Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19

The research. work already has
been under way for some time with
important results at the Arlington
experiment station in Virginia. This
big fund will widen the efforts so
that not only golf, but the turf prob
lens Of parks, lawns, polo fields and
other recreational grounds will bene-
fit through a solution of their turf
problems. grass which makes play
on putting greens a joy, the creeping
bent, is being widely introduced fol-
lowing experiments of the Govern
ment.
Golfers Set Precedent.
Promoters of the endowment fund
emphasize the fact that this is the
first time in the history of American
sports that any one of them has set
out to raise a fund for it's own adj
vancement. At present the associa-
ton is spending about $4,000 a year.
Dr. c. V. Piper of the Department of
Agriculture is chairman of the green
section of the United States Golf AS
ISOLATION and DR.. r. A. Oakley, also
of the Department of Agriculture,
vice chairman. Under their supervi-
sion the Arlington experiments have
been made and they will direct the
enlarged activities under the endow-
ment.
Most of the golf courses around
Washington have some creeping bent
on greens. DR.. Oakley, while at
tending the national amateur golf
tournament at Philadelphia found one
course there which not only is using
this grass on the greens, but is put
ting it on the faifways. This, as DR..
Oakley humorously remarked, is like
putting mahogany flooring in barn.
nf he iS
not SO heavy when golf clubs use
their own labor to plant it and con-
duct their own propagating beds. as
many do.
Creeping bent came to America
from Germany before the war. Then,
when the blockade cut off the supply
of seed, experiments were begun by
the Government to plant it by the
vegetative methods-that is to say,
the grass is grown rather large and
the runners are cut up and these
runners are scattered over prepared
ground. slightly covered with soil,
and take root quickly. 1t had been
found that the creeping bent did not
go to seed here readily and that also
gave an impetus to the vegetative
method of planting.
Machine Planting Helps.
Now machinery has been perfected
for cutting the runners and spreading
them uniformly on greens. The Sec
rotary of Agriculture, while playing
at the ninth hole on Columbia Coun-
try Club course, noted the unusually
fine grass and. upon inquiry, traced
its source. Whereupon he asked for
patch near his office, and tourists
often note a narrow strip of closely
cropped grass in front of the main
Department of Agriculture building,
wondering Swhy the remainder of the
lawn is not cut so well. Creeping
bent will stand three or more cut
tings a week, while ordinary grass
would be killed by such treatment.
Therein lies the great advantage CT
creeping bent for golf courses.
Plans are being made at the new
Congressional Country Club course to
plant it's greens in creeping bent.
The East Potomac Park public course
has some of it's green's in this grass.
Throughout the country the superior
qualities of the variety are being ac-
knowledged by substituting it for
other grasses, THE green section of
was organized in 1920 and issues,
through the Washington office, 456
Louisiana avenue, a monthly. bulle-
tin recording progress in research.
State agricultural experimental
farms also are cooperating in the
associations program, while with the
larger activities now contemplated
many sections of the country will
have experimental stations. A press
ing problem now is that of grass dis
eases, which DR.. Oakley believes is
to be solved completely in view of
the advances already made. A fungus