BETTER LAWN

PUBLISHED PERIODICALLY BY THE NEWS BUREAU OF 

BETTER LAWN & TURF INSTITUTE-

Vol. 6, No. 5

Harvests

SUITE 818 - 1016 BALTIMORE BUILDING

KANSAS CITY 5. MISSOURI
April 1, 1960

NEW CARTOON PROMOTES BLUEGRASS AND FESCUE

The third in the Institute cartoon panel series, "Your Lawn" has just been 
released to 2, 080 selected newspapers through Derus Media Service.

A fourth feature is in preparation and is expected to be released in the 
near future.

Clippings are received from all newspapers that run "Your Lawn" and 
they are compiled into the Institute’s permanent scrapbook.

ANNUAL MEETING TO BE MAY 21

This year’s Annual Meeting will be held on May 21 at the Kansas City Club, 13th 
& Baltimore, Kansas City, Missouri. The first session will begin at 10:00 A. M.

INSTITUTE PREPARES 610 SPRING PRESS KITS

A record number of 610 Spring, 1960 Lawn Institute Press Kits were prepared 
for distribution to the country’s leading lawn and landscape newspaper and 
magazine editors.

Three byline articles by Dr. Schery entitled, "The Cost of Living Lawn Grass, " 
"New Fields to Conquer," and "Lawn Tending Logic" were accompanied by 
three glossy print photographs, reprints of three recent magazine articles by 
Dr, Schery and sample packets of Kentucky bluegrass and Oregon Fine Fescues.

All articles promote the advantages of good bluegrass-fine-leaf fescue mixtures. 
First lawn articles appearing in newspapers this spring from the Institute’s 
clipping service clearly show decided increase in recommendations for these 
turfgrasses.

BLUEGRASS ARTICLE BY DR. SCHERY PUBLISHED IN EUROPE

Dr. Schery, upon invitation, prepared for the L. C. Nungesser Company of 
Darmstadt, Germany, an item entitled "Bluegrass (Poa pratensis) as a Lawn- 
grass."

Something of the history of bluegrass is given, followed by characteristics that 
make it an outstanding lawn grass (fine texture, growth habit, rhizoming, erect 
stems). The advantages of some variability in a seed mixture are discussed, 
including the natural variability that occurs in natural Kentucky bluegrass.

By the same token it is pointed out that seed mixtures based primarily upon 
Kentucky bluegrass should have Oregon red fescues included. The fine fescues 
have most of the same attributes as bluegrass that make for a quality species, 
and strengthen the adaptation of a mixture where both species (rather than one 
alone) are contained.

This article is being translated into German for publication in North Europe.
The English version appeared in the March 1960 issue of The Green Thumb 
(Colorado Forestry and Horticultural Association Magazine).

STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND WANTS TURFGRASS DATA

An inquiry from the Strategic Air Command has been referred to the Institute 
which is concerned now with turfgrass plantings on its installations throughout 
the world. They are hoping for "advice which will help us round out a success­
ful program." This includes collection of every available bit of literature or 
advice.

BLUEGRASS AS "WINTER GRASS" IN THE SOUTH

Institute members will not want to ignore the possibility of greater use of 
northern grasses in the South, as "winter grass," The Institute has initiated 
some investigation of this problem, sending samples of Oregon fescues and 
Kentucky bluegrass to some of the southern Advisors, for experimental plantings 
in bermudagrass. There are certain advantages to the quality northern species 
over ryegrass, in that they are less aggressive, and even if they do survive 
spring "change over" they are of a finer texture acceptable as a part of the 
bermudagrass turf.

Indicative of this interest in winter grass use, is the statement made by Dr.
D. F. McAllister, Head of the Agronomy Department, University of Arizona 
at Tucson, This statement was made in an article written for the Seedsmen’s 
Digest, January, 1959: "In southern areas where winter lawns are grown, 
bermudagrass lawns may be renovated in the fall and overseeded with ryegrass, 
bluegrass or even some of the bentgrasses without damage to the bermuda, which 
will grow vigorously again the following spring."

INSTITUTE RECEIVES TURFGRASS FOUNDATION INVITATION

The non-profit "Illinois Turfgrass Foundation, Inc." dedicated towards sponsor­
ing further turfgrass research in the state, primarily through the University of 
Illinois Horticulture Department and its branches, has invited the Lawn Institute 
to join as a charter member.

PURDUE STUDENT RESEARCHES BLUEGRASS

Itura Shiotani, a graduate student at Purdue University, under his presentation, 
"The Genus of Bluegrass", given at the 1959 Turf Conference, points out the 
extreme diversity found within the natural Kentucky bluegrass species. Some 
plants can contain as many as nine times the number of chromosomes found in 
other plants of the same species (a very unusual condition for any species). 
Chromosomes are, of course, the hereditary units visible in plant cells. Of 
course the Purdue researchers intend to cross-breed different bluegrasses, 
hoping to arrive at something more "perfect" than nature has been able to come 
up with,

FERTILIZER REPORT ON NITROGEN LOSS

A report by Kresge and Stachell, in the February issue of the Agronomy Journal 
relates to nitrogen loss from urea-based fertilizers.

The paper supports previous investigations that as much as one fourth or more 
of the nitrogen from an applied fertilizer might be lost as ammonia gas. Loss 
is greater on alkaline soils (pH 7 or greater), especially when these become dry 
and the ammonia (fertilizer) is near the surface. Less active soils (those mostly 
sandy or devoid of organic materials) lose fertility more readily than clays and 
organic soils. In the tests, losses from urea fertilizer were much greater than

from ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulphate. When a grass cover was main­
tained, losses were far less than with bare soil. The report states:

"Maximum loss from 300 pounds of nitrogen per acre of urea topdressed on 
heavy grass cover was 7% as compared to 23% from bare soil."

Of course this is an unusually heavy rate of fertilization, and with conventional 
applications to a complete lawn turf, there should normally be very little loss 
(even when soils are dry and alkaline).

DR. SCHERY AIDS IN PREPARATION OF THE PRACTICAL GARDENER

Dr. Schery provided the lawn text for the 1960 Edition of House Beautiful’s 
Practical Gardener, Photographs provided by the Institute were used (one re­
ceived a credit line) and Dr. Schery was given a byline on one article.

Members and associates of the Institute are being provided copies of the publi­
cation as a service of the Institute.

ADM UNVEILS NEW IDEA IN FERTILIZERS

Archer-Daniels-Midland, Minneapolis, has a new idea in fertilizers, and licen­
sing for the process is to be given to "a major nitrogen producer". Apparently 
trial marketing will first be undertaken next fall, with coated prills.

To review this new fertilizer idea, here is the story. A.D.M. proposes a new 
approach for "slow-release" forms of fertilizer, more economical than the 
present polymerization of urea with formaldehyde, to give a large molecule 
which breaks down slowly in the soil. Instead of building complexity into the 
molecule, conventional fertilizer pellets are used, but these are coated with a 
resinous material which is slowly broken down in the soil for gradual release 
of the coated fertilizer particles. Conceivably different thicknesses or types 
of coating could be used, with mechanical blending of the different sorts to 
follow, to yield a fertilizer that might yield its nutrients according to any sched­
ule desired. However, for economic reasons, it is understood that only a single 
batching will be done, but that in the batching drums some prills will gain heavier 
coatings than others, and yield a product capable of prolonged fertility release. 
Presumably there will be slow release immediately after application, which 
builds up to a high crescendo intensity during the hot weather of summer, then 
tapers off gradually as some of the pellets bearing the heavier coatings finally 
break down.

Until the field trials are completed, there will be rather little definite experience 
with this new approach. The only thing that can be said for certain is that it 
should be more economical than with ureaforms. The pelleting process probably 
won’t increase costs more than half again the present price of uncoated fertilizer, 
which may enable sizable savings over ureaform at present prices.

"This is the first opportunity I have had to acknowledge your letter of January 
14 relating to Kentucky bluegrass. The nomenclature used in our crop reports 
is established largely by the Crops Research Division of the Agricultural Re­
search Service, and the Federal Seed Act. Officials in these Agencies refer 
to the parent species of Kentucky bluegrass as common Kentucky bluegrass. 
They prefer this description to other suggestions such as natural, ordinary, 
Kentucky bluegrass and other bluegrass.

"Two recent publications -- the Home and Garden Bulletin No. 51, issued in 
March, 1957 and revised in September, 1959, and a leaflet titled Establish­
ment and Care of Merion Bluegrass Lawns, both make reference to Common 
Kentucky bluegrass. In view of this and the official preferences we will have 
to use the ’common’ designation in our seed reports. However, we will dis­
cuss this matter further and we will let you know if there are any new develop­
ments. "

T.J. Kuzelka
Head of Seed Section
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

"Tests at the experiment station (Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, 
Wooster) indicate that the bluegrasses and red fescues alone or together 
generally make better sods than when ryegrass, redtop or other grasses are 
used with them.

"Kentucky bluegrass is the 'Old Faithful’ of the grass kingdom. It best fits 
the needs of the average lawn. With moderate fertilization and high mowing, 
it will make a satisfactory lawn with little effort. One of the red fescues may 
be used in a mixture with bluegrass, Red fescue should be 70 to 80 per cent 
of the mixture in shaded areas. Never use bentgrass in a mixture where blue­
grass is the grass you wish to dominate. Even a small amount of bentgrass 
will take over completely in a few years.

"Rye grass and red top are quick growing temporary grasses. It is usually 
better to leave them out of a mixture. Ryegrass may be seeded in late spring 
or early summer to serve as a temporary lawn until permanent grass is seeded 
in September, The rye grass must be torn up and a good seedbed prepared if 
the permanent seeding is to be successful.

"In the experimental plots at Wooster, Merion bluegrass was outstandingly 
superior to all others. But, Prof. R. R. Davis explained, soil and growing 
conditions at Wooster are ideal for this type of grass. Soil and climate 
conditions are different in the Cincinnati area. Where grown, it doesn’t show 
off to like advantage. In our test plots at The Center, Delta bluegrass and 
common Kentucky bluegrass look better."

Bulletin, Garden Center of Greater 

Cincinnati

October 15, 1959

CANADIANS REPORT ON TURF RESEARCH

The Plant Research Institute, of the Canada Department of Agriculture, has just 
initiated a publication entitled "Greenhouse, Garden, Grass". Volume 1, Number 
1, bears a January, 1960 publication date.

In this first issue, J. H. Boyce reports upon "Turf Research at the Central 
Experimental Farm". In the article he points out the extent of past research, 
and plans for the future. A position is taken against inclusion of nursegrasses, 
and for the three major permanent species (Kentucky bluegrass, creeping red 
fescue and Colonial bentgrass). Boyce considers it unfortunate that so many 
Canadian lawns are seeded to mixtures of timothy and alsike.

He says: "A test was laid down in 1947 to determine the minimum quantity of 
standard turf species (bluegrasses, fescues and bentgrasses), necessary to pro­
duce a satisfactory turf when added to this mixture. Another purpose of this test 
was to determine whether other coarse, cheap grasses such as tall fescue, 
meadow fescue and perennial ryegrass could be used in place of timothy in such 
mixtures. Neither tall nor meadow fescue have produced satisfactory turf either 
alone or in mixtures, but meadow fescue gave somewhat better results than tall 
fescue."

Boyce points out that the Norlea variety of perennial ryegrass has given good 
performance, better than the general run of perennial ryegrass. He also finds 
Pennlawn fescue outstanding, and Merion bluegrass (although this is considered 
too expensive). Further tests are underway on fertilization practices, response 
of different grasses under differing conditions of wear, weed control, etc.

QUALITY LAWN GRASS JOURNAL ARTICLE’S THEME

"Quality Lawn Grass, " by Dr. Schery, appears in the March issue of the New 
York Botanical Garden. The story is illustrated by two pictures furnished by the 
Oregon Fine Fescue Commission and one by the Lawn Institute.

The article emphasizes that a consumer need only know what few grasses are the 
proven performers for his climate and conditions ... he then can look to the 
ingredient listing required on the box or sack, to see if the star performers 
constitute most (if not all) of the mixture. North from Tennessee, these are 
especially the Kentucky bluegrasses and the Oregon red fescue varieties 
(Chewings, Illahee, Pennlawn, Ranier).

NEW BRECK LAWN SEED BOOKLET FAVORS INSTITUTE RECOMMENDATIONS

The new Breck lawn seed booklet by James Shiels contains practically all the 
recommendations advocated by the Lawn Institute.

It lists the kinds of things that should be done for a bluegrass-red fescue mixture. 
This is another example of how an associate member’s seed house is promoting 
quality lawn seed mixtures containing a heavy proportion of these grasses.

The Institute salutes Breck for their nicely done booklet*

MASSACHUSETTS TURFGRASS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

Here is a summary of the Massachusetts Turfgrass Conference, held in Amherst, 
March 11,

Dr. William Colby stressed the need for saving topsoil in Massachusetts, where 
there is none too much, and where subsoils are very poor.

Dr. R. E. Engel’s talk on "Pre-emergence Chemicals for the Control of Crab­
grass" reflected newer research findings than most other topics, Engel stressed 
that very little was known about the after effects of pre-emergence chemicals.
He had some evidence this year at Rutgers of an arsenical (PAX) damaging turf 
several years after application. Engel feels this could happen with almost any 
pre-emergence chemical, although he regards the arsenicals as perhaps the 
most dangerous, and chlordane the least, in this respect.

In reviewing pre-emergence chemicals tested in recent years, he rules out 
Alanap for poor longevity, and Neburon because it is light sensitive. Both of 
these can also burn desirable turf.

Lead arsenate has proven inadequate in his tests at 25 pounds per M; yet he is 
afraid to use higher rates, for fear of burn and soil contamination. Neither lead 
arsenate nor calcium arsenate have proven as sure as he would like to see, vary­
ing in results with moisture changes, phosphorus content of the soil, pH, and so 
on.

One year chlordane gave good crabgrass control at only 40 pounds active ingredi­
ent per acre. Yet Engel is inclined to think nearer 30 pounds should be the 
usual recommendation. He has not found chlordane quite so effective as most 
of the other chemicals. He has had one disappointing application of the liquid 
material, so leans to granular applications. He feels that treatment very much 
ahead of crabgrass season will have the chlordane leach below the soil surface 
and become less effective. In addition to crabgrass, chlordane has controlled 
goosegrass with him.

On the newer chemicals, Dacthal (Diamond Alkali) and Zytron (Dow), he has not 
the depth of experience as with the other chemicals, but considers both of them 
very promising. In particular he likes the economy they promise (10 to 15 pounds 
per acre of Dacthal has proven adequate, and 20 pounds of Zytron), and the fact 
that they disappear in the soil within a few weeks, allowing seeding. With such 
chemicals there should be less chance of toxic build-up than with some of the 
long lasting types.

Dr, Schery was also a featured speaker at the conference with "Grasses and 
Grass Mixtures for New England Lawns" as his topic. In his talk, he pointed out 
a good lawn mixture for New England lawns should certainly contain both Kentucky 
bluegrass and some of the Oregon fescues. For shade plantings, the fescues

might well constitute the larger percentage; for good soils and open areas, the 
bluegrass might predominate,

NEWSPAPERS ASSISTED BY INSTITUTE IN PREPARATION OF LAWN 
ARTICLES

Dr. Schery was asked to supply information to Joseph E. McMahon, of the New 
York Times, for an article in the financial section, showing the importance of 
lawn seed and a little information about its seasonal use.

Photographs were sent to Providence Journal for Institute line credit with a lawn 
grass article authored by Dr. Skogley of Rhode Island which highlights the blue­
grasses and fine-leaf fescues, and discourages the use of bentgrass and hay- 
grasses in lawn mixtures,

Gloria Gould, Home and Garden Editor for the Boston Traveler, was sent a 
sequence of four Institute photographs, for line credit, to head up their spring 
garden section. A custom item on summer care, for the May issue, has been 
requested from Dr, Schery,

SEED TECHNOLOGIST SUGGESTS MORE TESTING RESEARCH

Miss Alma L. Everard, Chief Seed Technologist, Vaughan’s Seed Company, 
Chicago, after receiving a copy of Dr, Schery’s presentation ("Features and 
Futures in Lawn Seed") to the Minneapolis Association of American Seed Control 
Officials Convention, has commented as follows;

"Your presentation was excellent and should have been well received. The points 
considering regional and annual variations were points not brought up at the meet­
ing last spring and merit consideration and a great deal more research. Dr. 
Everson’s mistake was in believing it possible to use one yardstick for all lots 
of bluegrass. For years the seedsmen have been complaining about the lack of 
uniformity between laboratories so it is understandable that Dr, Everson should 
think that of primary importance. Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease,

"As was said before we are all in this together and must try to work it out to - 
gether. The unfortunate part is that no stained samples have been distributed so 
that we have been unable to try out the method for ourselves. The time now is 
too short to really accomplish anything. Apparently we are expected to accept 
blindly the work done by others. No matter how reliable that is the seedsmen 
will not be satisfied until their own laboratories have had the opportunity to work 
with the method,"

PARK ADMINISTRATORS HEAR DR. SCHERY

Grass in your park’s future? There should be more and better, Dr. Schery told 
delegates to the 14th Annual Great Lakes Park Training Institute at Pokagon, 
Illinois on February 24.

Kentucky bluegrasses and lawn fescues were recommended for the Northern 
section of the country.

Reprints copies of Dr. Schery’s Scholastic Coach article, ’’The Best Turf for 
Athletic Fields” were handed out to 300 park administrators representing 22 
states and 5 Canadian provinces.

STERLING FOREST PLANTS NATURAL KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS MIXTURE

A recent widely-mailed release on turfgrass plantings at Sterling Forest, the 
new display grounds near New York City, indicated that one of our associate 
members’ ‘'classic” seed mixture was employed. Our information indicates 
"classic” to consist of about 80% natural and Delta bluegrass, 15% Merion, Of 
the 80% (indistinguishable seeds) natural type bluegrass accounts for all except 
about 9%, and is derived largely from Midwestern “sources”.

CLIMAX BLOWING CONTROVERSY CONTINUES

At the recent Executive Committee meeting in Kansas City, an Iowa member 
asked for a summarization concerning harm to the industry from the climax test­
ing for mailing to appropriate officials in Iowa,

You will be interested in an observation noted by Seed Technology; and comments 
advanced by Mrs. Louisa A, Jensen, in charge of the Cooperative Seed Testing 
Laboratory at Oregon State College.

Last October, Seed Technology blowers were calibrated with a stained bluegrass 
sample issued from Ames, designed to establish the correct climax blowing point. 
Tests based upon this setting constituted the basis for our report to the Seed Con­
trol Officials in Minneapolis in November,

In late February, using the same stained sample to again calibrate the blower, it 
has been found in a spot check that some of October’s tests now run as much as 
an additional 5% lower. This is with the same blower, the same samples, handled 
by the same technicians. Evidently the stained sample for setting the climax 
blowing point has picked up moisture and weight while standing in the laboratory 
through the winter. If the present tests were to be binding, lots of seed suffering 
a 6 point purity differential from climax in October, would not exhibit a 10 or 11 
point loss! If this holds true generally, it is a serious flaw in the much-heralded 
claim for "uniformity” the climax method!

That not all A.O.S.A. analysts are oblivious to the insufficiently worked out 
influences of climax, is revealed in an informative letter from Louisa Jensen, of 
Oregon State College. Mrs. Jensen raised several practical points with the 
Study Committee, on a number of sensitive questions for which there seems to be 
little definitive research. She points out that Oregon is not "against” climax 
(or any other method), simply "for” any method that can "accurately reflect 
quality of all individual lots, maintain uniformity, and save time". Mrs. Jensen 
is not yet convinced that the climax method does that equitably. We quote a 
paragraph from her letter:

"In our conversations here at the laboratory, we have gone over the many rami­
fications of the climax blowing point both pro and con until we are dizzy. As you 
may have heard we have raised many questions concerning this method. In your 
letter you question whether this method will accurately represent the individual 
lots and the adequacy of the research on which the method is based. We also 
raised these questions before the method was adopted. In addition to these 
questions we also raised questions such as a means of maintaining uniformity 
between laboratories by referent samples; development and distribution of cali­
bration samples including length of service expected from each, recalibration, 
etc.; financing the distribution of samples; financing the system of referee; and 
mechanization that would be required to maintain uniformity. We also asked 
about year to year variation, area to area variation, effect of factors such as 
air pressure, humidity, voltage, moisture content of the seed lots, response of 
groated seed and multiple florets to the calibration point. We have also sent to 
the committee some data which raises questions in our own minds concerning the 
use of this method. However, in every instance, it has been pointed out that 
there are greater differences between laboratories using the official method than 
we have demonstrated with our data on the climax method.”

We thought you would be interested in these comments by an experienced and 
highly respected analyst: out of courtesy to Mrs. Jensen, it would be inap­
propriate to quote her out of context without first securing assent,

BETTER TURFGRASS MIXTURES BEING ADVOCATED

The Rhode Island recommendation for the summer of 1959, which will no doubt 
pertain to 1960 as well, eliminated bentgrass from the recommended mixtures:

Mixture number 1 contained 50% of one of the Oregon improved varieties of red 
fescue, 25% Kentucky bluegrass, and 25% Merion bluegrass.

Mixture number 2 contained 40% of the Oregon fescue variety, 30% natural Ken­
tucky bluegrass, 10% Merion bluegrass and 20% annual ryegrass.

The added precaution is given to eliminate the nursegrass (ryegrass) if mixture 
number 2 is to be used in spring or autumn. We also quote from this bulletin 
5-A: "When planted alone the basic grasses such as Chewings fescue, Kentucky 
bluegrass or Merion bluegrass, or Colonial bent, are not as satisfactory as 
in mixtures and may be susceptible to injury from diseases. Therefore, a pure 
planting of any of these individual basic lawn grasses is not recommended

This May, 1959 "Turf Maintenance Tips", by J. A. DeFrance, follows in general 
the Institute’s policy for recommending quality turfgrasses and cautioning against 
the use of poor quality mixtures.

Part 2

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING . . . ABOUT THE INSTITUTE AND QUALITY 
LAWN GRASSES . . ._________

it is interesting to note that research at University of California’s Davis 
Campus indicates Kentucky bluegrass is capable of sending out live roots to a 
depth of almost 4 feet. Bent and fescue will root to 2 feet and bermuda feeds 
below 6 feet on uniform soil. This, by the way, is on turf plots mowed be­
tween 1/2 and 1-1/2 inches depending on the grass.”

C. G. Wilson
before the Sixth Annual Arizona 

Turf Conference

October, 1959

" — spring planting of grass seed mixtures, the incorporation of fertility 
materials immediately prior to seeding is superior to applying the fertilizer 
materials two weeks earlier. This observation is supported by the fact that 
the broad leaved weeds and crabgrass although common to both blocks got 
quite a head start on the desirable lawn grasses where the fertilizer materials 
were incorporated into the seedbed two weeks prior to seeding time."

Rhode Island Agricultural Experiment 

Station Researchers

in Park Maintenance 
May, 1959

”We will make good use of the reprints on athletic field turfgrass mailed 
recently at the request of Mr. Roy Edwards.

"His thoughtfulness and your courtesy in sending us this material are 
appreciated."

Lewis H. Brotherson 
Board of Education 
Kansas City, Kansas

"Thank you ever so much for your prompt reply to my request for a suitable 
picture for our annual Home & Garden Section. "

Gloria Gould 
Home & Garden Editor 
Boston Herald and Traveler 
Boston, Massachusetts

"Thanks for the reprints on turf. I appreciate your sending them. I enjoyed 
the talk you gave at Massachusetts last week. It was a pleasure to hear some­
one who could stand up and speak after being bored by the humdrum of the 
preceding morning. "

Winston A. Way 
Extension Agronomist 
University of Vermont

"I failed to get copies of the bulletins you passed out at the Amherst meetings 
last week. If your supply permits, please send me a copy of each.

"I would like to compliment you on your discussion of various grasses and 
their adaptation to the Northeast. You certainly did a good job in practical 
terms of putting the different species in proper perspective,

"It was certainly a pleasure to get to know you better at the Massachusetts 
Turf Conference. "

Thomas R. Cox, Manager 
Plant Nutrient Development 
American Cyanamid Company 
New York, New York

"Thank you so much for your prompt attention to my request for information 
on lawns and lawn seed.

"We thoroughly enjoyed your booklet ’Lawns - Their Making and Keeping’ in 
addition to the wealth of booklets and pamphlets you sent. And found those 
and your excellent letter containing statistics on grass seed a great help in 
our report compilation.

"We have already thanked Bill Heckendorn for referring us to you and wish 
to thank you again for your kind interest and assistance."

Mrs. A. F. Boddicker 
Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette 
New York, New York

"Less leaf spot is likely to show up in lawns in Kentucky bluegrass and red 
fescue in the spring and summer, if the fertilizer is applied in the fall rather 
than in the spring. This report is based upon three years of research by 
U.S.D.A. agronomists at Beltsville, Maryland.

"Fertilizing in the spring forces the grass into rapid growth, and the tender 
plants are more susceptible to leaf spot in hot weather

"The best way to fertilize Kentucky bluegrass and red fescue lawns is to apply

half in September and half in October, the agronomists say. This procedure 
will strengthen the plants without producing excess top growth."

Crops & Soils 
February, 1960

"The Florists’ Telegraph Delivery Ass’n. has been conducting a national flower 
election. The results are about as expected, especially by those who contend 
it was scarcely a disinterested poll. Of 1,055,629 ballots, the rose claims 
386,841; carnation second with 171,591; chrysanthemum, third with 75, 729 
and lily-of-the-valley next scoring 60, 033. Black-eyed Susan was 9th; golden- 
rod, 13th; grass 18th; corn tassle 19th and marigold 20th with 10,841 votes.
We genuflect to those brave souls who had the temerity to go into a florists 
shop and vote for goldenrod, grass or corn tassel. Others in the also ran 
class are orchid, tulip, gladiolus, camellia, mountain laurel, geranium 
(do you suppose peralgonium is meant), magnolia, rhododendron, daffodil, 
peony, shasta daisy, with 30,093 votes spread elsewhere.”

The Horticultural Newsletter 
February 22, 1960

"This is quite a long list and I surely do not want you to deplete your supply 
should some be getting low. I am going to mount reprints and papers such 
as these on plywood panels for use in dealer window displays and also for 
use near the dealers shelves of quality grass seeds, fertilizers and lawn 
equipment. I am also toying with the idea of a window display at our local 
Chamber of Commerce.

"If it is possible I want to set up some Do It Yourself test plots of different grass 
seedings together with demonstrations of correct and incorrect lawn fertilizing, 
mowing and watering and of some plots on which I can do some weed control 
work. At the Albany city hall I am known as Mr. Weed because for the past 
three years I have been hammering away at our city council to get them to 
permit adoption of a chemical weed control program rather than to wait until 
September or October of each year and have a few firemen do a mighty poor 
job of flame burning, which is not weed abatement at all.

"Your fine letter of February 10 and enclosure of two new reprints has just 
come. Your letter, I should say your letters and the contents of the papers 
you have sent me have given my morale a great boost and I very much appreci­
ate your kindness. ”

Stanley Wilkins 
Board of Trustees 
Albany, California

"Thank you so much for presenting such an informative and interesting talk 
at our Great Lake Institute. -- We hope you can return next year,"

Garrett G. Eppley
Chairman, Department of Recreation 
Indiana University

"We would appreciate receiving, for our Landscape In-Service Training, 
representative pieces of literature on turf.

"We also hope that we can avail ourselves next season, sometime between 
November and March of your very valuable knowledge on turf.

"We will be happy to arrange our schedule to fit a time when you might be in 
Chicago anyway,

"Again, I want to congratulate you on your recent talk at Pokagon."

John A. Lundgren
Supervisor, In-Service Training 
Chicago Park District

"On our Ruth Lyons 50-50 Club telecasts we are attempting to not only promote 
our Triple Purpose Lawn Seed which as you know is 100% perennial mix with 
a very high bluegrass content. We want to show people that a pound of this 
type of mixture will go, in many cases, 4 or 5 times as far as the coarse 
grasses."

Dwight Brown
McCullough Seed Company 
Cincinnati, Ohio

"We enjoyed your interesting talk on ’The Grass in Your Parks’ Future’, as 
given by you at our most recent G.L.P.T.I. at Pokagon."

Thomas H. Jones, Commissioner 
Department of Public Properties 
Cleveland, Ohio

"Thank you for your kind letter February 10 and copy of ’The Best Turf for 
Athletic Fields’.

"This is indeed interesting, and we shall most certainly make reference to it 
in a future issue of Parks & Sports Grounds.
"Please continue to mail your releases to us."

K.S.H. Clarke 
Parks & Sports Grounds 
Surrey, England

A Vote for Bluegrass

It is not only for sod that Ken­
tucky bluegrass makes an excel- 
ent orchard cover. True, blue­
grass does spread underground 
stems called rhizomes which 
gradually enlarge the colony 
into an extremely durable, inter- 
twined turf, preventing scarcely 
a bit of soil to wash away.

But equally valuable is the great 
”common sense“ of Kentucky 
bluegrass -- its characteristic 
habit of taking things easy when 
the going gets hot. Bluegrass 
lies dormant through the hot dry 
midsummer.

Dr. Aubrey Hibbard, University 
of Missouri, points out how valu­
able this attribute is in such 
troublesome, middle-latitude 
climates as occur in Missouri. 
Here, cycles of drought alternate 
with abundant moisture, and never 
is there assurance that ample 
rainfall will prevail all of any 
summer. Consequently, for those 
apple and peach orchards scattered 
through the rolling Missouri hills, 
fruit growers want assurance that 
what is anchoring their soil will 
not also be lowering fruit yields 
by drawing upon vital topsoil 
moisture which keeps the trees 
growing green.

Hibbard points out that even in 
1958, after a season of unusually 
abundant rainfall, the deeper soil 
layers had not been replenished 
of moisture exhausted by trees 
during the drought a few years 
back. It takes years and years 
for abundant top-side moisture 
to seep through the clays and 
loess, replenishing the deep 
underground reserves. Conse­
quently, orchard growth during 
abundance or scarcity of rain­
fall may have to depend on the 
upper soil for moisture.

Hibbard doesn't want cover 
grass transpiring this moisture 
to the air when the orchard 
trees are in need. The normal 
summer dormancy of bluegrass 
anytime the weather gets hot 
and dry fits orchard needs.
With one or two mowings per 
year, it will keep most weeds 
in check, outgrowing them 
when conditions are favorable, 
out-foxing them when drought 
threatens. - Robert W. Schery, 
Director, Better Lawn & Turf 
Institute, Marysville, Ohio.

...Excerpts from American Fruit Grower

* AN EDITORIAL *

Keep Going - Keep Growing

Two years ago while soliciting the Better Lawn and Turf Institute account 
for Bozell and Jacobs, Inc., one of the major questions was, "What is the 
future of the Institute ... what can be done to keep it going -- keep it 
growing?"

In the intervening time, much has been accomplished and a lot remains 
yet to be done.

The Institute has most certainly received the widest publicity in its history. 
Institute recommendations in behalf of quality turfgrasses (natural Kentucky 
bluegrass and the Oregon Fine Fescues, in particular) have appeared in 
numerous magazine and newspaper articles, in the "Your Lawn" cartoon 
panel series and in the Encyclopedia Britannica TV series. An increasing 
number of personal appearances by Dr. Schery ... the production and distri­
bution of the Institute film, "Bluegrass Beauty", have told and retold the 
same story to an ever-increasing audience.

The Institute has taken a definite stand on the climax testing issue ... made 
recommendations for consideration of a seal of quality to be awarded where 
packagers merit it on the basis of performance.

The Oregon Fescue Commission joined ranks with the Institute to further 
promote their Oregon grown fescues ... a strong Associate member group 
was formed ... the Institute activities have expanded into marginal areas 
in the continuing search for new fields, new uses and new adaptations of 
quality turf grasses.

These are highlights of what has been undertaken and accomplished in just 
two short years.

But what next? The increased publicity for the Institute and more visitors 
to the Director’s headquarters in Marysville, Ohio have brought into focus 
the fact that the Institute now has immediate need for more organized 
grounds, including exhibition test plots, more tending equipment, more 
buildings, all to bring to actual life the Institute to all who wish to come 
into physical contact with us.

This is the time to keep going ... keep growing. It is suggested that every 
possible favorable consideration be given to expanding the Institute’s facili­
ties into its final form as a showplace befitting the national organization it is.

Wayne Beavers