New Jersey Golf Course Report Vol. III, No. 6 March, 1970 All Right, All Right — Pollution's A Problem ! ! ! There has already been what should be enough written about pollution. It fills magazines, newspapers, posters, radio and TV, and yet it was really hard to believe. It was difficult to understand, and still is, because the new rules on burning and pesticides were most often established as law by means bordering on subterfuge, and almost always with no legal adequate substitute being offered, or even realistically available. The hastily past laws and regulations are still beyond swallowing in most all cases, yet a recent ground level tour of about half of the United States is certain­ ly enough to convince one that the prob­ lem exists. Air pollution abounds in Kalamazoo, St. Louis, Waco, and New Orleans. Water pollution must be just as bad in the Walbash, Brazos, Saginaw, or Stutz Creek. Yet, there seems to be one major element that has so far escaped the impractical eagle eye of government regulation — the packaging industry. Across the country there was no strong­ er evidence of pollution than the non- reusable package. From the shores of Lake Pontchartrain to the railways of Illinois to the highways of Ohio, no in­ strument or chemistry lab was needed to measure this mass of legally manufactured pollution. Yep, pollution is real all right, but perhaps a good many highly funded programs with well paid quasi officials haven’t bothered to check the basic fun­ damentals. But then again perhaps those that feed at the table of mass hysteria couldn’t be expected to be responsible. DM NJGCSA Meeting Dates March 17 ....... Holiday Inn, Kenilworth April 30........... Maplewood C.C. (Golf) May 19..........................The Knoll (Golf) December 18 Christmas Party Shackamaxon Major Decisions In Turf Management By Dr. W. H. Daniel, Turf Specialist Perdue University, Layfayette, Indiana Sometimes a decision is made which dictates going in one direction and great­ ly affects other things. These I call major decisions. Twelve are discussed below as examples of this. Readers may have others to suggest. 1. WEED CONTROL WITH 2, 4-D. An obvious choice, now standard proce­ dure, but the earlier decisions, about 1950, to use 2, 4-D meant that now turf could be promoted and weeds repeatedly removed. This is an old decision. 2. REMOVAL OF CLOVER with Sil- vex, 2, 4, 5-TP, MCPP, and Dicamba. The absence of clover means a closer cut, means more fertilizer, particularly more nitrogen, and it meant more attention to turf grasses about 1954. 3. VERTICAL GROOVING AND OV­ ERSEEDING. The newer machines per­ mit the use of light rates of the newer varieties of grasses. The 10 lb. seed per acre blue-grass price is not critical. Per­ formance produced in subsequent years is the key; thus this has released the experi­ menter and the seed grower from the burden of tonnage to the challenge of performance. Equally important has been the well established procedure of vertical tillage with tines, spoons which reduce compaction, punch holes through the thatch, and provide certain top- dressing benefits. 4. PRE-EMERGENT TOXICITY. With arsenic usage, no added phosphorus, slow buildup of arsenic, and the losing of the benefits of earthworms are all important to the performance of arsenic toxicity. Plan on a 5-10 year program; stay with the program. Now with Balan, Betasan, Dacthal, or Tupersan, each have their time of year, their period of toxicity, their dissipation — each should be used to get a specific response. Overseeding pre­ sents special problems with some mate­ Loescher Retires The following is set upon the official minutes of the Passaic Park Commission: To: Harold Loescher by the appreciative Passaic County Park Commission, on the occasion of his re­ tirement after continuous service since 1936. “Started on the 18 hole course as greensman, then progressed to Superin­ tendency of the present 36 hole Passaic County Golf Course for the last 25 years. His career has been that of a firm and most efficient manager, who — “Never lost a green” — on the heaviest played golf course in the State of New Jersey. “Withal, however, his kindness in guid­ ing his juniors and assistants, shows the mark of a rare man, and, so rich in memo­ ries of dedication and happily satisfied with a long personal service, he retires at the prophetical age of three-score-and-ten on November 26, 1969.” The Passaic County Park Commission presented Superintendent Loescher with a bronze plaque at a testimonial dinner on November 17, 1969. rials. These chemicals can protect exist­ ing turf. 5. AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION. The supervisor tends to operate the system. There are design limits. It can be used for air conditioning. There is a possi­ bility of obsolescence. Nevertheless, automatic irrigation can serve well as an­ other major decision fast becoming standard procedure. 6. WARM SEASON GRASSES IN FAIRWAYS. In the midwest the proper management for establishment and long term maintenance is to avoid fall fertiliza­ tion on Zoysia or Bermuda at the very time when bluegrass needs pushing; thus it is not surprising that some have killed Zoysia and Bermuda as they “fertilize bluegrass”. 7. MOWING WITH HYDRAULIC POWERED EQUIPMENT. Formerly a fairway situation, now also being used on greens, there is the problem of higher in­ ventory, fewer workers, equipment re­ serves—it is more adaptable. This alone, if nothing else, makes hydraulic mowing equipment a major decision for it affects so many others. 8. INCREASING GOLF CART US­ AGE. There is no turning back. Wear will increase, damage will be more obvi­ ous — flags, signs, paths, barriers, curbs and all will be inadequate in certain places. 9. COARSE GRANULAR FERTILIZ­ ERS to slow down and regulate release the IBDU (Isobutylidene diurea) offers particular promise. We are using par­ ticles 3/8 to 1/2” in diameter under sod and in new seed plantings, etc. 10. SYSTEMIC FUNGICIDES offer completely new concepts. With Benlate it is root absorbed so weather is not as critical — leaf coverage is less critical. There will be other systemics also. 11. DWARFING OF GRASSES. Al­ ready accomplished in the Bermudas it offers much promise for other species, less frequency of mowing, more attention to manicuring — why not? 12. PURR WICK SYSTEM OF ROOT­ ZONES — new, different, most promis­ ing. It does conserve moisture and nu­ trients. It does permit the manager maxi­ mum control of both wetting and drying cycles. 13. MOBILITY OF WHEELS UNDER WORKERS. Readers may think of other Major Decisions which, once made, re­ quire additional technology, performance and management conditions. The above 12 major decisions illustrate the on-going character of Turf grass Improvement. Kentuckiana Klippings 12/9 Houston - Plus And Minus Memories One Man’s Opinion The Rice Hotel — Good service, thick walls; paying for “friends” from other hotels drinks at the “club” bar. The “no club” Club — when convenient to either the owners, or local politicians. A Texas Rodeo ($20) — First march of lemmings to the sea in North America. Being fleeced Texas style. The Curbs — Know two sober men who met disaster on these Chinese Walls. One for eleven stitches. The Convention Center — As a non-ex- pert, have never seen better. Tradesmen ecstatic! Hack Drivers — Even the hippies hon­ est and helpful. All amazed to get a New York tip. The women were the best. The Banquet — Entertainment great! Looked for Pres. Nixon at beginning of “Hail to the Chief”, but soon realized the Board just didn’t realize it’s not their song. Meetings of Committees — Well timed, but contents rushed seemingly on pur­ pose. At the Editor’s meeting nothing was even requested from the floor. Opening Speaker — Dr. Jennings — The only man I’ve ever heard use “the” four letter word in a mixed audience of 1500, without saying it, and make them all want more. Sirens — Why did disaster strike every night, all night? Security Guards & Police—Firm, but gen­ erally intelligent and very polite. Booths — Best ever! Annual Meeting — Fastest in recent years, but what happened? The Sheraton Lincoln Consoles — Ain’t no way. The “New” Pension Plan — A curious mixture of bad manners and something called the “railroad”. Pearl Beer — Ain’t no way! New Products — Lacking, but many in a different package by a different manu­ facturer. Houston — Cleaner by far than most, and seemingly friendly at all levels. Most Flustrating Experiences — Trying to get “wake-up” service at 3 A.M. with a half hour wait for an answer; being on a “rodeo bus” with no “john”, no beer, and lost; having an “early to bed wife” greet you at 8 A.M. with a chipper “Good Morning — LUSH!”; voting for qualified men, who lose. Moon Dust Moon dust has a high titanium content, is low in potassium and sodium, and ap­ pears to lack organic matter. Plants could not grow in moon dust alone, but the dust could serve as a good medium if nutrients were added. Some seedlings of plants, such as tomato, bean, wheat and pine, showed a growth advantage when chal­ lenged with lunar material. The most noticeable growth was shown by liver­ worts, a lower form of plant life. Fem and lettuce grew best on lunar material; however, growth of algae was inhibited initially. These findings have been reported by Dr. Charles H. Walkinshaw, leader of a team of NASA botanical scientists con­ ducting tests with lunar material brought back by the Apollo 11 mission. The team is evaluating the effects of lunar material on more than 30 species of plants. A plus benefit of the project has been the development of plant quarantine fa­ cilities to permit the production of truly germ-free plants. “This opens significant new frontiers in plant disease investiga­ tions and basic research into the function­ ing of all plants,” Dr. Walkinshaw said. Weeds, Trees, and Turf Some Notes On the Operation Of Rotary Mowers Dept, of Scatology Bull. #265 — 10c Power driven rotary lawn mowers are a great boon to shiftless suburbanites whose lawns are full of dandelions, plan­ tain, and other weeds too tall for the reel type of conventional grass cutters. The rotary mower, however, is not an unmixed blessing; unseen rocks and sticks, to say nothing of unburied bones, raise hell with the blades — so will nails, bits of wire and other metal debris. But these problems pale into insignifi­ cance when compared with the unhappy result of running a rotary lawn mower over newly-deposited doggy do. Until you have had your shoes shined with pulverized dog manure, you cannot ap­ preciate the extent of this problem. Cat droppings, to be sure, smell worse, but cats do not deposit as much as dogs unless you have very small dogs and/or very large cats. There are a number of approaches to the problem of animal excretia vis a vis the rotary lawn mower, but unfortunate­ ly, no real solution. First, of course, you can try to keep dogs (and cats) away from your lawn. The only effective method of doing this is to buy a dog big­ ger and ornerier than any other dog in the neighborhood and train him to: a. chase other dogs off your grass and b. do it on the neighbor’s lawn. There are obvious drawbacks to this method of combating the problem. First, of course, there is always the chance that one of your neighbors will hire a cow and train it to deposit on your lawn. It has been estimated that a rotary lawn mower operating at 3450 rpm. can hurl a normal deposit of a cow as high as your second story window and over an area of 500 square feet. Building a fence is a possible solution, but expensive. It is, in addition, no good unless you can train your wife and chil­ dren to keep the gates shut, or jump over, and too, some dogs will jump over fences even when full. There are various commercial prepara­ tions, sold mostly to evilminded old ladies which are supposed to discourage dogs from: a. attacking lady dogs on your front door step or b. watering your shrubs. These chemicals are worthless since it is second nature for dogs to follow basic drives just as it is for humans. Even if these preparations did work, they would not, of course, solve the problem created by the rotary lawn mower. This leaves three other possible solutions, i.e. 1. Let the damned weeds grow. 2. Move into an apartment and use the rotary mower as a window fan. 3. Wear brown shoes when mowing and associate only with people who either do not mind the smell, or who are too polite to mention it to you. Hudson Valley Fore-Ground Bill Smart — Editor Ed. Note: Sorry Mr. Smart, but I just had to take some of those words out. Turf Clippings On the unhappy side we were all very sorry to hear that John Garvey was hos­ pitalized on the last day of the Houston Conference with a heart condition. Jim Morrissey, who stayed with John through the worst of it, reports that John’s stay in Houston will be prolonged by three or four weeks. Also sad is the report of another fire in the area. This time it was the mainte­ nance facility of Garry Crothers at Apawamis. Everything in the building from a three week old F-10 to the records were a total loss. The cause has not been determined. Apparently local suppliers have enough stocks on hand to get Gar­ ry’s operation going again, but that sure is a tough way to wind up with new equipment! Happier to report that Ray Hansen has recovered nicely from his recently absent gall bladder. Ray also now carries the title of Golf Course Manager with the added responsibility of the entire West Course operation at Essex County. Bob Dickson, the fine Asst, to Karl Ostberg, was recently appointed Chair­ man of the Essex County Park Commis­ sion’s Lawn and Garden Field Day pro­ gram to be held August 8th at Verona Park. Bob is also chairman of the Verona Town Council’s Beautification Committee. The end of slum housing was recently announced by both Pete Pedrazzi and Don Marshall with construction finally getting underway on respective new 5,000 square foot buildings. There were several rather firm reports at the Mid-Atlantic Turf Conference in Baltimore to the effect that Dacthal is no longer giving good control of silver crab­ grass. At least three leading experts hold strongly to this opinion, and haven’t let go yet. Long distance phone calls to Diamond Shamrock produce the admis­ sion that the formulation was slightly changed late last summer, but a strong denial that control has been affected. For the moment, the mystery remains. After interrupting his career for two years to serve his country as a supply clerk, Ed Nickelsen will return about mid-March to his position at Montclair. Unless you’ve got an evening, please don’t ask Ed what he thinks about draft­ ing men at age 26 and married! It seems that the Rutger’s Turf Conf, gets bigger and better every year. On several occasions there were literally no seats for as many as 50 men. Ralph Engel again set up a program that covered all the present gaps and problems. Smiling Al Wilson has assumed the Superintendent’s position at Cedar Hill. A report from Red Williams, now sell­ ing turf products in the Boston area, in­ dicates that all is well if you don’t mind selling ice-melter every day. A number of people, especially wives, said they sure missed Red’s sense of humor in Houston. Appears as though Benlate’s been late again. Those Dupont men wearing the “Ain’t no way” buttons in Houston were­ n’t just kidding. Bob Miller doesn’t even smile when he talks about it anymore. They might do better if they shipped it in a “plain brown wrapper” with no USDA label. For a study in movement you should have checked out Ted Horton in Houston. He looked like a spawning salmon that couldn’t find its creek. If you missed anything down there — call Ted and he can check his notes for you. The Turf Grass Monograph long in the works by the American Society of Agro­ nomy is now available from the Society’s office at 677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, Wis­ consin 53711. The price is $10 to mem­ bers and $12 to non-members. The book covers all phases of fine turf mainte­ nance by nearly all the “names” in the country. A must. Heard that Sabby DeFalco is back in action after his recent argument with his heart. Also hear the Mike Leary is on the mend, but there are times when he sits down that he doesn’t believe it. Unchecked stories have it that Bob Kapherr took one of those disasterous bath tub falls and as a result couldn’t make the National. And last, Jack Martin wishes to report that wife, Penny, smashed up the family car at 3 mph. and did $200 damage. Jack is sueing his wife for the $100 deduct­ ible. Report To The Chairman January-February 1970 Dear Mr. Chairman: So sorry you couldn’t join the wife and me in Houston for the National Turf Con­ ference. I’m sure that if you had you would have fully understood the expense account I submitted for your approval. There is no doubt that $300, as you are so fond of saying, “becomes an item”. How­ ever, I’m sure that you also often com­ ment that we need “a dollar’s value for a dollar spent”. There is mutual agreement to the extent that you called the National and discovered that the Rodeo I had in­ dicated as a $20 expense was not a fully cultural endeavor. In truth, it was not, and again in truth, I had never realized that one could pay so much for so little, and yet suffer so long. While I don’t really expect you to pay the full expense for the “little woman”, I do strongly take issue with your comment about my plane fare. Even though it would have saved $55, I find the idea of a three day bus trip down and back re­ pugnant. I realize that you did me a favor in ordering me to buy stock in the Grayhound firm, but to spend six days of the fourteen you allot me per year on a bus just doesn’t seem fair. In passing, remind me to tell you about some of our busses without toilets — I was on one go­ ing to a rodeo once! Couldn’t we settle for $280, and I’ll promise to work extra hard this coming year? Now, regarding the letter from Mr. I. M. Rugged questioning our policies on closing the course at times during the winter. The day he seems to be referring to was on of those “40 degrees and rising” situations when I felt unnecessary dam­ age would occur, so I closed the course. The main bone of contention seems to be Mr. Rugged’s test as to whether the course is playable. I have researched a number of agronomy textbooks and con­ sulted several prominent men in the field, and no where do I find a criterion stated that if your rubbers don’t come off due to soil suction, it’s all right to play! Well, we’re just about set for the ’70 season. The labor situation seems to be improving. I’ve had at least two men stop by already. It looks as though both will work out, although I hope the sec­ ond’s story that he had just left a wild Valentine’s Day party is true — if not, I think we’ve got another elbow bender to add to the three here already. The equip­ ment is nearly ready except for the two tractors we sent out before Christmas for complete overhaul. Do you think you might be able to mention to the Treasurer that we won’t get the tractors back until we pay the bill? I realize that he feels the prime rate will drop somewhat by June, but there’s many a Poa Annua seedhead to be mowed between now and then. Rest wishes to you and yours, and here’s hoping we have a good year. Oh, by the way, what’s the rumor I heard about some guys in jobs like mine being called Course Managers? Gosh, doesn’t that conflict a little with those other Managers, who run the restaurant? I mean, I’d really hate to see anyone get sore, or anything. Although, I think it was you who said, “Peter, if you don’t manage this operation more efficiently, I know where we can get a better adminis­ trator.” You never took it back, so I guess either I’m doing it, or that’s what we need. Yours truly, Peter Poa The Hop — Around Is job-hopping wrong? Society still frowns on the man who can’t keep a job. But, many jobs can’t hold the man. You may know an ambi­ tious person, dissatisfied with his present occupation — perhaps his third or fourth job. Should your friend stick with it? Not necessarily. Let’s dismiss one no­ tion now: the idea that a person owes unfailing allegiance to his employer. It’s a common theme, but an outmoded con­ cept. Company loyalty, a tradition rooted in the 19th century paternalism, was nurtured by necessity during the de­ pression. After World War II, however, prosperity blossomed. Old values melted as the economy heated up. Transiency? A way of life. With jobs abundant, peo­ ple can afford to look around. Of course, your acquaintance may be unhappy with his current assignment for many reasons. Perhaps he’s outgrown the job. Personnel people who paint bright pictures of challenging careers for­ get that even oil paintings fade. Many companies do a bang-up job with re­ cruiting, then fail to focus on retention. The real test of a job often comes in the employee’s second season. Frustration over repetitious chores may force your friend to seek a new challenge. THE IN BOX — Aetna Life & Casualty Mid-Atlantic Newsletter New Members At the Board of Directors meeting held on January 30, 1970 the following prop­ erly completed applications were acted on and approved: John DeNora — Caldwell Tractor Robert Smith — Caldwell Tractor Robert Greene — Passaic County Parks Mai Purdy — Golf Architect James Pelrine — Wilfred MacDonald GREENS COME ALIVE! TOPS FOR SYPHONING 24 HR. • PHONE SERVICE 843-665 WILFRED MACDONALD CO. 3800 PARK AVENUE WEEHAWKEN, N. J. 07087 866-1225 340 MAIN AVENUE CLIFTON, N.J. 07014 471-0244 New Jersey Golf Course Report Don Marshall, Editor Box 194 Montclair, N. J. 07042 201 - 239-0416 TRACTORS GANG MOWERS AERATORS TRUCKSTERS VACS SPRAYERS ROTARIES TRIMMERS