For Weeds: AMMONIUM SULFAMATE

Green Section Reports Remarkable Results With This Non-Critical Chemical

"pOISON IVY, poison oak, ragweed pol- plied as recommended for poison ivy. -len, etc., can now be eradicated easily This combination of effective herbicidal and effectively with ammonium sulfamate, properties with other desirable charac- which, according to WPB Order M-242, teristics in a single chemical compound is available commercially for herbicidal is unique, and it would seem that it purposes. The single restriction expressed is the material for which the public has in the Order is that if the chemical is to been waiting. The manufacturers rec- be bought by the purchaser in amounts ommend its use in solutions containing exceeding 100 pounds a month, a priority one-half to one pound of ammonium sul- statement must be presented. famate in one gallon of water. When This chemical and its parent compound the foliage is well wetted with a solution sulfamic acid, have been tested by scien- of this concentration the treated plants tists in various sections during the past usually succumb, even though in the four years for herbicidal properties case of perennials such as poison ivy against such weeds as poison ivy, poison the plants may be deep-rooted and well oak, ragweed, wild blackberries, and established. A second treatment is usu- Canada thistle. ally advisable after several weeks have Green Section tests last year in col- elapsed, in order to treat any plants laboration with L. W. Kephart, of the overlooked in the original treatment or Department of Agriculture, demonstrated any new shoots sent up from deep-seated its outstanding efficiency in control of perennial roots. About a year later the poison ivy, even of very old and well area should be checked to make sure no established plants. Single applications of poison ivy has escaped. ammonium sulfamate eradicated the weed Ammonium sulfamate is more injuri- more effectively than did repeated treat- ous to some plants than others but little ments with sodium chlorate, ammonium is known about this and for the time thiocyanate, and sodium arsenite made being care should be taken to keep the throughout the season. spray solution away from valuable Ammonium sulfamate is a salt which foliage. is very soluble in water and consequently The action of the chemical is notably easily handled. It takes up water from slower than that of other herbicides used the air and should therefore be stored commonly for eradication of weeds. Toxic in airtight containers and dry places. effects may not become evident for 24 Applications are easily made with a hours or more after treatment and then knapsack sprayer. The solution is some- only in the form of wilting or a browning what corrosive to galvanized metal and of the edges of leaves. It may be a week therefore should not be left in the sprayer or longer before the leaves finally become can. The sprayer should be washed out uniformly brown and brittle and the carefully with water after ammonium plants appear dead. The ammonium sul- sulfamate has been used in it. famate apparently is taken up by the Unlike the arsenicals which have been cells of the foliage and translocated used in some cases in the control of poi- through the plant, killing slowly as it son ivy, the chemical is not poisonous goes. It is therefore important that the to man or to animals which may graze foliage be well developed at the time of treatment. Applications to perennial on treated areas. Neither is it inflam- plants should be made before they begin mable, as is sodium chlorate. As a mat- to go into dormancy in late summer or ter of fact, it has been widely used as a fall. For poison ivy, therefore, it would fire retardant for fireproofing fabrics and seem best to apply the spray treatments building materials. Ammonium sulfa- between May 15 and August 15. mate apparently does not have any injuri- Little has been done yet in considering ous effect on soil, particularly when ap- possibilities of ammonium sulfamate for WELCOME! HURRAY!! WHOOPIE!!! and outfield at Louisville when the Red ALFRED BOURNE SMITH ARRIVES Sox took over the Colonel's franchise. When Orville Clapper brought Robin- Stop the press, strike up the band and let son to Fenway Park in response to Eddie there be merry-making in the streets and jubila- tion among the lads overseas. Collin's request for a real grass man, it Alfred Bourne Smith was born June 30, 1943. was the first time Robbie had seen a His mother is one of the loveliest girls ever major league game. Orville is much bet- on a golf course and his dad, before he enlisted ter acquainted with the technique of base- in the Air Corps, was one of the finest, most ball; in fact so much so that recently he famous young man in pro golf. Now Alfred was playing baseball, fell on the ball and Bourne Smith is the star of the outfit. So say broke an arm. his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Horton Smith. Hirshberg says "Robbie is not one to worry about the ground being torn up by selective eradication of weeds. Our pre- football. Unless the weather is too cold liminary experiments last year indicated he seeds the whole outfield before the final it may be possible to kill selectively football game of the season. He lets the certain weeds in turf by applying am- football players do the rest." monium sulfamate in very dilute solu- The players' cleats tramp grass seed tions. Applications of it at rates of two into the ground and that job is further ounces and four ounces dissolved in five done by fans who flock onto the field after gallons of water to 1,000 square feet were the game. notably less injurious to turf than was Robbie uses a Toro power mower, a sodium arsenite applied at the same rate. Toro power roller on the infield, Netco In one instance when the applications at grass seed, Milorganic and Milarsenite. the two- and four-ounce rates were fol- Clapper goes out to the ball park to see lowed by rain within an hour, a stand how his products are doing. It makes a of the turf weed lawn pennywort (Hydro- swell alibi. cotyle rotundifolia) was reduced approxi- mately 75 percent with no injury what- soever to the bluegrass turf. A month Yank Golfers Try Luck on after treatment the grass on the treated Aussie Courses plots showed a definitely stimulated growth. /CONSIDERABLE interest has been ^aroused by the presence on Sydney It is hoped additional experiments this courses of two members of "Uncle Sam's" year may demonstrate whether in these fighting forces, one a professional, and dilute concentrations ammonium sulfa- the other a leading member of the New mate may be useful in selective control York district. Fred Catropa, now an air- of turf weeds, and if so, what conditions man, was one time assistant to our old may be expected to influence results.— friend, Gene Sarazen. After over a year USGA Green Section Timely Turf in the New Guinea area, he made the Topics. most of his leave and produced some good scores for a man to whom golf had been Columnist Praises Greenkeeper's just a memory for many months. Turf-Growing Talents The amateur is Sgt. Frank Strafaci, who broke into golf in a big way when CELDOM does a greenkeeper get the he won the National Public Links title ^ great publicity Roland F. Robinson got in 1935, after qualifying the previous year. in A1 Hirshberg's column in the Boston Since then he has only once failed to qual- (Mass.) Post of June 9. ify in the National Amateur, and on the Robbie, after years of successful golf last occasion of play, in 1941, he entered course maintenance at Oyster Harbor and as Private Strafaci. Twice he has fin- other New England courses, became ished second amateur in the U. S. Open, groundskeeper at Fenway Park, Boston, in 1937—when his 72 holes tally of 291 home of the Red Sox baseball club. Fen- was only a stroke more than Johnny way is said to be "the best kept baseball Goodman's total—and again in 1939. He plant in the major leagues." He also has also won the North and South, and New been responsible for the fine playing con- York district titles. ditions at Payne Field, Sarasota, Fla., Evidently golf is a family weakness— where the Red Sox trained prior to this or should we say strength?—for among year. In addition he rebuilt the infield qualifiers for the National Public Links