H y p o Syringe and Gasoline Deal
Death to Dandelions
By G . A . SKINNER
f
A l l greenkeepers know gasoline will kill d a n d e lions, b u t most of t h e m hesitate t o use i t because
the gasoline is d i f f i c u l t t o c o n t r o l ; the t u r f surr o u n d i n g each d a n d e l i o n plant is likely t o be
killed, t o o .
C o l . Skinner, U. S. A r m y M e d i c a l
Corps,
O m a h a , finds t h a t an o r d i n a r y $1.50 glass s y r i n g e
gives t h e desired c o n t r o l , while a t the same t i m e
a p p l i c a t i o n is fast e n o u g h t o be p r a c t i c a l .
N O B S E R V I N G w o r k of g r e e n k e e p e r s at
v a r i o u s courses w h e r e I h a v e p l a y e d
during the past f e w years, m y a d m i r a tion of their results in k e e p i n g g r e e n s f r e e
f r o m w e e d s has c o n s t a n t l y g r o w n . I t has
a p p e a r e d , h o w e v e r , to be a v e r y l a b o r i o u s
process, and e s p e c i a l l y in k e e p i n g out dandelions.
I h a v e been f o n d of k e e p i n g up m y l a w n
f o r a number of y e a r s , but up to t h r e e
y e a r s a g e a l m o s t d e s p a i r e d of e v e r cont r o l l i n g the d a n d e l i o n s therein. I dug t h e m
out b y the ton, but t h e y o n l y s e e m e d t o
t h r i v e on the p r o c e s s , and w e r e t a k i n g
o v e r the b e t t e r part of certain p o r t i o n s of
t h e l a w n , in spite of f e r t i l i z a t i o n , d i g g i n g
t h e m out, and e v e n d i g g i n g up the a r e a
and r e s e e d i n g .
I
T h e n one day, it occurred to m e t h a t
g a s o l i n e was f a t a l to v e g e t a t i o n .
Methods
had been s u g g e s t e d f o r using g a s o l i n e , but
an oil can did n o t c o n t r o l the a m o u n t of
gasoline
applied,
so
that
much
grass
around each d a n d e l i o n plant w a s k i l l e d
w h e n e v e r I a t t e m p t e d t o use it.
S o m e i n s t r u m e n t t h a t would a c c u r a t e l y
c o n t r o l the g a s o l i n e w a s essential, and I
t r i e d first the o r d i n a r y l a b o r a t o r y p i p e t t e ,
w h i c h w o r k e d a d m i r a b l y and m a d e it possible to put g a s o l i n e w h e r e I w i s h e d to,
but w a s slow and r a t h e r c u m b e r s o m e .
In
c a s t i n g about f o r s o m e t h i n g b e t t e r , m y
eyes
happened t o n o t e a l a r g e
glass
s y r i n g e , such as d o c t o r s use f o r t a k i n g
blood specimens. T h i s s y r i n g e had a l o n g
s l e n d e r needle, and a p p e a r e d to be the exa c t t h i n g to fill the bill. I tried it.
The
results were entirely beyond expectations,
and a f t e r u s i n g it a fewT w e e k s I found I
had absolute c o n t r o l o v e r the dandelions,
with c o m p a r a t i v e l y little w o r k and no dama g e to o t h e r v e g e t a t i o n .
T h e m e t h o d is so e x t r e m e l y s i m p l e that
m o s t p e o p l e w o n ' t try it, but f o r t w o y e a r s
I h a v e had a l a w n p r a c t i c a l l y f r e e f r o m
dandelions, and this with so l i t t l e w o r k
that it s e e m s t o me the m e t h o d would be
ideal f o r c o n t r o l l i n g w e e d s on g r e e n s , approaches and tees.
Needle N o t Injected.
F i r s t let m e say that t h e r e is nothing
specific in the s y r i n g e i t s e l f . T h e plant is
not i n j e c t e d , and a n y t h i n g e l s e that w i l l
control g a s o l i n e as a c c u r a t e l y w i l l w o r k
as w e l l . M a n y persons m a k e t h e e r r o r of
thinking it is n e c e s s a r y t o i n j e c t the
Method of applying gasoline by means of
a syringe
p l a n t ; this e r r o r I wish e s p e c i a l l y to point
out at the b e g i n n i n g .
T h e n e e d l e is held
o v e r the plant, n e v e r i n j e c t e d i n t o it.
A l l that is n e c e s a r y is f o r t h e g a s o l i n e
to reach t h e c e n t e r of the d a n d e l i o n and
the plant p r o m p t l y dies. I h a v e dug them
up a f t e r s e v e r a l days and f o u n d t h e r o o t s
completely disintegrated.
T h r e e to
five
drops on the c r o w n of the p l a n t w i l l kill
it without f a i l , if it is not w e t at the t i m e .
T h r e e or f o u r drops on each d e v e l o p i n g
flower
w i l l p r e v e n t seed f o r m a t i o n , so I
a l w a y s d e s t r o y t h e m also.
I use an o u n c e s y r i n g e .
I t is of
glass,
w i t h an a c c u r a t e l y ground p i s t o n ; the needdie is l o n g and slender.
T h i s g i v e s the
n e c e s s a r y c o n t r o l of the g a s o l i n e , and is
the o n l y a d v a n t a g e in this p a r t i c u l a r f o r m
of i n s t r u m e n t .
A f t e r the s y r i n g e is filled
I c o n t r o l the plunger by the p r e s s u r e of
m y l e f t l i t t l e finger, w h i c h a c t s as a b r a k e
and p r e v e n t s t h e d r i p p i n g of e x c e s s gasoline. P l a c i n g the n e e d l e a b o v e t h e c e n t e r
of the plant, I d e p r e s s the p i s t o n s l i g h t l y ,
and a f e w d r o p s of g a s o l i n e run o n t o the
plant. T h a t is all t h e r e is t o it. O n e can
kill 30 to 40 a minute, and e a c h l o a d i n g of
this o u n c e s y r i n g e w i l l s p r e a d o v e r that
m a n y or m o r e plants, a c c o r d i n g t o amount
used on e a c h . U s u a l l y b y t h e s e c o n d d a y
the plant is b r o w n o r b l a c k in t h e c e n t e r
t h e n it w i t h e r s , and in a w e e k no trace of
it can be found.
The method works v e r y satisfactorily
also on plantains, but t h e y a r e m o r e resistant, so I usually put a l i t t l e a t the tip of
e a c h l e a f , as w e l l as in t h e c e n t e r , and
t h e y l i k e w i s e disappear.
I t is e s p e c i a l l y
v a l u a b l e in g e t t i n g w e e d s out of places
w h e r e it is n e x t to i m p o s s i b l e t o d i g them,
such as b e t w e e n c r a c k s in
sidewalks,
around s t e p p i n g stones, on w a l l s , etc.
V e g e t a t i o n of a n y sort can be k i l l e d v e r y
p r o m p t l y in t h i s e a s y w a y .
T h e illustrations will make the method
plain.
I t s s i m p l i c i t y a p p e a r s t o be its
greatest obstacle.
If o n e d o e s n o t wish
to bend his back, it w o u l d b e a v e r y simple m a t t e r t o f a s h i o n a s i m i l a r i n s t r u m e n t
w i t h a l o n g handle, but I think it w o u l d be
difficult t o m a k e it as a c c u r a t e as the
m e t h o d o u t l i n e d . But if d o n e a s suggested, it is v e r y e f f e c t i v e , and b y g o i n g o v e r
the turf as o f t e n as n e w w e e d s s t a r t to dev e l o p , t h e y m a y be i n s t a n t l y k i l l e d , and
w i t h o u t the n e c e s s i t y of d i s t u r b i n g the
s u r f a c e of t h e turf in the s l i g h t e s t .
Anyo n e c a n be t a u g h t the m e t h o d in five minutes a t t h e outside. A n d it d o e s w o r k .
Such a s y r i n g e as p i c t u r e d costs about
$1.50 and m a y be purchased f r o m any dealer in s u r g i c a l supplies, under the n a m e o f
Leur syringe.
Big Turn-Out for Rhode
Island Field Day
IFTH
F
annual
greenkeepers'
field
day,
held M a y 21 at R h o d e I s l a n d S t a t e college agricultural experiment station, Kingston, R . I., d r e w a n a t t e n d a n c e o f o v e r 70,
i n c l u d i n g a l a r g e r p e r c e n t a g e of g r e e n k e e p e r s than h a v e a t t e n d e d t h e four previous field days, a c c o r d i n g t o H . F . A .
N o r t h , assistant r e s e a r c h
professor
of
a g r o n o m y at the station.
A tour w a s m a d e of lawn, putting g r e e n
and seed plats. O n e g r o u p of l a w n plats
is d e v o t e d to a study of the r e s i s t a n c e of
grasses to w e a r . Much interest w a s s h o w n
in the putting g r e e n plats with r e g a r d t o
the q u a l i t y of d i f f e r e n t v a r i e t i e s , and the
e f f e c t s of v a r y i n g p r o p o r t i o n s of N , P . O j
and K 2 0 in the f e r t i l i z e r applied.
Interest
w a s also shown in the habits and c o n t r o l
of the bluegrass w e b w o r m .
A f t e r lunch Dr. John Montieth, Jr.,
s p o k e on t h e s u b j e c t of e c o n o m i c a l c o u r s e
maintenance.
H e stressed the g r o w i n g
t e n d e n c y of g o l f e r s t o demand g o o d but
not luxurious p l a y i n g conditions at mode r a t e cost. S o m e of the w a y s to a c h i e v e
this w e r e pointed out.
A n n u a l m e e t i n g of t h e R. I. G r e e n k e e p e r s ' club w a s held f o l l o w i n g the s p e a k i n g
program.
E x h i b i t s and d e m o n s t r a t i o n s of
s p r i n k l e r s , m o w e r s and spikers f o r m e d a
v e r y i n t e r e s t i n g f e a t u r e of the day.
Midwest Greenkeepers Hold
Equipment Demonstration
A
W E L L - A T T E N D E D equipment demon* *
stration was conducted at T w i n Orc h a r d s GC ( C h i c a g o d i s t r i c t ) , M a y 23,
under auspices of the M i d w e s t G r e e n k e e p ers Assn. Fred K r u g e r , Fred Ingwerson
and E d w a r d B. D e a r i e , Jr., m a d e up t h e
Midwest committee handling the event.
D e m o n s t r a t i o n s w e r e d i v i d e d into f o l l o w ing c l a s s e s : t r a c t o r s and trucks, p o w e r
l a w n m o w e r s , hand m o w e r s , f e r t i l i z e r distributers, sickles, g r e e n m o w e r s , f a i r w a y
units and t r a c t o r s , sprinklers, m i s c e l l a n e ous e q u i p m e n t and supplies.
T h e s h o w ran f r o m 10 a. m. until 5,
w i t h an hour f o r l u n c h e o n .
I n c o m e f r o m t h e d e m o n s t r a t i o n is to be
c o n t r i b u t e d t o w a r d the operation of the
M i d w e s t turf g a r d e n of the U S G A G r e e n
Section.
-
t