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Unless a man undertakes more than he possibly can do,
he will never do all that he can.
—Henry Drummond.

J U L Y
I93T

This N E W S L E T T E R is published
monthly by the Greenkeepers Club of
New England, and sent free to its members and their Green's Chairmen. Subscription price ten cents a copy, or a
dollar a year.
GUY C. W E S T
Editor
179 Jones St., Fall River, Mass.

JAMES
McCORMACK
. Business
450 William
St., Stoneham,
Mass. Mgr.
July, 1937
Vol. 9, No. 7
We recently came upon an advertisement which we believe contains a great
deal of truth for us, whether we are
buying furniture or golf course equipment. We believe that our equipment
advertisers will believe in this message,
and that every buyer can think over
with profit the lesson in it. Prom this
advertisement of The C. F. Wing Co.
comes this message:
D O Y O U B U Y A L L O W A N C E S OR
MERCHANDISE?
T h e W o r l d is Full of W o r d s

but what words can express the
futility of buying where you get
the "biggest allowance" for the
old—or the biggest discount for
the new?
You know the story of the honest
New Bedford mariner who charged
up his new suit—as such—on the
ship's books, whereat the owners
grumbled and said they were not
paying for the captain's clothing.
Observing the method pursued by
some of the other masters—our
honest mariner on the next voyage
put the cost of his clothing in the
potato bill.
Like your "biggest allowance"
the cost of the suit was covered,
but the cost was there just the
same.
It is not what allowance you get
— o r what is taken off—or even
what price you pay—but ^Vhat y o u
get f o r w h a t y o u p a y

B a l a n c i n g the B u d g e t

Is it hard to keep your budget right?"
"My dear, it's perfectly terrible!
This month I've had to put in four mistakes to make it balance."
—Bank Notes.

SECTIONAL-WORK-LABOR
SYSTEM
fay E d w a r d J. C a s e y

Wykagyl C. C.—New Rochelle, N. Y.
(Presented at Recreation Conference)
Greenkeepers or any other group become much better acquainted with talking shop. I have a subject that has, I
believe, a great deal of shop talk atmosphere. It is wide open for discussion
any time or in any place. It is necessary, however, to keep in mind fundamental principles, your knowledgeunderstanding of them, and your attitude, and this is a purely personal ^ ^
factor. Your attitude toward these ^ ^
principles determines whatever success
you hope to enjoy.
To speak of golf course labor, we
speak of a cost item that consumes on
an average 70%' of the total cost of
the product, which -is the golf course.
Regardless of how the total cost of the
product is reduced, that labor cost item
still consumes the greater part. We car.,
however, materially reduce that labor
cost item by eliminating as f a r as p e b ble lost labor time.
Departments under your management
are: budget, finances, materials, equipment, and labor. The first three are
your personal contact, you control them
as well as could be done,—your knowledge of them is well directed; but that
other department, labor is a little
doubtful. By doubtful I mean the possibility of there being a good piece of
labor time lost. As good managers, you
are very observant; without hesitation,
you snap up a smart idea or method
and make it part of yourself. It becomes a precision tool in your hands.
You use it; you accomplish things with
it; you are proud of it. Why? Simply
because your attitude towards the value
of the idea or method leads to its incorporation in your maintenance
system.
Incorporating the sectional worklabor system in your management of the
golf course. Not to any one of us is the
system original, yet its application may
be very original. None should doubt
that it deserves plenty of serious
thought. The two definite terms WorkLabor associate in speech very well,
associate in our minds to give us the
true meaning of them. Yet, how do we
associate them in a practical manner
in our everyday work? Do we group

our labor to the demands of the work,
or do we have the labor scattered about,
hopping from one job to another, sacrificing a lot of good labor time between
jobs? Control labor and you certainly
control work.
If your budget is around $15,000, you
probably spend for labor in the neighborhood of $3000 to $4000 for greens
alone. Out of that from $750 to $1000
to pole and cut greens. That greens
labor item could cost you more or cost
you less—your management determines
that! There isn't time, nor is it necessary to analyze the value of time save!
or the cost of time wasted, but we can
analyze conditions that mean time and
efficiency just as well as figures do.
The number of players and the periods
of heavy traffic at your course greatly
influence the extent of the labor time
lost. Call it unproductive time if you
will—time expended for which there is
no return. Cutting greens, top-dressing,
or doing other work at a time when the
margin of interference between player
and labor is greatest does not promote
satisfactory work-labor control.
Primarily, waste of labor is due to
not planning work ahead. Train your
labor from job to job, from hour to
hour, and you train them inefficiently.
Give them a day's work,—two,—
three—give them a week's work ahead;
they like it; they are happier; they
develop initiative and become more efficient. Time saved—walking for instance—many of your greens are a half
mile away.
You send a man out to cut—15
minutes walk. He comes back—15
minutes walk! Send him out to another
job—15 minutes walk; finishes job—
comes back—15 minutes walk; and so
on. Send the man out there and keep
him there! Give him a section to take
care of and make him responsible for
its upkeep. If you have the right man.
he will accept the responsibility and like
it. Not only that, he becomes a mighty
good manager of his own section. Now
we have three definite terms: sectionwork-labor. All are as familiar to you
as your own golf course. It is reasonably safe to say that there isn't an 18
hole course that hasn't one or two—or
more—outlying sections, groups of three
or four holes together, so far from your
work buildings that transportation of
materials, equipment and labor is a
mighty expensive item not included in
the budget but is assumed to be part of
the labor cost. Whether you have 18

holes or 36 holes or more, this sectionalwork-labor system should certainly appeal to you. It must appeal to you as
the one responsible for the management
of your golf course. Your section man,
knowing his responsibility, takes pride in
his work, trains himself,—his observation is keen. Walking over turf, he can
detect immediately any serious grub injury. He watches the natural landscape;
in fact, he learns to know his section
that any unusual change in appearances
of turf or other vegetation immediately
registers with him. Naturally, he investigates. Here in the section man you
have a control centre that is extremely
valuable, if you make use of it. Assume, for instance, that your course is
infested with an insect pest, an infestation that is extremely difficult to control—perhaps the Japanese beetle, web
worm, chinch bug in turf or gypsy moth
—canker worm—or some other pest in
the trees. What do you do? Chart the
infested areas on the course map?
Chart the increase or decrease of infestation? We know that you use insectitides, but you have got to know the
extent of infestation. These pests don't
work under your feet where you can
fall over them. No! They start in outof-the-way places: in the short rough,
the long rough, banks of tees, greens,
edges of traps. You find the small infested area in a section; scout the entire section for further infestation. Who
can do that job better than the section
man you yourself have trained? Any of
you who are up against the Japanese
beetle or the chinch bug know what an
insect pest really is, and appreciate the
value of a good scouter.
Weed eradication in the fairways,
rough, banks of tees, etc. Preventing
reinfestation through weed seeds. Allow
your section men to give you every assistance they are capable of in spotting
the pre-blossom and seed formation
periods of the troublesome weeds.
Whether you use sodium arsenite, iron
sulfate, kerosene or some other material,
the section man will prove valuable in
the work and in checking the results.
The principle of the sectional-worklabor system can be applied to short or
long range planning for course improvement, be it construction, drainage, irrigation, weed eradication, fertilization
or general turf betterment. Such
planned work, required to be completed
within a certain period, is well adapted
to sectional division of the course. Completing the work in one section of the

course, the experience gained together
with the results of the materials and
labor methods employed would be extremely valuable in determining the best
procedure for completing the following
section.
You should experience little difficulty
in establishing work sections on your
course. You have to determine the best
method of supplying the section men
with equipment. That of itself suggests
the erection of a central section house
to serve one, two, or three sections.
Keep in the section house every stick of
equipment necessary for efficient workmanship. The section house, like any
other piece of good equipment, saves
you money, not costs you money. You
may say: "Well, look at all the extra
equipment we need." Certainly, if you
are ill equipped. If every laborer on
your course has not a complete set of
small equipment for his own particular
use, then you are ill equipped. Do you
want five or six men scrambling over
three or four good shovels with the unlucky ones using the worn-out shovels?
Keep every man equipped and keep the
equipment up to date. You can just as
well keep the small equipment in a section house as in a main building. What
better control of equipment have you
than to make a man responsible for his
own set? (He keeps them in good shape
too.)
Your section man is on the job all the
time. He spots fungus attacks, injury
from rodents, injuries from turf insects,
and other damage to club property. He
spots drying of turf on greens, tees,
around the aprop, approaches and
mounds on the green. I am sure many
of you have experienced the difficulty of
keeping mounds on and around the
greens from drying out in the summer.
Many of them need particular and frequent attention. They are a part of the
green. Their condition may complete or
mar a beautiful picture.
If anything serious happens, your section man lets you know pretty quickly.
He has all the equipment for his work;
for emergencies, he does not have to
walk to the barn for a rake, a pole, or
somewhere else for a piece of hose.
Everything is right there at his own
headquarters. With a man out there in
a section, you have better control of the
work to be done. You do not have to
watch him. Time is a limiting factor for
labor juts as it is for you yourself. It
often occurs that you send a man out
with a machine; something happens to

the machine—the man pulls it back to
the barn; he either has to wait or is
given another job while the machine is
being repaired.
That lost time can be avoided under
the sectional work-labor system. The
man could drop the machine job and do
something else. Why? Because he has
plenty of other work to do and all the
equipment he needs right at his elbow.
A broken machine can be picked ut>.
repaired at the shop and delivered back
to the section. So f a r as handling the
cutting machine stored at the section
houses, that is a simple matter. If your
section men are trained to properly adjust machines, so much the better. You
cover the course at least twice a day.
You can check adjustments and behaviour of the machines on your way
around. For major repairs, such as" V.grinding or sharpening, the machine-,
can be picked up by a tractor or truck,
repaired and delivered to the sections
where they belong. Your materials,
labor and equipment are always distributed and transported with minimum
loss of time, and that's what you want.
Should you decide that you need a section house for equipment, do not retain
the impression that you should hide it
in the woods or some other place out of
the way. Put up a decent looking building in a convenient place, keep it neat
and clean, and it will be something good
to look at. Perhaps your course needs
more shelters for convenience of members. In that case, it may prove practical to erect a combination building,
using one part for a section house and
the remainder for shelter.
Power equipment is adaptable to the
sectional system as well as hand equipment. The question of sabotage is a
minor one. Your main buildings can be
cleaned out of equipment just as readily
as the section houses. Many of you have
a course watchman.
Modification of this system makes it
adaptable to any condition or circumstance, so long as you are able to coordinate its three principal features: the
section, the work to be done, the labor
available.
Before I conclude, I want to bring
out a factor that is important whenever
this subject is discussed. That factor is
the section man. How to obtain the type
of man possessed of some quality that
places him ahead of the usual run of
labor, the type having an honest interest
in his work. All of you have one or more
men on your force whom you consider

more valuable than the others. Valuable
because you have made full use of them
and by so doing, have trained them to
your particular methods and requirements. Isn't it possible to select the better type of labor, train them, and round
out a force 100% valuable, allowing the
men freedom of thought and action to
develop that competitive initiative? It
means more effort on your part, which
isn't anything unusual. Your effort and
determination to obtain objectives set
before you has moved golf maintenance
to the high standard of today. To keep
these selected men available, some effort
is necessary to provide employment for
them during winter months.
SOME LAWN

INFORMATION

by Dr. Howard B. Sprague
N. J. Agri. Exp. Sta.

Prevent Drought Injury To Lawns

^^

Prolonged dry hot weather has resulted in severe injury to the home lawn
during the past season. Certain lawns
or portions of them, however, have withstood injury more successfully than
others. In most instances, noticeable resistance to drought may be attributed
to the difference in character of the
soil or to the treatment followed. In
order that the lawn may be made more
drought resistant, soil conditions should
be carefully examined and the cultural
practices considered to determine the
limiting growth factors.
The lawn soil should have a desirable
water-holding capacity to support grass
in dry periods. This capacity is greatly
influenced by the presence in the soil of
organic matter in liberal amounts. Organic matter is particularly important
on sandy, shaley, and heavy clayey
soils, and the incorporation of such organic materials as well rooted manure,
spent mushroom soil, or cultivated peat
is frequently necessary to provide the
required water-holding capacity. Moreover, the soil should be well supplied
with available phosphates to stimulate
deep root development and efficient absorption of moisture. Also, the correction of strong soil acidity with lime is
essential f o r satisfactory root penetration.
Mowing should be no closer than one
inch on lawns, particularly in spring,
since shorter clipping restricts root development, and, consequently, the vol-

ume of soil from which moisture may be
derived. Artificial watering must be
deep and thorough, rather than light
and frequent, to permit the storage of
moisture in the lower soil layers for
subsequent use. Light waterings are
largely dissipated by evaporation and
prove of little value to the grass. In
general, fertilizers should be withheld
in summer months to avoid injury from
burning. Early autumn and early spring
are the ideal seasons for fertilizing
lawns. The application of plant food at
such seasons will meet the requirements
for growth during the balance of the
year.
Careful Watering Essential For
Healthy Turf

Careful watering is necessary to maintain the lawn in a thrifty condition without stimulating crab grass and other
annual weeds. Lawns generally require
some artificial watering during dry hot
weather from May to September, since
summer rainfall is irregularly distributed throughout the season. Moisture
should be supplied, however, only when
the turf would actually suffer from lack
of water. Frequent sprinklings in hot
weather benefit summer weeds more
than the lawn grasses, particularly if
the soil is superficially moistened. As a
general practice, the lawn soil should
be soaked to a depth of 4 to 6 inches.
No further watering should then be
necessary for several days on loam
soils.
Lawns located on sandy or shaley
soils or on soils with low organic matter
content, have relatively low moisture
holding capacities. Consequently, water
must be applied more frequently than on
loam soils. Improvement of soil structure by the incorporation of organic
matter and heavy top-soil on sandy
areas, and of organic matter and lime
on shaley and clayey soils, will greatly
reduce the danger of drought injury.
Terraces frequently suffer for lack of
moisture due to heavy run-off losses.
Water must be applied slowly on such
locations to permit absorption by the
soil, but it should be added in sufficient
quantities to moisten the soil to a depth
of at least 4 inches.
One should remember that excessive
watering compacts the soil, causes water
logging on loams and clay loams, and
is harmful to the turf grasses. Lawns
cut regularly at a height of 1 inch or

greater will require less watering and color of the sod. A period of neglect
suffer less from drought than turf that which permits the grass to become tall
and coarse, followed by close mowing,
is closely mowed.
invariably produces an open unsightly
turf even though the finest grass species
may be present.
Making Temporary Lawns
Extremely early or close clipping of
A luxuriant temporary green lawn the average lawn should be avoided,
may be produced within three weeks' since these practices greatly restrict
time under a great variety of soil con- root growth and the vigor of the turf.
ditions. With proper care this turf will Experiments conducted by the New Jerpersist throughout the summer, _ until a sey Agricultural Experiment Station
permanent lawn may be established.
have shown that a large proportion of
Spade the area to be seeded or loosen the grass root system is regenerated
and pulverize the surface two inches of each spring. Consequently, early close
soil with a hoe in preparing the seed mowing reduces the quantity and extent
bed. Apply a complete commercial of the roots for the entire season. As
fertilizer carrying at least four percent a result, the lawn is made more sensiof readily available nitrogen, at the rate tive to hot, dry weather, and is less able
of 10 pounds per 1,000 square feet of to endure competition from weeds, or
surface. The fertilizer must be uni- injury due to other causes. The first
formly distributed and thoroughly in- spring mowing should be postponed uncorporated with the upper layer of soil til the grass is approximately 2 inches
before planting. Grade the area by rak- long in order to permit vigorous root
ing. Seed perennial rye grass or domes- growth. Thereafter, the lawn may be
tic rye grass at the rate of five to eight mowed frequently as desired, provided
pounds per 1,000 square feet, and cover the height of cutting is one inch or
by raking lightly. Keep the soil surface longer.
moderately moist until the grass is well
The lawn enthusiast is inclined to
established, and mow at a height of two mow
the turf considerably closer than
inches during the first month of growth. one inch.
In order to practice close
The lawn obtained by this method is a cutting, it is necessary to plant species
temporary one but it makes an excellent which tolerate this treatment, such as
substitute for a permanent turf during one of the b e n t grasses, and to develop
the summer. Late spring and early a smooth soil surface by rolling and
summer months are unfavorable seasons topdressing the sod. The bent grasses
for new seedings of permanent lawn which withstand mowing at heights of
grasses due to injury by heat, drought,
to % inch, are velvet bent, creeping
and competition of weeds. The tempor- bent, and Colonial bent.
ary grasses now seeded may be spaded
Haphazard adjustment of the lawn
or plowed under in August or early Sep- mower may prove disastrous. A simple
tember and a permanent lawn estab- method of' adjusting the height of cut
lished. At that time the addition of consists of placing the machine on a
organic matter, lime, fertilizer and other level floor or sidewalk, and setting the
materials for soil improvement will aid roller on the back of the mower so that
in developing a thick sod of permanent the bedknife is the desired height from
grasses. Seed of desirable grasses is the floor at each end. The bedkmfe is
uselessly wasted when sown at a season the long flat blade against which the
of the year offering little chance of suc- blades on the revolving reel cut.
cess.
Periodic adjustment of the mower will
avoid injury from excessively close
mowing.
Close Mowing Injures The Lawn

Regular mowing of the lawn at the
proper height aids in producing a fine
closely knit turf. Many lawns are
seriously injured by failure to cut the
turf in a suitable fashion. Ordinary
lawn grasses are improved by frequent
mowing at a height of one inch or
longer. This practice stimulates the production of shoots and leaves, and thus
maintains a fine texture and desirable

If YOU know of a fellow member who
is ill, or who needs assistance, be sure
and notify the chairman of the Welfare
Committee, Howard Farrant, 132 Russett Rd., West Roxbury, Mass. He
needs and requests YOUR assistance so
that he may properly carry out his
duties.

NOW

is tlie t i m e
to think about
Fall Seeding

W h e n Kentucky Blue Grass
and Red Top are cheaper

Because of excellent growing
weather and crops . . . you save
money by early seed buying!
Use grasses best for you

With several Woodruff Proving
Grounds growing turf under varied
soil and climate conditions, you
can secure the seeds best for you

by making use of our individual
blending service.
F e e d f a i r w a y s in t h e fall

Many greenskeepers have
found this process advantageous.
Try God-sod
the balanced lawn food

Analysis: 10-6-4. Over 50%
organic nitrogen.
Write our nearest branch for
individual needs today!

F . IS. W o o d r u f f & S o n s
MILFORD, CONNECTICUT

Branches and shipping points: Sacramento, Calif.; Milford, Conn.;
Atlanta, Ga.; Toledo, Ohio; Mercedes, Texas; Bellerose, L. I.;
and others.

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solution or dry with compost. G O E S F U R T H E R — •
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L A B O R C O S T S — f e w e r applications needed in
severe brown patch weather than with inorganic
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BRECK'S

85 S T A T E S T R E E T , B O S T O N
Tested Seeds and Florida Humus
Y o u c a n d e p e n d u p o n o u r advertisers,,

WOODRUFF FIELD DAY

The annual Field Day for Greenkeepers was held on June 22nd at their
Proving Ground in Milford, Conn, by
the Grass Seed Division of the P. H.
Woodruff & Sons. Some fifty or more
greenkeepers from several states examined with great interest the 143 plots
of many species and strains of grass.
To give our readers a comprehensive
picture of this experimental work, we
quote from introductions to two reports
of the work which have been submitted
by the company.
Our Grass Laboratory

Grass is the principal background of
all landscaped areas, whether home
lawns, parks, golf courses or cemeteries.
This somewhat detailed and organized
study of grasses in relation to their
best employment and maintenance under
controlled conditions is proving both
interesting and informative, and therefore should engage the interest of all
workers in landscaping.
Grass is popularly recognized as a
most humble member of the vegetable
kingdom, no doubt because it is accepted as a matter of course as a pleasing, ready-made gift from Nature. Although it may be appreciated for what
it contributes to the beauty of the landscape, few people realize what care
must be exercised in the selection of
proper seed for a given area, its sowing, and the proper maintenance
throughout its entire existence.
To present vividly and with reasonable exactness the differences existing
between grasses, not only between
species but between varieties or strains
of the same species, and their general
habits as they mature, we established
our first experimental and proving
grounds for turf grasses on one of our
farms at Milford, Connecticut, in the
fall of 1931. Each season since, we
have added to them, trying the different
varieties and strains under several conditions, so that now we believe that we
have in trial every variety of grass
adapted to and used for turf production
in northeastern United States. Many
are duplicated in order to study their
response to different lengths of mower
cuts; others for comparison of fertilizing materials; still other tests are
being made by sowing the same grasses
during every month of the year.
In 1933 additional trial grounds were
inaugurated on the area adjoining our

store at Bellerose, Long Island. Others
were also established on the grounds of
the Cherry Valley Country Club at
Garden City, Long Island. Mr. William
Howell, superintendent of the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery of Poughkeepsie, New York, is also conducting
a series of trials for us, as is Mr. Harold
Smith of the Forest Hills Cemetery at
Utica, New York. We hope to have
other plots under way in Springfield,
Mass., and in northern New Jersey during 1934.
These investigations throughout the
East offer accurate information on what
you can expect from grass seeds and the
findings are available through this
medium or by a visit to any of these
grounds, where you are always welcome
to come often and stay as long as you
wish.
Our trial grounds at Milford are
located on the Boston Post Road (New
Haven Turnpike) about a mile and a
half east of Milford or about seven
miles west of New Haven. They are on
the south side of the road, immediately
adjacent to the highway. During the
growing season a man is in attendance
during business hours, 8 a. m. to 5 p. m.,
except Sunday.
Our methods of fitting the soil have
not been out of the ordinary, nor have
there been any organic materials such
as peat moss, humus or manure, worked
into the soil before seeding. The soil on
the main grounds at Milford is a heavy
loam type running somewhat to clay, so
that it cakes and bakes very hard in
summer.
The farm on which our plots at Milford are located has been owned by us
for many years and has been used (until 1928) for growing vegetable seeds.
It was thoroughly tilled each year and
fertilized with commercial 4-8-4 fertilizer. For two years the farm was in
other hands who contemplated the construction of a commercial air landing
field. During this time a portion of the
farm now occupied by our turf trials
was seeded to Wyoming Bluestem, an
Agropyron similar to quack grass and a
native of the middle west, where it is
valuable for a forage grass in winter.
The object of sowing this grass was to
learn its possible value as an airport
turf grass, but it was never to serve its
purpose as the landing field never
materialized. It did thrive, however,
and as it spreads by strong, hardy rootstocks, we found a heavy stand when we
plowed it up preparatory to seeding in
x

-USE T H E NEW IDEAL BULLDOG

Greenkeepers, charged with the responsibility of k e e p i n g courses in the
best possible condition, have for years standardized on IDEAL equipment. Designed for durability and economical operation Bulldog gang
mowers produce results that win the acclaim of the Greens Committee.
T h e y cut large areas faster and with f e w e r men.
Available in 3, 5, 7 and 9 gangs, interchange
able. Seven or five-blade units optional.
"Bulldog" units have drop-forged r i n g g e a r s ,
cut steel pinion gears, one-piece steel roller,
chrome-nickel steel double-edged bottom
knife, and heavy chrome-nickel steel reels.
Units m a y be lifted off the ground for speedy
transportation over the roughest areas.
POWER GREENSMOWER
A copy of the n e w 1937 catalog of mowing D u p l i c a t e s s k i l l f u l h a n d equipment for golf courses should be in your w o r k , r e d u c e s c o s t s a n d profiles for ready reference. Write for your copy ^
greens. Write
for a free demonstration.
today.
u c e s

finer

IDEAL MOWER SALES AND SERVICE
111 CYPRESS STREET—BROOKLINE, MASS.
Phone Beacon 2898 - 2 8 9 9

the fall of 1931. Like quack grass, it
has been hard to eliminate, as every
small piece of root seems to grow and
multiply. Further mention of this grass
will be made later.
The topsoil is from 8 to 10 inches
deep over about 3 feet of sand, and below that is a clay hardpan. There are
numerous rock ledges throughout the
area, but none are nearer than 18
inches below the surface. The sand permits good drainage and we are well
pleased with the general conditions for
trying out grasses.
During 1934 and 1935 several plots
were discontinued because their usefulness was proven of minor importance
in comparison with certain new trials
which we believed to be pertinent to
current problems of the day. These new
experiments were started and will be
carried on with the same care exercised
in the past.
Our Milford Proving Grounds now include more than 145 different turf plots.
The fact that they are located near the
coast and on a definite type of soil must
be taken into consideration in presenting a true picture of our efforts. One
must realize that the physical structures
of soils vary with their origin, and that
environment inland or along the coast
differs materially even within a short
distance. Our method of meeting these
factors has been to establish other
Proving Plots at various points in northern United States where the soils and
weather conditions may differ from our
own.
BOV/LING GREENS

A Bowling Green is a square of fine
turf measuring 120 feet by 120 feet,
on which the game of Lawn Bowls is
played. The pastime is one of the oldest
enjoyed by English-speaking people, being traced as f a r back as the thirteenth
century or earlier.
In the game of Lawn Bowls, each
player uses two or four solid wooden
bowls, turned with a "bias" so that
their course is slightly curved. The object is to place one's bowl nearest to a
white ball or "Jack," which is thrown
at the commencement of play. Bowling
on the Green is a game of skill, interesting to young and old and appealing to
players of both sexes; although it is
not violent in character, it develops
muscle, is figure-improving and weightreducing.

Building A Green

(1) Plow or dig an area about 140
feet square, turning the soil but not going deeper than the thickness of the
topsoil. Remove the topsoil and place
it in heaps off the area.
(2) Grade the subsoil to an even
level surface. Note, however, that some
greens are "crowned": that is, the
center is mounded some twelve to
eighteen inches above the grade with a
gradual slope to the sides in all directions. This type of construction makes
the game more sporty and is advantageous on heavy or poorly drained land,
because surface water is shed freely,
but an accurate level area is usually
preferred.
(3) Take every care that the subsoil
under-drains readily. On sandy or
gravelly soils no special preparation may
be necessary; on clay soils drain-tile
should be installed in ditches dug. in the
under grade, commencing these eighteen
inches below the surface of the subsoil
and allowing a fall of six inches to each
100 feet. The drain tile should be
covered to the level of the subsoil with
coarse stone or gravel. Distance between drains, and hence the quantity of
tile used, will depend upon the character of the soil, but an average of 100
feet of six-inch (diameter) tile and 250
feet of four-inch tile may be necessary.
(4) The topsoil should be replaced in
an even layer, and it should be from
four to six inches thick. Additional
quantities should be procured if there is
any question as to the quality of the
original topsoil. It is spread only on an
area 120 feet by 120 feet and is, preferably, retained by steel curbing or
boards. Outside the curbing is a path
or ditch 30 inches wide, floored with
wood or gravel, and beyond this the
surface is graded evenly to a bank, enclosing the green.
(5) If the topsoil is of a heavy character from ten to twenty cubic yards of
sand may be mixed with it by spreading
and raking under. Most topsoil in the
northeastern part of the United States
is deficient in organic material, and an
application of five to ten tons of humus
is usually desirable, broadcast evenly
and worked in.
(6) The surface should be rolled and
any inaccuracies in the grading corrected by adding more topsoil.
(7) Seven hundred pounds of Fertilizer may then be applied and raked in.
(8) Water thoroughly, and as soon
as the surface is dry, broadcast 35 lbs.

Heart's

a w a y to

B E A T YOUR
' ' RISING
COSTS!
T h e most acute operating problem facing Golf

Club Managers today is that of rising wages and
material costs . . . At a recent Club Managers'
Convention, one Manager said: "Gentlemen, the
rise in wages and material costs is inevitable;
we can't stop it, but we can beat it. We can
install more efficient equipment."
A typical example of what this Manager had
in mind is the use of Pennsylvania G I A N T
36-inch Fairway Mowers, which save 2 0 % in
labor cost, 2 0 % in maintenance cost and 2 0 %
in power cost, over the conventional 30" mowers.
This saving runs into hundreds of dollars yearly.
At the same time playing conditions are improved.
Every golf course equipped with Pennsylvania
G I A N T DeLuxe Fairway Mowers has proved
these facts. Furthermore, as a direct result of improved playing conditions, a steadily growing
club patronage brings increased income.
Write us today and let us send you full information on how Pennsylvania Mowers can help you
beat the problem of rising operating costs!
IMPORTANT FEATURES:

Unbreakability; Goodyear 4-pIy Pneumatic
Tires (optional); Six
Extra Heavy Crucible
Steel Blades; Lower
Blade Reversible; DustProof Gear Casings;
T h r e e Machine-Cut
Gears on Both Sides;
Timken Bearings on
Cylinder; Alemite Lubrication; Adjustable
Single Ball Bearing on
Ground Roller.
NOTE: Also available
in the conventional 30inch size, with same
mechanical features.

Write for
Catalogue

THE PENNSYLVANIA
SUPER ROLLER GREENSMOWER:

Proved in competitive
tests on numerous golf
courses all over the
world as the precision
machinefortheup-keep
of the finest possible
putting greens. Highspeed cylinder with 8
blades of finest steel.
Write for full informs
tion.

LAWN M O W E R

WORKS

PRIMOS
PENNA.

of grass seed and rake. On the raked
surface broadcast a further 35 lbs. of
seed and then roll; observe that the
second seeding is not raked under. For
Bowling Greens in the northern United
States and Canada we advise a seed
mixture consisting of equal parts of
Seaside and Triple A Bent.
(9) As soon as the young grass is
long enough for a new, good quality
lawn mower, set to one-inch, to make
a cut, commence mowing; thenceforth,
during the growing period, mow three
times per week.
M a k e a n e w B o w l i n g G r e e n in s p r i n g
or a u t u m n . A v o i d t h e p e r i o d f r o m midJ u n e to m i d - A u g u s t f o r this w o r k .
Maintaining A Green
Roll once a week in dry weather. Use

a partly filled water-ballast roller of
the one-man type.
W e e d when necessary. Fill weed holes
with a mixture of one part grass seed
to five parts soil.
W a t e r during dry weather, preferably
at night.
B r u s h A w a y W o r m c a s t s before mowing.
If earthworms become numerous remove them.
Topdress twice each spring and twice
each autumn with a mixture consisting of fine soil and fertilizer. Use
as much soil as can be rubbed into
the turf with the back of a rake and
without hiding the grass. Mix with
the soil for each topdressing 250 lbs.
of fertilizer. Protect against Jananese
Beetles and grubs. On acid soils 500
lbs. of limestone every late winter
will be helpful.
—Golf Turf.
TURF FIELD DAY AT THE N E W
JERSEY EXPERIMENT STATION
N e w B r u n s w i c k , N . J.

Over 200 golfers, greenskeepers, and
representatives of commercial firms interested in fine turf attended the Turf
Field Day of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station on June 21, in
spite of the threatening weather which
prevailed during the day. More than 300
individual plots showing specific treatments were labeled and on display. A
tour of the experiments was conducted
by Dr. H. B. Sprague during the course
of the afternoon. Among the tests observed and discussed were the following: Comparison of grasses for various

uses, grass seed mixtures, tests on the
value of different types of fertilizers on
putting turf, experiments on the turf
producing ability of various soil types,
tests to show the value of different
kinds of organic matter for soil improvement, comparisons of different
systems of fertilizing fairways, trial
plots to determine the putting value of
approximately 20 kinds of strains of
grasses, breeding nursery of Velvet and
Creeping bent strains, and experiments
showing the importance of incorporating
humus and lime in preparation for new
seedings.
A dinner sponsored by the State Golf
Association in cooperation with the
Metropolitan Golf Association and the ^ ^ '
New Jersey Association of Golf Course ^ ^
Superintendents, was held at the Hotel
Woodrow Wilson in New Brunswick in
the evening. The evening program included the following speakers: Mr. T. C.
Longnecker of the New Jersey Experiment Station staff, Dr. H. B. Sprague,
Agronomist at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, and Dr. John
Monteith of the U. S. Golf Association
Green Section. Mr. Longnecker discussed "Studies on the Penetration of
Nutrient Elements and Their Seasonal
Fluctuations in Grassland Soils as
Measured by Rapid Chemical Tests",
Dr. H. B. Sprague presented a report on
"Studies as to the Growth Requirements
of Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua)", and
Dr. Monteith gave a brief discussion on
weed control, also displaying a series of
colored slides of golf courses in various
sections of the United States. The attendance at the evening dinner was over
75, and interest in turf problems was
great. There seemed to be ample evidence of marked revival of attention to
this important national recreation.
President Robert A. Mitchell represented the club at the Northeastern New
York Carnival of Golf held in Albany
and vicinity, May 15-17. This carnival
was full of various golf events, including team matches, meetings, dinners,
demonstrations, etc.
Schuyler Meadows was the scene of
the greenkeepers' and golf equipment
show, and also a meeting of the N. E.
New York Giieen^eepers Assoc., at
which Prof. LrrS- 'J|ickinson and Pres.
Quaill of t h e ' N; 'k. G. A. were the
principal spealfei;s^
:

PREVENT

BROWN PATCH
L e a d i n g Turf
that M e r c u r y is

Authorities declare
the effective ingredient for control of Brown Patch. Our
Mixture, 2-3 Calomel, 1-3 Corrosive
Sublimate, is endorsed.
PFIZER MERCURIAL

MIXTURE

Contains 81 % Mercury

Write for circular

N e w York, N. Y.

FOR SALE

Turf Suitable For Golf or
Bowling Greens
KERNWOOD VELVET

Victory

Putting Green Fertilizer
Its greatest testimonial has been its
continued use for years by New
England greenkeepers.
and

Hovey's Grass Seed

in M i x t u r e s a n d S e p a r a t e V a r i e t i e s

Reliable

Chas. Pfizer & Co., Inc.

81 M a i d e n L a n e

The Perfect Combination

BENT

15 cts. per ft., cut, at Tyngsboro
Tyngsboro Country Club
Tyngsboro, Mass.

FOR SPACE A N D RATES
WRITE
J A M E S McCORMACK
Business Mgr.

4S0 William Street
Stoneham, Mass.

Productive

Hovey
& Company
130 Broad St.—Boston, Mass.
Han. 1454 - 1455

NEW ENGLAND GROWN
Winter-hardy,

Acclimated

BENT SEED
for

N e w 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
K I N G S T O N , R. I.

O n l y r e l i a b l e d e a l e r s a d v e r t i s e in t h e N E W S L E T T E R .

SUMMONS

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
HAMPSHIRE, SS.
To the Agents of our several Counties, their assistants,
and any interested citizen, GREETING;
You are commanded to summon
T H E RECIPIENT OF THIS NOTICE
to appear before the Justice of our Court of F i n e T u r f C u l t u r e holden at Amherst,
Mass.; within our County of Hampshire, on the last Thursday of J u l y ( J u l y 2 9 )
A. D. 1937.
then and there, in said Court, to listen to the truth and give evidence for us
touching such matters as concern our peace; and GREENSWARDS; and whereof
s e v e r a l p r o m i n e n t p e r s o n s shall be brought to trial for the abuse of their fine
turf areas.
Hereof, fail not, as you will answer your default under the pains and
humiliation of having a poor lawn.
WITNESS. WILLARD A. MUNSON, Director of Extension Service at the
Massachusetts State College, at Amherst, this 7th day of July in the year for
better lawns, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven.
L A W R E N C E S. DICKINSON,
Chief push 'em up greener.

LAWN

DAY

PROGRAMME

COURT CONVENES AT 10:00 A. M.
Thursday, July 29, 1987. Room 20. Stockbridge Hall, M. S. C.
10.00 A. M. The statement of Joe Greengrass.
10.30 A. M. Cemetery Superintendent on trial.
11.30 A. M. Park Superintendent on trial.
12.30 P. M. Recess for Lunch.
1.45 P. M. Athletic field and Playground Director on trial.
3.00 P. M. A Lowley Homeowner vs. Joe Greengrass.
4.00 P. M. Rendering of verdicts and general discussion.
There will be recesses during which witnesses may consult experts concerning their particular problems.
The trials of these men should be attended by all persons desiring to grow
fine turf and lawns, as it is k n o w n that much valuable information on the subject
of turf growing will be brought out in the t e s t i m o n y and evidence presented.
THERE WILL BE
EXPERT WITNESSES
SNAPPY LAWYERS
and a Fair ( g r e e n ) Judge.

JURORS

"The Worthington
wing equipment
h e b u y s s a v e d so
much money the
c l u b said h e d e served it."

" T h e n a m e is W o r t h ington and you'd bett e r tell Kim t o s t a r t
ordering today."
Worthington Mowing Equipm e n t is t h e C h o i c e of C h a m p ions. It p a y s f o r Itself in
L a b o r S a v i n g s — K e e p s on
Saving Time, Trouble and
M o n e y f o r Y e a r s to C o m e .

W o r t h ington

ower

m o \
Vrnpany.

M a i n Office
Sales Agencies
Stroudsburg, Pa.
AH P r i n c i p a l Cities
M a n u f a c t u r e r s of T r a c t o r s , D u m p B o d y
Tractors, Cutting Units, Gang Mowers,
Overgreen Mowers, Hand Putting Green
Mowers, Useful Accessories.

Send coupon now for catalog showing
y o u h o w t o c u t y o u r c u t t i n g costs a n d
beautify your course.
WORTHINGTON MOWER COMPANY
Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, Dept. G / N
P l e a s e s e n d m e a t n o o b l i g a t i o n illustrated catalog on your equipment.
Name
Address
City . . .

State

Bucknev

Sprinklers
EVERY N E E D
Tell us your volume w a n t e d —
area to be covered—pressure n o w
a v a i l a b l e a n d w e will s e n d y o u a
B U C K N E R f o r trial w i t h o u t o b l i g a t i o n to y o u .

Distributed by

N E W E N G L A N D TORO C O M P A N Y
W e s t Newton, Mass.

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,
return 11 and owe nothing. Two DROPPER attachments in each dozen
box prevents any waste and cuts application time in half.
Start A n t u b e control
early

THE ONE DROP

pCKEy^

^RAOE M A ^
Distributed by

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ANT KILLER
1

NEW ENGLAND TORO COMPANY