THERE
IT

APPEAR

NOT

WORK.

THEN
HIS

IS

MAN

FIRST

A

SENTIMENTALITY

THAT

IN

SOME

IF S O M E

SUCH

WILL
AND

OBLIGATION

FAIL

HIS

CAST

CIVILIZATION

IS

AND

THE

HIGH

THAT

IS

CALAMITY

AND

FALL

GREATEST

UPON

THE

HIM

EPIC

REASON

WHICH

MILLENNIAL

OF

EVER

BACK.

GIFT

TO
WHY

AS

MAKE
WILL

BLIGHTS

MAN
THE
A

LABOR

MAN

GOD

TO

LABOR.
MAN

WOULD
DAY

IS

US,

WISE.

WAS

THE

MARCH

OF

WORKINGMAN

MUST

BE

HELD

ALWAYS.
—Franklin

K.

Lane.

g

NOVEMBER
1 9 3 9

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
Clark

Rd.,

Barring-ton,

R.

I.

GEORGE J. ROMMELL, JR.
Business Mgr.
54 E d d y S t . , W e s t N e w t o n ,

November, 1939

Mass.

Vol. 11, No. 11

Contributing

Editors

Homer Darling
R. A. Mitchell
Howard F a r r a n t
Charles Parker
F r a n k Wilson
The ideas and opinions expressed in
the subject
matter
of this
NEWSLETTER
are not necessarily those of
the Editor or the members of the club
as a whole.
The last outdoor meeting of the season was held on October 30th at the
Hoosic Whisick Country Club, Canton,
Mass. The results of the 18 hole medal
t o u r n a m e n t were as follows:
1st list *
' Henry Mitchell—93-26-67.
2nd n e t :
Phil Cassidy—81-12-69.
3rd n e t :
Nick Bruno—80-8-72.
4th net, tie:
Paul Hayden—90-17-73.
M. J. O'Grady—89-16-73.

Bradley, who is a member of the
Qualifications Committee, wrote t h a t
each member of the GSA was asked to
submit a set of 15 questions and
answers on greenkeeping.
Blanks f o r
these were sent to the members, bore
numbers, but no identity as to the names
of the contestants. Judges were past
presidents of the GSA who met this
month in Chicago. A f t e r examining the
r e t u r n e d forms, each chose the entry
number he thought best. When the list
was checked, it was found the winning
number was submitted by Mitchell.
Ed. B. Cale, President of the New
Jersey Affiliated Association won second
prize—hotel expenses f o r the duration
of the conference.
The GSA Nominating Committee,
headed by 1938 President Joseph Ryan,
selected Bob Mitchell in October, as a
candidate f o r GSA Director.
A. L.
Brandon and C. K. Bradley, have f o r
the second time been chosen f o r Secretary-Treasurer on the slate. Brandon
won the 1939 election by unanimous
vote.
Kent Bradley informs us that he
doubts if he, himself will poll many
votes f o r this important office, inasmuch
as Brandon's service as National Secret a r y has n e v e r been equaled in the history of the profession, as a worker f o r
greenkeeping progress.
Both Mitchell and Bradley were class
and room mates when attending the
regular and advanced classes of t h e
Mass. State Winter School f o r Greenkeepers, in 1932-33.

Why

FORMER
THE

NEW

ENGLANDERS

NATIONAL

IN

NEWS

From correspondence with C. K.
Bradley, widely published greenkeeping
author, we are informed t h a t Robert L.
Mitchell, son of our Past President, and
brother to three of our members, has
won the GSA Membership Qualification
Questions Contest. First prize is the
•winner's expenses to the National Turf
Conference and Equipment Show to be
held in New York, February 6, 7, 8, 9,
1940.

They

Were

Small

A newly-married young lady in the
city was shopping and was determined
t h a t the grocer should not take advantage of her.
"Don't you think these eggs are very
small?" she inquired critically.
" I do," answered the grocer, " b u t
t h a t ' s the kind the f a r m e r sends me.
They are f r e s h f r o m the country this
morning."
"Yes," said the shopper, "that's the
trouble with those farmers. They're so
anxious to get their eggs sold t h a t they
take them off the nest too soon!"
—Ex.

FROM
The

THE
Road

(Continued

GROUND—UP
to

from

b y C. K .

Recognition
October

Issue)

BRADLEY

Paterson, N. J.
When the "Florida Boom" died down,
Jim brought his family north again, and
got a job as greensman on this course
through a contact made in the south.
He spent three years doing general
course labor work, and the while kept
his eyes open, and his own counsel.
During the day he made mental notes on
job times, worked out better routines,
and recorded them at night a f t e r work.
A pro was serving in dual capacity,—
got the itching foot, and went to another job.
Immediately a f t e r the pro left, Jimrnie had a talk with some of the club
officials, applied f o r the job, and got it
on a trial basis. He proposed a few
changes in course construction and
maintenance routine, and soon proved
his worth.
Shortly a f t e r came the
m a r k e t debacle of '29. When the club
board of directors met to retrench,
Jimmie politely asked if he could be
present, and had his request granted.
A f t e r the directors talked figures on
costs, Jim presented the operation facts
as he had found them. His calm and
confidential manner won the respect and
approval of the officials to the extent
that they gave him a bonded employment contract on a long-term programme.
Instead of buying bulky compost materials of low plant food value as previously, Jim ordered high analyses newer
constituents, quality seed, and made
careful selection of up-to-date equipment. As living costs dropped, his men
agreed to work eight hours a week day
at the same hour rate of fifty cents,
instead of nine hours. Greens t h a t had
been mowed daily with old machines
were then cut f o u r times a week with
the new mowers, t h a t gave better putting conditions. Trap raking was done
once a week, largely to keep the sand
weed free, and up on the banks that
he had stripped of turf that previously
required cutting.
A rule went into effect t h a t each
player was to smooth his own foot
prints, or f o r f e i t a dime each time he
was seen to neglect his part. A player
that did NOT take a caddie was taxed

twenty-five cents,—and soon all players
engaged caddies. The boys got into the
spirit of this cooperation, and picked up
litter, smoothed sand, and tended to
their end.
A spring-fed swamp on the property
was dredged by the workmen out of
the playing season—the men working a t
full pay on part time, alternately. That
was the source of the rich muck compost fields I saw in vegetables near the
barn. There was enough material l e f t
at the time I was there, to last several
years. The swamp became an attractive
pond, and the storage f o r water supply
pumped by the club's own rig installed
under Jim's supervision. This greatly
cut down on their irrigation costs which
formerly were on the town metered
water supply. In f a c t the entire project
was almost written off at the time of
my first visit. Electricity is cheap in
Jim's town, as it is semi-industrial, and
the current is generated by water power, so pumping costs are of minor consequence. Had things been otherwise,
Jim said he would have asked f o r their
own Deisel power plant to make the club
entirely self-contained.
On Sundays and holidays, Jim got in
the habit of being near the 18th green
as players completed their morning
round. "Neither tipping my hat, or off e r i n g to shake hands", said Jim, but
"as an executive employee of the club,
I would contact players and ask them
how their game was, and the course in
relation to it." I took a receptive but
positive and polite attitude toward all
comments, suggestions and complaints.
"I would write down the player's name,
and his opinions, and take them up with
the green chairman at the next meeting,
then reply by short note to those t h a t
voiced their thoughts to me, thank
them f o r their cooperation and assure
them that mine would continue." At
first, this annoyed the new pro, but instead of getting nasty with him, we
talked things over and I pointed out t h a t
by eliminating the players kicking to
him, made it possible f o r the pro to
talk lessons and golf supplies, which he
soon got so busy handling, that he had
no time f o r making cracks about t h e
course and work that in the end would
have reflected on him and the entire
club. " I am telling you these things as
f a c t s and not bragging," he said, and I
believed him.
At this point, Dave, I asked Jim the
usual dumb question, "If he had much
brown patch, and what he did f o r i t ? "

became a turf research worker, himself. Jim's time at the State College was
not entirely spent at class, so, evenings,
he went to the library and read up on
other things, as public speaking, mental
efficiency, and other books that would
guide him in getting along with his fellow humans.
When asked a question, and Jim is
not certain of the answer, f r o m personal experience, he replies to the effect
t h a t he will investigate the thing, and
see what others have found. By f r a n k l y
saying he does not know,—when uncertain, Jim has earned the reputation
of being well informed.
^ftJim is active in local civic work.
Once, he substituted at his city garden
club, when the scheduled speaker did
not show up. He got the jitters when
he stood up before all the folks in the
room, but got a grip on himself, and
while it was to him, a harrowing
moment, he learned of a new weakness
— a n d a f t e r the spiel, resolved to
strengthen himself f o r more public appearances.
By talking with his players, and
" I t ' s good business strategy", continued Jim, " f o r those t h a t sell chemi- townsfolk, they at least know him, even
cals to play up the dread diseases—and if he does not know all their names.
those that experiment with them. But Jim feels there is little use of talking
they are not selling outbreaks, but to about this "recognition", as long as
the OUTLET of their market. We have greenkeepers duck out of sight when
a lot to do to sell OUR product of they see a player approaching. He exrecreation facilities—and, the sooner pects people to make complaints a t
greenkeepers get out of the r u t of times, but the m a j o r i t y are satisfied. As
thinking in terms of brown patch, the he put it, "worry will meet us half way,
quicker they will wear UNPATCHED but we have to PURSUE happiness, conbritches. To paraphrase a Biblical quo- tentment, and work f o r recognition."
I don't see Jim very often now t h a t
tation, he continued, "We do not see the
game and business of golf, because of I am in New Jersey, Dave. However,
the turf on the course. We can let, or I expect to make the usual tour to New
aid the grass to grow under our f e e t — England soon, and enroute to H a r t f o r d
it's easier than trying to MAKE it, and and Providence, plan to t u r n off to see
r u n into trouble f r o m our own fenagel- Jim and his family.
ing. There are other things, as equal,
While as you say, you have not heard
and to us, more important to think about of Jimmie, he, like others of his calibre,
in greenkeeping," concluded Jim.
is interested in association activities. We
Jim attended a short course in turf correspond regularly, and I have several
management at one of the State Col- letters of his in my files. I find it is
leges. Instead of arguing with the good to share our thoughts with others,
professors and his class mates, Jim kept but at times do not mention the source
his mouth shut and his eyes and ears of comments I receive. This often, esopen. When he went back home he had pecially of late, puts me on the spot
a sizable batch of notes which he wrote so to speak, but it is necessary to stick
up, made a cross-file of his informa- to the policy.
tion, and included this with what he had
Jim will not argue a point at local
already amassed.
monthly meetings. His reason is t h a t
He found some rather contradicting he feels some do not "talk his
statements on hand, and decided to t r y language", or see things ahead, f r o m
each theory on a small scale, applicable his viewpoint. Perhaps Jim's is a voice
to his own course. In this way, Jim crying out in the wilderness, but he is

He looked a t me thoughtfully f o r a
moment, while I assumed the poker-pan
you rib me about. Then Jim let me have
both barrels. "Kid", he said, "You've
been around quite a bit, and have seen
a lot, swapped thoughts with me years
ago, and I think we know each other
well enough to speak f r a n k l y . "
"Thinking in terms of brown patch,
is a negative attitude," he began. "All
one knows,—or thinks he does—or may
do, does not amount to a puddle
in the Pacific, when it comes to getting
too technical with n a t u r e . " I say that
in a positive manner. "Basically, we
are in agriculture, the same as the man
growing potatoes, f r u i t , or any other
crop. F a r m e r s go by the summaries of
agricultural bulletins, and the directions on the package of tried and proven
materials f o r treating their crops. In
the end, we all do the same, we can
work WITH nature, but not CHANGE
it. We can, to some extent, control outbreaks, and we do so to get a better
crop—for one main reason—to SELL
it," said Jim.

For Better

Turf

KEEP YOUR MOWERS

S M A M IP
This

CARPENTER

Sharpener
ca! a n d

is

fast,

Mower
economi-

accurate.

Grinds bottom k n i f e and reel blades on any p o w e r or h a n d
lawn mower, including large p o w e r or t r a c t o r - d r a w n units
up to 36". No a t t a c h m e n t s to p u t on or t a k e off. Its straightline g r i n d i n g assures precision contact of cutting blades.
No skill required.
Write for descriptive

NARRAGANSETT

45

BAKER

S T R E E T

not alone. W e w e r e considering a golf
course labor wage scale survey recently.
The p r o j e c t did not go t h r o u g h , because
a f e w m e n with an a p p a r e n t i n f e r i o r i t y
complex and lack of vision talked the
thing down with a lot of "supposing."
One man, f o r instance, f e l t it would
lead to g r e e n s m e n g e t t i n g more p a y as
skilled labor, and if this occurred, the
g r e e n k e e p e r would get a pay cut to
compensate f o r it. Can you imagine a
t h i n g so silly, Dave? Like Jim, would
it not be b e t t e r to r a t e as a g r e e n k e e p i n g
s u p e r i n t e n d e n t leading a staff of neat,
interested, f a i r l y paid men, t h a n a
" g a n g " of indifferent, sloppy-looking
r o u g h necks as labor u n w o r t h y of it's
hire? Anyone in charge of the l a t t e r
kind of m a i n t e n a n c e d e p a r t m e n t , automatically p u t s himself in the class of a
s t r a w boss, or f o r e m a n , n o t recognized
as much of a club employee.
B u t the hour is g e t t i n g late, Dave,
and you m a y be tired of m y gab. W h e n
I s t a r t to u n r e e l t h o u g h t s on keeping
things green, I t e n d to let out quite a
bit of line . . . .
Moore will be h e r e n e x t time, and we
will go over some of this y e a r ' s happenings, in what m y b r o t h e r Charles calls
t h e "serious comedy of g r e e n k e e p i n g . "
(to be continued)

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GREENKEEPERS'

EXAM.

Few golfers fully realise the
amount
t h e g r e e n k e e p e r , if c o m p e t e n t ,
cont r i b u t e s to his e n j o y m e n t a n d c o m fort o n the c o u r s e .
A
greenkeeper
now
combines
the
practical
and
scientific.

By A. W. S. Moodie
(Reprint

from

"Golf

in

Australia")

There can be no doubt that the most
outstanding contribution towards the
improvement of local golf links has been
the courses of instruction f o r greenkeepers conducted conjointly by the
N.S.W. Golf Council, the N.S.W. Dep a r t m e n t of Agriculture and the N.S.W.
Greenkeepers' Association.
The first course of instruction commenced in 1934 and the candidates successful at the final examination were
issued with certificates of competency.
The second course, just concluded, commenced in 1938, and 55 metropolitan and
17 country golf greenkeepers recently
presented themselves f o r examination.*
Pew golfers enjoying a round on a
perfectly conditioned course realise the
amount of work necessary to maintain
the course in such perfect condition.
Still less do they realise the amount of
practical and scientific knowledge which
a greenkeeper must possess to bring
about such results. The course of lectures just concluded covered, amongst
other subjects, fertilisers, soils, drainage, machinery, botany, course maintenance, seeds and testing, turf diseases
and insect pests, trees on the golf
course, weeds and their control, and
elementary architecture and the construction of greens, tees, bunkers, etc.
I t will thus be seen that the greenkeeper is equipped with a wide range of
information covering his normal activities.
Naturally, the benefits of such a
course would be negative if the greenkeepers lacked the capacity to apply
their knowledge in a practical way. One
of the conditions governing the issue
of a certificate of competency is that
the candidate must have had at least
two years' experience as a golf course
employee actually engaged in greenkeeping.
It will be generally admitted that the
condition of local golf courses has improved out of all recognition during the

past seven or eight years. Not so long
ago our greens were criticised by almost
every visitor f r o m other States and f r o m
overseas. During the progress of the
National Championships at Kensington
in 1937 the greens were said to be probably the
finest
ever prepared
in
Australia. The condition of every course
has improved in a similar way, and
there is no course with greens as poor
as was the general standard before the
advent of the Greenkeepers' Association.
The improved standard of greenkeepm g has been of immense benefit to
clubs inasmuch as the improved conditions have made the game more enjoyable to members, and there is less responsibility f o r members of greens committees.
For the greenkeepers the benefits
have been of a more material nature.
Many young, enthusiastic employees
have been given a new outlook on 'life.
Where formerly their work was laborious and entirely mechanical, they now
understand and appreciate the reasons
f o r the various operations carried out.
More important still, they have no difficulty in obtaining positions in charge
of courses whenever vacancies occur.
As a matter of fact, numerous cases
could be quoted of men who were on
the basic wage or a little better prior
to the first course of instruction who
are now in charge of courses and receiving much greater remuneration.
The improvement of golf turf and
golf courses generally has been the subject of a considerable amount of research work, notably in the United
States and Great Britain. Whilst we
realise the value of such work in New
South Wales we also realise t h a t properly conducted research work is costly
and at the present juncture beyond our
means. It is also realised that without
competent greenkeepers all the research
work in the world will not produce good
golf courses. When the course of instruction was suggested the greenkeepers reacted with enthusiasm, and this
spirit persisted through 96 hours of
lectures which were carried out a t night
a f t e r a long day's work.

Uncle—"Tell me, are you a good little
girl?"
8-Year-Old—"I surely am, but nobody knows it."
—"Ex."

„
0V

TALKS

ON

TREES
WINTER

By E. Porter Felt

^

There are two important phases of
the shade tree problem, namely planting and conserving.
It is obvious that there are numerous
places, many restricted in area, where
planting should be done to replace trees
destroyed by the hurricane.
This is
highly commendable but it should not be
allowed to obscure the fact that conserving trees really may be the more
important and desirable part of the
program.
There are throughout New England
millions of highly valuable and potentially weak shade trees. The probabilities are that many trees in this area
will fall victims to wind storms, probably local, possibly general, within the
next half century. These trees can be
given care in such a way as to greatly
reduce the danger of serious storm
damage.
The writer has in mind a magnificent
elm with a trunk diameter of over two
f e e t from which the recent storm
wrenched an enormous limb with a diameter of over twenty inches and comprising practically one-third of the tree
and exposing a strip of wood some two
f e e t wide and eight feet long. This mishap reduced the value of the tree by
fully one-half. The breakage could have
been prevented by the installation of
cables or wood screws. The expense
would have been less than replacement
with a moderate sized tree and probably
less than the cost of smoothing up the
wound and protecting it with a wound
dressing. The cabling of such a tree,
and there are millions of them in New
England, is true economy in that magnificent trees are saved, whereas planting
new trees, desirable though this may be,
means in most cases giving such a tree
an opportunity to grow for fifty or a
hundred years and then, unless there is
good care, it may in turn fall victim to
a storm. There is much storm proofing
that can and should be done in a program to conserve shade trees.
The above is only one phase of the
economic possibilities in tree conservation.
"You once said I was all the world
to you."
"But I've learned a lot of geography
since then."
—"Ex."

HARDY—ACCLIMATED
RHODE

ISLAND

CREEPING
VELVET

B E N T
G R A S S
and

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
s e e d of e q u a l q u a l i t y c a n b e o f f e r e d .
NATURE
HAS WRITTEN A
PRES C R I P T I O N 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 , d e r i v e d
its 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 u n i o n .
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 , V I A B L E s e e d w h i c h g r o w s in
Y O U R l a t i t u d e in Y O U R c o u n t r y .
SAVE f o r y o u r c l u b : B u y
direct from the grower.

A . N.

your

seed

PECKHAM

KINGSTON

RHODE

ISLAND

USED GOLF BALLS WANTED
— H i g h e s t Prices P a i d —
Check mailed within 48 hours
a f t e r balls are received.
Known to the trade for 15 years.
Get our prices before selling.
*

*

^

E f t s i e m G o l f

Co«

244 W E S T 42nd STREET
N e w York, N. Y.

When, writing or ordering from
our arluertisem, please
mention the
JS'EWSLETTJER

ANNOUNCEMENT
1940

OF

WINTER
FOR

Massachusetts
Amherst,

THE
SCHOOL

GREENKEEPERS

State

College

Mass.

J a n u a r y 2, 1940—March 15, 1940
Having
most
successfully
passed
through the 13th year, the Short Course
Division of the Massachusetts State College will open its 14th Winter School
f o r Greenkeepers on J a n u a r y 2 and
close with the Golf Course Maintenance
Conference and Exhibition, March 14,
15 and 16.
In addition to being the longest of
the several winter schools now offered
to turf growers, it is also the most
complete. The work is confined entirely to golf course maintenance and allied
activities that would come under the
management of the course superintendent.
While growing and maintaining suitable grasses is a m a j o r p a r t of the
course, the business f a c t o r s are not in
the least neglected. A large size model
of a golf course enables the student to
work out management problems, the
answers to which he can apply to his
particular course.
The course is divided into two terms,
the first f r o m J a n u a r y 2 through February 6, and the second f r o m February 7
through March 15. The division does
not mean t h a t there are two courses, as
the second term continues the work of
the first. It is made to encourage men
to take the course who could not take
the full ten weeks in one year. The
certificate is given only at the completion of the full ten weeks' course, and
no one is permitted to take the second
term if he has not had the first. A man
may take the first term in 1940 and the
second a t some later period. However,
it is advisable to take the full ten weeks
if possible.
Amherst is a beautiful college town,
Amherst College also being located
there. There is plenty of activity and
excellent entertainment.
Many men
bring their wives and spend the weekends visiting points of interest.
Classes are held f r o m 8 A. M. to
4.30 P. M. daily except Friday, the last
period ending then at 3.30. There are
no classes Saturday. Very informal

evening sessions are held twice each
week, and a daily f o r u m hour is set
aside f o r special lectures and class activities.
The course is under the personal direction of Professor Lawrence S. Dickinson, Chief of the Section of Agrostology.
He saw the opportunity f o r service to
golf clubs and, believing that it could
be best given by helping the men in
charge of the work, he established t h e
first course in 1927. He is most ably
assisted by members of the college staff,
and Mr. Carleton E. Treat, Superintendent^ Montclair Golf Club, Upper
Montclair, New Jersey, who have cooperated to make all work apply directly to golf course maintenance.
The titles of the courses studied a r e
botany, entomology, water
systems,
drainage, equipment, grasses and t u r f
culture, cost and record keeping and
analysis, managerial problems, soils and
fertilizers. There are no textbooks required, but the student's notes at the
end of the school make a complete book.
There are no scholastic requirements
f o r admission, and each year there are
men with grammar school and college
degrees. Practical experience often offsets the advanced schooling. The enrollment is limited in number and p r e f e r ence is given to superintendents and
greenkeepers and their assistants. Except f o r the southern states, all districts
in the United States and Canada have
been represented a t the school.
Applications f o r the 1940 course indicate there will be a splendid group of
men taking the course. For information
address Director R. H. Verbeck, Short
Course Division, Massachusetts State
College, or Professor Lawrence S. Dickinson, Section of Agrostology.
The

Expense
Tuition

Regis- Health
tration
Fee

One term only
$5.00 $2.50 $1.50
2 consecutive terms 10.00
5.00
1.50
Incidentals, such as notebooks, etc.,
$5.00. Board and room costs are very
reasonable and of high quality. $11.00
per week is an, ample allowance.
"Did you kill all the germs in baby's
milk?"
"Well, I ran it twice through a meat
chopper."
—"Ex."

NEW

JERSEY

NEWS

The success of any association lies in
t h e active support given it by its membership. Is it not then the reason why
the New Jersey Greenkeeping Superintendents' Association has increased its
membership and can to date r e p o r t an
increase of twenty-two per cent in
monthly meeting attendance? The New
Jersey Superintendents are to be complimented, f o r they were all out strong
again f o r the November meeting at
Echo Lake Country Club, Westfield,
IN. J., Monday, November 6th. Brother
Totty, host and superintendent, was indeed happy to see such a large t u r n o u t
a t his club. As always, his course was
in excellent condition. From the appearance of his greens, it would be hard
to wonder how any piece of turf could
be better improved upon. They were
without weeds and clover and the putt
certainly ran true. Some courses may
have excellent greens, but fairways and
tees not so good and vice versa, but not
so at Echo Lake f o r the whole course
was beyond criticism.
A f t e r a round of golf by some of the
members, the meeting was called to
order. As it was the last meeting bef o r e the Annual Meeting, the nominating committee reported on its choice
f o r officers f o r 1940. Then to be in
perfect accord with worldly conditions
of doing things not according to routine,
someone made a motion, t h a t the election of officers, nominated, be held at
this meeting instead of at the Annual
Meeting, so that more time could be
devoted to the banquet and entertainment. This was carried, and the elections of officers were as follows:
President Edward B. Cale was again
elected president. Having done such a
bang up job during 1939, the boys all
felt he was deserving of another term.
The balance of the officers elected were:
1st Vice President, Mr. Lester Moffett;
2nd Vice President, Mr. Alec Reid; Secretary, Percy P i a t t ; and Treasurer Mr.
A r t h u r Buxton.
The guests present at the meeting
and dinner were Mr. N. L. Mattice,
Manager of Canoe Brook Country Club,
Summit, N. J., and two distinguished
Philadelphia Section
Superintendents,
Mr. Joseph Ryan and Mr. Bob Pollock.
All gave very fine talks, and were on
their feet many times during the a f t e r
dinner round table discussions.

The Suburban
Country Club a t
Union, N. J. has very kindly offered
their club house again this winter f o r
the monthly meetings of this association. The first of these will be our
Annual Meeting, Banquet and Entertainment. We are all indeed g r a t e f u l
to Brother F. Svchla and his greens
chairman f o r this consideration.
So
everyone is looking f o r w a r d to be
present f o r a good time at the banquet
next month.
Percy G. Piatt.

SPECIAL MEETING

Thirty-five members of the Club met
at the American Agricultural Chemical
Company in So. Weymouth at about
11:45 in the morning of Monday, Oct.
18. There we were met by officials of
the company led by Mr. Ward, general
manager.
We were then conducted
through the plant.
First we were
shown where and how acid was made
which was used in treating the phosphate rock, then where the phosphate
rock was treated and crushed, then on
to where different materials were kept
in huge piles, being shown how they
were mixed and aged. We then visited
the wharf where materials were received and fertilizers were shipped
f r o m . From there we visited the bagging, weighing and tying department;
incidentally, all bags were made right
at the plant, including stamping and
sewing, the burlap is imported f r o m
Calcutta. We visited the storage room
where all mixtures are stored and finally
we visited the laboratory which was in
the process of being moved to a fine
location in the main office building.
We then l e f t f o r the Cushing House
in Hingham where the American Agricultural Chemical Co. were hosts and a
fine dinner was enjoyed by all.
Mr. Ward then expressed his pleasure
in having the cl-ub visit the plant and
stated the picture to follow would give
us a clearer outline of the operation of
what we had witnessed at the plant.
Dr. Weyker then gave an interestingtalk on soil and stated we should not
be a f r a i d of the use of lime. Dr. Weyker
answered many questions f r o m the floor.

A motion picture with Lowell Thomas
as commentator showed how soil management on f a r m s was bringing dividends f r o m f o r m e r low production soils.
Points in soil deficiency was brought
out. Finally the picture showed the
mining of phosphate rock and the complete cycle of this material to the
fertilizer plant and to other sources.
At the conclusion of the picture, a
rising vote of thanks was given in appreciation of the program given by the
company.
It was agreed by all that this was
one of the most interesting meetings
we had experienced.
Philip Cassidy,
Secretary.

ECONOMY—What

Is

It?

DURING the past 10 years, the
Cemetery Superintendent has evolved
f r o m a mere laborer to a combined
Landscape Architect, Contractor, Horticulturalist and Business Man, with a
smattering of Law.
IN ORDER to f u n c t i o n successfully in
all of these capacities, he must think
f a s t and accurately, be able to handle
men and groups in sorrow, and above
all this his trustees often expect beautifully designed grounds with spreading,
velvety lawns, always immaculately kept
and on a budget that would not maintain
the roadways.
ECONOMY then is the watchword,
the guiding star and general order.
What is it? Wage cuts, deferring equipment, purchases and neglect of grounds
may be temporary money savers, but
are they real economy? Preparation of
the seed bed to really support turf is a
lasting economy. Sowing good seed,
properly selected, at a season of the
year when it has a chance to mature

President
Secretary
Treasurer
Chairman
Chairman
Chairman
Chairman
Chairman

into lasting turf is economy. The best
seed often fails when sown in the Spring
f o r lack of time to mature before the
hot Summer weather.
Grasses really
grow and f o r m roots during Spring and
Fall. Feed the turf then, so that ample
nutrients are available at these times.
Summer seeding merely induces leaf
growth which means more mowing labor.
TESTING soils to determine your own
needs is necessary if you are to establish an economical basis of maintenance.
This information is available gratis f r o m
your State Agr. Experiment Station, or
through our f r e e consultation service.
DETERMINE your soil needs. Will it
hold water and plant food? Will it permit deep root growth, so necessary to
successful t u r f ? Does it need lime or
phosphorus?
Practically all soils are
deficient in Nitrogen in the Spring.
REAL ECONOMY MEANS MONEY
SAVED. FIND YOUR OWN STARTING POINT AND USE THOSE MATERIALS AND SEEDS THAT M E E T
YOUR OWN REQUIREMENTS.
Prepare Right—Seed Right—Maintain Right.
This is Real Economy.
— T u r f Topics.
(Printed in 1935, this is still good
advice.—Ed.)

"Why are you writing to your girl
so slowly?"
"Oh, you see, she can't read so very
fast."
—"Ex."

"I wouldn't cry like that, my little
man."
"Cry as you please, t h e n ; this is
my way."
—"Ex."

OFFICERS' DIRECTORY
John Counsell, 5 Ellsworth Rd., Peabody,
Philip Cassidy, 45 Grosvenor Rd., Needham,
F r a n k Wilson, Charles River C. C., Newton Centre,
Enter. Comm
Sam S. Mitchell, Ponkapoag G. C., Canton,
Golf Comm
Lloyd G. Stott, Meadow Brook G. C„ Reading,
Welfare Comm
Edwin Hansen, Concord C. C„ Concord,
Employ. Comm. . . . A r t h u r Anderson, 358 Fuller St., W. Newton,
Trustees
George Rommell, Jr., 54 Eddy St., West Newton,
N E W S L E T T E R officers, see page two.

Mass.
Mass.
Mass.
Mass.
Mass.
Mass.
Mass.
Mass.

•

HEADQUARTERS
FOR
THE
14th
ANNUAL
TURF
CONFERENCE
AND EQUIPMENT
SHOW,
SPONS O R E D BY T H E
GREENKEEPING
SUPERINTENDENTS
ASS'N,
S I N G L E R O O M S F R O M $3.50 A D A Y
PER
PERSON
A N D $5.00 A
DAY
F O R T W O P E R S O N S IN A R O O M .
DIRECT
TUNNEL
CONNECTION
WITH PENNSYLVANIA
STATION.
FOUR
POPULAR
RESTAURANTS
WHERE
YOU'LL
FIND
MENUS
AND
PRICES
TO
SUIT
EVERY
PALATE AND
POCKETBOOK.

HOTEL NEW YORKER
34th Street and E i g h t h A v e n u e
New Y o r k , N. Y .

R A L P H H I T Z , President
L E O A. M O L O N Y , Manager

NEW ENGLAND DISTRIBUTORS OF

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DISTRIBUTORS FOR N E W E N G L A N D
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saw

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N E W S L E T T E R —

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Mass.

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Stroudsburg, Pa., Dept. N L / N .
Please send
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STROUDSBURG V PENNSYLVANIA
Sales Agencies :Âli
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