W

1

K

WORK IS THE LAW
Work is the law. Like iron that, lying idle about,
degenerates into a mass of useless rust, like water that
in an unruffled pool sickens into a stagnant and corrupt
state, so, without action, the spirit of men turns to a dead
thing, loses its force, ceases to inspire us to leave some
trace of ourselves on this earth.
—Leonard Da Vinci.

S E P T E M B E R

1937

This N E W S L E T T E R is published
monthly by the Greenkeepers Club of
New England, and sent f r e e to its members and their Green's Chairmen. Subscription price ten cents a copy, or a
dollar a year.
GUY C. W E S T
Editor

3.

JAMES McCORMACK . . Business Mgr.

5.

4.

213 Calvin St., Fall River, Mass.

450 William St., S t o n e h a m , Mass.

September, 1937
THE GOLFER'S

Vol. 9, No. 9
PRAYER

When facing outward on Life's tee
Whate'er may be my f a t e ,
G r a n t — I pray—this boon to me
That I may drive them s t r a i g h t . . .
And if my best be not enough
Then give me courage high,
To go out there into the rough
And play them as they lie . . .
And when on Life's broad putting
green
Other's make the cup,
If I do n o t — m a y I come clean
And always be well up . . .
So when my game of Life is played
And my clubs are laid aside,
No m a t t e r what mistakes I've made,
May I have qualified.
•—Anon.
During the last f e w years several
devices have been offered f o r use in
marking the position of a ball when
lifted f r o m a green, to eliminate the
scratching of the green with tee, finger,
or other object. Recently a r a t h e r new
device which has been used f o r some
years at the Charles River Country Club
and other clubs has come into prominence. This device is known as the
"Mark-it", and is a flat circular piece of
rust-resisting metal, thinner and smaller
than a dime, with f o u r prongs on the
underside. Clubs which use this device
usually provide them at the first tee f r e e
to the players. Advantages claimed f o r
the m a r k e r a r e :
1.
2.

It will save greens and that will
save money.
I t will add a convenience to
course equipment t h a t all the
players will use and appreciate.

I t will mark a ball accurately—
no more guessing which scratch
marked the ball.
It will not deflect the course of a
putted ball as a coin will—the
hole in the middle allows the
grass to come up through.

It will not be dislodged by a ball
passing over it—the small prongs
hold it firmly in place.
6. I t will be safe to handle—the
sharp edges have been removed.
7. It will not be l e f t on the g r e e n —
players must pick it up when they
replace their ball, and it does not
i n j u r e mower blades.
It is not the practice of the Greenkeepers Club of New England to endorse
publicly any product, but we are pleased
editorially to endorse the principle of
using this or some other similar device
to mark the position of lifted balls instead of scratching the green. Every
greenkeeper has had many headaches
f r o m seeing beautiful greens marked by
thoughtless players, and welcomes any
plan to eliminate such marks.

We have been privileged this year to
reprint in this and several previous
issues some "Talks on Trees" by Mr. E.
P o r t e r Pelt of the Bartlett
Tree
Research Laboratories. We hope t h a t
our readers have gleaned some information f r o m these articles to help in the
care of trees around the various courses.
Trees around the edges of a golf hole
often " m a k e " the hole, and their care
is rightly the concern of the thinking
greenkeeper.
The E n t e r t a i n m e n t Committee reports that a fine speaking program is
being planned f o r the Winter indoor
meetings. Why not resolve now to be
present at all these meetings? You will
gain, and your f r i e n d s will be pleased
to see you. The annual Frolic is being
planned f o r November, so make up your
mind now to be there with the wife.
From all sides come reports that this
season has been tough f o r course maintenance, so don't think you are the only
one with troubles. We all have them;
come around and talk them over; maybe
we can solve them together.

THE GREENKEEPERS'

MISCELLANY

Conducted by John Kay, M.Sc.Agr.
Reprinted f r o m
The Australian Greenkeeper
Overhauling

Equipment

On most courses the winter is the best
time of the year f o r overhauling- and
repairing equipment. Unfortunately, on
many courses little or no provision is
made f o r winter work of any kind.
Where this type of work has not been
done already, no time should be lost in
attending to it.
The best time to make major repairs
is when there is sufficient time to put a
piece of equipment out of use long
enough to do a good job. Thorough
overhauling of equipment during the
winter and spring months often saves
much time, money and unpleasant situations caused by breakdowns during the
busy season.
The reduced budget of recent years
has made it necessary to use much of
the equipment on golf courses beyond
its normal span of usefulness.
As overhauling is being done, a complete appraisal of equipment can be
made. Practical limitations on repairs
should be recognized and worn-out
equipment should be replaced at once.
It is important to recognize the possible life of machines at this time of
year rather than to wait f o r them to
break down j u s t before an important
tournament or when they are being
overworked during the busiest season
even without a tournament.
A thorough inventory not only of the
m a j o r equipment but also the smaller
items, such as flag-poles, cups and rakes,
should be made. If this has not been
done during the winter, advantage
should be taken of some of the bad
weather in spring, when regular work
is held up, to make such an inventory.
An order f o r replacements now and a
little repair work and painting will save
many delays and complaints during the
rush days soon to come.
Information

While r e f e r r i n g to overhauling and
repairs of course equipment, it is well
not to f o r g e t the most important piece
of equipment used in maintaining a
modern golf course or bowling green—
the greenkeeper's mind. Perhaps there

are a f e w worn-out or antiquated parts
there in the f o r m of theories or so-called
practical ideas. Perhaps some of these
ideas had better be scrapped and replaced, others may need only a f e w repairs and adjustments, while others may
need simply a little polishing and sharpening by rubbing against similar ideas
f r o m other minds, either through personal contact or through the printed
page.
The club assumes t h e bill f o r the parts
and replacements in the mowing equipment f o r the course, so why not include
at least part or the expense involved in
improvements in the mental equipment
to be used on the course?
I t is argued t h a t the particular piece
of equipment mentioned above does not
belong to the club and may leave a t any
time. Regardless of the merits of this
contention, there seems no reasonable
argument against the club assuming the
bill f o r a reasonably good collection of
books, bulletins and pamphlets to become a permanent p a r t of the greenkeeping equipment.
Throughout the
season a modern greenkeeper who knows
how to use books will find plenty of occasions f o r a handy library.
Moving Trees

Fall and winter are good times to
transplant trees. This work can be
handled by any greenkeeping crew if it
is done at the right time. The tree is
prepared f o r transplanting, if time permits, by pruning the roots during one
or two seasons, gradually cutting around
the ball and watering and fertilizing to
induce growth of new roots close to the
trunk. Medium to large trees are conveniently moved with the ball of e a r t h ;
approximately 12 inches of root ball
should be secured f o r each inch of the
t r u n k diameter. The hole which is to receive the transplant should be dug
larger than the ball in order to allow
room f o r filling in with good soil.
Trimming the

Tree

The best time to cut down trees or
trim off branches is during periods of
good weather during the winter months.
In doing work of this kind it is well to
keep in mind the opening of passage
ways which will admit f r e e r circulation
of air on some of the greens and tees
t h a t are in bad air pockets. The pruning
of shrubbery during the winter months
will often add materially to the general
appearance of the clubhouse grounds.
It should be remembered, however, that

many of the flowering shrubs, particularly those t h a t bloom early in the season, should not be trimmed during the
winter. In such cases, the pruning is
best delayed until a f t e r the shrubs have
bloomed next spring.

GOLF COURSE

SIGNS

By W. E. Langton
(Reprinted f r o m
The Pacific Greenkeeper)
There is a well substantiated belief
going the rounds to the effect t h a t a
man's thoughts, ambitions, and character are indicated by the books t h a t he
reads. I t might also be said with a g r e a t
degree of t r u t h t h a t the character and
disposition of the players on any golf
course can be shown lay the signs scattered around t h a t course.
Most signs on courses are a series of
"don'ts." Their purposes are varied: to
control ignorant players, to restrain selfish people, and to prevent disputes.
Sometimes they are put up with a vindictive feeling on the part of a club official; sometimes a member vested with
a little authority wishes his world to
have some tangible indication t h a t he is
j u s t i f y i n g his position as a club officer.
At any r a t e nearly all t h e signs are rules
f o r regulating conduct, but whether or
not they fulfill this mission is problematical.
I t is the opinion of the writer t h a t
most signs represent so much wasted
effort, f o r decent people will not understand them, and selfish people will_ not
heed them. They are generally an indication of weak officials who would rather
stick out a sign f o r t h e benefit of one
who violates golfiing ethics t h a n go directly to the culprit and give it to him
straight from, the shoulder, which latter
practice is much more efficient. I t cannot, of course, be said t h a t absolutely
all signs a r e the result of having weak
or vacillating officials in office, but most
signs are placed because t h a t is the line
of least resistance. I t is the easiest way
out and does not h u r t the dainty feelings of the constant offender.
I t is becoming more and more apparent to greenkeepers t h a t the greater
the number of signs placed on a particular golf course, t h e weaker are the officials, either that or the members are
sadly deficient in a knowledge of the

rules of the game, a sad commentary on
any course. The writer observed a t one
club enough signs to govern congress
and yet to any observer it was a p p a r e n t
that the players on this course were no
better governed t h a t those of another
course which has j u s t one sign which
read, "Be gentlemen; play the game."
In f a c t all the signs ever printed could
not mean more than this one, if as much.

KENT'S

COMMENTS

By Kent Bradley
" U N S H A K O . " — N o t the name of a
p a t e n t medicine f o r the jitters, b u t a
product of the Standard Pressed Steel
Co. of Jenkintown, Pa., t h a t is, T H E
N U T S ! A combination hexagon machine
n u t with built-in lock washer, t h a t is
used by leading a i r c r a f t motor manuf a c t u r e r s . Has been on the market, and
in use f o r some time. They come in various sizes and threads, and STAY PUT.
This terrible typester has been in the
hair of golf course machine builders f o r
some time to use castellated machine
nuts held secure by cotter pins, as do
automobile m a n u f a c t u r e r s . The trite
gag " f o r want of a nail, a shoe was lost,
etc. etc. could be brought up to date,
by, " F o r want of a nut, a bolt was lost,
f o r want of a bolt, a p a r t was lost (or
b r o k e n ) , f o r want of a p a r t time and
money was lost in golf course routine
work."
Mechanical-minded golf maintenance
managers either drill holes in bolts and
use the castellated nuts on new equipment, or use Irish lock washers" which
is defined as a peined thread, to keep
parts f r o m shaking loose. The bolt is
n. g. when taken off though. This trouble is out of style now.
We await with interest to see how
m a n y progressive m a n u f a c t u r e r s of our
rolling equipment will take this broad
hint, and use "unshako" nuts in 1938.
Yes, they cost more, but worth it, and
in many cases less than to drill holes
f o r cotter pins. They could be used on
mowers' tractors, spreaders, spikers, and
compost machines, as a start.
— (Note: the writer has no stock in the
company, nor is he acquainted with anyone in the Standard Pressed Steel Co.
This tip is passed on solely as a help in
solving a hectic problem.)

TALKS ON

TREES

By E. Porter Felt
Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories
Stamford, Conn.
Ants and scale insects are occasionally
associated and under some conditions
ants are signs of scale insects beingpresent.
The oak gall scale, so-named because
the scale insect looks f o r all the world
like a g-all, occurs singly or in clusters
on the smaller twigs of oaks. These
scale insects are grayish or dark brown,
harmonize well with the bark of the
twigs upon which they occur and might
easily be mistaken f o r buds. In midsummer they are nearly full grown and
the scale insects may be attended by
clusters of ants intent on securing the
a b u n d a n t sweetish liquid they excrete
and known as honeydew. It is probable
t h a t the ants give material protection
to these curious scale insects.
The intimate relation between the
ants and the scale insects is suggested
by a condition occurring at the Laboratories. There is a row about seventy
f e e t long of small red oaks. Two of these
t r e e s are f r e q u e n t e d by ants and also infested by this oak gall scale. The relationship is somewhat obvious since the
ants have also made burrows at the base
of these two trees. More than that,
there is in the cultivated strip in which
t h e oaks stand an ant run-way seventyfive f e e t long, the length of the row and
ending in a main nest near a stone wall.
The nests a t the bases of the two trees
near the opposite end of the row are
apparently secondary shelters.
These
ants, only about one-quarter of an inch
long have extended their community activities a relatively long distance if due
allowance is made f o r size. A similar
extension f o r man would be approximately f o u r miles and while this is only
a little ways with modern automotive
transportation, remember that the ants
have no such assistance.
There is
another interesting insect in this antinhabited area, namely, a small predacious wasp engaged in capturing goodsized female ants and using them to
provision burrows in which the grubs of
the wasps develop.
These three insects have somewhat
definite relations to each other and are
more or less dependent upon the oaks
being infested by this peculiar scale
insect.

Velvety, greenish-yellowish or brown
patches are sometimes abundant on
beech leaves, especially on low sprouts
or low-hanging branches.
This peculiar discoloration is caused
by an extremely tiny plant mite, approximately a hundredth of an inch in
length and barely visible with a good
hand magnifier and under favorable
light conditions. The mites presumably
winter under the bud scales or in the
shelter of rough places on the bark and
begin to produce the velvety areas as
the leaves start pushing out of the buds.
The feeding of the mites results in the
stimulation of the leaf surface and the
production of mat-like areas consisting
of irregularly open groups of abnormal
plant cells in and under which the mites
thrive. The affected areas of the leaf
are mostly concave on the upper surface of the leaf and convex or bulging
on the under surface. The gall-producing tissue is usually on the latter.
A somewhat badly affected leaf is
easily recognized by the lighter green
depressed areas between the veins on
the upper surface and the elevated,
smooth mealy appearing spots on the
under side of the leaf. These latter are
first a light yellowish-green, becoming
somewhat grayish as they age and eventually a rich brown. They vary in shape
f r o m irregularly oval spots to areas
occupying most of the space between the
veins. Badly infested leaves may have
three-fourths of the surface or more
covered with this peculiar growth. Ordinarily the affected area varies f r o m
possibly one-fourth to one-tenth of the
leaf surface.
These plant mites produce a conspicuous discoloration of beech foliage.
They are rarely sufficiently abundant on
the beech to materially i n j u r e the tree,
although they may weaken badly affected branches.
Ordinarily, spraying f o r this mite can
be justified only as a means of preventing an undesirable disfiguration of the
foliage.
There is a growing appreciation of
the importance of shade and ornamental
trees in communities.
This is evidenced by a number of recent clippings f r o m several papers. The
Kiwanis Club of Quincy, Illinois, has
undertaken to deliver f r e e more than
8,000 Chinese elms to the school children and it is expected that many additional hundreds of trees will be planted

by others. The Royal Oak Garden Club
of Royal Oak, Mich., is cooperating in
a practical way to secure more general
planting- of trees in t h a t community,
the effort to include setting trees along
vacant lots as well as in f r o n t of dwellings.
The boy scouts of Waterbury, Conn,
are cooperating with the park commission in making a tree survey of that
enterprising city. Such a group can
easily report upon the number, the size
and the condition of trees in different
areas in the city. A little comparison
will doubtless show a goodly number of
trees in some sections and almost none
in others. It is possible that the Boy
Scouts will retain sufficient interest in
the street trees during the summer to
report any which seem to be in a sickly
condition.
An unusual departure is noted in a
recent issue of the Tacoma (Wash.)
News-Tribune, which lists shrubs and
trees at street corners that obstruct
view and are traffic menaces. A recent
city ordinance gives the police department of t h a t city authority to correct
such conditions. The list was published
in hopes that there would be general
cooperation on the p a r t of owners and
t h e r e f o r e f e w cases where police powers
must be invoked. Trees and shrubs are
community assets and yet, they should
not be located so as to endanger life.
This latter is t r u e not only of trees and
shrubs obstructing views at street intersections, but is also t r u e of sizeable dead
limbs on street trees. Unfortunately, in
some localities these menaces to public
safety are ignored.
The care of trees now standing is important. This is especially t r u e in areas
which suffered greatly f r o m the drought
of 1936.

Tree consciousness is awake on the
Pacific Coast as well as in other sections
of the country.
Two cartoons appearing in the Sacramento Bee issues f o r March 2nd and
4th, t e s t i f y to a keen appreciation of
street trees and emphasize the f a c t t h a t
a petition f o r the removal of certain
trees has been denied. There are undoubtedly cases where trees on streets
should be removed. In r a r e instances
they may be menaces to public safety,
though in most such cases the trouble
has resulted f r o m a failure to provide
suitable growing conditions f o r the

trees. This latter is u n f o r t u n a t e l y altogether too prevalent in many communities throughout the entire United States
and presumably in other parts of the
world. There is a general failure to
recognize the f a c t that street trees require moderately rich soil (this need
becoming greater when the trees reach
a large size), an adequate supply of
moisture and conditions which premit
reasonable aeration of the soil. Tree
roots require air as well as the leaves.
The removal of a dangerous or decrepit
tree should be followed by thinking back
to the cause which brought about the
condition and a determination to eliminate, so f a r as possible, such troubles
f o r the trees still remaining upon the
streets.
Aside f r o m the removal of prematurely decrepit trees, there are many requests f o r the cutting down of others.
Sometimes this is to permit the widening of streets and if traffic is sufficiently
heavy, this may be necessary. In other
instances, the removal of the trees may
be desired simply that a driveway may
be located more conveniently r a t h e r
than a f e w feet to one side or the other,
or f o r unimportant reasons. It is easy to
cut down a tree. It is quite another proposition to replace it with an equally
satisfactory specimen. Many thousands
of magnificent trees are being sacrificed
unnecessarily. They are assets which
should not be dissipated without due
consideration
Occasionally trees have to be removed. Ordinarily this should be done
only when there is no other way out.

Cedar r u s t is a serious trouble on
apple trees growing near red cedars.
The season f o r cedar rust on apple
trees is approaching. The trouble starts
with the cedar apples now on the red
cedars. They develop flower-like, gelatinous horns during one or more wet
spells in the spring and produce billions
of spores which, under some conditions,
may d r i f t a mile or more to the leaves
of apple and thorn trees and produce
the well known., cedar rust. The foliage
of infected apple trees, in areas where
cedars are numerous, may have a distinct yellowish cast f r o m the numerous
rust spots and a considerable proportion
of the leaves may drop later. The cedar
r u s t spots on apple produce spores
which, in turn, d r i f t in late summer to
cedars and early the following spring

jg*?

PLANT

Woodruff's Seeds
TODAY
W i n the praise of your g r e e n s c o m m i t t e e
— a n d your m e m b e r s — a l l next s e a s o n —
by planting Woodruff seeds now. Woodruff m i x e s a b l e n d of s e e d s b a s e d o n a
s t u d y of y o u r soil a n d c l i m a t i c c o n d i tions—-and t h e n f o l l o w s t h e job t h r o u g h
until you're satisfied w i t h your g r e e n s
a n d fairways. Use this individual b l e n d ing service. Write today.

W ri t e- G ra ss Seed

Division

F. H. WOODRUFF & SONS
Milford, Conn.; Bellerose, L.I./ Toledo, Ohio
A New Friend
for every

Greenskeeper arid Greens Chairman

A pure, soil building organic matter, rich in nitrogen, entirely f r e e of
weed seeds and foreign matter. An ideal medium for composting. Light,
fluffy, clean and odorless. Packed in 200 pound containers (12 cu. f t .
compressed to 7)—ready for use requiring no shredding, grinding or
breaking.
ANALYSIS—Moisture—44.87, On Dry Basis—Ash 8.68%, Organic
matter 91.67%, Acidity pH—6.0 (7 is neutral). Calcium—1.68%, Maximum water holding capacity—530.64%.

B R E C K ' S
85 STATE STREET — BOSTON,
T e s t e d S e e d s a n d V . C. F a i r w a y

—THE

LARGEST

SEED HOUSE IN NEW

You can depend upon our

MASS.

Fertilizer

ENGLAND—

advertisers,.

cedar apples appear. They increase in
size that season and the following spring
produce spores. Two years are necessary to complete the life cycle f r o m one
host to the other and back.
Red cedar near apple trees make control difficult since spores f r o m cedar
apples are produced most abundantly
when apple leaves are growing rapidly
and repeated sprayings are t h e r e f o r e
necessary to keep the constantly appearing new leaf surfaces covered with
a protective fungicide. Sprays on cedar
in mid-summer and later prevent infection of this host, though the benefit is
not evident until the following year.
The production of spores by the cedar
apples is governed largely by the early
spring weather, there being one to five
periods, depending on the number of
wet spells. These are the times when
the leaves of apple and thorn must be
protected with spray. The closer red
cedar and apples are to each other, the
greater the difficulty of securing control. Protection of apple trees the coming season f r o m spores to be produced
by cedar apples now upon the cedars
can be obtained only by cutting them off
and burning them. This is feasible in
the case of small trees.
The cedar rust situation presents a
nice, though difficult problem f o r those
who desire to grow red cedar and apple
trees near each other.

The dogwood club gall is a common
deformity on the twigs of the flowering
dogwood. The infested tips are killed
and there is an appreciable, and in some
cases, g r e a t reduction in the bloom.
This deformity, as indicated by its
common name, is more or less clubshaped and one-half to an inch long.
There may be but one swelling with
these dimensions, or, in some cases, two,
occasionally running together or even
distinctly separated on the same stem.
Within one may find in a central channel
a reddish-orange maggot, about oneeighth of an inch long when full grown.
This is the producer of the gall. It remains in the twigs until late September
or early October. It then wriggles out,
drops to the ground and winters in decaying leaves and other debris under the
shrubs.
Several hundred of these galls were
collected last fall and carried through
the winter under approximately normal
woodland conditions. They are now pro-

ducing midges and the immediate problem is to ascertain which of the several
species of the tiny, fragile insects reared
causes the gall. One obtained in some
numbers is pale yellowish, about onetenth of an inch long and is believed to
live mostly in dead or nearly dead
woody tissues. Possibly it is taking advantage of conditions produced by the
gall maker. There is a larger, yellowish-orange midge, one-eighth of an inch
long, easily recognized by distinct black
bands on the antennae and legs and dark
shading of the wings. This is probably a
predator, t h a t is, its maggots live on
those of the t r u e gall-maker. There is
also a smaller midge with shaded wings,
but without the dark banding of antennae and the legs. This is also a predator. The probabilities are that the
t r u e producer will appear later and
present quite different characteristics.
I t is interesting that the comparatively simple dogwood club gall supports
such a varied series of midges and presents a real problem in identifying the
producer and working out a means of
control.
WHAT

ENTOMOLOGY MEANS
THE GREENKEEPER

TO

It is a mighty good thing that insects
fight so much among themselves; otherwise, they would overwhelm us. Insect
species that destroy other insects are
themselves destroyed by still other insects. This holds t r u e f o r insects on golf
courses—especially those on p u t t i n g
greens. We know f r o m experience the
considerable amount of trouble t h a t has
been caused at different times.
When conditions become favorable f o r
insects to work, we find ourselves in a
bad spot concerning the control and life
history of the insect t h a t has been on
the green f o r years, but has never
caused any severe damage. The control
measures supplied by the average agricultural college are usually f o r control
of the insect on some type of vegetable.
In m a n y cases this same insect is destructive to the fine turf on p u t t i n g
greens. Would it not be a good idea f o r
at least one or two experiment stations
to investigate and experiment with t h e
insects t h a t are on turf but have not
caused a great deal of damage to date?
Take the sod web worm f o r example.
This has always been on the greens,
but up to a f e w years ago had never
caused any trouble. When conditions

^S^

-USE THE NEW IDEAL

BULLDOG

G r e e n k e e p e r s , c h a r g e d w i t h t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y of k e e p i n g c o u r s e s in t h e
best possible condition, h a v e for years standardized on IDEAL equipment. Designed for durability and economical operation Bulldog g a n g
m o w e r s p r o d u c e r e s u l t s t h a t w i n t h e a c c l a i m of t h e G r e e n s C o m m i t t e e .
T h e y cut large areas faster and w i t h f e w e r men.
A v a i l a b l e in 3, 5, 7 a n d 9 g a n g s , i n t e r c h a n g e
able.
S e v e n or
five-blade
units optional.
^ ' B u l l d o g " u n i t s h a v e d r o p - f o r g e d ring g e a r s ,
^ut s t e e l p i n i o n g e a r s , o n e - p i e c e s t e e l roller,
chrome-nickel
steel double-edged
bottom
knife, and h e a v y chrome-nickel steel reels.
U n i t s m a y b e l i f t e d off t h e g r o u n d f o r s p e e d y
transportation over the roughest areas.
A c o p y of t h e n e w 1 9 3 7 c a t a l o g of m o w i n g
e q u i p m e n t f o r g o l f c o u r s e s s h o u l d b e in y o u r
files f o r r e a d y r e f e r e n c e . W r i t e f o r y o u r c o p y

POWER
GREENSMOWER
Duplicates s k i l l f u l handwork, r e d u c e s costs and prod u c e s

a

today

fi er

n

greens.

Write

^ r e e demonstration.

IDEAL MOWER SALES AND SERVICE
111 CYPRESS S T R E E T — B R O O K L I N E ,
Phone Beacon 2898 - 2899

MASS.

became favorable it caused severe damage and in many cases destroyed whole
greens because the greenkeeper was in
the dark as to what to do.
Sod web worms are found mostly in
t h e Mid-western states and to a less
degree in the East. They are the group
of moths called Cranbids or Snout
moths—snout projecting f r o m the head.
Adults are usually W inch in length
with a wing spread of f r o m 1 to IV2
inches. The f r o n t wings have designs
in gold, brown or black, changing their
color as they become older. They are
present in open fields and along borders
of woods. They like almost every type
of grass and especially blue grass and
bent. They fly mostly about dusk and
drop their eggs while flying. The eggs
hatch in about a week into lively little
caterpillars t h a t construct tubular burrows of silk and earth among the grass
roots on or just beneath the surface of
t h e ground. They emerge at night to
feed on the grass blades and often cut
them off and drag them into their burrows, where they feed at leisure.
Early in the fall the larvae close the
top of their nests and hibernate f o r the
winter and are able to stand the coldest
winter. The importance of these insects
is very great. While the larva is small
the damage is not apt to be noticed.
As they become larger, more grass is
cut off and a ragged appearance results.
Nests are usually perpendicular and are
found at or j u s t below the surface of
the soil. Excrement in the f o r m of dry
green sawdust-like grass is discharged
into the distant end of the retreat,
finally so filling it t h a t the larva is
forced to provide other quarters, which
it does by building a second tube or
tunnel f r o m the base of the plant in another direction. Four or five such ret r e a t s may be constructed and abandoned in t u r n by one larva in the course
of its life. The presence of the larva
is most easily recognized by the short
stubs of grass blades cut at the characteristic angle of about 45 degrees.
The most serious damage is caused when
t h e temperature is around 90 to 100° F,
especially if the weather stays at a very
high t e m p e r a t u r e f o r any length of
time. This does not mean, however, t h a t
no i n j u r y is done except in periods of
abnormal conditions. For there is a constant and severe drain on the productive
capacity of the sod at other time.
Seldom does serious i n j u r y occur two
years in succession in one locality. Control:

Ample fertilization will enable the
grass to make more growth than
the larvae can consume and thus
preserve the life of the plant until the
larvae are mature, or until disease or
n a t u r a l enemies make away with them.
The pest is held in check by insect
enemies and f u n g u s diseases. Therefore,
apply a top dressing with a g r e a t deal
of organic fertilizer. T h a t is supplied if
possible with plenty of bacteria.
Water the approaches to the greens
and keep well moist, as they p r e f e r
moist or wet soil, and t r e a t the approach
to keep them f r o m the greens as much
as possible. Use arsenate of lead a t the
rate of three pounds per 1000 square
f e e t early in June and 4 pounds to 1000
square feet the end of July. Do not
water or cut the green f o r at least 3
days. There is no damage f r o m the arsenate remaining on the leaves. The
reason f o r not washing the arsenate of
lead into the soil is because the young
larva seeks a hiding place under and
between the blades and remains in the
blades and obtains its food. By the time
the third or f o u r t h instar is attained
the larva is too large to live on a single
leaf. And then it makes the small t u n nel structure on or just beneath the
surface of the ground. Then it feeds by
cutting a leaf off near the base and
thereby causes more severe damage.
In some cases—especially when t h e
weather is very warm and the grass in
poor condition caused by a severe attack of the sod web worm—a g r e a t deal
of burning has been caused by using a
kerosene emulsion solution as an insecticide.
Submitted by
George Holbrook
Clinton Country Club
Clinton, Iowa
(A Winter School P a p e r )
SEPTEMBER

MEETING

The annual club championship was
held a t the Concord Country Club, Concord, Mass. on September 13th. Due to
very heavy rain most of the day, the
field was small, and scores were high.
The Championship was won by Ralph
Thomas with a gross of 85; runner-up
was Narry Sperandio with 86. Net
prizes were awarded as follows:
Nick Bruno—88-13-75.
San Mitchell—104-28-76.
H. Mitchell—105-28-77.
Simeo Braio—102-22-80.
G. West—99-19-80.

•

PUTTING

GREEN

SWEEPERS
W h y not keep your greens, tees, and clubhouse lawns looking
and

clean

neat?
This can be done with a minimum of time and effort through

the S P R I N G F I E L D

using

SWEEPER.

F o r g o l f g r e e n s , it g e n t l y r e m o v e s w o r m c a s t s , a n t h i l l s , l e a v e s ,
debris of
putting

all l i g h t

character,

s u r f a c e of the

which interfere with

the life, beauty,

and
andl

greens.

Quickly cleans up turf areas around the clubhouse and grounds.
Hand models
for

for greens, tees,

and clubhouse

areas.

Tractor

model

fairways.
W r i t e today for circular and prices.

Distributed by

N e w

E n g l a n d T W o

1121 W A S H I N G T O N

STREET, WEST NEWTON,

Newton North 7900

West Newton

O n l y reliable dealers a d v e r t i s e in the

Co.
MASS.

1658

NEWSLETTER.

THE

WHY

AND

Commercial

HOW

OF

Fertilizers

Plants, like animals, require food in
order to live, grow and reproduce themselves. Plant food consists of chemical
compounds of carbon, hydrogen, phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, sulphur,
calcium, iron and magnesium. The first
t h r e e are obtained f r o m the air and
water. The balance comes f r o m the soil.
The most important of the latter are
nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Many of our soils a f t e r years of cropping are unable to provide the essential
elements in quanties needed f o r the
proper growth of the plant. To enrich
these soils so that they will become economically productive, fertilizers which
contain the needed plant food elements
are supplied. Impoverished soils are not
only made to increase their yields, but
soils naturally lacking in one or more
of these necessary foods may be brought
into a state of fertility through the use
of a proper fertilizer.
Fertilizers are divided into two classes, dependent upon their source. The
two kinds are—
(1) Inorganic Compounds or
Minerals
(2) Organic
The inorganic compounds or minerals
are such as nitrate of soda, ammonium
sulphate, phosphate rock, acid phosphate, etc., which are taken directly
f r o m the earth, purified and broadcast
on the soil. Such products are usually
directly available to the plant and accordingly are used at once by the plant.
Being so readily available, if used alone,
a considerable portion of their fertilizing value is lost through erosion, leaching and washing away. If these products
are used alone in excess, harm may come
to the plant, and care must be taken
when using such products.
Organic f o r m s of fertilizer are such
as animal or fish tankage, various f o r m s
of
bones, cottonseed
meal,
castor
pomace, animal excretions, etc., which
are more slowly available to the plant
and supply a steady source of plant food
over a long period, and also serve as a
humus and soil lightener.
When buying a fertilizer, it is well
to have particulars of the products f r o m
which it is made, and following this will
be found a brief summary of the sources
of supply of the most important plant
food elements.

Nitrogen

Nitrogen is a gas and as such cannot
be assimilated by the plant, except in
t h e case of legumes, and so in fertilizers
it is always supplied combined with
other elements, and is generally spoken
of in terms of "ammonia" in which
f o r m the plant receives it. It is the
most expensive plant food element entering into the m a n u f a c t u r e of fertilizers
and is the f u n d a m e n t a l element of
vitality in either plants or animals.
Nitrogen also promotes leaf and stem
growth, imparting a green color to the
leaf.
Phosphorus

Phosphorus is the one element of the
essential plant foods t h a t must be used
in greatest abundance. Phosphorus is
derived f r o m compounds called "Phosphates." It is not only a plant food itself, but causes chemical changes in the
soil that break up insoluble compounds,
and set f r e e other plant foods contained
in the soil. The chief function as a
plant food is to produce and increase
the quality of the f r u i t and to stimulate
an early root formation, giving the plant
a vigorous start and hastening the
maturity of the crop.
Potassium

Potassium in a fertilizer always means
the compound containing potassium and
oxygen known chemically as "Potassium
Oxide," or commercially as "Potash," or
"Actual Potash." It is considered of
relatively less importance than either
nitrogen or phosphorus, as good soils a r e
naturally richer in this element. It is
essential f o r cotton, corn, tobacco, and
in tuber crops, such as potatoes and
beets. Potassium imparts tone and vigor
to the plant, aiding in the formation of
the woody fiber in the stalk and decreasing susceptibility to plant diseases.
Potash is never found pure in nature,
but invariably in combination with some
acid. The original source of potash was
"Wood Ashes," but due to economic conditions, this source had to be supplemented. The main source a t the present
time is f r o m German and French potash
salt deposits. .
( f r o m a John C. Dow Co. circular)
" I want to buy three lawn mowers."
"You must have a p r e t t y big place."
"No, but I have two next-door neighbors."

Golf balls found by maint e n a n c e c r e w s t h a t a r e n o t fit
f o r t h e p r o ' s u s e , c a n b e disposed of in a m a n n e r t h a t d o e s
not conflict w i t h t h e pro's business.
The funds obtained from the
s a l e of b a l l s c a n b e u s e d t o o f f set the personal e x p e n s e borne
by t h e g r e e n k e e p e r in attending- a s s o c i a t i o n m e e t i n g s . T h e
golf course benefits in t h e e n d
by the applied k n o w l e d g e thus
obtained.

The Perfect Combination
Victory
Putting

Green

Fertilizer

Its greatest testimonial has been its
continued use for years by New
England greenkeepers.
and

Hovey's Grass Seed
in

Mixtures

and

Reliable

Separate

Varieties

Productive

For full details, write to

Eastern Golf Company
244 WEST 42nd STREET
N E W Y O R K , N. Y.

Hovey & Company
130 Broad St.—Boston, Mass.
Han. 1 4 5 4 - X 4 5 S

WINTER

HARDY—ACCLIMATED
RHODE

Only Reliable

ISLAND

CREEPING
VELVET

Firms

B

E

N

G R A S S

are Permitted
to advertise
in the
NEWSLETTER

and

T
S E E D

Fairway

Mixtures

of h i g h e s t q u a l i t y f o r lowest price t h a t
seed of e q u a l q u a l i t y c a n be offered.
NATURE HAS WRITTEN A PRESCRIPTION for your course. Right
h e r e in s o u t h e r n N e w E n g l a n d is t h e
n a t u r a l h o m e of t h e e n t i r e f a m i l y of
the Bent grasses, the principal member
of w h i c h , n a m e l y R . I. B e n t , derived
i t s n a m e f r o m this, t h e s m a l l e s t s t a t e
in t h e union.
You c a n g r o w N A T U R E ' S O W N I N S U R A N C E into your turf by using
F R E S H , VIABDI2 seed w h i c h g r o w s in
T O U R l a t i t u d e in Y O U R c o u n t r y .
S A V E f o r y o u r club: B u y y o u r s e e d
direct f r o m t h e g r o w e r .
A . N.
KINGSTON

PECKHAM
RHODE

ISLAND

Our able reporter f r o m New Jersey,
Kent Bradley, recently sent us some
clippings f r o m his paper, the North Jersey News. The following are some which
may help or amuse:
Inspection points the way to protection.
Spendthrift

Mrs. Meeker: "John "
Mr. Meeker: "Yes my dear."
Mrs. Meeker: "There is a corner torn
off your pay check. What did you spend
it f o r ? "
The portly man was trying to get his
seat at the circus. "Pardon me," he said
to a woman, did I step on your f o o t ? "
"I imagine so," she said a f t e r glancing at the ring. "All the elephants are
still out there. You must have."
Prospective tenant to landlord: "Nice
place you have here. Is it f r e e f r o m
cockroaches?"
Landlord: "There isn't a single one
around."
Voice f r o m the alley: "Correct, they
are all married and have children."
Definitions

Executive—A man who makes decisions quickly—and is sometimes right.
Monologue—A conversation between
a student and a professor.
Highbrow—A person educated beyond his intelligence.
Social Tact—Making your company
feel at home, even though they wish
they were.
" W h a t ' s this?" asked the Scotchman
excitedly, glancing at the headlines of
the newspaper at the news stand. "Edinburgh Express wrecked near Dundee?...
And my wife was on t h a t t r a i n , " he said
as he turned to walk away.
"Well, aren't you going to get a paper
and read the details?"
"Oh, I'll wait f o r the later edition and
get the football news at the same time."
Gold

Digger

A gold-digger is a gal who p r e f e r s
heavy sugar to honeyed words.

Bigger Battlefields

The old narrow trails where two cars
could barely pass without colliding are
happily being replaced by splendid wide
highways on which six or eight cars can
collide at the same time.
W i f e : "Darling, the new maid has
burned the bacon and eggs. Wouldn't
you be satisfied with a couple of kisses
for breakfast?"
H u b b y : "Sure, bring her in."

Half

Rates

"Make me a child again, just f o r tonight,"
Once said a Scotsman—and Scotsmen
are tight.
"I'm leaving tonight on a rail trip to
Ayr;
Make me a child and I'll travel halffare."
Officer (to colored driver who has
been whipping his horse) : "Don't whip
him, man—talk to him."
Driver (to horse, by way of opening
the conversation) : "Ah comes f r o m
N'Awleans. Where does you-all come
from?"
An Australian newspaper printed a
delightful church notice which reads:
"Miss Jenkins will sing her farewell
solo; 'Thanks Be to God'."
A Boston newspaper discovered it and
gave it the headline, "Welcome Relief."

C a s e of

Explorer's

Fright

"Do you believe a rabbit's foot ever
brought anybody good luck?"
"You bet! My wife felt one in my
pocket once and thought it was a
mouse!"
(Bank Notes)
"Your husband suffers f r o m voluntary
inertia."
"And, to think, I accused him of being
lazy!"
(Bank Notes)
"Who is that man over there snapping
his fingers?"
"That's a deaf-mute with the hiccoughs."

W o r t h i n g t o n

T r a c t o r s
d o

m o r e

m o r e
w i t h
a t

With Fall and Winter just around
the corner, you'll w a n t m a i n t e n a n c e
e q u i p m e n t with a real plus
value.
The W o r t h i n g t o n tractor has that plus
value, for with Worthington
gang
m o w e r s it n o t o n l y k e e p s y o u r c o u r s e
i n c h a m p i o n s h i p c o n d i t i o n all s u m m e r , b u t a l s o is u s e f u l f o r m a n y o t h e r
jobs with the power take-off.

j o b s

q u i c k l y
l e s s

l e s s

t r o u b l e

c o s t .

s k a t i n g rinks clear in w i n t e r .
Ice
planers
attached
to
Worthington
tractors k e e p club s k a t i n g rinks in
perfect condition.
Write today for illustrated catalog
on Worthington
Equipment
the
choice of champions.

The convenient p o w e r take-off not
only runs the sickle bar attachment
by a direct p o w e r connection,
but
with pulley and belt also runs compost mixers, power sprayers, rotary
brushes, pumps and s a w s — s a v e s cost
of e x t r a e q u i p m e n t .
No other golf
course tractor has this f e a t u r e
t h i n k of t h e s a v i n g s t o y o u .
S n o w plows a t t a c h e d to W o r t h i n g ton tractors keep club driveways and

U J o r d u n g t o n

Trouble-Saving Worthington Trailer
Dump Cart f o r fertilizer, sod, sand
or gravel.
WORTHINGTON MOWER COMPANY
Stroudsburg, Pa.
Dept. G / N
Please send, without obligation, complete
information on your equipment.

m o w e r

Kmpamj
Main Office
Stroudsburg, Pa.

Sales Agencies
All Principal Cities

Name
Address
City . . .

State

THIS FALL

M E L O E G A M E
FAIRWAYS
e x c e l l s all o t h e r f e r t i l i z e r s f o r fall u s e .
any

(..^MILWAUKEE 11

fyiORGANlTE

time

after

Labor

Day,

better and denser turf next
Besides
to restore

supplying

all

the

growth and turf

plant

food

needed

vigor following

the

unexpended

f o o d lies d o r m a n t in the soil o v e r w i n t e r to nourish t h e grass

t h e first s i g n o f

Labor

This will stimulate n e w growth during the long cool favorable

season and thus induce existing grass to thicken.
weeds automatically
On

apparently

a n y t i m e this fall.
infestation.
fairway

at

spring.

On thin fairways use Milorganite quite generously soon after
Day.

of

season.

trying summer months, the residual
plant

Applied

it is t h e s e c r e t

fall

As turf density increases,

diminish.
moderate

rates

This prevents turf deterioration and consequent

good

weed

Systematic

fairways

apply

Milorganite

Milorganite

feeding

is

at

cheaper

than

periodic

renovation.

P l a n n o w t o f e r t i l i z e f a i r w a y s t h i s f a l l a n d b e s u r e t o use. M i l o r g a n i t e .
It is e a s y t o a p p l y , s a f e t o u s e , e f f e c t i v e , a n d , b e s t o f a l l ,

economical.

Distributed by

N e w
1121

E n g l a n d

WASHINGTON

STREET,

T o r o
WEST

Newton North 7 9 0 0 — W e s t

NEWTON,

Newton

Co.
MASS.

1658

USED AND PREFERRED BY GOLF CLUBS EVERYWHERE

W h e n writing, mention

NEWSLETTER.