Is that the one where Oakley says section B was heavy clay and the best way to treat heavy clay is manure & lime though not on the fair green this time of year and so he recommends waiting until the fall?
Do you know if Wilson was on the green committee of the old course?
Do you know when he was named chairman of green committee at the new course?
Ok, Tom...I have my running shoes on so let's see if I can make that leap...
First Sentence - Oakley has examined the soils sent by Russell of Merion for Wilson
Second Sentence - Tells Wilson again that it only possible to make some general suggestions based on this type of analysis.
Third Sentence - Basically says that even his analysis it's of liimited value, it's probably as good to determine a course of treatment for soil as if the soil was chemically analyzed.
Fourth Sentence - "I think the whole course needs liming." I believe we can safely assume that by "whole course" he means "whole property" if they intend to grow anything like grass there, because later he talks about how to seed the roughs.
Fifth Sentence - The soil from sections B, F, and G seem to need the most lime.
Sixth Sentence - Two parts - Section B seems to be pretty stiff clay and the turf sent from Section G shows that the lime is "badly locking". (does this mean Section G also is stiff clay?)
Seventh Sentence - On P&O's Arlington Farm they've found that with heavy clay soils it's frequently impossible to correct acidity, even with heavy doses of lime, but where they've added barnyard manure with the lime they've had better results.
Eight Sentence - At this time of year (mid to late March) it's impractical to use manure on "your fair greens", but Oakley suggests that Wilson keep this in mind and apply manure in the fall if it can be secured.
I don't know, Tom...I kind of see how maybe you're getting there.
In the previous letter Wilson brings up the topic first when he asks, "Would it be better to spread the manure first before plowing up the ground, since we do not intend to seed until the fall, OR, would it be best to plow and harrow the ground, THEN put on the lime and fertilizer, and go over it again and plow and harrow in the fall, before seeding?
In a subsequent letter, Oakley recommends spreading the manure at a rate of 10 tons per acre. They also talk about just harrowing and fertilzing the area of 25 acres where turf seems to be growing historically, with no separate treatments recommended for what might be fairway, green, or rough in those 25 acres.
Subsequent letters by both Wilson and Oakley don't talk at all about delineating between sections, except for seeding rates.
Manure will be spread evenly at 10 tons per acre, and the lime will be applied at the rate of 2 tons per acre.
It's only when they talk about planting seed that greens are very heaviliy seeded, fairways as well, and roughs at 70% of the rate of fairways.
Honestly, Tom...I think you're reading way too much that isn't there. Please don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that it's not possible that an early course routing was drawn on that topo, but I don't see any solid, much less conclusive evidence in any of these letters that tells me it's so.
As far as the Green Committee questions, I don't know the answer to either question, honestly.
I do know that by December 1914 he was so taxed by his work at Merion and subsequent design/build jobs at Merion West, Seaview, Philmont, and North Hills, as well as his work for Robert Lesley's GAP Committee charged with locating a site for Philly's first public course that he resigned as Green Committee Chairman, citing the need to focus on his business affairs.
Despite that, in January 1915 Robert Lesley (who was now President of GAP) picked Wilson again to lead a committee...this time to design and construct the public course at Cobb's Creek.