JULY, 1969

(bourse

^Superintendents

OF

N E W

E N G L A N D ,

-^AAociation
I N C .

S p o n s o r s a n d administrators of the Lawrence S.
Dickinson Scholarship Fund — A w a r d e d yearly
to deserving Turf M a n a g e m e n t Students.

SUPER-PRESS O N TAP

NEXT MEETING

One of the highlights of the New England Golf Course
Superintendents Association will come roaring into Minute
Man territory July 14 when the second annual super-press
tournament is staged at the Concord Country Club.
This is, as was stated above, the second such venture. A
year ago over 30 teams poured over the Twin Hills Country
Club in Longmeadow for the kickoff event. The undertaking
was so successful the tourney was hailed as the cream of the
superintendents' golfing schedule.
Association president Tony Caranci is very enthusiastic
about the merits of the tournament, to the extent that he
urges the entire NEGCSA membership to make an attempt
to take part.
The event was originated as further evidence the course
superintendent is determined to have a place high in the
echelons of the golf world. With the opportunity to form
a social as well as business relationship with all the news
media, the superintendent should view this participation as
one of the basic requirements for allegiance to his profession.
Every effort is being made to make the day an enjoyable
one. Host super Nazareth (Narry) Sperandio promises a
good time for all . . . On one of the section's traditionallytested golf courses.
There will be a serious side to the association with members
of press, radio and television outlets. Prizes will be set up
for leading scores on gross and net basis.
Of course, the super prize for a super event will be the
Arthur Anderson Trophy which goes to the title-winning
tandem. The award is a form of appreciation to one of the
association's best-loved and most-respected members. Arthur
is expected to make the official presentation at the end of
play.
So, then, it's on to Concord for a tournament that should
be considered a must for all course superintendents. Let's
beat that 30-team figure of a year ago and flood Concord
with entries.
— Gerry Finn

Superintendent-Press, July 14, 1969
Concord Country Club, Concord, Mass.
18 Holes, Best Ball — Prizes Galore
Registration, Fees and Dinner — $20.00 per Supt. and Guest

O l d North Bridge —

Concord, Massachusetts

Narry Sperandio, Superintendent Concord Country C l u b

PROGRAM
Golf starting time 10:30 a. m.—1 p. m. Light lunches available.
Dinner, roast beef, 6:30 p . m . Program and prizes 8:00 p . m .
Narry Sperandio will host the Arthur E. Anderson SuperPress Tourney at the Concord Country Club, Concord, Mass.
Narry is spending his 24th year at Concord.
Concord's 18 holes provide an adequate test to the golfer.
Hilly terrain, water hazards, and heavy woodland describe to
the golfer the challenge which he must conquer.
The Concord Country Club was organized in October 4,
1895, at which time the initiation fee was $5.00, the annual
dues were $10.00. However, today's initiation, fee of $500.00
and annual dues of $350.00 point up the fact of not only how
the economy has galloped but also how golf has kept pace, as
a sport of increasing interest in New England.
The membership limit in 1895 was 125. Today the Club
boasts a membership of 350 families with 100 on the waiting
list.
Narry Sperandio has served as President of the Golf
Course Superintendents Association of New England during
the years 1961-1962. He has been attending meetings since
1926, and has been an official member since 1935. During
this period Narry has served the organization in many and
varied capacities.
DIRECTIONS TO THE CLUB
From 128 to route 2 west until you come to Emerson
Hospital sign, take left, Club on your right about 500 yards.

ourSe

• S u p e r i n t e n d e n t s

OPEN LETTER TO CLUB PRESIDENTS
A N D GREEN CHAIRMEN
The time has come for the New England Golf Course
Superintendents Association to make a strong, just stand
against insinuations this past year's winter kill is the result
of negligence.
Nothing is more asinine than such a deduction by certain
locker room agronomists and their disciples who feel dedicated to blame the unfortunate situation on someone rather
than something.
The winter of 1968-69 proved once and for all that superintendents are dealing with a complex, living thing in their
attempts to control growth and condition of grasses. To cite
them for the ravages of weather is akin to indicting a doctor
everytime a patient dies. Even though it may sound like
stretching a point, the two professions are much alike.
Once and for all country and golf club members are reminded of the fact that the superintendent cannot control
the weather — be it plant-bruising wind or plant-choking
ice. In most areas of the Northeast the winter proved a
dastardly occurrence. It took its toll on most courses. Some
are still staggering under its effects.
However, in no way can the superintendent rightly accept
blame for the consequences, especially those in the highcalibered standing of the New England Association. In the
case of escape from winter kill, many factors contribute . . •
including strain of grasses, soil condition, pitch of drainage
and many others. But in no way was the superintendent involved in fostering or inviting damage.
It is in the spirit of fair play that the association take
this firm stand against clubhouse and locker room snipers.
There can be no way to say it other than to advise headhunters to find themselves another prey.
GCSA of N. E.
Board of Directors

WINTER INJURY
Alexander M. Radko
U.S.G.A_ Green Section National Research Director
Winter strikes again? More, turf injur\^resuj_tecl this winter
than was expected. Normally, we invite snow cover to help
protect greens over winter, but apparently there was too much,
a r d it stayed too long, to form ice which subsequently melted
in areas of surface drainage and made greens excessively wet.
As a result, grasses in these areas turned various shades of
yellow, orange, brown, grey and black. In fact, algae formation was commonplace and this rarely occurs so early in the
season.
The problem now is to nurse the tender new growth back
to its former density and this could be slow. There is life in
a good percentage of the injured turf, evident as you peel
back the sheath and expose it. However, the soil remains
excessively wet and in order to do everything possible it appears that these things are necessary.
1. Aerate to help dry the soil
2. Spike several times over
3. Overseed
4. Fertilize and topdress lightly
5. Syringe several times daily being
careful not to overdo it
Next fall and early winter, improve drainage in these areas
where possible.

^ A s s o c i a t i o n -

DEALING WITH THE SCARS GF WINTER
By A. Robert Mazur
Eastern Agronomist, U.S.G.A. Green Section
Throughout the Northeast this year, with the extensive
snow cover and the formation of ice sheets, snow mold and
ice injury have been quite prevalent.
SNOW MOLD
Injury from snow mold is most common in those areas
where preventative fungicides were not applied before the
grass went into the winter. Some of our bentgrass varieties
such as Seaside are extremely susceptible to this type of injury and should not be used in the northern areas that have
extensive snow mold damage. The application of a mercury
fungicide at about the time the leaves begin to fall from the
trees with a second application just prior to the first snow
fall has proven quite effective against snow mold.
ICE INJURY
The typical pattern of ice injury follows the low areas
where moisture collects as the snow melts. Due to the lack of
surface drainage, moisture collects in so-called low pockets.
When there is frost in the soil we get very little, if any,
percolation of moisture and it freezes on the surface as the
temperature drops. The close proximity of ice to the crown
tissue of the grass plant as spring approaches can result in
death to the plant. Although both the bentgrass and Poa
annua on greens are subject to this type of injury, we find
that the Poa annua is the most susceptible. By improving the
s-urface drainage on greens and tees, much of this type of
injury can be avoided.
RECOVERY
Although the injured areas look quite brown, there is often
plenty of life left. The leaf tissue can be browned-off or lost
and the plant can still initiate new growth if the crown tissue
has not been destroyed. It helps to spike, topdress, overseed,
lightly fertilize and syringe these areas to help encourage
new growth from the old plants as well as from seed. Where
we are dealing with vegetative strains of bentgrass, overseeding can be accomplished with 5 pounds of creeping red fescue
per 1000 square feet to provide cover until the bent can take
over. The idea of the syringing is to keep the surface % to
1 inch moist and keep the newly initiated growth coming.
When the weather warms up and the grasses are actively
growing they will fill in over the injured areas in a relatively
short period of time.

The death-knoll for DDT is beginning to sound.
This spring Sweden became the first c o u n t r y in the world to
ban the use of DDT and in the United States similar moves are
being made in cities and states across the land. At the federal level
too, serious e f f o r t s to outlaw DDT and similar persistent pesticides are beginning to stir.
The latest c o n f r o n t a t i o n , and perhaps the most significant to
date in this country is taking place in Madison, Wisconsin. Focal
point of the action in Madison is a hearing being conducted by
the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on a petition
which could eliminate DDT in that state. The department is responsible for keeping the state's water resources free of pollution,
and under state law it can, u p o n petition, restrict or ban the use
of any substance it finds to be fouling the water.
Last November the resource department was petitioned by
two local groups and the Environmental Defense F u n d of Brookhaven, N.Y., to determine whether or not DDT is a pollutant of
the state's water resources.
The Wisconsin hearings are significant since it is the first time
that a proposed state-wide ban has been tested in court. If successful E D F and similar groups are expected to carry the battle to
other states.
The first E D F witness was Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson,
who has sponsored a bill in the Senate to eliminate the use of
DDT in the United States.
" T h e specific question before us", he said, "is whether the
over-all benefits of DDT are offset by the damage it does. I think
the evidence is clear that the damage is far greater than the benefit. In only one generation we have contaminated the atmosphere,
the sea, the lakes and streams and infiltrated most of the world's
creatures. We are literally heading toward environmental disaster."
The first scientist called to the witness stand was Dr. Charles
F. Wurster, Jr., chairman of E D F ' s Science Advisory Committee
and professor of biology at the State University of New York.
Wurster described some of his findings on DDT and warned of the
infiltration of the chemical t h r o u g h o u t the environments of the
world and its damaging effects on a great n u m b e r of non-target
organisms. George M. Woodwell, chief ccologist at Brookhaven
National Laboratory, says of Wurster, "I think, unquestionably,
he knows more about persistent pesticides than a n y b o d y in the
world."
Directing his c o m m e n t s toward DDT Wurster said, " D D T is
much less effective than it once was because insects have become
resistant to it, and we have learned m a n y better ways of controlling them. Moreover, we now k n o w that DDT is causing extremely serious damage to non-target organisms, and may not be as
harmless to man as once was t h o u g h t . "
" T h e advocates of DDT attribute any h a r m f u l side effects to
improper or indiscriminate use. But, in fact, there is n o safe application of DDT in the external environment. C o m p a n y propaganda makes DDT sound like baby powder but y o u can't have the
controlled, discriminate use of a chemical that is inherently
uncontrollable when released o u t d o o r s . "
" D D T is carried by runoff waters into streams, rivers, lakes
and oceans. It is also carried in large quantities through the air
and it comes down in the precipitation of even remote parts of
the world. DDT, therefore, cannot possibly be contained at the
site of the application. Like atomic explosions. DDT cannot be
used in the natural environment w i t h o u t contaminating the
earth."

(Loune

Superintendents

—^Mociution
OF

N E W

SPECIAL

E N G L A N D

EDITION

At the hearing.Dr. Wurster outlined f o u r serious disadvantages
of DDT:
(1) It is what some scientists call a biocide; that is, it has
broad biological effects on non-target organisms. It has been
f o u n d in almost every living t'hing on earth. Tuna, hundreds of
miles out in the ocean, carry DDT and so do animals on r e m o t e
land areas.
(2) DDT has great persistence; its half life is at least ten
years and its potency lasts for as long as f i f t y years.
(3) It is highly mobile, though not very soluble in water. It
goes easily into a state of suspension in water and will cling to
small particles of matter, being then transported by wind, rain
and snow. It is estimated that only half the DDT sprayed o n t o an
area stays on that area. The rest is carried t h r o u g h o u t the earth.
This is why a ban, to be an effective ban, must be absolute.
(4) Not all the DDT ingested by animal or man is excreted.
The DDT residues which remain in the b o d y are stored in the fat
tissue. As one animal feeds u p o n another, it ingests part of this
DDT c o n t e n t into its own system.
Examples of how this concentration of DDT in living organisms has either killed outright or had sublethal effects on everything f r o m plankton to mammals were given by a n u m b e r of
scientists.
For example, K e n n e t h Macek, staff biologist of the Department of Interior's fish-pesticide laboratory, reported of research
findings that showed, when brook t r o u t were fed low, sublethal
doses of DDT, the eggs and f r y they produced had significantly
higher mortality rates. Also, the trout were more vulnerable to
environmental stress such as changes in water temperature. Macek
also cited research which identified DDT residues as the most
probable cause of death of a million coho salmon f r y in Michigan
hatcheries.
A University of Wisconsin wildlife ecologist, Dr. Joseph
Hickey, testified on r e p r o d u c t i o n failures attributed to DDT,
particularly in birds of prey such as the eagle, osprey and peregrine falcon.
Dr. R o b e r t Van den Bosch, professor of E n t o m o l o g y at the
University of California, stated that he formerly had recommended DDT for insect control but n o longer approves use of the
persistent chemical. Dr. Van den Bosch issued strong warnings
a b o u t the dangers of its continued use.
And the list goes on.
Whatever the o u t c o m e of the Wisconsin hearings, the weight of
testimony has already been felt t h r o u g h o u t the state. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and the University of Wisconsin
E n t o m o l o g y D e p a r t m e n t have formally dropped their approval of
DDT for D u t c h Elm disease control and scores of cities have
already abandoned DDT in municipal spray programs. Without a
d o u b t more will follow.
In neighboring Michigan, state agricultural officials decreed a
prohibition on DDT and, as of this writing, were seeking the legal
means to initiate a complete ban on the sale and use of the
chemical.

No town should embark on a mosquito control program or
authorize the continuance of one without full awareness of how
complicated the problem is. Most methods of mosquito control
have some drawbacks, many are hazardous as well, and "control" is a long way from extermination.
There are two main approaches to controlling mosquitoes —
__ the biological and the chemical. Here is a brief summary of
some important facts about each.

Natural

Controls

The biological method reduces mosquito populations by
changing the habitat of the larvae — no larvae, no mosquitoes.
It costs more than using pesticides, gets results more slowly,
and takes more thought and skill on the part of the operators.
On the other hand, it gives longer lasting control, and is much
less damaging to wildlife. Two of the standard biological
techniques improve the quality of the whole environment.

Sanitation. The commonest mosquito pest is Culex, the
house mosquito. Like pigeons and rats, Culex has adapted to
living with man. Its eggs infest rain-filled pails and toys left
outdoors, house excavations, catch basins that don't drain,
blocked-up gutters and downspouts, bird baths and ornamental
pools, old tires abandoned in dumps and behind garages, and
similar containers that hold a little stagnant water. In warm
weather the eggs develop into biting adults in eight or ten
days.
Eliminating the mess a l ^ eliminates -the mosquitoes. Because Culex are weak flyers and do not migrate, new invasions
take place gradually.

Water control.

Ditching and draining was used by the
ancient Greeks and Romans as well as ourselves. Properly
placed ditches can drain stagnant woodland pools, prevent red
maple swamps from being shallow, mosquito-breeding ponds in
the spring, and enable high tides to wash salt-marsh larvae
out to sea.
Overuse is the danger with ditching and draining. Too
zealous a ditching program will cut down on important wildlife
habitat and also probably reduce ground-water supplies.
Among the more sophisticated water management techniques, a promising newcomer is marsh modification. If the
level of water is controlled so that it fluctuates, marshes can
sometimes be changed so that wildlife habitat is improved and
at the same time ferocious species of mosquitoes are replaced
with milder ones. (For further information, write the Division

of Entomological Research, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville,
Maryland.)

Prevention of water pollution. Mosquito larvae thrive
in water far too polluted for their most efficient predators, fish.
As soon as water is cleaned up enough so that fish can be introduced, the fish take care of the larvae. In western states
minnows are now being planted in drainage-ditches; ponds, and
other breeding places with excellent results. In the Northeast
the recommended species for larvae control are goldfish for
ornamental pools and bluegills and bass for anything larger.
Zoning to prevent construction

on lowlands.

This

is natural control with a reverse twist: people are kept away
from the mosquitoes. In the outer suburbs and country the
worst mosquito pest during late spring is Aedes, a fierce biter
and strong flyer. Favorite breeding areas for Aedes are lowlands, especially river flood plains, and a large proportion of
their victims are the people who live in these low-lying areas
which should not have been built upon in the first place.
Prohibiting building in Aedes' natural home reduces many mosquito problems.

Chemical

Controls

What makes pesticides questionable is the inevitable timelag between their first widespread use and the development of
information about their effects. That they can kill is obvious.
But, as with thalidomide and LSD, evidence of exactly what
- t h e y kill or damage and of their side effects, both immediate and
long range, takes years to gather. And by then a new set of
chemicals has come on the market.
The menace of D D T and the other persistent hydrocarbons
which build up to lethal concentrations in animal populations
is now well known. So we are presently in the middle of a
new round of pesticides, the organic phosphates. Although they
are not persistent, they are as poisonous as ever and it is impossible to predict their ultimate effects. Do they damage the
micro-organisms in the soil? How much will they add to the
problem of water pollution? How fast will resistant strains of
mosquitoes develop? Which beneficial insects do they harm?
Do they kill more mosquitoes or more mosquito predators and
competitors? It will take decades to find out.
It is also worth remembering that the use of chemical
poisons usually guarantees that the community will need pesticides year after year. As with predator control in general,
killing prey and predators on the mosquitoes favors the mosquitoes in the long run.

LARVA

Eight pesticides commonly used in mosquito

control.

(DDT, Dieldrin, Chlordane, and related persistent pesti j
cides are omitted from the list beacuse scientists agree that
they are a serious ecological hazard.)
— generally considered the safest of today's pesticides.
It is a short-lived organic phosphate manufactured by
American Cyanamid Co., and has been tested on small
mammals, birds, and even young rainbow trout all of
which survived massive doses without apparent harm. It
is effective when used in quantities as small as an ounce
or so an acre and seems almost specific for mosquitoes.
However, it kills only the larvae. Once the adults are
humming, it is too late for Abate.

And any community which has an active larvicide program, with repeated sprayings, and still has adult mosquitoes
is mismanaging the problem. Permanent mosquito control
measures — and this means biological methods — should be
investigated.

"ABATE"

— an organic phosphate which breaks down fast. A
concentrated dose kills birds almost on contact: the
recommended treatment for mosquito control is hard on
bees.

A Mosquito's

Life

To put mosquitoes in their place, they are a minor kind
of fly. Nearly 2500 species have been catalogued for the
world, about 150 for the United States, and 45 or so for the
Northeast of which only half are common. They made their
earliest appearance in recorded history about 3000 years ago
when the Egyptians wrote about mosquito nets and smudgepots.
A few years later philosophers in India were wondering if it was
necessary to apply the doctrine of nonviolence to mosquitoes.

"BAYTEX"

#2

— fairly close to kerosene. When applied very
sparingly on larvae-ridden water, it is harmless to birds.
Cheap to buy but expensive to apply and easy to apply
too generously.

FUEL OIL

— breaks down fast and is probably safe for warmblooded animals. However, malathion is very detrimental
to bees which, of course, are essential in the pollination
of flowering plants.

MALATHION

— a chlorinated hydrocarbon like D D T but with
low toxicity to warm-blooded animals and little accumulation in tissues. Lethal to fish.

METHOXYCHLOR

— a strong contact "natural" insecticide with little
persistent quality. Essentially non-toxic to warm-blooded
animals. Fish more susceptible.

PYRETHRUM

— (copper meta arsenate) — an old standby which
has had revival in mosquito control. Not very effective.
" T O S S I T S " — no one seems to know what is in them, and we
might not like it if we did. When manufacturers are
vague about specifications, it is often because the chemical
ingredients are both potent and subject to change without notice.
PARIS G R E E N

Like other insects they grow from egg to adult through
larval stages. Some mosquito eggs are laid in permanent water,
such as ponds and swamps. Some are laid in temporary water,
such as tree rot-holes and buckets filled with rain. And some
are laid in damp debris and on the ground in low places that
will at some time in the future be covered with standing water.
Wherever the eggs may be laid, the larvae can exist only
in water. The eggs laid in permanent water have no problem.
They develop methodically through the larval stages and emerge
as biting adults one to several weeks later. But eggs laid in
dry habitats don't become larvae until their site has been
flooded. Then they race through the larval stages in order
to become adults before the temporary water disappears. It
has recently been found that these eggs can remain viable for
at least three years and probably many more. So naturally we
suffer from a bumper crop of the pest in the first year of
normal rainfall after a long drought.
Male mosquitoes are vegetarians who live on nectar and
other plant juices.

It is only the female that bites animals,

and her bite is actually a sucking operation.

With her "drill"

she penetrates the skin, injects a fluid which prevents the
blood from clotting, and then sucks blood.
one minute to drink her fill.

It takes her about

After the blood meal she retires,

like a gorged lion, to sleep it off. She then lays her eggs.
While some female mosquitoes can lay eggs while living
on plant juices, most need blood before they can lay their first

Two final cautions about the use of pesticides: Any town
with water pollution problems should be especially cautious
about spraying. Pesticides kill the microscopic animals that
feed on algae. These plants have population explosions especially in sewage and the runoff from fertilized fields. When
they are no longer consumed by animals, they sink to the bottom
where they decompose and quickly turn Class C water into
Class D or even stinking Class E.

batch.

In order to keep on producing all require a series of

blood meals, rich in protein.
Their "hum" is the vibrating of their wings.

The average

life span is only a month or so, but several species can live
through the winter as adults and more lead active spring and
autumn lives while passing the summer in a state of torpor.
Many can produce nine or ten generations a year.

THREE

COMMON

Aedes
sollicitans
the salt-marsh mosquito

PESTS

Aedes
vexans
the flood-water m o s q u i t o

Culex
pipiens
the house m o s q u i t o

Needed: Standards

for Evaluating

Complaints

What constitutes a genuine mosquito nuisance worthy of
strong control measures? Town officials know that as a rule the
persistent complainers are the most recent arrivals from the
city. They have rarely been bitten before; they refuse to move
indoors behind screens in the evening; and they don't realize
that mosquitoes are as natural a part of country life as the birds,
butterflies, and wild flowers, woods, fields, brooks and other
amenities that attracted them to the country in the first place.
After half a dozen bites the newcomers begin to pressure the
local mosquito-control boards into drastic action, and the
boards often feel they must oblige with a heavy spraying program.
Experts with a wider view, including mosquito-control
specialists of more than local standing, are worried by this trend
and believe that a standard of nuisance level must be established soon.

Eastern equine encephalitis is the other possibility, and
we have in fact had two epidemics. The most recent was in
1956 with twelve cases and eight deaths. There has been only
one fatality north of southeastern Massachusetts in the history
of the disease. An epidemic needs a rare combination of circumstances including a high level of the virus in the bird
populations which harbor it and a high level of the right kind
of mosquito at the right time. The normal cycle of this encephalitis is from bird to mosquito to bird. Once in a while a
mosquito is interrupted while biting an infected bird and goes
from the bird to a healthy horse, hence the word equine in the
name. The mosquito carrier is thought (not proven) to be
Culiseta melanura, and it rarely bites man. Despite the thousands of dollars spent on mosquito control, justified in part as a
preventive measure against encephalitis, almost no money is
available for a concerted, perennial, and adequately supported
program of research on control and treatment of the disease.

Where to Go for Further .Information
A valuable book on pesticides is PESTICIDES AND THE
LIVING LANDSCAPE by Robert L. Rudd (University of Wisconsin Press, 1963). Along the same lines: RESTORING THE
QUALITY OF OUR ENVIRONMENT, Report of The Environmental Pollution Panel, President's Advisory Science Committee
(The White House, November, 1965).
MOSQUITOES O F PUBLIC HEALTH IMPORTANCE
AND THEIR CONTROL (Public Health Service Publication
No. 772, 40 cents, sold by the Superintendent of Documents,
Washington, D. C.) contains much useful information but
unfortunately also promotes the use of DDT and other persistent pesticides.
The University of Massachusetts provides an excellent 8page primer MOSQUITO CONTROL FOR YOUR

COM-

MUNITY (Special Circular 278) which recommends the education of the public before using pesticides.

Our Mosquito-borne Diseases
In our part of the world we are lucky: on the whole our
mosquitoes are merely nuisances and not carriers of disease.
Although we do have a few potential villains, the laws of
probability work against them. To spread a disease the same
mosquito must first bite an infected person or animal and then
a healthy person. If either the disease or the mosquito capable
of transmitting it is uncommon, the chances of this occurring
are exceedingly remote.
Our single species of Anopheles which can spread malaria
likes a warmer climate than ours and never becomes abundant
here. It gets a late start, and before its population can build
up, cool autumn weather ends its activity for the year. Furthermore, it bites pigs and other farm animals in strong preference
to people. And even if a member of the species does branch
out and sample human blood, it has almost no chance of biting
someone with malaria.

State and local mosquito-control projects can be tracked
down through their respective agriculture, natural resources,
public health, or reclamation departments. It is necessary to
remember, however, that many of the individuals involved have
a vested interest in maintaining and even expanding present
programs.
In the federal government The National Mosquito Control
— Fish and Wildlife Management Coordination Committee has
been working for years to find a middle ground where the two
sides can get together.

For information about the techniques

being developed by this committee a community organization
(not an individual) can write:
Mr. C. H. Schmidt ARS
Entomological Research Division
Plant Industry Station
Beltsville, Maryland

New Hampshire Golf Course Superintendents Association, Inc.

Editor — John J. Barry, Su.pt. Abenaqui Country Club, Rye, N. HJ

JUNE MEETING
Host Superintendent, Don Bye, of the Province Lake Country Club in East Wakefield, New Hampshire provided a beautiful setting on a well-groomed course for a very rewarding
meeting.
The meeting was held in conjunction with the Maine Golf
Course Superintendents Association, and gave us an excellent
opportunity to become better acquainted with our neighbors.
The meeting also served as the first annual tournament
between New Hampshire and Maine. New Hampshire proved
victorious in its effort. A trophy will be presented to the victor
each year.

JULY MEETING
Our next meeting will be held at Superintendent Ford
Leach's Ammonoosoc Golf Club in Lisbon, N. H. on Wednesday, July 9. I know that some of the Superintendents in
the southern part of the state are planning to drive up the
day before and stay at the Inn which is affiliated with the
golf course. Breakfast comes with the rooms — all at a very
reasonable rate. As last month's meeting gave us the opportunity to become better acquainted with our neighbors, this
meeting could serve as an excellent opportunity for members
of our own association to get to know each other better.

MEETING SCHEDULE
10:00 — 11:00
10:00 — 11:00
11:00 — 12:00
1 2 : 1 5 — 1:00
1:00—
?

Board

of

Directors Meeting
Social Hour
Business Meeting
Lunch
Golf

SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
Well, gentlemen here it is. The Scholarship Committee has
prepared its format to raise money for the Scholarship
Fund, which will help to further the education of deserving
students.
A goal of $10,000 was set and the money is to be placed
in a trust fund. The two main f u n d raising programs to
achieve this goal are:
1. Pledges of contributions by our members.
2. A raffle. The raffle will have a rather unique twist in
that there will be only 1,000 chances sold at $10.00
a chance. The grand prize will be a Buick Electra 225
with all the extras except air conditioning, or $4,000
in cash.
Your cooperation is needed in this endeavor if it is to be
successful.

NEW MEMBERS
There are two new members to be voted on next month.
Herman Houschel is owner of the Rockingham Country
Club in Newmarket, N. H. and resides on Ash Swamp Road
in Newmarket. Herman has made application as a regular
member.
Ron Gagne of Nashua, N. H. has made application as an
inactive member. Ron has taken over the reins previously
held by Dr. DeFrance, before his retirement, as a representative of the 0 . M. Scott Company.

Don Bye, host superintendent, June M e e t i n g
and a lew of the participants. Left to right,
Leonard Chase, Treas. N . H., Don Bye, H o s t ;
G e o r g e Hauschel, Pres., N . H.; H a r v e y LaM o n t a g n e , V. P., M a i n e ; Lloyd Ruby, Pres.,
Maine.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
1. Don't come to meetings.
2. If you do come, come late.
3. If the weather doesn't suit you, don't think of coming.
4. If you do attend a meeting, find fault with the work of
the officers and members.
5. Never accept an office — it is easier to criticize than to
do things.
6. Nevertheless, get sore if you are not appointed on a committee, but if you are, do not attend the committee meetings.
7. If asked by the chairman to give your opinion regarding
some important matter, tell him you haven't anything to
say. After the meeting is over, tell everyone how things
ought to be done.
8. Do nothing more than is absolutely necessary, but when
others roll up their sleeves and willingly and UNselfishly
use their ability to help matters along, howl that the organization is run by a clique.
9. Hold back your dues as long as possible or don't pay
at all.
10. Don't bother about getting new members — "Let George
do it."
If the shoe fits — wear it

Maine Golf Course Superintendents Association

Editor — Norman Pease, Purpoodock

Club, Cape Elizabeth,

Maine

JUNE MEETING
The Maine Golf Course Superintendents Association wishes
to thank the New Hampshire Association for the excellent
job they did in setting up the joint meeting. We don't believe
they have control of the weather, but the day was about the
best we have seen all spring. The speaker from Bartlett Tree
was very informative, the food delicious, the golf matches
very interesting, and though New Hampshire won, Maine is
looking forward to winning the trophy next year.
Our thanks go also to the owner of Province Lake, Raymond Benzing for the wonderful food and the use of the
facilities, Pro Bob Raymond for handling the golf tournament, and host Supt. Don Bye for asking us to come.
The white lady slippers that Don showed some of us were
beautiful and we hope he is successful when he transplants
them.

NEXT MEETING
The next meeting will be held at the Rockland Golf Club
in Rockland. The host superintendent will be Harvey LaMontange. Date: July 8, Time: 11:00 A . M . ; Place: Rockland
Golf Club; Education: Unknown at this time.
Golf in the afternoon for those who want to play.
It is our hope that Superintendents in the northern part
of the state that we see so seldom, due to the distances they
have to travel, will make this meeting being held in their
area. It would be nice if Superintendents belonging to the
Association would call one or more Superintendents in their
area who do not belong, and get them to attend the meeting.

Left fo right: Norman Pease, Purpoodock Club,
C a p e Elizabeth, Me.; Raymond Benzing, o w n e r
of Province Lake; Don Bye, Supf. of Province
Lake, Bob Raymond, Pro of Province Lake

FUTURE MEETINGS
August 5. Purpoodock Club, Cape Elizabeth, Norman Pease,
Superintendent.
September 9. Abenaki Golf Club, Biddeford Pool. lack
Small, Superintendent.
(Equipment Field Day)
October 7. Natinas Golf Club, Vassalboro, Paul Brown,
Superintendent.

SHELF-LIFE OF INSECTICIDES
The following comments made by Professor Lloyd Adams, Penn. State Extension Entomologist, should prove helpful.
1. There are too many variables to give a specific shelflife for an insecticide.
A. Once an insecticide container is opened, deterioration
occurs rapidly with many factors involved.
B. Sealed containers stored under proper temperature,
humidity and not exposed to sunlight may be good for
years.
C. Half full containers have air that causes oxidation.
D. Open containers pick up moisture.
E. Insecticides stored in summer and winter may cause
volatization under high temperatures and separation,
breakdown, or settling out of emulsions if frozen or held
at too cool temperatures.
F. Aerosols are closed containers and volatization prevents oxidation, but in some cases like DDT aerosols,
stored at cool temperature (below 50 degrees) separation may occur.
2. What are some of the signs of insecticide
breakdown?
A. Caking of wettable powder or dusts.
B. Deposits in the bottom of containers of emulsions,

or any separation or different color layers, of the liquid.
C. Rust spots on containers indicate poor humidity condition in storage or reactions of the contents within t i e
container.
3. How to prevent

breakdown

of

insecticides?

A. Buy only the amount of insecticide you need for the
current season.
B. Store unopened container in a moderate to cool temperature not in direct sunlight and in low humidity.
Unopened containers stored in this manner are probably
all right to use the following season or possibly several
years later.
C. Opened containers should be resealed and stored as
indicated above. Insecticides packaged in bags may be
resealed by folding the top several times and holdingshut with spring type clothespins, (unless label directs
otherwise)
D. Date each insecticide container when you receive it.
Read the label to determine if storage instructions are
different from those just stated.

O F

M A N Y THANKS, M A N N Y
The letterhead says it all, "Manuel Francis and Son, Ino.
. . . Turf Nurseries." After 45 years as physician to the ills
of golf courses, Manny Francis has taken down his shingle.
At age 65 Manny is striking out on his own in a brand new
budding field.
"It's only something to do with my
hands", he cracks. If I could, I would
have stayed one hundred years at Vesper (Country Club). I loved it there.
1
Everyone treated me with respect."
That kind of respect, that high-rising
sound of his name are only two of
Manny's many contributions to his profession. Because Manny was associated
s, >
finm
with course maintenance, the business

I

\ became better for it. He was that kind
of inspiring healer of the soil.
To some it might feel as though Manny spent those one
hundred years at Vesper, a golf course noted for its spic
and span condition and lush life it presented golfers. One of
New England's best in that department — Warren Tibbetts
-— once revealed that he took out an annual membership at
Vesper just to have the opportunity to feel the richness of
the Manny Francis touch underfoot. Striking testimony? You
said it.
Anyway, Vesper did not invent Manny Francis and neither
did Manny invent Vesper. He came to this country from
Louzon, Portugal in 1923 at the age of 19. He immediately
had a falling out with his surroundings. He got a job in
a hat factouy and hated it. "I didn't want to be stuck inside

N E W

E N G L A N D

for the rest of my life," he reveals. "My grandfather had
been one of the leading agriculturists in the Louzon area and
it rubbed off on me. So, I quit hat-making and went where
I belonged . . . to the soil."
Manny's first job was on a nine-hole course in South
Portland, Maine, called Larry Rowe's. He did everything for
Larry until he got a call from Amesbury Country Club and
in turn from the Haverhill Country Club, the scene of his
first 18-hole assignment. In 1947 Vesper recognized his
talents and sought them. Manny responded and put a lush
green face on the course up until his retirement at the end
of the 1968 golf season.
Along the great successful way he traveled, Manny left his
mark in the form of pertinent discoveries in new plants and
unique methods in remedying the sickness of certain plants.
Many forms of original equipment he used in his early days
later were hailed as "recent" discoveries. That's how far
Manny was ahead of his time.
More specifically, Manny was the first to use sawdust in
top dressing and probably was among the first to initiate
a prudent fertilizing system in which nature's helpers were
distributed in lesser amounts at greater intervals. He also
was a leader in the use of calcium arsenate to rid Po-An
from desirable turf.
Perhaps his most important contribution, as an aftermath
to the wonderful things he did for golf and golfers, was the
fact that he gave the course superintendents profession another
Manny Francis . . . the younger who works the family
magic these days at the Belmont Country Club.
So, Manny Francis has meant many things to all of us.
What else to say, Manny, than many, many thanks.
— Gerry Finn

UNDERCOVER JOB

Beauty is only skin deep at many of our plush country
clubs, according to a recent spot check of golfing establishments around New England.
What's the come-on? It's simple. While the country club
takes distinct moments of chesty reaction for fire-dripping
drapes and knee-deep rugs, it allows maintenance equipment
and other course-saving devices to go broke with improper
storage.
What is happening here is the creation of two faces of the
country club. It stops at the pro shop and clubhouse in the
way of making an impression and tries to kick the lair of
the superintendent and his tools under those natty rugs byforgetting both.
In the end the expense often is tripled. It is the law of
successful operation to keep good mechanics and good equipment under cover. Even farmers are cognizant of this fact.
A well-known Western Massachusetts Club that believes in
keeping its equipment under cover.
Golf

Interior of G o l f C a r t S t o r a g e B u i l d i n g . C a p a c i t y 50
Cai"ts

Cart Storage
Building

I N C .

Front view of G o l f C o u r s e
Equipment Building

Rear
and

V i e w of
Equipment
Golf Cart Storage
Building

They never let a tractor go to bed under a pelting rain or
other adverse weather attack.
There are several examples of clubs who have seen the
light. This has been prompted by the influx of the golf cart.
In the process of learning carts must have protection, these
same clubs have come to realize all equipment must be cared
for or run the risk of being ruined before its time.
Club members, then, would do well to make a spot check
of their own playground premises. If what you see are shabbybarns, knotholed woodsheds and canvas coverings where
modern buildings should be, you had better believe you'll
more than pay for it in the end. The cost of constructing
proper protection for equipment is far lower than the price
to be paid for replacing prematured worn-out vehicles and
cutters.
The face of the country club can be described only in true
manner of assessment with a complete look at the grounds.
What's the sense of prettying up the showplace area of your
club when everything else is going to hell. It just doesn't
make any sense.
— Gerry Finn

P t e t u e f x z t r o t t i f e FRIENDS O F THE

President

Alfco Rokeby Co., Inc.
Fertilizers and Chemical Specialties
P. 0 . Box 267, Marietta, Ohio

—

A n t h o n y C a r a n c l , Jr.
2 2 Hiliview Drive
N o . P r o v i d e n c e , R. I. 0 2 9 0 0
Phone 723-1488
Ciub Affiliation
Ledgemont Country Club

First Vice-President

Secretary

—

Treasurer

—

Club Aminos,

B r a e Burn C o u n t r y C i u b

—

Philip C. Beal, Consulting Engineers
Irrigation and Recreation Facilities
P. 0 . Box 102, Hanover, Mass. 02339
The Charles C. Hart Seed Co.
Wethersfield, Conn.

—

Educational C o m m i t t e e

NORMAN MUCCIAPONEj

—-

F O W A R D J. M U R P H Y
194 O x b o w R o a d
Wayland, Mass. 01778 Phone 358-7410
Ciub Affiliation
Lexington Country C M

tOf A l b a n R o a d
Waban, Mass. 02168
Phone 332-3056
Club Affiliation
Woodland Country Club

Trustee

—

LUCIEN DUVAL
R . F . D . N o . 5. G a u l t R d .
Bedford, N . H. 03105
Phone 4 7 2 - 3 4 5 4
Club Affiliation
Manchester Country Ciub

ROBERT G R A N T
22 Patricia R o a d
Sudbury, Mass. 01776
Phone 443-2671

Trustee

Baker Tractor Corp., Ford Tractors
Harley Davidson Golf Cars
Swansea, Mass.

THOMAS
CURRAN
153 Fisher S t r e e t
Walpole, Mass. 02081
Phone 668-7221
Ciub Affiliation
The C o u n t r y C l u b

R I C H A R D C. BLAKE
2 1 t Sewall S t r e e t
Boyiston, M a s s . 0 1 5 0 5
Phone 869-2737
Club Affiliation
M t . Pleasant C o u n t r y C l u b

S e c o n d Vice-President

Astroturf Recreational Surfaces
Monsanto Co., R. Spencer Thompson
P. O. Box 2130, Springfield, Mass.

—

Golf

ROBERT M U C C I A R O N E
4 6 5 S u m m e r Street
Westwood, Massachusetts 02090.
Phone 329-9682
Club Affiliation
D e d h a m C o u n t r y a n d Polo C i u b

Committee

Chairman -

W A Y N E RIPLEY
2 ( 6 South Street
Wrentham, Mass.
Phone 384-3142
Club Affiliation
Walpole Country Club

Newsletter C o m m i t t e e C h a i r m a n PHILIP C A S S 1 D Y
4 5 Grosvenor Road

DEAN ROBERTSON
24 Riverview Drive
Newbury. Mass. 01950
Phone 462-4540
Club Affiliation
C h e s t n u t Hill C o u n t r y C l u b

Needham, Mass. 02192

Phone 444-4127
Ciub Affiliation
Weston Golf Club

Finance C o m m i t t e e Chairman

—

Past

President

—

L E O N V. S T . P I E R R E
5i Fenwood Road
L o n g m e a d o w , M a s ? . Of 1 0 6
Phone 567-5562
Club Affiliation
longmeadow Country Club

JULIUS AKSTEN
6 M a i n Street
Southboro. Mass, 01772
Phone 4 8 5 - 8 8 8 5
Club Affiliation
Sf. M a r t ' s G o l f C l u b

The Clapper Co.
1121 Washington St.
West Newton, Mass.
Geoffrey S. Cornish
Golf Course Architect
Fiddler's Green, Amherst,

C. S. Curran
T. R. C. Products, Oils and Greases
7 Linden St., Framingham, Mass.
Fairway Equipment, Inc.
Sales — Service — Rentals
35 Walnut St., Reading, Mass.
Farm Bureau Association
158 Lexington St., Waltham, Mass. 02154
Fred Heyliger, Representative
Fisk, Alden Ford, Tractor Sales, Inc.
Rear 900 Providence Highway
Dedham, Mass. 02026
Manuel Francis and Son, Inc.
Turf Nurseries
624 Webster St., Marshfield, Mass.
Gold Star Sod Farms, Inc.
181 South Ave., Weston, Mass. 02197

NEW

ENGLAND,

Karandrew Turf Farms, Inc.
Sam Mitchell, Sales Representative
18 Old Randolph St., Canton, Mass.
The Kenneth Barrie Company
Irrigation
375 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, Mass.
Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp.
380 Union St.
West Springfield, Mass. 01089
Larchmont Irrigation Co.
Larchmont Ln., Lexington, Mass.
Bob Lippman, Tuco Products Co.
Division of the Upjohn Company
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Magovern Company, Inc.
Lawn Acre Road
Windsor Lock, Conn.
D. L. Maher Co.
Water Supply Contractors
P. O. Box 274, Woburn, Mass.
Ken Minasian — Scotts
Golf Course Division
312 Marlborough St., Boston, Mass. 02116
Old Fox Agricultural Sales, Inc.
Jerry Spahr
44 Lexington Ave., Magnolia, Mass.
Sil Paulini, Inc.
6 Manor Avenue
Natick, Mass. 01760
Sawtelle Brothers
Jet. Routes 128 and 62
Danvers, Mass.
Shepard Sod Company
Merion Blue Grass and Pencross Bent
200 Sullivan Ave., So. Windsor, Conn.
USS Agri-Chemicals, Inc., A. P. Bonnell
Seaboard Distributing Co., Inc.
Yarmouth Port, Mass. 02675

Grounds Equipment Co., Inc.
383 Boylston St., Newton Cen., Mass.

Philip A. Wogan
Golf Course Architect
21 Budleigh Ave., Beverly, Mass.

Tom Irwin Co.
Bennett Hill Road
Rowley, Mass.

Yerxa's. Inc,
Golf Course Equipment
740 Broadway, S. Portland, Me.

Course Superintendents ^Association
Or

Mass.

George E. Cull
Terra-Green Soil Conditioner
112 Green St., Abington, Mass.

ASSOCIATION

Johns-Manville Sales Corp.
150 Causeway St., Boston, Mass.

|
\

JUL3-'69

/^lUiPMEi;
A1-

A,
r.U I 74 I 7 5

GERRY FINN
Contributing

Editor

L E O N V. ST. P I E R R E
Business

Manager

DEAN ROBERTSON
Newsletter C o m m i t t e e C h a i r m a n
24 Riverview D r i v e
Newbury, Massachusetts 01950
Phone 4 6 2 - 4 5 4 0
C l u b Affiliation
C h e s t n u t Hill C o u n t r y C l u b

I