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T h e m e n w h o try to d o s o m e t h i n g
and fail are infinitely better

than

t h o s e w h o try to d o n o t h i n g

and

succeed.
Lloyd

Jones.

£

£
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i

AUGUST
f a:ia

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 Green's Chairmen. Subscription price ten cents a copy, or a
dollar a year.
GUY C. W E S T

Editor

312 M t . P l e a s a n t St., F a l l R i v e r , M a s s .

Turf Insects and Controls
—Dr. T. E. Odland
Changing the Soil Structure
—Dr. H. B. Sprague
Lawn Management Facts
—L. S. Dickinson
We are including f o r your approval
several outlines as presented by the
various speakers, and notes f r o m some
of the other talks.

J A M E S McCORMACK . . Business Mgr.
450 W i l l i a m

St., S t o n e h a m ,

Mass.
SOIL W A T E R

August, 1936
LAWN

Vol. 8, No. 8

DAY

AT

MASS.

STATE

COLLEGE

What was probably the most complete
program in turf growing in its various
phases ever presented in five hours was
presented as the Lawn Day program at
the Mass. State College on July 30th.
Some over a hundred interested turf
growers, among whom were several
greenkeepers, attended this meeting,
which was under the direction of Prof.
L. S. Dickinson, who had as his efficient
aides, Dr. Sprague of the New Jersey
Agri. Exp. Station, Dr. Odland of the
R. I. Exp. Station, and Miss Klaucke,
his assistant at Mass. State.
The program was as follows:
PROGRAM
Morning

Soil W a t e r and Its Relationship to
the Grass Plant —Dr. H. B. Sprague
Artificial Watering of Fine Turf
—L. S. Dickinson
The F u n g u s and How It Works
— E . Klaucke
The Desirable Range of Soil Acidity
—Dr. T. E. Odland
Conditions Favorable f o r Weed Growth
—-Dr. H. B. Sprague
F i f t e e n Minutes With the Lawn Mower
—L. S. Dickinson
Discussion of the Common Grass Fungi
— E . Klaucke
Vegetative Indications of Plant Food
Deficiencies
—Dr. T. E. Odland
Afternoon

Fundamentals in the Control of Turf
Weeds
—Dr. H. B. Sprague
Duration of Efficiency of Various Fertilizers
•—-L. S. Dickinson
What Happens Inside a Grass Blade
•—E. Klaucke

TO THE

AND

ITS

GRASS

RELATION
PLANT

Dr. H. B. Sprague
The supply of soil water is indespensible to growing grass. Living green
plants are 70 to 95% water, and this
content must be maintained. Water is
used to m a n u f a c t u r e new cells and
tissues in roots, stems and leaves, and
all of the soil nutrients enter the plant
dissolved in water. In addition, it has
been estimated t h a t 20 to 40 gallons
of water are given off by the leaves of
grass on each 1,000 square feet of lawn
surface during a single hot day. The
most important point to note is that
every drop of this water must be absorbed by the plants' roots f r o m the
soil.
The principal supply of water is rainfall. This is supplemented by artificial
watering in dry periods. The effectiveness of rainfall is determined by the
rapidity with which it falls, the ability
of the soil to absorb it, and the evaporating power of the air. Gentle rains
are more effective than sudden downpours, and gentle slopes permit greater
penetration than steep slopes. The drying power of the air normally increases
f r o m April until it reaches a peak in
July, and t h e r e a f t e r it falls steadily
with the season. May, June, July and
August are all months when evaporation normally is high in comparison to
rainfall, in contrast with September and
October which permit the restoration of
soil moisture exhausted in summer.
Only a portion of the soil moisture is
available f o r use by plants. The thin
films of water held tightly by the soil
particles are not used by grass roots.
Thus, plants wilt when there is still
moisture in the soil, because it is held
so strongly that the grass roots cannot
absorb it. Only the water in the capillary spaces between the soil granules
is useful to plants. A f t e r a heavy rain,

^ ^

w

or watering, some f r e e water is p r e ; e n t
in soils, but this quickly drains away in
good soils. The maximum water holding
capacity of soils is the amount of total
water which the soil contains a f t e r the
superfluous water has drained off. To
illustrate, a certain sandy soil may have
a water capacity of 17 pounds per 100
pounds of soil. Since 4.5 pounds will
be unavailable to plants in this soil, the
potential supply f o r use by plants is
12.5 pounds.
The w a t e r holding capacity of soils
varies tremendously with texture, structure, and organic m a t t e r content. A
rich silt loam may easily hold twice as
much available water as a light sandy
loam. In general, heavier soils are
capable of storing more water than l-ifeht
soils. Also, soils which are in good
structure or tilth will store much more
water than soils of the same texture
which are badly puddled or compacted
and have but little pore-space. Soils
t h a t are rich in organic matter are more
likely to be in good tilth, and the organic matter itself has a t least 10 times
the water holding power of soil particles.
The depth of the root system determines the use which grass roots are able
to make of the soil. Poorly drained soils
force plants to develop shallow root
systems. On well drained soils, the
height of cut and system of fertilization influence the root development.
The ability of lawns to endure drought
is determined by the water supplying
power of the soil and the depth to which
plants can use soil moisture.

ARTIFICIAL

WATERING

TURF

OF

FINE

GRASSES

by L. S. Dickinson
I.

Artificial watering should be considered only as a supplement to a
deficiency in normal rainfall.
Unless water supply contains an excessive amount of any element, artificial watering affects soil similarly to
rainfall, i. e.,
1. Makes plant food available, 2.
Washes out plant food, 3. Increases
acidity of the soil, 4. Puddles clay
soils, 5. Starts erosion, 6. Accumulates in low areas, 7. Runs off of
slopes, etc.
II. Three periods in development of
turf grasses.

1. Seed and seedling. W a t e r requirement high.
2. Development or root
training.
Placing of water supply important
•—should be deep.
3. Mature stage. Both placing and
amount of water important.
III. Considering m a t u r e t u r f .
Why water? 6 0 % color effect, 40%
health of grass.
When is water needed? Not until
a f t e r wilting has started and soil supply of capillary water exhausted as
determined by examination of soil.
IV. Fundamental f a c t o r s determining
method of applying water.
Is the soil condition practically unif o r m in all ways?
Yes. Large coverage sprinklers permissible.
No. Small coverage sprinkling desirable.
Hand watering ideal in many cases.
V. Quantity of water desirable and
rate.
Enough to wet to a depth of 4 to 6
inches.
Apply as rapidly as soil will absorb
the water.
Ohio State College Experiments show
during 3 summer months 1% times
normal rainfall ample amount.
At Amherst that means 18.16 inches
or a 75 f t . diameter range sprinkler
throwing 15 g. p. m. on 4000 sq. f t .
must operate a total of 50 hours
during the season. This amount is
probably excessive f o r New England.
VI. Late spring and early fall watering sometimes needed.
VII. Incorrect watering has cumulative bad influences which may not become prominent f o r three or more
years.
Kentucky blue grass becomes very
thin f r o m excessive watering.
VIII. Conclusion: Artificial watering
of fine turf grasses is very beneficial
if correctly done, otherwise it may be
very h a r m f u l .
More water requires more fertilizer,
and more f r e q u e n t clipping costs t h a t
are constant and seldom considered
when planning a water system.

A letter f r o m P r a n k Robinson, formerly a t the Goddard P a r k course in
East Greenwich, R. I., tells us that he
is now located in Boston, as Groundkeeper a t Fenway Park, the home of the
Boston Red Sox. We shall expect an
infield of No. 14276 soon!

THE

FUNGUS

AND

HOW

IT

WORKS

SUMMARY OF THE W E E D
ON

PROBLEM

TURF

by E. Klaucke
Fungi, members of the plant kingdom, are composed largely of threadlike cells joined end to end called
hyphae.
They reproduce by thousands of small
"seed-like" bodies called spores.
Because they lack the green coloring
m a t t e r necessary to food manufacture,
f u n g i must obtain their food f r o m another source.
Fungi that obtain their food supply
f r o m other living plants or f r o m living
animals are known as parasites.
In order to grow and reproduce,
f u n g i require moisture, air and certain
temperature conditions besides an available food supply—do not need light—
as a rule like acid medium—in grass
like thin-walled cells in grass leaf.
A blade of grass may become sick
and die f r o m a f u n g u s parasite in the
following ways:
A spore of the parasite is blown onto the grass blade.
Given the proper temperature and
moisture conditions, it germinates and
produces a young thread or hypha.
On both sides of the grass blade are
numerous small pores.
The young hypha enters one of the
pores.
I t then secretes a substance that dissolves the cell walls of the grass leaf
and then absorbs the grass juices into
its own body, thus robbing and killing
the grass plant.
_ Associated with several f u n g u s parasites of fine turf grass are small, hard
bodies known as sclerotia that consist
of a tightly woven mass of hyphae.
These hold the f u n g u s over during
adverse weather conditions and many
are to be found near the top of the soil,
particularly in fine turf grass areas.
When atmospheric conditions become
right f o r the fungus, these sclerotia unwind f r o m their tight, ball-like mass,
and hyphae grow out in all directions
in search of tender grass f o r food and
sustenance.

Flowers

For

Oscar

The gates were down but Oscar Shay
Decided, to his sorrow,
To speed across the right of w a y —
His f u n e r a l is tomorrow.
•—Pathfinder.

Dr. H. B. Sprague
Weeds are plants growing where they
are not planted. They are frequently
more aggressive than turf plants. According to length of life, weeds are:
A n n u a l s which complete growth in one
year and produce seed abundantly. Examples: Crab grass, goose grass, foxtail grass, knotweed, chickweed, panic
grass.
B i e n n i a l s which require two seasons
to complete growth; the first being
used to m a n u f a c t u r e and store food f o r
the production of flowers with the formation of seeds in the second. Examples:
Common thistle, wild carrot.
P e r e n n i a l s which live more than two
seasons, usually begin forming seed by
the second season. The most troublesome perennials have creeping rooting
stems which contain stored food and
send up new shoots. Examples: Dandelion, plantain, poison ivy, field sorrel.
Sources

of W e e d

^^

Seed

a. Carried by wind, drainage water,
and animals, including man.
b. Introduced in f r e s h or partly
rotted manure.
c. Added in top-soil used f o r topdressings, or carelessly managed compost piles.
d. Present in seeding mixtures, particularly cheap seed.
e. Seed produced by weeds in t u r f ,
in spite of close mowing.
C o n t r o l of

Weeds

a. Remove sources of weed seeds;
bake or steam top-dressing to kill weed
seeds, or purchase top-dressing that
carries no weed seed.
b. Maintain turf in vigorous condition to prevent weeds f r o m obtaining a
foothold. Proper liming, fertilization,
mowing, watering and rolling are very
effective.
c. Close mowing kills many types of
weeds; prevention of seed formation in
the fairways and the rough by mowing
also aids.
d. Use of chemicals, as sprays, or in
top-dressing (such as lead arsenate).
Some Troublesome Turf Weeds
S u g g e s t e d M e t h o d s of C o n t r o l

Crab

Grass—Warm

season

and

annual,

spreads by seed. Handweed greens in
J u n e and July. Use lead arsenate in
top-dressings and keep turf vigorous,

^ ^

p a r t i c u l a r l y in early spring and summer.
Timely fertilization and c a r e f u l watering are very effective on lawns.
Chickweed—Dust plants with ammonium sulphate or ammo-phos,
water
thoroughly as soon as weeds t u r n brown,
remove dead plants, and reseed.
W h i t e C l o v e r — S t i m u l a t e d by potash
and phosphorous fertilizers. Undesirable only on fine t u r f . Largely c o n t r o l l e d
by c a r e f u l nitrogen fertilization of the
grass, and the use of aggressive strains
of
grass.
It
may
be
controlled
t e m p o r a r i l y by burning, as f o r chickweed.
Silver Crab Grass
(Goose grass) —
W a r m season annual, spreads by seed
only. H a n d weeding in J u n e and July.
Same t r e a t m e n t as f o r crab grass.
Poa A n n u a — V e r y difficult to control.
Keep soil moderately dry and well
drained, and maintain vigor of the turf
by proper t r e a t m e n t . Use lead a r s e n a t e
in top-dressing. H a n d weeding is the
only method practicable f o r complete
control and this is very expensive. Add
new seed of desirable grasses in A u g u s t
or September, to compete with seedlings
of Poa A n n u a .
F o x t a i l G r a s s — W a r m season annual,
spreads by seed. H a n d weed fine turf
in J u n e and July. P r e v e n t seed f o r m a tion on lawns and f a i r w a y s by close
mowing
wherever
seed
heads
are
f o r m e d . Follow same t r e a t m e n t as t h a t
r e c o m m e n d e d f o r crab grass.
S t i n k G r a s s — S a m e as f o r crab grass.
Yarrow—Perennials spreading by root
stocks. When closely mowed, sometimes
makes fine t u r f . To control, remove all
t u r f and soil to a depth of 3 inches, fill
in with clean soil, and sod or replant.
Complete sterilization
of soil with
chlorate weed killers is also effective.
Plantain—Perennials without creeping- stems. H a n d weed or poison each
individual p l a n t with sulphuric acid or
kerosene. If very a b u n d a n t t r y spraying with iron sulphate solution (2 lbs.
per gal.) a f t e r bruising leaves with
suitable implement.
Dandelion—Same as f o r plantain.
S p r a y with iron sulphate solution a f t e r
mowing and bruising leaves with some
suitable implement.
I v y — P e r e n n i a l s with creeping
stems. Poison with sulphuric acid or
s p r a y with calcium chlorate, or g r u b
out roots and rootstocks. C a u t i o n : Calcium chlorate applied as spray m a y destroy all other vegetation in the same
Poison

NEW ENGLAND

Winter-hardy,

GROWN

Acclimated

BENT

SEED
for

N e w England Golf
Direct

Courses

from the farms

of

A. N. PECKHAM
KINGSTON,

When

a country

services

of

a

R.

I.

club seeks

greenkeeper

the

it

f a c e d w i t h t h e t e d i o u s t a s k of
vestigating; the
ences
many

of
of

records and

numerous
whom

lack

is
in-

refer-

applicants,
the

proper

qualifications.
Our Employment Committee

of-

fers a h a p p y solution to this problem
in

by

placing

contact

tion

or

men

whose

for

the

the

thru

country

written

personal

interview,

qualifications

particular

club

applica-

fit

position

with
them
to

be

filled.
G u y C. W e s t ,

Chr.

area. However, the soil is not perman e n t l y poisoned a n d m a y be reseeded
a f t e r several heavy rains. F i n e spray
applied to leaves only, or dust applied to
leaves only, m a y be used to kill plants
without i n j u r y to neighboring trees, if
used with care. Commercial chlorates
are sold u n d e r the t r a d e n a m e s of
Atlacide
Lawn

and Vegecide.
Pennywort—If

deep rooted,
same t r e a t m e n t as f o r Yarrow. If shallow rooted, dust with fertilizer as f o r
chickweed.

WHAT

HAPPENS
GRASS

INSIDE

A

BLADE

by E. Klaucke
The main difference between the nutritional processes of plants and animals
is t h a t p l a n t s m a n u f a c t u r e their own
f o o d s f r o m r a w materials, whereas animals cannot. All living cells, whether
p l a n t or animal, r e q u i r e starch and
s u g a r s ( c a r b o h y d r a t e s ) , proteins and
fats.
It is in the g r a s s blade t h a t photosynthesis, the process of starch and
sugar m a n u f a c t u r e , takes place.
This
process consists essentially of the following: carbon dioxide and w a t e r are
synthesized to sugars and starch u n d e r
the influence of the green coloring
m a t t e r of the leaf (chlorophyll) and
light. Oxygen is given off as a waste
product.
Although photosynthesis is the most
i m p o r t a n t blade f u n c t i o n , the synthesis
of f a t s t a k e s place largely in the leaves
as does a considerable q u a n t i t y of the
proteins utilized by the plant cells.
T r a n s p i r a t i o n or the loss of w a t e r
vapor f r o m the plant t h r o u g h the numerous small " p o r e s " of the leaf is another v e r y i m p o r t a n t blade f u n c t i o n .
The a m o u n t of w a t e r vapor passing
f r o m the leaves by t r a n s p i r a t i o n is ext r e m e l y large.
All living cells respire or b r e a t h e all
the time. Thus, respiration is a n o t h e r
process going on in the grass blade.
Oxygen is t a k e n into t h e cells and carbon dioxide and w a t e r are given off as
waste p r o d u c t s — t h e very reverse, it
will be noticed, f r o m photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis and respiration go on
simultaneously d u r i n g the daytime, b u t
only r e s p i r a t i o n goes on at night.
Certain conclusions are to be drawn
f r o m the a b o v e :

Mowing, particularly the close clipping of p u t t i n g g r e e n areas, t a m p e r s in
no small degree with the n a t u r a l processes of a grass plant.
Dust collecting on the s u r f a c e of
leaves clogs the " p o r e s " on the leaf surf a c e , t h u s r e d u c i n g photosynthesis.
Because t u r f grass is kept u n d e r
u n n a t u r a l conditions, the t u r f m a n should
supply r a w m a t e r i a l in t h e f o r m of
fertilizers according to a definite prog r a m to fit the r e q u i r e m e n t s of his
grass. Whenever, possible, the clippings
should be l e f t on the a r e a to decay.
The grass should be cut less o f t e n
and the height of cut of the mower
should be raised d u r i n g very dry periods
in the summer.
The grass should not be clipped late
in the f a l l in order t h a t the blades m a y
make as much reserve food m a t e r i a l as
possible f o r the following early spring
growth.

CHANGING T H E SOIL

STRUCTURE

Howard B. Sprague, Agronomist
N. J. A g r i c u l t u r a l E x p e r i m e n t Station
Desirable soil s t r u c t u r e is highly essential on t u r f e d areas, f r o m the standpoint of drainage and aeration, and of
water-holding capacity. Soils n a t u r a l l y
differ g r e a t l y in soil s t r u c t u r e and subs e q u e n t t r e a t m e n t s are responsible f o r
f u r t h e r changes. T h r e e vital f a c t o r s a f f e c t i n g soil s t r u c t u r e are t h e t e x t u r e ,
lime content, and humus supply.
The n a t u r a l differences in soil struct u r e m a y be indicated by the w a t e r holding capacity of 12 soils of t h r e e
geographic provinces in New J e r s e y .
Most of these are similar to types occ u r r i n g in New England. These soils
r a n g e d f r o m a capacity of 594 gallons
of available w a t e r f o r a sandy soil to a
depth of 6 2-3 inches over a s u r f a c e of
1,000 s q u a r e f e e t , to 1787 gallons f o r a
silt loam soil. Not only did these soils
differ in capacity to store water, b u t
t h e y also differed g r e a t l y in their ability
to p e r m i t r e a d y e n t r a n c e of r a i n f a l l .
Thus, Merrimac sandy loam allowed
w a t e r to enter 7 times as rapidly as
Wethersfield gravelly loam, u n d e r equal
conditions. Obviously, the Wethersfield
soil is a very inefficient soil, even though
it has equal w a t e r holding capacity, as
a result of its f a i l u r e to absorb r a i n f a l l
readily.
The s t r u c t u r e of soils m a y be considerably changed by t r e a t m e n t .
In

THE SPREADER YOU HAVE BEEN SEEKING

S P E C I F I C A T I O N S
Hopper Capacity
W i d t h o v e r all
W i d t h of spread
W i d t h of wheels
Direct gear drive

3 cubic
4
36
4

ft.
ft.
in.
in.

F e e d R o l l e r o n l y 3 in. a b o v e g r o u n d
Graduated feed scale
N e t wgt. of m a c h i n e
1 2 5 lbs.
Shipping wgt
1 7 5 lbs.
Price (F.O.B. Cleveland)
$t59.50

R e g a r d l e s s of w h a t k i n d of m a t e r i a l y o u are u s i n g on y o u r Golf
Greens, Fairways, Lawns, etc., to obtain the desired results, the materials
m u s t b e a p p l i e d e v e n l y in t h e r e c o m m e n d e d a m o u n t s .
T h e A L L P U R P O S E S P R E A D E R w a s d e s i g n e d a n d b u i l t to d o tile
work with more accuracy than any other method.
Its " F i n g e r T o u c h C o n t r o l " is p o s i t i v e c o n t r o l , e l i m i n a t i n g t h e possib i l i t y o f b u r n a t t h e s t a r t a n d finish l i n e s f r o m e x c e s s f e r t i l i z e r a s l e f t
by most Spreaders.
W h e t h e r you are seeding, fertilizing or top dressing the A L L P U R P O S E S P R E A D E R will m e e t your most exacting demands.
Grass seed
c a n b e a p p l i e d as l i g h t as 3 lbs. p e r 1 0 0 0 s q u a r e f t . — i d e a l f o r s o w i n g
B e n t s e e d on G o l f G r e e n s .
T o p dressing can be applied as h e a v y
as
desired.
T h e A L L P U R P O S E S P R E A D E R is n o t j u s t a f e w p i e c e s of t i n s t u c k
t o g e t h e r b u t i s b u i l t f o r h e a v y d u t y w i t h t h e p r e c i s i o n o f fine w o r k m a n s h i p
a n d has s u c h f e a t u r e s as triple roll a g i t a t i o n
n o p a c k i n g of m a t e r i a l
full width f e e d — n o c l o g g i n g — a c c u r a t e quantity control insuring proper
application
and other excellent features.
The A L L P U R P O S E S P R E A D E R will handle the following materials
w i t h e q u a l s u c c e s s , as w e l l as a n y o t h e r s of s i m i l a r n a t u r e : — G r a s s S e e d s ,
Fertilizer,
Sulphate
of
Ammonia,
Arsenate
of
Lead,
Ground
Lime,
B i c h l o r i d e of M e r c u r y , S e m e s a n , B a r b a k 2 1 1 & X X , M i l o r g a n i t e , S a n d ,
Calomel, Calo-Clor, Humus,
Nu-Green, Cottonseed Meal,
Bone
Meal,
Vigoro, Mowrah Meal, Agrico and T O P D R E S S I N G FOR G R E E N S , FAIRWAYS,
LAWNS.
Note:
Will handle Moist P r e p a r e d T o p Soil applying
1 0 0 0 s q u a r e f t . o f m a t e r i a l w e i g h i n g 7 0 l b s . p e r c u b i c ft-.

350

lbs.

per

IDEAL MOWER ^ A L E S and SERVICE
Ideal P o w e r and Fairway M o w e r s — G o l f

111 Cypress Street—Boston,
Telephone

Tell

the

advertiser

you

Beacon

saw

it

Course

Equipment

Massachusetts

2898-2899

in

the

NEWSLETTER.

general,
continuous
cultivation
has
greatly exhausted the humus supply of
our soils, and caused a break-down in
their granular structure. In many cases,
lime has also been lost extensively and
this has still f u r t h e r deflocculated the
soil. Grass will gradually restore soil
structure, to the depth of root penetration, provided the proper treatment is
given. Improper management may be
responsible f o r still f u r t h e r deterioration in structure even though the area
is continuously in sod.
In a series of tests conducted at New
Jersey on the same soil type, the continuous use of acid-forming fertilizers
without the use of lime, has had the
following effect:
(1) increased soil
acidity and broken down soil granules,
(2) caused a tremendous accumulation
of roots, producing a sod-bound condition, (3) greatly reduced the capacity
of the soil to permit entrance of water,
and (4) seriously injured the turf in
spite of continued watering.
By contrast, the use of a properly
balanced fertilizer together with lime
has produced a sod t h a t is durable,
strongly drought resistant, and capable
of sturdy growth in both cool and warm
weather.
Discing or spiking is a great aid in
renovating soils with poor structure. It
speeds up the penetration of lime applications and hastens the entrance of
water. Without such t r e a t m e n t lime
may lie stranded on the matted surface
layer of grass crowns f o r a considerable
period (several months or years) before
actually reaching the soil and exerting
a beneficial effect. Lime applied in late
summer or early fall will be more effective than spring applications, since
autumn rainfall is more likely to be
favorable f o r washing the lime into the
soil. Lime is slow in its action and at
least 1 or 2 years will be required to
exert a significant effect, when applied
as a top-dressing on established sod.
Organic matter additions are effective
in changing soil structure, only when
incorporated in the soil itself.
Toudressings of organic matter on established sod will not penetrate the soil
to improve its structure or water holding capacity. When incorporated with
soil, organic matter is extremely effective in improving the structure of all
classes of soil.
NOTES

FROM

LAWN

DAY!

Sprague:
Soil moisture is indespensible; 70-95% of plant is water, in addi-

tion, plant is using a large amount of
water in producing new tissues.
All
nutrients come in the soil water. Drainage is necessary to remove the surplus
water. Water holding capacity is due
to texture, structure, and organic matter content. This last is related to and
controls structure. The right structure
cannot be had without a sufficient supply
of lime.
Odland:
We cannot grow a satisf a c t o r y lawn if soil is too acid or too
alkaline. Plants differ a great deal in
their acidity requirements; fortunately,
grasses are quite tolerant in their
acidity requirements. Different grasses
differ in their acidity requirements; the
blue grass needing more lime than the
bent grasses. Keep range right by soil
tests. If acid, apply lime as needed,
an equal amount of ground limestone
to the amount of sulphate of ammonia
will balance. Actual measurement f o r
grasses is difficult to give; average f o r
blue grass might be 6.0 to 6.5, and f o r
bents, 5.5 to 6.0.
Sprague:
Weeds p r e f e r same conditions that other plants do. but will
tolerate other conditions. Weeds produced in vacant areas will seed into
lawn areas. "Weeds are also introduced
in m a n u r e ; lawns do not need manure.
Weed seeds germinate and seedlings become established mainly in very thin
t u r f . Excessive close mowing is sometimes favorable f o r weeds.
Frequent
light sprinklings are also ideal f o r weed
seedlings. Competition f a c t o r is very
important; the development of dense
turf as tall as l 1 ! " is best control
measure f o r weeds. Weeds p r e f e r lack
of competition. Some weeds p r e f e r f r e quent applications of fertilizer. Some
weeds are favored by dry weather; this
is a clover year.
Dickinson:
16-17" width of cut best
f o r home lawn owner's lawn mower.
Flexibility of handle is desirable. Roller
bracket a d j u s t m e n t with holes instead
of slots is better. Types of bearing,
roller best, then in order, high grade
plain bearing, large ball, thoroughly
housed, cheapest plain, and cheapest
ball bearings. A d j u s t m e n t of wiper
blade to bottom knife is important. A
six inch reel is best f o r home owner.
A frequency of cut of 25 cuts per yard
is good f o r lawn. At least two blades
should be on the bottom knife a t all
times to give a continuous load. A ten
inch wheel is best f o r the average home
owner, with wheel outside housing if
possible.

THE

SIGN

OF

GOOD

SEEDS

Blue Grasses, Colonial Bent, Seaside Bent, Velvet—B. P. I.
14276 and Highland, New Crop Chewings Fescue, Fine
Leaved Fescue, Red Top and all Fine Grasses.
CLEAN

WEED-FREE

GRASS

F .

HIGH VIABILITY

SEED

DIVISION

II. W o o d r u f f
MILFORD,

&

N o u s

CONN.

PREVENT

BROWN

Hovey's

PATCH

Turf Authorities declare
that M e r c u r y is the effective ingredient for control of Brown Patch. Our
Mixture, 2-3 Calomel, 1-3 Corrosive
Sublimate, is endorsed.

TESTED

Leading

MERCURIAL

Contains

81%

SEED

Its h i g h q u a l i t y is p r o v e n

by

the line, v e l v e t y turf, w e e d f r e e , it
Write

PFIZER

GRASS

MIXTURE

or

special

Mercury

produces.

telephone
quotations

us
on

for
all

k i n d s of g r a s s s e e d .

Write for circular

Hovey & Company
Chas. Pfizer & Co,, Inc.
81 Maiden L a n e —

N e w York, N.

Read

the

ads

130

Han.

Y.

as

Broad

well

as

the

news.

St.-—Boston,
1454 - 1455

Mass.

Sprague:
Some desirable management factors in making healthy thick
turf as the best control of weeds: correction of acidity with correct use of
lime. Proper use of fertilizers. Mowing should be conducted so as to favor
grass. Watering may be u s e ! effectively to control weeds. Rolling is only a
necessary evil; rolling other than in
Spring will destroy some desirable soil

AVAILABILITY
OF

AND

structure. Chemical treatment of weeds
is lazy man's method. Chlorate treatment f o r crab grass is successful in
some cases only. Chlorates are plant
poisons; use just enough to kill the
weeds. One pound of Nitrogen to a
thousand square feet is maximum
amount of fertilizer to use at once to
get effective results; a half pound is the
minimum amount.

DURATION

VARIOUS

OF

EFFICIENCY

FERTILIZERS

by L. S. Dickinson
The availability r a t i n g of a fertilizer is a comparison with a standard whose
nitrogen, phosphorus, or potash, as the case may be, is wholly useful to the plant
use within a reasonable time a f t e r the fertilizer is applied. For example: In
nitrate of soda all of the granulated nitrogen is immediately available f o r plant
use when dissolved in water (soil w a t e r ) ; cottonseed meal has an availability
rating of 70 which means t h a t only 70% of the guaranteed available nitrogen
can be made ready f o r plant use within a reasonable time. The remainder of 30%
is not lost, but made available in small quantities over a considerable period of
time.
Obviously there are many factors that control the availability and duration
of the effectiveness of fertilizers when applied to the soil, more especially so in
the case of top dressing as is usually practiced in turf culture. The following
tables are arranged with the assumption that each fertilizer is used under similar
soil conditions:
TABLE SHOWING COMPARATIVE AVAILABILITY AND PERIOD
OF INFLUENCE OF
J NITROGEN CARRIERS
Material

Ammonia
Ammo-Phos
Bone Meal (steamed)
Castor bean pomace
Cottonseed meal
Calcium Cyanamid
Dried blood
Fish (ground)
Guano
Garbage tankage
Hoofard Horn meal
Manures, dried
Milorganite
Nitrates
Poultry Manure
Soybean meal
Tankage, High grade
Tankage, Low grade
Urea

Availability
of
Nitrogen

90
90
25
70
70
90
80
70
70
30
60
60
80
100
70
70
70
30
90

P e r i o d o f i n f l u e n c e in n u m b e r of
after application.
Start
Peak

3
5
20
9
7
10
5
7
8
22
18
12
5
1
5
20
10
20
8

clays
End

6-9
8-12
30-35
25-28
18-22
14-18
8-10
12-16
14-18
30-35
30-35
17-22
12-15
4-8
10-14
28-32
14-18
30-35
12-15

One should carefully differentiate between grass which is being stimulated
and t h a t which has become improved as the result of previous stimulation.

16
18
45
42
25
22
30
30
42
50
35
40
15
25
40
40
45
25

Seasonable Protection for the Greens
at Moderate Cost
Use Special S e m e s a n a n d secure d e p e n d a b l e
patch protection.

brown

Special

Semesan contains two organic mercuries.
O n e p o u n d treats 6 , 0 0 0 square f e e t of turf.
S a v e s in labor for application.
Easier
on
sprayer

5

$10.00

lbs.,

—

25

lbs.,

$42.50

100

Top Dress Now with Florida

lbs.,

parts.
$165.00

Humus

EOSSilllil

85 STATE STREET, BOSTON, MASS.
T H E L A R G E S T S E E D H O U S E IN N E W
TESTED

SEEDS

THE

AND

V.

C.

ENGLAND

FAIRWAY

FERTILIZER

OVERGREEN

Saves Money in Other
Besides

Cutting

Down

Ways

Cutting

Costs

There are numerous time saving things you can do with the
Overgreen Tractor. You can drop
off the 3 greens mowers, add a t
30-inch cutting unit, and mow the
\
approaches, club house lawns, and <tm>m
other places where gang mowers
are not practical. It will mow an
acre an hour. Tractor can also be
used to do your rolling, discing,
raking traps and
distributing
compost.
All these time-saving things
shown in catalog. Send for it.
See f o r yourself.
M a i n Office:
STROUDSBURG,

The

advertisers

PA.

pay

Wormmgton
Lower
for

your

NEWSLETTER;

Boston
1 STATE

deal

Office:
STREET

with

them.

THIS

FALL

e x c e l s all o t h e r

fertilizers

any

Labor

Day,

it

better and denser turf

next

season.

time

after

Besides
to

supplying

restore

growth

trying summer
plant
the

Day.

food

lies

first

sign of

On

thin

dormant

in t h e

soil

all

and

fairways use Milorganite

weeds automatically

infestation.
fairway

tlie

plant

winter

to

Applied
secret

food

vigor

needed

following

nourish

of

the

unexpended
the

grass

at

new

growth

quite generously
during

the long

fall.

soon
cool

after

Labor

favorable

As turf density

fall

increases,

diminish.

apparently
this

is

the residual

season and thus induce existing grass to thicken.

On

fall use.

spring.

This will stimulate

anytime

the
turf

months,

over

for

good

fairways

This prevents

Systematic

apply

turf

Milorganite

deterioration

Milorganite

feeding

is

at

and

moderate

rates

consequent

weed

cheaper

than

periodic

renovation.

Plan n o w to fertilize f a i r w a y s this fall and be sure to use
It i s e a s y t o a p p l y , s a f e t o u s e , e f f e c t i v e , a n d , b e s t o f

Distributed

New
1121

England

WASHINGTON
Newton

North

USED AND PREFERRED

STREET,
7S00

economical.

Toro

Co,

by

WEST

West

Milorganite.

all,

NEWTON,

Newton

BY GOLF CLUBS

MASS.

1658

EVERYWHERE