' • The Se eding and Care of G olf Courses • J^? 



a knife. Regular mowing is the great discourager of weeds, 

 particularly of the annuals, which are thus prevented from 

 going to seed. Weeds find lodgment in unoccupied spots, 

 and the frequent seeding of thin places is an effective pre- 

 ventive. Crowd them out with good grass. On a close turf 

 weeds are likely to cause little trouble. Raking and seeding 

 thin spots in the fall when weed growth has ceased for the 

 season is especially desirable. Fertilizers leaving an acid 

 residue are unfavorable to weeds. 



To eradicate any weed requires a knowledge of the nature 

 of its growth and often of specific methods. For this reason 

 certain common weeds are treated below. 



CRAB-GRASS 



' RAB-GRASS is, without a doubt, the worst of all weeds 

 v>» that grow on putting-greens. The name is suggested by 

 the flowering spikelet which is supposed to resemble the 

 claw of a crab. Although an annual, it cannot be gotten rid 

 of by close clipping, many of the stems growing so near the 

 ground that they are missed by the mower. Thus, the plants 

 reseed and increase from year to year. The seeds are very 

 small, there being more than a million to the pound. Be- 

 sides propagating from seed, it roots from stem joints 

 that touch the ground, so that a single plant may cov- 

 er considerable space. 



In some sections Crab-grass is known as "Finger- 

 grass." It is also called "Summer-grass" and "Fall- 

 grass," because it does not start growth until hot ^^^ 

 weather and is most noticeable in summer or early ' " 



