DOMAIN OVAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 37, 23 November 1937, Page 6

DOMAIN OVAL

IMPROVEMENT PROPOSAL. REPORT ON ITS CONDITION. WORK TO BE CARRIED OUT. Sports -bodies which use the Ashburton Domain Oval having expressed some criticism of the state of the green, the Domain Board sought expert advice on the question. A report was received at the meeting of the Board last evening from Mr A. Gray, of Christchurch, who is secretary to the Canterbury Greenkeepers’ Association, who volunteered a statement following an inspection he made of the area. His report stated that on account of the lateness and dryness of the season top-dressing and seeding was out or the question. Slight improvement to the appearance could be effected by giving the area a good rub over with a fairly firm brush, harrow, prior to cutting. Harrowing would help to bring a fair amount of the coarse grass up and a mower would bo able to make a better job. This would not actually improve the surface, but the closer cut would give the oval a better appearance. As soon as possible the weed problem should be tackled and sulphate of ammonia would-give good results. He did not favour the use of weed killers, which had an arsenic base as they had a tendency to poison the ground. As soon as the cricket season closed and the weeds had been dealt with the area should be heavily and thoroughly scarified with tyne harrows then seeded in the bare and weak places and fertiliser applied. No roller should be used as this only tended to seal up the ground that had already been aerated by harrowing. Scarifying practically eliminated the need for top-dressing. No matter where the top-dressing came from it was full of weeds and only made more work and trouble, while, unless the top-dressing was supplied in the same manner as on a bowling greeu the area tended to become uneven. Mr Gray recommended that Chew-, ing’s fescue should be sown on the wicket area and Chewing’s fescue mixed with brown top on the outfield. On no account should the board, sow ryegrass, which was only for pastures. Mr R. Kerr (chairman of the Domain Committee) said the first part of the programme was to get rid of the weeds, and Mr Gray had offered to send down a piece of apparatus to deal with the weeds. The Board should be grateful to Mr Gray for his interest in the Oval.

The report was referred to the Curator, and it was decided to write to Mr Gray expressing appreciation of the report. The Curator is to be instructed to carry out the suggestions. Mr E. Buchanan said he had been very interested in the Mayor’s statement at the previous meeting to the effect that the Oval had got into its present state through neglect. He deprecated that the 400 loads of good, weed-free soil that could have been used for top-dressing, and which had been lost at the time the unemployed were engaged in the Domain.