76 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 23, 1904: 
New England Park Superintendents. 
As an example of how thei members of the New England 
Association of Park Superintendents help one another, we pub¬ 
lish ones of thei bulletins which circulate amongst the members 
only for their mutual benefit. The system is to send round a 
circulating letter to the members which, when, it returns to the 
secretary with articles added by different members, is mimeo¬ 
graphed and a copy sent to each member, and also to the 
Horticultural Press. A question is asked by the secretary, 
and thei members can answer' it or ask another, and the 
letter is sent on its journey again to the next member on the 
list. By this means valuable information is secured, and a 
knowledge of the subject widely diffused for the benefit of all. 
New England. Association of Park Superintendents. 
(Completed Bulletin No. 30, May 1st, 1903.) 
Boston, Mass., May 1st, 1903. 
With this bulletin begins a. radical change in, the circulation. 
The last two or three: bulletins' have been sent out in two 
sections. This was found necessary in, order to try and get 
them to circulate in .as short' a time as possible. This plan 
did not prove as satisfactory as it might, and it has been, found 
necessary to send the circulating bulletin only to members 
who took an active interest in contributing to its pages. All 
the members will receive a> copy of the completed bulletins 
as formerly, so that those whose names have_ been dropped from 
the circulating list wall lose nothing, and "those who take so 
much interest will be gainers by having the “ merry-go-round ” 
appear oftener on their desk. Wei have still thirty members 
on the circulating list, so do not forget your secretary’s little 
story—hustle them along. 
It, has been my effort to start the bulletin recently on some 
subject, more so because I found a bulletin would often travel 
two months without getting “ any more cargo ” than when it 
left this desk. Now, I think a very good subject for this 
bulletin will be “ Lawns,” or more properly, “ Grasses.” 
To begin with, who will tell me a. better grass than Triticum 
repeats, the common, Oouchgxass, for playground purposes, or 
for growing on salt, marsh that has been slightly covered with 
loam ? Who will I ell me where seed can be procured 1 It is a 
tough, good-wearing grassi, and has often been, recommended 
by me for seaside work where salt spray was liable to come up. 
What is the best grass or grasses for tennis courts or golf 
greens? I am inclined to think that, the red Fescue (Festuoa 
rubra) is the grass for putting greens, simply because it stands 
the dry weather, is tough, and, owing to its stoloniferous 
habit, forms a perfect mat, of velvet. 
What is the best grass to plant steep banks, where con¬ 
siderable wash may be? What is the best grass for shady 
woodlands, and who can tell us some semi-aquatic grass? Mr. 
Keith also wants to know how to get rid of Dandelions and 
other weeds in the lawn.. How can the summer or fall grass 
he kept out? The worst weed I ever saw in a, lawn was Yarrow- 
weed. 
Mr. Draper says, if you cannot write an article, to repeat 
some poetry ; and I say, or ask a question. 
John W. Duncan. 
Worcester, Mass., May 2nd, 1903. 
I am not up much on the grass question, but in. my younger 
days I was “ down on my knees ” a good deal of the time trying 
to eradicate the “ Twitch grass ”—“ Dog grass ” of some, 
“ Quack grass ” of others. I suppose Triticum repens is correct. 
A standard authority on grasses says of this grass, “ It 
operates as an emetic on dogs', .and is very useful in binding the 
sloping banks of the railroads. Oh, how I pity the dogs ! ” 
I have covered an embankment on our lake front, with this 
grass, and it has done the best of anything I have tried. With 
a light dressing of loam to cover the gravel I secured a very 
good stand of the gras®. 
In this vicinity the Ligustrum ovalifolium, “ California 
Privet,” hedges are killed tic the ground. Hardly a, rod of 
• good hedge left to tell the tale. 
To what extent have the bulletin readers noted the condi¬ 
tion of the hedges in their locality* and what condition are 
they in on the first day of May? 
Ligustrum Ibota, lias come out as hardy as an Oak. Even 
the terminal bud of last year is uninjured. 
What better plant than the Ibota to take place of the 
wrecked ovalifolium? If you cannot grass this bulletin, why 
hedge it a bit. James Draper. 
Bridgeport, Conn., May 10th, 1903. 
All my time being occupied, I have kept Bulletin 30 one day 
longer waiting for Sunday, in hopes that I could think of 
.something that would interest or amuse our readers. And if 
the simplicity of some of our questions heretofore has caused 
some of our good Boston, brothers amusement, it. will please 
us all the more. I remember some years ago I was asked from 
what portion of a, Grape Vine the bunch of Grapes grew, and 
after guessing .several times had to give it up, and to say that I 
was overwhelmed with shame is putting it mild. To think 
that after years of work among Vines I should be so thick 
and unobserving not, to have that information. But since then 
I have asked many good gardeners the same question, and 
found that most of them were nearly as great, a chump as I, 
We have a, grass that is commonly known as Whiteroot (I do 
not remember its proper name), that grows very rank in good’ 
soil, and is the best grass that I know of for covering a, bank 
or stiff slope.. Every joint, is sure to grow, and if it once get-s 
in your garden it'is almost impossible to eradicate it. It has 
in all probability received more cussing from gardeners than 
all the other permanent-grasses put together. It will also 
stand thei spray of salt water, and do, well along the seashore. 
It differs from the Bermuda, grass (Cynodon Dactylon) of the 
south in this respect; the latter grows top of the surface, 
sending" its roots down, while the former grows under the sur¬ 
face, sending its stalks upward. 
Let, us all go to Albany next, month, and Hello ! hello! 
--— Chas. E. Keith. 
Hartford, Conn., May 14th, 1903. 
I see the California, Privet has been, winter killed all over the 
New England States. It has badly suffered with us. Hedges., 
of long standing had to be cut down to the ground. They are 
all sprouting out, but, it, will take years for"them to get back 
to where they were- last fall. We have had similar occurrences 
before in some other localities, more north and higher up, but 
the past winter has been severe on. them over a very large 
territory where they were considered hardy. 
I attribute the loss, first, to the extremely moist and cool 
season of last year, which produced a, continuous slow growth ; 
second, to the very early heavy frost which we had at the end 
of October. The wood had not ripened enough to stand that 
early frost. Some young plants which were dug in early fall 
and planted in an extremely cold position have not suffered 
a.t all, which clearly shows that the shifting of the plant®, stop¬ 
ping the, action of the roots, and discontinuing the growth, 
helped to ripen the wood in time enough to withstand that 
early frost. 
Ibota, also suffered somewhat with us, while vulgaris, of 
course, was not touched at all. The past winter teaches us 
that it is not safe to depend on the California Privet, too much 
for any planting, which is to be regretted, because it is so 
superior in many respects to all other Privets. 
- Theodore Wirth. 
Hartford, Conn., May 20th, 1903. 
I do not think our secretary will find a, better grass than 
Triticum repeals for playground purposes, or for growing near 
llie salt water. I have seen it thus used on several plaoesi in 
Europe. It, is a very tough and good wearing grass, and almost 
impossible to kill, unless it is buried 4 ft. underground. I have 
seen it pulled up and put on rocks, exposed for weeks to the 
glaring rays of the sun, and then after a little rain it started 
to grow. Would not advise planting it near places wished to 
be open, because it will become a weed, next to impossible to 
get rid of. 
I have once secured seed from France. 
llOHERT KARLSTROM. 
(To he continued '.) 
