PUBLISHED FIVE TIMES YEARLY FOR LAWNTHUSIASTS © By O. M. Scott & Sons Co.f Marysville, Ohio Eighteenth Year Number 85 0 A B N O R M A L L A W N Y E A R of T h e w e a t h e r the past few months can be defi­ nitely described as un­ usual, at least consid­ ering its e f f e c t on lawns. Over a large portion of the north­ ern half of the country snow fell before the ground was frozen and it stayed on so there was little frost penetration. The snow provided good lawn protec­ tion except in wet places where some snow mold developed. As the snow melted, green grass appeared and with the warm weather of March it got under way to an early and lush growth. This soft green turf presented a problem to those who fol­ low the Lawn Care advice to feed and seed while the ground is frozen and the grass brown and dormant. Since there really wasn’t such a time this past season, many folks were con­ fused as to the best plan to follow in applying Turf Builder. There was so much moisture in the ground that the grass stayed wet so the optimum condi­ tion for feeding and seeding seldom existed. Even so there were exceptions and those who were able to take advan­ tage of the few good days, have better lawns because of having applied seed and Turf Builder. The month of March was generally beautiful and many had to get out and i mow their lawns a month earlier than usual. But along came a cold April and May with heavy frosts. As a result lawns were set back badly, many spots turning yellow and even brown because of the freezes. The wet and cold late spring was really hard on grass that started off with such a hearty growth in the early season. By June, warm weather began to restore the earlier damage. While it was good weather for grass with plenty of moisture, weeds were thriving, too, It is one of the laws of nature that dif­ ferent seasonal conditions may produce an abundance of strange weeds. A wet spring like this one may coax hard- coated seeds into sprouting and growth after many years of dormancy. SUMMER SUGGESTIONS Another phenomenon has been the tendency of some grasses to grow coarse and rank, quite in contrast to their usual character. This coarseness is usu­ ally temporary but while it exists those plants are hard to cut. Hand sickling may be necessary until the grass reverts to its usual texture. A wet spring and saturated soil usually means shallow grass roots. Therefore when it does begin to get dry, prompt watering is called for if facilities 2 are available. If the surface soil dries rapidly and unduly, the grass is bound to suffer. If an otherwise good lawn appears off in color and slow in growth, it may call for a feeding. Mid-summer appli­ cations of Turf Builder have to be made carefully but they can be worth­ while in stimulating a luxuriant growth through the summer when a nice lawn is most enjoyed. The precautions for a June-July feed­ ing are: (1) Apply at half rate (5 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft.) when the grass is dry, and (2) Brush the Turf Builder off the grass, using the back of a rake or push broom. On small areas it may be advisable to wash it in with the hose but if this is done be sure it is thor­ ough. A light rain or sprinkling after application will actually increase the danger of burn. Watch Crabgrass. A good lawn is not suddenly overrun with Crabgrass even though it may appear to be. What hap­ pens is that a few inconspicuous plants are permitted to go to seed for one or two years. These seeds are then scat­ tered over a wide area so the next year a real invasion is evident. Just a bit of alertness can save a lot of Crabgrass trouble. As the Crabgrass seedlings are getting started and before the jointed runners take root, it is easy to pluck them out. Pulling out one plant at this stage removes thousands of potential SCOTTS LAWN CARE seeds that otherwise would mature and fall to the ground after the first frost. Yellow Trefoil. One of the weeds that seems to become more common every year closely resembles Clover except it has yellow blossoms instead of white. It is called Yellow Trefoil (Medicago lupulina) and is a member of the clover family. Its growth is pros­ trate and so escapes mowing. Since it grows from a main central root, it is rather easily pulled when the ground is soft. The several branches should be gathered up in the hand before pulling so a firm grasp is obtained and the root extracted without breaking. Wood Sorrel (Oxalis stricta). Another summer weed with a yellow flower is called Wood Sorrel or sometimes Sour Grass. It is not a grass but an upright growing little tree-like plant that bursts into bloom at the height of a couple of inches. The plant is branching at the base, pale green and slender. The leaves are alternate, palmately, three- parted, about one-half inch long, bright green and smooth. They are very sen­ sitive and droop against the stock at night or when the plant is plucked. it spreads Wood Sorrel is either perennial or annual but largely from seeds. Mowing prevents seeding but sometimes the plants escape cutting and grow to maturity unless hand plucked. There is encouraging evidence that within a short time a chemical control for weeds will be available that will destroy growths of both Yellow Trefoil and Wood Sorrel without lawn injury. WOOD SORREL YELLOW TREFOIL NUMBER 85 LATE SUMMER PROGRAM Through the efforts of Lawn Care, the fact that the fall season is an excel­ lent time to sow grass seed has been pretty well accepted. The remaining task is to convince folks that the fall program should actually be carried out in late summer rather than to wait for the football season. It is best to follow Nature’s example. Her method is to mature the seeds of most perennials by mid-summer. They are then in the ground ready to sprout as the days get shorter in late August and as the heavier dews and more fre­ quent rains provide needed moisture. Most lawns have had to get along these last few years on a much reduced diet. Fortunately the situation on Turf Builder has changed. Now there is enough to give every lawn a good fall feeding. Turf Builder is applied at 10 pounds per 1000 square feet as part of the late summer program. It is safe to sow seed immediately afterwards. The period from mid-August through September is ideal for lawn feeding and seeding, whether the problem is to build a brand new lawn, renovate a poor one or to keep a good lawn in top condition. Even though the weather is hot, it is all right to go ahead. If the grass is brown and dormant for want of rain, Turf Builder can be applied and seed planted so that when the rains come the ingredients will be in the soil to make a beautiful fall and winter lawn. SIRS: the soft soaked sod A good way to move a lawn sprinkler with­ out walking on is to take an ordinary sprinkler and fasten a tin “toboggan” to it securely. Also put a brick on the “toboggan” under the sprinkler so the completed toboggan isn’t top-heavy. By start­ ing at the far corners of the lawn you can pull the sprinkler around with the hose with­ out ever going near it or turning it off. E. P. SYLVESTER Extension Plant Pathologist State College, Ames, Iowa 3 W eed Control In Lawn Care No. 83, published early this year, reference was made to a promising selective weed-control chemical. Extensive tests have been carried on through the summer with results so good as to be almost spectacu­ lar. It looks like the beginning of the end for dandelion and similar weeds. There is still much to be learned about these chemicals. It is necessary to know that there is no delayed harm­ ful effect on the grass plants or on the soil. There are also questions of tim­ ing, of effect on seed germination, of possible damage to trees and shrubs in the vicinity of the weed treatment. It appears that most of the problems may be pretty well worked out soon and that there will be a safe and use- able preparation for selective control of lawn weeds during the coming year. Correction We are grateful to L. S. Poor, of the Missouri Inspection Bureau, for point­ ing out errors of fact in No. 84 Lawn Care on the control of Ants. Gasoline fumes are heavier than air instead of lighter as stated. It is be­ cause the fumes seek lower levels that the fire hazard in careless use of gaso­ line is so great. Calcium Cyanide forms a lighter than air gas but Car­ bon Bisulphide vapor is heavier than air as stated in the article. The Missouri Inspection Bureau is alert to the importance of educating the public to the hazards of careless use and storage of gasoline and other po­ tentially dangerous chemicals. SIRS: My method of getting rid of Ants was to use a penny bean blower fitted with a stick. Pushed it eight or ten inches down into an ant hill. Withdrew the stick and poured an ounce of turpentine into the bean blower. Pulled it out. Next day there were no ants in sight. St. Paul, Minn. JOHN M. PETEK 4 LAWN CARE FOR VETERANS Several Lawn Care readers have kindly sent in names of returned servicemen who are embarking upon a career as landscape con­ tractors and nurserymen. If you know of any veteran who will qualify for this service, we will be glad to send the complete Lawn Care in the loose leaf binder and place his name on the subscription list, without charge or obligation- About Spreaders Before the war many Scott lawn enthusiasts had obtained mechanical spreaders from us for applying Scotts Seed and Turf Builder. Their produc­ tion was an early war casualty so that many others have had to get along without the help of a spreader. Fortunately it is only a matter of time now until we will again be pro­ ducing an improved version of the No. 50 Scott Spreader. If materials are released soon enough we will have them in time for use this fall. Finis to Grub Worms Entomologists in the U. S. Depart­ ment of Agriculture have worked diligendy for many years to find effec­ tive means of retarding the spread of the Japanese beetle. They found that arsenate of lead placed in the soil in sufficient quantities would poison the larvae of the beetles, but at best it was effective for only a limited time. SCOTTS LAWN CARE soils with spores of a disease that is fatal to young grubs. The U. S. D. A. has developed means of producing the spores biologically in laboratories, so that eventually the materials will be available to inoculate all lawn soils. Limited supplies are now available to the general public, so that home owners can safely inoculate their soils against future damage to their lawns by later generations of grubs. Disease development is somewhat slow and well developed grubs already in the soil may not succumb, but succeeding generations will be much reduced. Apparently the disease spores remain alive in storage or in the soil for years on end. The disease is specific in its action against several types of grubs, but harmless to man or animals. As a service to lawn enthusiasts we are experimenting on different meth­ ods of preparing the disease spores to furnish them in forms that are easily applied. It is anticipated that a satisfac­ tory product will be available soon. Lawn Care Binder This d u r a b l e loo se-leaf r i n g binder, containing all issues of Lawn Care an d w i t h capacity for five more years, will be sent for $1.00 p o s t a g e paid. of H u n d r e d s Lawn Care readers have presented them to friends as gifts and to public libraries and garden clubs. In their search these scientists dis­ covered that it is possible to inoculate The same complete set of bulletins in stiff paper binding is 25c. O. M. S C O T T & S O N S CO. M A R Y S V I L L E - - O H I O EVERY PACKAGE OF SC O TTS LAWN S E E D BEARS TH IS TRADE-M ARK AND IS SE A L E D FOR YOUR PROTECTION