WESTERN OFFICE KEllogg 2-2935 P.O. Box 567 Garden Grove, California WM. H. BENGEYFIELD Western Director V o l. 7 No. 3 May - June 1958 • W e s t e rn Turf l e t t er • -k k EMERGENCY CONTACT FOR SUMMER ASSISTANCE * k k Should an emergency develop this year and you are unable to * contact us at KEllogg 2-2935, please call the Southern Cali- * fornia Golf Association, 1709 W. 8th S t ., Los Angeles, C a l i f. * Their phone number is DUnkirk 2-6361. Mr. Harold Dawson or * Mrs. A. Clark will have a complete itinerary of my travels and * have consented to help us by passing this information along. k kkkickkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk C O S T LY E N E MY C O S T LY F R I E ND Poa annua is often "down", sometimes " o u t ", but never completely "through." The most remarkable thing about this grass is not the turf it produces, but its great natural ability to keep "coming b a c k ." What's the latest news from the world of Poa annua research? Will we ever find a reliable control and why have lead arsenate applications sometimes been disappointing? Here in the west, Poa annua studies have been underway since 1953 at the University of California, Los Angeles. It wasn't long before they found this grass to be extremely variable and not necessarily annual. Unlimited strains and types were soon found in putting greens all along the west coast and many of these natural selections were collected for study. Two of these promising selections were finally taken from the greenhouse and established in field t r i a l s. They looked beautiful going into the second year and seemed to have great promise, but they were suddenly knocked out by disease. At present Dr. Victor Youngner is working with 10 natural selections in a plant breeding program at UCLA. He believes it may be possible to eventually develop more disease resistant strains of Poa annua as well as ones that will produce true to type from seed. But plant breeding work is a slow process and Dr. Youngner warns that results are many years away. Since this grass is believed to have originated in Europe or the Scandinavian Countries, considerable work has been done with it there. Recently the S t. Ives Research Station, Yorkshire, England, reported on a stoloniferous variety - Poa annua reptans - that has done well on their trial grounds over the past 5 years. It appears to be truly stoloniferous, i . e. if a runner is detached from the parent plant, it will take root and resume its creeping growth. Furthermore, this strain sets a " f a ir quantity of seed that is true to type." Work with it continues at the Station. Although research continues to make inroads on Poa annua, most of us still consider it a pest today. It is shallow rooted with no "wearing" qualities, has an uneven growth rate, is extremely susceptible to disease, will not withstand high temperatures, has excessive seed head development and is generally a poor, undependable putting green grass. When we settle for a Poa annua green, we are usually settling for "second b e s t ." In Chicago last January at the USGA Meeting, Dr. Bill Daniel of Purdue University reviewed his work on Poa annua control. Many new chemicals are under test including Endothal (offers some promise) and Neburon (lacks safety on bentgrass). Another material, Fluorophenoxyacetic acid, has been reported by Anderson and McLane as worthy of field trials for Poa annua control. Never- theless, the use of lead arsenate in toxic quantities still offers the best practical control for Poa annua at this time. When starting a lead arsenate control program, Dr. Daniel suggests that the first rate of application be 20 lbs. to each 1000 sq. feet. Follow up applications each year should be at 10 l b s. per 1000 sq. feet until the total arsenic concentration reaches an "effective control l e v e l ," i . e. the Poa will develop characteristic yellowing before death. Soils high in pH, organic matter, clay or phosphorous require more arsenic in order to obtain control. Once the "effective control level" has been reached, it may be maintained by applying 5 to 7 lbs. of lead arsenate per 1000 yearly. It is a long range program. Some Western superintendents have tried and report disappointing results from lead arsenate control measures. When checking on these reports, it is usually found that too little arsenate has been used and phosphorous levels have been high. If you and your Green Committee are intent on checking Poa annua, consider Dr. Daniel's recommendations. With lead arsenate at 35 cents a pound, the initial treatment (20 lbs. per 1000 sq. feet) will cost $ 7 . 00 for each 1000 sq. feet, or approximately $30.00 a green. Continuing treatments will of course be less. Poa annua is a costly enemy. Remember too, many have found it a costly friend. GOOD NEWS FROM DAVIS, CALIFORNIA: Dr. Bob Hagan recently announced that the USGA Research Assistantship at the Davis campus has been filled by Mr. T. K. Hodges. He will begin work this summer. Mr. Hodges has worked with Dr. Bill Daniel at Purdue University for 3 years and plans to take his major course work at Davis in Plant Physiology, Irrigation and Soils. His thesis work will be with Plant-Water-Soil relationships. Also from Davis, Dr. John Madison has developed approximately 2\ acres of turf for research purposes by the Departments of Irrigation, Landscape Manage- ment and Plant Pathology. The Northern California Superintendents1 Association donated $250.00 for Dr. Madison1s work. A RE Y OU A G O OD BO S S [- (A Continuation - Part IV) Teddy Roosevelt once said, "The leader leads, and the boss d r i v e s ." This may have been true in 1910, but today's top "bosses" must have the qualities of good leadership. And a man will not be a good supervisor or executive for an eight hour day and a poor father, husband and citizen the rest of the time. is made of sterner s t u f f. I t 's a 24 hour proposition. Leadership From American Industry come these "Five Outstanding Qualities that are, and always will be, at the core of the best management leadership." A leader will have: 1. A Deep Faith In Something Bigger Than Himself. Such a faith does two things: needs it most, and recharges his personal batteries when recharging is needed. reduces him to size when he 2. A Genuine Willingness To Be Himself. To imitate is suicide - don't try to be all things at once. 3. Real Enthusiasm. Spirit permeates a group from top to bottom. 4. A Desire To Be Sincere. No sham - no deceit - no a r t i f i c e. A good Supervisor is responsible for not only the "know-how", but the "will-do" as w e l l. 5. The Ability To Think In Terms Of The Other Fellow. The most important five words are "I am proud of you." The next four are, "What is your opinion?" The next three are, " If you p l e a s e ." The next two are, "Thank you." The smallest word in the world is the pronoun " I ". ic "k & "k & & Jc Jc TIME TAKE TIME TO THINK TAKE TIME TO PLAY.. is the source of power. is the secret of perpetual youth. TAKE TIME TO READ is the fountain of wisdom. TAKE TIME TO L O V E . . .. AND BE LOVED is a God-given privilege. TAKE TIME TO BE FRIENDLY... is the Road to Happiness. TAKE TIME TO LAUGH . . . .It is the music of the soul. TAKE TIME TO GIVE . . . . .. is too short a day to be s e l f i s h. TAKE TIME TO WORK. is the price of success. Author Unknown • •• U. Be GOLF ASSOCIATION GREEN SECTION WESTERN OFFICE P.O. Box 567 Garden Grove, California Dr. J. R# Sat3artt J r. Cheif Agronomist i o ro Manufacturing Corp. Minneapolis b, ¡¿inn. BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE P A ID Garden Grove, Calif. Permit No. 83