Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
-BOVEE.

JULY
1

..ygii^MSitftjv;,: tvi I

xi

rTsvi rrsviffavic?Svi

rvatvi

r7»vi rygv;

rTiKiiftig

This N E W S L E T T E R
is published
monthly by the Greenkeepers Club of
New England, and sent f r e e to its members and their Greens' Chairmen. Subscription price ten cents a copy, or a
dollar a year.
G U Y C. W E S T

Editor

312 Mt. Pleasant St., Fall River, Mass.

H O W A R D D. F A R R A N T Business Mgr.
132 Russett Rd., W e s t Roxbury, Mass.

July, 1935

Vol. 7, No. 7
JULY

MEETING

Other scores f o l l o w :
Harry Nettlebladt and Tom Mattus,
Pakachog Hill
73 70
Roland Hancock and Jim MacCormick, Unicorn
75 71
and

Ted

Jerry Gianferante and
ston, Minute Man
Marty Higgens
Fall River

and

Swanson,
76 71
Joe John77 72

Guy

West,
81 72

Jimmy Dolan, Hillcrest, and Clift
Sowerby, Marlboro
75 73
Jack Harvey and Narry Sperandio,
Marlboro
78 73
Joe Stein, Sandy Burr, and Bill McBride, Nashua
76 73
John Thoren, Woburn,
Phinney, Acoaxet

Gene Mosher and Carl Treat, Toytown
76 75
Tom and Walter Howe, Wellesley 76 75
Bill Cosgrove
Wachusett

and

Jack Curley and
Waltham

Simeo

Harold

Braio,
76 75
Durkin,
78 75

A l e x Bird and C. L. Hunt, Marshfield
76 76
Jack Leaijy and John
Scituate

Fitzpatrick,
81 76

George Easton and C. Frost, Warwick
82 76
Bill Black and M. Braga, Bristol 79 77

The July meeting was held at the
Brae Burn Country Club on July 22nd,
with the tournament being the annual
Greenkeeper-Pro Best Ball Championship, this year the first in which play
was f o r the John Shanahan Memorial
Trophy. Winners of the trophy f o r the
first time were Tom Mattus and Harry
Nettlebladt of Pakachog Hill, Auburn
with a score of 73-70.

Les Cottrell
Bear Hill

Ken Reid and H. C. Darling, Juniper Hill
78 74

and

Ed
75 74

Donald Vinton
Plymouth

and

F.

Fiocchi,
77

Abe Corveno and A. M.
Wampanoag
Roland Wingate and
The Country Club

H. Farrant,
81 77

Frank Gilholm and Elmer
Highland
Bill Duffey
Trapelo

and

77

Barney,
80 77

Fuller,
78 78

Jim

Holden,
87 78

Carl Nettlebladt and John Latvis,
Tatnuck
81 78
George Ford
Needham

and

Bill

Cassidy,
"82 78

Edmund Burke and R. W .
ham, Wanumetonany

Peck82 78

John Horgan and Ed Ohlson, Segregansett
83 78
George Apple
and
Meadowbrook

Lloyd

Scott,
84 79

George Flanagan and Nick Bruno,
Arlmont
87 80
Walter Jones and J. B.
Stoney Brae
Fred Low and
Brae Burn
John Homan
Riverside

Arthur

Oldfield,
86 81
Anderson,
85 86

and Harold

Harold Cahoon
Concord

and

Mosher,
88 84

Ed Hansen,
86 85

A l e x Briggs and Emil Mashie, Oak
Hill
76 74

Charles Burgess and Bud Hayden,
Woodland
91 85

John Gilholm and Michael
New Bedford

Ed Lally and Gene Monroe, Framingham
89 88

Grady,
*77 74

NOTICE

OF TURF

FIELD

DAY

M o n d a y , J u l y 29, 3 t o 6 P . M .

N.

j.

Agr.

Exp.

Sta.,

New

New

Brunswick,

Jersey

The annual field day for public inspection and discussion of experiments
with turf grasses, will be held on the
experimental grass plots of the New
Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station
at New Brunswick, N. J., on Monday,
July 29, beginning at 3 P. M., Daylight
Time.
The experiments include 14 research
projects, covering many phases of the
problems involved in establishment and
care of turf on lawns, parks, golf
courses, and other grassed areas, totaling approximately 300 individual plots.
Each of the various plots will be fully
labeled. Printed reports of research,
and recommendations on turf culture
will be available f o r distribution.
A l l those interested in turf culture
are cordially invited to attend.
The
field day is sponsored by the New Jersey Golf Association, and is conducted
by staff members of the Agronomy Department, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.
H. B. Sprague,
Agronomist in Charge.

MAINTENANCE
SPORTS

W.

E.

OF

COLLEGE

FIELDS

Perkins

(R. I. Field D a y )
Only a f e w fundamental changes have
taken place in the last f o r t y years of
turf culture.
However, research and
study of turf diseases, the effect of soil
conditions, both chemical and physical,
on grass growth, the relation of height
of cut on turf growth, and the knowledge gained in controlling pests and
weed growth have resulted in golf
courses being maintained more
efficiently.
The dissemination of this knowledge
secured f r o m recent scientific and technical research has greatly changed and
improved the methods and reduced the
cost of maintaining fine golf turf. Most

of this information has been made
available to those interested in the maintenance of turf, by educational programs and courses, and through publications such as the United States Golf
Association Bulletin, Golfdom, and the
National Greenkeepers Magazine.
While all this knowledge is applicable
to the maintenance of most turf there
is still an unlimited chance f o r scientific
work to be done on sports field turf.
V e r y little investigation has been made
on the relations of sports turf to the
sports themselves. Certain grasses are
as unsuitable f o r one type of sport as
crab grass is f o r a putting green. The
height of cut varies with the sport and
seasons, and the question of sports field
irrigation, drainage, and fertilization
are quite different than that required
f o r golf turf.
I firmly believe that scientific research
and the practical application of any information gained, in regard to sports
fields, will fill a much required need and
aid those who are engaged in maintaining turf under the most exacting conditions.
There is a wide difference in the maintenance of turf f o r sport clubs, parks
and municipalities, and that required
f o r college sport teams. The latter are
played by young, virile, well coached
men and boys who are accustomed to
having everything in excellent condition regardless of cost. They play for
the pleasure and enjoyment to be
gained, and also f o r the honor and
privilege of representing their school or
college. Competition f o r places on the
teams is very keen and the rivalry often
intense and as the selection of the
representatives making up the team is
based solely on merit, nothing is l e f t
undone to gain their objectives.
A f t e r graduation these men seldom
continue in the sport that they excelled
in during their college l i f e ; but if they
should, the expense is always borne by
themselves. The schedules are arranged
to meet their desires, and only when
the best playing conditions exist. These
contests can be postponed, on very short
notice if the weather is bad. Mandatory
and compulsory rules can be formulated
and laid down covering all conditions
and of course are a great help to turf
maintenance. The net result is that the
turf conditions at private sport clubs
are usually higher on the average than
at our colleges where many sports are
engaged in at once during very short
seasons when the weather is not always the best.

However, turf maintenance on college
sport fields is probably the most interesting and exacting of all the phases of
turf culture. The problem revolves, of
course, around the sport themselves,
each class of similar sport requiring a
different treatment and a seldom fully
understood method of maintenance.
Sports can be classified as contact
and non-contact. The contact sports
are soccer, lacrosse, rugby and football;
the non-contact —
baseball, tennis,
cricket, golf, track and field, and probably in a separate class entirely, horse
polo. The turf requirements f o r the
non-contact sports, as a class, are practically the same, and very much like
golf course maintenance, but each of
the contact sports because of their individuality necessitate special
treatment.
There are about four important factors governing good turf development.
These are ( 1 ) climate, ( 2 ) kind of grass
desired, ( 3 ) soil condition, and ( 4 ) the
time and rate of seeding or planting.
Assuming that these factors have all
been taken care of and that a good turf
is assured, there are in addition to
these, five other factors related to turf
maintenance on sports fields; (X) mechanical factors, such as the length and
type of shoe cleats, ( 2 ) season of the
year that the sport is played, ( 3 ) the
length of schedules, ( 4 ) the temperment of the athletic coaches, and ( 5 )
lastly the f a c t that the game must go
on regardless of anything.
This last
factor is probably the most apt to cause
the worst damage.
Modern sport has been improved by
many new ingenious inventions and developments in equipment.
The most
outstanding change affecting turf, has
been in the length and style of cleats
f o r shoes. Football cleats f o r example,
are of variable length and shape; the
most common type being about % " in
length, that can be replaced quickly by
a longer cleat f o r wet weather. Scuffing, sliding, digging in and starting with
these cleats tear or wear out turf in a
very short time.
Another mechanical factor affecting
turf is the automobile. Parking space
usually is provided on nearby fields that
are idle, and the entrance and exit of
several hundred cars severely damages
turf.
Canvas covers used in many places to
keep the turf in good shape f o r important football games, can seriously
affect turf. Grass is often smothered,

when an extended wet period occurs
while these covers are on and cannot
be removed until the day of the game.
The weight of such covers alone, when
wet or covered with snow and ice, is
too much f o r turf and serves to compact the soil more so even than rolling.
Sport seasons greatly affect the maintenance of turf. It is a rare thing to
find any college so largely endowed with
land that it can rotate its fields f o r
sports in spring and fall. Naturally a
field that is used f o r heavy spring
traffic, lacrosse or rugby should not be
used in the fall f o r soccer or football if
you wish to keep the turf. There are
only two growing seasons f o r grass, the
spring and fall and regardless of the
sport, turf used in one season should
be allowed to recuperate in the next.
Of course, this recuperation can be
aided by watering, fertilization and sodding. Seeding, however can only be regarded as helpful after the fall season
and then should be allowed to grow
through the next without being used.
It is however, a wise practice to reseed
small areas, as late as December 20th,
as this seed will have many weeks start
over anything that can be'accomplished
in the spring in this climate.
Almost all college sport schedules are
arranged so as to get in the maximum
amount of competition in a short period.
This usually means that spring schedules
are apt to be too early and fall
schedules too late. Turf is never ready
for any kind of traffic until the frost and
moisture is out of the soil and the grass
rolled, yet schedules are prepared the
year before, with no consideration given
to weather conditions. A fine spring
day, or the appearance of the
first
robin
means
that
the
fields
are
wanted, no matter whether there may
still be heavy frosts to contend with or
not. _ Naturally turf subjected to such
unwise practice is severely damaged.
Likewise, sport seasons extending into
late fall cause a similar damage that can
not be repaired in time f o r spring use.
Maintenance
is
often
unjustly
charged with game losses, if the turf
is not good, or the grass too long or
thin. Long grass taxes the strength and
endurance of a runner, and soft turf
causes slipping. Y e t too short a cut
may impair the ideal ratio between top
growth and root growth, and with top
growth increasing, -produce a soft succulent easily damaged turf. These facts
are not understood by the athlete who
talks only in terms of points and who
is apt to want on the east coast, in an

are only valuable in exact proportion
to the results obtained from their use.

Tested Seeds

Ask

your

seedsman to

help

you.

I t is his business to sell good seeds
suitable f o r the purposes f o r

which

they are purchased.

and

Woodco Lawn Food
feeds grasses.

Fairway Fertilizer

Woodco

Brand

produce healthy
Grass Seed

85 STATE STREET

Milford, Conn.

TO D E A L E R S

NEW ENGLAND G R O W N

BENT

Acclimated

SEED

Division

F. H. Woodruff & Sons

BOSTON

Winter-hardy,

Seeds
plants.

EQUIPMENT

IN GOLF
AND

COURSE

SUPPLIES

I f you do not advertise regularly in
the N E W S L E T T E R , you are missing the
best and most economical, means of putting your advertising message b e f o r e the

for

New England Golf Courses
Direct f r o m the farms of

buyers of N e w England.
A recent letter f r o m one of our advertisers says, " I t
ceived
district
100%

A. N. PECKHAM
K I N G S T O N , R. I.

(the ad.) must have

done some good work as w e have
some nice business
recently. . In

fact

from
it's

rethat

about

better than last season so

far.

W e ' l l stick with you as long as
meets with the boys' approval."
W r i t e the Business Manager f o r space
and

rates,

132

Roxbury, Mass.

Russett

Road,

West

off season, what he has seen in California during an ideal season f o r turf
growth there.
It usually is impossible to postpone
college sport contests if there is the remotest possibility of playing the game.
This is due to the fact that should the
game not be played on the date scheduled, there are no open dates available later, and results in the loss of
college rivalry and disappointment to
the teams. Therefore, regardless of the
weather the game is usually played.
One can easily picture the untold damage resulting f r o m a football game held
after and during a heavy rain storm, or
after a heavy frost in late fall as the
ground thaws in the mid-afternoon sun.
Fields subjected to treatment of this
type cannot be kept in good turf over
a period of years, and must be rebuilt
sooner or later.
I have given this resume up to this
point to acquaint you with athletic field
use and to show some of the difficulties
involved before describing the maintenance.
Spectators and players are seldom
familiar with approved turf maintenance
of sport fields; or the large amount of
time and energy involved. In order to
bring some of the more important details to your attention, I believe that it
can best be accomplished by considering the various sport fields individually.
The maintenance of turf on lacrosse,
and soccer fields is very similar. The
size of the fields are quite comparable,
and the games result generally in about
the same damage to turf. There are
two places where these fields suffer most
These
and require special attention.
spots are at the two goals and the center
where the play is concentrated and bare
spots develop. Reseeding in the late fall
will assure early germination and prevent weed growth, but the field should
not be used again f o r one year to justif y the expense of reseeding. Turfing
at the end of the seasons is usually very
successful if water is available, but
spring seeding is an unwise proceedure.
The best type of grass to use is a mixture containing Chewings Fescue, Kentucky Blue grass and Bent, probably
favoring the Blue grass, if the soil conditions are right, because of its toughness, and ability to stand abuse and its
aggressiveness although it takes two
years to produce good plants.
The
height of cut usually desired is about
1 V. ".

A baseball field should be oriented so
as to face the south to be ideal. Any
grass indigenous to the region and climate will suffice. A mixture containing a
high percentage of bent is preferable,
but fescue-blue grass mixtures are very
serviceable. The proportions in such a
mixture depends on the soil, drainage
and irrigation system at hand. A baseball field turf should not be cut over
1" on the outfield, while an even shorter
length is desirable on the infield.
A n ideal grass f o r turf tennis courts
in this climate seems to be Colonial or
Rhode Island Bent. It is aggressive and
a quick turf producer, not very susceptable to disease and will stand close
cutting. A grass court should be top
dressed and f e d regularly in much the
same manner as a green with a balanced
fertilizer that will not force the growth.
The height of cut seems to run generally
around % ".

^t',

Football holds the sports spotlight today and therefore football turf is undoubtedly subject to more discussion
and interest than any other sports turf
with the possible exception of golf
course turf. The game in many places
is played in concrete stadia holding
f r o m 50 to 100 thousand people. O m
might be led to believe that this fast
would have no effect on turf maintenance, but it is easy to show the relationship.
Turf to be healthy must have air and
water in proper amounts at all times.
A l l football fields located in concrete
sports stadia of necessity require subdrainage and very adequate surface
drainage of the large watershed.
It
often happens that this drainage system
will take the water too fast, or on the
other hand be inadequate, resulting in
waterlogged
conditions.
Should
the
leaching of water be too fast, or an exceptional dry period occur, irrigation
can be overdone, resulting in a tender
soft turf. Often the over abundance of
moisture and the lack of ventilation due
to the physical nature of stadia will encourage disease making another problem to contend with. Concrete stadia,
exposed as they are absorb the heat rays
of the sun, radiating it at all times, making the temperature conditions over the
turf most unsuitable f o r grass development and maintenance with no way to
correct it. Gridirons are usually graded
in a parabolic curve with grades approximating one inch in ten feet, which insures very ample surface drainage; but
this grade must be watched, as play will

^ ^

IDEAL

POWER

GREENSMOWER

G U A R A N T E E D T O E Q U A L OR SURPASS
T H E FINEST HAND CUTTING

.

1 M s m o w e r is built to g r e e n k e e p e r s ' s p e c i f i c a t i o n s *
come

every

objection

on t h e g r e e n .
cutting

that

whether

that

greenkeepers

have

had

to

.
I t lias o v e r -

using

power

It n o t o n l y s a v e s l a b o r , b u t it a ' s o g ' v e s y o u a j o b
will

equal

it b e h a n d

or

or

surpass

any

lawn

mower

of

manufactured,

power.

Y o u w i l l i m m e d i a t e l y n o t i c e t h e v a s t i m p r o v e m e n t in the p u t t i n g
surface
their

of

With
the

your

greens,

favorable

all its a d v a n t a g e s

economical

complete

and

for

your

members

will

very

quickly

pass

comments.

bud j e t

the

21"

of
size.

and conveniences,

any

golf

club,

This price

this m o w e r
it

includes

f o r t r a n s p o r t i n g t h e m o w e r f r o m g r e e n to
W h y n o t w r i t e o r call t o d a y f o r a

as

only

is

costs

a rubber

within
$220.00

tired

cart

green.

demonstration?

IDEAL MOWER SALES and SERVICE
111 C y p r e s s S t r e e t , B r o o k l i n e , M a s s . — T e l e p h o n e

Beacon

2898

cause pockets that will hold water with
resultant injury. The best football turf
in this climate has been developed f r o m
mixtures of Chewings Red Fescue, Kentucky Bluegrass and Bent. Excellent results, however, have been obtained in
some Central States f r o m Bluegrass
alone, and in California where bent is
used almost entirely. A pure Bluegrass
turf can be secured here, but as it is
not too aggressive and will require at
least two years to develop, I do not
recommend it. Neither do I believe a
stolon turf, with runners above ground,
is desirable, as the damages done during a game can be most severe. I understand that a strain of Bent, known as
the Bermuda grass of the north, with
underground stolons has great possibilities f o r these exacting uses. Right
now I f a v o r the mixed seeded turf in
which the Fescue Bluegrass predominates; because of its ability to withstand drought and damage, and because
it apparently has no soil preference, although it seems to be more satisfied on
slightly acid soils.
During the summer months football
turf should never be cut less than
l % - 2 " height, being gradually cut lower to 1 V i " f o r use. Divots and torn
spots should be replaced after each
game, with a little soil and seed added.
A fertilization program should be followed each year, the analysis of the
fertilizer being dependent on soil conditions, the kind of grass, etc. A n application of superphosphate annually
will aid root development and growth.
Rolling should be done only once in the
spring after all frost has l e f t the ground,
as the continued tramping of 22 pair of
f e e t with cleats packs the ground much
more than is desirable.
Fine results
may be obtained where there is too
much compaction, by spiking the turf
and applying domestic pulverized peat
moss or charcoal, or a similar product
that will get down into the soil and
alter its physical structure.
The maintenance of polo field turf
can be boiled down to fertilizing, mowing and watering. A l l are very essential, but irrigation is perhaps the most
important. It is almost a physical impossibility to keep a 900' x 400' field in
good turf unless the irrigation system
is perfect. The automatic underground
systems such as the Buckner will reduce the cost of watering almost 50 %
and the improvement of the turf very
marked over any hose system that can

be installed. Polo turf should be made
up of a mixture of fescue and Bluegrass, with some yarrow to help, where
irrigation is not the best.
The ideal
height of cut is about 1" f o r games and
practice—but during the off seasons
should be allowed to grow to a longer
length. Care must be taken to replace
all divots between periods and after all
games, and to keep the turf soft enough
so as not to injure the ponies legs, and
kept hard enough to prevent slipping
and excess damage f r o m their hoofs.
In summarizing I believe that turf
maintenance on sports fields requires
methods totally different than those
used on golf courses. In general, the
fertilization is quite similar but the
height of cut, irrigation and kind of
grass best suited f o r the individual purpose is most variable.
As on golf
courses clover is not desirable in sports
turf, as weedy turf soon causes trouble.
No definite routine in maintenance can
be followed f o r any length of time, the
turf usually does not stand the localized
damage and must be reconditioned by
resting. A field seeded one year should
never be expected to stand the abuse
of athletic contests f o r two years at
least if good turf conditions are desired.
The most practical and definite recommendation that I can make, that will
assure good turf continually, is the rotation of fields, and the sodding of fields
badly worn out, that must be used each
year

A recent letter f r o m P r o f . H. F. A .
North of the Rhode Island Experiment
Station is of interest:
Mr. R. F. Robinson has recently reported to me that 3000 square f e e t of
pure 14,276 velvet bent lawn sod has
been purchased f r o m him by the Park
Commission of Hartford, Connecticut.
This sod will be increased by planting
small squares at intervals of 6 to 12
inches in nursery rows. It is planned
that the increase will furnish vegetative
material enough by September 15th to
plant the 70,000 square f e e t of green
area that the new municipal nine in
Hartford will require.
This has proven entirely practical
under conditions at Kingston where
vegetatively planted 14,276 velvet bent
has been less than one month slower in
forming a putting surface than Washington creeping bent stolons planted at
the same time the previous autumn.

The credit f o r this venture must be
given to Mr. Everett J. Pyle, former
Greenkeeper in charge of the Providence
Municipal Links, in charge of the construction of the nine new holes and the
revision of another nine f o r the municipal use of Hartford. Mr. Pyle should
obtain
remarkably
beautiful
greens
f r o m this planting and it is probable
that this marks a new era in putting
green turf growing in New England.
Aside f r o m the Kernwood Country Club
under Mr. Mitchell's management at
Salem, I have not heard of another set
of pure velvet bent greens. I believe
Mr. Pyle will note a distinct saving in
fertilizing, composting, and treatments
for
brownpatch
control
with
this
superior grass, probably sufficient to
pay the slightly higher cost of planting
that it entails.

For

REAL

Economy

Brown

Patch

and

Control

CUR

SURE

use

EX

A t the r e c o m m e n d e d dosage, C u r e x
will

cost y o u

$1.45 per

green!

C U R E X contains 2 0 % of mercury
— m o r e t h a n any other organic fungicide on the m a r k e t !
F o r you greenkeepers w h o wish to
obtain the highest degree of control
w i t h o u t s h o c k or d a m a g e t o t h e t u r f
at the lowest possible cost, T R Y
That

safe,

easily-dissolved,

effective

C U R E X !

Mr. Robinson also mentioned that he
has saved 100 square f e e t with which
to propagate more turf of the same
quality and that he has purchased a
half ton of fertilizer to keep it growing. I understand that R. F. Robinson,
Jr. will be the greenkeeper in charge
of this project f r o m now on.

Hovey & Company
150 M i l k S t . — B o s t o n ,
Han,

Mass.

1454 - 55

FRED W. GOLDTHWAIT
M . I. T . 1 9 0 5 M e c h ' l

Engng.

Golf Course Irrigation
20 Y e a r s E x p e r i e n c e in P u m p i n g P r o b l e m s in N e w
15,000

Installations

of A l l

Specializing

England.

Types.

In

1. Doctoring of "sick" irrigation systems by
or pressure.
2. Investigation of underground water and
water cost through ground water.
3. Application of water with reference to
turf requirements.
4. Comparative costs—electric vs. gasoline

increase of capacity
study of saving in
particular soil and
pumping.

5. Lower cost fairway irrigation.
RESIDENCE:
35 P a r k Ave., Wakefield, Mass.
Crystel

1761-W

OFFICE:
175 H i g h St., Boston,
Hubbard

5580

Mass.

P U T T I N G G R E E N S MUST
By

W

W.

BE

GOOD

Stewart

(Reprinted f r o m The Pacific
Greenkeeper)
Many a flaw may exist throughout
the playing area of a fairway and unless
the whole area is poor only a f e w players over a long period of time may suffer
a poor lie. But when they reach the putting green, as eventually most of them
do, that l i s another matter.
On the
greens the players may have to putt
f r o m any angle or section which makes
it essential that ail cf it be in good playing condition. This all greenkeepers
realize, but how to attain and hold this
condition is the greatest of all their
problems and one which gets more difficult every year.
The high standard of quality in putting surfaces as demanded by the present day club member is a delicate and
expensive piece of turf to maintain. The
demand for this type of green has
arisen f r o m the introduction of the fine
bent grasses on many golf courses. Visitors f r o m bentless courses visiting and
playing upon these beautiful greens of
the' more recent type returns to his own
bentless club a confirmed agitator f o r a
change there. It is easy f o r him to obtain a following f o r every club member
takes keen delight in having the best on
his own course, and thus they are well
on their way towards renewing and reseeding greens that heretofore have
proved satisfactory.
This process has been the cause of
many clubs, which could not afford the
expense, remodeling and reseeding only
to find after a time that the perfection
they sought had not been obtained.
V e r y often more money is spent in
bringing greens to playing conditions
than was estimated, and yet very seldom
is there enough spent to establish conditions to make a putting green upon
which it is fit to grow finer grasses than
had been grown before. Everything is
rushed f o r quick results without any
consideration f o r the future years of
maintenance, and as quickly as possible
upkeep expenses are cut to the bone.
From this point on the harm has been
done and what has been considered an
economical path is in reality the sure
road to destruction. Many disappointments have been encountered on account

of false economy which has slowly but
surely led to the complete degeneration
of a fine putting surface.
A putting green is a delicate piece of
fabric intended f o r delicate and accurate play. This even the most poorly
prepared greens may be f o r a short
time. But frequently during this period
the club has been unable to supply them
with the necessary care. The grass has
thinned and the weeds have thickened.
The golf course crew is too f e w in number to do any but that work necessary
to satisfy the needs of the moment. The
weeds, poa, chickweed, crab grass, and
all the rest take a firm hold and in five
years we have none of the original seeding, none of the fine green once contemplated.
Instead there remains a
weed patch containing everything up to
and including the kitchen stove. The
matter of keeping a green f r e e of weeds
is the most important thing in extending
the l i f e of a good putting surafce, a surface that will be a joy to all who play
upon it. To achieve such a green is a
problem, but with exercise of constant
vigilance in order to keep ahead of the
weeds the task is simplified immensely.
Greens have other things the matter
with them, of course, but it has been my
observation that neglect of weeds has
been the real ruin of most greens and
the cause of clubs spending thousands
of dollars in reconstruction and reseeding work. When weeds once have taken
possession it is necessary that they be
removed before the original good putting surface can be restored, and frequently this means that entire new green
must be constructed.
Of course the casualties of the past
season prove that things other than those
over which a greenkeeper has control
can wreck all his best efforts, but constant vigilance and effort will go a long
way towards doing away with many of
the conditions which might easily be
termed unavoidable.
Grubs, worms, and all the rest of the
insect pests can do a lot of damage unless checked at the very start. It is the
duty of every greenkeeper to anticipate
the invasion by such enemies, and to
know how to check it.
If
anything
which looks like trouble appears in a
green it is foolish to hope that nothing
will come of it. Drop everything else
planned f o r that day and rush to the
rescue of the all-important
putting
green.

The grand condition of the 1S34
championship turf at Brooklme
was a tribute to
•"^ifc

NEW

9

PROCESS

f a i r w a y
the

tobacco

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fertilizer

6-6-4 f o r m u l a
foods.

imall-

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General Oiemicai
Company
543

Commercial

St.

5 8 W e y j b o s s e t St.

Another

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\ T A W / 13 T H E T I M E T O SPIKE
i N W W
G R E E N S A N D TEES
ELWINN

TUBULAR
The
with

TINE

ELWINN

Tubular

standard

changeable
The

TURF
Tine

tines.

and

following

each

fits

FORK
Turf

These
any

conditions

Fork

which

Fork

tines

is

are

Holder.
are

essential

good turf m a n a g e m e n t

are corrected w i t h o u t

ference

using

with

play,

by

the

fitted
inter-

ELWINN

to

interTurf

Fork:

(1)

Corrected
layer
(5)
condition.
(2) Encouragement of
(6)
deep root system.
( 3 ) Correcting s o d (7)
bound turf.
( 4 ) Increased
water
(8)
efficiency.
(9) Reduced disease

Increased
soil
aeration.
Increased
available plant food.
Improved
drainage.
Increased bacterial action,
attack.

" T H E LAWN MAKERS'FRIEND"
AN

INDESTRUCTIBLE

ALL

METAL

MADE
MATE

OF

TOOL

QUALITY

RIALS.

WEIGHT

13

OVERALL
FT. P L A T E
SQUARE.
INCHES

POUNDS

LENGTH
9

4

INCHES

SPIKES 1
LONG.

Distributed by

NEW ENGLAND T O R O COMPANY
1121

Washington

West

Newton.

Street
Mass.