UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION NORTHEASTERN OFFICE College of Agriculture Rutgers University NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY A L E X A N D ER M. R A D KO N O R T H E A S T E RN D I R E C T OR N O R T H E A S T E RN T U R F L E T T ER Yolo I No* I YOUR NORTHEASTERN TURFLETTER April 1954 Here is your first Northeastern Turfletter0 It has been prepared specifically for subscribers to our Regional Turf Service in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, although this issue is going to all USGA member clubs and courses in those states. This publication will be issued approximately six times a year. Each club sub- scribing to the Regional Turf Service will receive two copies of each issue, addressed to individuals designated by the club. We hope each club designates its golf course superintendent and chairman of the green committee. This is your Turfletter0 Its aim is to help you* We hope you will find it a useful part of the Regional Turf Service. Any suggestions to improve it will be very much appreciated <, REGIONAL TURF SERVICE The Regional Turf Service was introduced in three Northeastern states at a series of meetings for green committee chairmen and golf course superintendents a few weeks ago. More than 200 persons attended. Of the USGA member clubs represented, approximately QQ% expressed a desire to subscribe for the Service• In brief, the Service is designed to strengthen the hand of the superintendent and the chairman — to help them in every way possible to keep abreast of developments in research and practical findings. The Regional Director is their agent for doing this. This Service is the first of its type organized by the United States Golf Associa- tion to insure support of research on a continuing basis. The continuity of a program is important in any field. It is our sincere hope that research for golf course turfs will be accelerated to the point where results will be available far in advance of any prior schedule. More research means more progress -- in the words of General Electric, "Progress is our most important product SUPPORT STATE RESEARCH PROGRAMS A question asked at several introductory meetings was, "How will this program affect state experiment programs now under way?" The Green Section program is designed to supplement and not to compete with the work of state experiment stations A portion of the funds obtained from our Service (approximately 20$) will be used to support research dealing with golf course turf problems. The projects sponsored have a coordinating head in Dr. Marvin Ha Ferguson, the Green Section*s National Research Coordinator and Southwestern Director. All Regional Directors and Green Section representatives have a voice in the allocation of these funds. As the USGA Green Section Committee includes many superintendents and club officials, re- search projects will be chosen carefully and the funds spent discreetly. DOES LEAD ARSENATE INHIBIT POA ANNUA GERMINATION? At the Penn State Conference in February, Dr. Bill Daniel, of Purdue, reported on tests to inhibit Poa annua seed germination. When very heavy rates of lead arsenate were used, Poa annua seed germination was suppressed. However, when heavy rates of lead arsenate were used with high rates of phosphate, Poa annua seed germination was considerably higher (about the same as the check plots)/ Heavy rates of superphosphate nullified the suppressing effect of the lead arsenate. Most analyses of soil samples examined by this office usually show high or excess phosphate present - as 0, J. Noer says, "They are low grade phosphate mines." Could this be part of the answer to the Poa problem about which we still know too little? MAKE SURE IT'S P0LYCR0SS Commercial production of Polycross creeping bentgrass seed has been very limited to date. Last year no seed was produced. Therefore, none is available unless saved from previous years. Make certain, therefore, that you know your source before you accept seed as Polycross. Reports are that many more pounds were sold than actually were produced. Accept Polycross seed only from reputable sources. Incidentally, if you plan to establish a nursery from Polycross bentgrass seed (when seed is available again) make certain that the nursery is managed and main- tained as a putting green. Polycross seed, as the name implies, is a composite of every possible cross between the three parent plants. Since many types are possible, the types that predominate and do best under putting green height of cut may not be the same ones that predominate if allowed to grow as stolons in nursery rows. Therefore, in order to get the best performance from your investment, it is advisable to establish your nursery from seed and immediately to manage and maintain it as a putting green. In the same vein, it is not advisable to attempt to produce your own seed of Polycross creeping bentgrass. which is produced onlv from vegetative plantings of the parent strains. True Polycross is first generation seed, C0PPERSP0T ON PUTTING GREEN TURF Dr. Spencer Davis reported an increase in copperspot incidence at the Rutgers turf plots last season. In fact, it was the only disease that occurred with any severity at Rutgers. Hip. tests shoxv that PMA3 at one ounce, Puraturf at 0.1 pint, Puraturf #177 at 1.6 ounce, and Cadminate at 0.5 ounce all gave very good control. (These rates are in terms of 1,000 square feet, using five gallons of water.) If there is any question whether the disease is copperspot, lightly moisten a white cloth and rub it over the diseased area. If you get a copper color — you've got it. MECHANICAL REMOVAL OF THATCH In the Northeast, where the normal growing season is short, mechanical treatment for thatch is an important management practice on putting green turf. The spring season is the very best time to use mechanical devices on thatch as bent grass grows most rapidly and recovers quickly in the spring. Thatched greens harbor disease organisms, reduce efficiency of nutrients, water and fungicides applied, footprint easily, and are more difficult to putt on. Mechanical removal is the quickest and the easiest way to reduce the thatch problem, but it must be done in the proper season when bentgrass is growing most actively. SIDELIGHT OF INTRODUCTORY MEETINGS At a meeting to introduce the Regional Turf Service in March at the Wykagyl Country Club, Hew Rochelle, N. Y., several persons remarked about the beautifully decorated room in which we met- Mrc Eric Scott, the club manager, said the job had just been completed and was an over-winter project for the golf course crew. Wykagyl keeps its labor force on all year long to insure having an experienced crew on the golf course each year. Although some other clubs also retain all the crew or at least a nucleus the year round, too many clubs still budget seasonal labor for the golf course* HOW LARGE A NURSERY ARE YOU PLANNING? It has been said on many occasions that a turf nursery is an insurance policy that superintendents hold against possible trouble. More and more superintendents are establishing nurseries of the improved strains of creeping bentgrasses, such as the G-l (Arlington) and C-19 (Congressional) strains. To get by most economically, it is best to plan a nursery in the long-range program* Rather than purchase large amounts of stolons, a nursery of any size can be established from a small quantity of planting stock. As a guide to nursery establishment from creeping bentgrass stolons, the following is offered: One square foot of creeping bentgrass nursery jsod (grown as stolons) will plant approximately 100 linear feet of nursery row. In one season the nursery row will spread approximately two feet in width; therefore, in one season one square foot of nursery stock will expand to approximately 200 square feet of nursery stock. As most commercial sources sell bentgrass stolons by the bushel, it takes approximately 10 square feet of nursery stock to measure one bushel. Using the guide mentioned above, one bushel provides enough planting material to set out 1,000 linear feet of nursery row, In one season, therefore, one bushel will provide 2,000 square feet of stolons. After the stolons have been grown in nursery rows, the next step is to stolonize a putting green surface. The recommended rate of stolonizing putting surfaces is one square foot of nursery row to 10 square feet of putting green area. Therefore, in one season one bushel of stolons will provide enough material to plant approximately 20,000 square feet of putting green area* Northeastern Turfletter USGA GREEN SECTION Sec. 34.66, P.L.&R. U. S. POSTAGE 1 Vi(j! PAID Beltsville, Maryland Permit No. 4 mvaieee sSerage Commission Box 2079 . Milwaukee 1, Wisconsin t.