pounds to the acre has given protection on many courses for a year. For putting greens, 5 pounds of arsenate of lead to 1,000 square feet is sufficient to grub-proof the green. If the application is made in the fall, more or less earthworm control will be obtained; but it is not necessary to make application for grub control until the spring. The arsenate of lead is usually applied to putting greens mixed with top- dressing material. It is customary to apply about 1 pound to 1,000 square feet with each subsequent top-dressing in order that the yearly application may total 5 pounds to 1,000 square feet. This rate of application is sufficient on most soils to keep greens free from grubs and earthworms. Your attention is invited to the article on page 28 of the February, 1928, number of the Bulletin for more complete information on this subject. January, 1931 17 Preparation of sandy soil for fairways by the use of mushroom soil, marl, and bone meal.—We are about to begin the construction of a new course where the soil is almost pure sand. Mushroom soil has been recommended to us as the best material we can put on this sand in building the fairways. At what rate should it be applied? We have a deposit of marl on our property and it is thought by some that this might be used to advantage. Would the marl bake too much? (New Jersey) ANSWER.—Mushroom soil would not permanently improve the physical texture of your soil as much as marl or clay would if used in like amount. A great deal of the mushroom soil would be grad ually decomposed and thus disappear, while the marl or clay would remain mixed with the sand indefinitely. On the other hand, mush room soil is of high fertilizing value, while marl is not. The marl could therefore be used in place of mushroom soil provided it is rein forced with fertilizer. Further, mushroom soil provides considerable organic matter, while marl does not. Some organic matter is desir able, but it is expensive to provide much organic matter by means of manures and mushroom soil. If you apply marl sufficiently to get a fair top soil and supply sufficient fertilizer to insure a heavy stand of grass, the roots of the grass and the return of the grass clippings will in time build up the organic content of the soil. However the use of some mushroom soil or well-rotted manure would help in the early stages, and as much as possible could be used to advantage regardless of the marl that might also be used. Bone meal is es pecially good for use during construction work on sandy soils since the nitrogen it contains lasts some time, being slowly available. It contains also an abundance of phosphorus, and some lime. An appli cation of one ton of bone meal to the acre on sandy soil would not be too heavy. Bone meal is however deficient in potash, which is often needed on sandy soils; therefore 100 pounds of muriate or sulphate of potash should be applied to each acre when bone meal is used on sand. Much better results are obtained by planting sandy soils in early fall than in spring. Spring plantings on very sandy soil usually suffer If you during the summer unless there is an artificial water supply. could put off planting the grass until the following September your soil would be much improved in the meantime by planting it to field peas in the spring and plowing them under in the summer, as in this way a considerable quantity of organic material would be incorpo rated in the soil. In this case the marl should not be applied until the field peas are plowed under, as it would not be advisable to bury the marl as deep as would be necessary while plowing the peas under. Marl will help to improve the physical nature of your soil by making the sand with which it is mixed more capable of retaining moisture If thoroughly mixed, by cultivation, with the top and plant foods. few inches of sandy soil, it will not harden or bake enough to be objectionable. A great deal of marl however would have to be used in order to directly change the physical character of your soil to any extent. About 130 cubic yards of marl to the acre, mixed with the top 2 or 3 inches of sand, would make a fairly good loamy top soil. Such large quantities of marl are not absolutely necessary provided sufficient fertilizer is used and the planting is done in the fall. As much marl as the club can afford should be spread and cultivated so as to mix it with the top few inches of the sand. It is better to have 18 Vol. 11, No. 1 a mixture of marl and sand than a layer of pure marl lying on the sand. Ridding putting greens of clover by the application of sulphate of ammonia.—We have been experiencing considerable trouble this spring with clover in our creeping bent greens and shall appreciate your advice as regards its elimination. (Wisconsin) Answer.—Once clover becomes established in a green the treat­ ment for its elimination is of necessity rather drastic. In the spring the growth of the clover may be set back by lightly dusting sulphate of ammonia on the dense patches of clover early in the morning before the dew is off the grass. Only patches of clover or weeds should be thus treated. Later in the morning it may be noticed that the patches treated will have burned to some extent. Still later in the morning the treated areas should be thoroughly watered. Burning with sul­ phate of ammonia sets back clover or weeds, while at the same time the chemical adds fertilizer to the soil in the nitrogen which it con­ tains, this fertilizer stimulating the growth of grass in the areas that have been treated. It is likely that creeping bent will fill in the bare patches where clover has been injured before the latter has a chance to reestablish itself. For a general fertilizing program to eliminate clover it is recommended that nothing but fertilizers comparatively high in nitrogen be used. If however a complete fertilizer is used, it should be applied only in the spring and fall. The nitrogen in the complete fertilizer should be as great as or greater than the com­ bined amount of phosphorus and potash contained; for example, some­ thing like a 6-3-2 fertilizer. During the remainder of the season frequent light applications of sulphate of ammonia are all that is required. As a precautionary measure looking toward the prevention of introducing additional clover or weeds to your greens, care should be taken to see that the top-dressing material used on the greens is free from clover or weed seeds. What is Cocoos bent?—What type of putting green turf does it make? Does it require special cultural treatment? (Ohio) Answer.—Cocoos is a trade name for seaside creeping bent, Agrostis palustris (Agrostis maritima). The name is derived from an abbreviation of “county” and “Coos,” since large areas of this bent are found growing naturally in Coos County, Oregon. Seaside creeping bent is also grown in adjacent territory and some is now being harvested from the eastern part of North America. This bent creeps by stolons similar to other creeping bents, such as Wash­ ington and Metropolitan. Although turf from seaside creeping bent does not usually form as dense a turf as some of the well-known strains of creeping bent planted from stolons, it has the advantage of less nap or grain than the common stolon-planted bents have when not properly cared for. In other words, under average care the turf from seaside creeping bent seed is likely to require less top-dressing, raking, and similar treatment than some creeping bents planted from stolons. Under certain conditions seaside creeping bent becomes in­ fected with either or both large and small brown-patch. Its average resistance to or degree of immunity from either disease seems to place it between the Washington and Metropolitan strains of creeping bent. o i h O , o d e l o T , b u l C f l o G s s e n r e v n I , ) s d r a y 5 2 3 ( e l o h h t n e e t h g i e e h t f o h c a o r p p A Life would be a perpetual flea hunt if a man were obliged to run down all the innuendoes, inveracities, insinuations, and misrepresentations which are uttered against him. Henry Ward Beecher