1
8
1

IK

"\n

LK

RECIPE

FOR

A

GREENKEEPER:

"A heart full of sincerity
An overflowing measure of hard work
Season with human interest and alertness
Serve from eight to sixteen hours every day."

MAY
1 9 3 6

i

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. WEST

Editor

312 Mt. P l e a s a n t St., F a l l River, M a s s .

JAMES McCORMACK .

Business Mgr.

450 W i l l i a m St., S t o n e h a m ,

May, 1936

Mass.

Vol. 8, No. 5

May Day is a celebration common to
all Celtic peoples. It is coincident with
the Feast of Flora, Roman Goddess of
flowers. Some of its rites are a survival
of the Druidical worship of the Sun
God.
In the Isle of Man, winter is still vanquished in a mock battle by summer and
until recently the Beltane fires were still
lighted in Scotland. Beltane, May 1st,
Lemmas (loaf mass, in honor of the
wheat harvest), August 1st, All Saints'
Day, November 1st, and Candlemas Day,
February 2nd, were the quarter days of
Scotland. These days divided the year
into four parts and were the time f o r
settlement of accounts and at which
leases took effect and expired. To be
May Queen the f a i r e s t girl in the village
was chosen as a fit representative of
Flora.
The May pole was found in every
town or village, and high and low danced
around it, in and out, to weave the colored ribbons. The May pole is said to
have represented the great standard of
justice and under it were heard complaints of the people against governor,
baron and overlords.
—The Thread of Life.

MAY

MEETING

The May meeting was held on the 4th
a t the Norfolk Golf Club, Dedham,
Mass. Preceding lunch, home greenkeeper Bruno led those present on a tour
of the course, during which various
course problems were discussed.
Following lunch, there were demonstrations of the new Toro Duplex mower, and of the Root Spreader.
Due to heavy rain, the golf tourna-

ment entries were limited, but some good
scores were turned in despite the rain.
Prizes were won by N. Bruno with
83-69, R. Peckham with 79-70. and S.
Braio with 93-70.

Robert Mitchell of the Kernwood
C. C., Salem, Mass. reports t h a t he has
come five thousand squqare feet of
Kernwood Velvet bent sod in putting
green condition, for sale at rate of 20
cents per sq. f t . Anyone interested
should see or write Mr. Mitchell.

Any members who have material of
historical value relative to the earlier
days of our club, and who care to dona:r
same, should communicate with the Library Committee, which committee h a ;
been designated as the custodian : i m material.

Carlton E. Treat is now
.
as
greenkeeper of the thirtv-=:x •
of
the Montclair, (N. J.) Country Club.
We certainly shall miss Car"., ar.d T :~end
?11 of our best to him in h:position.
Treasurer F r a n k Wilson reports :hat
he has five mere club pins available,
which may be purchased by our members a t $2.50 each.

The June meeting will be the annual
greenkeeper-club
official tournament,
and will be held on the 1st at the Rhode
Island Country Club, West Barrington,
R. I.
The officers of the Connecticut Association of Golf Course Superintendents
are : Fred Emeneger, Pres.; Donald McKay, V. Pres.; Charles Travers, Sec. and
Treas.; LeRoy Cooper, W. E. Perkins,
and Ed. Hill, Directors.

We have just heard f r o m F r a n k
Robinson that he has recently secured
the position of greenkeeper at the
Goddard Park course in East Greenwich, R. I.

THE

DEMONSTRATION
GARDEN

TURF

at the Charles River Country Club
By Frank

H.

Wilson

As the turf experiments started in
1928 have served their purpose and a
new set is to be undertaken, it might be
well to refresh our minds with the outstanding- results of the eight years work.
You will perhaps remember t h a t the
grasses were judged on their quality;
t h a t is, the fineness, thickness, color,
freedom from nap, the prevalence of
weeds, time required to produce good
t u r f , ability to withstand heat, susceptibility to disease and chemical injury
and topdressing requirements.
Notes
on weather that might affect the growth
of t u r f , such as late spring, drought,
periods of excessive rain etc. were carefully observed. At the end of the tests
the p. h. and phosphoric acid content of
the soil was taken in the fertilizer seriesThe greens grasses can perhaps be
divided into four classes in relation to
texture of t u r f , coarse, medium coarse,
medium fine and fine. The leading grass
in each class was as follows, Metropolitan, Seaside, Colonial, 14276 velvet; the
first and f o u r t h stolons, the second and
third seeded. South German Mixed Bent
placed high and could be placed between
Colonial and velvet in texture.
There were three outstanding f a i r w a y
mixtures rated in the order named, New
Zealand Chewings fescue 8 0 % — S o u t h
German mixed bent 20 % ; Kentucky blue
grass 4 0 % — N e w Zealand Chewings fescue 4 0 % — r e d top 2 0 % ; and Kentucky blue grass 6 0 % — r e d top 20% —
South German mixed bent 20%. The
second mixture became a stand of
nearly pure fescue.
In the greens fertilizer test plots on
South German mixed bent cut at one
quarter of an inch in height, the 6-12-4
formula ranked first, 12-6-4 second,
both contained sulphate of ammonia,
ammonium phosphate, superphosphate
and sand. As equal amounts of nitrogen were used the 12-6-4 was really a
6-3-2 and the difference in rating of
the two was due to the proportion of
phosphoric acid and potash present.
The first had an acidity of 4.5, 4.5, 4.8
and 5.0 in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
inch of soil and a phosphoric acid cont e n t of 150, 100, 75, 75; the second a
P. H. of 4.5, 4.8, 4.9, and 5.0 in the

1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th inch of soil and
a phosphoric acid content of 100, 75- ,
75, 75. These fertilizers were put on
once a month, full strength in the
months of April, May, June and September and half strength in July and
August. It was spread with sand and it
was very difficult not to burn the turf
during the hot months. The rate of application was one pound of nitrogen per
1000 sq. feet, or 16 2-3 pounds of the
6-12-4 formula per 1000 square f e e t
and one half that amount f o r the 12-6-4.
Activated sludge rated first in the
organic section and third in the whole
series. Its P.H. was 5.9,-5.0-5.9-5.5- in
the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th inch of soil
with P205 content of 75, 75, 75, 75.
The check plots averaged a P.H. of 5.0
and a P205 content of about 60 lbs.
Activated sludge rated first in the
fairway test plots. The first few years
the 6-12-4 and the 12-6-4 stood first
and second with activated sludge third.
However each year the two inorganic
fertilizers have each declined in rating
and activated sludge risen until at the
end of the test it was at the top. In
this respect the test has conformed with
results f r o m thirteen other gardens
throughout the country.
There was one greens plot and one
fairway plot treated with arsenate of
lead, each having a check plot. The
germination of the grass in the arsenate
of lead plots was retarded about six
days-. Chickweed was eliminated, there
were less earthworms, grub control and
no apparent ill effects of the arsenate
of lead on the established t u r f . There
was no apparent effect on any other
weeds than chickweed.
Watered turf in the fairway section
was much better than unwatered t u r f .
Heights of cut % inch and % inch gave
different results as f a r as giving a good
lie to a golf ball is concerned. If the
turf is thick and of a type found in the
fescue bent plots % of an inch cut gave
a splendid lie. In the bent, blue grass,
red top plots the ball did not stand up
and the % inch cut gave the best lie.
Some of the adverse things found
were that, Virginia and Columbia were
very poor greens grasses. Fescues will
not stand the close cutting of greens
and their place is soon taken by other
grasses. The extreme acidity of the
sulphate of ammonia, probably tying up
the plant in the soil showed the lack of
phosphoric acid and potash, and caused
the turf to become hide bound, thin out,
take on a nap and fill up with moss.
Kentucky Blue grass and red top mix-

ture was not suited to the type of soil
here. That fairway watering must be
carefully done or the turf will be filled
with weeds. And last but not least there
is plenty more to be found out about
fertilizers, suitable grasses f o r golf purposes, weed control, disease control,
the water needs of various grasses, and
a multitude of other things.

NATIVE
GOLF

VEGETATION
COURSE

AND

ON

YOUR

WHAT

IT

INDICATES

by Jack Welsh,

Jr.

SHRUBS

Asst. Greenkeeper, Wakonda Country
Club, Des Moines, Iowa
(Read a t 1936 Recreation Conference)
We know all plants in their ranges
of growth have definite soil preferences
as to moisture, texture, and chemical
analysis. These plants as they adapt
themselves to these conditions are our
natural soil indicators.
I am going to t r y to give you a
slightly different concept of soils than
you have had before; as a basis f o r
what I have previously stated and what
will be said later. Horticulturists concerned with trees and shrubs have classified soils in a different manner than
we usually consider them. They classif y them as follows:
pH

3.1-4

Superacid

Mediacid

Found in swamps where soil lacks
lime, and some peat bogs. Accumulations of rotting wood or peat give
this condition. It is also found on
Mt. peaks or sand hills where the
subsoil lacks lime.
5-6

Subacid

Found in marshes, meadows, swamps,
and abandoned fields and gardens
where there is no lime present.
6-7

Minimacid

Limestone regions rich
(meadows or woods).
7-8

Sumac—on arid sterile soils usually
with pH 6-8.
Rhodendron—usually poor stony soils,
light and on moist side pH 5-6.
Crab apple trees—usually poor stony
soils pH 6-8.
Barberry—is a poor indicator except as
to dry soil which it p r e f e r s ; otherwise it grows indifferent to soil or
exposure.
Bay berry—indicates drv sterile soils
pH5-6.
Blue berry or high bush cranberry—
grows wild in sandy barren soils,
some in very acid soil. The average
pH f o r the group is about pH 5-6.
Corralberry—(Buck brush, Indian current, Snapberry and Turkey berry)-—
all native of lime soil, clav and pH
6-8.

Found in peat bogs where the chief
plant is sphagnum moss.
4-5

called circumneutral soils, that is,
thosa with a pll of f r o m 6-8. This seem-3
to be the way the horticulturists kee'T
f r o m any definite statement as to soil
requirements f o r certain plants, they
just place them in this class and let it
go at that.
I realize that in a talk of this sort
it is difficult, with such a h e t e r o g e n o u s
group to keep in the subject of plants
that are all familiar to each of you.
With this in view, I have tried to choose
plants that will cover a large area of
the United States or are native plants
familiar to most of you. In this way I
hope I can hit on one or two that will
help you with your problems.

in

humus

Minimalkaline

Marshes and swamps fed by water
carrying lime in solution. Also on
limestone ledges and woods where
there is an accumulation of black
leaf mold.
A general term is given these latter
two classifications of soils. They are

Buck t h o r n — d r y sands and clay pH 6-8.
Cinquefoil—very sandy dry soils pH 4-5.
Spireas
(Including
Bridlewreath) —
medium moist soil, slightlv acid
pH 6-8.
Dog woods—of which some of the finest
specimens are grown in New England,
are adapted to all soils. There are a
number of species, but if one happens
to know the species florida pH 6-7
only, and species canadensis pH 4-5.
Lilacs—moist lime soil pH 6-8.
Tamarix—likes sandy soils, can tell that
soils are not alkaline or heavy clay.
Indicates the presence of a great deal
of humidity.
Horse chestnut or buckeye—rich damp
loam pH 6-8.
Laurel—rich fertile soil on moist side.
Locust shrubs—indicate high Nitrogen
content, grow best in sandy loam.
Privet—fertile s.andy loam pH 6-8.
Flowering almond—well drained sandy
loam.

Some of our common plants are
specific indicators of soil conditions in
themselves, f o r example:
House hydrangea—blue flowers in acid
soils, pink in neutral or alkaline soils.
They also indicate quite moist soils.
Tartarian maple (shrub)—in dry soils
the foliage t u r n s so red that they
appear to have been painted, while
not so when plenty of moisture
present.
Roses—in general do best in heavy
clay soil, but Rosa rugosa or Rough
Rose indicates a hot highly alkaline
soil by becoming yellow and growing
ii-regularily.
Ten plants indicating dry soils a r e :
Japanese barberry
Privet
Sand cherry
Buck-thorn
Sumac
Panicle dogwood
Morrow honey suckle
Shrubby cinquefoil
Corral berry
Russian olive
Ten plants indicating wet soils a r e :
Alder
Willow
Arrow wood
Swamp azalea
Red-osier dogwood
Red choke berry
Nanny berry
American Elder
Swamp rose
Spicebush
TREES
Elms—

American—moist rich soil pH 0-6.
Rock or Cork—indicates moist lime
soil.
Both of these do well along
river banks.
Red or Slippery—moist rich soil.
Oaks—

White—dry slightly alkaline soil.
Welld—good moisture in the soil.
Red—good in both poor and rich soil.
In quite sandy loam assumes a
niore brilliant autumn color than
in other soils.
Birches—

Gray—rich moist soil.
River or Red—much more moist soil,
usually on the wet side, acid.
White—medium neutral soil, high
moisture.

The S I L V E R KING Tractor

1

•

The Silver King combines low first
cost, low maintenance cost, low gasoline and oil consumption, high speed
and great power. Investigate. Catalog and prices upon request.

POWER LAWN MOWER
SERVICE COMPANY
15 T e n n e y C o u r t ,
Somerset

Nut

Somerville,
0504-W

Mass.

trees—

Walnut—rich moist soil acid pH 4-6.
Hickory—fairly dry soil pH 6-8.
Willows

As we all know like wet or very moist
soil pH varies f r o m 4-7. They are
bad actors around your tile lines
too.
Maple—

Rich fairly acid soils, with medium
moisture and pH 5-6.
Pine

White—moist sandy soils, fairly acid.
Pitch—sandy to barren soils.
Red—dry acid soils.
Scrub—grows on leached
barren,
sterile soils.
Larch

Cold moist to wet soil—acid with pH
of 4.5-5.
Spruce—

Red—rocky, gravelly soils pH 4-5.
Black—cold moist soils.
Fir

Balsam—damp
acid
soils,
sandy
loams.
Hemlock—rocky soils pH 4-5.

I have now a f e w of t h e common
weeds t h a t we find encroaching in our
golf course t u r f . These weeds shall
probably mean more to you as indicat o r s t h a n the t r e e s and shrubs as, I
suppose, they are almost all f a m i l i a r to
you. F i r s t let us t a k e t h r e e weeds t h a t
are quite common all over the United
S t a t e s ; the Cockle b u r r , the Ragweed
and the Beggar's tick. If you have these
in or n e a r your course in n u m b e r s I
would suggest you do something to cut
down the sand content of your soils
because these plants indicate sand and
plenty of it.
Then too the P l a n t a i n s are common
to us all.
The common
Plantains,
Rug-el's P l a n t a i n and Rib grass. These
plants indicate a tight compacted soil
and on the acid side. You have all probably had an o p p o r t u n i t y to see a path
gradually become a p p a r e n t across your
course at some time. If you have t a k e n
note you have seen t h a t the history of
the path is as follows: first grass,
second a small a m o u n t of clover begins
to a p p e a r ; then you g e t an increase of
clover, n e x t the P l a n t a i n begins to appear, this is because the soil is becoming
compacted f r o m concentrated traffic.
A f t e r the P l a n t a i n once s t a r t s the clover
slowly disappears, the P l a n t a i n will
flourish f o r a long time and finally it
will go and leave you a hard baked p a t h
t h a t looks like it had been s u r f a c e d by
the Hi-way Commission.
Here is a list of a f e w common weeds
t h a t will shout the condition of your
soil if they are p r e s e n t in q u a n t i t i e s :
Moss—in your t u r f indicates low potassium and Nitrogen along with an
acid condition.
Dandelion—indicates
pacted soil.

a

tight

com-

Johnson g r a s s — a moist rich alkaline
loam.
Sheep
Sorrel—infertile
very acid soil.

compacted

L a r g e and Small Crab g r a s s — a n y
soil 2 0 0 % germination.
Witch g r a s s — a good g a r d e n soil.
Creeping B u t t e r c u p — p o o r l y
alkaline soil.
Heal all—sterile
nutrients.

soil

Spotted S p u r g e — d r y
condition.

low

drained
in

infertile

plant
soil

Wild C a r r o t — d e p l e t e d sterile soil.
P e a r l W o r t — s o g g y %vet condition—
so if y o u h a v e P e a r l W o r t b e
t o p u t l o t s of w a t e r o n it.

sure

Common Y a r r o w — d r y loam soil.
Orange
soil.

Hawkweed—depleted

Ground Ivy—depleted
areation.

Ladies tobacco—due
much

Small

acid

soil w i t h

usually

poor

to

too

water.

flowered

Cranes bill—due usu-

ally to too m u c h

water.

In growing bent t u r f s we are all
interested in keeping our soil on the
acid side to assure the best possible t u r f
growth. T h e r e f o r e , I have selected a
short list of plants t h a t will, by their
presence, indicate t h a t you have an acid
condition:
Sheep Sorrel
P a i n t Brush
Daisy
Horsetail Rush
Corn S p u r r y
Wood Horsetail
Goose Grass
Plantain
As we have weeds t h a t indicate this
acid condition so do we have m a n y t h a t
indicate alkaline conditions to us. If
any of the following are with you in
quantities it is time to get out the
Flowers of S u l f u r because "these plants
flourish in a highly alkaline condition:
Cowslip
Hedge m u s t a r d
Deadly Nite shade
Ragweed
Ox eye daisy
Wild Chicory
Fools Parsley
Cranes Bill
Bulbous B u t t e r c u p
Candy T u f t
False Goldenrod
Salt Grass
Marsh Grass
Trailing B u t t e r c u p
and generally

Clover

Last I have taken a n u m b e r of plants
that, if they are p r e s e n t in n u m b e r s
g r e a t enough to be a serious bother,
will indicate t h a t your soil is too dry
a t the s u r f a c e :
Bud Brush
Wild Barley
P e p p e r Grass
Wild Rye
and Goose Fool or

Pigweed

DO T H E JOB RIGHT W I T H
BUCKNER SPRINKLERS

Tested

Grass

Seeds

for Golf

Courses

S I N C E

Price

List

Suitable

1 8 7 5

on

Request

RADWAY McCULLOUGH SEEDS, INC.
115

Broad

Street—New

York

A c o m p l e t e stock on h a n d at all
times. Write for a fully illustrated
BUCKNER
booklet.

Hovey & Company
130 Broad St.—Boston,
Han. 1454

Mass.

NEW ENGLAND GROWN
Winter-hardy,

BENT

Acclimated

SEED
for

New England Golf Courses
D i r e c t f r o m t h e f a r m s of

A. N. PECKHAM
KINGSTON,

R.

I.

FEWER

PUTTS

Happier m e m b e r s when there are no
w o r m casts to spoil putts.
Diworma
kills w o r m s . Kills a n g l e w o r m s , n i g h t
crawlers and even wire worms.
Just
sprinkle. They come up to the surface,
d i e . D i w o r m a a l s o fights b r o w n p a t c h .
Send for complete ground
maintaina n c e m a n u a l — 1 9 3 6 e d i t i o n j u s t off t h e
press.
Free!

The C. B. Dolge Co.
77 Wilton Road

Westport,

Conn.

WHY

ARGUE?
THE

NATURE

MAKES

CHOICE

by C. B e n z

Robinson

Manager Sunningdale Golf
London, Ontario

Club,

(Read at 1936 Recreation Conference)
We are here today f o r one particular
reason and that is, because greenskeepers have to produce and maintain
turf that will provide the desired playing conditions f o r our present day
golfers.
This may seem at first as growing
turf under very abnormal conditions,
but we need not become alarmed when
we stop to consider what n a t u r e has to
offer. Nature provides a great many
species and varieties of grasses, each
having a great range of different qualifications as turf producing plants.
The wrong selection of these plants
means endless trouble as n a t u r e never
changes her habits and resents interference. She will however gladly cooperate if given the opportunity.
This being true, why argue? Nature
controls the deciding vote which means
success or failure.
The t u r f , the greenkeeper has to produce must have the following qualifications :
1. Longevity. 2. Pine texture. 3. I t
must stand close clipping.
4. It must be mechanically strong.
5. It must provide a closely knitted
even surface.
6. It must be disease resistant.
To produce this t u r f , nature offers
grasses which have a wide range, in
habits of growth and requirements f o r
various conditions.
The majority of our grasses tiller
high and this should be one of our first
considerations when selecting plants f o r
golf course purposes. Tillering is the
process by which grass plants produce
additional shoots. The point of tillering
is where the new buds appear in the
shoot and their height above the ground
varies greatly in the different sjoecies
of basic grasses. Obviously this governs
the height of cut and we are inviting
trouble the moment a plant is clipped
below the point of tillering.
Some of our grasses reproduce by
stolons. A stolon is a surface, creeping
stem which produces roots, stems and

W h e n a c o u n t r y club seeks the
s e r v i c e s of a g r e e n k e e p e r
it
is
f a c e d w i t h t h e t e d i o u s t a s k of i n vestigating the records and references
of
numerous
applicants,
m a n y of w h o m l a c k t h e p r o p e r
qualifications.
Our Employment Committee offers a h a p p y solution to this problem by placing the country club
in c o n t a c t t h r u w r i t t e n
application or personal interview,
with
m e n w h o s e q u a l i f i c a t i o n s fit t h e m
f o r t h e p a r t i c u l a r position to be
filled.
G u y C. W e s t , C h r .

leaves at the nodes or joints. The distance between nodes has a direct bearing on the density of the turf and
governs to some extent the height of
cutting.
Some of our common lawn grasses
reproduce by rhizomes.
These are
underground stems which root at the
nodes very similar to stolons. This type
of reproduction develops stools, some
of our slowest spreading grasses are
those which reproduce only by stooling.
To repeatedly vie with nature, yes, in
some cases even one sin against her
means poor or completely destroyed
turf.
Nature however, tries to be
patient and often is so patient we do
not recognize our own mistakes.
Cultural practices will slightly change
the habits of some plants but they will
never grow satisfactorily if placed
under the improper environmental conditions.
With these points in mind it is very
easy to understand that turf producers
must consult n a t u r e and Why Argue?
when she has already made her decisions.
Kentucky blue grass was used on
putting greens 30 years ago, but how
many such greens do we see today?
Kentucky blue grass has passed out as
a putting green grass since the introduction of the close clipping putting
green mowers.
In this comparison of our three
species of basic grasses f o r golf courses,
I will attempt to explain why, how and
where the varieties of these grasses can
be successfully grown.

For 1936 A New and Better Mower
- The IDEAL

BULLDOG

The new "Bulldog" mower marks the greatest advancement
t h a t h a s b e e n m a d e i n t h e p r o d u c t i o n of f a i r w a y m o w i n g e q u i p m e n t in r e c e n t y e a r s .
I t is j u s t a s s t u r d y a s i t l o o k s — i t is t h e v e r y a c m e of s i m p l i c i t y — a n d its d e s i g n e m b o d i e s t h e finest possible
mechanical
features.
T h e " B u l l d o g " m o w e r w h i c h will p r o d u c e t h e finest possible
j o b of c u t t i n g is f u r n i s h e d i n f o u r f r a m e c o m b i n a t i o n s
3 gang,
5 gang, 7 gang and 9 gang.
W e i n v i t e y o u r i n s p e c t i o n of t h i s s u p e r i o r m o w i n g o u t f i t .
Also r e m e m b e r that we operate the best equipped service station
in t h e N e w E n g l a n d s t a t e s .

IDEAL MOWER SALES and SERVICE
1X1 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 B e a c o n

2898

THE
Plant characteristics
cultural conditions

COMPARISON

OF

BASIC

GRASSES

and

Soil preference

Blue

grasses

Bent

grasses

Rich garden loam Medium to light

Fescues
Light to medium

Wiell d r a i n e d

Food requirements
Moisture requirements
Root system
Depth of root
Range of pH tolerance
Compact soil tolerance
Loose soil tolerance
Disease resistance
Aggressiveness
Recovery f r o m disease
Response to fertilizer
stimulant
Response to fertilizer
on habit of growth
Response to tonic
Effect of tonic on
maturity
Matures
Growth a f t e r maturity
Time of first growth
in spring
Speed of seed germination
Length of time to ( t u r f )
become established
Typo of turf produced

Effect of clipping on
tillering

Heavy
Heavy
Coarse
Very deep
7.5 to 6.0
Tolerant
Tolerant
Medium
Medium
Slow

Moderate
Moderate
Fine
Shallow
6.5 to 5.5
Not tolerant
Tolerant
Very susceptible
Very aggressive
Very fast

Light
Light
Very coarse
Deep
7.5 to 5.0
Desidedly not
Very tolerant
Resistant
Aggressive
Very slow

Medium

Very f a s t

Slow

Causes tillering
More tillering

Will grow taller
Stooling or tillering

Causes tillering

Speeds up much
Early in June
Late

No effect
Late July
Late

No effect
Very late August
Very late

Very early

Very late

Late

Medium

Fastest

Slow

2 years
Reproduced by
tillering and
rhizomes giving
an even sod
Causes tillering
and production
of denser turf

1 year
Reproduces by
tillering and
stolons giving
dense even sod
Causes tillering
and production
of dense, even,
fine textured
turf

2 to 3 years
Rather bunchy,
may cause a
bald crown

Causes branching

Rather bunchy,
may cause a
bald crown

CONCLUSION

Greenkeepers have to produce a definite commodity which is a fine even textured turf that will stand the gaff and
provide a satisfactory playing conditions f o r the dub and champion alike.
Nature has provided suitable plants
and laid down definite rules for con-

duct.
You cannot play this game of greenskeeping without the assistance of
Nature as she quits if you break one
of her rules.
Why argue with her, she makes the
final decisions.

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

SEED

HIGH VIABILITY

DIVISION

F . II. W o o d r u f f &

Nous

MILFORD, CONN.

ANTUBE

The first practical ant control for use on putting greens. Though for
many years a most vexing problem, Antube has made it elementary.
A few minutes weekly routine stops the most difficult infestations.
It is now a standard maintenance product in over a thousand clubs
throughout, the country.
You take NO RISK when buying Antube. A box of one dozen
COUNTRY CLUB SIZE is $9.25. Use a tube. If not satisfied with results,
r e t u r n 11 and owe nothing. Two DROPPER attachments in each dozen
box prevents any waste and cuts application time in half.
Start Antube control early

Less trouble later

THE ONE DROP

ANT KILLER
'Trade

I""**

1

Distributed by

NEW ENGLAND TORO
1121

Washington

Read

the

on

ads

Street,

West

COMPANY
Newton,

as well as t h e

news.

Mass.

COMMENTS
BENT

ON

GRASS

THE
SEED

CERTIFIED
SITUATION

B y F r e d S. R a d w a y

Radway-McCullough Seeds, Inc.,
New York, N. Y.
(Reprinted f r o m March 13, issue
Seed World
Our English Cousins, our Canadian
neighbors and our New Zealand friends
have found a satisfactory solution of a
problem which is still in the kindergarten stages in Uncle Sam's domain,
that is—official certification of bent
grasses without disclosing the grower's
or f a r m e r ' s name or address.
There is more evil in that little tag
than superficial opinion realizes. The
ungarnished great ego of some of our
own bent f a r m e r s and lack of strict
regulation have resulted in many f r e a k
certifications.
The writer himself purchased, or has
been offered, Certified Seaside bent as
recently as J a n u a r y 1936, and made a
previous purchase, which upon arrival
showed an actual test way below Oregon
state certification requirements. However, some smart county agent, used his
own printed tags, designating himself
as an official county agent, certifying
this seed in the capacity of a state
county agent, and putting his signature
on same.
In order to put the finishing touches
to this game of "Barnum and Bailey"
tactics, the accused even used branded
bags of a well known Seaside bent registered trade-mark, whose owner once
upon a time made a decent living f r o m
refining Seaside and who subsequently,
through reasons of change of fortune,
has acquired a government position.
These empty bags, with the good will
and good name of the f o r m e r owner of
that trade-mark, are evidently still
available, according to offers received
here recently. I personally call this a
" r a c k e t " — j u s t one of the many bent
grass misunderstandings.
It is pref e r r e d t h a t my statements be taken f o r
granted without f u r t h e r questioning.
We do not like to dig up dirt and make
the other fellow unhappy.
Furthermore, if all small f a r m e r s
should grow, say, five bags of bent seed,

have their own names plastered on the
real state certified tags, such procedure
would invite a great deal of correspondence between actual consumers, eastern
golf course greenkeepers or equipment
houses and small or large Pacific Coast
growers or f a r m e r s — ( a f a r m e r to consumer racket).
Let us say t h a t there are two hundred
small bent f a r m e r s and perhaps about
five bent grass cleaning establishments
in this country. The marketing of bent
grass seed rightfully belongs to the one
who has an investment and expensive,
up-to-date cleaning machinery,—to the
one who grows and refines the seed. He
is the man who invests and takes the
chances—the artisan.
The state should certify and tag
sealed bent grass, give it a serial (secret) number and not publish on the
tag ,pr elsewhere the name of the originating firm, grower, or cleaner. That
is how it is done in the Dominion of
Canada. There are no individual names
or individual firm names mentioned;
only the government inspector's name
appears, besides the number.
The great commercial evil in the industry here is still in its infancy—the
great "I am it." Even dealers three
thousand miles f r o m production areas
can have seed certified and place their
advertising name and address right on
the official tags. The name of the farmer, the cleaner or the eventual dealer
should not be permitted to appear on
the tag because this labyrinth of names
not only invites useless correspondence
of the chain-letter style, but it breaks^
the market. The one bag buyer and the
two bag grower keep up a correspondence school with a never ending argument, which only depresses market
values.
P a r t of the art of economy is the
study of commerce, which means the
word "middleman"; the necessity which
takes goods f r o m where they are abundant to places lyhere they are in demand. No, they are not parasites or
leeches. Is a commission agent, broker,
or merchant, et'q., detrimental or helpful
in marketing merchandise?
This depends on circumstances.
On the Pacific Coast and likewise in
the east there are men who have their
offices under their hats, and such people,
if they are judiciously helpful in marketing, without over-anxiety .or eagerness are not a detriment, provided their

Select That Jleur Mower

S I X T Y Y E A R S of S P E C I A L I Z A T I O N h a v e
^
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m o s t c o m p l e t e l i n e of L a w n M o w e r s .

1NCK

T h i s m e a n s t h a t e v e r y latest d e v e l o p m e n t is
embodied in any Pennsylvania you buy today
a n d t h a t y o u a r e a s s u r e d of t h e p r o p e r s o u r c e
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in the future.
S o — i f y o u r c o u r s e is n o t n o w " 1 0 0 % P e n n s y l v a n i a " it will p a y y o u t o w o r k t o w a r d t h a t
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GIANT D S LUXE
36 I N . F A I R W A Y
Saves 20% in labor, time
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Unbreakable
malleable iron construction,
6 heavy c r u c i b l e steel
b l a d e s , reversible lower
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gears on B O T H sides (dust
protected).
Timken bearings and Alemite lubrication make this
the toughest as well as the
best performing mower on
the market. Also offered
in 30 in. size.
M O D E L
" K "
30 IN. F A I R W A Y
One size only. Similar in
most respects to DeLuxe
Fairway except Model " K "
I is of conventional cast iron
construction. Price per unit
only $87.50.

Giant

pex.u*e

TAIKWAV

SUPER
ROLLER
GREENS MOWER
A high speed machine with
8 blades of finest crucible
tool steel. Dust proof self
aligning bearings. Train of
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lubrication assure the continued precision of this
mower. 18 inch cut T with
heights from */& to l /s in.
THE QUIET
P E N N A - LITE
Tough aluminum alloy construction makes this machine 1/3 lighter in weight,
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For all 'round work the
Penna-Lite represents the
latest in lawn mower construction.

— a n d o t h e r s a t all p r i c e s in all sizes a n d alt t y p e s .

STANDARDIZE ON

PENNSYLVANIA
QUALITY
LAWN
PRIMOS

MOWERS
PENNA.

the

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hunger f o r profit without investment is
not greedy. Brokers are a vital necessity or a necessary evil in all economic
enterprises (even in the stock m a r k e t ) .
But there are brokers—and brokers.
The man who owns material or merchandise is to receive first consideration.
The man who bays, puts his money into
stocks, and holds, carries, speculates,
barters, and exchanges takes the real
risk and is the most important factor in
the picture of commerce. So is the
broker and commission merchant provided he follows a healthy trend of
trade.
However, if a local f a r m e r s ' or growers' broker on the Pacific Coast gives
opening prices, say on bent grass seed,
before the harvest and quotes or makes
sales before the price is officially established and if his prices are either too
low or too high, he automatically damages the industry. Only a man with his
own investment should be permitted to
speculate to this extent.
There should be adequate legislation
to protect the bent industry in America
f r o m the promiscuous use of nameless
tags and f r o m f a r m e r to consumer selling. There should be protection and
strict rules, also graduating price levels
in accordance with cash or quality involved in transactions.
No man should be able to buy 2,000
pounds of bent grass seed with the
privilege of taking one bag a t a time
at the same price.
The buyer with the invested capital
must be judiciously protected in order
t h a t the f a r m e r may not be able to sell
to golf courses or equipment houses direct on the "pay as you play" plan,
which has been the case too often.
During 1935, the Grass Seed Division of F. H. Woodruff & Sons, with
Chan Baker, Morris Abbott, and Bill
Nye as Editors, issued several timely
leaflets known as "Turf Topics". We
believe that many of our readers did
not receive these leaflets, and hence will
take pleasure in reprinting a few of
them f r o m time to time.
S O I L W A T E R . . . W H A T IS I T ?

What is Soil Water? It sounds simple,
merely the water in the soil, but did
one ever stop to think of the importance
of that Soil Water? True, water is necessary f o r any living thing be it animal
or plant, but with the plant it performs
another function.

We realize that a plant grows In the
soil, but does the plant live on the soil?
It certainly does not. Its roots spread
out into and through the soil f o r two
purposes. First; to anchor it against
wind, rain and other destructive elements. Second; to secure that all important and necessary supply of Soil
Water. Plant roots are so formed t h a t
no part of the soil may enter them. The
tiny root-hairs are porous and absorbent, however, and the soil is the
storehouse of the Soil Water.
If a soil is extremely sandy and loose,
it may be assumed t h a t very little water
will remain in it but will leach down
through beyond that horizon where it is
no longer available to grass plants.
Humus—not
necessarily
commercial
humus—is therefore an important ingredient of every soil if good lawns are
to be enjoyed f o r it not only is a home
f o r the nitrifying bacteria that break
up the plant food into forms available
to the plants, but because it holds large
quantities of water into which these
plant food elements dissolve as they are
made available and it is in this water,
which is taken up by the plant roots,
that plant food is introduced into the
plant itself.
It has often been said that fertilizer
is of no value without water and it is
very true. Dry humus has no active
bacteria but soak it with water and it
immediately becomes a veritable power
house of tiny organisms capable of
breaking down fertilizers into f o r m s
that plants may use. To this use add
its water retaining properties and one
can readily understand why a good lawn
is often enjoyed by one home-owner
who has good soil, while his neighbor
sows the same seed on light sandy land
and fails.
Some plant foods are more quickly
available than others. This is true because they are more easily acted upon
by the tiny bacteria and consequently
become a part of the Soil Water more
quickly and can be used by the plant.
A happy combination f o r grass is a
plant food made up of ingredients that
break down as varying intervals so t h a t
a steady and constant supply of plant
nutrients are liberated into the Soil
Water.
Vegetable and flowers gardens can be
cultivated and mulched, thus aiding in
retaining much Soil Water, while lawns
cannot. It is highly important 'chen to
see to it t h a t the soil is improved before
the seed is sown f o r without Soil W a t e r
all vegetation is nil.
•—Turf Topics.

A NEW

FRIEND

for every
GREENSKEEPER AND GREENS CHAIRMAN

FLORIDA HUMUS
A
pure,
soil
building
organic
matter,
rich
in
nitrogen,
e n t i r e l y f r e e of w e e d s e e d s a n d f o r e i g n m a t t e r . A n i d e a l m e d i u m
for composting.
L i g h t , fluffy, c l e a n a n d o d e r l e s s .
P a c k e d in
200 p o u n d c o n t a i n e r s ( 1 2 cu. ft. compressed to 7 ) — r e a d y for
u s e r e q u i r i n g no s h r e d d i n g , g r i n d i n g or b r e a k i n g .
ANALYSIS
Moisture--44.87,
On Dry Basis-Ash 8.68%,
Org a n i c m a t t e r 9 1 . 6 7 % , A c i d i t y p H - 6 . 0 ( 7 is n e u t r a l ) , T o t a l 1 1 % ,
Calcium--!.68%, M a x i m u m water holding capacity--530.64 % .

BRECKS
85 STATE STREET, BOSTON, MASS.
Tested Seeds and V. C. Fairway Fertilizer.
The Largest Seed House in New England.

ONE

MAN

Does Work

WITH

ONE

OVERGREEN

of 4 Men with

Hand

Mowers

—Pays for Itself in One Season—
In six minutes one man mows a
green. One man with one Overgreen mows 18 greens in 5 hours.
The three 18-inch mowers cut a
50-inch swath. It pays f o r itself
with the money it saves. Send
f o r Catalog. Get all the saving
facts. See for yourself.

M a i n Office:
STROUDSBURG,

PA.

-j | f _ - f r J ^ j j - ^ g ^ p « • •
"UJortJungton
cower
3

Boston
1 STATE

Office:
STREET

\mfMnifz
The

advertisers

pay

for

your

NEWSLETTER;

deal

with

them.

Equip Your Course
™ ""*'"' with
GOLF

STANDARD

EQUIPMENT

It Pays to Standardize on Standard. Plan your improvements
now—while present low prices f o r Standard equipment are
offered. There has been no price increase in the Standard line
(with exception of Flags) so Buy Now.
HOLE

RIMS

Scientifically designed,
cast in one piece. Absolutely true, correct
size.
Strongly reinforced — slightly tapered f o r ease in inserting
and extracting.
Will n o t rust, corrode
— m a n y other exclusive features.

FLAG

POLES

Special steel, seamless
tube, thoroughly galvanized and reinforced
at bottom. Aluminum
ferrule. Equipped with
special brass Flag f a s tening rings, or with
swivel if desired. Red
and White, or Orange
and Black. 8 f e e t long
1 Vg or 1 inch ferrule.
Furnished 1 Vs ferrule,
unless otherwise specified.
Price

Price

Flag Poles—each $2.15
Duralumin Swivel,
extra $0.25

Aluminum . . . .
Cast Iron . . . .
PERMANENT
ALUMINUM SIGNS

HOLE

Signs f o r every purpose—made f r o m cast
aluminum.
Will not
rust, discolor, corrode,
or tarnish.
Will give
years of perfect serYardage
vice . .
"Do" and
Markers
" D o n ' t " signs —• Tee
Direction
Markers
Signs.
Special Sizes.
Prices on Request.
Arrow, Marker, illustrated, your wording,
each $1.60.
above

prices

Cuts
clean and
sharp — exactly
right size.
Built
strong and rugged
f o r years of service. Stays sharp.
Regularly furnished with scalloped
cutting edge—but
can be furnished
in plain edge, if
desired.

include

Distributed

New

CUTTER

Price

each—$8.00

Federal

Tax

in N e w E n g l a n d

exclusively b y

Kfiigl&riid T o r o C o ,

1121 W A S H I N G T O N

STREET, WEST

NEWTON,

MASS.