New Jersey Golf Course Report APRIL 1974 VOLUME VII NO. 4 A NEW WEATHER SERVICE FOR AGRICULTURE A new weather service for agriculture is available from the National Weather Service, operating at Cook College. By dialing a special tele­ phone number (201) 828-3091, a grower will beable, a grower will be able to listen to a recorded forecast, warning, or advisory. The up-to-the- minute information covers periods from a few hours or days to outlooks of three days, and even as long as 15 days. The messages, worded in farming terms, may cover routine day-to-day operations, may cover im­ portant weather conditions, such as frost or freezing warnings, good haying weather, or may advise whether or not irrigation is recommended. Available 24 hours a day, the messages are taped Monday through Friday at 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., with special warnings or advisorys put on as needed. Outlooks for the following weekend are issued each Friday at noon. Jim Carr of the Weather Service is in charge of this service, which is going into its second year of operation, and is an experimental program not available anywhere else in the United States. this week in Farm Bureau 3/30/74 POSITION AVAILABLE: TOMAHAWK GOLF CLUB Lincroft-Middletown Road Lincroft, New Jersey 9 Hole-Public; Complete Irrigation; Good Equipment; Salary Open. Contact Owner: Mr. Frunzi 201-842-4111 FERTILIZER MAY BE SHORT — BUT COMPOST OF CLIPPINGS, THATCH AND LEAVES ABOUND by Harvey Dreibelbis , G.M. Hominy Hill G.C. Practically every golf course has mountains of plant material residue that contains a natural supply of plant food. These piles are moved around to build the pile higher, to accomodate the storage room and to mix these waste materials. All this gives a good compost that is practically odorless and contains readily available plant nutrients. On our golf course-farm site the pile grew from year to year until many tons accumulated. After 3 years of storage it is very well de­ composed. During the winter months, it was spread on a hay-grass field on the farm. Grass growth on this field the following spring and summer showed this material really had some "strength” or plant food. The grass had filled in thicker and taller, and it had a dark green color. It made very good hay. We have established a practice of forming a new compost pile nearly every year. After composting and annual turning for 3 years the material is ready to use. After using this material the second year with good results, we were curious to know the plant food content of this compost. A typical sample was sent to a laboratory for analysis. Note the results in the table, (over page) too low to give good plant growth response. While we do not have yield data, casual observation was sufficient evidence of the excellent grass growth stimulated by this end product. Some would say the percent nitrogen and content of other nutrients is There are many places where use of this so called "waste" material would be valuable. Just to illustrate a few: naturally on a farm field, a nursery, small plants or trees, or around shrubs. Members of the club would like it for their gardens, or around their beds, etc. A good compost can be sold and bring in a little more revenue. Any procedure that gives more room and makes use of the waste is a good answer. Compost of this type could be used on some meadowlike areas. Con­ ceivably, some golf courses could spread it on the rough in late fall or during the winter months. The turf specialists tell us that incorporation (Fert. Short Cont.) of large tonnages into the soil before turfgrass establishment is a sound practice. However, they warn us that rarely should pure organic matter be dressed on established turf. Plant Nutient Content of Grass Clippings, Thatch and Leaves after 3 Years. empty table cell Lbs/T. 597.0 919.8 23.2 5.6 12.8 4.0 4.8 16.8 23.5 4.8 8.0 .2 Percent Moisture 29.85 Mineral Matter 45.99 1.16 Nitrogen .28 Phosphorus Phosphorus as .64 P2O5 Potassium .20 Potassium as K2O .24 Calcium .84 1.18 Calcium as CaO Magnesium .24 Magnesium as MgO .14 Sodium .01 Robert A. Ern, Ern Construction Company, Class C NEW MEMBERS: Andrew S. Mulick, Agway Inc., Class C Robert W. Ribbans, Fiddler's Elbow C.C., Class D Jerry E. Schoonmaker, Suburban G.C., Class D William Spence, Howell Park G.C., Class B Alfred Wilson, Playboy Club, Class A 1st Yr. App. 15 T/A. 8955.0 4599.0 348.0 84.0 192.0 60.0 72.0 252.0 352.5 72.0 120.0 3.0 2nd Yr. App. 20 T/A 11,940.0 18,396.0 464.0 112.0 256.0 80.0 96.0 336.0 470.0 96.0 160.0 4.0 MAN AND HIS MANY CASTLES If a man’s home is his castle, where does he place his place of business- the office-- the shop-- the workbench or what have you? “I can usually tell whether or not a superintendent does his job out on the course effectively by the way his maintenance building looks”, a salesman once remarked. “It may sound crazy but this has been my experience. If a man is sloppy inside his place of business, you can almost bet he’ll be sloppy in the field.” This is an interesting bit of observation and perhaps it could serve as a shot in the arm to the superintendent who carries the added responsibility of keeping an orderly and clean main­ tenance building. No workshop or warehouse qualifies as man’s castle. However, it should not be treated as a trash pile and catch-all. “I think the superintendent should take care with the upkeep of his office or whatever he calls the place where he hangs his hat,” the same salesman went on. “After all, what you see there is a reflection of his effectiveness or the lack of it to organize himself and his men. It’s a sure tipoff to the way he conducts his job.” That particular observation seems to emphasize the possibility that the salesman has seen examples of flagrant disregard of his “castle” by the super. “That I have,” he con­ tinued. “Some of the shops and buildings I visit are a disgrace. And I would think a man would take it upon himself to improve and clean up those places. After all, if he takes no pride in his working area, how can he drum up pride when he gets out on the course where it really counts.” The attitude of the superintendent inside his workshop probably transfers to the golf course. This is evident, according to our omnipresent observer, in the general appearance of golf courses. He says there is a definite connection. “What would be your reaction if you visited a course where litter was strewn all over the place?” he offered. “Mine is that the superintendent, who works this course, almost always is the superintendent whose maintenance building looks like a giant litter bag-turned upside down!” So, what should the super do? First, the suggestion goes, is that he should take a look at his place of work. And he should ask himself the following questions: 1. Do I know where all my equipment is at all times and is it accessible without tearing up the whole maintenance building? 2. Would my building be suitable for a meeting of the country club’s board of governors? Suitable in this place means is there a spot for chairs and a table or would it be necessary to move half the room to fit them in? Would I think twice about staying overnight in my main­ tenance building? 4. Could I offer the rest room facilities in my building to anyone without fearing the possibility of being embarrassed? 5. Is there a clear path from one end of the building to another? 6. Is my building a firetrap? 7. Could I wear a suit in my building without fear of having it soiled or permanently damaged? True, a man’s home is his castle. But his place of work doesn’t have to be a rubbish heap. Remember, man makes his own castles and keeps them eligible for that description with diligent care. New England Newsletter Gerry Finn "Mr. Johnson? Remember me? I worked for you last summer!" Weeds Trees & Turf 2/74