Qolf (Gourde Superintendents ocia tlon OF President — N. J. SPERAND10 Concord Country Club Concord, Mass. Phone EM 9-4723 First Vice-President — JOSEPH BUTLER United Shoe Country Club 3 Ridgewood Terrace Beverly, Mass. Phone WA 2-1263 Second Vice-President — RAYMOND BRiGHAM Rhode Island Country Club Phone CHerry 5-8255 52 North Lake Drive Barrington, R. I. Secretary — WILLIAM A. ASH Allendale Country Club Phone WYman 3-8767 9 Patton Street North Dartmouth, Mass. Treasurer — ARTHUR L. CODY Wollaston Golf Club Phone Supt. Office at club GRanite 2-3535 Home GRanite 2-7913 19 Ardell Street North Quincy, Mass. Trustee — HOWARD FARRANT Pinebrook Country Club Phone OL 3-5296 Wheeler Lane Natick, Mass. Trustee — MARIO FINIZIA Wanamoisett Country Club Phone GEneva 8-4045 50 Holleck Avenue Riverside, R. I. Trustee — MICHAEL O'GRADY Country Club of New Bedford Phone WYman 2-9885 135 Hathaway Road North Dartmouth, Mass. Finance Committee Chairman — PHILIP 1. CASSIDY Weston Golf Club Phone HI 4-4127 45 Grosvenor Road Needham 92, Mass. NEW ENGLAND NEWSLETTER February and March 1962 The combined February and March meeting was held February 2 6 , 1962 at the Waltham Field Station. In spite of a severe storm and driving conditions all speakers and the usual hail and hearty members enjoyed an excellent lunch and an interesting and timely educational program. D r . William Tunis, Director of the Waltham Field Station was introduced to the association. He succeeds D r . Havis who has been transferred to Amherst. D r . A , Spielman, Dean - College of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts discussed new trends in the field of agriculture, "Less pasture and more turf", fine turf is big business, plans to speed up research program at University of Massachusetts. "Progress is the activity of today and the assurance of tomorrow"finerson Bob Miller our guest speaker, representing Dupont Development & Service Biochemicals Division, presented an excellent and timely topic; some points to remember are, Know the size of the area you plan to fertilize and apply at rate of actual lbs. Nitrogen per 1000 sq. ft. When having soils tested, tell the testing agency if you have used arsenticals as they interfere with a true phospherous test. Educational Commitee Chairman — ROBERT GRANT Supernault National Country Club Phone EM 5-5538 Deershorn Road Lancaster, Mass. Good turf can be grown with all types of N . - soluble organics - ureaforms. All are good when used properly, follow the manufacturers recommendations. Golf Committee Chairman — EDWARD J. MURPHY Lexington Country Club Phone WE 3-0286 25 Flagg Street Woburn, Mass. Urea is not to be confused with ureaforms as urea is a synthetic organic, 45% N . Newsletter Committee Chairman — RICHARD C. BLAKE Mt. Pleasant Country Club Phone CEdar 4-2209 138 Fletcher Street Whitinsville, Mass. Past President — ALBERT L. ALLEN Kernwood Country Club Phone PI 4-7783 Kernwood Country Club Salem, Mass. The plant you grow does not know the difference in the various forms of N . sold. It is essential that Supts. know what they are buying and what results to expect and the lasting qualities. Check the amount and types of plant food in the b a g , not the number of b a g s . It costs just as much money to spread sand as it does a high food value fertilizer, and 100 lbs. of each is just as heavy to lift. The cost of the material or product; plus the cost of labor to apply it and the inconvenience to the player or golfer is the true cost of a fertilizer. Lawrence G . Mattei, Supt. Kingsboro Golf Club, Gloversville, N, Y. elected Director G.C.S.A.A. Congratulations. a A * Nicholas Cammuso, Supt. Wachusett C . C . , West Boylston, Mass., Meindert Schultz Assistant Supt. Mt. Pleasant C . G . Lowell, Mass., and Victor Rasmovich, Supt. Nashua C.C. Nashua, N , H . were voted associate members. it it it The heartfelt sympathy of our association is extended to Frank Wilson in the recent loss of his w i f e . * * * Lawrence S. Dickinson received the second United States Golf Association Greens Sect ion award, "For Distinguished Service to Golf through Work with Turfgrasses". A pioneer in the teaching of turf management, Prof. Dickinson established the Stockbridge School at the University of Massachusetts. Since its innovation and as a direct result of Prof, Dickinson's vision, more than 500 technologists in fine turf management have been graduated from the Stockbridge School. The following poem by Clarence E . Flynn best expresses the feelings of past students and associates who were fortunate enough to know the "Prof". THE ADEQUATE MAN The need of the world is the adequate m a n , the man who is ready, who knows, and who can; the man who can rise to the need of the hour and meet it with courage and knowledge and power. The man with a mission, the man with grace to fill without flinching his God-given place; the man with a conscience; the man with a mind kind enough to be strong, strong enough to be k i n d . The man who is master of what he must do, with the will and endurance to follow it through; the man who is fearless his pathway to plod, because he is consciously walking with God. The man with the wisdom to choose and decide with a justice unfailing, a sympathy wide; the man with a vision, the man with a plan - the need of the world is the adequate m a n . it it it Charles E . Croley, Agronomist transfei-red from Southwestern to Eastern Regional Office, replacing James Kollett who resigned to accept a position as golf course Supt. at a course in Rhode Island. United States Golf Association Greens Section's new office address is 814 Raritan Avenue, Highland Park, N . J. WINTER AND SPRING DESICCATION PROBLEMS 0 . J, N o e r , Agronomist Dick Wilson and Associates Delray Beach, Florida When grass survives the rigors of winter, summer is no problem in the far North. In this region winter and early spring are the critical seasons for turf-grasses. To the south from N e w England w e s t , and even in the drier parts of Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma and West Texas, injury of the desiccation type to dormant turf is a constant threat and apt to be severe following a bad winter» Thus golf course Superintendents in these areas should stress the following points because they will help to promote winter survival from causes of damage such as winter drought, water-logging, ice-crusting, and heaving, 1. Architectural Design: Contouring of greens should be with gentle slopes because severe mounding and steep slopes invite winter drought damage. Ponded areas should be eliminated and valleylike drainage ways avoided as they aggravate water-log injury. Surface run-off should be in more than one direction to reduce early spring over-wetness. 2. Grass Characteristics: A snow mold-resistant creeping bentgrass that makes a tight turf will resist spring drought best; a tight turf checks the loss of soil moisture from direct evaporation. Grass should go into the winter with a good, deep root system. Then the lower roots will reside in a soil containing some moisture. Cultivation practices can assist here. 3. Top Soil Compositions Plenty of soil organic matter lessens drought damage because of it's high water holding capacity, but in wet seasons it aggravates snow mold and water-logging injury. A sandy soil is bad in an open, dry, windy winter because of its low water-holding properties but would be advantageous during a wet winter. A happy medium would suggest of equal parts sand, loam soil and peat humus\ or possibly two parts of sand, one each of loam soil and peat humus. 4. Optimum Soil Moisture: Greens should contain plenty of moisture after the grass becomes dormant, but before the soil freezes. In a dry fall enough water should be applied to bring the soil moisture level up to field capacity before the water system is turned off and drained. Fungicide should be applied after, and not before, watering. 5. Protective Snow Cover: In the snow belt, wind-swept greens should be surrounded with snow fencing^ otherwise, large size brush or young sapling trees should be scattered over the surface to trap and hold snow. Plastic tarpaulins may be the answer in cold, snowless regions. Where snow is used as a protective cover, most superintendents think it wise to remove snow and break up or destroy crusted ice at about the time grass is ready to start growth. Snow and ice are removed mechanically or by scattering sewage sludge, ground charcoal or black peat over the snow. The Next Meeting April 2, 1962 - Directors Meeting Waltham Field Station 10;30 Sharp on letterhead Business meeting - All Directors as listed IMPORTANT 11:00 Luncheon 12:30 Annual Dealers Meeting 1:30 - All dealers are invited. Please attend. The editor Dick Blake