The annual meeting at the Green
This N E W S L E T T E R is published
monthly by the Greenkeepers Club of Section Experimental plots at the
New England, and sent free to its mem- Charles River Country Club, Newton
bers and their Greens' Chairmen. Sub- Centre, Mass. was held on August 17th.
scription price ten cents a copy, or a Dr. John Monteith, Jr. of the Green
Section was present, and discussed the
dollar a year.
plots, with the various experiGUY C. W E S T
Editor various
ments being carried on. There was a
312 Mt. Pleasant St., Fall River, Mass.
large attendance of interested greenMARSTON B U R N E T T . . Business Mgr. keepers
and green chairmen.
Wyantenuek G. C., Great Barrington, Mass.
Although this meeting was of interSeptember, 1932
Vol. 4, No. 9 est, and all such meetings have a definite
value and an important place in our
efforts to better ourselves and our
SEPTEMBER MEETING
courses, we venture to state that we
feel that this meeting could have moreThe September meeting was held at value. We would like to see a committee
the Braeburn Country Club, West New- from the Greenkeepers Club work toton, Mass. on September 12th. The gether with the ones who have previousClub Championship was won by Emil ly sponsored these meetings, with the
A. Masciocchi of the Oak Hill Country definite idea of trying to make more of
Club, Fitchburg, Mass. with a score of these meetings. We wonder if it wouldn't
84. Second gross was won by Wallace be a better idea to have the "eats" as
Peckham with a 90. Net prizes were a dinner to follow the plots' visit, than
as a lunch before visiting the plots. A
won as follows:
committee for this purpose could dis1st, Wm. Lindsay, 93-16-77.
cuss all such questions and probably
2nd, Thomas Brennan, 103-25-78.
make more out of this meeting.
3rd, Frank Wilson, 106-27-79.
4th, James Sullivan, 97-17-80.
We wonder what ever happened to
that suggestion of ex-president Treat
Wallace Peckham celebrated his that
we have an outdoor meeting with
birthday in good style.
our
salesman
and dealer friends. We
We noticed two tees where the mark- seem to have tried
all Summer to sponers could have been put further back.
sor
a
greenkeeper-pro
and
One of our friends said that this it now seems probabletournament,
that
the
next
meeting was the first he could remem- meeting will be run along these lines,
ber at which we had not asked for arti- it might be well to think over such sugcles for the N E W S L E T T E R . Perhaps gestions that have been made in the
we have come to the conclusion that it past,
and never tried. Any idea which
doesn't do much good. However, we
cooperation among those interneed some now, and hope that some of furthers
in golf course maintainence should
our friends who are interested will send ested
be a step in the right direction.
in their contributions.
In keeping with the times, the Western Massachusetts Greenkeepers are
carrying on. At the Pittsfield Country
Club for the July meeting twenty-one
members gathered. August saw about
the same number at Williamstown. The
next meeting will be held at Berkshire
Hills Country Club, Pittsfield, Mass., on
Wednesday, September 21st. Golf a;
2.30; supper at 6.30.
as reported by Marston Burnett.
IF and When.—Men will wear brown
this Winter, says a stylist.
They will if they did last Winter.
—Life.

Greenkeeper with seven years experience, thirty years working with t u r f ;
would appreciate hearing of club needing experienced man. Address XYZ %
Newsletter.
We are fortunate in presenting this
month a "Resume of Brown-patch Control" by our president. This is a fine
article which our readers will do well
to save. We hope that the copies of
the N E W S L E T T E R are filed away f o r
f u t u r e reference, and that articles such
as this give help from time to time
when problems arise.

A RESUME OF BROWN
PATCH CONTROL
By J a m e s M c C o r m a c k

Unicorn Country Club
Although we have received some valuable information on the prevention
and control of turf diseases, this problem of brown patch continues to cause
considerable trouble and expense.
It is fairly well agreed that this
scourge is caused by fungi, which finding the proper incubating conditions,
grow very rapidly and kill the grass.
The conditions necessary for fungi to
spread are well defined. If these conditions are controlled their growth can
be cut down to a minimum, if not prevented entirely.
The most satisfactory and economical
way of combatting this disease is the
preventative method. The resistance of
the grass should be built up and maintained throughout the season and especially preceding humid rainy weather.
The physical condition of the soil has
much to do with deep rooting of the
grass. The right proportion of sand
should be placed in the top soil so that
sufficient air will reach the roots and
proper drainage conditions maintained
close to the surface of the green.
A fertilizing program which tends to
make the grass more sturdy is an important factor in controlling this disease. Spring top-dressing should contain a well-balanced fertilizer applied
in compost of correct texture and during the hot months a small amount of
inorganic fertilizer should be added to
each top-dressing. The green should be
well watered after each application in
order to dissolve the fertilizer and get
the compost close to the roots.
Proper watering is very essential to
healthy turf. Too much water has
proven as disastrous as too little. A
check on the condition of the green can
be made when the cup is moved.
Where conditions are such that this
disease is of major importance a small
amount of fungicide should be applied
to each top-dressing. This dose should
be much lighter than recommended in
ordinary brown patch control, its purpose being to stop fungi growth as soon
as the spores begin to germinate. This
light application will not kill the spores
which are very resistant but will greatly
retard their germination. Spores from
which the fungi germinate can lie inactive in the green over an extended
period of time. When the proper grow-

ing conditions present themselves, these
spores develop into the various types
of fungi which then develop rapidly.
Watering in early morning before the
sun strikes the green has proven very
beneficial. After a growth has started,
this watering will remove the fungi
from their place of germination and reduce to a minimum their damaging effect upon the grass.
The season for brown patch growth
extends from June to August. The
ideal conditions for its growth are humid
weather generally following rain with
the temperature in the vicinity of seventy-five degrees. Temperature is a very
important controlling factor on the rate
of growth.
When brown patch is first noticed a
light dose of fungicide should be immediately applied and washed in before
sun strikes the green. If the growth is
not observed until later in the day, the
application of fungicide and water
should not be made until after the sun
is quite low. Bichloride of mercury has
proven to be very effective. Best results have been obtained by using two
ounces per thousand square feet of turf.
This is applied in liquid form by dissolving in water or with the top-dressing
followed by a thorough watering.
A light application of fertilizer helps
the greens in many instances to come
back quickly. This should not be made
too heavy otherwise the grass will grow
too rapidly and be more susceptible to
further infection. If no fungicide is
available when brown patch is first
noticed a thorough washing with water
has been found very satisfactory in reducing its growth. Many fungicides
have been grossly exaggerated and only
those should be used which have proven
satisfactory in the past.
Every fall an application of lime tends
to sweeten the soil. Also, a light application with top-dressing during the middle of the season proves beneficial. Lime
will neutralize an excess of acid present
in the soil and restore the proper pH
value to the surface water. The rate
of fungi growth is dependent upon the
proper pH value. If this is altered by
the addition of lime in small amount,
the growth is retarded greatly.
Heavy watering during extremely hot
weather is necessary to save the grass
from burning up. It must not be overlooked that this water greatly dilutes
any application of fungicide. It is much
better to give more frequent application in light doses than to apply a

heavy dose, as this has a very damaging
effect on the grass. The application of
any chemical to the green should never
be entrusted to an inexperienced person.
Bill Lindsay reports opening a new
practice putting green this Summar at
the Manchester Country Club. Bill has
had very little trouble with brown-patch
this year, having had practically none
on even the fifth green, which has been
troublesome before.
We noticed very little publicity about
the fact that our new club champion,
teaming with his club pro, bested Gene
Sarazen and partner at Oak Hill last
month, in one of the two times Gene
was defeated in his New England tour.
Emil and partner should be a good team
next month at Bear Hill.
A new practice putting green and also
a new practice pitching green have been
opened recently at the Fall River Country Club. This pitching green is about
35 by 50 feet, with a large and deep
trap on the left side. This trap is shallow on one end and deep on the other,
and is f o r practice. Seventy yards of
fairway in f r o n t of the green, and
ample rough around the trap and green
enable any player to practice any shot
from seventy yards down to the putt.
This green is near the club house, and
already has seen much use.
CHANGE OF MANAGEMENT

From Mr. David G. Reid of Hovey &
Company of 150 Milk St., Boston,
comes the following news, " H O V E Y &
COMPANY,, formerly a Partnership, is
now under the complete ownership and
management of David G. Reid and will
continue to serve their customers with
the same prompt and reliable service
as in the past." Mr. Reid is well known
to New England greenkeepers and to
the trade, having been senior partner
for many years. The N E W S L E T T E R
takes this opportunity to wish Mr. Reid
and Hovey & Company continued success.
"The true friend is the one who
understands".
We are wondering if anyone in the
East has used sodium chlorate extensively as a weed killer, for weeds in
traps.

PITCH HOLDING GREENS
By F. C. Groos, L o n g B e a c h C. C.

Reprinted from

"The Pacific

Greenkeeper"

Greens that will hold a pitch shot and
still retain a true putting surface seem
to be a much discussed subject—agreeably discussed if the ball holds, and
just plain cussed if it does not.
The poor old green gets shot from all
angles. Writers, if they mention it, hail
or boo f r o m behind a barricade of typewriters; the architect shoots it from the ^ ^
ground up; golfers praise or condemn
it according to the vagaries of their
game; so, here goes a shot from the
greenkeeper's standpoint.
That it is disheartening to a golfer
who carefully has placed his shot near
the pin only to see it bounce merrily on
its way to the tall and uncut goes without saying. But it is equally disconcerting f o r the player who favors the pitch
and run shot to find that his ball sticks
in the surface with a sickening plunk.
Worst of all to the player is to see his
putts deflected because of ball holes or
heel prints in the turf.
Happy, therefore, is the greenkeeper
who has been able to bring his soil structure to such a state of moisture-holding
consistency that a good playing surface
is maintained without the necessity of
soaking the green to such an extent that
the resultant loss of bacterial action endangers the life of his turf. It is a common practice to apply a topdressing of
60 per cent sand, 20 per cent loam, and
20 per cent organic matter, and while ^ ^
it is conceded that this mixture should
produce the desired result in texture
when the green is constructed, yet the
passing of years makes it evident that
this mixture becomes depleted in organic content despite the application of
commercial fertilizers and strict adherence to topdressing schedules. Thus the
quality of the turf is impaired as is also
the pitch holding quality of the green.
Unlike the gardener who can add
his annual organic quota to bring
his soil up to standard, the greenkeeper,
because of his turf, cannot spade anything beneath the surface.
Since it is impossible to spade in organic matter so necessary to maintain
the ideal structure, then the nearest and
most practical approach to it is spiking
it in, for this seems to be the only way
left to get beneath the turf and, at t h e

HOVEY'S

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Grasses
Buckner irrigation System
Victory Putting and
Fairgreen Fertilizer
Brown Patch Remedies
Get our latest market-prices on qualityGrass Seed before buying.

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Hov ey & Company

E

150 MILK ST., BOSTON, MASS.

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Est. 1834

Tel. H a n c o c k 1454 - 1455

Complete Catalog Mailed On Request

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FOR SALE
Metropolitan Bent
Stolons

H U M A N S M I G H T G I V E IT A T R Y

Write :

j. W, Whitehead
GREENSKEEPER

Middletown

Golf

Cromwell, C o n n .

"New ideas are always in the ether.
Don't let mental static drown them
out". A fine place for you to get some
new ideas is to attend a greenkeepers'
meeting, and listen to your fellow
greenkeepers.
"Team work is the ultimate proof of
good management". Do you realize the
fine team work shown by your Board of
Directors in their work to make your
club worthwhile?

Club

The robin thought his fortune was
made when he spotted that string. It
was tied to a post but he didn't see "the
post. It was new and white and strong
and twenty feet of it were lying on the
ground. Visions of the sweliest nest in
Elmville seized his imagination. He
closed on the loose end with his beak
and gave a lusty tug. The string sprang
back a yard or so and the robin almost
lost his balance. "That just can't be,"
he wigwags with his tail and grabs it
again. Same maneuvre. Same result.
Robin scratches his ear and takes another hold. He stands a minute, calculating. This time he leaves the ground
in flight, string in tow—and down come
both within a dozen wing-beats. When
we left the window ten minutes later he
was still at work. Next morning the
string was still there but the robin had
gone. But he built his nest just the
same.
A man might have said: "It's no use
while this drat depression lasts. Lots of
jack around but I just can't get it till
things loosen-up."
But once the robin found that string
was hopeless he went after some that
wasn't. Found it, too, and some feathers
and horsehair, and that new nest looked
just about the way he pictured it.
For what the moral may be worth—
the robin works with beak and claws
from dawn till dark however tough the
going.
—Credit Where Credit Is Due
All obstructions to the execution of
laws, all combinations and associations,
under whatever plausible character, with
the real design to direct, control, counteract or awe the regular deliberation
and action of the constituted authorities,
are destructive of this fundamental principle, and of fatal tendency.
—George Washington

same time, to keep the players at the
game.
I have maintained faithfully the practice of spiking before every topdressing
for the past seven years and during that
time have enjoyed f r e q u e n t pats on the
back administered by good golfers who
like to see their back spin shots stay put.
Our spiker punctures the turf every
inch and a half with a hole three-eighths
of an inch wide and one and one half
inches deep. Cross sections taken of
these holes display that they are half
filled with top dressing.
Spiking, then, increases the pore
space, replaces some of the vitiated organic soil content, increases bacterial
action, and insures moisture penetration
to the very longest root depths. Consequently the golfer shoots spiked greens
with confidence that they will hold, and
the greenkeeper enjoys a continued
maintenance of the turf.
We have been maintaining our
greens in very good holding condition
by watering them only every other night
for a duration of from three-quarters to
one hour according to the contour of the
green. Our experience has indicated
that spiking not only obviates the neces"It's a cinch to cut the other fellow's
sity of soaking the green, but adds materially to economic turf maintenance. budget".

FOR "QUALITY"

LAWNS, GOLF and
SPORT TURF
j
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Golf Course, Estate,
Park and Lawn
Supplies
Woodworth Bradley
Seedsman

136 So. W a t e r St.

Prov., R. I.

C o n n e c t i c u t Office

MATERIALS
FINEST G O L F G R A S S E S
Separate Vars. or Mixture
Ver-Best P. G. Manure
(7-8-2—62% Organic)

C o m p l e t e Grass Manure
(6-8-1

7 0 % Organic)

C a s t a - P o m a G r a s s Manure
(5-6-2—65% Organic)

Gen-Purpose
Grass Manure
(4-8-4—42% Organic)

Fertilizers
Chemicals
Fungicides
Insecticides
Soil S p o n g e
P e a t Moss
Humus
Implements
Worm Eradicators
Semesan
Nu - G r e e n
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131 B E V E R L Y S T R E E T
Boston, Mass.
Branch:
C e d a r S w a m p Road

Glen H e a d , L. I., N. Y.
Price List Sent O n R e q u e s t .

C A R L H. A N D E R S O N

5 Robin Rd.

W e s t H a r t f o r d , Conn.

N e w Y o r k Office

C L I N T O N K. B R A D L E Y

91 W i s n e r Ave.

N e w b u r g h , N. Y.

Exclusive N e w E n g l a n d
Distributors For:
Premier Brand Pulverized
Poultry Manure
Rams Head Brand Pulverized
V. C. Fairway Fertilizer
Corona Dry Arsenate of Lead
Mowra.h Meal and Castor Pomace
available for prompt or future
shipment.

GET OUR P R I C E S
|
The highest grades of Bent Grasses, Fancy Re-cleaned Red Top,
! Fancy Re-cleaned Kentucky Blue
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8 5 S T A T E STREET
Boston, Mass.

From Aug. 1 to Sept. 15th

New England Golf & Country Clubs
USED 34

CARLOADS

( 7 2 9 Tons)

M I L O R G A N I T E
for

FALL

FAIRWAY

FEEDING

These far sighted clubs recognize the importance of "Milorganizing" fairways this fall
to insure better turf next season.
If your club failed to feed this fall, plan to
Milorganize fairways early in the spring, so you
too will have good fairways next season.
We are prepared to make specific recommendations which will be effective, yet economical.

Our Sales of MILQRGANITE to N e w England Clubs

1928— 96 tons
1930—460 tons
1929—371 tons
1931—354 tons
1932—1069 tons
Distributed by

NEW ENGLAND TORO COMPANY
112! Washington Street
W E S T N E W T O N . MASS.