PUBLISHED FIVE TIMES YEARLY A ND DISTRIBUTED FREE TO LOVERS OF BEAUTIFUL TURF February 1934 troublesome. Another Sedge of which a number of specimens came to us for identification last year is Low Galingale, Vol. VII No. 1 SEDQE Other Names: Chufa, Yellow Nut- grass and Yellow Galingale. Perennial. Propagates rarely by seeds; more often by tuber-bearing rootstalks. Time of Bloom: July to September. Seed Time: August to September. Range: New Brunswick to Minneapo- lis and Nebraska, southward to Florida and Texas. Common in Europe and Asia and in tropical America. Habitat: Usually found in moist soils. is a The Sedge family (Cyperacae) very large and thriving one. There are probably three thousand species scattered all over the world. Many of them are difficult to identify. One of the common strains is believed to have been brought to this country among some plants im- ported from the West Indies. Generally speaking the Sedges are inclined to pre- fer a moist soil so marshes and wet lands are frequently the headquarters o£ various members of the family. IMPORTANT SPECIES. We are selecting the variety known as Chufa or Cyperus esculentus for pur- poses of general discussion because it is more frequently found in lawns, but there are three other species worthy of mention. Nut-grass, Cyperus rotundus, is more commonly found in the south, although it often gets as far north as New Jersey. It infests various crops in the south, including cotton, and is very Cyperus diandrus. It is quite similar to Chufa or Yellow Nut-grass in appear- ance and soil preference, but is an an- nual. It is not as aggressive as the other types. Commonly found in not-too-well- cleaned Kentucky Blue Grass is another type of Sedge belonging to the genus Car ex. There are at least 185 species in this group. Muhlenberg's Sedge (Carex miihlenbergii, var-enervis) is its complete name. It is not particularly objection- able in lawns and as a forage crop is of some value in the south. SPREADS BY ROOTSTALKS. Most likely to be troublesome in a lawn is the type of weed which grows by underground stalks. Such a weed is Yel- low Nut-grass, the species which is de- scribed in the main heading of this ar- ticle. Mr. Didlake, botanist at the Ken- tucky State Experiment Station, says he believes that this type of Sedge seldom produces seeds, depending almost en- tirely upon the stolons or underground tubers for propagation. In common with most of the other sedges, Chufa is very grass-like in appearance. It is yellowish green in color. The scaly underground stems bear small fleshy tubers which send up new stems at close intervals. The tubers have a flavor very similar to that of the almond. If unmolested Sedge will grow to a height of two feet. Method of Control. Like Quack Grass and Canada Thistle the stems and under- ground tubers of Sedge must be starved out. There is a difference of opinion as to the success to be had in ridding a lawn of Sedge by simply providing bet- ter drainage, moist soil being regarded as the favored spot for this weed. The Ohio Experiment Station believes that drain- age is not enough, although this is im- portant is to be achieved. The individual plants must be pulled out when the ground is soft, spe- cial care being taken to get as much of the underground stem as can be re- moved. If a new plot of ground to be if final eradication put into lawn is infested with Sedge of the Yellow Nut-grass type, by all means let it lie fallow through the summer and work it over periodically to remove the rootstalks. Dandelions for SaleI AN interesting newspaper clipping from the Cincinnati Enquirer was sent to us some time ago by Dr. E. B. Doan of Miamisburg, Ohio. The story was to the effect that while thousands were fighting the dandelion to the last ditch with countless means of deadly warfare, and despite the fact that this weed represented the outstanding exam- ple of overproduction—dandelions were listed for sale in many 1933 catalogues. The writer of the column was horrified at the annoying toiling wearily to suppress a pest that perhaps someone in his own neighborhood was sowing! And even a sowing in his own neighborhood wouldn't be necessary, for with that airplane-like equipment a dan- delion seed can make a forced landing 'most anywhere. But what griped the gentleman more than anything else was the fact that the seeds were listed at $4.00 per pound. We could scarcely believe this, but upon looking up a cata- logue ourselves discovered a price of 75c per ounce or $12.00 per pound! thought of Wouldn't it be a strange turn of events if you who toil diligently to keep the dandelions from the lawn would find that your neighbor who allowed his to run riot had been offered $50.00 or so for his crop? I greatly enjoy Lawn Care! If you ever look for a new name call it "Nature's Bible" The wealth of information it con- tains is a boon to the amateur and prob- ably the professional as well. Hope you keep it up!—A. A. STAHL, 411 Audubon Rd., Kohler, Wis. Temperature Vitally Affects Plant Qrowth IN a publication entitled "Experiments with Turf Grasses in New Jersey," issued by the New Jersey State Experi- ment Station, the following comment on the effect of temperature on grass growth appears: "One of the limiting factors in plant growth is temperature. Most grasses do not start active growth in the spring until the average tempera- ture reaches 45 degrees F. "The growing season therefore usually begins during the month of April. Suc- cessive increases in temperature between 45 degrees and 70 degrees F. cause in- creases in the rate of plant growth pro- vided the moisture supply is adequate. Daily temperatures between 50 and 70 degrees F. seem to be most favorable for the growth of turf grasses, temperatures above 70 degrees usually causing in- jury. . . . "It has been estimated that, other things being equal, the length of the growing season is shortened by 4 days for each 400 feet of altitude or for every 55 miles northward from the equator." — S— Qrowing Qrass in Shady Places THE next issue of Lawn Care will feature this ever perplexing problem. Shaded areas in the lawn are the cause of more concern to the beautiful lawn lover than anything else if the volume of correspondence we have on the sub- ject is any indicator. The more ideas sub- mitted, the more helpful and complete will be our treatment of this important topic. Won't you who have found a bet- ter way to grow grass in the shade write us about your conclusions? Poor Dandelion — Now Comes the Artillery FOLLOWING on the heels of the Army's onslaught upon the Dande- lion, this letter came too late last fall to get into September Lawn Care: "Since the Army seems so thoroughly it committed to war on Dandelions, would seem time to call in the reserves. "I have tried several hypodermic syr- inges and find my marksmanship is not too good. I now use an ordinary dropper bottle with hydrochloric acid. I can place a drop or two in the eye of a dan- delion with perfect accuracy and that means good-bye Dandelion. "Commercial hydrochloric acid costs about 25c a quart and they do not ques- tion whether you plan to poison your wife."—FRED E. GIGNOUX, Colonel, Field Artillery Reserve Corps. "I take care of a good sized lawn and have found that dandelions and plan- tain can be dug out and kept out quite well by digging them before they go to seed. I had a digger made which has been borrowed by many. It is a bar of hexagon steel about one-half inch in diameter and 3% feet long and has one end rounded for easy handling and the other forked like a tack puller. "Job it down a few inches back of the root and pry out the weed. It cuts or breaks the root so far down or loosens ground so it can be pulled out and will not grow again. Extra good for all long rooted weeds."—WM. W H I T N E Y, 146 Pries Ave., Buffalo, N. Y. r7n general those weeds are most nu- merous which rise from seeds; and those most difficult to be extirpated which come from roots"—THOMAS H A L E, The Compleat Body of Husbandry, 1756. Hospital Executive J- Cures Lawn Evils W - T HE recent bulletin on the terrace problem reminds me that on a certain steep terrace for a number of years I have tried all sorts of ways to raise grass; finally gave it up and started planting various types of Sedum and creeping vines. I have a variety of Sedum which spreads very fast, also a vine commonly known as "Creeping Jenny." I have also used Vinca Minor to advantage. I find that these vines and the Sedum have a tendency to hold the grass although they do creep in on cer- tain areas. However, I like the effect of the vines and Sedum and am no longer particular about the grass. I tried Sedum Acre which seemed to do very well but the other varieties have crowded it out. "In regard to moles: I have been fight- ing moles in almost every way that has been suggested but never with very satis- factory results. However, I recently no- ticed in one of the numbers of Lawn Care a suggestion by someone that black pepper had been used effectively. I bought a pound of pepper and inserted it liberally in the mole runs and for sev- eral weeks had no evidence of mole operations. After several weeks I noticed moles were again working and imme- diately started on the pepper treatment. Their activities ceased at once. Appar- ently they will not work where there is evidence of pepper."—T. P. SHARP- NACK, Executive Secretary, Polk County Public Hospital, Des Moines, Iowa. — I received your booklet and found it very interesting. I am a user of Scott's 10-6-4 Turf Builder and think that there is none better. Our lawns have never been up to the standard of these last two W A L L A C E, Court House, years.—GEORGE East Cambridge, Mass. M Grubs Whitewashed I find that if the ground or grass is kept pretty well "whitewashed" with lime and water during the laying season, no grubs will be found the following spring, and this appeals to me as being a good preventative, especially since it is non- poisonous. The lead arsenate has been of no use to me in combatting these beetles in the lawn.—W. A. BRANDT, 4 1 07 Rose- mont Ave., Drexel Hill, Penna. Scott Publications Lawns, a small booklet of condensed facts about the making of a new lawn and the improvement of an old one. Bent Lawns, an illustrated booklet which tells how to make and maintain a Creeping Bent Lawn. Converting to Creeping Bent, folder explaining four methods of remaking and improving an old lawn by using Bent. The Care of Creeping Bent, an eight page bulletin of Lawn Care size explain- ing exactly how to maintain a lawn of Creeping Bent. Of interest only to those who have Bent lawns. Lawn Making and Maintenance. Sixty- pages of specific information that will be especially helpful in the building or care of large lawn areas. There have been twenty-five previous issues of Lawn Care and the following lawn pests have been discussed: Plantain, Crab Grass, Dandelions, Moss, Grubs and Beetles, Chickweed, Buckhorn, Ground Ivy, Yarrow, Earthworms, Heal- all, Ants, Speedwell, Creeping Butter^ cup, Sod Web-Worms, Moles, Knot- Grass, Sorrel, Quack-Grass, Spotted Spurge, Yellow Trefoil, Goose Grass, Nimble Will, Knawel, Shepherd's Purse, and Chinch Bugs. The June-July 1933 issue explained how to grow grass on terraces. For the complete series please allow 10 cents to cover mailing costs.