P R O C E E D I P I G S

OF

9 T H

À M N U À L

T U R F

THE

N O R T H W E S T

C O M F F R F M C

E

STATE COLLEGE OF UJASHinGTOD
PULLmAn LUASHinGTOn
J

SEPTEmBER 27-28,1955

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 - HI

MEMBERS - NORTHWEST TURF ASSOCIATION, 1955
DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

.

IV

PROG-RAM

.....V

WHAT GOOD IS A SOIL TEST?

B . R , Bertramson

PLANT TISSUE T E S T S . . . .

- VII
.

5

J . K . Patterson

8

John Kolb

9

A LOOK AT MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE CONSTRUCTION

H. T. Abbott

11

TURF SPRINKLER SYSTEM - DESIGN AND MATERIALS

Don Hegan

16

FAIRY RING DISEASE OF LAWNS..Charles J . Gould, v . L . Miller and
Dorothy Polley

22

GOLF GREEN MAINTENANCE IN WEST COAST AREA

Sam Zook

26

C . G. Wilson

27

Dwight V . Peabody, J r .

31

Milt Bauman

33

J . L . Chapman

35

Dr. Fred V . Grau

36

FERTILISER - FUNGICIDES FOR SNOW MOLD CONTROL

FUNDAMENTALS OF EENTGRASS MAINTENANCE
SOME PROMISING NEW HERBICIDES
THE MOLE AND I
THE MERION PICTURE
SOME PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF SOIL MANAGEMENT
CHANGING YOUR SOIL

J . R . Watson,

Jr.

39

PROGRESS REPORT ON TURF WORK AT WESTERN WASHINGTON EXPERIMENT..
STATION
H. M. Austenson
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, FERTILIZATION, AND TURF DISEASES
O. J . Noer

Compiled Courtesy of
WEST POINT PRODUCTS CORPORATION
West Point, Pa.

50

MEMBERS
N O R T H W E S T T U R F ASSOCIATION—1955
Abbott, Harold T . , Superintendent of Parks, Spokane, Washington
Aliment, Joe, Foster Golf Course, 13500 Interurban Ave. S . , Seattle 88,
Washington
Babcock, H. C. Supt. of Grounds & Buildings, Northern Montana College,
Havre, Montana
Bachert, Norman L . , Ivan W. Lee & Sons, 613 E. 8th, Spokane, Wash,
Baker, C . A . , Forest Lawn Cemetery Inc., Route 2 Box 1279 B ,
Bremerton, Washington
Bauman, Milt, Overlake Golf Course, P . O . Box 97, Median, Wash.
Brown, Paul, Lilly Seed Company, 1900 Alaska Way, Seattle, Wash.
Couer D'Alene Country Club, Hayden Lake, Idaho
Crim, Bob, Greens Supt., Wellington Hills Golf Course, Woodinville
Washington
Davis, Floyd, Western Golf Course Supply Co., 1006 S. E. Hawthorne
Boulevard, Portland, Oregon
Elliot, Arthur D . , Washington Turf & Toro Company, 1200 Stewart St.,
Seattle, Washington
Fluter, Ed, Glendower Golf Club, N . E . Glisan St., Portland 16, Oregon
Gettle, Richard, Bellingham Golf & Country Club, 3429 Meridian St.,
Bellingham, Washington
Goidos, Jerry, Washington Turf & Toro, So. 168 Madison, Spokane, Wash.
Gourley, Boyd, Everett Golf & Country Club, Everett, Washington
Greco, Joe, College Golf Course, Box 646, Parkland, Washington

Hahn, David, Calvary Cemetery Assn., 7201 Hannah Pierce R d . ,
Tacoma 9, Washington
Hammer, George, Parks Department, Caldwell, Idaho
Harley, C. S., Evergreen Cemetery Co., 1111 Aurora, Seattle 33,
Washington
Harrison, John, Hayden Lake Country Club, Hayden Lake, Idaho
Hogan, Don A . , H. D . Fowler Inc., 901 Lane St., P. O. Box 3084,
Seattle 14, Washington
Howard, Ray, Eugene Country Club, 255 Country Club Road, Eugene,
Oregon
Kolb, JohnL., 300 W. 82nd. Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Land, Henry, Tacoma Country Club, Gravelly Lake Drive, Tacoma 99,
Washington
Land, Henry Jr., Greens Supt. Sandpoint Golf & Country Club, 8333
55th Street N. E . , Seattle, Washington
Lavelle, Paul, Spokane Memorial Grounds, Route 1, Box 360, Spokane,
Washington
Lee, Ivan, Ivan Lee & Sons, 705 4th Avenue, Seattle, Washington
Macan, A. V . , Architect, 202 Central Bldg., Victoria, B . C . , Canada
Merrick, Jay, Calvary Cemetery Assn., 7201 Hannah Pierce Road,
Tacoma 9, Washington
Munro, Jerry, Nursery, Bothel, Washington
Olson, Art, Kitsap Golf & Country Club, Box 397, Bremerton, Wash.
Proctor, Glen, 2222 South 111th, Seattle 88, Washington
Raffelson, Frank, (Hans M. Bielski), Fern Hill Cemetery, Box 218,
Aberdeen, Washington
Reid, Byron, Ivan Lee & Sons, 2300 S. E. 7th Street, Portland, Oregon

Rigger, Austin, Greens Supt., Enumclaw Golf Course, Enumclaw, Wash.
Rogers, Tom, Bentley Company, 4126 Airport Way, Seattle 8, Washington
Sears, H. D . , Forest Lawn Cemetery, 6701 30th Ave. S . W . , Seattle 6,
Washington
Schmidt, Adolph, Olympia Golf & Country Club, Olympia, Washington
Slifko, Earl, Mt. View Memorial Park, 4100 Steilacomm Boulevard S. W . ,
Tacoma 99, Washington
Storlie, Lloyd R . , Eastern Washington College of Education, Cheney,
Washington
Sumner Cemetery, City of Sumner, Sumner, Washington
Topping, T. W . , Tacoma Cemetery, 4801 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma, Wash.
Wade, Rolland, Walla Walla Country Club, Walla Walla, Washington
Wenatchee Cemetery, Western Avenue, Wenatchee, Washington
Rayborn, Walt, Sec., Weston Cemetery, Weston, Oregon
Whiteside, Ray, Coos Country Club, Coos Bay, Oregon
Wieting, Carol, Nursery, 13504 21st N . E . , Seattle 55, Washington
Wilson, Charlie, Milwaukee Sewerage, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Zook, Sam, Waverley Country Club, 1100 S . E . Waver ley D r . , Portland22,
Oregon

N O R T H W E S T T U R F ASSOCIATION
B O A R D O F DIRECTORS

Sam Zook
11005 E Waverley Drive, Portland 22, Oregon
Don H o g a n . . . . . . . . . . . H . D . Fowler Company, 901 Lane Street, Box 3084,
Seattle 14, Washington
Cliff Ever hart
Manito Golf & Country Club, Spokane, Washington
Carol Wieting
13504 21st N. E . , Seattle, Washington
Ivan Lee
705 4th Street, Seattle, Washington
Milt Bauman
Overlake Golf Course, P. O. Box 97, Medina, Wash.
John H a r r i s o n . . . . . . . Hayden Lake, Idaho
Tom Rogers
Bentley Company, 4126 Airport Way, Seattle 8, Wash.
Henry Land
9210 Winona Avenue S. W . , Tacoma, Washington
Clarence B a k e r . . . . . . Forest Lawn Cemetery, Route 2, Box 1277B,
Bremerton, Washington
OFFICERS
1954
Sam Zook
John Harrison
Henry Land
A. G. Law

1954-1955
President
V, President
Treasurer
Secretary

1955
Milt Bauman
Clarence Baker
Henry Land
A. G. Law

Ivan W . Lee and Milt Bauman Turf Association's representatives to
Agronomy Advisory Board.

PROGRAM
Tuesday
September 27, 1955
Morning
Compton Union Building, Room 213-214
Chairman, E. G. Schafer, Dean Emeritus, College of Agriculture and
Professor of Agronomy Emeritus, WSC.

10:00 - 10:10
Welcome.

M. T . Buchanan, Director of Experiment Stations, WSC.

10:10 - 10:40 What Good is a Soil Test? B. R. Bertramson, Chairman Department
of Agronomy, WSC.
10:40 - 11:10Practicai Aspects of Leaf Analysis.
of Agronomy, WSC.

J. K . Patterson, Department

11:10 - 11:30 -Fertilizer Fungicides for Snow Mold Control. John Kolb, Toro
Manufacturing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Afternoon
Chairman, Sam Zook, President, Pacific Northwest Turf Association,
Waverley Country Club, Portland, Oregon.
1:15 - 2:00 -Business Meeting.
2:00 - 2:30 Golf Course Construction.
Washington.

H. T . Abbott, Supt. of Parks, Spokane,

2:30 - 3:00
Sprinkler System Design and Cost. Don Hogan, H. D . Fowler
Company Inc., Seattle, Washington.
3:10 -.3:40 Landscaping Turf Areas. Carol Wieting, Landscape Contractor.
13504 Twenty-first Street, Seattle 55, Washington.
7:00
Banquet. Room 216, Compton Union Building

Wednesday
September 28, 1955
Morning
Compton Union Building, Room 213 - 214
Chairman, L, W , Rasmussen, Department of Agronomy, WSC
8:30 - 9:00
Fairy Ring Control. C. J, Gould, Plant Pathologist, Western Washington Experiment Station, Puyailup, Washington«
9:00 - 9:30 —
Golf Green Fertilizer Practices, Sam Zook, Waverley Country Club,
Portland, Oregon and Joe Leonard, Clarkston Country Club, Clarkston,
Washington,
9:30 - 10:00
Fundamentals of Bentgrass Management, Charlie Wilson, Sewerage
Commission, City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
10:00 - 10:30
Pearlwort Control. Dwight Peabody, Agronomist, Northwest Washington Experiment Station, Mount Vernon, and H. M. Austenson,
Agronomist, Western Washington Experiment Station, Puyailup,
Washington,
10:30

10:45 —

Rodent Control, Milt Bauman, Overlake Golf Club, Medina, Wash,
and Glen Proctor, Rainier Golf Club, Seattle, Washington,
11:10 - 11:40 —
Merion Bluegrass. Cliff Everhart, Manito Golf & Country Club.
Spokane, and Arden Jacklin, Jacklin Seed Company, Dishman, Wash,
Some Practical Aspects of Soil Management, Dr. Fred V. Grau,
West Point Products Corporation, West Point, Pennsylvania.

W H A T G O O D IS A SOIL TEST
B. R. Bertramson, Chairman
Department of Agronomy, Washington State College
Pullman, Washington

Should you have your soils tested? If your greens are like carpets, your
fairways and lawns a sight to behold, the answer to the question is tfNot!.
You already have the right prescription and are using it. Just as a healthy individual can escape visits to the doctor, you can avoid the ordeals
of soil testing for you have no symptoms to diagnose.
In specialized treatment of greens and lawns, one can easily upset the
happy balance and get into a peck of trouble. C hances are a lot of guessing
will only get you into more trouble. Here is where soil testing really
pays off.
Grass on a green or a turf is a very specialized crop. It requires a lot
of fertility. For instance, a good yield of clippings from a thousand square
feet would be about 100 pounds dry weight per year. These clippings will
remove the following amounts of fertilizer and nutrients from the 1000
square feet:
Nitrogen (N)
Phosphorus (P205)
Potash (KoO)

5 pounds
2 pounds
4 pounds

Obviously to maintain the present fertility level of a soil producing such a
crop replacement of these nutrients as fertilizers is required.
When I sat in on your meetings last year, I was amazed at the rates of
fertilizer that are used in some of the treatments reported. It takes a lot
of fertilizer. On the other hand, because of the rather small areas treated,
it is possible to over-fertilize under some circumstances. Perhaps even
more likely to cause trouble are the results of putting on fertilizers which
tend to leave the soil different in reaction from the unfertilized soil. The
ammonia nitrogen fertilizers tend to make the soil acid. The sodium nitrate fertilizers tend to make the soil alkaline and also to destroy soil
structure. These tendencies are insignificant in common practices, but
if you are putting on tremendous amounts of fertilizers as you do in these
highly specialized culture practices the effect upon the soil can be quite
appreciable and noticeable in a matter of a few years.
Another treatment on turf and lawns that can give trouble is use of water
that is high in calcium or in salts. Water that is loaded with calcium can
make the soils alkaline to the extent that it may give you some minor element problems, particularly iron deficiency resulting in iron chlorosis

on soils normally neutral in reaction. If the water has an excess of salts
in it, these will accumulate and can give you salt problems, which are
identifiable by a soil test.
Experience in noting symptoms and a knowledge of what tendencies are
likely to develop in an area with certain treatments will help you to diagnose your troubles. But to evaluate the extent of the troubles and the
extent of the measures necessary to correct them, nothing can take the
place of a good soil test. Where turf performance is all important and the
costs of fertilizer used is a minor item, a few dollars spent for soil test
is a good investment. Learn to use these tests to guide you in your fertility and watering program. Where problem areas develop, sample these
and adjacent good areas so that you can compare the results between the
two. In this way, a better diagnosis of the trouble with the poor area is
assured. Make clear to the soil testing laboratory that these samples are
from the two areas and, therefore, are for comparison. This will help
a great deal in diagnosing the troubles and making recommendations for
correction.
Use soil tests, don't guess! There remains some skepticism about the
validity of soil tests. Just like a doctor's diagnosis, they are no better
than the representative nature of the samples taken for the test. To say
soil tests are of no use is to say that in 100 years of soil science, we have
made no progress; for soil testing is a measure of the practicability of
soil science, which is now about 100 years old. Soil testing is the science
of measuring and controlling the fertility of the soil through chemistry.
Soil tests actually put soil science to work.
Soil testing laboratories of the Land-Grant Institutions of the United States
test more than 1,000,000 samples of soil a year. This acceptance of soil
testing has largely developed during the last decade. It is real evidenc e
that we are putting soil science to work. While these samples may come
largely from fields used for general agriculture or truck crops, the case
is even better for diagnosing special, localized soils problems such as
you have on greens, lawns, etc.
In particular, what special information can the soil testing laboratory give
you from the soil tests?
Soil acidity and alkalinity. These extremes of reactions may arise from
the heavy use of fertilizers that tend to develop these conditions. A soil
test can easily give the answer if the trend has become a limiting factor
in producing excellent turf. Grass is generally quite tolerant to rather
broad extremes of soil reaction and, therefore, acidity or alkalinity ordinarily do not pose a serious problem for turf.

Salts are easily determined on a water extract by running conductivities.
If a tremendous amount of salt is present, it can be the source of trouble.
Phosphorus and potassium are easily determined and very accurately,
too, by the soil testing laboratory. In general, turf makes good use of
phosphorus and potassium at what might be considered rather low fertility
levels for other crops. However, with the tremendous amounts of these
nutrients taken off through clippings, it is necessary to replenish this
supply from time to time unless soils are unusually fertile. Soil tests
will let you know when you are getting near the bottom of the barrel of
soil fertility.
Nitrogen is one of the more critical elements that must be in good supply
at all times if turf is to flourish. Unfortunately, it is rather difficult to
determine by soil tests whether or not you have an adequate amount of nitrogen tied up with organic matter in such a way that you can count on having a good continuous supply. Organic matter is run by most soil testing
laboratories and gives you some indication of the potential supply of available nitrogen. However, anyone who is experienced in growing turf can
tell rather quickly whether the grass needs nitrogen. Because of the solubility and rather rapid availability of nitrogen (inorganic) fertilizers, a
nitrogen deficiency can be corrected easily and quickly. I expect that
Dr. Patterson will tell you considerably more about nitrogen and tissue
testing, which is, after all, a better way than soil testing for getting at
your nitrogen problem -- if you can't determine the nitrogen status from
visual symptoms and your practical experience.
Minor elements ? Aside from iron chlorosis on alkaline, or over limed
soils, the minor element problems with turf are usually rare. This is
fortunate, because simple rapid tests for these elements are not presently available. The deficiencies can be determined by the more elaborate methods when other diagnostic techniques fail to indicate that the
trouble lies elsewhere. Because of their cost and limited chances of
providing the answer to turf problems, usually analysis for these are
not recommended.
In Washington, there are several commercial soil testing laboratory that
can test your soils for you. If one is near you, it may be to your advantage
to use it. We also have at Pullman the soil testing service of Washington
State College. Our soil testing laboratory can give service on many tests
that will help diagnose troubles of greens and lawns. County Agents and
Soil Conservation Service Technicians have sample containers available
for sending in your samples. They also can advise you how to collect representative soil samples. Dr. C. B. Harston, Soils Extension Specialist,
who writes the recommendations, is a turf enthusiast and, hence, gives
added attention to such samples. While you are here, I would urge you to

visit the soil testing laboratory which is just across the street in Room 11
of Wilson Hall. This laboratory is under the able guidance and supervision
of Dr. H. M . Reisenauer. It will be open to visitors all of today. When
you have examined the laboratory equipment and discussed some of the
complicated techniques and procedures used, you will likely conclude Mike
knows his business --or ought to. I am sure you will find the visit to the
lab most worthwhile.
-o-

P L A N T TISSUE TESTS
J. K* Patterson
State College of Washington
Plant tissue tests have been developed by various colleges and commercial concerns in the last 20 years. These tissue test kits are very handy
for the practical greenskeeper or landscape man in diagnosing his plant
troubles. They have been in use for a number of years by greenskeepers
in the mid-west for a greens burning and disease problem encountered
during the summer months. Many greenskeepers in that area had noticed that their greens became somewhat brown from the burning of the leaf
tip and that many disease organisms became troublesome in the duff of
the turf during that time. As a result, some of the greenskeepers began
to use plant tissue tests to endeavor to find a reason for these troubles.
They found that water from the plant was forced out of the leaf tip during
the warm nights and that this water carried a considerable amount of nitrogen. As the water evaporated this left a high concentration of nitrogen
which tended to burn the leaf tips and to stimulate the growth of some of
the disease organisms in the turf. By use of a plant tissue test, they were
able to withhold the use of nitrogen fertilizer until just before the plant
would develop a nitrogen deficiency symptom and then supply nitrogen at
low enough rates so that it met the plant's needs but did not leave excess
nitrogen, which would cause leaf tip burn or rapid development of di sease
organisms. This is only one instance of many in which a rapid plant test
kit can be used by practical greenskeepers in maintaining and developing
their management program.

-o-

FERTILIZER - FUNGICIDES FOR SNOW M O L D C O N T R O L
John Kolb, Agronomist
Toro Manufacturing Corporation, Minneapolis,

Minnesota

Three years ago, Jack Meiners presented a summary of snow mold control studies conducted at Washington State College, In this study, 15
chemicals were evaluated. Calo Clor and PMAS were rated the highest.
Calo Clor has, of course, been the most widely used material for snow
mold control. PMAS is a relatively "new-comer", but because of certain properties and factors, warrants attention as a snowmold fungicide.
The test which I am going to report on this morning was conducted at
Minneapolis, Minnesota, during the winter of 1954-55. Actually, the
study was initiated in '53-54, but that season we had no snowmold. Last
winter, we were more fortunate -- or perhaps I should say, unfortunate.
At least snowmold was very serious in our area this past winter.
Keep in mind that these data represent only one years1 results: hence, no
definite conclusions maybe drawn. However, certain trends which appear
significant may be pointed out.
The test was of a randomized block design with three replications. Individual plots were 5f x 10f, and the treatments were as follows:
I. Chemicals and Rates
A. Calo Clor at 2 and 4 oz./1000 sq. ft.
B. PMAS at 1 1/2 and 3 oz./1000 sq, ft.
E.

Carriers
A.
B.
C.
D.

Milorganite
Topdressing
Sharp Sand
Water

Each rate of both chemicals were mixed with each of the four carriers,
giving sixteen plots per replication, or a total of 48 plots. The appropriate number of check plots were included.
The materials were applied on November 5, The green had not frozen
up at that time. Snow fell one week later and remained.

In addition to the replicated test, Ceresan X and Acti-Dione (experimental) were used on outlying areas of the green. These were simply demonstrational plots and were used primarily to gather a general idea of
their performance.
Results and Summary
Readings, based on the actual number of diseased spots, were made on
March 11 and April 1, 1955. Snowmold was noted on check plots March
11, 1955. Treated plots showed no infestation, regardless of chemical
or carrier.
On April 1, with one exception, the effectiveness of the 1 1/2 oz. rateof
PMAS appeared to be considerably reduced - in fact - dissapated. The
exception noted was where this rate ( 1 1/2 oz.) was used with sewag e
sludge (Milorganite) as a carrier. Both rates of Calo Clor gave effective
control, irrespective of carrier, throughout the active period of the snow mold organism.
The 1 1/2 ounce per 1000 rate of PMAS appears to be too light for practical control. Further substantiated by evidence obtained on areas lying
outside the test plots which were treated with 1 1/2 ounces of PMAS.
Activated sewage sludge appeared to be the most effective carrier tested.
The sewage sludge (carrier) plots exhibited very early greening. Topdressing as a carrier produced similar early greening; however, effectiveness was not as persistent as that obtained with Milorganite.
On March 15, snowmold mycelium were present, on all but three of the
twelve plots treated with Milorganite, irrespective of chemical. This infestation was purely superficial in nature and did not develop to the point
where the crown was affected. On April 1, no snowmold was evident on
these plots.
It should be pointed out that the rate of Milorganite used as a carrier in
this test was impractical — 200 lb./lOOO; however, we were desirous of
learning what effect this exceptionally heavy rate used late in the season
had on the turf.
Also, we were interested in learning if this type and amount of organic
matter extended the effectiveness of the chemicals used, especially the
soluble form of mercury (PMAS). Results to date have shown on deleterious .effects on the turf; in fact, beneficial results were obtained. The
evidence also strongly suggests that the period of phytotoxicity of the soluble mercury was extended.
I have a series of slides which will show the results of our test this past
winter.
-o-

10

A L O O K A T MUNICIPAL G O L F COURSE CONSTRUCTION
H. T . Abbott, Park Superintendent
City of Spokane
The subject which has been listed in the schedule for this Ninth Regional
Turf Conference would give the impression that in twenty minutes we are
going to cover the extensive problem of golf course construction. The
other speakers are covering in much detail those important aspects of construction which have a direct bearing on water systems, seeding, landscaping of turfed areas, and management practices, just to mention a few.
The chairman of the conference has requested that this discussion be directed at a few of the problems encountered in municipal golf course construction, and the present experience which the Spokane Park Board has
in this field of providing public recreation facilities and services. With
particular reference to the new Esmeralda Municipal Golf Course, I shall
outline in a brief way some of the problems we have met and our manner
of solving them.
For many years there hasbeen agrowingneed for a third municipal course
in the growing community of Spokane and the adjacent county. Although
Indian Canyon Golf Course had been placed in operation in 1935, the growth
of the residential areas has been greater in the north portion of the city
and into the Spokane Valley. The selection of a location within the city
limits to provide for future golf needs was not easy in view of the fact that
these needs were shaping up in areas where little or no land was available for golf course construction. The area north of Minnehaha Park in
the northeast section of the city was pointed out twenty years ago by the
late Superintendent of Parks, John Duncan, as the ideal site for a third
course. Lack of funds until 1947, prevented the city of Spokane from even
protecting the public's interest in this part of the city. Following the acquisition of the property through the gift of the Athletic Round Table, some
effort was made to start plans. With sufficient funds for a preliminary plan
in 1952, the late Francis James was engaged to lay out the course. The
sudden death of Mr. James interrupted the plans and for several months
nothing was accomplished. Like so many public projects, once the work
was started, the interested golfing public wanted the course "now". But
there was no possible source of revenue to finance such a project and the
plans were not completed in a shape to give an authentic estimate of the
costs. Within a few weeks estimates were ready and by agreement with
the City Council, a loan from the City General Fund was approved in the
amount of approximately $200,000.00 to commence immediately the Esmeralda Course. This cost is to be met by income from the three municipal courses and the estimated time set at 20 years. The initial estimate
did not include a complete clubhouse which is now under construction as a
gift of the Athletic Round Table.

Reference has been made to the selection of a site in the northeast part of
the city. The entire tract is 140 acres of which about 120 acres has been
developed as the course proper consists of a gently rolling terrain entirely
free of trees or shrubs extending to an eastern boundary well up on the
side of a pine covered hill. Because of the steepness of this slope, little
of it is usable for fairway construction. For two holes this hillside is used
to great advantage, and we trust that the slight inconvenience of walking
up one 50 foot difference in elevation won't bring forth demands for an escallator. In general, it is recommended that the minimum for an 18 hole
course should be 110 acres, and at Esmeralda the necessity of providing
a practice driving range on the course, reduces the playing area to the
accepted minimum. The course provides in addition the clubhouse, the
practice putting green and automobile parking areas. In the selection of
such a site it is essential to take into account the future of the surrounding
areas, the zoning for maximum benefit to the course, convenience of access, prevailing winds, and probable season of play. In the case of this
particular course, the adjacent residential development is average to below in quality of construction, but there is every possibility of all new
homes displaying a higher standard. Much of the adjacent property is as
yet undeveloped. The encroachment of manufacturing districts on the north
poses a serious threat to the maintenance of ideal golf course conditions,
however, revisions to the zoning ordnances governing manufacturing will
tend to impose restrictions of a protective nature. The course must be
convenient to important traffic arterials with direct access to the residential, sections the course is planned to serve. Esmeralda is so situated, Provision has been made to take advantage of the prevailing southerly winds during the daytime and the north wind inversion characteristic during the night hours. Planning for the use of these prevailing winds
and night inversion is important for efficient use of the water system to
give maximum coverage. The selection of site takes into consideration the
character of the soil, the ability of the soil to support playable turf durin g
the longest possible season.
The orientation of Esmeralda is west to southwest and is surrounded on
three sides by public streets, boundaries which are desirable for all public recreation areas. The clubhouse is situated on a slight rise at the
southwest corner of the course. A large parking area is provided south
of the clubhouse to serve both the course and the park area adjacent to
the south. In the general design of the course the minimum number of
fairways with east-west or northwest orientation has been provided. The
necessity of orienting the practice driving course in a north-south direction
and conveniently situated for patrons at the clubhouse, required drastic
changes in the overall course layout. The requirements of supervision
on a municipal course produced an excellent relationship of both starting
tees, driving range, and practice putting green. However, like all public recreation areas, only use will finally determine the wisdom of the design.

In the design of the course, the two major considerations have been: economical and profitable maintenance and operation; and maximum golf
pleasure and satisfaction for the majority of the golf patrons.
The first of these considerations involves costs which are definitely reflected in the charges to be made to the players. Simplicity of design
must be aimed at reducing to a minimum the personnel and equipment required for the best possible maintenance and ease of supervision of play.
The reduction or elimination of traps, unnecessary hazards, complicated
plantings and intricate water systems is just good business and in the end
is indicative of good planning. While municipal courses are not set up
with the profit motive in mind, some assurance either through profits or
special appropriations should be given that these courses shall be improved or modernized from time to time as needed.
The second of these considerations bolsters the first. Each city should
count on having at least one course which is a delight to the average golfer, the patron who is the real supporter of the course. We have been told
time and time again that our attention should be directed towards the many
few-time players and not the select group of 15% who manage to crack 100.
Esmeralda is a course designed to attract the dub. H e will not get in trouble in a rough from which he cannot recover. He will not land in any traps
at least for the present. He will have very few side hill lies, and he can
see where he is supposed to go. Of considerable importance both from the
financial and golf pleasure angles is the speed of play. A delayed player
is a disgruntled player, and a long waiting line for teeing off can affect
the cash register as well.
The clubhouse design is next in importance to the course itself. A poorly
designed structure affects the efficient operation of the course, and instead of attracting patrons to participate in what it has to offer, it may
appear as an inhospitable admission booth. It should be so planned as to
capitalize on the attractive features of the course. It must display in a
forceful manner the function of a recreation building with its various assigned activities. Costs vary depending upon the funds available and the
intent of the building in the years ahead. A small efficiently planned building is far more successful an investment than a structure twice the size
poorly conceived.
The Esmeralda Clubhouse has been designed with these principles in mind.
The minimum of supervision will be required to efficiently operate the
house. Through unique planning the pro-manager of the golf services at
the course has a central point of control in the clubhouse. He is in visual
contact as well as by public address system with Nos. 1 and 10 tees and
Nos. 9 and 18 greens. He can see and communicate with the driving range.

He can see the practice putting green, the terraces adjacent to the clubhouse, and the main interior itself. He is in a position to control the starting, except on very busy days, because of the central location of the proshop. Parking is planned close to the clubhouse with a minimum of differences in grade, to accomodate the owners of caddy carts.
The mechanics of constructing the course need not be included in this discussion. The problems were not comparable to those courses cut out of
undisturbed woodland or laid out through swampy or poorly drained country. A minimum of grading was required inasmuch as the natural gently
flowing terrain was desirable. The soil is a gravelly loam with a heavier
percentage of sand. Drainage for the most part is excellent. The soil
tests were highly satisfactory although the usual deficiency in nitrogen
was evident. The greens were entirely built up of a special sandy loam
brought in from the north of Spokane. Approximately 6000 yards were
required for the greens.
Along the west boundary, in a city street, the water mains serving the
northern part of the city afforded all the necessary supply required by the
course. After many studies of the various programs for watering such an
area, it was concluded that a central water supply would prove most efficient. The system which was finally accepted was a combination of
Transite and galvanized iron piping with a booster pump as shown in the
drawings on exhibit here today. The design of the system was a down the
center of the fairway type, using snap-valves and Buckner 15 and 17 rainers. Outlets are placed at 50! intervals to permit a schedule of watering
based an alternation principles. The 4" pump is designed to a capacity of
700 gpm against ahead of 15-T (120 P . S . I . ) . The system has proven highly satisfactory with the exception that unpredictable wind variations have
necessitated the introduction of a few laterals for additional areas to be
kept green throughout the season. Two water men using a total of 18 Buckner 15 and 9 Buckner 17 rainers take care of this specific detail.
The selection of the seed for this course was determined after consultation with many authorities and I shall say that there is a difference of
opinion when it comes to turf grasses. E smeralda being in an exceedingly
warm and dry exposure, subject to constant drying winds both warm in
summer and cold in winter, it was agreed that the fairways should be sown
as late as November of the first year of construction are of astoria bent.
Experience has shown that for Spokane climatic conditions, astoria bent
can be relied on without qualifications. For the most part these greens
are in excellent playable condition at this time. There is no doubt that the
tees should be planted entirely to Merion blue grass. The results so far
have been very gratifying, Eight tees had been sown with a mixture of
Merion and creeping red but these will be changed or converted to straight
Merion. All lawn area adjacent to the clubhouse will be Merion blue grass
because of its excellent wearing qualities and ability to hold its color

throughout the hot summer months.
The problem of establishing trees on the course will be a severe one. In
exposed areas it is not easy to develop good specimens. Strong winds,
sun scald, injury from golf balls and mowing accidents, and golf tempers,
all take their toll on the young trees. The planting of golf courses has been
adequately covered in a past session of this conference, and suffice it to
say that the selection of trees is very essential. Such varieties as those
with silver leaves, annoying fruits, surfacing root systems, brittle structure, and susceptibility to insects and diseases should not be used except
in large areas some distance from fairways and greens. Border plantings
will be more essential where space between fairways and public roads or
residential property is inadequate. Background plantings of greens will
often be very ineffective until after many years when the trees have had a
chance to gain some size. What varieties shall be used is a matter of
local suitability; there are no hard and fast rules.
Finally, a most important adjunct of the course is the service building
and the system of service roads. A minimum of roads should be provided
on the course and these should be so situated that they do not encroach upon
the uses of the greens and their approaches. The building should be centrally located for convenience and properly screened from the fairways.
If possible the turf nursery should be a part of the service area rather
than at some other part of the course. The question has often been raised
about the advisability of planning a quarters for the greenkeeper adjacent
to the service area. The ability of the course to provide water and power
throughout the winter and to keep access roads open at all times of heavy
snow conditions would be a deciding factor. The ideal situation would be
for the greenkeeper to be in close contact with the course by having a house
on the grounds.

- o -

T U R F SPRINKLER SYSTEM - DESIGN AND MATERIALS

Don Hogan
H. D , Fowler Company, Inc., Seattle, Washington

This paper is not intended to be a short course on how to design a turf
sprinkling system, but rather to acquaint you with the problems of sprinkler design, so you might better aid the person doing design work for you
should the occasion arise.
Basic Principles to be considered in the design:
First, let us consider what function a turf sprinkling system is intended
to perform. Obviously, it must stimulate the moisture that nature fails
to give us during the growing season, Therefore, we must artificially
either supplement nature's supply, or provide the entire moisture requirements of the soil.
The most important requirement of a turf sprinkler system is that it provide even rates of precipitation over the entire area to be sprinkled. You
must remember that the greatest majority of sprinklers that are available
on the market today deliver water in a circular pattern. Therefore, we
must resolve these circles into various rectangular areas in such a man ner that the precipitation rates will nearly be uniform. This is done with
proper spacing in order to give overlap to eliminate voids while not overwatering the lapped areas. We recognize that this ideal situation cannot
always be achieved, however we do our best to strive for proper distribution and coverage,
A good system will be sized adequately to do the entire job economically
without excessive operational labor costs. Nevertheless, we have to design our system to reasonable tolerances for the specific job that is to be
done in order to keep our initial installation costs reasonable.
Probably one other requirement that should be mentioned at this time is
that a good turf sprinkling system will be versatile to give nearly positive
control of the water distribution over the entire area. This means we must
be able to provide extra amounts of water to those areas demanding it,
while limiting the application to those areas which might be damaged by
excessive amounts of water.

Most turf sprinkling systems may be classified into the following categories:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Golf Course
Cemeteries
Parks
Play Fields
Schools and Commercial building grounds
Highway roadside improvements
Home lawns

Each one of these systems have their own particular problems and conditions which influence directly the type of sprinkler system they require.
For example, most golf courses have many long fairways, each in inde pendent unit from the other, generally of varying widths and seperated or
bounded by tree areas or possibly roadways. Naturally, the greens and
the tee areas must be treated specially, entirely divorced from the watering of the fairways. Providing adequate moisture for mounds and slopes
while not over-watering low areas is of particular concern.
Cemeteries generally give us very irregular areas with limitations as to
where pipe lines and sprinklers may be placed. Also interference from
monuments and trees can present a decided problem in this type of system.
Highway roadside improvements usually have considerable elevation differentials in very short distances, as well as highly irregular and cur ving areas. Another major problem for roadside sprinkler systems is
the lack of adjacent water supply and restrictions to crossing under the
highway with pipe lines.
Types of Turf Sprinkler Systems:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Portable
Selective
Manual
Fully Automatic
Semi-Automatic

Actually, portable systems cannot be classified as turf sprinkling systems.
The portable system which generally consists of light weight aluminum
pipe to be moved over the area is for agricultural purposes only. This is
to say that most turf areas are not capable of accepting moisture as rapidly or to as deep a penetration as cultivated areas. This pipe distributed,
over an area presents a mowing problem and frequent moves make labor
costs prohibitive although initial costs are the least.

The most commonly used of the selective type of sprinkling systems is
the hose system. I believe no time need be devoted to the hose system,
as no doubt you are all very familiar with this type of sprinkling. Let us
say in passing that while the hose system generally gives us the most positive control, it also in most cases is the most expensive to operate and
maintain. Another selective type is the quick coupling or snap-valve system. This basically consists of valves beneath the ground surface throughout the area which are constantly under pressure. The operator may then
select any of these outlets for his sprinkling operation by merely inserting the coupler, to which the sprinkler is attached, into the valves to put
the sprinkler into operation.
A manual system may be described as that system by which batteries of
sprinklers are located throughout the area and operated by various control valves. When these valves are operated, a number of sprinklers in
a portion of the area operate simultaneously. Naturally, this system has
high advantage due to labor saving, however, it will not always give us
the positive control we would like to have. Also, you will find that the
first cost of this type of system is considerably more than the selective
system.
Automatic systems are simply manual systems with automatic control of
the valves. These valves being controlled either hydraulically or electrically by a timed mechanism which permits sprinkling of turf without
the need of an operator for the system. These automatic controllers are
capable of operating each valve independently with varying intervals of
time operation. They also may operated both in the first 12-hour period of the day or the second 12-hour period. If required, they also may be
adjusted to give more frequent watering. It is possible to cut out not only
water periods in a given day, but days in the week. An interesting accessory that may be provided with this type of equipment is a relative humidity measure which will prevent the system from operating, should the
moisture concentration in the soil be above a pre-selected amount. Do not
discount the possibility of using this equipment, because good design may
facilitate the use of this equipment at nearly the same first cost as a manual system.
Semi-Automatic systems give automatic control to operating valves, but
selective control to those sprinklers that will be operating, They generally find their use in golf course watering, where three to five quick-coup ling sprinklers may be placed on each fairway at the end of the day and the
automatic control operates these fairways separately during the night.

Material Components of Turf Sprinkler System
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Sprinklers
Pipe
Valves
Fittings
Pumps

Sprinklers
Of all the material that goes into a sprinkler system, possibly the sprinklers themselves dictate more than any other single item as to how the system will be designed. The basic types that we have to draw from are as
follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Spray
Rotary Pop-up
Positive Drive - long range nozzle type
Reaction Drive -long range nozzle type

The spray type sprinkler falls into a classification for use mainly in home
lawn systems and finite areas which might be quite irregular in shape and
small in size. This sprinkler has a very high rate of precipitation and
generally covers an area of 15 to 30 feet.
The rotary pop-up type of sprinkler is considerably longer ranged than the
spray type, and is used extensively in the manual type system. This has
its most common usage in parks, playfields, cemeteries and larger areas
surrounding schools and commercial buildings. Diameters range from
30 to 100 feet.
The long range nozzle sprinkler finds its home mainly on golf courses and
other very large areas. This sprinkler adapts itself most readily to the
quick coupling type of system. Rates of precipitation will vary generally between 1/4" and 1/2" per hour. This sprinkler covers between 60
and 200 feet.
Pipe
The most common pipes used in turf sprinkler work are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Wood
Steel Tubing
Standard Steel, Black and Galvanized
Cast Iron
Asbestos Cement
Plastic

Thirty years ago when most of the golf courses that now are in existence
were constructed, wood pipe was one of the most commonly used materials. It has very fine carrying characteristics: however, it is very susceptible to failure due to rot, materials getting between the staves and
rusting of the steel reinforcing bands. Steel tubing has been used almost
universally in large sprinkling systems. It has the advantage of low in itial cost and ease of installation. However, it has a decided disadvantage,
in that it has low carrying capacities as well as relatively short life. Standard steel pipe is most commonly found in the 2ff and smaller siz-es. While
this material is quite long lasting, in the thirty year category, its flo w
generally becomes greatly impaired after ten years of life, due to tuberculation (internal corrosion). Cast iron is one of the most long lived materials available; however, it is one of the most expensive. The cost of
laying this pipe is quite high due to its great weight. It also has the disadvantage of being susceptible to corrosion.
Asbestos cement pipe is fast becoming one of the most used materials for
sprinkler system piping in the 3f? and larger sizes. This is due to its high
carrying capacities, and its immunity to corrosion, tuberculation and
electrolysis. It is classed with cast iron in longevity.
Plastic pipe is probably the most recent development in sprinkler piping.
There are three basic types being used today, namely Polyethylene, Butyrate and Kralastic. Polyethylene is a very flexible, low pressure material, which is quite limited. Butyrate pipe is semi-rigid and has moderate working pressures with very low impact strength. Kralastic pipe
appears to be having the greatest success in turf sprinkling systems, in
that it has a very high working pressure, high impact, and high ultimate
strength. All plastics have a definite advantage in their flexibility, light
weight and ease of installation. They also are not susceptible to corrosion, tuberculation or electrolysis, and are rated very high in carrying
qualities. I would like to point out that there have,been a great number
of failures of plastic pipe in sprinkler systems in recent years. This
possibly can be traced to mis-application of the material that was used.
Therefore, we should not discount this material from usage, but be positive when considering it that the material will have characteristics that
withstand the conditions to which they will be exposed.
Valves
1.
2.
3.
4.

Gate
Angle
Quick Coupling
Hydraulic

Gate valves are designed for infrequent use for valving off lines, either at

the end of the season or to close down for repairs. The angle or globe
type of valve is designed for frequent use, and is found as control valves
for manual systems. The quick coupling valve, as mentioned before, is
used for the specific operation of turning on and off a single sprinkler.
The hydraulic valve is best applied to automatic and remote control.
Fittings
It is most important that the fittings used in any system must correlate
with the materials being used-that is, they should have the same strength
and the same relative life. An example of an inadequate fitting might be a
thin gauged galvanized steel tee being inserted in an asbestos cement or
cast iron pipe line.
Pumps
The two basic pumps that are generally used in sprinkling systems are
the deepwell turbine and the horizontal centrifugal pump. The deepwell
turbine is required whenever the water supply level exceeds approximatel y
fifteen feet below the pump discharge. The turbine pump has the disadvantage of having what is termed as a very steep curve, in that when the
capacity drops off, the pressure goes up very rapidly, and as the capacity is increased, the pressure drops very markedly.
The centrifugal pump is best suited for sprinkler systems due to its operating characteristics. That is, that its operating curve would show as
quite flat and changes in capacity do not generally make appreciable changes in discharge pressure. However, whenever the suction lift exceeds
fifteen feet, it is highly recommended to change to a turbine type pump.
In closing, I would like to point out that it is essential that each turf sprinkling system be tailor-made to the area that is to be sprinkled. For those
systems which are obsolete and deteriorating, it is highly possible that
excessive labor and maintenance costs are equal to that which would have
to be paid for a new modern system.

- o -

FAIRY RING DISEASE O F LAWNS
Charles J. Gould, V. L. Miller and Dorothy Polley
Western Washington Experiment Station, Puyallup

What is Fairy Ring?
Fairy Ring is caused by a fungus or mold that lives in the soil. When it
has stored up enough food; when there is enough moisture in the soil; and
when the temperature is right; mushrooms (or toadstools) are formed.
These produce spores which correspond to seeds of plants. The spores
are blown through the air and will initiate a new Fairy Ring if they land in
a suitable place.
The Fairy Ring fungus grows outward at a rate varying from a few inches
to as much as two feet a year. It grows in a ring unless it meets an obstruction. Many centuries ago people thought that such rings formed where
fairies had danced the night before — hence, the name, Fairy Ring. Several different types of mushrooms and puffballs may produce Fairy Rings.
The one that we see most often is small (2-3 inches high), tan in color and
is known scientifically as Marasmius oreades.
The fungus grows throughout the soil, sometimes to a depth of 8 or more
inches, but is most concentrated near the surface where it feeds upon dead
grass, leaves and other organic matter. During this feeding it breaks
down the organic nitrogen compounds. The resulting materials stimulate
both grass and fungus growth. The fungus continues growing, using considerable moisture and nutrients, at the expense of the grass. In addition,
the fungus often makes such a heavy growth in the soil that water cannot
penetrate to the grass roots. Hence, the grass is weakened and may die
from lack of water and food. As the fungus grows outward its older parts
die and the nutrients it releases are used by grasses and weeds. Therefore we often find rings appearing as shown on Page 23.

Outline and Cross Section of a Typical Fairy Ring

Stimulated
Grass

Mushrooms
Center of
Fairy Ring
lilMiiuulilij

Soil f Surface

Soil

—

Ili I Li 1 !..
Fairy Ring
fungus
soil -

Soil
Soil

Where Does Fairy Ring Appear?
Fairy Rings may be found almost everywhere. In the United States they
are more or less of a curiosity, except in the Northwest. In western
Washington, the Fairy Ring fungus grows in the soil throughout most of
the year, but it produces mushrooms only when it has stored up enough
food and when the temperature and moisture are favorable. Mushroom
production occurs here primarily during the spring and fall, but occasionally it appears during the summer as in 1954.
Because of unfavorable conditions, mushroom production may stop suddenly and not be resumed for weeks or even months. This condition great ly interferes with experiments on the control of Fairy Rings because fungicides added during these periods may appear to be controlling it when
the failure of mushroom production is actually due to unfavorable weather conditions.
Experimenting
In our experiments, selected plots are treated monthly for twelve months.
Examinations are made at the time of treatment and also at intervals during the following year (and sometimes longer) in order to double check on
the control or lack of it. Each plot measures 51 x 51 and a total of ten or
more plots are used for each treatment. These plots have been scattered
over several naturally infested lawns, golf courses and cemeteries in
lawns, since not only is mushroom production variable, but also soils,
types of grasses and watering vary. The materials are mixed with two
gallons of water for each plot (unless a manufacturer has specified otherwise). Since the soil in which the Fairy Ring is growing is often difficult
to wet, a wetting agent (or detergent) has often been added to the solutions
to help the penetration. In addition, holes are punched every three inches
in the turf before starting the experiment.
Chemicals Tested
Many dozens of chemicals have been tested since 1949 without showing
enough promise to justify their recommendation. These include compounds of iron, sulfur, cadmium and magnesium, in addition to lime; var ious fungicides and certain recommended commercial products. It is possible that under certain conditions of soil type, weather, etc., one or
more of the apparently ineffective materials might work. However, because of the diversity of conditions in western Washington, we believe that
a material should not be recommended unless it is effective most of the
time and in most locations.

Tests in 1953/54
At the start of the experiments on Fairy Ring, the tests were all made on
infested turf. This naturally involved considerable work and limited the
number of materials that could be tested. Therefore a semi-laboratory
test was developed in order to examine more compounds. To do this,
boxes of compost in which the field mushroom (Agaricus compestris) was
growing were treated with the various chemicals. (The assistance of the
Olympic Mushroom Farms in furnishing the compost and spawn is gratefully acknowledged). Although this mushroom is not the one generally
responsible for our Fairy Rings, we believed it was sufficiently similar
to serve as a test organism. Out of this first set of laboratory tests a
few materials emerged with promise. One of these was salicylanilide
which was used in a series of field applications starting from November
of 1953 to October of 1954. It has given quite promising results. Observations are continuing and if the results continue favorable, additional
research will be done on it.
Tests in 1954/55
Meanwhile in additional laboratory tests during the winter of 1953/54, two
other materials appeared very promising. These were phenyl mercuric
acetate (PMA) and dinitrofulorobenzene. Tests using these materials were
started on five lawns (involving 105 plots) in Pierce County in June of 1954
and monthly applications continued until May of 1955. They were used at
a rate of 4 and 8 pounds (active material) per acre (or approximately 1. 5
and 3 ounces per 1000 square feet J The P M A was stabilized by two
different methods to keep it in solution in the soil. Triton X-100 (a wetting agent) was added to aid the solution in penetrating the soil, and the
experimental area was also spiked before starting the experiment.
Results were noticeable by the end of September. The dinitrofluorobenzene
appeared worthless while all of the mercury applications appeared promising, These results have been substantiated by monthly counts of mush rooms. For instance, from January 1 (1955) to September 16, only 39
mushrooms were produced in the 15 plots treated with P M A @ 4 lbs. plus
Stabilizer 10 as compared to 1288 for the untreated plots. Most of the
mushrooms in the PMA-treated plots, developed on two lawns that were
infrequently watered during the summer. Hence, it appears that proper
culture may have to accompany suitable fungicidal applications for complete control. In some instances P M A at the 4 lb. rate caused some yellowing of the grass, and on one unwatered lawn a considerable burning.
Injury was severe at the 8 lb. rate.

Tests in 1955-56
These additional trials have already been started. Eleven treatments
were selected, based upon the above results on lawns plus laboratory and
other tests during the past winter and spring. P M A is again being tested
but at a lower rate and prepared in various ways which may reduce the
injury to grass. In addition, two other organic mercury preparations and
one nitrobenzene compound are included. Some of these have wetting
agents and some don't. Some are being applied for only 6 months and
some for 12. There are a total of 144 new plots. From them we hope to
find one or more treatments that can be recommended for trial by home
owners in 1956.
Recommendations
The Fairy Ring mushroom is most harmful to grass that is weakened from
lack of water or fertilizers. Therefore we suggest keeping lawns wellwatered and well-fertilized according to directions in the Washington State
College Extension Bulletin (#482) on Lawns, which may be obtained from
your local county agent. We have noticed that many lawns heavily infested with mushrooms have sometimes been heavily fertilized with such organic fertilizers as chicken manure. Experiments will be made to test
the effect of various lawn fertilizers on Fairy Ring in cooperation with
the Agronomy Department as soon as the fungicidal treatments are perfected and time permits.

-o-

G O L F G R E E N MAINTENANCE
Sam Zook, Golf Course Superintendent
Waverely Country Club, Oregon
I had my soil on my greens analyzed by Swift and Company to help me establish a definite fertilizer program. The pH on all greens was low 5. 5
and below, so I made two applications of Dolomitic lime at 40 lb s. per
1000 square feet. I also applied iron sulphate at 1 1/2 ounces per 1000
square feet and epsom salts at 3 ounces per 1000 square feet. For a balanced fertilizer feeding I made three applications of Swifts Golden Vigoro
6-10-4 at 30 day intervals, at 300 lbs. per 1000 square feet. I also applied top dressing of soil and milorganite after each aerifying. For added
nitrogen I used a number of different products. NuGreen 36% N . , Urea
45% N . , Amm. Nitrate 15. 5% N . , Sulphate of Amm. 21% N. I applied

them in spray and dry form at ten day intervals throughout the growing
season. I strived to get approximately 1 1/2 lbs. to 2 lbs. of ActualN.
per 1000 square feet each application.
The greens are cut seven days per week at a height of 3/16 inches. Watered very sparingly. They were vertical and aerified at least 3 times
during the growing season.
I also used a Haines Root Cutter to keep the tree feeder roots from coming into the greens.
For fungicides, I have stayed with Cadminate (Dollar Spot) and Caiaclor
for snow mold and brown patch.

-o-

FUNDAMENTALS O F BENTGRASS MAINTENANCE
C. G. Wilson, Agronomist
Milwaukee Sewerage Commission
Some will wonder from the title of this talk, "What about bentgrass makes
it worthy of separate discussion?" or, "Why should bentgrass
differ
radically from other cool-season grasses in its maintenance requirements?"
To answer the first question, bentgrass might w ell be considered the prima
donna of turf. When it is managed properly, nothing else quite compares
with it from the standpoint of beauty. Its utility value also is well-known.
In a golfer's mind, no finer playing turf exists. We know of one satisfactory athletic field in Mexico City that is solid Washington bentgrass,
although we would be the last to recommend it for this purpose. Even in
tropical climes it is receiving increasing attention as a companion crop
for Bermuda during the cool season. And last, but far from least, the
layman's idea of a lawn Utopia is a broad expanse of No. 18 green from
the Country Club in front of his home.
These facts are self-evident. Why else would mankind fool with a turfgrass that seems to fall prey to every ill known to the plant kingdom?
Actually, the bentgrasses are more sturdy than some of us are willing to
believe. We have heard it said: "They certainly are not drought-tolerant.

Next to Poa annua, bents are the first to turn brown when water is lacking.
They certainly are not disease-resistant. Name a turf disease and you
will find it has been recorded as attacking bent. They certainly are not
insect-resistant. If bugs could choose, bent would receive preference
10 to 1. They certainly are not heat and wear-resistant. In hot, humid
areas we are even afraid to use a greens mower on them during midday".
Ah! But are we being fair to this "Prince or Pauper", or have our eyes
deceived us? Bents may fall somewhat short on drought-tolerance, but
their resistance or ability to recover after a dry spell is great. After a
lapse of time let's take a second look at what we thought was brown, dead
turf, and we may be pleasantly surprised at the recovery, The same holds
true for disease. Marshall Farnham, Superintendent, Philadelphia Country Club, has no objection to light disease attacks on his bent fairways.
He is probably right in giving nature credit for an assist in keeping down
thatch in this manner. Insects will attack any grass. The most notorious bug problem is scale on Bermuda - not bent. Not heat-resistant?
Bent probably has a greater tolerance for heat than any cool-season grass.
Yuma Country Club's summer temperatures of 115 degrees Fahrenheit
hasn't prevented Tige Stanley from maintaining some of the best year
around bent greens in the world. As to ability to withstand punishment
in both hot and cool weather, who will challenge Bill Johnson's official
record average of 306 players a day for 365 days at the 18-hole Rancho
Golf Course in Los Angeles?
Bent is seldom condemned from the standpoint of cold tolerance. Most
winter injury relates to disease, drying out, or poor drainage. All coolseason grasses are subject to these maladies and one should never condemn bent for suffering under poor drainage because close observance
will indicate that bent was the only grass capable of existing under such
conditions to begin with! Bent really comes into its own in cold climates
if there is a desire to lengthen the playing season by getting an earlier
start in the spring. Annual blue grass may be sanctioned for resort cour ses with their late opening date. However, city clubs with their per mar
nent resident members are entitled to something better than "Poa". Here
again, an improved bent is the answer,
If, then, you agree that bentgrasses will be with us for many years to
come, the answer to the second question concerning maintenance requirements, whether they differ radically or no, is worthy of our attention. We
are all aware that a poor bent strain in the hands of a good turf manager
can perform beyond our highest expectations. Conversely, the best of
improved bent strains is worthless if management is bad.. Therefore, it
behooves one to understand the idiosyncrasies of this "prima donna" of
the turf world. Quite naturally, this paper cannot delve into the basic fundamental requirements of all turfgrasses. Bent is no different from the

others in being capable of responding to a deep, uniform soil profile of
proper texture and structure to permit rapid removal of excess moisture
yet hold a sufficient quantity to promote good growth.
Bentgrass is unique, and, some will say, finicky, in its maintenance requirements. Where lawn and garden experts are correct in advocating a
high height of cut for most lawn mixtures, such practices are disastrous
on bent. For lawn and fairway purposes, it should never be mowed highe r
than 3/4 inch, and preferably the height should be below 1/2 inch. W e
know of bentgrass greens that are mowed daily at 3/16 inch during the
growing season, and such practices have not varied over many years.
As a matter of fact, one's mowing practices directly influence success or
failure with this grass. Because of its vigor, bentgrass must be mowed
frequently or partially decomposed stems, stolons and clippings will build
up above the soil surface. We call this build-up "thatch" or "mat" and
strongly object to it because it harbors disease organisms; both ho Ids and
sheds moisture; and is detrimental to play of the game. On putting greens
this problem is even more severe because of the intensified cultural prac tices. A worthwhile step towards arresting thatch development is elimination of the scalping roller by substituing side caster wheels. The rol ler is very effective in pressing down the grass before contact is made
with the bed knife and reel, and no doubt is equally effective for selling
purposes in demonstrating a new machine. Where labor cannot be trained,
to mow properly without a scalping roller, combs, or brushes must be
used throughout much of the good growing season.
Vertical mowing machines, Delmonte rakes, combs for fairway units,
and a garden rake with sharply filed teeth also have their place in keeping
thatch under control. Rather than object to bent because of its thatchproducing tendency, we should be thankful that a grass with so much vigo r
exists, while at the same time keeping the problem under control. Remember, grass should be growing in the soil and not on top of the ground.
Some will argue that a little thatch is necessary to held the approach shot.
We think this can be accomplished through proper nutrition on actively
growing grass. We will agree that a sole or cushion of turf is needed,
but maintain it should not be dead organic matter.
An actively growing child requires plenty of food, and unlike we older
folks, utilizes it for growth rather than to add more fat. Possibly for the
same reason an actively growing grass like bent has high fertility requirements. Unlike humans, grass has the ability to manufacture its own food.
And, like any manufacturing plant, it must have a supply of raw materials
on hand in order to accomplish this end. The building blocks for bentgrass have received a great deal of attention from turf research workers

and practical superintendents in the field. As a result of all this work,
we know that bent thrives best on neutral to slightly acid or slightly alkaline s*il in the range of pH 6. 5 to pH 7.5. Seven is the neutral point.
When the scale drops below pH 6.0 it is time to add lime to correct acidity. Soil-testing service is available from most Experiment Stations, a
few fertilizer companies and several laboratories.
Soil tests serve another valuable function in giving us an inventory of some
of the fertilizer elements required by grass. Samples must be taken in
accordance with directions, and must be properly interpreted by a person
who has some knowledge of growing grass. When used in this light, soiltesting recommendations will over come deficiencies of phosphorus, potash, calcium and magnesium. After this has been done, bentgrass feeding
is primarily a matter of supplying nitrogen at the right time and at the
right amount.
Plant pathologists tell us that dollarspot is minimized when the grass is
utilizing 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per
month during good growing weather. This rate is equivalent to 25 to 35
pounds of a natural organic source of nitrogen. Timing also enters the
picture. Where summer brown patch is troublesome, rates should be
lowered and fertilizer applied more frequently. The difference can be
made up by applying more during the spring, early summer and fall.
Where snow mold is troublesome, some say the bent shouldbecome slightly
hungry for nitrogen before entering the winter season. Here again compensation is made by applying more during spring, summer, and possibly
early fall. It is a simple matter for anyone to determine the length of
growing season by checking with their local agricultural authorities. These
general principles also hold true for other bentgrass turf areas. In recent years, research workers have indicated that even where clippings are
allowed to remain, growth increments continue above one pound of actual
nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per month of good growing weather even on
inherent fertile soils.
Water management is very critical on bentgrass. Since bent is a shallow-rooted turf species, it must be watered at a lighter rate and more
frequently than Kentucky blue grass or possibly the red fescues. A goo d
rule-of-thumb is to add water when the grass wilts. Wilting is distinguished by an off-color gunmetal blue, lack of dew in the morning, or
foot-printing. The important point to remember is that bent can wilt when
temperatures are high if the above condition is noticed. Neglect of this
can result in brown turf, especially on greens.
We should also add that bentgrasses are often damaged by indiscriminate
use of 2-, 4-D and related compounds, and insecticide emulsions where a
petroleum derivative is used as a vehicle to keep the ingredient in suspension. Concerning insecticides, wettable powders are far safer to use.

In weed control work, arsenicals still are unsurpassed when coupled with
an adequate feeding program. It is recognized by all foremost turfgrass
authorities that weeds are secondary rather than primary causes of poor
turf. Without exception, they advocate that good management will either
keep weeds at a minimum or enable a good herbicide to accomplish the
desired control.
In conclusion, we must say a word about the bentgrass family. The title
of this talk indicates that we are dealing with one grass. This is far from
the case. Bents are as variable as your children and mine. We have
coarse strains and fine strains; selections that are susceptible to snow
mold, but resistant to brown patch; types that are grainy and types that
are tight; and rugged individuals that endure drought but cannot stand wet
feet - or vice versa. With such a broad genetic base, a vegetative strain
to meet any need is either available or waiting for someone to select it.
Therefore, when you think of turf, be sure to include the bents in your
thoughts. Good management makes them tops in their field. Why settle
for less?

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SOME PROMISING N E W HERBICIDES
Dwight V. Peabody, Jr., Assistant Agronomist
Institute of Agricultural Sciences
Washington State College
Northwestern Washington Experiment Station
Mount Vernon, Washington

Each year manufacturers of agricultural chemicals test avast number of
materials for possible use as herbicides. From these screening trials of
two or three years only a relatively small number show enough promise to
warrant release to agricultural experiment stations for further testing under
field conditions on different crops, in different soils, and in different climates. Again, many of these potential new herbicides are discarded due to
insufficient phytotoxicity or lack of selectivity in killing some plant species
and not others. Consequently after several seasons' trial in screening experiments only a relatively few chemicals show enough promise to be included in more detailed experiments. It is the purpose of this report to
summarize briefly the potentialities of some of these more promising herbicides from this past season's trials at the Northwestern Washington Experiment Station.

1. N-methyl dithiocarbamate dihydrate ("Vapam")
A soil fumigant which has given excellent control of weed seeds under
greenhouse conditions. Could also be used for temporary sterilization
of new lawns, plant beds, small home gardens, etc. May be applied as
a drench in water at 1 to 2 quarts per 100 square feet, followed by a
thorough soaking of the treated area. Lew in animal toxicity compared
to other soil fumigants. Needs further testing as to its applicability on
field crops.
2. 2,4, 5-trichlorophenoxypropionic acid or 2,4, 5-TP ("Kuron", "Propon4", "Silvex", etc.)
This chemical is related to2,4-D, 2,4, 5, -T, M C P , etc., and exhibits
the same sort of activity. However it is reported to be more effective
on some brush species than 2,4,5-T, i. e. oak and red maple. Exper iments on brush species (blackberry, wild rose, snowberry, etc.) common in western Washington are still in progress.
3. 3~(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-l, 1-dimethylurea or D M U ("Telvar D W n )
A soil sterilant with even a longer residual activity in the soil thanCMU.
Applied in combination with 2,4-D at rates of 40 to 80 pounds per acre,
this herbicide should keep ground devoid of almost all vegetation for two
or more years. Periodic retreatment at lesser rates of application
should maintain bare ground. D M U applications should be made during
periods of high rainfall for best results. Precaution: Do not apply D M U
near desirable shrubbery, trees or ornamentals. Plants which area
considerable distance from the location of D M U treatments may have
roots which extend to the treated area. These roots will absorb DMLJ
and will "translocate11 the herbicide within the plant so that severe injury or even death may occur.
4. 2,2-dichloropropionic acid ("Dalapon")
A new plant growth regulator which is effective on grasses has been
under trial for several years in many parts of the country. This herb icide has shown particular promise in pasture renovation trials. Its
residual activity in the soil is short so that crop species may be planted
within a relatively short time after treatment. Since complete kill of
all underground parts is not obtained even with Dalapon, and since the
vigor of weedy perennial grasses is high, chemical treatment should be
combined with estivation to obtain control of perennial grasses.

5, 3-amino-l,2,4-triazole or amino triazole ("Amizol", "Weedazol")
Another systemic grass killer which also has proven effective on certain
perennial broadleaved weeds such as Canada thistle and poison ivy. With
this herbicide as with Dalapon chemical treatment should be followed by
plowing or heavy discing one or two weeks after application. Best results will be obtained when amino triazole is sprayed on vigorous, rap idly growing plants in the early spring. Residual activity of this chemical is very short, so'that in a matter of weeks a crop can be planted in
ground that has received amino triazole treatment.

-o-

T H E M O L E AND I
Milt Bauman, Golf Course Superintendent,
Overtake Golf Club, Medina, Washington

The main topic of my talk will pertain to moles. The mole is a fur bearing and burrowing animal. The mature mole is about six inches long and
three inches high. It has hind legs like a rat but the front paws are very
large and shaped like hands. These paws are attached to the body by very
short legs and the paws are the tools which do the digging. The nose or
snout of the mole is long and slender and resembles the ant eater in appearance. The mole has no eyes and his diet is earthworms or angleworms.
The runway of the mole is generally about eighteen inches below the groundsurface and occasionally may be as deep as four feet. From these main
runways, they move out and burrow just under the surface for their food.
Sometimes at night they will feed on top of the ground. At times, the
grass is injured where moles are working and the mole gets the credit for
the damage to the grass roots when in all probability the field mouse has
made his home in the moles1 burrow and he is the culprit who eats the
grass roots.
There are several ways to get rid of the mole. I prefer the trap. When
you catch them in a trap, you are sure you have them. When you use different types of gas, you are never quite sure. There are several types
of traps and I am confident they will all work but the one I am most familiar with and have had good success is the type which has two large jaws
and a large spring with the trigger paddle between. The trap is placed in
the runway with the bottom of the jaws a triffle lower than the bottom of

the runway. Loose earth is then put all through and over the trap. The
mole comes through his runway, passes between the trap jaws and bumps
the paddle or trigger and the spring is released which closes the jaws on
the mole. Of utmost importance is the sterilization of the trap. The mole
has no eyes and his nose is his lifeline and there cannot be any scent on a
mole trap and still have success at trapping them. Leave the mole trap
out in the weather and use an old pair of gloves when setting the trap.
I have also had fair to good success in using regular commercial mole
bombs. I have found that in the winter when the moles are on high ground
surrounded by water, the use of bombs are quite successful. A bomb
dropped in a fresh runway will chase a mole away and it will not return for
a long period of time. When I find a mole working too close to a green or
tee I drop in a bomb and chase it away.
I have also had fair success with mehyl bromide gas, the application and
gas being very simple and easy to use. It is a deadly gas with no odor and
will lay in the runways for several days. Cyno gas is also used with a
reasonable amount of success. There are also mole pellets on the market that are supposed to be very good. I have had no experience with the
pellets.
Some superintendents stuff a high pressure water hose down the runway
of the mole and wash him out. Also, a hose attached to the exhaust pipe
of a car or tractor has been used with fair results.
The mole is a persistant, hard to catch, hard to kill, turf abusing rodent
that will be with us for quite awhile.

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T H E MERION PICTURE
J". L. Chapman, Jacklin Seed Company
Dishman, Washington

Seed supplies of Merion is still short in the face of a rapidly expanding
acreage for seed production. 1955 production may total about 900,000
pounds compared to about 850,000 in 1954. Acreage for seed production
in 1955 was at least 1/3 larger than 1954. This illustrates a major problem with Merion and that is the difficulties encountered in seed pr oduction.
Production per acre is erratic at best and all of the factors influencing
production have not been determined.
The supplies on hand would indicate the price will not be greatly different
from 1954. It is difficult to see much of a price reduction in Merion seed
for next year.
In using Merion in mixtures we prefer to use not less than 40% Merion by
weight. Merion-creeping red mixtures look good in the Spokane area.
They offer better initial cover during the year of establishment and Merion
largely replaces the other grass in a few years.

-o-

SOME PRACTICAL ASPECTS O F SOIL M A N A G E M E N T
Dr. Fred V. Gran, Agronomist
West Point Products Corporation, West Point, Pa.

Soil management i s basic to growing good grass on athletic fields, golf
courses, lawns or any other turfgrass areas.
Soils become crusted, hard and compact under constant trampling by men
and machines. The soil that is used and abused becomes dead
lifeless
devoid of life-giving oxygen and incapable of releasing nutrients that support life. Compact soils shod water, let lime and fertilizer and seed lie
on top of the hard ground where it will be washed or blown away or otherwise wasted. Compact soils cause excessive injuries to players which
largely can be avoided by proper soil management.
Good soil structure is represented by friable, granular porous soil into
which water can rapidly soak and in which grass roots can expand freely.
This is the condition which produces resilient, springy turf that cushions
the players1 falls and absorbs the shocks, greatly adding to the safety fac tor on athletic fields. This is the soil that makes fairways soft and easy
to walk upon; makes putting greens resilient enough to hold the ball even
when the soil is dry. This is the condition that Nature provided in our
great grassland soils of the midwest before man started modifying these
wonderful soils for his own purposes. These great soils had the soil particles grouped into clusters or granules, held in place by the dynamic organic matter developed from the grass roots. This was the ideal condition.
Under the constant pounding of foot and machinery traffic, in fair weather
and foul, wet or dry, these lovely soil granules gradually disintegrated
and broke down into individual soil particles which got squeezed together
more and more. Finally, our once-porous soil became a sticky, gummy
mass of clay particles, lubricated by excessive water, compacted to the
point where neither air, nor fertilizer, nor water, nor roots could penetrate. At this point the weeds take over because most turfgrasses cannot grow under these conditions.
Nature tries to correct man's mistakes by sending the frost to dry the soil
and to loosen it so the grass can grow again. Unfortunately, freezing and
thawing lasts only a short time in fall and in spring and the benefits are
soon gone. The greatest factors in producing good structure in soils are
wetting and drying. This has been going on since the beginning of the
Earth. When a soil is wetted it expands. When it dries it shrinks and
cracks. These cracks let air into the soil. Roots can grow into the cracks

and water and nutrients can move freely. Freezing actually is a drying
process and thawing is a wetting process. The important thing to remember is that wetting and drying will help us build good structure in our
turfgrass soils.
Farmers plow and disc and harrow and cultivate their soils to rebuild good
structure and to grow good crops. It isn't accepted practice to plow an
athletic field or a golf course each time the compacted soil needs cultivation. But we do have aerifying equipment which was designed and built
to cultivate the soil under turf. Aerifying compacted soils on athletic
fields and golf courses is just as basic to growing good grass as plowing
and cultivating is to a farmer's crop.
The farmer gets rid of organic residues -- trash --by mixing it withsoil
and supplying nitrogen to assist the micro-organisms to break it down into
useful humus. The turfgrass superintendent can do this by aerifying, still
keeping the turf in play, reducing thatch and mat (organic residues or
trash) by mixing them with soil, supplying nutrients to aid the soil organisms.
The process of frequently aerifying turfgrass areas assists in building
good soil structure by bringing soil to the surface to dry. The soil cores
scooped out by the Aerifier spoons are left on the surface to dry and crumble, The cavities in the soil admit water, air, fertilizer and lime and
give grass roots a chance to grow. Then, by crumbling and dragging the
turf with a dragmat, the well-aerated soil acts as a gentle topdressing
which smooths and levels the surface for better play and for smoother
mower operation. Seed, when needed, finds lodging in the holes left by
aerifying and is given the best possible- chance to grow and produce useable turf. Most seed that is sown on a crusted surface germinates and
dies because the roots cannot get through the compact layer in the surface.
On athletic fields the immediate effect of aerifying is to develop a softer,
more resilient surface that reduces injuries as a result of bodily contact
with the soil. Race horse breeders in Kentucky have learned that the
Aerifier used frequently on their bluegrass pastures is a good thing for
their horses feet. If it is good for a race horse it is good for an athlete
or a golfer walking over acres of fairways.
Trampling on a wet bluegrass turf can result in immediate compaction, to
the extent that 88% of a rain will run off, not able to soak into the soil.
The same bluegrass turf, adequately aerified, will absorb all of the rainfall.

Dr. Harper's work at Penn State showed that aerifying resulted in nearly
60% more phosphate reaching the 4 to 6 inch level in therootzone six weeks
after double aerifying. The effect at that time was to increase the measurable root growth by 7.7%. Roots are so very important in building good
soil and good safe turf that these studies become highly significant.
Alderfer, formerly at Penn State, now head of theSbils Department at Rutgers University, shows us that a sandy soil is no proof against compaction. A compacted sandy soil causes runoff to the same degree as a compacted clay loam soil. Aerifying is effective on all types of soils.
Coming right down to the practical aspects, I would like to mention a few
technic in aerifying.
"Multiple aerifying" is the new method that is being
tried out on putting greens with very satisfactory results. Everyone who
has used the Aerifier has seen the bright green color of the grass surrounding each opening made by the spoons. The beneficial stimulation to
the grass is clearly evident. When a green is aerified just one time, grass
is stimulated in the separate spots where each spoon has cultivated. By
"multiple aerifying" — that is passing the Aerifier over the area FOUR
times, each time in a different direction — stimulation of the grass is
uniform. Better color and increased resilience are to be found over the
entire area. This method was used at Beechmont Country Club in Ohio
on all 18 greens. As a result they were able for the first time to hold
grass throughout the playing season, and at the end of August the bent roots
were down 4 or 5 inches.
Naturally, "multiple aerifying" is not going to be carried out every month.
It should be done in the spring and in the fall, while grass is growing actively and play is not at its peak. Developing deep, vigorous root systems during the periods which are favorable to growth produces a turf
that will stand up through adverse summer weather and heavy use.
Important as the soil management Is the selection of adapted grasses. In
the south bermudagrass is the No. 1 grass for athletic fields, playgrounds
and golf courses.
In the Midwest and in the North, we place our dependence on fescues, bluegrasses and bents. A combination of tall fescue and bluegrass produces
highly desirable sports turf. Alta and Kentucky 31 are two types of tall
fescue. Both are deep-rooted, sturdy and drought-resistant. Kentucky
31 tends to have leaves that are slightly narrower than Alta and may have
slightly greater tolerance to diseases.
Kentucky bluegrass is well-adapted for hard wear, for good healing and
for beauty on athletic fields and fairways. Merion bluegrass is an improved variety which has greater resistance to leafspot but is more sus-

ceptible to rust late in the summer. Merion stands closer mewing and
has a heavier system of roots and rhizomes*
For putting greens we have improved bents and improved bermudas. In
the south improved bermudas provide the fine texture that is desirable in
putting green turf. Vigor and disease resistance are found in the improved
bentgrasses. Pennlu is an outstanding new creeping bent that scored high
in every quality factor in tests at Penn State. It is vigorous, diseaseresistant and of good color and density. Pennlu is showing up well in many
locations throughout the country.
A sod of any of these grasses responds best to a program of frequent aerifying, generous fertilization, water as needed to replenish the soil moisture to a depth of several feet and frequent mowing at the correct height.

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CHANGING Y O U R SOIL
J. R . Watson, Jr., Chief Agronomist,
Toro Manufacturing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Desirable turfgrass growth in a given location is a function of the climatic
conditions, soil properties and management practices prevailing.
Climate exerts its influence through temperature, rainfall, wind movement and sunlight. Climate is of particular importance in determining the
choice of an individual species or strain of a warm or cool season turfgrass for a particular use is predicated on its adapation to climatic con ditions.
Soil properties influence the kind and quality of turfgrass in a number of
ways. There are certain basic requirements which soil must provide for
satisfactory turfgrass growth. These are: support, water, air (oxygen),
temperature and nutrients. The ability of a soil to meet these requirements is dependent upon its physical, chemical and biological properties.
Management embodies the choice of grass, watering, fertilizing, aerating and mowing practices, choice and application of various chemicals
and all other areas of turfgrass care and management requiring decisions
by the supervisor. The most important part of management is actually
the first three letters of the word, M A N .
The good manager may be

able to produce satisfactory turfgrass in spite of unfavorable conditions,
but the poor manager will have difficulty producing satisfactory turfgrass under the most favorable conditions.
The discussion today is to deal with only one of the many problems confronting the supervisor charged with developing and maintaining satis factory turfgrass. Man has little control over climatic conditions and
actually rather limited choice in the type of turfgrass he may select fora
given set of use conditions in a particular locality. It is through modification of the soil that the greatest opportunity for adjustment to climatic
and use conditions exist.
If any soil physical, chemical or biological factor or factors are or will
limit satisfactory turfgrass growth, it may be necessary to correct or
prevent this situation by modification or adjustment. The title of our
discussion, "Doctoring Your Soil" implies that changing or altering (modification) of soil factors limiting turfgrass growth may, if performed incorrectly, give rise to an even more serious situation, That such may
be the case is, unfortunately, true. In this discussion we will attempt
to point out some of the "whys" and "wherefores" and to emphasize some
of the pitfalls associated with modification.
The stage for this discussion may well be set by asking a series of questions. Is soil modification necessary? Is it practical and economical? If
the answers to these questions are "yes", then, which soil properties
lend themselves to adjustment and modification? If modification is under taken, how must it be approached? Is there danger in soil modification?
In order to answer these questions, it may be well to define some of the
fundamental relationships between various soil properties and turfgrass
growth. Accordingly, let us briefly review some of the basic concepts
associated with soil properties and plant growth.
Classification of Soil Properties
Soil properties are classified as physical,chemical and biological. Each of
these groups exert certain direct and indirect effects upon the soil mass
and the plants growing therein. There is also a marked inter-relationship
between the three groups of properties. The physical phenomena have important effects on the chemical and biological properties and processes
which in turf, influence plant growth. Biological properties play a vital
role in promoting favorable environment through their effect on the physical and chemical factors. So likewise are the chemical properties influenced by the physical and biological properties. It is apparent, then,
that modification of any physical, chemical or biological soil property
will affect directly or indirectly all other soil properties which, in turn,
influences turfgrass growth.

Chemical Properties of Soil
Chemical properties of soils include the reaction (pH) and the fertility
relationships. Modification by the application of lime, gypsum, sulfur
and the addition of nutrients (in the form of fertilizer) is a common practice. In most cases these practices are necessary, practical and economical. In some cases thay may be dangerour. The danger lies in applying
either insufficient or excessive amounts of any particular material. Modification of chemical properties may also be dangerous if the improper
material is selected, or if it is applied incorrectly or at the wrong time.
For example, the addition of lime to a soil with a high pH may result in a
further tie-up of certain nutrients -- iron. Excessive applications ofphosphorus to a soil already high in this element could upset the nutrient balance between nitrogen, phosphorus and potash and stimulate the growth of
certain weeds at the expense of the turfgrass. Inadequate or excessive
applications of nitrogen may not only upset the nutrient balance, but also
intensify a number of problems such as disease incidence, insect infestation, winter kill, etc.
The answers to our original questions, when applied to chemical soil properties, are simply nyes!!, modification is feasible, practical and in fact
necessary more often than not". It is dangerous only when performed improperly -- too little or too much of the right or wrong material at the
wrong time.
Biological Properties of Soils
Biological soil properties include the micro and macro-plant and animal
populations of the soil. The populations of these plants and animals may
be beneficial or harmful. They are so markedly influenced by physical
and chemical soil properties (and vice versa) that no effort will be made
to discuss modification of this particular group of soil properties. It
should perhaps be noted, however, that the harmful populations, such as
certain disease organisms, weeds and insects must be checked by the application of the appropriate fungicide, herbicide or insecticide. Fortunately, most of the micro and macro-populations of soil organisms are beneficial.
Physical Properties of Soils
The physical properties of the soil (texture, structure, porosity, etc, )
govern the infiltration, retention and movement of moisture in the soil
medium, controls the air-water relationships and, along with the chem ical and biological properties, determines the type of turfgrass that grows
best under a given set of climatic conditions. This group of factors deserves, perhaps, the most serious attention in a consideration of soil

modification. Each of the physical soil properties exerts a direct affect
on plant growth and each is dependent, one on the other, for the ultimate
effects they produce on other soil properties and on turfgrass growth.
This close degree of inter-relationship makes discussion without repetition practically impossible. A very brief discussion of some of the* more
important physical properties follows:
Organic Matter
Although comprising only a small percentage of the total soil volume, organic matter is perhaps the most important component of soils. It plays
a vital and significant role in all physical, chemical and biological soil
properties and functions. The original source of organic matter is plant
and animal tissue, the latter contribution being far less than the former.
The presence of colloidal organic matter in soils is a sign that biochemical activities are supplementing and augmenting those of a purely chemical and physical nature. Organic matter in soil serves as a constant
source of plant food, especially nitrogen and sulfur; it serves as food (energy) for micro-organisms. It improves the structural relationships,
thereby promoting desirable water holding capacity and aeration.
Soil Texture
Soil texture is a term used in reference to the size of the individual soil
particles. It refers particularly to the proportions of sand, silt and clay
in a given soil. "Soil class" terms like silt loam, clay loam, fine sandy
loam, etc. indicate the predominance of the three soil separates. Texture is a most important characteristic of soils because it describes, in
part, the physical qualities of soils with respect to porosity, coarseness
or fineness of the soil, soil aeration, speed of water movement in the
soil, moisture storage capacity and in a general way, the inherent fertility of the soil. Sandy soils are often loose, porous, droughty and low
in fertility, whereas clay soils may be hard when dry or plastic when wet,
poorly aerated, but possibly high in fertility. Between these two extremes
we find the silt loam, loams and fine sandy loams, the ideal soil classes
that are generally most desirable for plant growth.
Soil Structure
The term, "soil structure", refers to the arrangement of grouping of the
individual particles into units. A structural unit maybe defined as a group
or groups of particles bound together in such a manner that they exhibit
different physical properties from a corresponding mass of the individual

particles. Such a structural unit is called an aggregate. Terms used to
describe various types oi\structure are granular, crumb, platy, etc. In
general, the granular and crumb structure is most desirable from the
standpoint of plant growth. Platy structure is generally associated with
slowly permeable soils derived from shales.
Soils in which structure
has been destroyed
partially or completely — are said to be dense and
compacted.
The structural aggregation of soil is greatly influenced by the amount of
organic matter present. The end product of decay of organic matter -humus -- is an integral part of soil aggregates. Sometimes it is referred
to as the cementing or binding agent in aggregates. Stability of aggregates is directly dependent upon the amount of organic matter present.
The recent development of synthetic soil conditioners offers, possibly,
another approach to aggregate stability. It is known that these materials,
properly applied, create water stable aggregates; however, the stability
of these aggregates under player and equipment traffic is not known and
needs further investigation.
The structural aggregation of soil determines, to a large extent, the porsity, permeability and water holding capacity of soils.
Porosity
Soil porosity may be defined as the percentage of the soil volume not occupied by solid particles. In a soil containing no moisture, the pore space
will be filled with air. In a moist soil, the pores are filled with both water and air, while in a saturated soil the pores are completely filled with
water. The relative amounts of water and air present will depend largely
upon the size of the pores.
Two types of porosity are recognized -- textural porosity and structural
porosity. Textural porosity is that associated with texture. It is the type
found in water deposited sands where the individual particles are so large
that no matter what is done (within limits) there still remains a certain
amount of large pores. This is not necessarily true with wind blown sands
which will pack or compact very tightly because of their angularity. Structural porosity is the porosity associated with the clay fraction of the soil.
It is the porosity found within the aggregate.
Pores in the soil may be either capillary (small-structural porosity) or
non-capillary (large-textural porosity). The large pores are responsible

for drainage, whereas the small pores are responsible for moisture storage. The total amount of pore space in a soil is set by the texture. If a
soil contains a certain proportion of sand, silt and clay, this sets the total
amount of porosity in the soil. To a large extent, nothing in the way of
management has very much effect on the total pore space, but management may have a profound effect on the proportions of small and large
pores.
Actually the total porosity of a soil is not as important as the relative distribution of the pore sizes. Total porosity is inversely related to the. size
of the particles and increases with their irregularity of form. Porosity
also varies directly with the amount of organic matter present in the soil
lander field conditions. The total pore space is seldom less than 30 percent (coarse, clean sand has about this amount of pore space). In silt
loams the total pore space is about 50 percent. The ideal soil for plant
growth would have about 50 percent total porosity equally divided between
small and large pores, or in other words, contain 50 percent solids, 25
percent water space and 25 percent air space. If a soil with this type of
pore space could be prepared and if one could be assured that the structural conditions could be maintained, many of our current problems on
turfgrass areas would be solved. Mixing, or developing through modification, a soil with desirable physical properties is not in itself too difficult a task. The maintenance of these desirable properties is a big problem.
Modification of Physical Properties
As states earlier, physical soil properties (texture, structure, porosity,
etc.) govern the infiltration, retention and movement of moisture in the
soil, control the air-water relationships and, because of their inter-relationship with the chemical and biological properties, exert a major influence on the productivity of soils.
It is apparent, then, that physical soil properties are modified primarily
to:(l) Improve water infiltration (getting water into the soil), (2) Improve
water retention (water holding capacity — hold some water in the soil for
use by plants), (3) Facilitate percolation (movement of water through the
soil column), and (4) Facilitate drainage (getting rid of the excess). When
these functions proceed in a desirable manner, the air-water relationships
(a fifth reason for modification) are properly balanced.

Modification to Improve Water Infiltration
Modification to improve water infiltration becomes necessary when the soil
does not take in sufficient water to meet the requirements of the turfgrass
growing therein. If surface compaction is preventing water infiltration,
the situation may be corrected by cultivation with existing aerating equipment. This is in general the most practical and economical solution. On
newly seeded areas that have crusted, the use of a spike disc will often
correct the situation. If infiltration is reduced because of an inherent textural or structural problem, modification -- as discussed later — may be
the answer on small intensively used areas; on large areas improvement
through fertilization may be the only practical approach.
Modification to Improve Porosity
The improvement of porosity (pore space) will result in improvement of
water retention, percolation and air-water relationships. The addition of
sharp sand, organic matter and sometimes clay or clay loam, as well as
other conditioning materials, is sometimes necessary. The addition of
these materials is usually economical and practical on intensive areas
such as golf greens. On large scale areas, however, modification by
these methods is not practical and, again, one must work with the existing soil and improve it through, primarily, fertilization and sometimes
cultivation (aeration). Through these latter methods, better turfgrass
cover may be developed and, hence, improvement of physical properties
will result because of the beneficial effects of the grass roots themselves.
In genreal, grass roots are the most effective way to improve soil structural conditions. Sometimes grass roots do not produce improved structure, but this is aresultof extenuating circumstances such as compaction,
excessive use of chemicals, etc.
Modification to Improve Drainage
Two types of drainage are recognized -- surface and sub-surface. Drainage problems arise when water accumulates faster than the soil can remove it. Obviously surface drainage is of prime importance when abnormally heavy rainfall occurs. Sub-surface drainage problems are intensified by inadequate surface drainage. Sub-surface drainage becomes a problem when adequate large pores are not present, or if layers of impervious material are present in the soil profile. Modification by grading to
improve surface drainage and by altering pore space, the use of tile, french
drains, etc. for improving sub-surface drainage is often necessary. The
topography, soil and usage will be the determining factors insofar as prevention and correction of drainage problems is concerned.

4

45

Dangers of Modification to Improve Physical Soil Properties
Textural porosity may be modified by the addition of coarse sand, structural porosity, indirectly by the addition of clay and organic matter. We
have pointed out earlier that a small pore holds water more tightly than a
large pore. Water moves through soil because (1) pull or force exerted by
gravity, (2) attraction of water molecules for each other which creates a
tension or pull on the water — film adjustment. For these reasons, water
moves from a fine soil (small pores) to a coarse soil (large pores) only
with difficulty. This may be demonstrated with columns of loam soil with
and without a coarse sand layer. Equal amounts of water may be added to
each column at exactly the same time. The column containing the sand
will be wet throughout. The water cannot move into the sand because the
small pores of the loam have a much greater attraction for the water than
the large pores of the soil. If water were added to the column containing
the sand layer until the loam became saturated, the excess will practically
drip into the sand and then move very readily; however, the soil above the
sand would remain very wet until evaporation or transpiration (loss of water from plants) removed the water. It could never be dried by drainage.
If the soil in these columns were wetted from the bottom instead of the
top, the loam column would be wetted, while the layered column would
not. The large pores in the sand do not have sufficient attraction for
water to hold it at a height to permit the loam layer to be wet.
The above describes why a golf green or any other turfgrass area should
not be layered. It doesn't have to be a sand layer to be undesirable. A
clay, gravel or organic layer would be as bad or worse. The greater the
difference in particle size (pore size) the more aggravated the situation
would be.
Layering, therefore, constitutes one of the major dangers of modification.
Uniform mixing of any material used to modify soil is essential. Even organic matter must be integrated and thoroughly mixed with the existing
soil if it is to perform its function of stabilizing aggregation.
If improvement by the incorporation of coarse sand is attempted, it must
be remembered that large quantities will be necessary to alter effectively
the texture of the soil. The exact amount to use will depend on the existing soil. As a general statement, unless one is prepared to add large
amounts of sand (hence, invite the difficulties associated with this textural
class — necessity for frequent, light applications of fertilizer and frequent watering), it would be best not to add any sand.

SUMMARY
In summary, soil modification is often necessary, practical and economical. Modification of chemical properties is generally desirable on all
types of turfgrass areas. This is accomplished by adding nutrients (fertilizer) and, where needed, amendments such as lime, gypsum, etc. Modification of physical properties is practical and necessary on intensively
used areas such as golf greens, some lawns and some tees. Direct modification of physical properties is not practical and economical on large
scale areas and one must work with the existing soil. These areas may
be modified indirectly through the use of cultivating (aerating) equipment
and fertilizer.
The dangers of modification may be found in improper techniques — too
little or too much of the right or wrong material at the wrong time or in
the wrong way — the M A N part of management.

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PROGRESS R E P O R T O N T U R F W O R K A T
W E S T E R N WASHINGTON E X P E R I M E N T STATION
H. M . Austenson, Assistant Agronomist
Western Washington Experiment Station
Puyailup, Washington

Pearlwort Control
In 1951 a 4000 sq. ft. green was established at the Western Washington
Experiment Station for a study of the control of pearlwort, Sagina procumbens. In the spring of 1952, plots were staked out in this green to
allow 11 different treatments in 4 replications. Thirty plugs of pearlwort were placed in each plot so that a uniform infestation of the weed
was obtained at the outset of the experiment. Treatments applied included
chlordane, sodium arsenite, 2,4-D and ammonium nitrate fertilizer in
various combinations.
At the end of the second year of treatments, 1953, Dr. Peterson reported
"the informatbn that has been obtained thus far strongly recommends the
use of sodium arsenite (1/2 oz. per 1000 sq. ft.) applied in a dry mix with
a supplemental fertilizer. The importance of the supplemental fertilizer
cannot be overemphasized".

In the fall of 1954 - after three years of treatments - the original thirty
plugs of pearlwort are almost entirely eliminated from all plots and have
been replaced by grass. New patches of the weed have shown up, but they
are not so large or numerous as to be seriously objectionable. It would
appear that something in the management of this green for these three;
years has produced an environment unfavorable to the growth and spread
of the pearlwort plant. Two factors which may be wholly or partly responsible are (1) liberal fertilization, which promotes vigorous, competitive grass growth, and (2) control of the seed source by complete removal away from the green of all clippings. Under these conditions also,
no seed was brought in from fairways by machinery, golfers or other
means.
Soil Conditioners
In the spring of 1954 an experiment was set up, with the cooperation of
the Monsanto Chemical Company, to study the effect of soil conditioners
on the establishment and quality of greens. Three soils were used, {!)
the native, impervious clay occurring on the Station campus, (2) a mixture of sawdust, sand, topsoil, and native clay and (3) a mixture similar
to (2) except that peatmoss was substituted for sawdust. To each of these
soils Krilium was applied at rateó of O, 2, and 3 lbs. per 100 sq. ft., and
worked into the surface 6 inches.
To date, three months after seeding, the grass on the Krilium-treated clay
soil is more uniform and vigorous in appearance than the grass on the untreated area. There has been no obvious difference so far between the
treated and untreated areas on the mixed soils.
Records have been kept of the cost of preparing these greens and appear
in Table I.

Table 1. Cost of preparing soil mixtures for 1800 sq. ft. of green to a
depth of 12 inches
Peat Mixture

Sawdust Mixture

Materials
Topsoil
Sand
Peat

20 yds. @ 1.40
15 yds. @ 2.50
15 bal. @ 2. 55

$28.00
37.50
38.25

Topsoil
20 yds.
Sand
15 yds.
Sawdust 20 yds.
Nitraprills 24#

$103.75

@ 1.40
$28.00
@ 2.50
37.50
@ .77 1/4 15.45
©0.05
1.20
$82.15

Machinery
Bulldozer 4 hrs. © 10.00
Ferguson with scoop
9 hrs. @ 4.00
Total for Machinery

Grand Totals
Cost per 100 sq. ft.

40.00

Bulldozer

40.00

36.00

(scoop)

36.00

$76.00

$76.00

$179.75

$158.15

$ 9.99

$8.79

The cost of incorporating Krilium was $0.60 per 100 sq. ft. for labor and
rototiller. This allowed $2.00 per hour for labor and $8.00 per day for
machine rental. Ground was rototilled at 500 sq. ft. per hour. The cost
of the soil conditioner at 2 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. is $3.60 and at 3 lbs. per
100 sq. ft. is $5. 40.
How these three soils - with the three levels of soil conditioner - compare
as greens soils will have to be decided after some years of testing.

Turf Grass Observation Plantings

During the summer of 1954 single plots of 28 grasses and mixtures of
grasses were seeded. In addition to these, 10 plots of commercial lawn
mixes were seeded. Grasses seeded are:
Seaside bentgrass
Astoria bentgrass
Colonial bentgrass
Highland bentgrass
Kentucky bluegrass
Merion bluegrass
Rough bluegrass
Chewings fescue
Illahee Red Fescue
Rainier Red fescue
Creeping Red fescue
Alta fescue

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M A N A G E M E N T PRACTICES, FERTILIZATION AND T U R F DISEASES
O. J. Noer, Sales Manager and Agronomist
Sewerage Commission of the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Any discussion dealing with turf diseases must be directed toward golf courses
with most emphasis on greens. Turf diseases are a major problem with them.
In lawn grass maintenance diseases are seldom serious. During bad winters
snow mold is not uncommon, but serious loss of grass seldom occurs. St. Augustinegrass, Zoysia to a lesser extent, and Kentucky bluegrass in parts of the
West are attacked by a disease which looks like brown patch. The spots are
alike except for the absence of the smoky ring because cool weather does not
produce wilting of the grass along the outside edges where the organism is active. Despite the similarity in appearance, it is unlikely that the casual organisms are the same. The leaf spot diseases are widespread and may seriously

damage the bentgrasses, Kentucky bluegrass and fescue. Merion bluegrass is
resistant to leaf spot, but it is attacked by rust. Management factors help keep
it in check, and play a part in preventing serious turf loss with other diseases.
Fungicides are rarely used by the homeowners, probably because damage is
seldom severe and grass recovers by itself.
In order to minimize disease, the homeowner must depend upon good maintenance practices for the particular kind of grass and the locality. By doing that,
disease troubles are seldom serious. Lime should be used on moderate to
strongly acid soil. After providing for phosphorus and potash, if either or both
are needed, the problem is one of nitrogen feeding. Modern practice is to use
some in spring, in early summer, and again in early fall. Where snow mold isa
possibility, fall applications of nitrogen should be made early and the rate
should be moderate so grass can harden-off before the onset of winter.
The infectious diseases of humans are caused by bacteria. Fungi are responsible for the common parasitic grass diseases. The parasitic fungi depend upon
living tissue for their livelihood. They are the organisms which cause dollar
spot, brown patch, snow mold, pink patch, pythium, copper spot, leaf spot,
rust, etc.
Other saprophytic fungi live upon dead organic matter. The fairy ring fungus is
in this class. It does not attack grass, but competes with it for the soil supply
of nitrogen and moisture. Its long range control depends upon depleting the
soil of cellulose material, grass stems, leaves, etc. This is accomplished by
the use of a little lime and insuring a supply of air in the soil.
There are functional disorders, such as iron chlorosis which is becoming more
common. Chlorosis is associated with over-wetness and high content of organic
matter in the humid parts of the country. An over-abundance of phosphorus in
the soil is an aggravating factor. In the semi-arid regions iron chlorosis is
referred to as calcium induced chlorosis because the highpH and presence ofcarbonates immobilizes the iron in the soil. Over-doing lime in humid regions has
the same effect. The tissues of chlorotic grass are soft and tender. They are
ready prey for the organisms which cause leaf spot and every other fungal dis ease.
Fungicides are useful and necessary tools in the maintenance of golf greens.
One shudders to contemplate as to what could happen without them. The toll of
grass-less greens would be appalling in a bad year.
A fungicide which has been consistently good in controlled tests does not necessarily receive the same acclaim in practice. It is praised by some and condemned by others - unjustly sometimes. The kind of grass or the management
program may be such that nothing will stop or prevent damage from disease.
These factors are overlooked in most discussions about diseases and their control. Maintenance can degrade as well as improve a grass.

One course may be plagued with disease and unable to secure control with any
fungicide. The course across the road has little or no disease and gets good
control with the same fungicides. The soil, the grass, and the climate are
identical so the difference is one of Management - with the emphasis on the M A N
part.
Many years ago a Missouri club spent about five thousand dollars for fungicide
and tried every known kind in a frantic attempt to save the greens. They failed
dismally. Every Monday the greens received ammonium sulfate at 5 pounds
per 1,000 square feet in a vain attempt to control weeds by making the soil more
acid, This was during the "Acid Era" in turf maintenance. The heavy sulfatin g
made the grass so lush that it fell prey to every known disease and possibly to
unknown ones. After the grass died weeds were worse than ever. A sensible
feeding program was devised and used the year following. Fungicides performed
as expected and the cost for the seasonal fungicide requirements dropped from
astronomical to reasonable figures.
Grass and people are alike in one respect at least. A person in a run-down or
unhealthy condition invites disease. The same thing is true of grass. By skillfull management an inferior grass may look like the best. An unsound maintenance program may make a superior grass resemble the poorest strain.
At about the time the acid theory was falling into disfavor, Mr. Joe Valentine
used the nursery at Merion Golf Club as a testing ground. He applied lime on a
portion of the Washington bent plot. Dollar spot struck three weeks later. There
was none on the limed, portion. Damage was very severe on the unlimed part.
In this instance lime was the thing needed to make the grass more robust so it
could resist the disease.
When Victor Larson was in charge at Minneapolis Golf Club he had no end of
trouble with dollar spot on his Washington bent green. There would be a bad
outbreak every three weeks. Routine practice was to apply Calo-Clor to check
the disease and some ammonium sulfate to speed recovery. Soil tests disclosed
nothing unusual. The answer was simple but did not come until after Victor' s
death. We now know that dollar spot is aggravated by too little as well as too
much nitrogen, A change in the fertilizer program to insure a continuous and
and more uniform supply of nitrogen would have lessened dollar spot, saved
fungicide, and eliminated Larson's summertime misery.
In May, 1953 leaf spot played havoc with the grass on all the greens at a prominent Buffalo club. Damage occurred in a matter of hours. Leaf spot was the
immediate but not the basic cause of injury. This fact was substantiated by the
failure of two of the better known leaf spot fungicides to do any good. The grass
was mostly Virginia bent and Poa annua. The turf was badly matted, the soil
was strongly acid from the continuous use of ammonium sulfate. Greens were
low in magnesium and in potassium. By changing the management program,
greens staged a quick comeback and were good all that year and again in 1954.
52

i

The greens were aerified and the mat was gradually removed. Dolomitic limestone was applied generously after aerifying. Greens got more potash. The
type of nitrogen was changed and the rates and interval of application were de signed to furnish the grass with a continuous and uniform amount of nitrogen
The new program worked wonders on the grass and enabled fungicides to do
the job expected of them.
It is only human to blame disease for everything, especially when the signs seem
so plain. The examples just cited show the fallacy of that approach. Ability to
recognize and evaluate these secondary causes and effects is important. Then
one can devise a program to improve conditions for growth; one which will
strenghten the grass and thereby help it cope with disease,
Themost important management factors include use of the right grass, watering
and fertilization. This triumvirate usually makes or breaks the M A N of management.
Grasses differ in their susceptibility to disease, or in their ability to resist it.
Seaside is very susceptible to snow mold and would be a bad choice in regions
where this disease is bad. Washington, Congressional, or one of the better
colonials would be better choices because of their resistance to this di sease.
The old Virginia strain was among the first to suffer injury from leaf spot.
Washington takes dollar spot but is more resistant to brown patch than Metropolitan. The latter is less apt to get dollar spot, but is more susceptible to
brown patch. Arlington and Cohansy are very good gr asses in the r egLons
where summers are hot. The mixture of equal parts Arlington and Congress ional seems to be a good one generally. The new Pennlu strain fromPennsylvania
is said to be an excellent putting green grass.
Water management is as important as selection of the right grass. Improper
watering is responsible for many bad greens. The tendency is to over water.
Some fail to recognize the necessary for hand syringing during hot weather. It
is the only way to save shallow rooted turf. Such greens must be watched for
wilting on Saturdays and Sundays as well as during the week. Failure to do that
is the reason why some greens deteriorate over the weekend. They may be
reasonably good Friday night and bad by Monday.
The workman who waters the greens is the key man on the force. He should be
selected for intelligence and trained to do the job. Instruction should include
something about the why as well as the how to use water.
Drainage is another important item associated with water management. It includes air drainage as well as quick removal of surplus water. Good internal
soil drainage is extremely important, especially in regions where heavy rainfall
is a probability during hot weather. Tile is not needed when greens are located

on a porous subsoil. With tight compact subsoil tile is desirable. The herringbone system is best. The distance between tile lines should not exceed 15 to
20 feet. Trenches should be backfilled with coarse material such as pea gravel.
A gravel blanket on top of the subgrade is a desirable feature provided a tile
system is installed underneath to remove gravitational water when it reaches
the gravel blanket.

.

Surface run-off is the best way to remove water quickly. Greens should be designed so surface water leaves the green in several directions. Pocketed areas
which hold ponded water should be absent.
Good air drainage insures passage of air across the surface to remove moisture laden air during humid periods. When the air in immediate contact with
the grass is saturated with moisture dew and guttated water remain on the surface in droplet forms. This provides a favorable medium for disease. Air
movement across the green enables evaporation to occur and the grass becomes
dry.
Lime and fertilizer affect the well-being of grass in many ways. Both have profound effects upon the amount and severity of turf diseases. The examples
cited earlier are proof of that fact. The discussion about lime and about fer tilizer was left to the last purposely, because fertilizers are blamed by some
for all the ills of turf. Nothing is farther from the truth. Although fertilizers
can be misused, no other tool is as useful or has as profound an effect upon
turf quality and density.
Lime is the great soil regulator. Need for it must be considered first and then
it is easy to devise a sound fertilizer program.
A few plants such as gardenias and camellias need an acid medium. Otherwise
they cannot obtain the minute amount of iron required by the green portion of the
leaves and stems. Centipede is a good example among grasses. Applications
of lime are often fatal to its well-being. At one time it was thought that bentgrasses require an acid soil. This is not true.
Most plants grow best in the range of pH 6 . 0 to pH 8.0. The range is narrow
in many instances - such as bluegrass, alfalfa, etc. Other plants can withstand
greater acidity and grow over a wider reaction range. That is the case with the
bentgrasses and fescue. Velvet appears to be more acid tolerant than any of the
other bentgrasses. The beneficial effects of lime seldom show in the amount of
growth. Lime helps grass withstand adversity. The grass on unlimed acid soil
starts to turn brown first with the onset of dry weather. The greener grass
along each edge of the lime lines on football fields is a good example. The reduction in disease following the use of lime on an acid soil was cited earlier.
Sometimes a light dusting of hydrated lime stops brown patch better than anything else.

*

The. use of lime is justified whenever soil reaction is below pH 6, Q. Adolomitic type of lime is best when the soil supply of magnesium is low. Dolomite
corrects acidity and eliminates a possible soil deficiency in magnesium.
After providing lime, or eliminating need for it, the problem is one of devising
a sensible fertilizer program. In doing so this fact must be kept in mind. The
farmer depletes the soil by harvesting the crop. Greens maintenance resembles
farming in this one respect. The clippings are the crop which is removed. On
other turf areas the clippings fall on the ground. As they undergo decay the
mineral elements are released and restored to the soil in forms which the grass
can use. Plant food losses are confined to nitrogen.
The growing season in Wisconsin is five to six months. Clippings have been
weighed and analyzed from one green at Brynwcod. During the season the dry
weight of clippings from each 1,000 square feet was 100 pounds in round numbers. Where the growing season is longer, the amounts would be proportion ally more. The clippings contained about 5 pounds of nitrogen, 2 pounds phos phoric acid, and 4 pounds of potash. The plant food removed during the season
was equivalent to a 100-pound bag of 5-2-4 fertilizer. It is significant that there
is almost as much potash as nitrogen, and only half as much phosphoric acid.
The 5-2-4 ratio is vastly different than 5-10-5, 4-12-4, etc., which have been
used in the past. No wonder many greens are becoming low grade phosphate
mines and iron chlorosis is on the increase.
Based on theBrynwood findings, bent greens should receive about 1 pound nitrogen, 1/2 pound phosphoric acid, and 3/4 pound of potash each month per 1,000
square feet of surface to replenish the amounts removed in the clippings.
The easy way is to apply the potash and phosphate all in the late fall or to apply
one-half in the spring and one-half in the fall. Both are taken up by the soil so
they resist leaching. Then use from 1 to 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square
feet per month. The other alternative is to make monthly or semi-monthly applications of all three - nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. When this is done,
the fertilizer ratio should be something like 1-1-1 or 2-1-2, rather than 1-2-1
or 1-2-1.
Iron chlorosis is becoming more common. It was responsible for many bad
greens during the summer of 1954. Most of these greens could have been saved
by prompt use of copperas which is ferrous sulfate;
The secret is to use 2 to 3 ounces per 1,000 square feet with not more than 5
gallons of water. The iron sulfate must be left on the leaf. At least 4 to 5 hours
should elapse after spraying with iron sulfate before it is watered-in, or before
the green is watered. Promptness is important, otherwise the weakened grass
will fall prey to one of the many fungus diseases.

It is only natural that discussions of disease emphasize fungicides and their use.
However, the role of Management cannot be ignored. Fertilizer and water
practice are the things which have profound effects on disease and the effectiveness cf fungicides.

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