£ v h i V 3 m APRIL 1983 PATCH Official Publication of the Michigan & Border Cities Golf Course Superintendents Association Reclaimed balls - Washed, Sorted and Striped ready for us Supply your driving range and pro shop with retrieved bajts. olf ball company today! w Golf Bail Company 6148 Thornycroft Street Utica, Ml 48087 (313) 731*346$ I I I I H SFNU FOR PRIOR BROOM URh AND A D D IT IO N A L INFORMATION 2 MICHIGAN & BORDER CITIES GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT BRUCE WOLFROM, CCC5 Barton H ills Country Club 435 Stein Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103 Off. 662-8359 - Res. 663-9213 VICE PRESIDENT MICHAEL EDGERTON Meadowbrook Country Club 3066 Sesame Howell, Michigan 48843 Off. 349-3608 - Res. (517) 546-5927 SECRETARY-TREASURER KEVIN DUSHANE,CGCS Bloomfield H ills Country Club 159 Willards Way Union Lake, Michigan 48085 Off. 642-0707 - Res. 698-2924 BOARD OF DIRECTORS CLEMWOLFROM Detroit Golf Club 530 Kendry Bloomfield H ills, Michigan 48013 Off. 345-4589 - Res. 334-0140 KEN DEBUSSCHER Wabeek Country Club 33128 Richard O. Drive Sterling Heights, Michigan 48077 Off. 851-1689 - Res. 268-4423 CHARLES GAIGE Lakelands Golf & Country Club 7390 Rickett Brighton, Michigan 48116 Off. 231-3003 - Res. 227-4617 CRAIG ROGGEMAN St. Clair Shores Country Club 22185 Masonic Blvd. St. Clair Shores, Michigan 48082 Off. 294-6170 - Res. 774-1394 DANIEL UZELAC Dominion Golf Club RR No. 1 Oldcastle, Ontario, Canada NOR 1 LO Off. (519) 969-4350 - Res. (519) 969-4350 THEODORE WOEHRLE, CGCS Oakland H ills Country Club 3390 Witherbee Troy, Michigan 48084 Off. 644-3352 - Res. 649-6849 PRESIDENT EMERITUS JAMES TIMMERMAN, CGCS Orchard Lake Country Club 7183 Buckhom Orchard Lake, Michigan 48033 Off. 682-2150 - Res. 360-0238 "A PATCH OF GREEN” P u b lis h e d m on th ly by the MICHIGAN AND BORDER CITIES GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION Circulation: 1,250 Ted Woehrle, CGCS, Oakland Hills C.C. EDITOR P r in t e d A t BLAKEMAN PRINTING COMPANY 31823 Utica Road Fraser, Michigan 48026 Phone: (313) 293-3540 MONTHLY ADVERTISING RATES Double Page Spread..................................... $150.00 Back Outside P a g e ......................................... 75.00 Full P age ............................................................. 65.00 H alf P age........................................................... 40.00 Quarter P a g e ...................................................... 30.00 E ighth P a g e ...................................................... 1 5.00 Sixteenth P a g e .................................................... 10.00 C lassified Ad (per column in c h ) ................ 7.50 DISCOUNT RATE: One Year 10% Note: Advertising fees may not be deducted from the above rates. rtctuentcd& u- • Century R ain-A id D & B Equipment Repair Dupont Great Lakes M ineral Lakeshore Equipment Corporation Lawn Equipm ent Corporation Lebanon Chem ical Corporation Macomb Landscape Supply C o., Inc. W .F. M ille r Garden & Equipment Oxford Peat Company Raven golf B all Company Rhone-Polenc, Inc. O.M. Scott & Son, Inc. Wm. F . Sell & Son, Inc. Sprinkler Irrigation Supply Co. Term inal Sales Corporation T ire W holesalers, Inc. Turfgrass, Inc. T u rf Supplies, Inc. W ilkie Turf Equipment D iv is io n , Inc. 3 But if you treat your turf with Chipco* R O NSTAR’ G herbicide, it makes no difference. It’s hard to tell the difference be­ tween goosegrass and late-germinating crabgrass. RO NSTAR gives excellent control of both, season-long... and it’s convenient to use, because there’s no leaching prob­ lem, no root pruning, and no problems with ornamental plantings. So, for the best control of grassy weeds, use RO NSTAR. Rhone- Poulenc Inc., Agrochemical Division, Monmouth Junction, NJ 0885^ ( > „RHONE POULENC Please read label carefully, and use only as directed 4 LOOK BACK- AND AHEAD by Dr. Fred V. Grau Consulting Agronomist President, The Musser Foundation Former Director, USGA Green Section Few people alive today have known every president of the National Green- keepers Association, now the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. It has been a real privilege to have known these men who have helped to shape the turfgrass industry. Rhode Island was working with turf before the turn of the century. They have had a long and interesting con­ tinuous track record. Turfgrass selections were made in Connecticut about 1910, largely red fesues. The first book on turf in the U.S. was published in 1917. The authors were Dr. C. V. Piper and Dr. R. A. Oakley, USDA forage crop scientists. These pioneers helped to bring the U.S. Golf Association Green Section into being after Columbia C.C. greens were destroyed by disease, heat and humi­ dity, following applications of am­ monium sulfate to have lush green turf for the 1920 U.S. Open. They putted on sanded BROWNS! 1921 saw the formation of the USGA Green Section and Vol. No. 1 of the B U LLE TIN , now a collector’ s item. CONTINUED PAGE 19 ARE YOU INTERESTED IN JOINING THE MICHIGAN AND BORDER CITIES GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION? FILL IN THE QUESTIONAIRE BELOW AND MAIL TO: CLEM WOLFROM DETROIT GOLF CLUB 530 Kendry Bloomfield H ills, Ml 48013 Off. 345-4589, Res. 334-0140 DATE NAME ADDRESS ________________________________________________________________ CITY _______________ ___________ ST AT E ______________ ZIP ___________ O R Y O U M A Y C O N T A C T T H E N E X T G O L F C O U R S E S U P P L I E R W H O C A L L O N Y O U A N D G I V E H I M T H E I N F O R M A T I O N N E E D E D F O R A P P L I C A T I O N . 5 Are Acti-Dione Fungicides Safe? TOXICITY OF ACTI-DIONE® FUNGICIDES Toxicity, potential health hazards, and the impact of pesticides on the en­ vironment are subjects that have been widely discussed and reported in news media during the past few years. One of the most common measurements of pesticide toxicity is the Acute Oral LD50 in the rat. The test involves oral administration of the test chemical at various levels to laboratory rats to establish the dose required to kill 50% of the test animals. This LD50 value is expressed in mg/kg, meaning the milligrams of test chemical per kilo­ gram of animal body weight required to kill 50% of the animals. Most reported LD50 values refer to technical or pure chemical as opposed to formulated commercial products. Two important points must be con­ sidered when evaluating the LD 50 value for Acti-dione. First it must be clearly noted whether pure technical chemical or a more dilute formulated product was used in the test. Second, consider the wide species variation in the re­ sponse of test animals to Acti-dione. The following comments relate to these two subjects. Cycloheximide, the activite ingredient in Acti-dione fungicides, has an Acute oral LD50 of 1.75 mg/kg in rats. Un­ fortunately, such data are misleading and do not present the true picture regarding the toxicity and possible health hazards of formulated Acti- dione products. When evaluating potential hazards to the consumer, primary consideration should be given CONTINUED PAGE 18 DaB Equipment Repair Specializing in unit repairing and sharpening Servicing: Jacobsen Worthington & Toro Spartan Complete Parts and Service - Pick-up and Delivery Winter Storage Available - SATISFACTION GUARANTEED 313 534-5515 or 313 565-2561 Ask For MARK 6 Responses to late fall applications of Nitrogen Carriers By R.A. Bay and P.E. Rieke respectively. Similar In mid-Michigan the time for this late fall application of nitrogen is suggested for November 7-10 when using soluble nitrogen sources. The appropriateness of this date will vary with the particular season and the location in the state. For several years, we have had late fall nitrogen fertilization studies on annual bluegrass fairways, while other studies have been carried out on Kentucky bluegrass for 3 years and 2 years on a bentgrass green. Typical data for quality ratings are given in Tables 1 and 2 for applications on a green and a fairway, re­ sponses have been observed on Kentucky bluegrass, although fewer carriers were studied. Clearly, response to timing of the fall application is dependent on the nitro­ gen carrier. Slow release nitrogen sources must be applied much earlier than soluble sources as would be expected. Based on experience for several years, suggested timing of specific carriers can be related to the date of application of a soluble source such as urea or ammonium nitrate recommended for November 7-10. The following nitrogen sources should be applied at the intervals previous to these dates depending on the season: sulfur coated urea from C.I.L., 10-14 days; sulfur coated urea from LESCO, 2-3 weeks; Milorganite, 3-4 weeks; IBDU, 4-5 weeks; fertilizers containing both soluble and slow release nitrogen sources, 7 days, depending on the relative amounts of each and the slow release carrier present. To date, no differences in snow-mold or winter injury occurred on these studies, although these may yet occur in the future. Advantages of successful fall nitrogen applications include: 1) Good turf color in the spring without the flush of growth typical of spring applicatidns; 2) The plant is able to CONTINUED NEXT PAGE late ROSTER CHANGE Edward Clann (Grace) 200 Marlette Drive Venice, Florida 33596 People who want milk should not seat themselves on a stool in the middle of a field in hope that the cow w ill back up to them. Elbert Hubbard No synthetically produced fertilizer can compare with MILORGANITE Golf Courses Use More M I L O R G A N I T E ^ ■ /• v - r - _ < Yut/:-; Thun Any Other Fertilizer TERMINAL SALES CORP. 12871 EATON AVE. DETROIT, MICH. 48227 (313) 491 -0606 7 Nitrogen Carriers, cont. continue photosynthesis in the fall, increasing carbohydrate levels and root growth; 3) These may be less susceptible to spring and summer diseases than when comparable spring applications are made. The benefit of early fall (early Septem­ ber in mid-Michigan) application of nitrogen at appropriate rates is well documented. This allows the plant to accumulate carbohydrates and grow new roots after the summer stress season, yet the plant can begin the hardening process in October. Early fall fertilization is essential for good turf maintenance. Increasingly, nitro­ gen is being applied in late fall (some­ times called dormant or late season application) on turf with good results. Timing of this application is critical especially on greens, tees and fairways. The nitrogen should be applied to uptake occurs after vertical shoot growth ceases, yet early enough so the nitrogen can still be taken up by the active roots and some photosynthesis still occurs. Potential disadvantages are: 1) Foliar burn can occur after the irrigation is shut down; 2) Unusual system periods of warm weather after applica­ tion could result in too much late growth and potential loss of hardiness - of greatest concern with early application could result in too much application of slow release sources; 3) There could be greater susceptibility to snowmold diseases if the turf is not treated for control; 4) There could be greater susceptibility to late winter- early spring low temperature injury; 5) The potential for leaching of nitrate nitrogen exists - for this reason com­ pletely soluble sources should not be used on sand soils. We suggest 1 pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet timed for the specific nitrogen source according to the above outline. A carrier which provides both fast and slow release sources is prob­ ably safest to use. The plots shown include year-round fertilization programs with some late fall nitrogen treatments. No differ­ ences in winter injury or snowmold occurred this past winter. Similar late fall studies have been initiated on annual bluegrass, Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass plots. Scotts most successful product is not available for sale... only for advice and support... your ProTurf lech Rep. Jim Bogart Executive Technical Representative Jim Brocklehurst Technical Representative ProTurf Division O.M . Scott & Sons 66 Gibralter Road Rockford, Michigan 49341 Telephone: 616/866-9389 8 ProTurf Division O. M . Scott & Sons 1964 Catalpa Street Berkley, Michigan 48072 Telephone: 313/547-9632 Great Lal^es Minerals Co. Topdressing Sands TDS - 50 CONTROLLED TO USGA SPECIFICATIONS TDS - 50 is a Free Flowing, Sterilized sand . . . proven ideal for topdressing and tee and green construction. Great Lakes' TopDressing sand is available in truckload quantities. Also available - Trap and Specialty Sands. 2855 COOLIDGE HWY. • TROY, Ml 48084 Telephone: 313/649-3700 9 System Developed to Control Canada Goose Nuisance Method Proven Effective After Five Years of Field Testing; Is now Commercially Available Golf Superintendent Pat Lucas of Old Greenwich, Connecticut has recently developed what he describes as the first really effective system for control­ ling the problem of Canada Geese on the golf course. Perfected after five years of intensive field testing at the Innis Arden Golf Club in Old Greenwich, Lucas’ method, which he calls the “ Sentinel Swan Family System” , is now being marketed commercially for the first time. Prospective customers include golf courses, parks, and grounds super­ intendents at locations where the persistent presence of Canada Geese has become a continuous nuisance. According to Lucas, the Sentinel Swan Family System works where other methods fail because it uses replicas of entire family groups of extremely life­ like, full-size swans made of bouyant foamed polystyrene. “ Research has shown that Canada Geese are not easily fooled by any number of physical, scarecrow-like devices, crudely designed and placed swan replicas” , said Lucas. “ But we have proven that geese are smart enough to respect the threat posed by what they see as greedy and vicious family groups.” Complete documentation of the Sen­ tinel Swan Family System’s effective- CONTINUED PAGE 15 including some swan FOR ALL YOUR IR R IG A TIO N NEEDS YOUR FULL STOCK FULL SERVICE D ISTR IB U TO R JIM VINCE AUSTIN MILLER PETE ASARO rx CXL>LG T T T -rr^ W < ~ S P R IN K L E R IR R IG A T IO N S U P P L Y CO. 1316 N. C A M P B E L L R O A D R O Y A L O A K , Ml 48067 P H O N E : (313) 398-2233 10 TERSAN 1991 Put the proven performers control of brown patch, serious ^Daconil 2787* together for even better dollar spot and other diseases. T e r s a n * 1991 fungicide and Daconil 2787* fungicide are two of the most effec­ tive disease control products on the market. And now, these proven broad-spectrum fungicides are labeled for tank mixing. Together, they give you even better control of major turf diseases than either product used alone. You get improved control, yet without the problem of phytotoxicity com mon with some tank mixes. A T e r s a n 1991/Daconil 2787 tank mix will give you consistent performance against brown patch and dollar spot— the two most troublesome diseases on turf each summer. You’ll also get strong action on leaf spot and other important diseases. It’s the kind of performance superinten­ dents depend on when a quality course can’t be compromised. ‘ Daconil 2787 is a registered trademark of Diamond Shamrock Corporation. Thnk mixing brings other advantages, too. With T e r s a n 1991 in your tank, you get systemic action for protection from within the turf plant. Disease control is longer- lasting and is less affected by rainfall or frequent irrigation. Tank mixing fungi­ cides with different modes of action also reduces chances of benzimidazole resis­ tance. You help insure the long-term effec­ tiveness of T e r s a n 1991 in your disease control program. This year, plan on using T e r s a n 1991 in combination with Daconil 2787. It’s the tank mix turf diseases can’t match. With an y chemical, follow labeling Instructions and warnings carefully. 11 EVERCRETE CON K en tucky Rail Fencing is made from high strength, steel reinforced, fully pigmented con­ crete. It is mass produced by machine to make it easily affordable. CONSIDER . . . Your saving of time and money. NO MAINTENANCE . . . No splinters, no rusty nails, no rotting, no warp­ ing, no painting. INSTALLATION IS EASY . . . Either do it yourself or have it done by our experienced installers. Ideal for residential, industrial, municipal or farming requirements. You have a choice of either two, three or four rail styles. AT LAST A FENCE THAT'S A GOOD INVESTMENT. DISTRIBUTED BY- Macomb Landscape Supply Co., Inc. 23654 HALL RD. MT. CLEMENS, MICHIGAN 48043 468-0563 12 IRETE PRODUCTS M aintenance-Free Fencing & W alls Cedarland Staggered PATTERNS/COLORS, Available in Brown, Chamois, Salmon and Natural. (Patterns above pictures) ADVANTAGES, As quick as installing a fence. Cost competitive with wood and steel, but at a fraction of the cost of brick, block or concrete. Can fit any dimensions. No maintenance and Long Life. SPECIFICATIONS, Heights from 8" up to 18'0” . Panels lock Tongue & Groove into each other for stability and noise protection. Fifty (50) Freeze Thaw Cycles. Concrete or Steel Posts available. USES, The Heavy Duty Series is ideal for Privacy, screening and secur­ ity in a variety of applications. INTERLOCKING PAVERS EVERLOCK PAVERS are available in warm earth tone colors - charcoal grey, charcoal brown, salmon and silver grey. Pigment extends through­ out the product and cannot wear off. Dimensional uniformity without the irregularities associated with fired clay brick. 13 A TORO. GROUNDSMASTER 52 A new dimension in riding rotaries: the perfect mid-size mower. Big enough to mow up to 18 acres a day. Maneuverable enough to mow, and trim, an acre or less. Groundsmaster 52. With hydrostatic drive and clean, simple engineering all the way. Haven’t you done without a new Toro long enough? WILKIE Turj Equipment Division, Inc. P.O. Box 749 • 1050 Opdyke Rttad • Pontiac • Michigan • 48056 • 313/373-8800 14 Honker Control, cont. ness is provided in a feature article by- lined by Lucas that appears in the September, 1982 issue of GOLF COURSE M A N A G E M E N T magazine. In it he cites many of the more ob­ noxious aspects of unwelcome resident flocks of Canada Geese on golf course ponds, waterways and fairways - including the clean-up of unhealthy rollers, droppings, packed power feather-clogged irrigation suction strainers, and, on an even more personaal level, having to deal with complaints from club members. The commerical version of the Sen­ tinel Swan Family System includes a set of five realistic, life-size swan replicas that represent both adult and young swans. The “ swans” readily float and require no complex mountings or installation procedures. A single Sentinel Swan Family System is available for $130.00, and orders of from two to four Family Systems cost $125.00 per System. Five or more sets ordered at one time are available at $120.00 per System. Each order includes a six page instruction guide prepared by Lucas. To order, buyers are requested to send a check with indication of the number of Systems required (Connecticut residents add 7%% sales tax) to Sentinel Swans, 81 Tomac Avenue, Department “ P” Old Greenwich, CT 06870. Orders are shipped freight collect. For more information, call (203) 637-3939. LEAF GALLS ON SHADE TREES James A. Fizz ell, Sr. Extension Adviser, Horticulture University of Illinois Galls are abnormal growths on plants. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors depending on the insect, disease, or environmental condition that caused them. According to James A Fizzell, University of Illinois Horti­ culturist in Cook County, when insects cause these tumors, the growth is stimulated by chemicals that the insect produces. Although insect galls on the leaves of shade trees may detract from the CONTINUED NEXT PAGE With 27 field-proven formulas w e may have more solutions than you have problems. Distributed by: .jtoa. LAWN EQUIPMENT CORPORATION N O V I, M IC H . 48050 46845 W. 12 M IL E R OAD P .O . BOX 500 SERVING ALL OF MICHIGAN! (313) 348-8110 the professional’s partner Andersons Law n F ertilizer Division P.O . Box 119 Maum ee, Ohio 43537 Ohio: 800-472-3220 Outside Ohio: 800-537-3870 15 Leaf Galls, cont. beauty of the tree, they really don’t weaken it. Succulent oak galls are very common on oaks this year. They are green growths that occur at the base of leaves of pin oak and some other oak varieties. They look like small green grapes and are caused by tiny non-stinging wasps which lay eggs as leaves are emerging in the spring. The pin oak leaves con­ tinue to develop into full-sized leaves and no more galls are produced until the following spring. Honey locust pod galls are actually leaflets that are deformed into small, green to reddish balls about Vs inch in diameter. The flies that cause these galls haveseveral generations a year producing additional galls on honey locust throughout the summer. Maple bladder galls appear as green, pinhead-sized lumps on maple and box elder leaves in the spring. These galls are caused by mites that have several generations that produce additional galls throughout the summer. Al­ though these galls are green when pro­ duced, they soon turn red. Hackberry nipple galls are caused by insects that are close relatives to aphids, called psyllids. The gnat-like adults enter our omes in the fall to hibernate for the winter and return to hackberry leaves in early spring to lay their eggs. The immature psyllids that hatch from these eggs cause the green, nipple-like galls to be formed around themselves as the leaves develop. One generation is produced each summer that emerges as adults in the fall. Generally control measures are not recommended for gall producing creatures, since galls on leaves usually cause no apparent harm to the tree. Although the appearance of the leaves may be different from normal seldom is the gall infestation large enough to be noticeable exept by close inspection. Fizzell, says CREDIT: BULL SHEET Little girl to her mom: "Mom, why did the elephant sit on the marshmellow?" Mom: " I don't know, why?" Little girl: "So he wouldn't fall into the hot chocolate." 16 " Serving you better J / V' : With Q U A LIT Y ----- MALL1NCKRODT LEWIS FORE PAR CLEARY COUNTRY CLUB CHICOPEE Upjohn FOX VALLEY Chipco d ia m o n d s h a m r o c k Yankee c y c l o n e PBI Gordon Aquatrols Turf grass Products PanaSea SOUTH LYON, MICHIGAN 48178 Phon# Area 313 4371427 GENE JOHANNINGSMEIER Palmer Wins Prestigious New Golf Award Arnold Palmer has been named the first recipient of the “ Old Tom ” Morris Award, established recently by the Golf Course Superintendents Associa­ tion of America (GCSAA) to satisfy the need for a significant international award that would help identify with the true heritage and traditional founding of the game. “ Old Tom ” Morris, one of golfs first greats, was a greenkeeper, golf pro­ fessional, club and ball maker, golf course architect and accomplished player who won four British Open Championships between 1861 and 1867. While at the Royal and Ancient, St. Andrews, Scotland, “ Old Tom” acquired worldwide fame, boosting the popularity of golf through his role as the first superstar of g o lf- as detailed in the November 1982 issue of GOLF COURSE M A N A G E M E N T magazine, GCSAA’s official monthly publication. Selection of Palmer as first recipient of such a significant award was an easy task, according to GCSAA President, James A. Wyllie. “ Besides being a superstar like ‘ Old Tom,’ Palmer has displayed a continuing, selfless commitment to golf and furthered the welfare of the game in a manner exemplified by ‘ Old Tom’ Morris,” Wyllie said last week. Palmer, himself the son of a green- keeper, has made clubs and designed golf courses in a career studded with more than 70 tournament victories. His contributions to the popularity and welfare of the game are, according to Wyllie, “ immeasurable.” Palmer is slated to accept the award at GCSAA’s 54th International Turf grass Conference and Show in Atlanta, Ga., on February 24, 1983. GCSAA, the sponsor of this premier international turfgrass management, is a professional associa­ tion 5,500 strong representing golf course superintendents in the United States, Canada and 25 foreign coun­ tries. event the in 17 31691 Dequindre Madison Heights, Ml 48071 313/588-2990 221 59 Telegraph Southfield, Ml 48034 313/358-2992 Acti-Dione, cont. to the formulated products actually being used - not the technical cyclo- heximide. Because of its very potent fungicidal properties, the concentra­ tion of cycloheximide in our formulated Acti-dione products ranges from only 0.027% in Acti-dione PM, to a max­ imum of 2.1% in Acti-dione TGF. The Acute oral LD50 values of these various Acti-dione products in rats are com­ pared to technical cycloheximide as follows : % Acute Oral LD50 (mg/kg) Rat Product Cycloheximide 1.75 5,500 189 217 156 95 0.027 0.75 1.3 2.1 Technical Acti-dione® Acti-dione P M ® ____ Acti-dione® Thiraml Acti-dione RZ®1 . . . . Acti-dione T G F ® ____ U t should be noted that Acti-dione Thiram and Acti-dione RZ are combination products with tetramethylthiuram disulfide and pentachloronitrobenzene, respectively; and, therefore, reflect the toxicity of these fungicides as well as that of cycloheximide. A second consideration in attempting to estimate possible hazards of Acti- dione to the user based on Acute Oral LDso data in rats, is the dramatic species variation in response to this chemical. While the Acute Oral LD50 in rats is 1.75 mg/kg, the analogous value in mice is 133 mg/kg. This means that the rat is about 75 times more sensitive to cycloheximide than the mouse. Since cycloheximide was orignally evaluated as a potential human drug, evidence is plentiful to indicate that man is one of the more tolerant species. Single doses of greater than 700 mg. have been administered successfully to humans. Human beings with fungal diseases hae tolerated 30 mg four times daily intra­ muscularly and 180 mg per day intra­ venously. Cycloheximide has been used in clinical studies for cancer chemotherapy in doses up to 15 mg/kg two to three times per week for up to 48 days. Acti-dione (cycloheximide) was dis­ covered in 1946; and since that time, has been widely used for plant disease control In more than 20 years of commercial use, there has never been a single authenticated case of accidental poisoning. Although this is testimony to the relative safety of Acti-dione products, it is important to remember that as with any pesticide, they should be used in accordance with label directions, and handling and use precautions should be carefully noted. Remember! STOP, RE AD TH E LABEL. le tn t f a . Let’s Talk Fungicides! We stock the Proven Best. Tersan 1991, 2#-Proven systemic action. Tersan LSR, 3#-Leaf spot & rust control. Tersan S.P.. 3#-Snow mold & Pythium. Daconil 2787, 2#-Very broad spectrum. Daconil 2787 2 Gal.Flowable, liquid. Benomyl Gran,24#-Dry, spreadable. Chipco .26019, 2#- Broad spec, systemic. Fore (Dithane), 50#-Leaf spot & Rust cntl. Acti-Dione Thiram, 10#-Brown & Dollar Acti-Dione R.Z., 1 Q#-Anti-biotic Fungicide Acti-Dione TFG, 1#-Water-Sol, Anti-biotic Bayleton 25W, 2#-Fusarium prevent & cure Dyrene Gran., 10#-Snow mold cntl. & cure BRUCE, DAVE & GEOFF WOULD LIKE TO TAKE YOUR ORDER 6900 Pardee Rd. Taylor, Ml 48180 (313) 291-1200 18 Look Back & Ahead, cont. Greens were mowed with hand-push mowers and horses pulled 3-gang fairway mowers. These were the days when greens had only surface drainage and were topdressed with compost made by building layers of sod, lime and manure. W eed seeds were not killed so that men and women picked the weeds with sharp knives. Rotary screens sifted the compost which was spread with shovels. Calomel and bichloride of mercury helped to control the two major diseases, dollar spot and large brown- patch. Moveable sprinklers watered the greens of Cocoos bent (Seaside bent) and, in New England, Velvet bent. Fairways got nothing but rainfall. It was a chip and run in summer. Fertilizers included sulfate of am­ monia, nitrate of soda, blood meal, superphosphate, quano and cotton­ seed meal. Sprinkler barrels put the dissolved solubles on the greens. Many were the disasters when sulfate ammonia and hydrated lime were applied too close together. That lesson was learned the hard way. Earthworms spoiled putts so corrosive sublimate was applied to control them. Mowrah meal also brought them up where they were removed with brooms and scoop shovels. Grubs were tol­ erated because we had no control until arsenate of lead was found about 1930 to be effective. In 1927, my first year at the University of Nebraska I took care of the first turf plots in Nebraska. M y wages were 25 cents an hour, money furnished by a small grant from the USGA Green Section. I would go to classes on alternate days. The other days I was greenkeeper on an 18 hole golf course with Washington bent greens and bluegrass fairways. No. 4 hole was seeded with sheep fescue (by mistake). That rough mixture has persisted all these years but now, with irrigation, it is nearly gone. W e had a cast-iron water cannon fed with a two inch hose. I watered fairways at night bare footed, let me tell you, a 2-inch hose full of water is H E A VY! One green planted to Virginia bent by stolons. It was the grainiest grass Fve ever seen. Thank goodness it is long gone. My next assignment was in Chicago at the Mid West Turf Gardens on the A D . Lasker Estate. One of the old Demonstration Gardens was located there. After a month I was called to Washington D.C. to join the Green Section staff headed by Dr. John Monteith. The Arlington Turf Gardens were on the South bank of Potomac, where the Pentagon now stands. When it was built the plots were moved to Beltsville where I inherited them in 1945 when I was named Director of the USGA Green Section. By now the states of Michigan, New Jersey and Penn State had turf grass research and education programs established. The pioneers were, re­ spectively: Dr. James Tyson, Dr. Howard Spraque and Prof. H.B. Musser There was little active coopertion among the Big Four but a lot of active controversy which, at times, became spirited. Prof. L. S. Dickinson was one of the pioneers in education at the Stockbridge School. In 1931 at the Arlington Turf Gardens, there was a start of gathering turfgrass selections. W e had U -l, U-2 and U-3 bermuda grasses, Zoysia was there but it was considered a botanical curiosity. Several bluegrasses, including B-27 had been collected. Also there were C- strains of creeping bentgrasses start­ ing with C-l which later I named Arlington. Experiments were conducted at the old Bannockburn golf course (now all houses) where we learned that early morning watering resulted less disease than evening watering. There we had a “ PIE G RE EN” where the better bentgrasses were compared under one management. Greenkeepers always rated dark green grasses higher than yellowish-green grass such as C-7, later named Cohansey (Pint Valley). But, C-7 was aggressive, heat and disease reistant so that it invaded the weaker bents. In 1937 the Depression caused the USGA to lose nearly all its members. Lack of income caused all Green Section employees to lose their jobs. I had finished my Master’ s degree at the University of Maryland on “ Weed Control in T u rf’ in which I tagged sodium arsenite as the No. 1 turf weed killer. There was a lot of brown turf where it was used but it did the job and discouraged soil insects as well. With CONTINUED NEXT PAGE in 19 cduiUNTRY CLUB TURF P R O D U C T S —Homogenous Granulation —High UF (W.I.N.) —Balanced Feeding —Fits Your Budget Distributed by.^— Lebanon Chemical Corporation P.O. Box 847, Danville, Illinois 61832 uim.F.seii & son,inc. SINCE 1923 RENTAL SALES - SERVICE * SWEEPERS m Tractors Equipment * LOADERS A TRENCHERS A MOWERS * ROTARY CUTTERS * BACK HOE DIGGERS A BACK FILL BLADES * POST HOLE DIGGERS JOB TAILORED EQUIPMENT Molwial Hondling ^ / / O O O d f t f t & form Equipment C 16555 TELEGRAPH RD. - 1 MILE SOUTH OF EUREKA all TAYLOR 20 in turfgrass and Look Back & Ahead, cont. no job and no money two Maryland professors encouraged me to go on for my Ph.D. degree. That came in 1935 at which time green keepers Valentine, Farnham and Steiniger pulled strings to get me to Penn State as the first extension turf agronomist in the U.S. Prof. Musser in research and teaching and with Grau covering the state, I brought problems to Burt for his research program. Ours was the first “ team” it really worked. On one of my trips I stopped my Model A Ford to take a picture of a yoke of oxen coming in from plowing a field. I still have th ox yoke that Farmer Brown gave to me. Further on I played on creeping red fescue greens that received a winter coating of strawy horse manure and rarely were watered. They were good greeens, mowed maybe weekly. Wheelbarrow seeders were used to put common Kentucky bluegrass seed in Spring on hard fairways with no soil preparation. Rarely did a seed grow. In Philadelphia we killed crabgrass with sodium cholorate which softened goosegrass and made it stand up to get cut off by mowers. Musser and I encouraged several farmers to grow “ Penn State Chewings Fescue” in cultivated rows. That didn’t last long but seed that I grew planted all the fairways at the National Links on Long Island where Aleck Girard was pro greenkeeper. He gave me the original version of the first turf plugger (I still have it). Much turf was neglected during the War. I recall visiting New England courses with Dr. Jesse DeFrance in an effort to get golf courses operating again. Thatch was terrible. Many of us attended the 1937 Fourth International Grasslands Congress in Europe, England, Wales, Scotland and Scandinavia. In August 1945 I was named Director of the USGA Green Section, Collabor­ ating with the USD A at Beltsville, Maryland. During the next 8 years many things happened. I can highlight only some of them. 2, 4-D had just been discovered for killing broadleaf weeds in turf without CONTINUED NEXT COLUMN Tire Wholesalers Company, Inc. 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Dr. K G. Clarke learned how to make a slow-release, non-burning, long-lasting fertilizer by combining urea and formaldahyde. Nitroform came out of that discovery and still is on the market. I began to encourage graduate stu­ dents and developed Green Section Service Subscriptions from all turf- grass interests in order to have money to offer fellowship grants. Among those who were helped are: Jim Watson, Marvin Fergusom, Ralph Engel, Bill Daniel, jack Harper, and Joe Duich. It was a good move. Dr. Glenn Burton at Tifton, Georgia received modest grants from the Green Section to start his program of hybridizing bermuda grasses. His work has revolutionized the South. The American Society of Agronomy recognized the turfgrass industry by establishing a Turf Committee. For 8 years they kept me on as a chairman. It has become an integral part of the Society. Merion Kentucky bluegrass was studied, named and released in 1950, the first bluegrass that came true from seed (apomictic) and the first im­ proved turfgrass to be planted by seed. Meyer (Z-52) zoysia was studied, named and released as a warm-season lawngrass. The combination with Merion made a very tough sod that was shown at the 6 th International Grass­ lands Congress at Pen State. In the August 1953 issue of the National Geographic it was featured in full color, Zoysia seed was produced at Belts- ville. One selection yielded at the calc­ ulated rate of 1800 pounds of seed per acre. National Coordinated Turf Trials were set up and operated with good results. The Aerifier was begun as a crude drawing on my desk with the mascaro brothers and Charles Hallowell work­ ing together. The Aerifier was demon­ strated at one of the National Turf­ grass Field days at Beltsville. Soon after that the Verticut came into being. In 1946-47 “ Timely Turf Topics” carried condensed reports of every paper that was presented at every turf­ grass conference in the U.S. Grass, the “ 1948 USDA Yearbook” CONTINUED NEXT PAGE 21 Agricultural Look Back & Ahead, cont. was a best seller. Chapters were written by leading turf workers. In 1953 I grew grass to sell, then became traveling consultant for West Point Products. Once again I visited my friends on golf courses and sold Aerifiers and Verticut through demon­ strations and education. Nitroform Products beckoned to me and I went to work for Jim O’Donnell. I gave the names Blue chip and Powder Blue to those prod­ ucts which have stood the test of time. When hercules bought Nitroform I spent a year in the hospital in a full body cast with a fused backbone. Even flat on my back I wrote my monthly “ Grau’s Q & A” for Golfdom. In 1961 I traveled for Hercules, drinking “ Pow­ der Blue cocktails” and teaching turf- grass managers how to use this safe material. I forgot to mention that in June 1935 I discovered a field of crownvetch near Virginville, Pennsylvania. As Mrs. Grau and I worked with it the name P E N N G IF T was given to it. Just recently the Pennsylvania legislature named this the official State “ Beautifi­ cation and Conservation Plant” . In 1954 polycross bentgrass seed was named “ Penncross” . The parents were given stress tests at Beltsville. Since then Penneagle has been developed at Penn State. Almost all vegetative bents have been replaced by those two seeded bents. Later Emerald and Prominent have been released. When Prof. Musser died in 1968 a group of his friends established the H.B. Musser Turfgrass Fellowship, Inc. Yes, fm still president. W e’ve supported Fellowships in part in Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas. It encourages higher levels of learning and research in turfgrass science. All this time great advances were being made in the control of weeds, insects and diseases. Everyone is familiar with these accomplishments. Equipment changed, became more sophisticated and complex in the name of labor saving. New forms of fertilizer were developed such as IBDU (Japan) and SCU. Following Merion in 1950 there was an “ explosion” of new cultivars of bluegrasses, ryegrasses, fescues and fall fescues. Irrigation systems grew more sophisticated with push-button controls and Poa annua thrived. Sand began to emerge as the principal material for building greens and for topdressing them. The Green Section became a consulting (for fees) outfit, leaving research to the institutions. In pondering the host of improvements one has to wonder - “ What Next?” I’ d like to offer a few opinions based on 55 years in the profession in almost every phase of research, extension, teaching and selling. Sophistication will yield to natural­ ness. Already some courses are on the way, using less fertilizer, less water, mowing less often and having less Poa annua. Sturdier grasses are on the way that will provide good playing turf with less care at great savings. One day we will learn how to grow good turf without a multitude of chemicals which seem to poison the soil. There are indications that soil bacteria can colonize plant roots and keep them healthy with no chemicals. Over a broad band between cool and warm season grasses we will have combination turf that will hold green color for almost the whole year. Weeds will be minimized by sturdy turf. Some of the zoysias will be grown from seed. Turfgrass organizations will grow stronger because of the need for ex­ change of information and evaluation of new developments. We have wit­ nessed a remarkable development in the last 50 years but there is more, much more to come. Turfgrass Science and Turfgrass Management are honor­ able professions that will challenge the intellects and the initiative of coming generations. It seems unlikely that there will be tax money for turfgrass research. The future lies in cooperation among all turfgrass interests. Funds will be gen­ erated by the combined efforts of all groups. Special groups such as The Musser Foundation, dedicated solely to promoting research and education through advanced degrees (Fellow­ ships), deserve funding from those organizations oriented toward fund raising. By working together, with mutual trust and reciprocity, the world of turf will develop with greater assurance and integrity. 22 Don’t be TRAPPED...Use the EASY RIDER ’76 TRAP MAINTENANCE SYSTEM Why does Easy Rider 76 do the BEST job maintaining your sand traps? Because Easy Rider 76 is not just another trap rake. The Easy Rider is a complete TRAP MAINTENANCE SYSTEM specially designed to maintain sand traps. The simplified finishing rake provides ultra-fine top layer raking, superior to a hand raked finish. In addition to the rear mounted finishing rake, there are THREE INTERCHANGEABLE ATTACHMENTS: The Weed Cultivator, a Super Scooper and, for 1976. a Pre-Rake, all of which can be operated independently or simultaneously with the rear mounted finishing rake. The entire body of Easy Rider is molded fiberglass, mounted on a steel chassis. The rear engine hood and fender section is hinged for easy maintenance. The Pre-Rake*—Uniformly scarifies tightly packed sand where a softer, deeper raked surface is desired. The Weed Cultivator*— Knocks out weeds and loosens deep, hard packed sand. The operator controls the cultivating depth. The Super Scooper*—Picks up eroded sand in low spots and transports it back to the desired high locations. The operator controlled hand lever spreads and feathers the sand to a level finish in one easy operation. r r r r r f r Weed Cultivator’ Super Scooper* 23 Jacobsen Greens King IV. The ultimate triplex mower for greens maintenance is now better than ever. 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