P U B L I S H ED IN F E B R U A R Y, M A R C H, A P R I L, A U G U ST A ND S E P T E M B ER BY O. M. S C O TT A S O NS CO., M A R Y S V 1 L L E, O H IO June 1932 F I F TH Y E AR Number 20 SPOTTED SPURGE SPOTTED SPURGE (Euphorbit maculata—L.) Every part of this weed exudes a poi- juice sonous milky which will irritate the skin to a red rash or even blister it. Nothing eats this pest. Even insects leave it untouched. Spotted Spurge is very hardy and adaptable. It is frequently seen in cracks of flagstone walks and other places where it is subject to trampling. Found in Dry Soils Other common names for Spotted Spurge are Creeping Spurge, Milk COPYRIGHT 1932 BY O M. SCOTT & SONS CO, ONE of the lawn weeds most fre- quently sent in for identification last summer was Spotted Spurge. With the belief that it may be equally preva- lent this year we selected it to feature this issue of Lawn Care. Spotted Spurge is readily recogniz- able. As the illustration shows the plant forms somewhat of a mat because of the radial basal branches which usually lie Hat. The stems are slen- der, somewhat red- dish on top, green un- derneath. Leaves are small, opposite, usu- ally oblong, often having a reddish blotch in the center. It has a long, branch- ing fibrous root sys- tem with many fine feeding rootlets. is most Purslane, and Spotted Matweed. It is an annual, propagates by seeds, and blooms between June and October. Its range is throughout America except in the extreme north. In dry soils of low fertility Spurge frequently found. The reason is easily explained. is In the thick, fleshy stems there enough fluid to keep the plant alive when other types of vegeta- tion are sufiering. Prevent Seeding This lawn weed may be kept in sub- jection if the plants are prevented from seeding. Spotted Spurge or Milk Purs- lane, as it i s quite often called, grows so prostrate that it easily escapes the mower. Even a low cutting golf course greens mower will not con- trol this pest once it gains headway. If this prostrate grower is pulled out before it starts to seed, a future crop is prevented. When the soil is wet it pulls out easily. Artificial watering with a garden hose will condition the ground for an attack from this angle. In doing so wear gloves to avoid the stain and irritation produced by the "milk." Some people are not as allergic to this juice as are others. Gather together as many of the pros- trate branches as possible before lifting on this weed. The root is less apt to be broken short if this manner is used. A large area may be cut out with a hoe. Iron sulphate has also been found to have a discouraging efiect upon Spurge and may subdue plants which have not become too healthy and vig orous. Use this chemical in solution at a rate of 4 pounds per 1000 square feet according to the directions in Lawn Care Number 6 for August 1929. Note that this procedure can not be used on Bent Grass turf as the iron sulphate would be detrimental to this type of grass at the suggested rate. In Impure Seed It is possible to get an infestation of Spurge in poorly cleaned seed although it is more likely to be found in clovers than among the seeds of turf grasses. © Summer Maintenance During very hot, dry weather, when nature slips up on her watering pro- gram, lawns should not be sprinkled daily but watered once or twice weekly. Light, too frequent sprinkling coaxes the grass roots to the surface, a condi- tion which is undesirable because the hot sun and wind soon parch them. Ex- cept in the case of very sandy soils one soaking every week is sufficient for the health of the lawn. Mowing is of importance, too. Prof. L. S. Dickinson of the Department of Agronomy, Massachusetts State College, has the following to say about mowing the lawn: "The more frequently a is clipped the more fertilizer is required. No turf except putting or bowling lawn greens should be clipped by a regular calendar schedule. During the very hot periods the lawn mower should be put down cellar and the lawn permitted to grow taller than in the growing season. Upon returning the lawn mower to use after the dry spell the blade should be lifted for the first mowing." © How To Kill Toadstools During moist, warm, muggy weather toadstools frequently appear in lawns. They are more apt to develop in soil that is rich in organic matter. The ordi- nary process of mowing will sometimes destroy them but the use of a chemical may be necessary to control persistent infestations. Here is the formula rec- ommended by the Department of Agri- culture at Washington: "Soak the ground thoroughly with sulphate of copper or Bordeaux Mix- ture. Another method is to loosen the soil and soak with iron sulphate using one pound to 1 % gallons of water. The Bordeaux Mixture is preferred as it does little or no damage to the grass." The following is a little more compli- cated but is suggested by Edward C. Vick, garden editor of the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph: "Dissolve one pound of copper sul- phate in an earthen or wooden vessel. In another vessel, when the copper sul- phate is ready for use, dissolve a pound of quicklime. Add the limewater to the copper sulphate and water to make six gallons. Make holes in the lawn by using a garden fork over that area which is infested with toadstools and for two feet in advance of the direction in which they are extending. Apply the solution four times at intervals of one week." O. M. SCOTT & SONS CO. MARYSVILLE • • OHIO EVERY PACKAGE OF SCOTTS LAWN SEED BEAkS THIS TRADE-MARK AND IS SEALED FOR YOUR PROTECTION A A 20 a