Vol. Il, No. 14

Published monthly by the Metropolitan Golf Course Superintendents Association

MEETING NOTICE
Date:
July 20th
Place:
Mt. Kisco Country Club
Golf:
12:00 Superintendents’ Championship (Golf for
everybody)
Lunch:
Available in Grill Room
Cocktails: 6:00
Dinner:
7:00 Sharp
Speaker:
Dr. Joseph Troll and Dean Denison “Stockbridge”
School
Host:
Fred Scheyhing. Fred has been an active member of
MGCSA serving as Vice President and on many
committees, Program, Field Day. Fred is a graduate
of the University of Massachusetts 2 year turf school
— one of Dr. Troll’s boys. Fred and his wife Judy
live with their daughter in Katonah, N.Y. Fred is a
very active bowler and maintains a high average in
the Mt. Kisco Classic league.
Directions: Taylor Road off Route 117 in Mt. Kisco.
COMING
EVENTS

August 10
August 24
Sept. 11
Sept. 21
October 4
Nov. 16

Rutgers University Field Day
Silver Spring C.C.
Field Day, Brae Burn C.C.
Contact Dom DiMarzo Chairman
Invitational, Whippoorwill Club
Sunningdale Golf Club
Lake Isle C.C. Annual Meeting

MGCSA News:
Past President John Madden had the golf course in super
condition for the joint meeting with Long Island. It was too bad
that so many weren’t able to make it due to the heavy rains of
June. Turf from tee to green was in excellent condition
considering all the rains. Engineers put out a great hors d’oeuvres
spread folllowed by an excellent steak dinner. It was just too bad
the dinner got started so late as the program of the evening didn’t
start until after 10. Mr. Starner gave an excellent presentation,on
some new insights to preventing Dutch Elm Disease, surprisingly
enough the material which is showing great promise is one of the
new systemics Tersan 1991 “Benolate.”
Kay Oviam presented Ben Zukosky and Garry Crothers with
their certification plaques. Surprisingly enough Ben Zukosky has
been a Superintendent 50 years this September at the same club
— The Links. Ben took some courses at night school which he felt
helped him in his certification exam. It’s never too late to stop
learning.
It would be interesting to hear the different amounts of
rainfall recorded in June. It would probably range from 10 to 20
inches. Apawamis recorded 15.5” . Even though we all are
extremely wet we can be thankful we haven’t had any hot
weather because certainly a lot of grass would have been cooked
by now. We all thought we had enough drainage put in last fall
but we have found out otherwise. We certainly can’t forget the
one big key to good turf is drainage.
GCSAA HEADQUARTERS - Readers of THE GOLF
SUPERINTENDENT are reminded that because the 44th GCSAA

July, 1972

Conference and Show will be held January 7-12, 1973, in Boston,
Massachusetts, a month earlier than in past years, it has become
necessary to change the publication’s schedule.
It will be issued as follows for the remainder of the year: July,
August/September, October/November and December (Special
show issue). The journal will continue to follow its rigid mailing
schedule of the first week of each publishing month and readers
can still expect to receive their copies early in July, August,
October and December.
Chapters planning to run an ad in the Conference issue must
get
their
material
to
Headquarters
(THE
GOLF
SUPERINTENDENT - 3158 Des Plaines Avenue, Des Plaines,
Illinois 60018) no later than November 1.
Insect stings are a common warm weather hazard to you as
well as to your men. A possible life savings addition to your first
aid kit at home or on the golf course might be a small bottle of
meat tenderizer you can buy in a grocery store (Adolfs Meat
Tenderizer).
The doctor’s prescription is to dissolve lA teaspoon of
tenderizer in one or two teaspoons of water and rub over the bite.
The doctor explains the tenderizer is rich in papain, a protein
dissolving enzyme which breaks down the venom. He says a dose
of this will stop the pain of most insect stings in seconds if
applied immediately. Only in case of serious shock, should a
doctor’s service be needed.
from The Importance of Water Management, Part I,
by Fred V. Grau, Consulting Agronomist, College Park, Maryland
Drought years in 1963, 1964, and 1965 in the Northeast
created an upsurge in the installation of irrigation systems. Water
was thought to be the answer to the problem. A survey
conducted in 1968 by Dr. Harper, Penn State, showed that
irrigation produced a whole new set of problems.
77% reported decrease in Kentucky blue and red fescue
81% reported increase in Poa annua (some indicated 90 to

100%)
Height of cut had to be lowered
78% said that mowings were doubled
22% said that mowings were tripled
Weeds increased, there was more thatch build-up, new
grasses had to be introduced, renovation became necessary,
fungicide use increased, and fertilizer requirements doubled
and trebled.
Water provides films around solid particles which act as a
lubricant. With traffic the soil particles become rearranged in the
direction of more compaction. Pore spaces were reduced from
33.1% to 6.1% in one study. The weight of the non-compacted
soil was 68 pounds per cubic foot. After compaction the same
soil weighed 112 pounds.
Roots of turfgrasses have been found at considerable depths
when there is good sub-surface drainage, where the soil is
permeable and water has been used in moderation. In California
the roots of Merion bluegrass were drawing moisture below 3
feet. Roots of bentgrasses on putting greens have been found to
be active below 12 inches. The secret is permeability, good
drainage, and good water management.

Editorial Staff
Co-Editor
Co-Editor
Advertising Manager

Garry Crothers
Pat Lucas
Al Tretera
OFFICERS

Everett Wood, Scarsdale G.C.
Office 914-723-2840, Home 914-472-0174
Harry H. Nichol, Elmwood C.C.
First
Office 914-592-6608, Home 914-268-9370
Vice President:
Ronald Boydston, Rockland C.C.
Second
Office 914-359-5346, Home 914-359-2910
Vice President:
Edward C. Horton, Winged Foot G.C.
Secretary:
Office 914-698-2827, Home 914-835-1181
Treasurer:
Garry N. Crothers, The Apawamis Club
Office 914-967-2100, Home 914-666-7126
Sergeant at Arms: Anthony Altomaro, Greenwich C.C.
Office 203-869-1000, Home 203-661-7019
President:

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Office 914-834-3042
Home 914-273-8955
Patrick Lucas, Jr., Back-of-Beyond
Office 914-279-4777
Home 914-279-4701
Gus Powell, Round Hill Club, Inc.
Office 203-869-2350
Home 203-531-5826
Anthony Savone, Innis Arden C.C.
Office 203-637-3210
Home 203-637-4475
John Sundholm, Green Rock Corp.
Office 914-631-4560
Home 914-631-4458
Allan Tretera, Fenway G.C.
Office 914-472-1467
Home 914-241-2169
Past President: John Madden, Engineers C.C.
Office 516-621-5350
Dominick DiMarzo, Bonnie Briar C.C.

N ot copyrighted. I f there is good here, we want to share it with
all chapters - unless author states otherwise.*1234567

Wasps & Honey Bees
by Stanley Rachesky, Entomologist, University of Illinois
For control of either wasps or bees:
1. Use one of the following insecticides: Sevin (carbaryl) 5%
dust or Malathion 4% dust. These insecticides are readily
obtainable at your local garden center, hardware store or farm
supply.
2. Dusts are the best fromulation to use for they disperse
better.
3. Apply the dust first through the entrance hole after dark —
Bee careful!
4. Drill a
hole in the wall above the colony and inject the
insecticide through it. Seal the hole and all other escape holes.
5. Large colonies may require repeat treatments in about 10
days to eliminate emerging bees and wasps.
6. In approximately 2 weeks all buzzing activity should have
stopped. Removal of the dead insects is next. When the nest is
removed it should be discarded in such a manner so as not to
attract other insects of the same species.
7. After removal of the nest treat the area with a spray of

Diazinon 0.5% in oil to eliminate chances of a secondary insect
problem.
8.
Control of a beehive or wasp nest located in a tree or shrub
can be done by using a hose-end sprayer (the little bottle that fits
on the end of your garden hose) or power sprayer and/or one of
the following chemicals: Sevin 50% wettable powder or
Malathion 57% emulsifiable concentrate (mix with water) plus
DDVP or Pyrethrin.
Malathion will give a residual of about 3-5 days and either the
DDVP or Pyrethrin is used as a quick knock-down. Once again do
your control work at night when the nest activity is low. And
once again BEE CAREFUL!
Bee and wasp nests located in the ground can be quickly
erradicated by using Chlordane. Mix a gallon or two according to
label directions on the bottle. Pour directly over the nest site.
Once again do your control work at night. After treatment place
a few shovelfulls of dirt over the treated area.
—Read the label before using any pesticide.
NY State Turf Grass Research Fund to MGCSA
Last spring you sent us your check for $100.00 to help us in
our effort to collect a $10,000 fund for Turfgrass research. We
had been assured by our administration that if this sum could be
obtained we would be able to hire a new turfgrass research man
this year. It now is evident that we will not attain this goal and
will not be able to fill the position until July 1, 1973.
These dollars have been held in a separate account that is
specifically designated for Turfgrass research. With our present
budget situation as tight as it is and with no foreseeable change in
the future you may rest assured that when the new turf research
man is here, after July 1, 1973 we will probably appeal again for
outside funds to help in getting supplies, assistance and
equipment to make his work most effective.
We are most grateful for your tangible expression of support
and are only sorry that we have not been able to complete our
plan. Since we will not be able to use your contribution for the
intended purpose we will return it to you at once if you so desire.
Or should we keep it on hand for our new man? Please let us
know how you want us to proceed?
Sincerely yours,
James W. Boodley
Professor and Chairman of Department
RESEARCH REVIEW by Wayne C. Morgan
“Nitrogen Carriers and Turgfrass Diseases”
There are persons responsible for the care of turfgrass areas
who believe the use of natural organic materials such as manures
and sewage sludges will increase disease incidence. Although it
may be completely true that at a given time when one of these
materials were applied, there could have been an increase in
disease, there may have also been other conditions present which
would lead to the primary cause other than just the use of a given
material.
„ Fresh manures and poorly and/or incompletely processed
sludges could be responsible for disease occurrence, but evidence
to be presented in this information would indicate that a quality
material may actually produce the opposite effects with reduced
disease. Nutrient imbalance, which may be emphasized by the
release of available nitrogen, can significantly increase disease
potential. Succulence caused by over stimulation of growth,
especially when higher populations of disease organisms are
present from previous disease occurrences and/or remaining in
thick thatch layers, can greatly increase disease occurrence.
Irrigation practices which result in excessively wet conditions are
often the major cause of disease activity, and the application of a
natural organic material may erroneously be blamed for disease
when in reality it is only a secondary contributor.
Information presented in this review comes from articles by
Dr. Eliot C. Roberts and Flave E. Markland while at Iowa State
University, Dr. R. N. Cook, Dr. R. E. Engel, and Dr. S. Backdder
of Rutgers University, and Dr. Houston B. Couch of Washington
State University.
Turf treated with high nitrogen and frequent mowing

essentially never matures and remains soft and succulent. These
conditions often lead to an increase in disease. However, one
common disease of bentgrass greens, dollar spot, caused by the
fungus Scierotinia homoeocarpa is known to be worse on
underfertilized turf than on well-fed turf.
Bentgrass Resistance to Dollar Spot
Dollar spot resistance in bentgrasses may be divided into two
categories. The first category may be referred to as genetic
resistance. This involves the classification of strains of bentgrasses
into groups which demonstrate a natural resistance to the disease.
For example, at Ames, Iowa, Penncross bentgrass is less
susceptible than Washington bentgrass to dollar spot. The second
category may be called managed resistance to dollar spot.
Factors commonly associated with management include
fungicide application to remove the disease organism, sanitation
which helps prevent the entry of the disease, moisture regulation
which may prevent infection, and finally fertilization which helps
prevent spread of disease.
Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization of Turf on Dollar Spot
Emphasis in this paper will be confined to nitrogen
fertilization and its effect on dollar spot resistance in bentgrass.
The important aspects are source, amount and frequency of
application.
Some nitrogen sources contain, in addition to nitrogen,
potassium, phosophorus, and trace elements. Use of these
fertilizers could lead to a more balanced nutrient status for the
grass. This would increase growth and reduce dollar spot.
Direct fugicidal effects could arise from the presence of
copper, zinc, chromium, iron, etc.
Increasing the total amount of nitrogen may stimulate the
grass so that it simply outgrows the disease symptoms. The type
of nitrogen may exert its influence by governing the rate of
nitrogen release. Nitrogen sources most effective in disease
control would supply nitrogen so as to maintain the grass in a
vigorous, but not over-succulent state.
At the Iowa State University, an experimental putting green
was established and maintained under simulated playing
conditions. The following nitrogen sources were used in an
experiment.
Experimental Methods and Materials
To investigate these nutrient-turf disease relationships, an
experimental putting green of Washington bentgrass was
established. It was maintianed under simulation playing
conditions at Iowa State University. One hundred twenty 5’ by 8’
plots were arranged in eight blocks of 15 plots each. The
following nitrogen sources were used: 1—activated sewage sludge;
2—processed tankage; 3—ureaform, urea, ammonium nitrate,
ammonium sulfate; 4—sodium nitrate.
(Number 1 is Milorganite, a product of the Milwaukee
Sewerage Commission, Milwaukee, Wis.; No. 2 is Agrinite, a
product of the American Agricultural Chemical Company, New
York, N.Y.; No. 3 is Nitroform (Blue Chip); a product of
Hercules Powder Co., Wilmington, Del.; No. 4 is Chilean nitrate
of soda, a natural product from Chile.)
Rates consisted of 5- and 10-pound actual nitrogen per 1000
square feet for the growing season. Each nitrogen source was
applied in one-pound Nitrogen increments at two-week intervals
for the ten-pound level, and every four weeks for the five-pound
level. A plot without nitrogen (as a check) was included in each
block. All plots received adequate amounts of phosphorus and
potassium.
Treatments started the third week in May and continued until
the third week of September during each year of the test.
The number of dollar spots per square foot varied with the
nitrogen source. As yields increased the number of dollar spots
decreased. Fertilizer materials applied in sufficient quantities to
stimulate the production of high yields significantly reduced
dollar spot. Per cent dry weight of foliage showed a direct
relationship to dollar spot. As per cent dry weights increased, so
did dollar spot. Nitrogen sources, when supplied in adequate
amounts to stimulate vigorous growth, decreased food reserves
(per cent dry weight) and decreased dollar spot.
No-nitrogen check plots always had more dollar spot. Plots
receiving five pounds of nitrogen per year were less diseased than

the check, but were still severely infected with dollar spot.
As yet, the nitrogen source has had no effect on disease when
applied at the five-pound rate. At the ten-pound rate, the grass
showed a marked reduction in dollar spot. The source of nitrogen
used made the difference. In general processed tankage, ureaform,
and ammonium nitrate failed to give satisfactory results. The least
disease was noted where turf was fertilized with nitrate of soda
and activated sewage sludge.
Results of these tests at Iowa State University show that
nitrogen is an important factor in promoting dollar spot
resistance in Washington bentgrass. When adequate nitrogen is
available, yields increase and dollar spot decreases. Dollar spot
incidence was extremely bad on the no-nitrogen checks. At the
low rate of five pounds actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet
during the seven-month growing season, dollar spot was bad but
less than the checks. There were no marked differences between
nitrogen sources. At the high rate of ten pounds actual nitrogen,
there was appreciably less dollar spot and significant difference
between the nitrogen sources.
The water soluble nitrogen sources (urea, ammonium nitrate,
ammonium sulfate, and Chilean nitrate of soda) were similar in
their effect in reducing dollar spot. The exception was
ammonium nitrate. Dollar spot was consistently worse where it
was used, compared to the other water solubles. Among the
organics, activated sewage sludge plots had the least dollar spot.
They were always equal to or better than the water solubles. In
general, processed tankage and ureaform were less effective in
suppressing dollar spot.
At Rutgers, the results of fertilizing with activated sewage
sludge suggests that incidence of disease is lowered by this
treatment. Research and field observations of disease reduction
associated with activated sewage sludge and other fertilizers
stimulated a study of disease and nitrogen carrier relationships.
Davis and Engel observed lower readings for large brownpatch on
bentgrass when fertilized with activated sewage sludge in
comparison to results from a fertilizer containing nitrogen,
phosphate, and potash. Wells reported that ryegrass plots
receiving heavy rates of activated sewage sludge showed less
damage from cottony blight than those receiving organic and
inorganic nitrogen from other sources. Watson found that
activated sewage sludge increased the effectiveness of
phenylmercuric acetate as a preventive for snowmold.
A similar experiment to the one reported at Iowa was
conducted. Dollar spot was presented throughout the 1957 and
1958 growing seasons and was the only disease present in large
proportions. In 1957, the 11.25-pound rate of activated sewage
sludge reduced disease incidence to 13% of the check. This was
• significantly less disease than was observed with any other
nitrogen treatment. No other statistically significant differences
were observed in 1957.
In 1958, the 11.25-pound rate of activated sewage sludge
reduced disease severity to 20% of the check and plots fertilized
with the 6.75-pound rate showed significantly less disease than
comparable rates of ureaform, ammonium sulfate, or ammonium
nitrate. These were the only two nitrogen treatments that
resulted in significantly less disease than the no-nitrogen
treatment.
In general, the disease severity was inversely proportional to
nitrogen level. The average number of dollarspots for all nitrogen
sources at the 11.25-pound rate was significantly lower than the
average for the same sources applied at lower rates (45 and 33%,
respectively, for the 3.75- and 6.75-pound rates).
Summary and Conclusions
A review of literature and field observations suggest that all
nitrogen carriers do not have the same effect on turfgrass disease,
incidence. In this study, three insoluble sources — activated
sewage sludge, process tankage, and ureaform —and three soluble
carriers — urea, ammonium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate were applied at various rates to bentgrass turf to determine
whether they affected disease incidence. Plots treated with
activated sewage sludge showed significant reductions in
dollarspot incidence. These reductions were greater than is
normal for this desease as a result of nitrogen stimulation, and the
effect was in evidence at every level of nitrogen fertility.

Edward C. Horton, Secretary
145 Crotona Avenue
Harrison, New York 10528

First Class

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