WESTERN OFFICE V 956 1709 West Eighth Street Los Angeles 17, California Phone Dunkirk 2-6361 WM. H. BENGEYFIELD Western Director V o l, 4 No. 6 November - December 1956 • Western Turflelter • Si - 0 - Ca - 00C - R - COO - Ca - OOC - R - COO - Ca - 0 - Si How important are synthetic soil conditioners on a golf course? This is a question many Superintendents are asking themselves since the promotional activity of soil conditioning manufacturers has never been more active in the West. 'New1 soil conditioners are found in nearly every area and their claims are bewildering: "Grow Grass on Granite11, "Unlock Hidden Soil Nutrients11, "Overcome Compaction with one Application", It almost seems out of place to review a text book on soils and read that — "The complexity of the s o i l, the instability of the constituents, and the bewildering succession of soil l i fe make soil analysis d i f f i c u l t, soil interpretation uncertain, and complete soil control impossible.* How can the above claims for soil conditioners be justified? The first attempt to produce a snythetic soil conditioner took place in 1947. It met with only fair success but the work was continued. Today, there are three types ('polymers1 they are called) that are in general u s e. Responsible research workers are now willing to make general observations concerning these synthetics: - Example: 'Greater aggregation has been obtained in the fine textured rather than in the coarse textured s o i l s '. The fact remains, however, that much more research work remains if we are to take full advantage of this new field of soil science. Even then, "one should not overlook the fact that the modification of soil structure affected by organic (natural) residues is not their only function. The synthetic conditioners are not likely to replace the organics in management procedures but may be used in addition to them. ** The day of "growing grass on granite" may s t i ll come - but this is not that day. Responsible manufacturers are continuing the development of cheir products. tendents will do well to keep abreast of these results. Indeed, the July-August issue of the Western Turfletter reported on research work that indicated Krilium treated clay was desirable in a soil mixture of 85% sand, 7 . 5% peat, and 7 . 5% clay. However, caution is advised in the use of products making sweeping claims with cure-all results. Pub- licity is easier to obtain than scientific fact. Superin- * ** "The Nature and Properties of Soils" - Lyon and Buckman "Soil Aggregation" - Advance in Agronomy - 1955 Fertilizer Response from Soil Conditioners Most States have long required fertilizer manufacturers to print the guaran- teed minimum analysis of plant food (N, P 6c K) on each bag» Thus you know that a 10-5-5, 6-10-4, or 10-8-4 fertilizer will carry at least that amount of plant food» This requirement for a guaranteed analysis applies to materials claiming plant food value. The majority of soil conditioners have no plant food value and claim none. They are completely legitimate business firms. The possibility does exist, however, for a dealer to add a nitrogen carrier (or any beneficial agent) to his "soil condi- tioner" and not claim this addition on his printed label. He is selling a !,soil con- ditioner" (at a high price) and not a fertilizer. The purchaser then applies the material to his turf area and soon notices an "This new soil conditioner is giving results". - outstanding response. Conclusion: and the conclusion is correct1. But the real question is this: - "May it not be possible to obtain similar results and at a greatly reduced cost by applying a sufficient amount of fertilizer to this same area?" basis for comparison between the two materials. If the results are similar, then COST is the only How Do We Figure Fertilizer Costs? It is quite simple if the following steps are followed. Substitute the correct figures for your fertilizer in place of those given in this example: A. What is the cost per ton? Example: $70.00 per ton (2000 lbs.) B. C. What is the nitrogen content? Example: 20% ltfitrogen. How much actual nitrogen is in a ton of this material? Example: 2000 lbs. X.20 0000 (one ton) (the % of N) 4000 400.00 lbs. of actual nitrogen in one ton. D. How do we find the cost of each pound of actual nitrogen? - Divide the total number of lbs. of actual nitrogen into the cost of one ton. Example: .175 400 ) 70.000 40 0 3000 2800 2000 2000 lbs. of actual N ) Cost per ton Answer In this case the cost of each pound of actual nitrogen in this example is 17% cents per pound. How Much Fertilizer must be applied to obtain one pound o£ actual nitrogen? A. What is the percentage of nitrogen? Example: 20% nitrogen B. Divide the percentage of nitrogen into 100* 5 20 ) 100 100 Ansv7er % of N ) 100 The answer is 5 pounds of this fertilizer will carry one pound of actual nitrogen. Golf Course Maintenance Costs Show Increase f0ur Collaborator 1, a publication of the Northeastern Golf Course Super- intendents Association, reports the following: "Golf course maintenance costs for 45 Clubs having a total of 900 holes were TL greater in 1955-56 than in 1954-55. Net golf expenses showed an over-all advance of 7 . 5 %. Since 1951-52, golf course maintenance costs per hole have risen from $1,882 to $2,408 for an increase of 28%.11 1955-56 Golf Course Maintenance costs for 45 Clubs Over-A11 Average East South Mid-West Far West Geographical Divisions AVERAGE COST PER HOLE 1955-56 Salaries & Wages Course Supplies & Contracts Repairs to Equip, Bldgs, Etc. All other expenses $1,609 390 203 206 $1,650 432 220 172" $1,311 358 279 302 $1,565 391 104 154 $1,970 222 216 347 TOTAL GOLF COURSE MAINTENANCE Add Golf Shop, Caddy & Committee expenses $2,408 $2,474 $2,250 $2,214 $2,755 94 71 32 208 57 TOTAL GOLF EXPENSES Less Golf Fees & Admissions $2,502 583 $2,545 671 $2,282 458 $2,422 362 $2,812 820 NET GOLF EXPENSE $1,919 $1,874 $1,824 $2,060 $1,992 "There is no virtue to stagnation, nor is there safety or security to be found in standing s t i l l" C. H. Grunewalt Mr. C h a r l es W i l s o n, Argronoaiist M i l w a u k ee S e w e r a ge C o & f t i s s l on Milwaukee 1, W i s c o n s in