KEWg WiTHa July, 1930. Vol. 2, No. 7. "The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.'' —Lloyd Jones. A survey of the brown-patch situation among several New England clubs finds the usual run of attack from no brown-patch at all to severe attacks in a few cases. Practically all brown-patch experienced so far has been small, and nearly all clubs report good control with whatever compound they are using, and all of the recognized mercury compounds seem to be in use. At least one club is trying poling at 5 A. M. but is not sure that this controls as yet. r-s Several clubs are not watering at night now, watering in the early morning. Others report that they are using very little sulphate of ammonia during the brown-patch season, and using either organic or complete fertilizers. Reports show that many greenkeepers are seriously trying to discover the whys, the whens, and the wherefores of this disease! The August meeting will be held at the Agawam Hunt Club, East Providence, R. I. on August 4. Members of the recently organized Rhode Island Greenkeepers Club will meet with us at this meeting. Let's have a big meeting! This N E W S L E T T E R is published monthly by the Greenkeepers Club of New England, and sent free to its members and their Greens' Chairmen. Subscription price ten cents a copy, or a dollar a year. GUY C. W E S T Editor 312 Mt. Pleasant St., F a l l River, Mass. MARSTON B U R N E T T Business Mgr. July, 1930. Vol. 2, No. 7. 330 W a l t h a m St., W e s t Newton, Mass. THE COURSE THRU THE GREEN The approaches to the greens should be kept as closely as possible to the standard set for the greens, and treated in the same way. Good approaches not only add to the pleasure of the players and allow them to reap full advantage of cleverly placed shots, but in many cases they are available for temporary greens when the permanent ones are being rested or put out of play during frosty weather. This important part of the golf course except for the routine work of rolling and mowing often receives but scant attention. Rerhaps this area, known as fairway, some thirty acres, frightens and discourages those who would really like to see the going improved. If, however, one examines the course critically, it willbe found, after allowing a hundred yards of semi-rough in f r o n t of each tee, and excluding bunkers, greens, and approaches, that it will not amount to more than thirty acres at the outside. There are many ways of improving the course through the green, some of which I will now try to explain. It is not often necessary to renovate the course through the green to any large extent, but should such treatment be required, the following system is recommended. Test the soil for lime, and add it if needed, using pulverized chalk at the rate of one ton per acre. Then harrow the turf thoroughly with a grass harrow so as to work in the chalk, loosen and remove the moss and dead herbage, and open up the surface soil. This should be followed with a dressing; of good fertilizer at the rate of five hundred pounds per acre, as may be required. Sow the t a d areas with a mixture of grass seed m a d e up to suit the soil and the existing turf at the average rate of three to six bushels per acre according to the exist- ing condition of the t u r f ; i. e., sowing the seed thickly where the turf is thin or dead, and thinly where the turf is fair to good. Harrow and cross harrow, and finish off with a roller. Some soils are so poor that they cannot carry a close turf without aid. If they are deficient in lime a dressing as above will work wonders inasmuch as it will liberate any inactive chemical constituents the soil may contain. It cannot, however, make good any actual deficiency of the essential constituents,— nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash,— which are necessary for the growth of a close healthy turf, and which can only be supplied by the use of fertilizers. It is sometimes advisable, in order to keep the expense down to the lowest limits, to treat the approaches and chief lies only, and as five tons is sufficient to treat twenty acres or eighteen tons the whole of an eighteen hole course, the question is well worth consideration. A compost made up of well-rotted manure and good loamy soil, at the rate of twenty to forty loads per acre makes an excellent dressing, particularly for light sandy soils deficient in humus, but unless it is old and well broken up it lies about the surface for a long time and is much objected to by the players. When one looks at his score card sometimes he will see at the bottom. "Replace Divots". Many players replace divots, or see chat their caddies do it, in a very conscientious manner, a great number do it in a perfunctory manner, and a good number do not do it at all. When a divot is taken and replaced, in most cases it will be thrown aside or picked up by mowers, so it is quite a matter of chance whether the scar heals quickly or remains open for a year or more. A divot taken when the soil is moist or during damp weather stands a fair chance of recovering quickly, whereas if it is taken when it is hot and dry it stands a very poor chance anyway until the next growing season. The best way to heal divot marks is to fill them up with prepared soil and seed. I have found it easiest to take a yard of screened loam and mix with it about fifty pounds of grass seed to suit the soil, and to apply the prepared soil and seed by dropping a handful of it into every divot mark seen, and press it down with the foot. It is incredible how quickly and thoroughly all such scars can be healed if the work is done systematically. The best way to do the work is to send out two men with a cart going up the center of the course, the men working away paration other than raking and rollfrom it, one on either side. Carrying a ing. quantity of soil in a bucket, they will There are five groups of plots, as folcover a few fairways a day, and a job lows: trial plots of putting green grasswell done is money well spent. es; fertilizer experiments on putting green grass, (seeded to South German JAMES J. FERME, mixed bent) ; cutting experiments; trial Myopia Hunt Club. plots of fairway grasses; fertilizer experiments on fairway grasses, (Kentucky Blue and Redtop mixture.) The grasses which have shown up best on trial plots of putting green mixtures LATEST NEWS ON are the velvets. The stolon velvets a,re way ahead of the seeded velvet bents EXPERIMENTAL PLOTS AT due to the greater speed with which they have filled in. Consequently they CHARLES RIVER have fined up faster. Kernwood Velvet has a commanding Hear Ye! The plots are still going, lead over the rest of the velvets, having and ready to teach us much. Last year an almost perfect putting surface, a we had to be content to learn about wonderful green color, and there have those grasses and fertilizers which act been no weeds since they were weeded quickly and make a fairway or green on May 27. Chickweed was its worst playable within a short time. Among enemy last year, but it has been sucthe grasses which gave us a quick fair cessful in crowding it out this year. putting surface were the fescues. The Its only enemy now is small brownfertilizers that acted quickly were the patch. A recent application of NuGreen complete chemical fertilizers, but be- to one half of the plot not only checked fore the year was over both the fescues but eliminated the small Brown-patch and the complete fertilizers had done a on the half sprayed. Number 12476 submarine act and were letting other from Washington, D. C. ranks second; grasses and fertilizers pass over them. it hasn't the even color and texture of The putting surfaces and fairway plots Kernwood altho it is f a r f r o m being were, in general, nothing to brag about, poor. It also is free from weeds. but this year there is a big improveAmong the seeded velvets, Canada is ment all along the line. Therefore while Peckham's is very poor, only there are many changes which should first 50 9r of it being real velvet. prove interesting this year. Coming to the other bents we find The plots came through the Winter Cocoos (a seaside bent) well out in remarkably well, there being no change front. It has a fine texture; i. e., even, f r o m the time they went in until the throughout, as well as a good color. time they came out. There was no Win- The weeds are very few. Following in ter-kill or Snow-mold. order of their merit are German Mixed, Recently we have added four new Colonial, Rhode Island, R. I. Washingplots to our trial plots of putting green ton grown, and creeping bent taken grasses. At the same time we moved from 15th fairway at Charles River. the Unicorn strain of Washington bent. As our eye strikes the stolons, This was moved in order to have a new is foremost with a fine type of Colonial bent near the original Metropolitan even texture and a beautiful color, and Colonial bent. The Unicorn is now be- having few weeds. Next in order are side the Seaside bents. Columbia, Seaside bent (from KittanThe new Colonial bent is called Prince sett), Washington, and Virginia. Edward Island Grown Colonial bent and The fescues have stood up very was planted on May 13, 1930 from seed. poorly, Red fescue having practically It was up May 21st. The other new said good-by, and Chewings fescue plots are New Brunswick Creeping Bent, packing up to go f t e r attacks f r o m Festuca arenaria, and Emerson's New leaf-spot last year aand The Red Fescue and were planted May 17. The fescue was wiped out bythis. leaf-spot last two fescues were up May 24 and the while Chewings fescue came back to creeping bent on May 26. They were take a terrific walloping again this year. all planted on a very poor clay soil dug out of the rough and received no pre(continued on page 6) WORTHINGTON MOWER COMPANY STROUDSBURG, Since there is no better organization in New England to do business with, why not TRY US for your Summer and Fall requirements. PENNSYLVANIA NEW ENGLAND Representative— E. R. SAWTELLE ONE STATE STREET BOSTON Telephone Hubbard 2424 MILQRGANITE We are told by those who have used this material for Fall Applications on Fairways, Tees and Greens that the results are more satisfactory than those of the spring. If you are planning to make an expenditure of this nature this season, then now is the time to make up your budget and place your order. We can promise immediate shipment in less than car lots from our Newton-Boston or Portland stocks, at $40.00 per ton at the warehouse. Car lots of 15 tons $36.40 per ton at your depot, and of 25 or more tons $34.60 per ton at your depot. Car shipments from Milwaukee. New England Distributors New England Tore Co. 247 Newtonville Ave. Newton, Mass, - Woodworth Bradley S E E D S M A N 136 So. Water St., Prov., R. I. P . O. B O X 1534 P H O N E G A S P E E 9789 E v e r y t h i n g f o r the Golf C o u r s e JULY MEETING The monthly Greenkeepers Club of N. E. meeting was held at the Weston Golf Club Inc., July 7. Afterdinner and short business meeting, demonstration of loam steamer and inspection of the course, 28 members participated in an 18 hole medal handicap tournament. Results of Tournament: First low net won by Michael O'Grady, New Bedford, 85, 15, 70. Second low net won by Thos. Galvin, Rhode Island Country Club, 95 20, 75. Third low net won by Howard Farrant, Brookline Country Club, 90, 14, 76. Fourth low net won by John Graham, Needham Country Club, 92, 15, 77. Fifth low net won by Ed. Hanson, Concord, 99, 20, 79. Largest gross won by Chas. O'Keefe, Charles River Club. Special Guest Prize won by H. B. Babcock, Chairman Greens Committee of Wampanoag Country Club, Hartford, Conn. Clifton E. Sowerby. v RHODE ISLAND GREENKEEPERS CLUB On Monday, June 26 the Greenkeepers of Rhode Island met at the Bonnet Shores Golf Club for the purpose of organizing the Greenkeepers Club of Rhode Island. Dinner was served at 5 P. M. and immediately a f t e r the meeting was held. Mr. Woodworth Bradley temporarily took charge and the following were elected officers for one year: Pres., R. Wallace Peckham, Sachuest Golf Club; Vice Pres., Lawrence Hay, Agawam Hunt Club; Vice Pres., Thomas Galvin, Rhode Island Country Club; Treas., Martin Greene, Wannamoisette Country Club; Sec'y, Herbert Moran, Newport Country Club. It was voted that the yearly dues be One Dollar ($1.00) per member. No one not a member of the Greenkeepers Club of New England could join the Rhode Island division. Four new applications were received for the New England organization. The July meeting will be held at the Sachuest Golf Club, Middletown, R. I. at Mr. Peckham's invitation . Herbert Moran,' Sec'y JACOBSEN Power Lawn Mowers Power Putting Green Mowers Power Mowers for Tees and Approaches with Attachment for Spiking Greens Handled by Dealers Located Throughout New England JACOBSEN MANUFACTURING CO. 507 West 56th Street New York City HOVEY & CO. Specialists In GOLF COURSE GRASSES AND EQUIPMENT SPRINKLERS NuGreen and Semesan Lark - Pelican Double Rotary Emerald Cord Rubber Hose Sulphate of Ammonia (Koppers) V. C. Fairway Fertilizer Fancy Recleaned Grasses Worthington Mowers MacAndrews Green Seeder W h e n in t h e c i t y v i s i t o u r s h o w r o o m s in t h e s h a d o w of t h e C u s t o m H o u s e . 150 M I L K ST., B O S T O N , MASS. Tel. HANcock 1454 - 1455 ESPOMA (Brand) Pulverized Poultry Manure and Peat Moss Ideal complete organic fertilizer for Summer use. Will not burn; contains no weed seeds. Peat content helps to hold moisture. Inexpensive. Arthur B. Porter, Inc. 55 DEARBORN STREET SALEM, MASS. Tel. Salem 2317 dry weather in the early Spring. The fairway watered plots are f a r better than the unwatered plots. There has been no large brown-patch on the plots. Some of the velvet bents (continued from page 3) attacked by small brownThe fertilizer experiments on seeded have been On July 7 half of each trial plot German bent have Sewage Sludge first patch. of the putting green grasses was in the race for supremacy, and it is sprayed NuGreen at rate of one getting better all the time although it pound towith thousand square feet. In started off very poorly last year. every case a the brown-patch has been Slowly but surely it kept coming up effectively checked on the half receivuntil it led. It did not fluctuate in ing treatment. quality as the time approached for each new application as did the other fertiGEORGE J. ROMMELL. lizers. The quality of the grass is excellent, while there is a very noticable lack of weeds. Poultry manure tankage, 6-12-4, and Nitrate of soda are A well-known club of the Chicago neck and neck for second place. Sul- district is using for Brown-patch conphate of ammonia, 12-6-4, Urea, Am- trol pint Electric Worm Eradicator moPhos, Sulphate of Ammonia with and a% pound of Urea to fifty gallons compost, Sulphate of Ammonia with of water applied a thousand square lime, and Bone meal follow in the order feet once a week.to What do you think named. about it? Chemical injury from the chemical fertilizers was very severe during the month of June in spite of a 50;fc appliLloyd Stott, formerly with Howard cation and every precaution being taken P a r r a n t at the Country Club, is now to prevent injury. Chemical injury oc- assistant to James Lawson at Misquamicurred in June, 1929 also. cut, Watch Hill, R. I. The trial plots of fairway grasses show that the Chewings fescue and German bent plot is best, having no cuppy lies and few weeds. Kentucky The Greenkeepers Club of Rhode Blue, Redtop, and Chewings fescue is Island held a well-attended meeting second; Kentucky Blue .and Redtop, with President Peckham at the Sachuest third; Kentucky Blue, Redtop, and Ger- Golf Club, Newport, R. I. on July 21. man Bent, fourth; and R. I. Bent, fifth. Fertilizer experiments on fairway grasses find Sewage sludge in the lead We were pleased to note, on a recent again. It has no cuppy lies and very visit to the Rhode Island Country Club, few weeds. Bone meal is a close second, that the wires which formerly passed / ^ V manure third, and sulphate of ammonia over the fifteenth and sixteenth fairfourth. The complete fertilizer and ways have been buried, and thus one lime plots are very poor, having burned of the very few poor features of this badly in the drought, causing them to fine course removed. have cuppy lies. The application of fertilizer to the fairway plots has been changed this year. Last year they received applications monthly the same as the putting green plots do, but this year they reIt is with extreme regret that we anceive fertilizer only on the 15th of nounce the death of our fellow-member, April and the 15th of September. Mr. John A. F. Graham of the NeedThe cutting experiments show that ham Country Club. Mr. Graham colthe short cut gives a better smoother lapsed with heart trouble on the eighth putting green surface. green of his course on July 21st, and away before he could be taken Lead arsenate has done little outside passed to the hospital. of checking the weeds effectively. It has been necessary to water the greens plots frequently due to the very Latest News on Experimental Plots At Charles River COLLOIDAL PHOSPHATE TENACIOUSLY HOLDS NITROGEN IN T H E SOIL "It disintegrates as soon as it comes in contact with soil moisture and becomes a part of the soil colloids. "COLLOIDAL P H O S P H A T E is superior to all other phosphates. It has many advantages over acid phosphate and none of the disadvantages. It has the same chemistry that bone meal has, except ammonia, and in addition thereto, many plant foods that bone meal does not contain, but most important of all, it has the physical property of the colloid. New low prices for this "The World's Finest Phosphate." 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