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Table of Contents

Attendance List

1

.. .

Panel Discussion on Bermuda and zoysia
Grass Management.

5

Insects and Their Control.

John C. Schread

8

0. J. Noer

15

Water Systems for Golf Courses
P. J. Brennan
Grass Planting - Methods and Devices
.........
Fred Grau
f

22

Panel Discussion on Drainage...

3h

Turf Conference Speech

Weed Control

.

...

28

H. B. Musser

38

Fungus Diseases and Their Control In Cool
Season Grasses.........
William Klomparens

i|3

Compiled Courtesy of
WEST POINT PRODUCTS CORPORATION
West Point, Pennsylvania

LIST OP THOSE ATTENDING
MID-ATLANTIC ASSOCIATION OF GOLF COURSE
SUPERINTENDENTS
Lord Baltimore Hotel
Baltimore , Maryland
February 8 and 9* 1953
1. William E. Ambrose, Building T-5252, Aberdeen Proving
Ground, Aberdeen, Maryland.
2. C. B. Arthur, F. W. Bolgiano & Company, Washington, D. C.
3. Edward K. Bender, £06 Midland Road, Route 1, Silver
Spring, Maryland.
I4. Charles P. Betschler, Hillendale Country Club, Towson
Maryland.
5. Mide Bonavita, Cypress Cove Country Club, Franklin,
Virginia.
6. F. J. Brennan, Goulds Pumps, Inc., Seneca Falls, New
York.
7. L. W. Brown, G. L. Cornell Company, Bethesda, Maryland.
8. L. M. Burkholder, Fairfax Country Club, Fairfax,Virginia.
9. J. L. Cleary, W. A # Cleary Corp., P. 0. Box 7^9> New
Brunswick, New Jersey.
10. J. J. Cockriel, Glenwood Golf Club, Richmond, Virginia.
11. Bill Compton, Prince Georges Golf Course, Landover,
Virginia.
12. Sam D. Conger, DuPont Company, P. 0. Box 1918, Greenboro, North Carolina.
13. G. L. Cornell, G. L. Cornell Company, 1+715 Miller
Avenue, Bethesda II4, Maryland.
II4. Francis M. Coupe, 962 N. Longfellow Street, Arlington,
Virginia.
15. Eugene Crutchfield, Box 131}, Cockeysville, Maryland.
16. John L, Daley, U. S # Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland.
17. John Z. Davis, Vienna, Virginia. R. P, D. #3.
18. Tom Dawson, Jr., Country Club of Virginia, Richmond,
Virginia.
19. Raleigh W. Dawson, 6110 Tilden Lane, Route I4, Rockville,
Maryland.
20. Wilson Disney, F. W. Bolgiano & Company, Washington,D. C,
21. James Wm. Duke, Dover Brook Golf Club, Greenspring Avenue,
R. F. D. 7 9 Baltimore, Maryland.
22. David A. Edgar, Elkridge club, Woodbrook, Maryland.
23. Bob Elder, U. S. Golf Association, Green Section, Beltsville, Maryland.
2I4. R. B # Essex, Columbia Country Club, Chevy Chase 15,
Maryland.
25. M. E. Farnham, Philadelphia Country Club, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.

26. 0. B. Pitts, National Capital Toro, Inc., Silver Spring,
Maryland.
27. Reginald D. biddings, Seaford Golf Club, Seaford,
Delaware.
28. Wojoech P. Gransky, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Aberdeen,
Maryland.
29% Fred W. Grau, West Point Products Corporation, West Point,
Pennsylvania.
30. J. C. Harper, U. S. Golf Association, Green Section,
Beltsville, Maryland.
31. Prank J. Haske, I4715 Miller Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland
(G. L # Cornel Co.).
32. Charles H. Heintzeman, Jr., Memorial Stadium, Baltimore
18, Maryland.
33. Carroll E. Hitchcock, Pikesville 8, Maryland.
3U•
L. Holmead, National Capital Toro, Inc., Silver
Spring, Maryland.
35* Jack T. Howard, 135 E. Washington Street, Hagerstown,
Maryland.
36. Wayne Jerome, Congressional Country Club, Route 35
Bethesda li|, Maryland.
37. M. P. Johnson, P. W. Bolgiano & Company, ijll New York
Avenue, N. E., Washington 2, D. C.
38. Pulmar C. Jitt, Allview Golf Course, Ellicott, Maryland.
39. J. M. Keegan, American Agricultural Chemical Company,
14711 68th Place, Landover Hills, Maryland.
140. Russell W. Kerns, Green Hill Club, Salisbury, Maryland.
141. Tom M. Kerr, Lexington Golf Club, Lexington, Virginia.
142. Ennis H. Kidwell, P. W , Bolgiano & Company, If.ll New York
Avenue, N.
Washington, D. C.
143. William Klomparens, The Upjohn Company, Kalamazoo,
Michigan.
I4I4. John M. Leavell, Andrews Air Force Base, Washington, D. C.
Henry S. Lee, III420 Luxmanor Road, Rockville, Maryland.
I46. William A. Lenz, I|th & C Streets, Sparrows Point,
Maryland.
i|7. C. W. Lindsay, Fountain Head Country Club, Hagerstown,
Maryland.
148. E. F. Nuckole, Lexington Golf Club, Lexington, Virginia.
149. W. W. MacVicor, Sparrows Point Country Club, Sparrows
Point, Maryland
50. Tom Mascaro, West Point Products Corporation, West Point,
Pennsylvania.
51. John McCleaf, Hershey Estates, Hershey, Pennsylvania.
^2. Hugh McRae, 3029 Klingle Road, Washington, D. C.
53. John Milan, 2111 Garrison Blvd., Baltimore 16, Maryland.
514. John Howard Mitchell, 201 E. Randall Avenue, Norfolk 3,
Virginia.
55. Col. H. B. Musser, Pennsylvania State College, State
College, Pennsylvania.
56. 0. J. Noer, Milwaukee Sewerage Commission, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin.

57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
61|.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
7i4.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
8I4.
85.
86.
87.
88.

C. M. Paggott, Purcellville, Virginia.
Raymond E. Parr, The Evening Sun, Baltimore, Maryland.
A. Luck Payne, Purcellville, Virginia.
Rear Admiral John S. Phillips, Army Navy Country Club,
Arlington, Virginia.
Marcus R. Pleasant, Pormington Country Club, Charlottesville, Virginia.
Robert Pollock, Jr., c/o American Cyanamid Company, 1217
Hill Street, York, Pennsylvania.
A. E. Rabbitt, Bureau of Yards and Docks, Navy Department,
Washington, D. C.
A1 Radko, U. S. Golf Association, Green Section, Beltsville,
Maryland.
James A. Reid, Suburban Club of Baltimore Co., Pikesville
8, Maryland.
Joseph A t Reposkey, Talbot Country Club, Easton, Maryland.
Jim Roach, E. Mill Road, Flourtown, Pennsylvania (Sunnybrook Golf Club).
J. W. Reynolds, Monacan Hills Country Club, Manakin,
Virginia.
Benson R. Robinson, I|305 Purley Avenue, Baltimore 6,
Maryland.
W. H. C. Ruthvin, Box 118, Alliston, Ontario, Canada.
James Seacrist, Hagerstown, Maryland.
Charles Schalestock, 13IOI4 Midway Avenue, Rockville,
Maryland.
J. c . Schread, New Haven, Connecticut.
William C. Schreiber, Cedar Point Golf Course, Patuxent
River, Maryland.
Richard Scott, Rolling Road Golf Club, Catonsville,
Maryland.
Robert Scott, Baltimore Country Club, Baltimore 10,
Maryland.
L. R. Shields, Woodmont Country Club, Rockville, Maryland.
Pred M. Slack, Officer*s Golf Club, Port George G. Meade,
Maryland.
T. ft. Sleichter, U. S # Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland.
Noel D. Smith, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C.
Robert W. Smith, Baldwin, Maryland.
J. B # Spillman, American Cyanamid Co., 315 Gralan Road,
Catonsville, Maryland.
Ernest E. Stanley, Special Services Golf Course, Quantico,
Virginia.
E. R. Steiniger, Pine Valley Golf Club, Clementon, N. J,
S. A. Sweeney, Prince Georges Golf Course, Landover,
Maryland.
George Taylor, Baltimore News Post, Baltimore, Maryland.
James E. Thomas, Army Navy Country Club, Arlington,
Virginia.
Stephen Tobash, Officer's Golf Club, Port George G.
Me ade, Maryland.

Ill

89. Marion P. Toms*. Congressional Country Club, R. D. #3*
Be the sda, Maryland.
90. Prank W. Tull, Hercules Country Club, Wilmington,
Delaware.
91. Richard Watson, Chevy Chase Club, Chevy Chase, Maryland.
92. Paul Weiss, Jr., 1123 H Street, Sparrows Point Country
Club, Sparrows Point, Maryland.
93• Paul E. Weiss, Lehigh Country Club, R. D. #2, Allentown,
Pennsylvania.
9I4. Walter A. West, P. 0. Box 180, Thurmont, Maryland.
9p. Wm. J. Whitarer, 900 Maine Avenue, S. W., Washington,D. C
96. Robert L. Williamson, Ft. Leslie D. McNair, Washington,D.
97. William H. Wilmot, Summit Hall Turf Farm, Gaithersburg,
Maryland.
98. Laurince Wisner, The Officer 1 s Club, Aberdeen Proving
Ground, Aberdeen, Maryland.
99. A. T. Wicher, Baltimore Toro Company, Baltimore, Maryland
100. W. E. Zimmerman, 15>0 Overlook Dr., Bloomfield, New Jerse
101. J. Wm. Leverton, Glenwood Golf Club, Richmond, Virginia.
102. Robert E. Scott, Bonnie View Country Club, Baltimore,
Maryland.

BERMUDA AND ZOYSIAGRASS MANAGEMENT - Panel Discussion
Dr. Fred V. Grau, Leader
Panel Members:

Charles Schalestock
Bob Elder
Bob Shields
Jack Harper

The discussion was introduced with a few Kodachrome
slides shown by Dr. Grau. The slides illustrated the
successful use of locally adapted strains of bermudagrass in the vicinity of Washington and Baltimore.
Prom this beginning came a lively discussion by the
panel members, in which the following ideas were developed.
Advantages of bermuda
Bermuda is a natural weed control...It reduces the
need for irrigation water...There is grass to cut in
the summertime. Golfers have grass when they want it.
...There is a saving in machine maintenance because
the more dense turf cuts down on dust, which is hard
on machines...There is a more uniform turf. Bermuda
covers more rapidly and heals more quickly...The initial cost of establishment is the last cost; bermuda
does not have to be reseeded periodically...It provides a better lie for the ball...There is no mud with
bermuda. Crabgrass dies at the first frost and leaves
mud. Bermuda may go brown after the first, second or
third frost, but there is good clean "cushion" in the
turf...Winter color is not important at all for a person who wants to play golf. Even bentgrasses and bluegrasses will go brown in the winter in this area.
Color, if desired, can be added in the form of a dye.
A true golfer wants a true fflie!! and doesn ! t care particularly about the color of the grass...Bermuda is a
natural warm-season companion to ?oa annua which is
the natural winter grass in this area under close mowing and generous feeding...Bermudagrass improves the
soil, giving better percolation to the water...It
improves resiliency which is of great advantage to
players who complain that the fairways in the summer
are hard on their feet...Turf is more beautiful in the
summertime when more people can enjoy it...With the
coming of Caddy-carts and power carts it is important
to have an extremely wear-resistant grass like bermuda
...Prom the superintendents point of view, he can
fertilize in the summertime and thus have better distribution of labor.

Disadvantages of bermuda
It is hard to establish on large areas,..It needs more
nitrogen than most grasses,..It is aggressive and may
get into traps and greens...There is a shortage of
planting material and more nurseries are required,.,
Bermuda is coarser and harder to cut,,.It must be cut
more frequently,,,It develops a mat, but this is not
an insurmountable problem,.,The wear and tear during
the winter may injure a stand of bermuda unless it is
protected in some way..,Winter-kill becomes severe at
times.
Zoysiagrass
Zoysia is preferable to bermuda in some cases.,.It
tends to start a little sooner in the spring and stops
growing a little later,..It has more of a place on the
home lawn where fool-proofness and ability to grow under neglect is i m p o r t a n t , I t
is more tolerant of
shade,,.It is not as dense as bermuda; therefore the
cool-season grasses can grow with it better,,.It does
not invade so readily because it is less aggressive...
It is slower than bermuda, takes longer to establish a
turf,,,It is more costly and it may require
somewhat
more water,,,An advantage is that zoysia is easier to
control and it will invade bermudagrass under some
conditions.
Location
Bermudagrass belongs on the tees and fairways,..Zoysia
belongs on the aprons, collars, around the traps, in
wet areas, and on shady tees,,.Of the improved strains
U-3 is the most popular bermuda in this area because
it is winter-hardy,.,Meyer (Z-52) zoysia is the best
known at the present time, but new selected types are
rapidly coming to the fore. There are many locally
selected, perfectly adapted types such as populate the
fairways and tees at the Army-Navy Country Club, where
100$ goosegrass has been changed to 100$ bermuda in
four years,.,At the Naval Academy bermudagrass is kept
out of the greens by extra feeding on the greens and
extra watering.
Planting time
The best time to plant these grasses is in the spring
or early summer, from May to August. It changes all
of our previous concepts of planting*4*The cool-season
grasses are planted to greatest advantage in the late
summer and early fall,,.Dormant planting of zoysia and

bermuda can be successful...In fact, an experiment set
up at Beltsville by Dr. Grau and A1 Radko has shown
96$ survival without any protection or any watering.
This was with Meyer zoysia...Plugs are best to plant
when the material is dormant. This way planting can
be carried out throughout the entire year and this
gives the superintendent a grand opportunity to utilize his labor most efficiently...In some cases where
these grasses are planted late in the summer on a
clean seed bed, mulching over the first winter will
help them to survive...Tiffine (Tifton 12?) was mentioned as having a great possibility in this area.
Planting methods
The most economical use of material is to plant sprigs
in a clean seed bed, such as a nursery...One
square
foot of sod torn into sprigs can easily plant 60-80
linear feet of row. The sprigs may be set in rows 1218 inches apart and 8-10 inches apart in the row...
Another method of planting is to shred the sod into
sprigs and broadcast them, disc them in, and firmly
roll them. Keep them wet, of course, until established...Sprigs tend to spread faster than plugs...The
nursery should be no larger than can be adequately
taken care of...A two-inch plugger on a tee is not
much good; a larger plug is much better...Each tee
could have a nursery of improved grass on the back for
plugging into the tee and for use on the adjoining
fairways...Strips of sod came into discussion but do
not find much favor. A washboard effect tends to develop. ..Fertilizer under the plugs and good firming of
the plugs helps to insure success...On fertilization
almost everyone agreed that these grasses should be
fed at least twice a month throughout the season, when
they are cut at one-half inch or lower. In other
words, these grasses can utilize tremendous quantities
of nitrogen in order to make them respond...Closemowing is a "must" in order to develop most satisfactory turf. Clippings should be removed...Flexicombs should be used to keep the mat down.. .Everyone
agreed that periodic cultivation is a "must" in developing the most satisfactory turf under nearly all
conditions.

-o-

INSECTS AND THEIR CONTROL
John C. Schread
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
New Haven, Connecticut
JAPANESE BEETLE
Turf is often partially, or completely destroyed by
white grubs, the most common of which is the Japanese
beetle. Eggs are deposited in thrifty well-kept turf.
They hatch into white grubs that feed on the roots of
the grass. At first, irregular brown patches appear.
Ultimately, however, the turf may be destroyed completely. Maximum injury occurs during the spring
months prior to the completion of a one year life
cycle.
For many years lead arsenate applied at the rate of 10
pounds per 1000 square feet was the most practical
control measure for Japanese beetle and related grubs.
With the advent of chlordane and DDT in recent years,
an amazing development of faster acting and longer
lived insecticides began.
Chlordane is highly toxic to the Japanese beetle. It
is remarkably fast acting providing a more rapid kill
of grubs than DDT. It may be applied to infested turf
as a dust at the rate of 5 pounds of 5 per cent dust
per 1000 square feet. Also as a 50 per cent lettable
powder or I48 per cent emulsion. The former at the
rate of l/2 pound in 25 gallons of water and the
latter at the rate of 1/2 pint in the same quantity of
water per '1000 square feet of infested turf. Fertilizers may be mixed with chlordane dust when both
treatments are applied in the same season. Lime
should not be used with chlordane or DDT.
Treatments will provide accelerated kill of grubs if
timed to precede a rainstorm or when artificial watering is resorted to. Chlordane will remain toxic to
grubs in the soil for 5 years or longer.
DDT may be used as a supplementary treatment for grub
control at the rate of 6 pounds of 10 per cent dust
or 1-1/5 pounds of 50 per cent wettable powder in 25
gallons of water per 1000 square feet. Detailed directions for the use of chlordane are applicable to a
treatment with this insecticide.

Hairy Chinch Bug
During seasons of hot, dry weather the hairy chinch
bug multiplies rapidly, reaching epidemic status by
midsummer. It appears that all varieties of grasses
grown commonly in the home lawn are susceptible to
attack by this insect. Bentgrasses as well as young
bluegrass and fescue are more severely injured than
other grasses.
The presence of the insect may be detected by examining the turf at the ground level. The small (l/3 to
1/6 inch in length) black, fast moving adults with
white patches on the outer margins of the wings and
the brick-red young will be seen scurrying through the
grass. All stages of the pest suck the life giving
juices from the grass causing brown, irregular shaped
areas in the turf, growing larger as the season progresses. Sun-drenched turf in quiet and protected
places is sometimes more severely injured than turf
areas in semi-shade.
Chlordane applied as a 5 per cent dust or I48 per cent
emulsion has given good control of chinch bug. Five
pounds of 5 per cent dust per 1000 square feet of turf
(200 pounds per acre) or 8 ounces of emulsion in one
and one half gallons of water per 1000 square feet
(2.5 gallons in 6 gallons of water per acre) applied
as a mist rather than a coarse spray will destroy the
chinch bugs in a day or so and prevent reinfestation
for some time.
Ants
There are several species of ants found in turf. One
occurs more commonly than the others and is currently
known as the cornfield ant. This species builds small
single or multiple cratered cones or anthills in turf
which under favorable conditions multiply unbelievably
fast. Frequently infestations of this species follow
severe injury by Japanese beetle grubs.
Control is simple. Each colony may be treated with £0
per cent wettable chlordane at the rate of l/8 teaspoon per anthill and watered in by a watering can or
other convenient equipment. When colonies are abundant and the spot treatment method becomes laborious
the entire turf area may be sprayed with chlordane £0
per cent powder or 1+8 per cent emulsion. Four ounces
of either formulation in two gallons of water applied
to 1000 square feet and followed by thorough drenching
of the turf with water will destroy all ant nesta and

should prevent re-establishment of the insects for the
balance of the season. Other species of ants that may
occasionally infest turf can be effectively controlled
by chlordane as described above.
Sod Webworms
There are about one hundred species of sod webworms in
North America, one or more of which occur wherever
grass grows. Some species attack corn, wheat, oats,
cranberry and tobacco. However, a large percentage of
them are primarily grass feeders.
Because of the habit of these insects in feeding at
the bases of the grass plants, infested turf may take
on a rather moth-eaten appearance. Small irregular
brownish areas appear where the larvae feed at night.
During the day, they conceal themselves in silklined
tunnels at the surface of the soil or immediately below. Adults of the sod webworms are dirty gray to
yellowish brown moths.
The insects are more abundant and do more damage in
years of deficient
rainfall.
Severe
outbreaks
throughout the country in the past coincided with
droughts. Bentgrass and young bluegrass are more seriously injured by sod webworms than other
grasses.
There are two to three generations a year, being most
troublesome during the months of July, August and
September. Each brood must be controlled as it appears.
Chlordane is an effecient control measure in ridding
greens of sod webworms. Used as a 50 per cent wettable powder, the insecticide should be sprayed on the
grass foliage in late afternoon or early evening at
the rate of 5 ounces in If gallons of water applied to
1000 square feet of infested turf. When this procedure is followed maximum control should be attained
in a minimum of time. Light precipitation following
treatment does not appear to reduce materially the
toxic action of chlordane for this purpose.
Cutworms
As in the case of sod webworms, cutworms frequently
(especially during dry seasons) injure turf seriously.
There are a number of species involved, some of which
are more destructive than others. There may be several generations a season. The larvae remain concealed
just below the surface of the ground during the day
coming out at night to feed. Irregular closely crop-

ped brown spots develop in the turf especially noticeable in golf course greens, grass tennis courts
and
bowling greens.
For quick kill, chlordane 50 per cent wettable powder
used at the rate of 5 to 6 ounces in 2 gallons of
water applied to 1000 square feet of infested turf
will give good control. When the treatment is made
late in the day, dead and dying cutworms will be found
on the surface of the turf the following morning.
INSECT PESTS OP TREES AND SHRUBS
Birch Leaf Miner
The birch leaf miner would appear to be more abundant
and consequently more injurious to birch foliage during the past few years than heretofore. The birch
species most seriously damaged are the gray birch
Betula populifolia, white birch B. papyrifera and the
European white birch B. alba. The insect passes the
winter as a mature larva in an earthen cell in the
soil beneath the trees. In the spring it transforms
to an adult sawfly. It is black in color and about
1/16 of an inch long. Eggs are
deposited in young
leaves only. As a result all of the leaves are infested in the spring. Later in the season only the
new leaves in the tops of the trees or on young
sprouts are infested. There are several generations
of sawflies during the growing season.
For years incotine sulfate gave good control. Recently it has been shown that Malathion and Lindane used
at the rate of one pint of emulsion in 100 gal. of
water when the birch leaves are inhabited with eggs
and larvae in May will destroy the population. One
treatment well timed between May 15 and 2$ is all that
may be necessary to control the first brood. Treatments made July 1 and again 10 days to 2 weeks later
should control the second brood of miners.
Boxwood leaf Miner and Fsyllid
Boxwoods are frequently damaged by leaf miner and
Psyllid. The adult of the boxwood leaf miner is a
delicate orange yellow midge or fly about l/8 inch
long. It lays its eggs during late May and early June
in boxwood foliage. As the miners develop they create
blister-like swellings on the underside of the leaves.
There is only one generation a year. The adult of the
boxwood Psyllid is grayish-green in color and about
1/10 inch long. The first brood is active during May

causing a cupping of the terminal leaves of infested
boxwoods. Later the greenish colored nymphs with
waxy-like pellets adhering to their body disperse
throughout the plants.
Nicotine sulfate has given good control in the past.
Experiments conducted since 1950 have demonstrated the
effectiveness of DDT emulsion at the rate of 1 pt/ per
100 gal. of water in controlling adult leaf miners or
Malathion or Lindane emulsion at a comparable dose for
control of the miners in the leaves. Psyllids were
best controlled with Lindane and Nicotine sulfate at
dosage levels suggested for leaf miner. Treatments to
control boxwood pests should begi,n about mid-May. Retreatment four weeks later may be pursued if necessary.
Andromeda Lace Bug
Andromeda (Pieris japonica) has recently become infested with a new species of lace bug
(Stephanitis
globulifera Mat.) There are several broods of the
pest from May to October inclusive. The adult resembles the species of lace bug commonly found on Rhododendron; however, the head and wing markings are much
darker in color. Individuals average about 1/8 inch
in length. Egg laying and discoloration of foliage
caused by the insects follow much the same pattern
associated with other species of lace bug found on
different plants.
Control of the pest has been achieved through the use
of Chlordane, Aldrin, Dieldrin, Lindane and Malathion
emulsions at the rate of one pint to 100 gal.of wa(ter.
The first treatment should be made May 15 to 25>. A
second treatment may be made i| weeks later.
Strawberry and Taxus Weevils
The strawberry root weevil and the black-vine or Taxus
weevil are closely related species that may seriously
injure or kill hemlock, arbor vitae and . Taxus. The
larvae of the first species destroys the roots of hemlocks whereas the adults girdle the twigs of arbor
vitae. The foliage and roots of Taxus are -damaged by
the black-vine weevil. It would appear that the latter type of injury is the most serious, resulting in
complete loss of many valuable plants during the growing season. Each species has but one generation a
year.
Chlordane applied to the soil at the-base of the trees
as a
dust at the rate of 5 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. of
ground area will destroy the larvae and adults of both

pests
Taxus Scale & Meal:/ Bug
Lecanium fletcheri a soft-bodied scale is frequently
an important pest of Taxus. Certain varieties of yews
such as T. hatfieldi and T. brevifolia appear to be
more susceptible to epidemic outbreaks of the pest
than others. Eggs begin to hatch in late June and
continue to do so for about I4 weeks. The young scales
feed on the new branches and foliage and develop very
slowly until autumn. In the following spring feeding
is resumed and continues until the scales reach maturity. A species of mealy bug closely related to Cornstock1 s may be found on most any Taxus. T. capitata
and T, brevifolia are indicated as somewhat more susceptible to attach than others. There are two generations of the pest a year. The crawling stages of the
summer brood are present from before the middle of
July through early August. The young of the second or
fall brood hatch during September. They may or may
not disperse from the egg mass during the autumn.
Notwithstanding growth does not begin until the following year. On reaching maturity in late spring the
females create masses of pinkish eggs which are intermingled with waxy or cottony-like secretion.
A week
or ten days passes before they begin to hatch.
Control of both pests may be achieved through the use
of several or more compounds. Horticultural dormant
miscible oils applied in the spring after danger of
freezing weather has passed will kill the overwintering scales and mea]y bugs. Later in the season newly
hatched scales and mealy bugs can be controlled with
summer oils. Similar results may be achieved through
the use of Malathion, TEPP, Parathion, and DDT emulsions and wettable powders. Emulsions may be used
(per 100 gallons of water) at the rate of l/2 to 1
pint of the first three materials and 1 quart of the
fourth, also 2 lbs. of wettable powders. Nicotins
sulfate, 1 to 2 pints plus 1 to 1 l/2 gallons of summer oils will control young mealy bugs. Oils may damage evergreens hence caution must be exercised in
their use.
Mites
Spruce mite, two spotted mite, clover mite, boxwood
mite, azalea mite and others are perennially responsible for varying degrees of injury to arbor vitae,
hemlock, blue spruce, azalea, boxwood,
lawns, etc.
Much of the unsightly damage caused by mites to trees

and shrubs in recent years has for the most part arisen as a result of the use of DPT and other compounds for the control of insect pests. The insecticides have not only killed the pests but they have
likewise destroyed their insect enemies and those of
the mites as well. Consequently injurious species of
mites uninhibited in their development now appear to
be more serious pests than ever in the past.
For years controls applied to mite infestations seemed
to have been somewhat incomplete in their effectiveness. As a result considerable off-colored foliage
could be seen most anywhere throughout the summer
months. Fortunately during the past several years
specific miticides have been developed which are remarkable in holding down mite populations.
Among the newer miticides may be mentioned Aramite,
Ovotran, Dimite, and chlorobenzilate. All of these
and others as well may be used to control one or more
species of mites.
They may be used on mite infested trees and shrubs as
emulsions at the rate of 1 to 2 pints in 100 gallons
of water or 8 to 16 ounces per gallon of water in mist
blowers; the lesser dosages for light infestations and
the stronger dosages for heavy mite populations. Wettable powders may be substituted for emulsions.
In addition to killing many of the crawling stages of
mites, Ovotran also destroys the eggs. Hence this
miticide would appear to be desirable for general use.
It may be applied to mite infested trees and shrubs at
the rate of 2 lbs. of wettable powder per 100 gallons
of water or by mist blower.
Miticides should be applied to trees and shrubs as required during the spring and summer. Occasionally a
fall treatment may be necessary. When insecticides
such as DDT are sued to combat insect pests, one of
the miticides discussed may be included in the spray
program. Hence destructive insect populations are retarded and injurious mites are kept under control.

-o-

TURF CONFERENCE SPEECH
by
O. J. Noer - September 22, 1953
I presume a resident of Alaska, of Arizona and of
Florida would have a different answer to the question,
"What makes grass grow?" The Alaskan would emphasize
warm weather; in warm sunny Arizona, water would be
stressed. Florida always has plenty of sunshine and
ample rains, but the soil is white sand, so growth is
dependent upon plenty of plant food. Water, temperature and food are important. To have good turf it is
necessary to make conditions right for its growth. In
the first place, it is necessary to select the right
grass. It must be suited to the climate and adapted to
the particular spot. For shady areas shade tolerant
grasses must be used.
About 500 grasses have been identified in the U. S.
The ones which are suitable for use on turf areas can
be counted on the fingers of two hands. So choice is
limited. In the south warm-season grasses such as
bermuda, carpetgrass, St. Augustine, etc. are used. In
the north we depend upon the so called
cool-season
grasses; principally the bluegrasses, the fescues and
the bentgrasses.
Night time as well as day time temperatures are an important factor in plant and grass growth. Very frequently on seeded areas the seedlings do not fare as
well as expected, even though day time temperatures are
in a favorable range. The nights are too cool. Grass
requires an ample supply of water. Grass evaporates
about 500 pounds of water for each pound of dry matter
that is produced. Soil condition is a very important
factor. The need for a fertile soil is stressed, sometimes above everything else. The term is broader in
scope than just plant food content. Very often we receive samples of soil for analysis because grass is not
satisfactory. They ask what fertilizer is needed in
order to grow good grass on the green. Sometimes we
don f t even analyze the sample because the soil is
suited to make brick rather than to grow grass. A
fertile soil must do more than furnish plant food.
First, it must be well drained and when considering
drainage, one should think in two terms; surface and
under drainage. Good surface drainage comes first, because the quickest way to remove surplus water is by
run off. After that comes good under-drainage.

The soil should have the proper physical make-up. Soil
isn't just so much dirt. Actually it is a mixture of a
solid, a liquid and a gas. The solid is the mineral
particles and the organic matter, the liquid is the
soil moisture which surrounds,the particles and carries
the food which is taken in through the root system.
Organic matter enables soil organisms to operate and
hence makes the soil a dynamic rather than a static
medium. The soil solution at any one time never contains enough food to sustain growth for a long period
of time. The amount of soluble phosphorus is rarely
more than three or four pounds per acre. A fertile
soil, from the standpoint of plant food, is one which
can release insoluble nutrients rapidly and convert
them into compounds which the grass can absorb and
utilize.
What the layman believes about growing grass from seed
is fallacious. He thinks the more seed used, the
better the stand of grass. At one time it was regular
practice to use 600 pounds of seed to the acre on new
lawns around government buildings in Washington, D. C.
Apparently, some enterprising seedsman did a good job
of selling those in charge. Instead of getting good
turf they ended up with crabgrass, clover, knotweed,
and everything but good turf. It was demonstrated that
with ample soil fertility and a good seed bed there was
no point in using seeding rates in excess of 1^0 to 120
pounds per acre for a bluegrass-bent mixture. It is
important to bear this in mind especially with Morion
bluegrass and polycross bent. With Merion bluegrass,
commanding a price of 3 to 5 dollars a pound or more,
and with polycross selling for 7 to 10 dollars a pound,
the cost of seed may exceed the value of the land. A
seeding rate of 1 pound per thousand square feet has
produced an excellent cover of polycross bent. This is
approximately 1|0 pounds to the acre, so at 7 dollars a
pound that means $280 an acre for the seed alone, and
if one were to use 2 pounds of seed to 1000 square feet
the acre cost becomes $560. Land usually costs less
than that. If one were to build a golf course and have
to pay $560 an acre for the land, I think there would
be something said by the membership as to the amount of
money being spent; yet there is no quarrel at the cost
of excessive seeding rates.
I visit Door County, Wisconsin frequently. Beachgrass
grows in the dry sand along the shore of Lake Michigan
seemingly without water. The sand is loose and absolutely dry. Since no plant can grow without water, I
began to do a little digging and when I got down to
about 12 to 1 i| inches I discovered the long rhizomes
which are responsible for the spread of this grass.

The sand below contained a bit of moisture. The beachgrass adapts itself to the local environment with respect to moisture. Many of uou wonder why we do not
use pure sand for building greens. Sand is as bad as
other classes of soil particles, and will pack and make
a compact surface, especially when it is wet. Yet when
dry, it is loose and friable. Notice the deep footsteps out from the water 1 s edge where the surface sand
is dry. Walking there is difficult but not on the
tight wet sand.
Several months ago, I visited a golf course in Florida.
The greens were pure sand and yet they were as hard as
the floor upon which I am standing. Balls bounced to
thirty feet into the rough. Surfaces were extremely
hard because the sand particles were fine and uniform
in size. The first time over with the Aerifier, we
couldn f t get any deeper than 1 l/2 inches. Once when I
was in Cleveland I happened to notice the poor grass
along the edge of the practice green at the Country
Club. Naturally, I was curious and wondered why the
grass was poor along the edge and good out beyond. I
used a profile sampler to examine the soil and found
pure sand to a 5 inch depth. The sand accumulation was
the result of practice pitching out of the adjoining
sand trap. The grass was struggling and failing to
exist during the hot weather because sand did not hold
enough water. The grass could have been maintained by
more frequent watering. Sand in itself has such a low
water-holding capacity that it is necessary to water
more frequently than otherwise would be required. When
the Scotch professionals first came to America they
thought that sand was all that was needed because that
is what they used for greens in Scotland. Quite naturally, they attempted to follow the same practices over
here. After a year or two, grass started to die because of the imbedded sand layers. It happened during
the hot weather. Soil plugs taken from the green would
break at the sand layer because roots stopped there.
When the sand layer was near the surface, grass wilted
first and then died. In Scotland when the mid-day temperature reaches 75 to 80, X•m told there is a big
headline across the paper of a heat wave. In Iowa,
Illinois, Ohio etc., it is a relief to have summer temperatures drop to 80 degrees.
In the old days, when we had no cultivating tools, we
would topdress greens more frequently than otherwise
necessary in order to build a deep layer of good soil
above the sand layer. Now we can cultivate soil parts
at the sand layer except in the chocolate drop-like
mounds where the sand was mixed with the soil on the
Aerifier spoon.

Anybody who can grow grass at Pine Valley can succeed
anywhere. In 25 years I have never seen a bad green on
the course. Steiniger is capable, but the uniformity
of the soil and its excellent quality is part of his
secret in growing and keeping good grass.
The greens have been good at Des Moines, Iowa even
though Bill Keating considers it to be somewhat of a
bastard grass. The greens are Metropolitan bent which
has a tendency to mat and fluff at the top. But he
built the greens with a lot of gravelly material in the
bottom. Since then he has used a consistently uniform
topdressing and has prevented
the development of
thatched layers.
I have never seen bad grass on the greens at Milwaukee
Country Club in 20 some years. I can tell you when
Charles Gardner was the Superintendent, and I can point
out when Fred Haselow took over by the character of the
soil. The top layer is the Ted Booterbaugh regime.
Charlie was a great believer in sand, so he used pure
sand. When he left, Fred took over and found it necessary to water very often to prevent wilting. Because
of sand's low water-holding capacity he used humus, to
create a better water-holding capacity and was heavy
handed with peat. When Ted Booterbaugh took charge the
greens were so spongy that players complained about
them as a putting surface. Each time they became saturated with water
maintenance was difficult.
Ted
switched to a mixture which consisted of about 2 parts
of good coarse sharp sand, one part of loam soil, and
one part of organic material. The change created an
excellent putting surface.
Early in July I was in Chicago and found deep roots on
the "greens at one course. They were well over 16
Inches deep. There is about 50 percent by volume of
solids in the soil, about 25$ by volume of moisture,
and about 25$ of air to furnish the oxygen that roots
require. Roots will survive in a saturated soil for a
short time, a little longer than a human, but eventually they behave as we do. Let somebody hold your head
under water for a few minutes, then the undertaker will
do the rest. Grass can live without air somewhat
longer, but if roots are deprived of oxygen they soon
succumb. When roots are confined to the top inch you
are in for a headache during hot weather.
Last year we had a bad hot summer. I was in Cincinnati
when the temperature was about 105 to 110 with humidity
almost 100$. This was probably as fine an example of
Pythium injury to bent that I have ever seen. Streaks

are very characteristic of Pythium when it is rampant.
We do not have a fungicide that will stop Pythium,
about all one can do is to use a little hydrated lime,
and then go to church and pray for a change in weather.
Copperspot has a coppery, red appearance which is characteristic of this disease. We have some fungicides
such as PMAS and several others which will control and
prevent copperspot.
I was in Baltimore during early June and while I was
there I saw some greens in which fertility levels were
different. One got nothing but liquid fertilizer.
They were depending upon the extravagant claims made by
the producer. Don't misunderstand me, I f m not here to
condemn liquid fertilizers because I think they may
have a place. The only thing is that you can f t expect
l/ij. pound of nitrogen to be as effective as 1 pound.
There is another green in Baltimore which was receiving
nothing but liquid fertilizer at the rate recommended
by the manufacturer. An adjoining green received fifty
pounds of verta green which is a 5-10-5 along with 100
pounds of organic fertilizer containing 6% of nitrogen.
You can see the difference as far as color is concerned. The green receiving liquid fertilizer was crying for more nitrogen despite the manufacturer^ belief that it was receiving enough.
The Plots at Lansing, Michigan are Washington bent
which is very susceptible to dollarspot. No fungicide
was used all year. All plots received ample quantities
of phosphate and potash. The only difference was in
the level of nitrogen that was used. On the no nitrogen plots scars from dollarspot were numerous. When
three pounds of nitrogen per thousand square feet was
used per season not quite as much dollarspot but still
the scars are present. With 7 pounds of actual nitrogen per thousand square feet there was almost no
dollarspot. The last plot received 9 pounds of nitrogen and has no dollarspot scars.
There was a great deal of injury in the spring of 1953
from leafspot principally of the helminthosporium type.
In areas where we are having a lot of trouble with
leafspot, there is a trend toward a grass like Merion.
We are not having much success with Merion when we try
to seed it into existing turf or when we use it in
mixtures with other aggressive
grasses. Our best
stands are obtained when we start from scratch in bare
ground and use a seeding rate of 1 pound per 1000 or I4O
pounds per acre. An example of curvelaria type leaf*
spot is on a patch of velvet bent on a green in New

England. In this case it is my belief that the leafspot is the primary cause of injury. With this kind of
a situation some of the fungicides, such as PMAS and
Actidione, appear to have a place.
In this case leafspot was secondary and not the primary cause of damage. An excessive surface thatch and
several other things weakened the grass to the point
where leafspot took over and finished the job. In May
when I was in Buffalo I saw this very bad injury. It
was due to leafspot of the helminthosporium type. In
less than two hours the grass changed from good green
color to bad color• The bastard type Virginia bent is
known to be very susceptible to leafspot. This was the
first time I have ever seen the blue greasy appearance
of the turf in the spots where leafspot fungus was active, The greens were badly thatched, very acid and
low in magnesium and potash. We got them to quickly
aerify and follow with a Verti-cut machine in order to
remove some of the surplus grass, then apply dolomitic
type limestone, modify the fertilizer program to increase the dosage of potash, and change the kind of
nitrogen. I haven 1 t been back, but I received a letter
from the chairman in September and he said that the
greens came back and that they were much better all
season than ever before. Here again, the search for a
fungicide to stop leafspot would have been a hopeless
task. The thing to do is to put first things first,
get rid of the things that are weakening the grass and
then the fungicide will have a chance to do an effective job and perform as it should.
When I was in Toronto a few weeks ago, one of the clubs
complained that the holes do not heal after aerifying.
The same thing occurred with the old hollow tined
forks. Cutworms resided in the bottom of the holes
during the day and then came up at night to feast on
the grass around the holes. That J s why holes were not
disappearing. To prove it, I took my knife, cut out
one of the holes and here is what I found down at the
bottom, a nice big, fat, juicy cutworm. What they
should have done was to put on a little Chlordane to
get the cutworms under control before aerifying and
then the healing process would have taken place as expected.
When we put the Verti-cut machine on a green in Buffalo
and removed the surface thatch we uncovered an old snow
mold scar, which we could not see before. If you can't
afford to buy a Verti-cut machine—you can make one out
of an old mower. This was done by Peringa in Grand
Rapids when one of his Washington bent greens became
so bad members complained. He conceived the idea of

using pieces of welding rod on the blades of an old
discarded Ideal reel. He removed the bed knife and
quickly removed the surplus grass. The operation was
performed in the spring and the green was unplayable
until mid-July because of the damage he did. So he was
not too popular during May and June. When LeRoy Jones,
of the Lansing Country Club, saw the machine he was impressed with what it was doing. He used an Ideal also
because with it the bed knife can be removed quickly.
He took drill rods, welded them 2 inches apart and
staggered them l/2 inch on each succeeding blade. But
before welding them on, he ground them to knife edge
thinness on an emery wheel. A door sash weight was
placed out in front to hold down the mower. His home
made contraption did a good job. The stolons removed
from one green were enough to plant 18 greens. I think
the Verti-cut machine probably does a little better job
because of the design of the knives, but those of you
who don't have the money can make a machine, even
though you are not apt to save any money by doing so.
The water man should be instructed during dry periods
to set the sprinklers out around the edges in order to
keep a plentiful supply of moist-are on the banks and
slopes so that dry soil beside the green will not pull
water from the putting green proper. That will help
avoid mower injury along tho edge of the green and on
the aprons• I was in Cape Cod in July, during very dry
weather, which is unusual, but this man was smart
enough to keep the collars, the aprons and slopes well
wetted so he would have no trouble around the edge.
An example of fairy ring on a green—see first a circular spot. The fairy ring organism is of the mushroom
type. It lives on dead rather than living organic
matter. The dead grass is not directly due to the fungus. When fairy ring is present, cut out a piece of
soil from the infected spot. It will have a mushroom
like smell. If the organism is particularly aggressive
you will see the white thread-like mycelium in the
soil. The fungi requires a source of energy material,
just as you and I do. The source of energy for the
fairy ring fungus is the dead organic matter in the
soil. It lives on the dead organic matter and competes
with the grass for the soil moisture and nitrogen.
When the fairy ring is greener some of the fungi have
died and the mycelium bodies are undergoing decay by
soil bacteria with the liberation of the nitrogen that
it contains for use by the grass. When the grass is
brown the fungus has robbed the grass of all the soil
moisture and the nitrogen. Then the grass withers,
turns brown, collapses and dies. We need to find a

good fungicide which will step, a&d1 kill rbhe fungus - in
the soil. We have them, but rates needed will kill the
grass too, so we might just as well let the mycelium
have a good time instead of playing havoc with them and
the grass• The only successful way to combat fairy
ring has been to fork to get air and water into the
soil and to use a little hydrated lime to accelerate
the decomposition of the organic matter in the soil.

WATER SYSTEMS FOR GOLF COURSES
F. J. Brennan
Goulds Pumps, Inc.
Seneca Falls, New York
Because each Course presents problems peculiar to
itself and differing from other Courses, it is not
possible, in our talk today, to give you specific recommendations as to the type or size of System you
should consider the best for your particular Course.
Much depends on the location and capacity of your
source of supply, the distances and elevations to be
reached by the system as well as the length and sizes
of pipe already installed or to be installed.
To make a proper selection of the right type and size
pump - and to decide if more than one pump should be
used - it is essential that the pumpman understands
clearly what the Superintendent wishes to accomplish.
And this should cover not only his immediate requirements but also any possible expansion for the
near
future.
Frequently it is possible to make a pump selection
which can be designed to meet the immediate
requirements — and with minor changes to provide for more
capacity and higher heads for future expansion, without discarding the original pump. This is true particularly where centrifugal pumps are concerned.
Too, many installations can be better handled with two
smaller pumps, rather than one large pump.

Centrifugal pumps lend themselves well to working out
combinations; they can be installed and piped up to
operate in series - where the first pump delivers into the
second pump in order to get higher
pressure.
in parallel- where two or more pumps work side-byside to get more capacity in gallons
per minute at the same pressure.
independently- where one pump may handle large capacity at low or moderate pressure and
another pump may handle smaller capacity at higher pressure to reach the
more distant or higher elevations.
TYPES OF PUMPS
There are a number of different types of pumps which
may be used for Golf Course installations.
Today, the most commonly used type - where the source
of water supply and other conditions are suitable - is
the centrifugal pump. There are also the piston and
plunger types of various sizes and capacities which
are used for what is termed "shallow well or suction"
conditions. These may be used where the source of
water supply is at a depth below the pump of around
20 feet and the suction line is short.
Then, when your source of water supply is from wells,
where the depth to water is greater than 20 feet to 25
feet we have the
Deep Well cylinder or rod pump (rarely used today)
Deep Well Jet Pump - for capacity up to about 20
gallons per minute.
Deep Well Turbine Pump
Deep Well Submersible Pump
SOURCE OF WATER SUPPLY
If the pump can be located so that the elevation of
the pump above the low water level - when pumping or
during dry periods - is not greater than 20 to 25 feet
and the suction line is not longer than 50 feet, a
suction type pump may be considered.
Good practice permits the use of

a

centrifugal

pump

where total
suction lift - elevation plus pipe
friction - does not exceed 15 feet. Careful selection
depending on the design of the centrifugal pump - for
certain combinations of capacity and head permit using
the centrifugal pump for lifts as great as 20 to 22
feet.
Where the centrifugal pump can be located below the
level of the water - so that the supply flows to the
pump by gravity - you have the ideal conditions for
this type.
Where you have a lake, stream, reservoir or pond,first
consideration should be given to the centrifugal pump.
Where the pump must be located more than 20 feet above
the low water level or the suction line to the pump
is greater than $0 feet, one of the Deep Well type
pumps must be considered.
When your water supply must be taken from wells driven or drilled wells - the first consideration in
selecting the proper pump must be the volume of water
produced by your well. This is also called the well
tf
in-put".
About the only way to get correct data as
to volume
of the well is by a pumping test - run for sufficient
time to determine the in-put and the draw-down of the
particular well.
The Well Driller who puts down your well - if properly
equipped and qualified to run such tests - or someone
brought in to run such a test is the one best
qualified to supply accurate data.
It Is a mistake to invest in any pump having capacity
greater than the in-put of your well. A 100
gallon
per minute pump on a $0 gallon per minute well is a
mistake.
Where the source of water supply from a deep well is
less than your requirements the only alternative is to
pump at the maximum well capacity and store up water
in a reservoir or storage tank of sufficient capacity
to meet your peak requirements.
PIPING LAYOUT
Correct Pipe Sizing or Pipe Layout is the most interesting and most involved study for Golf
Course
installations•

In many cases, the real cost of delivering water to
the point of use is extremely high because of excessive pipe friction due to improperly sized pipe.
When you are considering a new installation be sure
you have a study made of the best possible pipe-layout
before selecting your pump or purchasing pipe.
This involves considerable work and a number of calculations but all the fellows in the pump business are
qualified and interested in making such a study for
you.
Where you have a survey or map of your Course so that
distances and elevations can bb determined it should
be made available.
Before purchasing pipe for your installations the
study and at least a tentative selection of pump and
motor or engine should be made.
Where you wish to add to an existing installation - or
to install a new pump on an old system, accurate information as to all pipe sizes,and reasonably accurate
data as to distances and elevations should be provided.
It is helpful, where an old pump installation is to be
replaced, to permit the pump man to check type, size
and speed of the old pump and record suction lifts
and discharge pressures before dismantling.
A comparison can then be made between the service you
have been getting and the improvement which might be
made by a new installation.
Lack of sufficient pressure when the water reaches
your sprinklers at either greens or fairways can
develop very unsatisfactory results. It is my understanding that the leading Sprinkler
Manufacturers
recommend a minimum capacity of 15 GPM and a minimum
pressure of
at their nozzles to accomplish the
desired results for green sprinkling.Greater capacity
and higher pressures are desirable under certain conditions and can be provided by selection of the proper
pump.
Proper sizing of pipe will avoid excessive pressure
and capacity in the areas close to the pump and too
low pressure and loss of capacity at the distant
areas.

ELECTRIC SERVICE LIMITATIONS
Most Golf Courses with which I am familiar today use
Electric Motors for their pump operation.
The combination of a good centrifugal pump direct connected to the proper size and type of electric motor
probably gives you Superintendents the least problems
of satisfactory operation and maintenance.
The modern type centrifugal pump has been designed to
operate with motors of higher speeds than the older
types and most commonly used today are of 3500 RPM.
The Public Utility serving you with
electricity
usually has certain requirements that must be met when
connecting a motor to the line. In many cases only
single phase current is available and the Power Company may limit you to a maximum size motor of 7|- HP
and in some cases to 5 HP.
Where three phase current is available there
more latitude as to motor size and type.

is much

Low line voltage is a serious factor in pump operation
It causes a reduction in speed (an important factor
in centrifugal pump operation)and a reduction in power
which affects any type of pump and can develop interruption in your sprinkling operations.
Low voltage can be caused by lack of capacity in the
transformer serving you, or, as is most frequent, by
the use of too small size of wiring, or overloading of
the circuit to which your pump motor may be connected.
Ample transformer capacity and proper sized wiring are
most important to a satisfactory operation of a pumping system.
To select the proper type of motor, the pump man must
know the characteristics of your electric service; i.e.
the voltage, cycles and phase.
For automatic start and stop operation,it is necessary
that the proper motor starter and other controls be
selected.
MAINTENANCE
Maintenance, I am sure, is a problem you gentlemen
would be happy to do without - or at least to reduce
it to a minimum.

Developments in the past fifteen years in the pump industry have been to a great extent directed to a reduction of maintenance problems in the operation of
pumps and water supply systems.
Simplification of design, inter-changeability of parts
and improved materials of construction have gone a
long way to accomplish this.
The centrifugal pump of today is constructed of a minimum number of parts; there are few close, rubbing
fits in the pump, and recently with the introduction
of the mechanical seal - to replace the older type of
stuffing box - maintenance has been reduced materially, providing your pumps and its driver (electric
motor, gae or diesel engine) is properly and substantially installed and aligned.
With the older types of pumps you have suction and
discharge valves, valve springs, stuffing box packing
and glands, gears, bearings, etc. to be concerned
with. Too, you have close fits to maintain and reciprocating action to contend with.
Lubrication of the centrifugal type pump is at a minimum as compared with the older piston or plunger
pumps.
In Industry, the users of centrifugal pumps frequently
carry on hand as a spare, a complete rotating element,
consisting of a shaft, impeller, wearing rings and
usually a set of bearings. This unit can be installed
quickly in the existing pump with little work or delay
and the original rotating element taken into the shop
for overhaul. The cost of such a unit is low when a
saving in time and labor is considered.
You will understand, of course, that piston and plunger
pumps are still manufactured - and there are some
conditions where nothing else can be
satisfactorily
installed; in such cases we must face the Maintenance
problem, but where conditions permit, I am sure you
will find the centrifugal pump to your liking.

—o —

GRASS PLANTING - METHODS AND DEVICES
Fred V. Grau, Agronomist
West Point Products Corporation
West Point, Pennsylvania
In developing material for this presentation, a number
of experiment stations and workers over the United
States and Canada were contacted in an effort to
derive pictures and material showing modern methods of
planting grasses. Surprisingly little material was
obtained. It appears as though much of the work done
over the past eight years in this area has pretty
well set the pace for the grass planting methods and
devices.
In considering the problems of grass planting, the
greatest one that faces us is not the establishment of
grass in a prepared seed bed but rather establishing
improved grasses into existing turf where the grass is
quite unsatisfactory, developing the new turf without
taking the area out of play. Golf course tees are
notably difficult in this regard because under heavy
watering to make the ground soft enough to insert a
peg tee and constant traffic, it is difficult to maintain a turf. Once the soil is thoroughly compacted
and puddled, establishing seed is virtually impossible
without heroic measures. Watson, Harper, and others
working at Penn State under Professor Musser and Dr.
Aiderfer found that there was a rather narrow zone of
compaction in the top inch or two. Below that usually
there is ample granular soil to support plant growth
and to supply necessary oxygen to the roots. The most
satisfactory establishment of grasses on compacted
soils will be with some device to break through this
compacted zone and get the grass started. Large lawn
areas and industrial lawns present a real problem because here they want the best appearance possible and
it is quite discouraging to plant expensive grass seed
and then to have it turn into nothing but crabgrass
and mud. The University of Maryland is a prime example in the author 1 s experience because I have seen the
grass on the front lawn steadily deteriorate ever
since 1931 when I started my weed control work on the
campus. This deterioration has reached the point
where soon steps will have to be taken to re-establish
satisfactory grasses in this area.
The alfalfa seeder or the grain drill is one of the
devices that has been used to plant grasses into es<tablished turf with varying degrees of success. In
some cases, the soil is so compact, such as on the

Rosebowl at Los Angeles, that an electric drill must
be used to get through the compacted zone in order to
set in plugs of bermudagrass.
In the preparation of a seedbed, there is an ample
choice of machinery to dd the job properly. Cultipackers, discs, harrows, combination cultipackers and
seeders, all make the job relatively easy. The drill
tends to leave the grass in rows which is not particularly objectionable if the grass is of a spreading
nature because it then covers quickly. However, with
bunch grasses, these rows may persist for a long time.
One of the methods of planting grass that has not been
given nearly enough attention is that of the seed-haymulch method. Here was shown a picture of Merion
bluegrass seed-hay-mulch being planted on the author's
farm at State College, Pennsylvania with a heavy spike
roller pressing the hay into a prepared seed bed.
This has the advantage of introducing seed and mulching it at the same time to keep the soil more cool and
more moist for almost certain establishment.
The author had the pleasure of working with "Doc11 Keyser on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in 19^1, developing a
method of seeding steep banks by mixing soil, seed,
and fertilizer and putting it through a gun-like machine and blowing it onto the banks in form of a thin
mud. This method was highly successful but has been
simplified and improved upon and is now in use by many
State Highway Commissions over the United States.
In doing a new lawn for a friend in University Park
last summer, the grading machinery left the lawnanooth
and level but very firm and compacted. The Jr. G-L
Aerifier was used twice over before making a new seeding. The pockets left by the spoons provided favorable resting places for the seed and it was well that
this happened because this was the only grass that
survived the extremely dry summer of 1953• It looks
as though here we have a principle that can be widely
used.
Nature created honey-comb soil at this time of year by
the process of alternate freezing and thawing. This
provides very favorable resting places for seed so
that when the warmer weather oomes, the ice melts and
the soils flow back together. The seed is perfectly
buried but nature provides this condition for only a
few days during the year. We must learn to imitate
nature and provide "honey-comb soil" at any time.
Fortunately now with machinery like the Aerifier and

similar implements, this can be done at any time we
want it. It is being successfully used on almost all
turfgrass areas across the United States. Several
pictures were shown depicting the use of these implements in planting grasses, both experimentally and in
actual practice. An outstanding example was Occidental College In Los Angeles, California, where the only
grass that survived band practice, wind storms and
rain storms was that which was lodged in the Aerifier
holes. Many golf courses have used these implements
to introduce
seeds through a heavily matter turf so
that the roots quickly came in contact with the soil.
Pictures were shown that were taken in Texas, Beltsville, Maryland, and other places. The use of the
Aerifier and similar types of machines on slopes where
it is difficult to get grass seeds to lodge long
enough to become established Is becoming an increasingly important use of these implements. It is easy
to see in the Kodachrorae slide depicting an Aerifier
hole through the compacted zone showing water entering the hole and spreading beneath. It also shows
that seeds sown in this way can get their roots
quickly into the looser, more friable soil below the
compacted zone.
There are various methods of preparing grass for
planting, especially where these grasses must be
planted vegetatively because there is no seed. One of
the methods shown was the use of the Rototiller in
tearing the sprigs loose after which the sprigs were
broadcast on a prepared seedbed and firmed in with a
caterpillar-type tractor. This did not work too well
because the seedbed was not sufficiently moist. The
sprigs were wiry and jumped back out of the soil and
no water could be applied after planting. A very
small percentage of the sprigs survived. This is not
a satisfactory way of planting.
One of the really new methods of harvesting sprigs for
planting was accomplished last summer on the Army-Navy
Country Club fairways.
Admiral Phillips and Jim
Thomas permitted me to come in with a power-driven,
side delivery rake roughening the excellent bermudagrass turf on the fairways. This was then followed by
the fairway mowers and the clippings were picked up
with a big fairway sweeper. These clippings were excellent planting material and within an hour were introduced into a prepared seedbed, harrowed in, and
firmed down. This, I believe, is really a new method
of preparing and planting sprig material.
The Verti-cut mower is being used for preparing sprig
material by feeding sod through the whirling knives.

This use was not in the design of the machine, but represents another use for this implement.
Mai McLaren in Cleveland made excellent use of the
Aerifier with one-inch spoons in converting an unsatisfactory putting green to a new type of bent by
planting sprigs in the holes. This green is very
satisfactory today. Various methods of planting were
then shown, including strip sodding such as was done
with St. Augustine grass at the Union Building at the
Texas A & M College. Spot sodding is a common method
with St. Augustine in the cemeteries in Houston, Texas. Then followed four priceless slides showing the
first planting of Meyer Z-52 Zoysia even before it was
named Meyer. The author and his associates grew this
first Meyer in the green-house during the winter of
19i47-l48 and planted it in a large plot back of the
south building of the Plant Industry Station in May of
I9I48. The solid sod, grown in flats, was cut into
small squares only slightly bigger than one-inch
square, molded into sort of a cone, and inserted into
Aerifier holes. These small bits of sod were pressed
down with the heel and allowed to develop quite naturally without any further assistance. They
successfully met all competition without irrigation and today
it is a solid block of Meyer Zoysia sod.
Pictures of the mole drain were shown to depict how
useful this implement can be in opening the difficult
soil and weedy sod for insertion of sprigs, chunks of
sod or plugs of sod for converting an unsatisfactory
turf to an improved grass. This has been done at many
places including the Philadelphia Country Club, and
Merion Golf Club. Following this, several pictures of
other devices were shown: cutting slits into the sod,
inserting sprigs. Last summer, one of the notable examples was on the #6 fairway at Woodmont, where better
than an acre of poor fairway turf was planted to U-3
bermuda in rows approximately 18 inches apart with
sprigs approximately that same distance in the row.
In spite of a very dry summer and poor rocky soil, the
catch was excellent. Other devices have been utilized
for planting including a subsoiler mounted on a Ford
Ferguson tractor. One of the principles of any machine is that on the return trip after planting plugs
or sprigs in a slit, one wheel of the tractor presses
the slit closed to firm the soil about the new pieces
of material.
This is extremely important.
Hand
planting is still the best method of planting where
there is a limited amount of material, being sure to
firmly press down the soil around the new planting
with a tractor, truck, or heavy car.

Water is quite essential in order to get the most out
of a new planting. Without it, a new planting can
easily fail. Zoysia seedlings were shown, planted in
both nursery beds and also in existing fairways under
continuous play.
One of the best examples was Operation Zoysia, designed by the author and his associates and carried
out on #3 fairway at Fairfax Country Club, Fairfax,
Virginia. The plugs and seedlings of various zoysias
were planted in holes prepared with one-inch spoons on
the West Point Aerifier. Also shown were zoysia seedlings in a nursery in Johannesburg, South Africa..
Tifton 57 bermuda at Tifton, Georgia, has
been
sprigged successfully in Aerifier holes.
Various
methods of stripping sod were shown, but this has not
proved too successful because of the wash-boarding
effect and uneven growth.
Solid sodding is becoming much more important. With
the advent of the power-driven sod cutters, it is much
less costly than ever before. This method of establishing a new tee or fairway area or lawns will become
increasingly popular as low cost planting material becomes available.
It becomes incumbent upon
the
superintendent to provide a sod nursery of these improved grasses for the continued improvement of the
course with which he is charged.
Many times sod is cut far too thick. It takes weeks
for it to knit to the soil and for the nursery from
which it was taken to heal. Pictures taken at the
Turfgrass Field Day at Boys Town, Omaha, Nebraska,
show common bluegrass sod stripped two inches thick as
is normally done in that area. At the author's insistence, the power sod cutter was adjusted to cut sod
one-half inch thick. A ten-foot roll cut two inches
thick could barely be lifted by a strong man with both
hands. A ten-foot roll of sod cut one-half inch thick
easily could be lifted with one hand. Not only will
the thin-cut sod knit more quickly where it is laid,
but the nursery from which it is taken will also recover far more rapidly because more rhizomes and
planting material have been left ih the soil to reestablish the stand.
Sod plugging is coming into its own particularly on
lawns, athletic fields and playgrounds. This is not a
new idea. It has been borrowed from the golf course
superintendent who has been practicing this for many
years, but new improved sod pluggers have been developed with magazine-type chambers making it quicker
and easier for fool-proof plantings to be made. Many

putting greens are being converted to improved strains
of bentgrasses without ever taking the putting green
out of play. This is an achievement for which we have
long sought.
A picture was shown depicting the planting of an improved shade grass in shady areas where it is next to
impossible to get grass seed ever to establish a permanent turf. Plugs of sod of adapted grasses set into
these areas are almost sure to grow. In the author 1 s
experience with this new Improved shade grass developed on his lawn, the survival of these
two-inch
plugs in heavily shaded areas has been nearly 100$. A
picture was shown of Michie Stadium at West Point, New
York. (Please do not confuse this with West Point,
Pennsylvania, where the West Point Products Corporation is located.) These pictures of Michie Stadium
and Beaver Field at Pennsylvania State University
showed where sod plugs of improved grasses have successfully repaired injuries to the field immediately
following games. This has been far more
successful
than the attempts at seeding that have been made in
the past. Then followed pictures showing the planting
of sod plugs into lawns.
The work of Dr. Zaki Mahdi at the University of California, Los Angeles, was described by 0. J, Noer and
Tom Mascaro. Mr. 0. J. Noer is with Milwaukee Sewerage Commission. Mr. Mascaro is President of the West
Point Products Corporation. They discussed the experiments run by Dr. Mahdi with the two-inch and fourinch
pluggers, using no fertilizer, Milorganite,
maleic hydrazide in various combinations. The effects
showed strongly that U-3 bermuda spread much more
rapidly when the surrounding grass first was sprayed
with maleic hydrazide to slow the growth. Then a plug
of U-3 bermuda was planted with plenty of Milorganite
under it. This combination caused the U-3 to spread
most rapidly against the surrounding competition.
In summary, it appears that considerably more study
needs to be made on the methods of planting grasses,
both from seed and with vegetative material. It is
rather unlikely that any firm will go into the business of making many grass planters simply because the
market is too limited and once an improved grass is
established, proper management creates a permanent
turf with little or no need for any replanting. The
satisfactory rapid low-cost establishment of improved
grasses into existing turf areas without taking the
areas out of use is one of the most challenging problems facing the agronomist and the engineer today.
-o-

DRAINAGE - Panel Discussion
Admiral Phillips, Leader
Panel Members: Bob Scott, Sr.
Reuben Hines
Paul Weiss
Marshall Farnham
Frank Murray
Alton Rabbit
John S, Phillips
To summarize the salient features of drainage, first
-let us consider air with relation to a green.
A green should be so located that air will flow freely
over its surface. It should not be hedged in by
shrubbery, land formations, trees or structures of any
description. It should be cut in the open to receive
plenty of sunlight, and placed in the path of any
prevailing breezes that might pass over its surface.
The soil itself should be porous enough to allow air
to circulate through its structure and provide the
necessary oxygen to support the life of the grass
plant.
Greens with poor air drainage are highly susceptible
to disease such as brownpatch.
With regard to water drainage, it may be said that in
general any low pocketed areas existing on the course
should be contoured with a sloping surface such that
water will not pond, but will drain clear of playing
areas. If this is not possible, then we must resort
to tilling the area in order to carry water off. This
method is successful in taking care of excess rain
water or seepage from springs.
With regard to greens, we might say that they are
better off over-drained than under-drained for we can
supply water through irrigation, whereas, when a green
becomes saturated we must wait for that drainage
inherent in the green, plus evaporation to get rid of
the damaging excess water.
Greens may be drained in several ways: by surface
contouring, by tilling,by a combination of the two,and
by percolation thru the sub-soil. (It would appear
that the latter three methods offer greater insurance
against the ravages of super-saturated soil resulting
from abnormal raift—conditions.) Tilling is costly

($250.00 - $500.00 per green) however, the cost is
minor when we balance it against the possible loss of
a green or at least the green's unavailability for
play over extended periods because of wetness. Insofar as possible, surface drainage should not be led to
the front apron of a green for most of the trafficking
is over this area and walking on wet soggy turf is
ruinous to the latter, because of compaction. At
least two directions of surface drainage should be
provided.
Greens built on hard surfaces such as an impervious
clay soil should have their subgrades carefully sloped
and free of pockets or low areas. The subgrade might
readily be contoured generally to conform to the surface of the green.
Greens built on the side of a hill should be safeguarded from seepage by the installation of an interception tile line above the green.
may be made
A very appropriate and terse statement
with regard to
drainage of turf
soils, namely
"Perfect Turf cannot exist without perfect drainage".
Bob Scott, Sr.
I don f t know why they picked me to be on this panel.
Maybe they thought the Admiral could get something out
of me from the past that will help those in trouble
in the future. So I'm going to be using the adverb
!!
whyn a good deal through my fifteen minutes.
Why do horticulturists produce such beautiful plants
and flowers in a green-house? Because he has control
of the water, air, heat and shade required by the
plants under his care. A golf course
superintendent
does not have that kind of control.
Why don f t we have as much trouble on our greens during
a dry summer as a wet one? Because we can usually
give the required amount of water during a dry one but
can't always get it away fast enough during a wet
one - mostly for lack of good drainage.
Why do some greens respond quicker to fertilizing than
others?
Because the root system is deeper
and
healthier in some than in others. Mostly because of a
better balance of air and water due to good drainage.
Why did a new green in low land go wrong even though
tile drains and cinders were laid underneath? Because

the open ditch to which the main drains were led was
allowed to get higher, blocking a free get-away of
excess water under the green. This was corrected, the
roots went down and the grass lived happily ever after.
Why did a green on top of a high hill go wrong in
wet weather? Because the green was too flat - partly
in the shade. No sand in the heavy soil, no drainage
and compaction took place.
Why have some greens under my care help up, even
though one or two are flat, for the past 33 Years?
Because they have either a tile or stone and gravel
drainage system and their roots are always deep and
healthy.
During
unfavorable
weather or perhaps
careless
watering a good foundation could be the roots salvation. A poor foundation could be their ruination.
There is an old Scotch saying "A penny saved is a
penny earned". A good drainage system will soon earn
the cost of its installation and save the superintendent many headaches.
Speaking of headaches, I have seen the time during a
wet-hot summer when it was not raining violets, as
the old song goes. Nothing but headaches for myself
and other superintendents who had heavy soil and the
drainage was none too good.
Modern aerifying equipment is excellent - tools for
getting air, water or fertilizer into the soil. But
you can*t always use them to advantage during excessively wet weather or during tournaments, but with good
drainage underneath and their use you would be more
than half safe.
Reuben P. Hines, Sr.
I was raised a dirt farmer and learned the hard way,
many years ago. As a boy, we would tile our drains
with wooden poles. They would last three to ten years
depending upon the kind of wood used. We then would
have to do the job over.
When replacing the
wooden poles, we used stone
collected from the farm, placing a stone on each side
trench, capping with larger stones, filling
# of the
' with more stones to about ten inches to the ground
level and dill in the balance
with soil. Size of
these drains averaged about II4 inches in width and 30

inches in depth, and if properly installed are still
doing service. The cost of labor was 75 cents per
day, sun up to sun down and the work was done mostly
by hand.
The modern way of drainage is by using power trench
machines which dig a li| inch by 30 inch trench 1000
feet in eight hours, using improved drain tile covered
with gravel, cinders or sand. This type drain will do
the 30b.
Good drainage of soils is indispensable to healthy
growth of grass and all crops. Surface drainage is
necessary, but the removal of excess water within the
soil is most important. Grass roots will go down deep
in soils which have good sub-drainage but will be
limited in soils which are waterlogged.
If you have proper drainage and good top soil, grass
and all crops will endure drought and heat. Under
drains should be used in all greens built with soil
which contains heavy amounts of clay. Some golf course
architects are not in favor of drain tile under greens
and consider them just an extra expense. They say,
surface drainage is all that is necessary. They are
making a costly mistake and unnecessary expense to the
golf club. Tile installed in construction costs in
labor and material, $300.00 per green of 5000 square
feet. If installed at time of construction, thousands
of dollars would be saved.
The Golf Course Superintendent has many headaches with
poor construction. I have been correcting some for
the past 28 years. Tile drains should be a must in
all new green construction in the Mid-Atlantic
area,
and contracts in all construction should specify the
necessity of tile drainage. Greens with poor subdrainage would be cheaper and more satisfactory if
rebuilt correctly than to nurse them along in their
present poor condition.

-o -

Crabgrass Control
by Chemical Methods

H. B. Musser

Crabgrass can be eliminated from established turf and
can be kept out successfully. The attack must be
double-barrelled, giving consideration to both cultural practices and chemical treatments. Cultural
practices consist largely of those standard operations
of cutting, fertilizing, -watering, aerating, and general maintenance, that are necessary for the production of good quality turf. They are so familiar to
every professional turf maintenance man that it is
hardly necessary to do more than call attention to
their role in weed control. Their bearing on the extent of weed infestation is so important and so obvious that they must be given a prominent place in any
control program. There is little to be gained by
going into what is often an expensive and time consuming program of chemical eradication, if cultural practices at the same time are not adjusted to produce and
maintain a good quality turf that will successfully
resist re-invasions.
The control of crabgrass by treatment of the turf with
various herbicidal materials has been the subject of
investigation for a number of years. Many materials
have been evaluated from the standpoint of their selective efficiency under different rates, methods,
time and frequency of application. Until quite recently most of the materials studied were essentially
of the contact-kill type. The effectiveness of these
depends mainly upon their effect upon the plant tissue
with which they come into direct contact.
Among such materials, three have shown sufficient
differences in their effect on the good turf grasses
and crabgrass to make them useful tools for a crabgrass control program. These are phenyl mercury acetate (PMA), potassium cyanate, and sodium arsenite.
As might be expected, all of them will produce a
better kill of young immature crabgrass than when applied to older tougher plants. Their effectiveness
also varies with the rates, frequencies and number of
applications, and the soil moisture, temperature and
other environmental conditions under which crabgrass
is growing. Where so many factors are involved it is
to be expected that variable results will be obtained

from treatment to treatment and season to season.
This can be illustrated by the following tabulation
showing annual crabgrass survival in experiments conducted by the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment
Station through the 5-year period 191+9-1953•
Table 1. Crabgrass Control.
Average percent
survival of crabgrass treated with various herbicides
during the 5-year period 19^9-1953.

Period
Pot Cyan.
PMA
N0# of Between Date of
Crabgr.
Crabgr.
Year Treat- TreatLast Rate
Survival Rate
Survival
ments ments
Per A %
Appl. Per A
%
3

19U9
1950

3

1951
1952 h
1953

5

Sod Arsenite
Crabgr.
Rate
Survival
Per A

1-month July 26 16 lbs. 15

10 pts.

11

5 lbs.

19

20-days

Aug. 30

8 lbs. 15

5 pts.

33

if lbs.

18

7-days

Aug. 23

8 lbs. 2b

8 pts.

35

1 lb.

35

Ill-days

Aug. 13

8 lbs.

3

8 pts.

2

lbs.

8

10-days

July 31

8 lbs.

5

7 pts.

1

l| lbs.

1

The above summary shows that when each material was
used at its most effective ratio, number of applications, and period between treatments there was no
significant difference between the results obtained.
It also emphasizes that wide differences can be secured by varying any one of these items.
The overall results of these studies indicate strongly
that the following methods of use of each material
will provide the most satisfactory degree of control.
Material

PMA. (10J6)
Potassium Cyanate
Sodium Arsenite

Rate of
Treatment
(per acre)
7 Pts.
8 lbs*
1§ lbs.

NO. of
Treatments
h to 5

Interval Between
Treatments
(Days)
10 to ih
it
N

The principal cautions to bo observed in following the
above recommendations are:

1 . Sufficient water '.must be used to insure uniform coverage (50 to 200 gallons per acre depending
upon spray equipment.)
2. Treatments should not* be made when soil moisture is low and temperatures are high (above 80-85°F).
3. Treatments should be started as soon as crabgrass emerges.
At the above rates and frequencies of treatments the
permanent turf grasses will be temporarily discolored.
Normally they recover within a period of two or three
weeks. The records show that the turf coverage following the treatments is significantly better than an untreated plots due to reduced competition from the crabgrass.
Effect of Herbicides on Seed Head
Development and Seed Viability.
A somewhat different approach to the problem of crabgrass control consists in applications of the above
herbicidal materials during the period of seed head
emergence and development. In this case the primary
objective is reduction in seed production rather than
a kill of the crabgrass plants. Studies of this type
have been conducted by the Pennsylvania Agricultural
Experiment Station during the past 3 years 1951-1953.
The results indicate that this method may be an effective tool for crabgrass control in cases where early
treatments have not been made or have been ineffective.
The following summary shows the results of treating
crabgrass infested turf periodically during the period
of seed head emergence through the 3 year period 19511953.

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Crabgrass Control by
Pre-emergence Treatments
A third method of crabgrass control that is showing
interesting possibilities is treatment with herbicidal
materials that affect the germinating seeds. Only one
year of results of this study are available and more
tests will be necessary before conclusions can be
reached* The data in table 3 are presented with the
definite reservation that they do not constitute recommendations of any of the materials studied.
Table 3. Effects of pre-emergence treatments of
established turf on crabgrass populations.
Material

No. of
Rate per
Treatment
TreatAcre (pound) Inverval (Weeks) ments

2,i4-D
1.5
Napthyl phthalamic
acid
6.0
EH Sesin
8.0
Nothing
Note:

Percent
Crabgrass Survival
7.1

k
7

5
3

13.9
15.5
70.9

Survival based on average number of living
plants per square foot at peak infestation on
control plots.

In this series of tests the first treatments were
applied approximately 2 weeks prior to first crabgrass emergence on the control plots. It is believed
that the percentage of crabgrass following treatment
with these materials can be reduced materially by
better adjustment of rates and treatment intervals.
The turf on the test area was composed of a mixture of
Kentucky bluegrass and bentgrass. There was no evidence of injury or discoloration of the permanent
grasses, except that in a few areas the bentgrass
appeared to be checked to some extent by the 2,i|-D
treatment.

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Fungus Diseases and Their
Control in Cool Season Grasses
William Klomparens
Michigan State College
The diseases affecting fine turf as well as other
green plants are caused mainly by the fungi. The
fungi as a group are not strange, mysterious things.
They can be seen by the aid of magnifying instruments.
They can be identified, grown, killed, allowed to reproduce, prevented from reproducing, and utilized to
quite an extent in industry. They are extremely valuable in decomposing the organic matter present on
most of the earth1s surface. Probably their most important function is that of breaking down these plant
reminas so that the nutrients can be utilized by other
plants.
They are, of course, microscopic in size and magnification is needed in order to study them carefully.
If a part of a filament of a fungus were magnified on
a screen so that it appeared to be about three inches
wide, this would be an approximate magnification of
two thousand times. If an average man were to be magnified two thousand times, he would stand about two
and one-quarter miles tall and have a footprint of
approximately a quarter of a mile long. Such is the
size of the microscopic organisms under discussion.
These microorganisms do not live only on the dead remains of living plants. They may also be found on
living plants and, in some instances, both on living
and dead plants. When they are found on live plants
in large numbers, they are apt to be causing disease.
Disease may be defined as any effect on a host plant
which would interfere with its normal development or
economic value. Diseases, of course, are not necessarily caused by fungi or other parasitic microorganisms. There are the so-called non-parasitic diseases which are caused by mineral or nutrient deficiencies or by excesses or deficiencies in water and
even by deposits of smoke and other toxic substances.
We, however, are primarily interested in the diseases
caused by particular parasitic action of the fungi.
Many complex factors are involved in the development
of a fungal disease, and all of these factors must be
working together in proper sequence. We must have a
proper temperature,proper moisture which would include
relative humidity, a susceptible host, and an active
parasite (fungus).

Each and every common turf disease is affected by the
principles just mentioned. Very often, the control of
these environmental conditions is so difficult that it
is nearly impossible to reproduce these diseases at
will. If the necessary temperature and humidity are
not present at the same time and for a proper length
of time, we cannot have a plant disease condition.
There must also be present the parasitic organism and
its susceptible host plant (turf) in order to cause
any symptoms such as we know.
Melting-out with its characteristic symptom—that of
progressing from powdery blue color to a definite
yellow to a dead, blackish brown matted a r e a — i s very
dependent upon all the environmental conditions just
mentioned. Melting-out cannot occur unless the humidity is extremely high. It cannot occur if the temperature does not reach the proper level. It also
needs the presence of the Helminthosporium in large
numbers and a susceptible grass.
Large brownpatch with its characteristic
thinning
within the smoke-colored ring is also governed by all
these factors. Large brownpatch will not occur unless
all of them are present.
Dollarspot, which produces the commonly recognized
bleached areas,also needs a specific set of conditions.
In this case, however,we find that cooler temperatures
will favor the disease. True dollarspot does not occur
in extremely hot, humid weather. The fungus is able
to attack grass blades only during the cooler weather.
This organism lies dormant during the hot, humid
weather and during the winter months.
Pading-out, which is caused by Curvularla sp., attacks
the common grasses during hot, humid weather. This
organism, like the Helminthosporium and the brownpatch
organism, is favored by warm, humid weather and it is
only at these times that it can cause the reddishbrown, angular spots or snaky-patterned
spots that we
commonly recognize as fading-out.
The copperspot symptoms which are not often seen are
also caused by a parasitic fungus which requires very
definite environmental conditions in order to damage
fine turf grasses. This organism, like others mentioned,cannot and does not cause damage during the cold
months of the year as the commonly known snowmold
organism does. Each fungus requires specific conditions in order to damage turf.

kk

Although all of the diseases discussed produce different symptoms and are favored by different environmental conditions,they all will respond to the general
principles of control. The principles of plant disease
control are: EXCLUSION, ERADICATION, PROTECTION, and
RESISTANCE.
Exclusion is the principle that utilizes plant quarantine laws which, in effect, govern the entry into
our country of any parasitic or detrimental organism,
plant or insect. This principle would have little
effect on the control that is practiced at present,
since the diseases we are combatting are already here
and occur commonly. It will, however, serve to minimize the number of new diseases which may occur in
the future.
As a principle, eradication involves elimination of
the parasitic organism,whether it be fungus or insect.
Complete destruction of wild host plants and weeds
would also come under this type of control. Partial
eradication is practiced by all golf course superintendents.
The third principle of plant disease control—that of
protection--is the one which golf course superintendents would be the most apt to use. This is primarily
the erection of a chemical barrier between the parasitic organism and the host plant.
Almost all sprays are applied to fine turf areas for
protective purposes. The fungicides do not completely
eliminate the fungus. The herbicides do not completely
eliminate the weeds,nor do the insecticides completely
eliminate the insects. In actual practice, the only
result is severe reduction in numbers of the fungi,
weeds and insects. This principle of protection also
involves many other recommended practices. Good coverage and spray application techniques are necessary
and should be followed. Sanitation, which is the removal of any refuse or trash where insects and fungi
might be produced, is important only for control of
turf diseases but for all plant diseases. Good sanitary practices will also aid pest control.
The last general principle, that of resistance, is
probably quite well recognized. The breeding and
selection of strains of grass which are resistant to
diseases and insects have been practiced for many
years. We find, however, that at present we have no
one single strain of grass that shows high resistance
to all pests which may destroy turf. It is also well
known in the biological field that in many cases when

a resistant strain of plant is developed, the fungus
is able to change itself so that it may then attack
the newly found resistant plant. We also find that
new, unpredicted pests may attack these new varieties.
Culture and maintenance practices which could have
been discussed earlier are considered to be of such
importance as to deserve discussion by themselves.
Observation of nearly a thousand individual plugs of
diseased grass has led to the finding of very definite
correlation between severe disease and thatch or mat.
Adequate coverage and penetration by fungicides will
probably be one of the most beneficial results derived
from removing excess thatch or mat. Maintenance practices could also include improvement of air drainage
by trimming trees and removing heavy underbrush. This
would be of considerable aid in allowing air movement
across a green. If excess soil moisture is a problem,
improved conditions of drainage may also lessen the
severity of the disease problem. Any maintenance or
culture practice that will prevent the relative humidity or temperature from becoming excessive will materially contribute to disease control.
Disease will, however, occur in the most favorable
locations on a golf course when the environmental conditions are proper and the parasitic organism and susceptible turf are present. Turf disease control may
best be obtained by understanding the principles involved in disease and disease control and in applying
these principles when and where it is possible. Any
practice which will keep the relative humidity low,the
temperature under partial control and allow the fungicide to come into contact with the fungus will be economical in the long run.

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