Greenskeepers Club of New England

NEWSLETTER
September, 1943
The August meeting of the Greenkeepers Club of New England was held at the
Hotel Statler in Boston, Monday, August 9th.
Arthur Anderson was elected Golf Committee chairman for the balance of the season.
Rulings on labor under 18 years of age were discussed, special permits are necessary for working and also for operating tractors, bnt. not the hand operated power mowers.
Those present at the meeting agreed that it is a hard season on greens turf. Members who are using Thiosan for Brown-Patch control with power sprayers recommended
adding 2 pounds of Arsenate of Lead to 50 gals, of solution to keep the Thiosan in suspension.
It was duly voted that should the gas restriction be lifted, the next meeting would
be held outdoors at some club.
The Golf Committee chairman announced Brae Burn Country Club would be available for our Club Championship tournament.
The SEPTEMBER
meeting will be held Monday, September 13th at the Brae Burn
C. C. Luncheon will be served promptly at 12 o'clock noon. At that time it will be decided whether to hold our business meeting before or after the Club Championship Tournament.
It is reported that Charlie Parker has been appointed Agronomist and Superintendent of Grounds Maintenance for Camp Edwards, Otis Field and Hyannis Airport.
Golf machinery has gone to war; by that we mean that, the Worthington Mower
Co. is proudly displaying the Army-Navy " E " production award!
Following are some excerpts of a letter from Charlie O'Keefe to Orville Clapper:
"Well, here I am, in Dear Old England. And a very interesting country it is too, even in
wartime. Every time I hear an Englishman talk, I turn around expecting to see some of
those Greenkeepers back home. And incidentally, the Golf Courses over here are still about
fifty years behind times, according to our standards. Even the greensmowers still have
those handles like the old Ideal power mower. Individual ones. And almost all lawn mowers are driven by chains. The most popular type of mower is the roller type, including
the Fairway mowers. And of all the fairway mowers made over here, the ones made by
Ransomes, Ltd., of Ipswich are the most popular. This machine has pressed steel sides,
and driven on both sides, with about a 26" cut. I t resembles the one made by Bob Booth
years ago. I t has a split sectional roller, not unlike the one used by the Jacobson people,
and about that size, about three inches in diameter. This is the only gear driven machine
that I have seen so far. And Fairway mowers are pushed, not pulled. And I think that
they really weigh more than the old National outfit. Fordsons are the popular tractor over
here. The old heavy type, I mean. Of course the only courses I have been on so f a r have
been nine holers, and mostly small town ones at that.—The fairways and greens on these
courses are beginning to show signs of neglect, mostly due to underfeeding, more than any
other cause. Weeds most popular here are scotch thistle, plantain, ragweed and mouse
ear chickweed. The greens seem to be rolled all the time, they are so hard.—Please forward my address to the Greenkeepers Club.—Remember me to all the boys over there."
Charlie's address is:
Pvt. C. T. O'Keefe 31204950
874 Chemical Co. (AO)
A.P.O. # 6 3 4 c/o Postmaster
New York City, N. Y.
Sit down and write a few lines to Charlie and the other fellows now in the service.
Don't forget Brae Burn C. C. Monday, September 13th at 12 o'clock noon!