G r e e n k e e p e r s Club of N e w E n g l a n d

N

E W S

L E T T E R

November, 1929.

Vol. 1, No. 7.

When love and skill work together expect a

masterpiece."
—John Ruskin

GROUP INSURANCE
The returns of the recent mail ballot of the Greenkeepers Club
of New England in regard to group insurance show t h a t over 60%
of the members voted in favor of it and t h a t nearly 40% neglected
to answer at all. Thus, the ballots returned were unanimous in declaring for group insurance and for raising t h e club dues to cover
the premium. Therefore, by your vote the dues would be raised to
about $18 per year and for this increase you would be covered by
insurance for $1000 in case of death or total disability.
The rate is higher t h a n we thought at first, but there is a possibility t h a t the group be divided into different classes. Thus, the
young will pay a lower rate and the older man a higher rate. Even
then the older men will get insurance at a much lower cost t h a n
they could get otherwise, and the f a c t t h a t there will be no physical
examination necessary should make it very attractive.
Which way do want this adopted? It is up to you. This m a t t e r
will be discussed at the next meeting of the club and representatives
of the insurance company will be present to explain. Be sure to be
present and get all the dope on this question.
CARLTON E. TREAT.

INDOOR MEETINGS
Why the small attendance at our indoor meetings? It seems as
though we should have as many, if not more, present t h a n at our
outdoor meetings. Most greenkeepers are not as busy during the
winter months as at other times of the year, and should find time
to attend a meeting once a month.
It may be t h a t if we held our meetings outside Boston we would
have a larger attendance. Of course, it is r a t h e r difficult driving in
Boston, and some of us would r a t h e r not do it. This is just a suggestion, so let's have a large attendance at our next meeting and get
the club's opinion—also to decide the insurance question.
P. F. HAYDEN.

2

NEWSLETTER

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
MARSTON B U R N E T T
Business Mgr.
THE

COMMERCIAL

BENT

GRASSES

We are indebted to Prof. F. H.
Hillman of the U. S. D. A. Seed Laboratory at Washington for permission
to use in the N E W S L E T T E R the following circular on the bent grasses:
"THE C O M M E R C I A L
BENT
GRASSES,— Represented by different
kinds, (botanically different species and
varieties of species of the genus Agrostis).
"In the following statement, all the
kinds used, or the seed of which is sold
f o r use, on American golf courses are
numbered consecutively somewhat with
regard to their relationships. The names
following the numbers are those in common use which r e f e r to a definite kind.
The botanical names heretofore in use
follow in parenthesis. The creeping or
non-creeping character of the plants
(so f a r as of practical importance in
the lawn or golf course) is indicated
for each kind. Finally certain names in
common use, but which are indefinite,
misleading or actually deceptive are
considered.
" ( 1 ) . Redtop,
(Agrostis
palustris,
more commonly called Agrostis alba).
Primarily a f a r m grass; the coarsest of
the kinds under discussion; too coarse
for the putting green. Somewhat creeping. The seed readily mistaken for t h a t
of other kinds and often used as an
adulterant of, or a substitute for, the
more expensive kinds. Commercial seed
is produced chiefly in the United States;
some has come f r o m Europe.
" ( 2 ) . Seaside bent, "Cocoos" bent,
(Agrostis maritima), the seed sometimes sold as "Agrostis maritima". A
seacoast grass, sometimes growing spontaneously inland. A distinctly creeping
grass, spreading by trailing and rooting
(stoloniferous) stems. The seed exceptionally similar to that of redtop; produced chiefly on the Oregon and Washington Pacific Coast and its bays, and
in limited quantity on Prince Edward
Island, Canada. Growing non-eommercially along the New England Atlantic
Coast.

" ( 3 ) . Carpet
bent,
"Washington"
and other strains, (Agrostis stolonif e r a ) . Originally produced vegetatively
f r o m plants found in seedings of South
German mixed bent. A strictly stoloniferous grass spreading by prostrate,
rooting stems. But little seed has been
produced commercially. Seed is believed
not now commercially on sale.
" ( 4 ) . Rhode Island bent, Browntop
of Canada, Waipu browntop and Colonial bent of New Zealand, (Agrostis
capillaris, more commonly called Agrostis vulgaris, and called Agrostis tenuis in
Canada), an ingredient of the t r u e
South German mixed bent. A generally
non-creeping grass growing spontaneously in New England and a d j a c e n t
Canada, and reported under cultivation
in the Pacific Northwest. Seed formerly
produced in Rhode Island, now produced in considerable quantity on
Prince Edward Island, Canada. Much
seed comes f r o m New Zealand and f r o m
Germany, that from Germany usually
mixed with velvet bent seed.
" ( 5 ) . Astoria bent, "Golf-a-lawn",
(Agrostis capillaris (?) variety). A
distinct kind of grass growing spontaneously near Astoria, Oregon. This is a
pronounced underground-creeping plant
said sometimes to have stoloniferous
stems above ground. Seed production
is in the third or f o u r t h year. A large
crop of seed is expected this year co be
marketed as Astoria bent.
" ( 6 ) . Oregon bent, (Agrostis capillaris (?) variety). This is another
distinct kind of grass growing spontaneously in Oregon. It is a pronounced
underground-creeping plant, the creeping stems producing a thick growth of
upright leaf stems. A stand of chis grass
which has been producing seed since
1926 is on high and dry land having a
heavy clay subsoil. A crop of seed will
be harvested this year.
" ( 7 ) . Velvet bent, (Agrostis car.in a ) . A well-marked kind admired for
the velvetlike character of its fine stems
and leaves; a slow creeper f r o m rooting
overground stems. It comes from Germany, never pure, but mixed with A.
capillaris (No. 4) varying from little to
3 0 % , 40% or more of the mixture.
Seed is produced in limited quantity on
Prince Edward Island, Canada, and also
in Alberta, Canada.
" ( 8 ) . "Fiorin." Seed of an uncertain character is coming from Europe
as "creeping b e n t " or under some other
attractive name. It is produced under
cultivation to supply the seed trade.

3 NEWSLETTER
Producers claim three forms of fiorin:
(1) "high-growing," (2)
"intermedi
ate," and (3) "low-growing." Representative samples of seed of these
forms show (1) to be redtop; (3) the
same as Rhode Island bent, brown-top,
etc; (No. 4 above), and the "intermediate" form (2), apparently a hybrid form producing plants as yet unknown here.
" "Creeping b e n t " is a widely used
expression that has lost its value as
r e f e r r i n g to any particular kind of bent.
Used for this purpose by the trade, it
is meaningless and should be discontinued. It has been used commercially
with reference to seaside bent, carpet
bent, Rhode Island bent, fiorin and
South German bent. The purchaser of
seed under this name could have little
assurance as to what he would get.
" "Agrostis stolonifera" has been an
exceptionally popular title for bent seed
sent to this country from Germany."

THE

DEMONSTRATION

DEN

AT

THE

TURF

CHARLES

COUNTRY

GAR

RIVER

CLUB

It would perhaps be interesting at
this time of year to go over the experiments tried at the plots, and sum up
some of the results. The changes in
the plots f r o m month to month make it
difficult to give any definite observations. It is extremely desirable from
time to time to visit the plots and make
notes for yourself.
In the trial plots f o r greens' grasses,
a great many of the plots have good
putting surfaces. Which is best seems
to be a matter of preference, color and
texture being the primary considerations. It is of interest to note the color
changes brought about by frost. In the
stolon group, Metropolitan holds its
color; Washington turns a uniform
brown; Virginia turns a rusty brown;
Columbia mottles blue, brown, and yellow; and Velvet yellows up with patches
of green. In the seeded group, Fescue
holds its dark green color; Cocoos holds
its color well; South German mixed
Bent turns brown; Rhode Island Bent
yellows; and Poa annua t u r n s bright
yellow.
In the fertilizer group f o r green
grass, (South German mixed Bent), at
a glance, ammonium sulphate, ammoni-

um phosphate, synthetic urea, nitrate
of soda, and the mixed fertilizers
6-12-4 and 12-6-4 stand out by themselves because of their green color. On
close examination for texture and putting surface these plots have a ranker
growth than some of the other fertilizer plots. The poultry manure and
sewage sludge plots, while not as green,
are very good. These two plots were
very slow in starting, but during the
months of July and August, when the
fertilizer applications were cut in half,
were the best two plots. The ammonium
phosphate plot and the nitrate of soda
plot are very good. If you will take
your diagram of the plots and note:
4a good plus, 4b good plus, 4c poor,
4d good, 4e fair, 5a poor, 5b excellent,
5c fair, 5d excellent, 5e fair, 6a good,
6b good plus, 6c poor, 6d fair, 6e poor.
In row nine, trial plots of fairway
grasses, Chewings fescue 80% and
South German mixed Bent 20% is the
best fairway mixture; with Chewings
fescue 4 0 % , Red Top 20
and Bluegrass 40% second; Bluegrass 80% and
Red Top 2 0 % third; Bluegrass 6 0 % ,
Red Top 2 0 % , South German Bent
20% f o u r t h ; and Rhode Island Bent
fifth. These plots were not watered.
Fairway watered plots show of course
much better results due to the dry season, but the Chewings fescue, South
German Bent plot is not much better
than the like unwatered plot.
In the fertilizer series on fairways,
Kentucky Blue, Red Top mixture, two
applications of fertilizers were made
without water or rain, and severely
damaged the t u r f , which has not recovered at this time. Note f r o m plan
of plots: 10a good, 10b poor, 10c poor,
lOd fair, lOe fair, 11a poor, l i b fair,
11c fair plus, l i d fair, l i e poor.
The arsenate of lead plots show a
control of chickweed, but no control
for worms.
In regard to disease, the Chewings
fescue was nearly wiped out in J u n e
by leaf spot. Large brown-patch occured on Washington, Metropolitan,
Rhode Island, and South German Bent.
Small brown-patch occured on the velvet bents, both stolon and seeded.
The plots in general have a very
good t u r f , and the results of the 1930
season should be much more valuable
as the turf this year was filling in and
did not show the character of the various grasses.
FRANK H. WILSON, JR.

4

NEWSLETTER
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Club No. 1. Tractors and Cutters destroyed by fire
in shed at night. The next day we had a new cutter on
the course and hired a tractor for the club until their
new one arrived.
Club No. 2. Sent their mowers away to
ened and did not receive them in time to
greens, for the spring opening. We sent out two
we keep on hand for them to use and saved
No charge for this service.

be sharpcut their
machines
the day.

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Club No. 3.
up six weeks. We
things went along
the man was paid

Greenkeeper took sick and was laid
placed one of our men on the job and
smoothly. No charge for this service,
by the club.

Club No. 4. W a t e r supply cut off. We sent out a
street sprinkling cart from town to help them out. No
charge for this.
AND MANY OTHERS.

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If we sell you a Worthington, Jacobsen, Pennsylvania or Roseman Mower of any type we carry the parts
on hand to replace worn or broken ones.
We have everything for the Golf Course, not in books
or catalogues, but in stock.

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WOOD WORTH
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BRADLEY

SEEDSMAN

132 South Water St., Prov., R. 1.
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GOLF COURSE ARCHITECTURE—CONSTRUCTION

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5 NEWSLETTER
T h e Basic Fertilizer for Golf

Courses

FOR QUALITY

is
"COLLOIDAL

PHOSFOOD"

To
the
Green-keeper,
who
is
t r o u b l e d w i t h b r o w n patch, and kindred diseases, try C O L L O I D A L P H O S F O O D . B e c o n s i s t e n t in t h e u s e o f
i t , g e t t o l e a r n a l l t h e r e is t o k n o w
a b o u t it, a n d y o u w i l l b e c o n v i n c e d
that you have f o u n d s o m e t h i n g very
n e c e s s a r y to your greens.
It
prom o t e s the g r o w t h of grass that will
stand the w e a r and tear.

LAWNS, GOLF
and SPORT TURF

COLLOIDAL PHOSPHATE
SALES COMPANY

60 Congress St.

of New England
126

Newbury

St., B o s t o n

IVIass.

Boston, Mass.

WORTH INGTON
Lawn Tractors, Gang, Power
and Hand Mowers, also Golf
Course Appurtenances.
The

Standard
of

Send

for

Mowing
the

Equipment

World

Illustrated

Breck's Announcement
Stepehen Berecz, previously Jacobs e n S a l e s a n d S e r v i c e M a n a g e r , is
n o w in o u r e m p l o y in c h a r g e o f t w o
n e w services.
A complete line of Golf Course
Construction and Maintenance Equipment.

Catalogue

WORTHINGTON MOWER
COMPANY

A R e p a i r S e r v i c e f o r all t y p e s
M o w e r s in our n e w shop w h i c h
equipped with the latest
types
service
machinery.
Everything

for the Golf

Course

STROUDSBURG
8 5 S t a t e St., B o s t o n ,

Pennsylvania
New York
San Francisco

Boston
Chicago

Cleveland
Montreal

Tel. Hubbard
Lewis Wharf,

Mass.

1662

Atlantic

Avenue

of
is
of

NEWSLETTER

6
FALL

CONSTRUCTION

Construction should be kept in mind
at this time of the season. It is an
ideal time to lay foundations for vees
or greens, as you can get rid of a lot
of unsightly junk in fill, and cover it
to give it time to settle during the Winter months. Especially on tees it is a
good idea if it can be spared, when tees
are all graded, to spread a few inches of
stable manure over them, and let it
work in during the Winter. Spade in
what is left in the Spring, as it helps
to keep them growing when the hot
sun shines on them. I tried this method
on some of my tees last year, and
found these tees the easiest to care for
ihis Summer.
As most of the regular greens are
played on all Winter, in some places
where drainage is bad, the play does
not do them any good, and the result
is that there is a lot of work to be
done on them in the Spring.
Some places where the players leave
their tracks a f t e r thaw has started have
to be resodded. Sometimes the rollers
take care of these tracks, but not always. We had some of this trouble
last Spring, and we only used compost
on the resodded portions. We started
the rest of the greens with twenty to
thirty pounds of sulphate of ammonia
mixed with Vigero per green, and the
results were good. We composted later,
as we had more time then. Some of
the greens had no compost until well
into the month of May, and I am of the
opinion that these greens kept growing
better during the Summer months.
Yours for less trouble in 1930!
MICHAEL J O S E P H

O'GRADY.

The November meeting was held at
the Pine Brook Valley Country Club,
Weston, Mass., on November 4. An
eighteen hole medal handicap tournament was played, with prizes being won
by Swanson, Moran, West, Sullivan,
Sowerby, and Burnett. In spite of the
inclement weather, all present enjoyed
the day at this beautiful course.

The December meeting will be held
at Horticultural Hall, Boston.

The stork brought another
girl
visitor to the home of Mr. and Mrs.
Howard F a r r a n t on September 29.
Congratulations, Howard!
We understand that Mike O'Grady
is planning a visit to Ireland this Winter. Lucky chap!

How much does the word " c o m f o r t "
mean to you as applied to the golf
course? Is it not true that a player
has the right to demand a certain degree of comfort, as we'll as a well-kept
course? Should we not think over ways
to make our courses more comfortable
for our players?
How can comfort be secured?
In
many ways; easy inclines instead of
steep slopes; paths of ease and comfort
instead of sandy, rocky, slippery trails;
shelters here and t h e r e ; seats on or
beside tees, especially where there is
liable to be congestion; these are a
few. Keeping the rough in such a manner that balls can easily be found aids
in comfort. Di-aining of low areas
where water stands in the wet times
not only improves the course, but also
helps in the greater comfort for the
players. It is easy to see how comfort
can be made greater, there are so
many ways to improve.
This is the ideal time to do much
of this work to make the course more
comfortable. Paths can be made easier,
possibly sodded; if on a hillside, steps
can be built in to help. Seats and
shelters can be built, and other ways
to improve studied, so that next year
will find j o y f u l comfort in command
on your course. The little things count,
and comfort can be made gi*eater by
each little step.

Have you planned your work f o r the
Winter?
What are you doing in the line of
Winter sports? What does your club
offer its members in the Winter?
Don't forget to write up your experiences for the N E W S L E T T E R !

^^

7 NEWSLETTER
Y O U s h o u l d b e p r e s e n t at t h e D e c e m b e r m e e t i n g , as this m e e t i n g will
b e a v i t a l o n e in t h e h i s t o r y o f y o u r
club.
The insurance
question,
alr e a d y voted by mail ballot, will be
d i s c u s s e d , e x p l a i n e d , a n d final a c t i o n
taken.
The Nominating
Committee
w i l l b r i n g in a s l a t e o f o f f i c e r s f o r
1 9 3 0 , to b e v o t e d o n at t h e a n n u a l
m e e t i n g in J a n u a r y . A n a m e n d m e n t
t o t h e b y - l a w s is t o b e p r e s e n t e d t o
t h e m e e t i n g to m a k e the E d i t o r and
Business
M a n a g e r of the
NEWSL E T T E R m e m b e r s of the B o a r d of
Directors.

JOHN J. NYHAN
GOLF

MOWERS

Distributor for
PENNSYLVANIA
RED-E

POWER

MOWERS
MOWERS

1 2 2 C y p r e s s St., B r o o k l i n e ,
Tel. Aspinwall

Mass.

4606

MENDELSOHN'S

AN INTERESTING AND

4S9 MOODY ST., WALTHAM

PROFITABLE MEETING

C o m p l e t e line of hardware, paint, etc.

AWAITS YOU.

Compare our prices with

BE THERE!
DOW'S
PURE GROUND BONE

John C. Dow Company
121 B e v e r l y St., Boston,

Tel. Waltham

In

GOLF COURSE GRASSES
AND EQUIPMENT
When making out your budget
include a
MacAndrews Green Seeder
MILK

ST.,

BOSTON,

3210

Specializing Exclusively in
S E E D S

Member

of

Association
Seed

Commercial

Analysts

Mass.

HOVEY & CC>7~
Specialists

others.

P r o m p t d e l i v e r y in s e v e n m i l e r a d i u s

Made from thoroughly Cooked and
S t e a m e d Bone, ground finely to give
best results wherever you use Fertilizer Bone.

150

SHARPENED

REPAIRED

MASS.

Tel. HANcock 1454 - 1455

INTERNATIONAL
SEED SERVICE
11 PARK PLACE
New York City

8 NEWSLETTER
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BEAN

GOLF

SPRAYERS

In handling materials for combating Brown Patch, and for
spraying of liquid fertilizers, Bean Golf Sprayers offer you
utmost in efficiency and economy.
The Bean line of Sprayers and Dusters, nozzles, hose and
cessories, is so complete and so designed, that regardless of

the
the
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amount or kind of work that the greenkeeper has to do, he can find
the exact equipment he needs.
It is impossible to show all of our machines here. We show
two representative outfits.
Bean Golf Sprayers are equipped with Porcelain lined cylinders,
combination plunger packings, clamp style of threadless valves with
reversible seats, eccentric drive, and in a great many cases, with
Timken Roller Bearings.

We can furnish these machines with divided tanks and gauge
glasses. All Bean Golf Sprayers have wide tires.
Illustrated catalogues and prices on request.

NEW ENGLAND TORO COMPANY
247-257

NEWTONVILLE

1

AVENUE

NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS

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