NEW TURF SOIL

Evening Star, Issue 21220, 29 September 1932, Page 11

NEW TURF SOIL

IS IT A FAILURE ? A mouth ago the cricket world was startled by the discovery at Nundah, near Brisbane, of soil that was to revolutionise the preparation of pitches. Even England sat up and took notice. One critic of that country suggested that tests would last ten days (says an Australian writer). Will that soil stand the test and do all that was claimed for it? This question is based on something which happened at Brisbane on the eve of the opening of the season lust Suturduy. Two clubs which used it as a top-dress-ing found that it had powdered to such an extent that it had to be swept off. At the Brisbane Cricket Ground, where it has been used for a similar purpose by Curator Jack Farqubar, results have been satisfactory, as they would need to be, seeing that the test and the shield matches are to be played there. Q.C.A. officials have been worried by the adverse reports. One groundsman says that be may not be able to prepare wickets lit for A grade plav. One explanation, which it is hoped will be the correct one, is that the soil which has been a failure may not have been secured from quite the same spot as that from which such wonderful results were expected. . Discussing the soil prior to this discovery, Curator Jack Farquiiarson said lie had no intention of misleading the cricketing public regarding the qualities. Ho said that while a wicket of Nundah soil might last longer than any other in Australia, it would act no differently to other wicket as result of rain, and'when drying would be just as difficult. “1 want, to say definitely,” he remarked with ompliasis, “ that it is not impervious to water. If it were, how could I prepare it? - ’