Evening star., 1933-02-01
RID FINE GRASSES
Of VARIOUS PESTS
Hiqher Grades of Bent for
Greens Now Developed at
Arlington Farm.
BY w. Il. McCALLUM.

AZ yOu, 4VAl MINI, hAAO"
that the course over which
- you play has been vastly
improved by the earnest
efforts of a group of scientists
working for golf course improve
ment through the Department of
Agriculture and the green's section
of the United States Golf ASSo-
citation?
Did you know that Washington Is
the center, the heart of a mass of
scientific information on golf courses
which has resulted over the past decade
in great improvement in course and
turf conditions throughout the United
States?
Or that over in Arlington County, on
a little plot of ground owned by the
Government. turf and grass problems
are being worked out that may result
in Kidding golf courses of those pests
which infest them during the warm
months?
Or that more than $4,000 a year
is being spent in research work in the
art OF turf growing?
Or that as result Of the work Of
these scientists the putting greens
which you use are better greens than
my one ever used before the establish
ment of the United States Golf Asso-
citation green section?
Few golfers realize the important
part science is playing these days In
turf and grass development and what a
major place in this development the
Arlington turf garden has
AVER there on plot of ground not
~ many acres in extent major prob
lens of greenskeepers all over the
United States are being worked out to
eradicate such pests and nuisances as
brown patch, pythium, grub worms
earth worms, rust and other conditions
detrimental to grass and turf.
Back in 1921 when the National Open
championship was scheduled at Co.
lumbia Country Club, two weeks prior
to the tournament the course was in
perfect condition. Putting greens were
covered with heavy growth of green
grass. and the whole course had been
carefully groomed for the biggest tour
ney of the year.
A few warm, humid nights came
about 10 days before the tournament
Big brown spots appeared on the greens
and soon in place of the velvety green
SuI ldCcS dppSdlSu llOlll1lS UuI DlOWL
grass. eaten away by a fungus, the
nature Of which was a puzzle.
The scientists got busy and soon clas-
sitied it as brown patch" but 1t was
too late to help Columbia.
Brown patch'-both the little and
the big variety-now is under fairly
good control. Methods of prevention by
spraying chemical mixtures have been
devised by these modern wonder-work-
erS over in Arlington to keep down the
spread of this devastating early morn
ing grass destroyer.
Similarly methods have been devised
to stop the sprea dof pythium, men
ace allied with brown patch. And
similarly have the onslaughts of grub
worms and earth worms been challenged
by science.
TODAY over there in the turf gar
l. den there are isolated a few
patches of the rarest putting green
grasses known to the game, kept clean
and free from adulteration, exposed to
brown patch and pythium, and then
treated to see the effect of chemicals.
BY these experiments golf courses all
over the country have received the
practical benefits of the knowledge de-
rived Sum them all together and you
W AL oCC tiidV yOol SOA1 SOoASS AAoo SS-
come much more pleasant place on
which to play because Of the painstak-
ing care and persistence of these pio-
Aeers of turf science.
Out at the Washington Golf and
Country Club in 1921 the late DR.. c. v.
Piper discovered a strain of grass whose
nature did not tally with any strains
then known to the grass specialists of
the Department of Agriculture. Out Of
this obscure discovery on the old fourth
green grew the famed washington
bent" now known all over the world
as a particularly hardy. fungus-resist-
ing grass 1t is Sown on putting green's
everywhere
Out there today is patch OF pure
velvet bent termed by golfers the finest
putting green grass ever developed.
brought by these scientists into its
highest state of development under
ideal conditions in the turf garden.
VELVET bent is a particularly fine
Y grained species of bent with blades
intertwined to form literally a
velvet carpet, differing by far from the
coarser strains of bent
But velvet bent is very slow grower
On many of the putting green's around
Washington there are small patches OF
velvet bent, but they spread too slowly
to cover a whole green in any period
short of full decade. Velvet bent ap-
pears at its best in cold climates where |
snow blankets the golf courses for the |
greater part of the Winter.
These scientists now are attempting
to find some way to make 1t grow |
quicker and to provide it IN the same |
wholesale way that bent of the Wash |
ington strain has been provided.
In little patch of soil down on the
banks of the Potomac where conditions |
are ideal for the humid nights which |
promote brown patch further expert |
ments are in progress to rid golf of this |
pest. They are becoming more and |
more successful. and the day soon may |
come when even brown patch of the !
dollar" variety. so named because OF
its shape, resembling silver dollar,
will be no more.
They are true pioneers into q new |
science, these men whose efforts are |
responsible for making your golf course |
a better course. The golfers Of America
should rise up and give hearty vote |
Of thanks to such men as Drs. Karl F. |
Kellerman, John Montieth, Harvey L.
Westover, Kenneth Welton and their |
associates who have done so much to
improve golfng Fairgrounds all over
the Nation.
---o-----