300% GAS PRICE INCREASE IN SEVEN YEARS Searching for fuel alternatives: Diesel, propane in your future? If you rank a three-quarter ton pick-up truck with a gasoline engine right up there with Mom and apple pie when it comes to your list of patriotic delicacies, you may be a wonderful American, but a very fuelish businessman indeed. According to a report given by Jerry Faulring, president of Hydro Lawn in Gaithersburg, Maryland, at the recent Virginia Turfgrass Conference, gasoline is the least efficient energy source available to the businessman today, signifi-cantly edged out by both diesel and liquid propane fuel. Ever since 1973, a very real concern for all businessmen in the United States and most of the world has been increasing fuel costs. Motor fuels have increased in cost well over 300 percent in just seven years. Clearly, all lawn care com-petitors, at least by region, have been faced with the same problem. Fuel costs consumed roughly four percent of the typical lawn care to page 10 By allowing customer credit for up to two applications, Jarry Faulting of Hydro Lawn, Gaithersburg, Md., feels that fuel consumption will be lowered 12 percent per stop. RE Volume 5, Number 3 MARCH 1981 Serving lawn maintenance and chemical lawn care professionals DROUGHT Pre-Tax Profit Average 1979 Gross Receipts ^ Water shortages hit lawn care industry across country $117,089 Average 1979 Pre-Tax Profit $16,442 Pre-Tax Profit Per Income Dollar $0.14 Source: LCI Survey 1980 LCI SURVEY Pre-tax profit pegged at 14% Readers of Lawn Care industry accrued an average pre-tax profit of 14 cents per dollar of gross income in 1979, according to a recent survey conducted by the magazine. The average pre-tax profit for each reader surveyed amounted to $16,442. The figure was reached to page 8 Extension specialists at Cornell and Rutgers Universities are pre-dicting that last year's drought will return with equal vigor in 1981 to hit the lawn care industry, already beleaguered in many parts of the country by water shortages and turf burn-outs. Conditions are particularly harsh in the Midwest, south cent-ral and northeastern states where drought, accompanied in many cases by grub invasions, has forced lawn care services to change existing approaches to turf man-agement. With the exception of some smaller companies, most owners are finding their customers faith-ful throughout the emergency, with only a handful choosing to stop service due to poor color or desiccation. "Most people are extremely understanding," said Gary Custis, regional agronomist for the Chem-Lawn Corporation in Creve Couer, Missouri. Custis estimates that easily 60 percent of ChemLawn's accounts in the Missouri area suffered turf damage last year, while about 40 percent have damage so severe QUICK STARTS Are you ready for a computer? 14 Tree, ornamental disease control 20 Understanding nitrogen sources 23 Efficient irrigation design 26 Mower shipments down 30 New St. Augustinegrass: Seville 32 Memos 4 Meeting Dates 35 Newsmakers 35 Cost Cuttings 36 Products 38 Moneywise 39 Marketing Idea File 41 Tools, Tips & Techniques 42 "Our industry is being discriminated against in favor of, for example, the bottling industry, which has no re-strictions on it," says Frank Claps of Frank Claps Landscape, Larchmont, N.Y. UPDATE that extensive renovation is needed. "We set seven weather records in Missouri last year," he said. "It can't get much worse." ChemLawn recommends that their managers make the transition from bluegrass to tall fescue in order to combat drought condi-tions. Custis says that they have had success with the K-31 variety in particular, a much hardier and stress tolerant turfgrass. "We're in a transition zone," he said, "and are pushing the tall fescues. It's the bluegrasses that were getting wiped out during last year's drought and K-31 stands up particularly well." Most experts interviewed on the subject of drought management advise cutting back on heavy turf maintenance in the fall in order to toughen the grass to withstand stress in the spring. "We're going with less nitrogen in order to maintain root growth as opposed to topgrowth," said Cus-tis. "Our whole emphasis is on maximizing efficiency Š we're holding back on pushing the grass." "Too much nitrogen makes the to page 8 Madison limits 2,4-D use in move deemed compromise I ** ** H0-IW 9NISNV1 JLSV3 ÀlISa3ATNfl NV9IHDIW nvH aannnDiaov H1IWS WÜ1 -065-1103 3d -S NŠ80T OC3001 WS trol lies A moratorium on the use of the popular herbicide, 2,4-D, was lifted by the city council of Madi-son, Wisconsin early last month and replaced by a series of lim-itations described by advocates of both sides as a "compromise." Following often emotional tes-timony by members for and against an outright ban of the material, the city council voted 14-7 to prohibit use of the weed killer on the city's general park-lands and median strips. Spraying will be allowed on turf areas on golf courses, athletic fields, the city cemetery and bo-tanical gardens. Use in non-turf areas such as conservation parks, farmed areas, and for poison ivy and noxious weed control will also "We were lucky to have the ban opposed by only one vote." be permitted. The ruling was instated after the council voted 11-10 against a total ban of the material. "We won and to page 4 WHY 9 OUT OF lO LEADING LAWN GARE FIRMS USE I'kKIT.V.M When the top 9 of 10 lawn care firms in America all choose DCIRSBAN* braftd insecticides as their predominate insecticides for surface insect control...there has to be a good reason. Or two. Well there are two. WÊ 1 1. DURSBAN insecticides last longest of leading insecticides. 2. DCIRSBAN insecticides cost less to use than other . leading insecticides. ^. * % i In fact one application of DURSBAN 4E, % oz. per 1,000 sq. ft., costs only about 45«. Yet with this small amount, you get Mx to eight weeks of unsurpassed residual control of dozens of turf pests. Compare this to two to four weeks with any of the other leading insectic44es. And although DCIRSBAN insecticides are highly effective against insects, they are kind to turf, to people and to pets. You also use a lower dosage rate with DCIRSBAN than with other leading insecticides. That means you handle fewer drums to do the job. So ask your supplier for the turf insecticide that saves you time, trips, storage space and money. Ask for DCIRSBAN 2E jfl insecticide or double-strength DCIRSBAN 4E insecticide. Just be sure to read and follow all label directions arid m precautions. Agricultural Products Department, ifj W Midland, Michigan 48640. | Uj iIC HUMP Circle 125 on free information card DOW CHEMICAL U.S.A. 'Trademark ot The Dow Chem»cal Company V C/3 D < U 2 
£ 3 2,4-D from page 1 lost," said Russ Weisensel, direc-tor of the Wisconsin Agri-Business Council. "I hate to see a ban of any kind." As reported in the February issue of Lawn Care Industry, 2,4-D was temporarily banned this January in Madison after a child, whose father was exposed to the Vietnam war defoliant, Agent "We'll never have a tougher group to face than the City Council," said Weisensel, director of the A gri-Business Council. "On the other hand, we'll never be bet-ter prepared and the county will be looking at the city." Orange, had a seizure after a Parks Department crew sprayed a nearby park with the chemical. "We'll never have a tougher group to face than the Madison City Council," said Weisensel. "On the other hand, we'll never be better prepared and the county will obviously be looking at what the city did." Weisensel said that each advo-cate had three minutes to speak, with the pros and cons alternating. "The problem was, there were so many people in favor of the ban that we eventually ran out of speakers. We were lucky to have the ban opposed by only one vote." In a related incident, the District Attorney of Dane County has filed a suit accusing the city of Middle-ton of violating state law by using a banned herbicide in city parks. Dane county encompasses both Madison and Middleton. The herbicide used in Middle-ton was 'Oxford WK-82 Low Vol-atile Herbicide/ which also con-tains 2,4-D. The civil forfeiture action filed in Circuit Court against the city and two employes charges the weedkiller was used during the ban to kill dandelions. Use of these chemicals "creates a risk, hazard, or probability of injury to persons and is a careless or reckless use of a herbicide that violates the Wisconsin Adminis-trative Code," according to the complaint. Middleton park foreman, Edwin Haack, is accused of applying the herbicide with authorization from David Donoghue, director of pub-lic works. The suit seeks a court-ordered forfeiture of $100 to $500. L4WN GIRE INDUSTRY Editor/Publisher: ROBERT EARLEY Assistant Editor: PAUL McCLOSKEY Graphic Coordinator: ROBERT ANDRESEN Graphic Design: DENISE JOHNSON Production Manager: CANDY MANKOWSKI Production Supervisor: MARILYN MacDONALD MARKETING/SALES New York Office: ROBERT EARLEY (212) 888-2892 757 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017 Midwest Office: KIMBERLY CORRY (312) 938-2312 111 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601 Southern Office: DICK GORE (404) 233-1817 3091 Maple Dr., Atlanta, GA 30305 Northwest Office: BOB MIEROW (206) 363-2864 1333 N.W. Norcross, Seattle, WA 98177 Classified: DAWN ANDERSON (218) 727-8511 1 East First St., Duluth, MN 55802 Circulation Supervisor: JOAN SMITH 1 East First St., Duluth, MN 55802 Reader Service: GENE BAILEY (218) 727-8511 1 East First St., Duluth, MN 55802 Please send advertising materials to: LAWN CARE INDUSTRY 120 W. 2nd St. DULUTH, MN 55802 218-727-8511 HARCOURT BRACE JOVANOVICH PUBLICATIONS (HBj) ROBERT L. EDGELL, Chairman RICHARD MOELLER, President LARS FLADMARK, Executive Vice President ARLAND HIRMAN, Treasurer THOMAS GRENEY, Group Vice President EZRA PINCUS, Group Vice President LAWRENCE WITCHEL, Group Vice President JOE BILDERBACH, Vice President JAMES GHERNA, Vice President GEORGE GLENN, Vice President HARRY RAMALEY, Vice President LAWN CARE INDUSTRY (USPS 397250) is published monthly by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publications. Corporate and Editorial offices: 757 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10017. Advertising offices: 757 Third Avenue, New York, New York, 111 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601 and 3091 Maple Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30305. Accounting, Advertising Production and Circulation offices: 1 East First Street, Duluth, Minnesota 55802. Subscription rates: one year, $15 in the United States and Canada; all other countries: $40. Single copies: $2 in the United States and Canada; all other countries: $4.50. Controlled circulation postage paid at Cleveland, Ohio 44101. Copyright © 1981 by Harcourt Brace Jovanovicn, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from tne publisher. POSTMASTER: Send Form 3579 to LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, P.O. Box 6200, Duluth, Minnesota 55806. For a few dollars more. Although lawn care budgets have already been set for 1981, your calculators may be clucking again by the middle of the year. According to a recent article published in the Wall Street Journal, prices at the pump will jump at least 10 cents by late this month and an additional six cents by July. At worst, prices will rise 25 cents by late March and 15 by July. A number of factors are directly responsible: the current round of crude oil price increases from OPEC is expected to come to 10 percent, adding at least five cents a gallon to the price of gas within a few months. And the gradual removal of U.S. controls on domestic crude will probably add about four or five cents every quarter until decontrol is completed October 1, 1981. Hopefully, the decontrol settlement will bring prices back to normal. Even they're confused. Many of you may agree with the Postmaster General who has decided to postpone the controver-sial switch to a nine digit ZIP code until June because, he says, "the postal service must do a better job of explaining the program's benefits to direct mailers," who account for some 80 percent of all mailing. Postmaster William Bolger said the service wants to "exercise all due caution in instituting this important and far reaching development." Postal officials say the new system will improve the efficiency of mail deliveries and hold down costs. It would direct mail to a letter carrier's route rather than to just a post office, and could save as much as 571 million dollars when fully effective in 1987. Early indications are that by using the new nine-digit ZIP, lawn care businessmen might be able to save up to a penny a piece on their direct mailings. Looking into the future. The 1980 Maintenance Symposium, sponsored by the Associated Landscape Contractors of America last December in Seattle, received some "exceptional" feedback, according to Rod Bailey, who chaired the program. Represented were owners and managers from all over the maintenance field who met to discuss "long range planning" for the industry. The symposium was broken down into two 'Industry Directions' panel discussions, the first concerning organization and finance, and the second on new products and equipment. "We wanted to give them some exposure to the breadth of the industry," said Bailey. Charting employee benefits. As the cost of living goes, so goes the price of employee benefits. And the best way to calculate the sometimes deceptive cost of doing business is to keep a dead reckoning of your even more elusive benefit program. As reported in American Nurseryman magazine, Joseph Lawson and Ballard Smith, both associated with SESCO management consultants in Bristol, Tennessee, estimated that "the average payment for benefits last year was close to 38 percent of payroll, nearly $2.50 per payroll hour, and almost $5,200 a year." With that amount of money at stake, it pays lawn care businessmen to keep abreast of the cost (materially, as well as psychologically) of the various benefit programs, options under each, and their respective administrative advantages. Because a company's benefit plan usually matures as the company grows, it is best to keep a look-out for which phases of your program overlap and what new program can eliminate the need for others. In this way, each particular benefit can become a permanent part of your package and help slash the cost of business unknowns. Lawn sales survey. The forecast for lawn and garden sales will be mixed in the coming decade, according to a report in Retailer magazine. The study by Frost and Sullivan, an international business research firm, indicates that annual sales of lawn and garden products are expected to increase substantially through the first half of the decade, but retailers and suppliers differ over how extensive the growth will be. Average sales in lawn and garden products will increase annually by 13.7 percent in the 1981-1985 period, the magazine reported. "The fact that this long range growth is just slightly less than that for the year term may simply reflect a large degree of uncertainty about the future in light of changing economic and energy conditions." Among its more significant aspects, the report indicated that fertilizer sales will increase 16.2 percent, seeds and insecticides at 12.6 percent. In a less spectacular but promising note, the report said contract lawn service and power equipment accounted for less than one percent of the total market, but are "rapidly growing areas." The study also pointed to the growing strength of chain franchise operations in lawn retailing. Although independent retailers accounted for 85 percent of the survey's sample population, these stores accounted for just 53 percent of sales, followed by chain and franchise operations at 38 percent and cooperatives at 8.5 percent. U) co o CD o <3 >-0 H D CO r* 0) t 3 o o> _ r O CD Q) 5" CD a c r z o z o £ I OD 9-O c 3 3 2. o) ® 2 * % w co rr w o S 3 8 £ CD Q 0 ro <o o < Mall To: Company Name Your Title First Initial Š Š Š Š Middle Initial Š Š Š Š Š Š Š o j ST --Š Š 3 £ CD Š -Š Š Š CO Š -Š Š Š 1 Š UK -Š Š ai 2 2 S 2 EïQElElî* « iff f Izlti îillllffl 5' 1 ? _ o li ihimä 1 I8' îâ°lli ¡til lit* MARCH 1981 (Expires in 60 days) reader service card Use this card to obtain more information...fast. z 5 i* 1-D -I D O Š1 < >-ifl CD -J CO CL Ò LU z OC h-CO 5 CO cc LU LU Q. 2 CO ID CD < -J O H co oc u. B WIPE OUT GRUB PROBIENS WITHPRQNOL PROXOL WORKS Kills white grubs, sod webworms, cutworms and armyworms on contact. Proven results for many years by golf course professionals to meet their precise insect control needs. NO ODOR Proxol produces no unpleasant odor to offend customers. PENETRATES THATCH Readily penetrates thatch to concentrate in the soil at the zone of larval activity. ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND Proxol does not produce a long-term residual buildup. At recommended rates it controls principal damage-causing insects as listed on the label without significantly affecting beneficial insects. LOW CONCENTRATIONS Proxol is effective at V/2 oz. to 3% oz. per 1,000 sq. ft. for cutworms and sod webworms. 3% oz. per 1,000 sq. ft. is requiredior grubs. TUCO Division of The Upjohn Company USE IN A PROGRAM Proxol is highly soluble in water. Easily applied with conventional ground equipment. Can be tank mixed with other non-alkaline pesticides. Low effective rates offer economy. CONVENIENT 2 and 5 lb. packages make measurement easy. Eliminates waste. READILY AVAILABLE Over 150 U.S.distributors and 8 regional TUCO Distribution Centers assure convenient product availability. ACTI-DIONE A TUCO broad spectrum fungicide, long used by golf course professionals, to stop turf disease problems before they start. TOLL-FREE INFORMATION For product availability and information just call: Outside Michigan 1-800-253-8600 Inside Michigan (collect) 0-616-323-4000. Write 133 on reader service card DROUGHT from page 1 tips of the grass supple," says Frank Claps, owner of Frank Claps Landscape in Larchmont, New York. "They become succeptible to sweating and disease Š whereas a starved lawn is less apt to get diseased.'' This means, of course, that cus-tomers are going to have to be satisfied with less than dark green color, but most agree that the severity of the drought forces managers to consider survival management over beautifucation. Lawn care managers aren't un-aware of the business oppor-tunities that accompany the drought, either. In Missouri, where the drought has given rise to a considerable grub problem, companies who once offered free and optional pesticide treatments will be charging for them this season. "Pesticides will be needed more," said Bill Knoop, area turf-grass specialist at the Texas Ag-ricultural Extension. "We're going to beat it to the punch in a marketing way." Homeowners who have tradi-tionally maintained their own lawns will be looking for some help once they realize they will be facing the same conditions this year, predicts Dave Murphy of Green Valley Company, Shawnee Mission, Kansas. "The people who will stop service because they figure their grass died in spite of a lawn care service are in a minority," he said. "Overall it didn't really hurt us." Green Valley will be going with a slow release fertilizer Š the best foil for low moisture that the industry agrees upon Š in order to thwart burn-outs and toughen turf. The slow release products are less moisture reliant and will contri-bute just enough nitrogen to keep the turf "hungry" and avoid over regulation. What with the supply of natural precipitation low, many of the country's water reservoirs are de-pleted. Lawn care managers have been forced both to change maintenance techniques and push for a more equitable water dis-tribution from local government and water commissions. In New Jersey, where the local Hudson reservoir is regularly tap-ped for New York City's prodigi-ous water demands, levels are down to a dangerous 36 percent capacity. The scarcity has the industry vying angrily for water rights in what for many has become a testy political issue. And, according to Frank Claps, the green industries are taking the hindmost. "The municipal fathers are just not doing their job," he said. "They're discriminating against our industry in favor of, for in-stance, the bottling industry which has no restrictions on them. Lipton's Tea, Hellman's May-onaisse are also not subject to the same limitations." "We want them to give us permission to use water for specific purposes. We're not looking as much for water to water our established lawns and plants, but for our young material. If our plant material should die, the cost would be astronomical." Claps voiced a common com-plaint throughout the lawn care industry with regard to govern-ment Š namely, that for all its importance for the nation's survi-val, the industries associated with agriculture are routinely scorned in favor of fast money industries. In order to safeguard turf and plant stock, Claps and his col-leagues at New York's Turf and Landscape Association are both lobbying the state legislature and making recommendations for the use of wetting agents and anti-transparents for their more deli-cate stock. Peter Bongiovanni of Bon-giovanni Landscape in Westfield, New Jersey and a member of the New Jersey Nurserymen's Associ-ation, says they are also "bringing pressure to bear on the Department of Environmental Protection." "We have a 53 day supply of drinking water here in New Jersey and they wanted us to haul bottled water to our sites so we didn't have to use our customer's water. But that's just impossible." Citing the combination of drought and recession that has weakened his industry in the last two years, Bongiovanni said that although he hopes President Re-agan will help lift economic bur-dens, "one thing for sure, Mr. Reagan can't make it rain." In summary, the lawn care in-dustry seems confident and well organized for its fight to contain drought damage this year, having learned by the experience of pre-vious years. Extension specialists are working closely with managers to beat the problem. The key issue, however, seems to be better recognition by government of the importance of the industry to the public, and less discrimination during times of emergency shortages. CHART from page 1 by asking readers to indicate their pre-tax profit after subtracting all costs of overhead from their total 1979 receipts. When asked for gross receipts for chemical application and mowing and maintenance services for 1979, readers polled declared an average of $117,089. The final profit per dollar figure represents the percentage of total pre-tax profit over gross receipts in 1979 after all overhead costs were subtracted. The 14 cents figure represents a decline of eight cents per dollar of pre-tax profit in relation to the same survey conducted by the magazine the year before. In that survey, readers reported an aver-age pre-tax profit of 22 percent, or 22 cents per income dollar, a significantly greater profit margin than this year's figure. The results of the 1980 survey are based on a 53.6 percent re-sponse to 500 questionnaires mailed to readers of Lawn Care Industry last year. For a copy of the survey, contact: Bob Earley, editor/publisher, Lawn Care In-dustry, 757 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Use the for better, cheaper, easier weed control along fences, roadways, irrigation ditches, around buildings and structures. The HERBI gives Controlled Droplet Application ... a revolutionary approach to the application of herbicides. Its spinning disc produces a consistent 250 micron droplet, meaning ultra low volume spraying, eliminating the need for high volumes of water. Gives exact and thor->1 ough coverage, with less chemical. Startlingly eco-! nomical in cost I and use. ( rWmm A«CR N Mb cor poration Post Office Box 19698/Houston, Texas 77024/(713) 932-1405 Telex 79 2511 MICRONWHOU Write 127 on reader service card In New Jersey, where the local Hudson reservoir is regularly tapped for New York City's prodigious water demands, levels are down to a dangerous 36 percent. The scarcity has the industry vying angrily for water rights in what for many has become a testy political issue. And, according to Frank Claps, the green industries are taking the hindmost. Warren's A-34 BenSun bluegrass out-performed 43 bluegrasses during a 5 year independent study at 8 universities. Whether it be density, texture, disease resistance, color, uniformity, wear and shade tolerance, hot-cool-dry or wet con-ditions, A-34 BenSun was superior in quality to all others. A-34 blends well with other bluegrasses as well as fine leafed ryes and fescues. Do it now! Phone or write for proof of what we say. TÍJomma TURF NURSERY, INC. 8400 West 111th. Street Palos Hills, Illinois 60465 Phone: 312/974-3000 One bluegrass does it best. Write 133 on reader service card p* "You're invited to come visit me in our Fylking park." > z n > pa w 2 a c in H "Fylking Kentucky bluegrass was a big part of converting rusted railroad trestles and abandoned coal piles to one of the most beautiful downtown parks in America. The Spokane Opera House and a portion of the river show in the background. I'm standing on rich, luscious, official World's Fair grassŠFylking Kentucky bluegrass. It now covers much of the area where 5 million people came to the Fair." Fylking was and continues to be chosen because of its improved disease resistance, greater cost effi-ciencies and environmental desirability. Fylking Kentucky bluegrass costs less than most other elite bluegrasses. For every lawn seed mix, specify this World's Fair/Park quality seed. KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS U S Plant Patent 2887 Another fine, quality-controlled product of Jacklin Seed Company. 2 > (O 00 Write 133 on reader service card 10 ALTERNATIVES from page 1 company's operating budget in 5 1980. This is not a large percentage 2 and since lawn service price in-% creases have generally kept apace, 2 it would seem everyone is equally disadvantaged. However, according to Faulring, it is possible for two different lawn care companies to have dramati-£ cally different total fuel costs. And £ a savings of only two percent on § fuel costs in an average operating 3 budget of $300,000 would produce g $6,000 to spend on company ^ maintenance or clear profit. Z The points to consider when selecting lawn care vehicle en-J gines are: Capital investment cost. A gasoline engine converted for pro-pane adds about $1500 and the diesel option adds about $4000 to the standard gasoline chassis in the two ton class. Operating cost. Propane costs about 20 percent less per mile and diesel fuel about 25 to 30 percent less for the energy equivalent of gasoline. Maintenance cost. Propane and diesel powered engines both incur lower ongoing maintenance costs. Fuel availability. In times of shortage or allocation, propane and diesel will generally be more available. you have ready access to a dis-tributor. It's less important with diesel, particularly in light of the greatly increased number of gas stations selling diesel fuel. How-ever, diesel fuel is not a bargain when purchased on the street. Dual fuel problems. If your organization runs chassis with The diesel unit paid back its capital cost in fuel savings alone in 3.8 years. Over an average seven year life for the unit, the new savings (with fuel costs constant) was estimated at $1,505.00. Hydro Lawn estimated the total savings from the diesel to be $2,355.00. Chassis resale value. Diesel has a marked advantage, almost re-turning the initial capital costs. The return value for a propane powered vehicle is not as clear, but assume a better salvage value than a gasoline chassis. Fuel storage systems. With pro-pane, this is indispensible unless differently fueled engines, it could mean two different vendors, or having to install two tanks and pumps at the same location. Safety. Although most would think of this last, diesel and pro-pane are both safer fuels once on board. Diesel has lower volatility and propane is discharged as a Get more tough weeds per tanlcf ul. When you use BANVEL* plus 2,4-D, or use BANVEL 4S alone, you've got a tiger in your tank. A tiger against the toughest weeds in any turf. BANVEL 4S controls most broadfleaf weeds for a full year with one application, because it attacks them through the leaves and roots. With the roots destroyed, there's no regrowth. The combination of BANVEL and 2,4-D gives you an even broader spectrum of economical weed control. BANVEL is a full-season herbicide. Use it anytime during the growing season, early spring to late fall, warm or cool weather, wet or dry conditions. Store it over the winter; it stays stabile from season to season. Mixing quickly in hard or soft water, BANVEL can be applied with conventional spray equipment. And when you use it according to directions, it will give you the most beautiful, weed-free turf you've ever had. Ask your Velsicol distributor about BANVEL, or write now for complete information. Velsicol Chemical Corporation, 341 E. Ohio Street, Chicago, IL 60611. Banvel Before using any pesticide, read the label. QVelsicol © Velsicol Chemical Corp., 1980 vapor. However, propane filling stations may be more dangerous than gasoline or diesel. Faulring also listed a number of factors which contribute to lower fuel consumption. 'This is where one can become a real fuel conser-vationist which ranks right in there with ice cream and apple pie with regard to Americanism," he said. Points to consider include: Ł Increase route efficiency by obtaining more customers on the same street. 'Miles per gallon* is meaningless without greater em-phasis on gallons of fuel con-sumed per customer. Driving 100 miles per day might earn a 50 percent MPG improvement over 50 miles per day, but if both trucks service 20 accounts, the higher MPG unit will use 33 percent more fuel per account. Ł Reduce marketing area to en-hance route efficiency. According to Faulring, a production truck in the lawn care industry will not be profitable if it averages more than three and-a-half miles per stop over the course of the year. Ł Reduce chassis size, engine size and payload in order to reduce energy consumption. "Hydro Lawn realized a 55 percent MPG improvement for pick up units by doing this without sacrificing effi-ciency or production," said Faulring. Ł Reducing payload alone with identical chassis will improve MPG. It is increasingly important to properly match chassis size and engine size to accomplish the task required. Historically, it has been commonplace to order standard models which may not have the most energy efficient chassis/ engine-size combination. This is also true of large chassis sizes. When selecting larger chas-sis, it is very important to precisely determine horsepower require-ments and then select the smallest engine that will satisfy that re-quirement. All truck manufactur-ers have charts and formulas to assist these calculations. There are many considerations such as the general terrain of your market area, desired highway speeds that need to be addressed when selecting chassis size, engine size, transmis-sion, rear end ratios, and tire size and type. There are other general opera-tional strategies that should be considered to determine if you are operating inefficiently or conser-vatively. "An example of this surfaced in our operation in 1980," said Faulring. "Traditionally, we have always waited to perform a treatment to a customer's lawn until the previous treatment was paid for. This is a very safe position to take when reviewing your bad debt ratio, but earns the distinction of being very fuelish and inefficient from a production point of view." "In 1980, Hydro Lawn used the safe strategy. We were least effi-cient and usually less productive at the end of the treatment periods because our production people were performing so called "clean up" routes of customers slow or late to pay for their previous treatment." "We earned our worst gallon per stop ratio of about 1.15 gallons and our best ratio of about .46 gallons per stop. These ratios show a fuel efficiency disparity of 150 percent Write 133 on reader service card from our worst to best cases/' In 1981, Hydro Lawn plans to relax the rules and allow a cus-tomer credit for up to two treat-ments. Faulring's expectation is that average fuel consumption per stop will be lowered about 12 percent. "If we had done this in 1980, I suspect that our total 1980 fuel bill would have been about $10,000 less. I think it's the smartest move we've ever made." The additional added benefit will be dramatically improved production efficiency through the elimination of clean up routes. Faulring says Hydro Lawn will be able to add about 300 stops per vehicle to the annual cycle which will allow them to increase re-venue per production vehicle by about $10,000 without any in-crease in fixed costs or hours worked. So, what insurance can be pro-vided in 1980 to guarantee the survival of the lawn care industry in 1990? First, gone are the days when the industry can afford to haul around a 1600 or 2000 gallon tanker to spray a few gallons of fertilizer on a lawn. The watchword is lower application rates in order to reduce tank and chassis size and the energy required to move the unit around town. The dry application companies have traditionally been more fuel efficient because they don't haul a lot of water. But even a dry application company can conserve considerable amounts of fuel by selecting precisely the right chas-sis size powered by the most efficient engines. Until 1980 Hydro Lawn oper-ated an all gasoline fleet except for a tandem axle 3000 gallon hydro-seeder. In 1980 they purchased five Chevrolet two ton chassis with diesel engines and two one-half ton pick up trucks with diesel engines, in addition to several other gasoline powered trucks. The choice of diesel was the result of considerable study and analysis and for a variety of reasons even the final decision could be characterized as experimental. "No one could be positive that diesel would save us money," said Faulring. The analysts at Hydro Lawn compared a one half ton gasoline powered truck (305 cubic inch V-8) with a one half ton diesel (350 cubic inch VO-8). Both trucks were equipped with automatic trans-missions, 150 gallon fuel tanks, and radial tires. The diesel unit received an average of 18.61 miles per gallon, while the gasoline unit received 16.14. If both trucks travelled an average of 11,500 miles per year, Faulring calculated that the diesel unit saved his company $215 over the gasoline unit when gas was $1.17 per gallon and diesel was $1.00 per gallon. At that rate, the diesel unit paid back its capital cost in fuel savings alone in 3.8 years. Over an average seven year life for the unit, the net savings (with fuel costs constant) was estimated at $1,505.00. Other factors that contributed to esti-mated savings were an increased trade in value of approximately $500 and savings in reduced maintenance costs over a seven year period of $350. Hydro Lawn estimated the total savings from diesel unit to be $2,355.00, with the real payback term, taking into account all fac-tors, to be 2.45 years. Using the same criteria for similar trucks in the two ton class, Faulring estimated the diesel unit would account for approximately $11,792.00 in total savings over a seven year period, paying its cost back in 2.1 years. Finally, liquid propane gas units should be considered. There are some very significant advantages, especially for companies who find it impractical to convert an exist-ing gasoline fleet to diesel. The following advantages exist: Ł You can convert an existing gasoline engine to liquid propane power for appoximately $1200 to $1500. Ł Fuel costs are approximately 40 percent less than gasolineŠ liquid propane gas usually has a 100 octane rating which means more energy per unit of fuel. Although one gallon of liquid propane gas will not provide the equivalent of one gallon of gasoline with regard to miles per gallon, it is still a cheaper fuel source per mile of travel. Ł Longer engine life is assured with significantly reduced maintenance and repair costs. Liquid propane gas units bum cleanly, leaving fewer engine de-posits and longer spark plug life. Ł Liquid propane gas saves up to 80 percent on oil costs by maintaining lubrication proper-ties of oil by a factor of five to 10 times. Ł Vandalism, spillage, and evaporation are almost eliminated since liquid propane is a com-pletely sealed system. Ł There is currently a very adequate supply of liquid propane and a high probability of being available in short term periods of gasoline shortages. Since liquid propane is a de-rivative of crude oil, its costs are expected to follow gasoline and diesel prices. However, with the deregulation of natural gas, it is conceivable that liquid propane will become more and more in demand for heating purposes. This may cause price to rise more rapidly than if natural gas had not been deregulated. In summary, it appears that in 1981, gasoline is the least efficient fuel power source; that liquid propane offers a compromise be-tween diesel and gasoline; and that diesel fuel is the best and most efficient alternative. However, all facets of operation and financial conditions must be considered. For example, says Faulring, it might look good to switch to diesel, but current interest rates and a tight money supply might make such a decision impractical. "And further, with fuel costs at four percent of sales, you may be able to find other areas of your operation, which if addressed, could reduce costs as much as or more than a modest improvement in energy costs without capital investment," said Faulring. Marketed by fe^ itirf-Seedjnc. P.O. Box 250, Hubbard, OR 97032 503/981-9571 TWX 510-590-0957 The Research, Production. Marketing Company CANDIDATE! Kentucky Bluegrass To be competitive in the sod market, producers need a dark green, healthy product that can be harvested in a minimum amount of time. Columbia bluegrass was developed by Turf-Seed, Inc., to work alone or in a blend to produce a dark green, quick spreading turf. We nominate Columbia as the grass roots candidate for this year and years to come. Write Turf-Seed, Inc. developed Columbia bluegrass to be a quick rooting, rapid spreading bluegrass excellent for profitable sod production. A good root system is important to get lawns through hot summer periods. Columbia has shown good resistance to Fusarium blight in California tests where Fusarium is a problem during dry summer periods. 133 on reader service card BKOADLEAF HERBICIDA LAWN CARE IGORDON'S £S2£|ssional turf products keep out of reach of children pANGER^^ ^Łctícjü trwtm«nt 13 Immaculate weed-free turf is the key to profit for the Lawn Care Operator n > S Read how TrimecR) Turf Herbicide can help you improve the bottom line As a lawn care operator, you live in a glass house, and this has a direct bearing on your profits. Some busi-nesses can hide their mistakes, or shift the blame, or postpone the con-sequences, thus buying time to make corrections later when they're not so busy. But not you! If a few ugly weeds appear out of nowhere in one of your lawns, or if some trees and ornamentals show signs of damage, the finger points to you; you've got to do something right now or you may lose a customer as well as your chances for new custom-ers in the block. Fortunately, there's another side to the coin. If one of your lawns is as immaculate as a country club fairway, everyone in the block sees it and be-comes a prospect for you. The point is, you've got to do the job right the first time. You absolutely can't tolerate the emergence of stray weeds or damaged ornamentals. STRAY WEEDS: The weeds that plague lawn care operators are not dandelions or chickweed or other common sensitive weeds. To the con-trary, they invariably are a hard-to-kill 
variety usually thought to be rare Š until they showed up in your custom-er's lawn! Where did they come from? They're the natural consequence of using a narrow-spectrum herbicide in an area being fertilized and watered. The hardy weeds (those not con-trolled by the narrow-spectrum herbi-cide) are nourished by the fertilizer 
and water, and fight with the grass to 
fill the vacancy left by the demise of 
the sensitive weeds. Some of them win, and weeds that once were ob-scure become prominent. There's really only one efficient way to cope with the problem, and 
that is the Trimec way. Trimec is the one turf herbicide with a broad enough spectrum to get those hard-to-kill weeds along with Only Trimec gives you all these benefits Controls the widest range of broadleaf weeds Gets hard-to-kill species with one treat-ment. Wide safety margin for lawn grasses Minimum hazard from root absorption No vapor action after application 
Effective weed control in a wide temper-
ature range Unique formula overcomes water hard-ness problems Treated areas may be reseeded within 
two weeks Non-flammable and non-corrosive in use Product stable several years above 32° F. 
Biodegradeable; friendly to the environ-
ment 
Bentgrass formula is also available the common, sensitive ones. How many broadleaf weed species will Trimec control? We're still looking for the troublesome broadleaf weed that Trimec will not control when applied at the right times and rate. If we do find such a weed, we'll be very much 
surprised. No other selective herbi-cide matches the broad spectrum of Trimec. ORNAMENTAL DAMAGE: Any broadleaf herbicide can damage trees and ornamentals if used indiscrimi-nately. But, for Trimec to cause such damage as a result of translocation, it would have to beapplied at morethan ten times the label recommendation. We estimate that more than 2 mil-lion lawns were sprayed with Trimec in 1980; there is not a single report of damage to trees or ornaments. GOOD NEWS T«ur «moi An Dylftf The reason why Trimec is so friendly to the environment, yet so powerful, is because no ingredient in Trimec is at a phytotoxic level. CUSTOMER RELATIONS: Be-cause most customer complaints and resulting service call-backs are caused by a genuine lack of informa-tion, we have designed an instructive Trimec door-hanger in response to the problem. It ex-plains Trimec's slow, thorough action and the time required to kill a weed, root and all, using the world's most efficient herbicide. Experience has shown this door-hanger to be highly effective in reduc-ing the number of complaints and call-backs because it tells customers what to expect Š in advance. A generous supply of Trimec door-hangers is available with your Trimec purchase. THE BOTTOM LINE: You can buy a narrow-spectrum herbicide that costs less per gallon than Trimec. But, on the bottom line, Trimec costs less than its less-effective contem-
poraries. That's because it requires less chemical per acre for maximum weed control; and because it saves la-bor by doing the job right the first time. No matter how large or small your business, your Trimec distributor wants to help you. See him, today. TRIMEC is a registered trademark of PBI/GORDON Corporation, U.S. patent No. 3,284,186. GORDON'S IRMI PROFESSIONAL TURF PRODUCTS pbl/Gondon conponatfon 300 SOUTH THIRD STREET P.O. BOX 2276 KANSAS CITY, KANSAS 6B1 1 Ł 91 3-342-87BO Write 102 on reader service card INSIDE THE INDUSTRY 14 CO 05 >* H w D O z «Ì 3 Are you ready for a computer? There was a time when the small business owner did not have to think about a computer. Comput-ers were too big, too complex, too expensive. Computers were for large companies. But times have changed. Small computer systems, based on mini-computer technology, are now within the budgets of many lawn care companies. They can fit right into your existing office space and they are simple enough to be used by the clerks or typists you already have. Small computers have a second very important feature: they are "interactive." With an interactive system your people can "con-verse" with the computer through a TV-like terminal located right in their offices. That means you no longer need a lot of paperwork and a lot of intermediary steps to get data into and out of the computer. The people who use the data are the ones who use the computer. And since the computer's files get updated directly, they are working with accurate information instead of past history. A third, more recent develop-ment, is perhaps the most signifi-cant of all in making computers available to small companies. That development is the evolution of a new type of business Š the inde-pendent computer supplier. Many of these firms have been repre-sented at turf shows across the country, including the recently held Professional Lawn Care As-sociation of American Conference and show held in Louisville. These firms are specialists who procure the best computer equip-ment they can find, combine it with the application programs you need for your business, then install the system and handle any related computer chores you wish. Independent computer suppliers are more than just ven-dors. They are a management resource, much like your CPA firm, law firm or investment coun-selor, helping you with your in-formation management needs. Like many executives, you may have some basic questions about computers in your lawn care busi-ness. Experts at Digital Equipment Corp., Merrimack, N.H., have pre-pared the following information to deal with questions you might have about adding a computer to your lawn care business system. Cutting costs. One way to im-prove your margins is to cut your costs of doing business. The first step is to identify precisely how much your various activities are costing you. And that's where a computer can help. A computerized general ledger system can break your costs down into very fine budget areas. A computerized inventory control system allows you to reorder mate-rial in the most economical lot sizes. It can also tell you when to reorder so you can reduce the size of your on-hand stock, while still meeting customer demand. Fi-nally, a computerized analysis of your vendors can tell you whether you can buy in larger quantities from fewer vendors so you can take advantage of better discounts. Increasing productivity. As you survey the various departments within your business, you are bound to spot areas where people could be more productive if they had more complete, more accurate information at their finger tips. For example, the computer is good at doing repetitive tasks. When a clerk prepares an invoice, he can type in the account number and the computer can automati-cally fill in bill-to and ship-to addresses and all the other stand-ard information, saving the clerk several minutes on each invoice. Also, by making better informa-tion available, the computer lets you make better use of resources. A dispatcher can combine backhauls with deliveries; a shop supervisor can schedule work to minimize machine breakdowns and set-ups; and a warehouse worker can get packing slips printed in the order of bin locations. Improving efficiency. To some extent, every company is troubled with inefficiency in the form of unnecessary paper shuffling and costly errors. The computer Š especially small interactive com-puter Š can streamline your oper-you get your bills out faster with better follow up on receivables. And when credit problems do arise, you know about it sooner so you can implement controls. Where time accounting is a problem, the computer can help professionals manage Š and charge Š their time more accu-rately. Also, with the computer, you can do analyses of customers, territories, products, or sales-people. So you can find out which are the most profitable, which are the least. This allows you to take appropriate and effective action Š trim in the marginal areas, take advantage of the most profitable. Improving customer service. Many firms have made excellent use of their computer system to improve the quality of services they offer customers. They have been able to fill orders faster and more accurately Š sometimes tel-ling customers over the phone whether items are in stock, what substitutions or specials are avail-able, and when to expect delivery. The computer also allows firms to offer a wider range of discount or credit structures to suit different customers. And no matter what business you're in, the computer can help you provide your cus-tomers account statements that are more up-to-date, more detailed, and more accurate. Making better decisions. The computer can make managers more efficient by handling many of the day-to-day matters that often bog them down. The managers can establish guidelines Š such as credit limits, inventory reorder points, etc. Š and the computer Computers can perform most calculations in frac-tions of a second. But processing means more than mathematics. Once your data is stored in a form the computer can read, it can be sorted, moved from one place to another, summarized, analyzed, and verified with little expenditure of time and effort. ation. With an easy-to-use inter-active terminal available to your employees, they can enter, store, access, and update file records without ever generating a piece of paper. What's more, the computer can be programmed to validate data as it is being entered, so it can immediately catch invalid codes or miscalculations and give the person entering the data a chance to correct it on the spot, thus eliminating costly errors. Bettering return. In addition to helping you reduce costs, there are other ways that computer-tight control can help you make more money. The computer can help can alert them only when the guidelines are exceeded. This al-lows you to do management by exception. The computer can also result in better management decisions by giving quicker access to more accurate information. But some-times it isn't more information a manager needs. Sometimes they are swamped by details. Once basic data is stored on a compu-ter's files, it is relatively easy to summarize, reformat, or perform analyses and calculations on the data. This allows you to extract information that is most useful to your task at hand. It also allows you to answer "what if" questions to help you evaluate a solution before you decide on it. Helping the business grow. A small computer can be an effective tool in helping you manage growth. Some Š like Digital's Data-systems Š are modular and more terminals, more processing power, more storage capacity and more applications can be added as your increasing volumes demand. A computer can thus grow as your business grows without the need for significant increases in clerical staff. And by itself, a well-managed computer resource can be an asset when you seek expansion capital. Bankers, for instance, tend to favor those firms that can demonstrate sound busi-ness and financial management practices. There are essentially six things that a computer can do: Capture data. As in a manual system, the computer can store data that is deposited directly into its files. But the computer can also "capture" data that is not direct input to specific files. For exam-ple, when an order is written out, data is created which affects sev-eral different files. An inventory status file is affected. A billing file is affected. And a delivery file is affected. A well-designed com-puter system can capture all the necessary information right from the source document and post it to all the appropriate files automati-cally. Store information. The compu-ter stores information in much the same way as a file cabinet or tub file, with two all-important differ-ences. First, the computer can retrieve data at electronic speeds; in a typical system a clerk can retrieve a record from a computer file in seconds, by typing a few single keystrokes. Second, the computer can index a file in a wide variety of ways, making the data far more accessible. Process data. Computers can perform the most complex calcu-lations, in fractions of a second, with unerring accuracy. But pro-cessing means more than mathematics. Once your data is stored in a form the computer can read, it can be sorted, moved from one place to another, summarized, analyzed, and verified with little expenditure of time and effort. If you ask your clerk to collate a lengthy report, it may take days. Properly programmed, a computer can do it in minutes. Interact with people. One of the most recent developments in the computer field is interactive pro-cessing. This is usually im-plemented with video terminals in remote locations Š manager's of-fice, billing department, shipping dock, etc. Š which are linked to the computer either directly or through telephone lines. With these terminals, you can access the computer's power. So you can retrieve data from files, up-date files, or make calculations whenever you need to. Perform housekeeping chores. We said you should consider the computer a "black box." That's easier to do today than it was a few years ago, because now many "utilities" or "housekeeping" programs have been designed to automate the operation of the computer itself. For example, cer-tain programs handle the various tasks going on within the compu-ter so that several people can interact with it simultaneously. Other routines make the computer easier to use by "tutoring" the user in a conversational way. Editing routines can double check the data that people want to put into your files, by verifying codes, checking calculations, and generally spot-lighting errors before they get into the system. And if there are some files you don't want certain people to use, the computer can restrict access. Print output. Virtually any piece of paperwork your business needs to generate can be produced by the computer Š provided the neces-sary information is in the compu-ter's files. These include payroll checks, invoices, inventory pick-ing slips, bills of lading, month-end statements, and operating and management reports of all kinds. Typically, computers are in-stalled in modules called "appli-cations systems" or "applica-tions." An application consists of a set of computer programs that together perform the data pro-cessing tasks for a specific busi-ness function. A word should be said here about something quite common in the computer industry: The generalized application package. As the name implies, this is a ready-to-go application written for general usage. The supplier of the package usually takes the trouble to learn about all the possible processing options a user would want Š such as any possible deductions, various state and local tax rates, etc., for a payroll package Š then he incorporates them into a generalized system. The user can then pick the options he needs. With this ap-proach, a supplier can incur his major development costs once and then resell the package to different users with relatively little addi-tional overhead. Each user gets a system that seems tailor-made at a price considerably lower than the cost of a system written just for him. In looking at the experiences of long-time computer users, it is possible to see a pattern in the way computers are put to use. In gen-eral, there are three distinct types of applications, described below: Type one: data-intense appli-cations. Typically, the first areas to be put on the computer are those where the greatest flow of data exists. These are often the basic accounting functions that a busi-ness must satisfy. The need for automation in these areas is usu-ally very critical, because the er-rors and paperwork burdens that originate here can sap the vitality of a whole business. Yet at the same time, these areas are un-iquely suitable for automation, and there are excellent packages available at very reasonable cost. Applications for these area are likely to be installed quickly and easily, and the results can pay back the initial investment in a rela-tively short time. A prime example is payroll processing. Your current system for payroll is probably transferable to an in-house com-puter system with no disruption to your staff or your traditional policies. With an in-house com-puter, input data and perhaps master file information would be handled online so you can check and catch errors on the spot. The tremendous processing capability of the system would let you handle more deduction than you handle now. You could print checks and earnings statements, plus any time sheets, journals or other reports, on your own site. And data from each payroll run could be captured for automatic year-end or quarterly processing. Type two: functional applica-tions. By functional applications we mean those bread and butter applications that relate to the real business of your firm. These in-clude order processing, inventory control, sales analysis, vendor analysis, labor distribution, pro-duction scheduling, vehicle scheduling, warehouse control, actuarial and investment analysis, and merchandising among many others. These are often tackled after the data-intense areas are up and running successfully. Applications in these areas help people who have direct contact with your customers or who are responsible for your products or services. They also help you achieve tighter control over your largest capital investments, such as your inventories or production facilities. Often the key to solving many of the problems that arise in these areas are two things the computer does best: (1) speeding up the flow of data, and (2) making accurate information more readily available to employees. General packages are also avail-able for some of these areas, al-though some special programm-ing may be needed to accomodate your particular operations. Type three: data-based appli-cations. The term "data base" was coined to account for the unique capability of computers to access files in a number of different ways. This means that larger files con-taining a wealth of information could be shared by two or more applications. The terms "data bank" or "data pool" are some-times used to describe this. There are two types of applica-tions made possible by a data base. First, there are applications to calculate trends or general rules that will help in making plans for the future. For example, sales forecasting and market simula-tion. Second are those applica-tions that require information from more than one area. For example, a comprehensive purchasing sys-tem needs order information, on-hand inventory information, plus vendor and payables information. A central data base that can be accessed by different applications lets you cut down on the number of redundant files. And, by entering data online, you can make it immediately available to all the areas that use it, so your people can work with accurate, up-to-date information. Building the data base and the integration of various application areas usually takes considerable effort and time. To do it successfully, you must have a clear view of where you want to be at the end of that development effort. Self evaluation. The first and most essential guideline concerns your role in the process: you must clearly define the desired results you want from the system. This requires an evaluation of your own personal objectives for your busi-ness. What are your immediate and long-range goals? What changes do you want to implement? What benefits of a computer are most important to you? Thinking through this exercise at the outset will allow you to give clearer direction to the development of your computer system, and get a better system in the end. Feasibility study. Any computer acquisition process should begin by questioning the feasibility of a computer. You should carefully study your current business oper-ations to find out what it costs you now. This will involve a detailed survey of each application area you can identify in order to com-pile such data as the number of transactions handled each day, what is involved in each trans-action, the people and equipment required, forms used, and so on. Then, determine what it would cost to increase your current methods to handle any projected increase in business. Above and beyond this, of course, are the unique benefits of a computer that you couldn't realize simply by adding to your staff. Benefits like getting reports you don't get now. Using more sophis-ticated business techniques. Shortening the time required to process transactions. Or freeing up clerical and management talent for other areas. You must set a value on these potential benefits and weigh them in the balance. At the end of your feasibility study you should be able to state confidently that a computer either is or is not worthwhile, that the investment will pay you back in cost savings, efficiencies or some other standards you set, at a return equivalent to your other business investments. Vendor selection. At this point, you should consider outside help. As mentioned earlier, this help is available from the independent computer supplier. . .a new kind of company that has become a growing force in the business world in recent years. These firms are not only com-puter experts, but they also have special expertise in the industries they serve. They can bring a high degree of understanding Š as well as actual experience Š to an examination of your current oper-ations, your business goals, and your unique problems and re-quirements. These suppliers provide what is called a "turnkey" system. As the name implies, a "turnkey" system is one that involves little start-up effort by the user. The supplier studies the user's requirements, adds standard application pack-ages (or tailors certain applica-tions, depending on the need), and installs the system virtually com-plete and ready to run. You can learn the names of suppliers from listings in local business directories or yellow to page 16 Guidelines for buying a small computer system Ł See a working version of your future system before you buy. Ł Check your supplier's references by calling on some of his customers. Ł Check out the manufacturer of your supplier's hardware (is the manufacturer in business to stay? Are his products highly regarded?). Ł Insist that your hardware comes from one manufacturer only, in order to avoid disputes or violations of warranty. Ł Make sure the supplier puts safeguards on the source coding of your applications (to protect against fire or other forms of loss). Ł Insist on easy back-up procedures for your files. Ł Define acceptable criteria for your system, including formats of input and output and the time it takes to do specific functions. Ł Take delivery of your hardware with at least some working applications. Ł Ask your supplier about on-going software maintenance, in case you ask for changes to your applications. Ł Buy a system with growth potential (always buy at the middle or bottom of the line). Ł Buy a system that is expandable by adding on system elements, such as memory, terminals or disks, rather than by expensive conversions. Ł Follow up on your responsibilities (especially preparing the site, getting your people ready, and reprinting your forms to fit the new computer). There are many different elements that make up a total computer system, including the applications and services needed for your particular business. As a result, you should be wary of "average system99 price tags, because your true costs may bear little relation to these printed claims. COMPUTER from page 15 pages, from references of accoun-tants and business colleagues, or from inquiries to computer man-ufacturers. The process of select-ing your supplier is much like the one you used in selecting your accounting firm or law firm. You'll want one with a sound business reputation and a track record of success in solving problems simi-lar to yours. Systems study. To provide a system that meets your needs precisely, the supplier will have to perform a thorough systems study. But before this study gets too far along there are two steps you should take on your own. First, you should study your operations to see if there are any changes you wish made, which are not related to the installation of a computer. Today, computers are carefully designed to avoid dis-ruptions in business routine. But some firms want to take advantage of this period of change to make additional changes in their per-sonnel or procedures. Second, you should identify any specific problems you want the computer to solve and you should establish priorities. As mentioned earlier, the accounting applica-tions are the ones commonly put on the computer first. But they don't have to be. If another area is more pressing in the light of your own goals, focus on that first. These initial stages (including the feasibility study), are the ones that require the most homework by top management. But by doing this homework well, you can lighten your future load considerably. Remember, the computer is simply a tool to do a job. The better you define that job, the more satisfac-tory the results will be. At this point, you're ready to request proposals from one or more suppliers. By considering competing suppliers you can en-hance your own learning process and perhaps see alternative ap-proaches. (A note of caution: Be careful not to play one vendor off against another. Reputable com-puter suppliers are professional people whose consultation and service are nearly as important as their product offerings. If you try playing them against each other, you may drive off the best ones and find yourself dealing with the least competent of those in your area.) Most likely, the suppliers will conduct extensive interviews with you and your chief operating people. And when they do, be sure to give each supplier the same direction and the same access to your business so that all the pro-posals you receive can be com-pared point for point. Proposal evaluation. If you've done a good job in the preceding areas, you should now have one or more proposals that directly ad-dress problems you've identified. You will probably want to involve your chief operating and ac-counting people in the evaluation process to make recommendations based on specifics within the pro-posal. In evaluating a proposal, you are trying to answer two questions: (1) Will the proposed system do a good job for you?, and (2) Can the supplier live up to the claims in the proposal? There is no magic formula for arriving at the an-swers. But a good rule of thumb is to accept nothing on faith. Insist that the supplier clarify or expand upon points in the proposal that you don't understand or feel are incomplete. And don't be overly impressed by computer jargon to the point where you're letting details pass without close scrutiny. As you go through the evalua-tion process, be sure to evaluate the intangibles involved in doing business with particular suppliers. You should consider the man-ufacturer of your supplier's hardware and systems software components. If that manufacturer financially sound and firmly committed to the business? Does it have an extensive and responsive service organization? Are its products well-known and highly regarded in the business world? Also important is the expandabil-ity of the computer. Most likely, the system described in your pro-posal is one of several models in a line or family of systems. Make sure there is plenty of growth potential beyond the model you buy, and that the process of growth involves "adding on" in modular fashion, not converting. The checklist of "guidelines for buying a small business system," included in this section, should suggest some do's and don'ts as you go through your evaluation process. A word about costs. As dis-cussed in earlier sections of this booklet, there are many different elements that make up a total computer system, including the applications and services needed for your particular business. As a result, you should be wary of "average system" price tags, be-cause your true costs may bear little relation to these printed claims. How can you determine your true costs? A turnkey supplier's proposal is a good place to start, since it will include costs for a computer configuration as well as for any customized applications you may need. Over and above what the supplier will charge you, there may be costs involved in training, in converting your old systems to the computer, in pre-paring a room for the computer, in acquiring additional insurance, and in stocking up on paper, ribbons, and other supplies. It might be wise to calculate these costs over time Š say five years Š and to include both recurring and non-recurring expenses. If you finance the system, you should figure in your cost of money. To your advantage is the depreciation allowance on a pur-chased system. And of course, there's the capital investment tax credit, too. These additional pluses and minuses will bring you to a bottom line figure much closer to what your actual cost will be. Calculating your costs over a period of time can be very instruc-tive. You might find, for example, that the monthly cost of your Certified Manhattan is the favorite fine-leafed perennial ryegrass of home owners for dressing up their homes. It's fast germinating and has that dark green color that makes a 'people stop-per' lawn. For new lawns or for overseeding, you can't go wrong with Certified Manhattan. Manhattan is used by professional lawn care people throughout the northern half of the country. Manhattan is being imitated. To be sure you are getting the real Manhattan, look for the blue certification tag on each package. Distributed by: Whitney-Dickinson Seeds, Inc. 52 Leslie Street. Buffalo. NY 14240 716/ 896-1111 Co-Marketer: Turf-Seed, Inc. P.O. Box 250, Hubbard. OR 97032 503/ 981-9571 Write for free tech sheet on planting and maintaining Manhattan Manhattan Ryegrass Growers Assn. 1349 Capitol St., N.E. Salem, Oregon 97303 Write 133 on reader service card Manhattan fine-leafed perennial ryegrass system equals what you would pay to hire one additional clerk. (In fact, many firms have found that to be true.) By doing this, you can put the costs of your small business system into a more meaningful perspective. Implementation schedule. Once you select a system, you should agree upon an implementation schedule with your supplier. This should consist of two things: (1) a list of milestones during the de-velopment period, and (2) criteria for satisfactory progress as of each milestone date. Your schedule should be reviewed and updated frequently so that your expecta-tions are always in line with the actual progress being made. You should keep in mind that you are entering into a business relationship that entails mutual responsibilities. You must be cooperative and accessible to your supplier; the best way is to assign one of your managers as project coordinator with responsibility for its success. This coordinator will help your supplier write the system specifi-cations and will evaluate the supplier's work to ensure those specifications are met. You should also avoid making changes once the development work begins. Or, if changes are necessary be willing to incur charges for them. At each development milestone, you should sign-off on the work done to-date and make progress pay-ments which were agreed to before the work began. Finally, you should start paving the way for the actual computer installation. Inform all your people that a computer is coming. The supplier can give you photos or promotional literature which you can circulate among your people to help answer any ques-tions and alleviate any fears. As soon as input and output samples become available, circulate these, too. If any training is necessary, have it done early. In the computer industry it is axiomatic that when top manage-ment is fully committed to the system, success is virtually guaranteed. This leads to the most encom-passing of your responsibilities. You must be willing to provide your personal commitment to the project to ensure its smooth and successful completion. Internal control. Because the system can help achieve efficiency in other areas, people often overlook the efforts needed to run the system itself efficiently. This involves establishing a number of internal controls. First is the consideration of where the computer will go. Studies show that computers are most often installed within the accounting areas and responsibil-ity for it is given to the controller or the financial manager. This ar-rangement may be the best one for you. But you should also consider the long-range development of your applications. If your produc-tion areas will be heavy users of the system, you might want it reporting to a manager who is more sensitive to needs in those areas. Today, it is not uncommon for the president or owner of a business to be directly in charge of the data processing function. A computer system also requires a certain degree of discipline on the part of your personnel. Input formats and procedures must be established and adhered to. The integrity of your data must be ensured by maintaining redun-dant back-up files and audit trails. Documenting your systems and procedures is also important; as is implementing some accounting system to monitor use of the computer. THE ECONOMY Housing starts holding The lawn care industry tradition-ally rides piggyback on the fortune of the new housing market across the country. Happily, as the ham-mers ring with new construction, so, eventually, is turf established, sprayers spray, and grasses green. And, according to the Wall Street Journal, housing starts in 1980 were far better than anyone had expected. Two new reports from the Commerce Department suggest that the housing market was holding up surprisingly well under the strain of high interest rates at the end of last year. Housing economists had ex-pected a much larger drop in construction starts because of high mortgage rates and sagging sales of homes. "I'm astounded," said Dale Riordan, chief economist for the National Savings and Loan League. The Commerce Department re-ported starts of new, privately owned housing at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,548,000 units in December, down one percent from November's revised rate of 1,563,000. The December figures, still pre-liminary, put total starts for 1980 at 1,291,000, the lowest yearly total since 1975 when 1,171,000 units were begun. The 1980 level was 26 percent below the 1,745,100 units started in 1979 and 36 percent below the strong 2,023,300 units started in 1978. Several economists predicted that starts would drop a bit more in January and slide more sharply in February and March. William Young, an economist for the Na-tional Association of Home Buil-ders, said the association was projecting starts below the 1.25 million rate during the first half of 1981. "It's going to be a very hard winter for builders," said Mr. Young. Construction permits for future housing units were issued in De-cember at a rate nine percent below that of November, the Commerce Department said. Single-family housing starts sagged 6.4 percent in December while starts of multifamily apart-ments surged 9.1 percent. Thomas Harter, chief economist of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America said this indicates high prices and high mortgage rates are forcing many buyers to shop for condominiums apartments rather than one-family homes. 17 £ ? z n > z a c in H TO Bookstore TURF MANAGER'S HANDBOOK by Dr. William Daniel & Dr. Ray Freeborg This specially designed manual by leading turf specialists is a comprehensive, organized approach to turfgrass science and care. An easy-on-the-job reference for planning, purchasing, hiring, construction and plant selection. $18.95 hardback $14.95 paperback Pascal P Pirone DISEASES & PESTS OF ORNAMENTAL PLANTS by Pascal Pirone This standard reference discusses diagnosis and treatment of diseases and organisms affecting nearly 500 varieties of ornamental plants grown outdoors, under glass or in the home. Easy to understand explanations of when and how to use the most effective fungicides, insecticides and other control methods. $22.95 INSECTS THAT FEED ON TREES AND SHRUBS by Johnson and Lyon Essential information for identifying more than 650 insect pests and the injuries they cause. More than M 200 color illustrations. M, $38.50 DISEASES OF SHADE TREES by Terry Tattar Because shade trees require specialized maintenance rarely used in the forest, this text seeks to aid the arborist in providing necessary care to maintain vigor and prevent shade tree diseases. An in depth look at infectious and non-infectious tree diseases. Plant pathology not necessary. $23.50 DfcffWSOf StlftDf TRftS TREE MAINTENANCE Pascal Pirone The fourth edition of this guide for anyone involved in the care and treatment of trees. Special sections on tree abnormalities, diagnosing tree troubles, non-parasitic injuries and assessing the suitability of different trees. $27.50 ttrf ligation manual TURF IRRIGATION MANUAL by James Watkins A guidebook for engineers, architects, designers and contractors. Keeps pace with the latest developments in turf and landscape irrigation. Specific chapters devoted to rotary sprinkler design systems, golf course design systems and expanded engineering and reference material. $19.50 fejL, Management TREE FARM BUSINESS MANAGEMENT by James Vardaman A guide to help you increase profits from tree farming. Major problems confronting large and small tree farms and how to meet them including recommendations for seeking out accountants, lawyers and other professionals. $16.00 GUIDE TO TREES by Simon & Schuster Beginner and experts reference to 300 trees with 350 full-color illustrations. This authoritative guide supplies you with a full description of size, color, shape, leaves, flowers, fruit and seeds; information on habitat, propagation and growth conditions PLUS a hardiness zone maps, glossary and index. $19.95 hardback $8.95 paperback ADDITIONAL TITLES TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT - $16.95 TURFGRASS SCIENCE & CULTURE $22.95 
WESTCOTT S PLANT DISEASE HANDBOOK $32.50 
WYMAN'S GARDENING ENCYCLOPEDIA Ł $25.00 
GARDENING IN SMALL PLACES - $7.95 HOW TO GROW HEALTHY HOUSEPLANTS - $5.95 FUNDAMENTALS OF SOIL SCIENCE - $22.50 GREENHOUSE OPERATION & MANAGEMENT - $17.95 HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE - $22.00 PLANT PROPAGATION - $21.95 
HORTUS THIRD - $99.50 TREE CARE - $9.00 SOILS AND OTHER GROWTH MEDIA - $12.00 EXOTIC PLANT MANUAL - $37.50 HANDBOOK OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL CONSTRUCTION $48.50 SOILS & SOIL FERTILITY $24.95 
THE GREENHOUSE ENVIRONMENT - $24.95 FUNDAMENTALS OF ENTOMOLOGY AND PLANT PATHOLOGY - $21.00 MODERN WEED CONTROL - $16.00 
DISEASES OF TURFGRASS - $27.00 TREE SURGERY $17.00 
TREE IDENTIFICATION - $9.00 WESTERN HOME LANDSCAPING - $5.95 SHRUB IDENTIFICATION - $8.00 MANUAL OF WOODY LANDSCAPE PLANTS - $19.00 WEED SCIENCE - $20.00 HOME LANDSCAPE $16.00 THE PRUNING MANUAL - $12.95 Mail this coupon to: Book Sales Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publications One East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802 Name. Address. City . State. Signature _ . Zip. Date. Please send me the following books. I have enclosed a check* for the total amount. Title Quantity Price Total Price * Please add $1.50 per order, and if ordering multiple copies, also add 25$ per additional copy for postage and handling costs. (postage & handling) Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. Total Enclosed LCI Diazinon is labeled for How many will you Diazinon" not only controls, label in the business, but is labeled for more turf insects You'll count 24 turf insects in than any other turf insecticide. all. Including white grubs, sod Just take a look, it's the biggest webworms, cutworms, chinch bugs, every insect on this page face this season? army worms and ants. This season, be sure to ask your local supplier for Diazinon. And put the biggest label in the business to work for you. Ciba-Geigy, Ag. Div., Box 11422, Greensboro, NC 27409 Diazinon by CIBA-GEIGY The biggest label in the business. CIBA-GEIGY Write 133 on reader service card 20 MOWING/MAINTENANCE Seasonal disease programs for tree and ornamental care > H C/3 D Q Z < u 2 £ The success of a maintenance program on woody ornamentals requires identification of the cus-tomer, plants, diseases, climate, alternatives and implementation procedures, according to Dr. Robert E. Partyka, plant pathologist for the Plant Diagnos-tic Laboratories branch of Chem-Lawn Corp. in Worthington, Ohio. The client's basic knowledge of plant problems must be consid-ered, he told attendees at the 19th Illinois Turfgrass Conference. Is he coming to you or are you going to him because of your promotional programs? What does he expect, and can you satisfy those expecta-tions? Your ability to communi-cate and your knowledge of the situation should be able to estab-lish a reasonable approach to satisfy his needs. Does your staff have a guide to use to properly identify plant material? Are all common plants recognized in the area? Not recog-nizing plant material may result in loss of credibility with a client or-possibly plant damage if wrong materials are used, Dr. Partyka said. What are the most common disease problems on the plants and when do they occur? How serious are they and are they controllable? Do you have the means to suppress them? Do all the plants have to be treated? These are some questions that have to be answered. Climate, temperature, moisture. How do climatic conditions affect disease problems at certain times of the year? Temperature and moisture relationships become very important for short-term ef-fects. What has happened in the past year or two that may influence specific disease problems? Are the disorders pathogenic or physiological? Protective sprays are often con-sidered, but is the timing accurate enough to give control? Is there an aesthetic value and cost relation-ship to be considered? Can sus-ceptible varieties be replaced by resistant plant material? Can vigor of a plant be used to ward off a disease problem by proper fertility practices, or do we need a combi-nation of fertilizer and protective materials? Can the job be done in the time span that is optimum for control and are equipment and manpower available to do it? With these points in mind, let us review some of the problems confronting professional ornamental care. Failure of plant material to leaf out in the spring must be equated with plant vigor or winter stresses. Plant vigor is often difficult to evaluate because past history may not be known. However, this can A Real Success Story St Crabgrass control and proper feeding in one application. / % s Tee Time 20-4-10 fertilizer gives you an unbeatable combination of nutrients and pre-emergence herbicides for healthy growth and con-trol of crabgrass and other grassy weeds. 20-4-10 gets your grass off to a healthy start in the early Spring. The combination of available nitrogen, controlled re-lease nitrogen, and sulfur in 20-4-10 stimu-lates initial color response without excessive growth. The controlled release nitro-gen, derived from sulfur-coated urea, doesn't require high soil temperatures or bacte-rial action to start working. Sulfur-coated urea is unique in that it releases its entire nitrogen content during the same growing season to allow the grass full utilization of this major nutrient. The 2:1 ratio of nitrogen to potash also contrib-utes to the proven performance of Tee 
Time 20-4-10. The proper balance of potash aids the overall health of the grass, increasing resistance to drought, disease, and traffic. To this carefully formulated product, we add Balan® Betasan® or Dacthal® to provide a winning combination for proper feeding and pre-emergence control of crabgrass and other grassy weeds. Pre-emergence products perform as well when combined with fertilizer as when applied sepa-rately, and sometimes even better. A one-step 
application can save you both time and labor. Our 20-4-10 with Balan® and Dursban® goes even 
a step further by al-lowing you to add insect control to your feeding and weed-control pro-gram in a single appli-cation. That can mean even greater savings in time and labor. You can switch to The Andersons' Tee Time products with confidence, knowing we spent 10 years developing and refining them. Try using one of our 20-4-10 
crabgrass-control products as part of your overall program. One of them is just right for you. Our distributors are qualified to assist you in determining which of these fine products best suits your needs. If your present supplier does not carry The 
Andersons Tee Time products, call us toll-free or write and we'll give you the name of your nearest distributor. You'll be glad you did. the professional's partner Ihe^EES» Andersons Lawn Fertilizer Division P.O. Box 119 Maumee, Ohio 43537 Ohio: 800-472-3220 Outside Ohio: 800-537-3370 "As the season progresses, higher temperatures and limited moisture will often create stress conditions in a Plant," says Dr. Robert E. Partyka of lant Diagnostic Laboratories. "One has to determine how far the problem has progressed and whether corrective procedures are advisable. Removal and reestablishment of new plants with emphasis on preventing stress conditions from occurring again is often a more sound way to go." often be obtained by communica-tion with the client. It is usually important to know the age of the plant material and how long it has been in place. Most problems on new growth are due to transplant failure so that the plant never became established in location to survive the normal winter stress conditions. This can relate to initial vigor of the plant or the cultural practices given to the plant. Of course, the plant may have been dead to begin with and planted in the fall with no chance of becoming estab-lished. Unusual weather during the winter may have stressed the plant, resulting in further weakening and failure to grow. This is often common with plant material that may be out of its adaptive zone. Problems of this nature often cannot be corrected, and one must consider replace-ment with more vigorous or adapted specimens. Spring foliage problems. Spring foliage problems are often com-mon during periods of excessive moisture, Dr. Partyka said. Knowing the plant and disease organisms most prevalent under such conditions can determine what direction one should take in overall maintenance. In general, leaf spots are often unsightly, and how long weather conditions favorable to disease exist will determine whether a protective program is necessary. Plant material will recover with development of new foliage after the weather conditions change. This is often true of anthracnose, a disease that starts early in the season and is often explosive when weather is optimum for it. For apple scab, symptoms tend to develop gradually; often severe defoliation results, with limited foliage recovery. A sparsely foliated plant may be the outcome unless a protective control or ré-sistent varieties are used. Many leaf spot diseases can be reduced in severity by maintaining plants in good vigor, so fertility programs are often a first line of defense if a resistant plant is not used. When limited leaf spotting or defoliation cannot be tolerated because of aesthetic considerations, timely fungicide applications can be used Balan® Trademark of Elanco Products Co., Div. of Eli Lily Be tasan® Trademark of Stauffer Chemical Co. Dacthal* TVademark of Diamond Shamrock Corp. Dursban® Trademark of Dow Chemical Co. to page 22 Write 102 on reader service card Write 119 on reader service card-You just can't buy a better mowing tractor. Ł , . JAc0B86Ür Él S5 XT m1 'm 1 » m m » -*r ^ * X s -j/ It's been proven time and again, day after day, acre after acre. You just can't buy a better cutting mowing 
tractor. For a very convincing demonstration, call your Jacobsen Distributor. Jacobsen Division of Textron Inc. Jacobsen: You just can't buy any better. TREE CARE from page 20 to maintain the majority of the foliage. By no means can one expect to keep all the foliage spot-free, as this is too costly and often not feasible from the standpoint of a maintenance service. However, this understanding must be con-veyed to the client at the onset of the program, so he knows what to expect from the protection pro-gram. Unusual weather may create heavy disease pressure on suscep-tible plants at certain times of the year. This possibility needs to be considered by the maintenance service. Stress conditions. As the season progresses, higher temperatures and limited moisture will often create stress conditions in a plant. Many of these stresses are physiological, and one must be a good diagnostician to determine the cause. Once the cause has been estab-lished, corrective procedures can be established. However, one also has to determine how far the problem has progressed and whether corrective procedures are advisable. A good example is a young plant that is severely gir-dled with nylon twine or a large tree in a residential area that has a majority of its root system dam-aged. Palliative measures can be used and the plant will undoub-tedly continue to exist for a time, but there is a question whether one can justify the time spent on plants that undoubtedly will die soon or will be so scarred that they will distract from the landscape. Removal and reestablishment of new plants with emphasis on preventing stress conditions from occurring again is often a more sound way to go. This will require a good discussion with the client and explanation of the reasons for moving in this direction. Stress conditions can lead to canker problems on many plants that may be insignificant at first but if allowed to develop will often result in branch dieback and dis-figurement of plants. Recognizing canker-prone plants can result in early surgery and vigor-improvement practices that can often save the plant. However, one must be attuned to factors in an area that can cause plant stress. Vascular-type diseases. Vascular-type diseases often be-come established because stress conditions may predispose the plant to pathogen invasion or certain insect vectors may transmit the organisms. Early recognition and positive diagnosis are necessary to initiate proper corrective procedures. The degree of control and the reliabil-ity often vary with the plant and specific pathogen involved. In cases of phloem necrosis of elm, there is little hope. Dutch elm disease control with systemic ma-terials is more promising, pro-vided application datrs dates and rates are accurate. One cannot be absolutely certain that control can be maintained, but certain trees For i Thicker, Greener, Filer Carpet THICK. VIGOROUS. VIBRANT DARK GREEN COLOR Chosen as the color standard for all other bluegrasses, Adelphi averaged best of 35 others for uniformity in turf growth and density, disease resistance, drought, heat and cold. And it's completely free of noxious weeds. This kind of quality seed is what sold universities, golf courses, parks and home owners. This kind of quality makes for the best green carpet money can buy. For information, contact: J&LADIKES, INC. Jamaica, N.Y. 11423 JONATHAN GREEN & SONS Farmingdale, N.J. 07727 NORTHRUP KING CO. Minneapolis, Minn. 55413 VAUGHAN-JACKLIN CORP. Bound Brook, N.J. 08805 Downers Grove, III. 60515 Post Falls, Idaho 83854 ROTHWELL SEEDS LTD. Box 511, Lindsay Ont. Canada K9V 4L9 Delphi (U.S. Plant Patent No. 3150) THE GREENER KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS1 may warrant the cost of such practices. Early recognition of Verticil-Hum wilt can often save a plant with proper pruning and fertility practices. However, if the or-ganism becomes established through root invasion, chances are good that it is present in the soil, and weather conditions may pre-dispose the plant to reinvasion in the future. Maintaining vigor in the plant is important to help avoid this reinvasion. The nature of the problem must be fully explained to the client. In some cases, this may be a futile effort because of the mobility of the organism. Total injury as evident by yel-lowing or browning of leaves often suggests severe injury to the main trunk or the root system. This can often be related to a specific disease problem triggered by weather, or the plant may be susceptible to a soil-borne patho-gen. Determine the cause, recog-nizing that the plant usually dies, and consider measures to prevent a recurrence when new plant ma-terial is put in. REGISTRATION EPA approves Carbide's Sevin Union Carbide Corporation has said that the Environmental Pro-tection Agency cleared the regist-ration of Carbide's Sevin carbaryl insecticide and all its current uses, the Wall Street Journal reported. The EPA decided that "the over-all weight of evidence doesn't raise prudent concerns of unrea-sonable adverse risk," Carbide said. Sevin carbaryl, introduced in 1959 and currently one of the most widely used insecticides in the world, was reviewed by the agency under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. Sevin is registered for control of more than 500 different pests. It is used in the home and garden, on fruits and vegetable crops and in the forest as well as for pest control on dogs, cats, chickens and game birds and louse control on hu-mans. Carbide is a diversified maker of chemicals, plastics, metals, gases, batteries and other products. CONFERENCE Turfgrass meeting moves to Albany in 81 Since attendance at the recent 34th Annual New York State Turfgrass Conference and Trade Show al-most doubled over the previous year's figures, plans are now being made to move the conference to Albany, New York on November 10-13, 1981. The reason for this, as explained by conference chairman Richard McGovern of McGovern Sod Farms, Melville, NY, is the availa-bility of a more modern facility, expanded trade show space and a more centrally located site within the state. The conference and trade show will take place at the Empire State Plaza, a facility which has pro-vided New York with a magnifi-cent locale for conventions since its opening several years ago. FERTILIZER Understanding characteristics of lawn care nitrogen sources Nitrogen is without question the nutrient of most importance to lawn care businessmen in their overall lawn care soil fertility programs. As a result, much effort has been directed in the last 30 years towards understanding the influence of different nitrogen formulations, nitrogen rates and timing of nitrogen applications on turfgrass performance and quality. Due to this continuing research and development, today's turf managers have available for their use a wide variety of nitrogen products having different charac-teristics, according to Dr. Thomas R. Turner of the University of Maryland. Although the diversity of nitrogen products available is certainly an advantage, confusion often results as to what to expect from each of the materials. Both an exaggeration of the merits and drawbacks of these nitrogen prod-ucts and a lack of understanding of their basic characteristics has led to this confusion. By understanding the important characteristics of each nitrogen source, lawn care businessmen will have a better idea of what pattern of turfgrass response to expect and should be able to make an informed choice of what prod-uct or products are best suited for their individual situations. Current information is particu-larly needed for the three most important synthetic slow release nitrogen sources for turf Š sulfur coated urea (SCU), isobutylidene diurea (IBDU), and ureaformal-dehyde (UF), and the newer solu-ble materials which are billed as having slow release characteris-tics, the methylol ureas (MO). To provide some of the informa-tion needed to understand these nitrogen sources, a description of the important properties and turf-grass response patterns has been prepared by Dr. Turner. IBDU. This is produced by reacting urea with isobutyral-dehyde. Two basic materials are available based on fertilizer parti-cle size, coarse (0.7-2.5 mm) and fine (0.5 to 1.0mm). Coarse IBDU is 31 percent nitrogen with 27.9 percent total water insoluble ni-trogen (WIN), while fine is also 31 percent nitrogen, but with 26.3 percent WIN. The reason for the slow release characteristic of IBDU is its low water solubility. For nitrogen to be released, IBDU must be hyd-rolyzed (react with water) to form urea and isobutyraldehyde; how-ever, since IBDU does have a low solubility, this process is slow. The primary factors which affect the speed with which nitrogen from IBDU becomes available to the turfgrass plant, therefore, are the soil water content and the particle size of IBDU (due to the surface area with which water can react). Any factor affecting soil water content, such as soil texture, drainage, irrigation, and rainfall, will influence the rate at which nitrogen from IBDU becomes available for use by the turf. Re-lease of nitrogen from IBDU in a sandy soil may be slower due to lower soil moisture content than on unmodified, heavier soils. This effect could be somewhat offset, however, by increased irrigation on the sandier soils. Increased rainfall as well as irrigation, will also result in increased release of nitrogen from IBDU. Soil moisture. The importance of soil moisture to the release of nitrogen from IBDU can be both an advantage and a disadvantage, Dr. Turner said. When dry conditions prevail and the lawn is growing slowly with minimal nitrogen re-quirements, release of nitrogen from IBDU is also reduced. When rainfall is heavy to exces-sive during the growing season, however, lawn growth is rapid and mowing is difficult to keep up with. This problem is com-pounded when IBDU is used be-cause research has shown that nitrogen release is increased by the moisture and even more rapid growth is promoted. However, excessive growth during ex-tremely wet periods may be a problem which occurs in-frequently and one that many lawn care businessmen are willing to put up with if they are sold on the other attributes of IBDU. Another advantage of IBDU is its superior cold weather response compared to other slow release nitrogen materials. Since nitrogen release from IBDU is only slightly affected by temperature, nitrogen can still be released when temper-atures are low as long as water is present. Research has consistently shown earlier spring greening of turf fertilized with IBDU. How-ever, one drawback has been ob-served. In some years, turf fer-tilized with IBDU exhibited earlier spring greening, but also had a much more severe incidence of Helminthosporium leaf spot. As long as turf managers are aware of this potential problem, however, they can deal with it. The other factor which affects nitrogen release from IBDU, the particle size, is not as important as might be expected. Generally, ini-tial turfgrass response after an application is greater with fine IBDU; however, residual response to the coarse and fine material has been very similar even after four years of applications. This would indicate that fine IBDU is a more efficient material to use. Sulfur coated urea. Two basic types of SCU products are pro-duced, Dr. Turner said, one by the Tennessee Valley Authority pro-to page 24 23 r > z n > z a c C/5 H X M-2 > TO SEVIN STOPS WITHOUT Sl9 THE ACTION. ŁŁ The faster you can get your customers back in their yards, the happier they are. New SEVIN® SL car-baryl insecticide keeps them very happy. Because that's easy to handle, mix SEVIN ranks low in toxicity and clean-up. to people, animals, birds and fish, when compared to other insecticides. So customers can use treated areas as soon as spray driesŠ without en-during harsh odors. SEVIN SL keeps you happy, too. It's a new water-based liquid there's a SEVIN carbaryl formulation that's right for the job. From new SEVIN SL and new SEVIN 20% Bait to a variety of spray-ables, wettable powders, granules and dusts for special uses. Contact your pesticide supplier for sensible SEVIN. It's pest control with peace of mind. SEVIN IS THE ANSWER. UNION CARBIK AGRICULTURAL PROOUCTS COMPANY, INC., 7825 Boymeodows Woy. Jockson ville, FL 32216 SEVIN r» a registered tr ode mark for carbaryl insecticide As with any pesticide, always follow instructions on the label Write 133 on reader service card It may be easy on you and your customers, but SEVIN SL is tough on pests. Especially popular for fleas, SEVIN SL also stops ants, ticks, chinch bugs, sod web worms, mos-quitoes, and many more lawn pests. Whatever the problem, I 24 NITROGEN from page 23 Š cess, in which urea is coated with _ sulfur. This type is mfanufactured and marketed by Lakeshore Equipment & Supply Co. The second is by Canadian Industries, Ltd., in which prilled urea is coated with sulfur. Typical SCU products contain from about 32 to 37 percent nitrogen and 20 to 35 percent sulfur. While the degree of slow release of nitrogen from IBDU and UF can be expressed as WIN, no standard has yet been generally applied to SCU. In some areas, a WIN or CRN (controlled release nitrogen) statement is made on the fertilizer CO 05 oc < < u Z < bag. For research purposes, how-ever, the slow release nature has been expressed as the dissolution rate. Generally, the dissolution rate refers to the amount of SCU that will dissolve in water in seven days under given laboratory con-ditions. This value, in effect, is an indication of the water soluble nitrogen. For instance, if a SCU product has a dissolution rate of 35 percent, then 35 percent of the material will act similar to a quickly available nitrogen source and the rest will be gradually released over a longer period of time. Some, but not all, SCU bags contain a statement indicating the dissolution rate. Since SCU is manufactured from a very soluble material (urea) which is coated, the primary means of nitrogen release from SCU is through pinholes or cracks in the coating and also degrada-tion of the coating. Thus, the most important factor affecting the rate of nitrogen release from SCU is the coating thickness, with soil mois-ture and to a lesser extent soil temperature also having an effect. SCU products ranging from ex-tremely slow release to fairly rapid release can be produced simply by adjusting the coating thickness. However, products with less than a 20 percent dissolution rate (due to a thicker coating) have been shown to release nitrogen too slowly for satisfactory turf growth and are less efficient than other materials. Dissolution rates of 25 percent to 35 percent have been found to be most satisfactory for turf. Exaggerated breakage state-ments. Cool weather turf response to SCU generally has not been as good with IBDU, but has been better than UF, Dr. Turner said. Although nitrogen release from SCU increases with soil moisture, excessive growth during wet weather has been less of a problem with SCU than with IBDU. Exaggerated statements have been made about the possibility of breakage of SCU particles on non-putting green areas and sub-sequent burning of turf. The only way this might occur would be gross misuse of the product. If recommended rates and practices are used, no problems of this type will occur with SCU. Some recent research has shown that, with two applications a year, SCU generally results in a more consistent year around response than other slow release materials also applied twice a year. Also, one application per year of SCU has come closer to providing satisfactory turf year around than other slow release materials applied once a year. Ureaformaldehyde (UF). UF has been used since the early 1950's and is still a popular nitrogen source. Produced by reacting urea with formaldehyde, the most common UF products are 38 per-cent nitrogen with approximately 27 percent WIN. Two basic forms have been available, powdered (which is sprayable) and graunu-lar. Recently, a flowable UF mate-rial has been produced. Under given environmental conditions, the rate of nitrogen release from UF depends primarily on the ratio of urea to formal-dehyde used to manufacture the fertilizer. The more urea used in production in relation to the amount of formaldehyde, the quicker will be the release of nitrogen from UF. As more for-maldehyde is added, longer chained UF polymers form from which nitrogen is more slowly released. Thus, products can be made which range from extremely slow release to relatively fast re-lease by altering the amount of urea and formaldehyde mixed. The most common products, such It appears that methylol urea has a major market with the home lawn care companies, as most reports indicate that it has a much lower burn potential than other soluble nitrogen sources. as Blue Chip and Powder Blue, have urea to formaldehyde ratios of about 1.3:1. Recently, however, faster releasing materials with urea to formaldehyde ratios as high as 1.9:1 have been tested, are being marketed, and look prom-ising. Release by degradation. UF is basically an insoluble compound, with nitrogen being released through degradation of the fer-tilizer by soil microorganisms, Dr. Turner said. Thus, any factor af-fecting microbial activity, such as soil moisture, temperature, pH and aeration, also affects the rate of nitrogen release from UF. As conditions become less favorable for microbial activity, nitrogen will be released from UF at a slower rate. Since environ-mental conditions which favor turfgrass are similar to those which favor microbial activity, nitrogen release from UF should occur at rates similar to turfgrass requirements. However, there are two exceptions. In early spring, when cooler soil temperatures exist, a lag time exists between initial turfgrass growth and the release of nitrogen from UF due to microbial activity. Thus, early spring greening is substantially poorer when UF is used compared to SCU and especially IBDU. Also, during very warm weather, release of nitrogen can at times be greater than is needed for growth. How to get better turf next season. 6b IIAM& !W9 iilMTCl For the first two to four years of use, UF is less efficient than IBDU and SCU. During these initial years, UF applications normally have to be made at higher rates or supplemented with applications of other, more quickly available, nitrogen sources. After these ini-tial two to four years, however, UF is generally as efficient as other sources. The newer UF materials, with the higher urea to formal-dehyde ratios, do not have as great a lag period and thus their effi-ciency in the initial years of use is increased. Research has been done by sev-eral companies to formulate the flowable UF materials to meet the needs of the home lawn care industry, Dr. Turner said. Re-search has shown that efficiency in the first years of use will be much greater than with the older UF products. UF advantages. There are sev-eral advantages that the UF mate-rials do have, Dr. Turner said. They have low burn potential and are more difficult to misuse than other nitrogen sources. Timing of application with UF is not as critical as with other nitro-gen sources. An advantage to the home lawn care industry is that it can be applied in a sprayable form. (IBDU has also been successfully applied through spray rigs by some companies.) Research has shown that there is very little difference in turfgrass response to the granular or powdered forms of UF. If the lawn care businessman is aware of the lower efficiency during the first years of use and adjusts accordingly, UF is cer-tainly a product which in later years will perform comparably to other slow release nitrogen sources. Methylol ureas (MO). These materials are short-chained UF-type products that are soluble and are commonly about 25 to 30 percent nitrogen. The theory behind the slow release action of MO is that when the short chained UF polymers in solution (originally pH of 9.0 to 10.0) reach the soil, the decrease in pH causes longer chained UF polymers to form. These longer chained polymers would take longer to be broken down by soil microorganisms, thus nitrogen release would be delayed. How-ever, there is not as yet much data supporting this theory. If it is true, soil pH should have a major influence on turfgrass response to MO and could make the response somewhat unpredictable. Although it had been hoped that MO would act as a soluble slow release nitrogen source, early re-sults from research indicate that length of turfgrass response to MO is very similar to the soluble nitrogen source urea. However, it should be pointed out that re-sponse to urea applications on heavier soils is usually longer than expected, six to eight weeks. It appears that MO has a major market with the home lawn care companies, as most reports indi-cate that it has a much lower burn Diamond Shamrock has a quality line of TURF CAREŽ products that will help you solve nearly any turf problem effectively and economically. DACONIL 2787®. The fungicide that's the product of choice for turf and ornamentals. Spectrum of disease control is unmatched on fairways, greens, tees and a variety of orna-mentals Š many newly labeled. Avail-able in flowable and wettable powder formulations. DACTHAL® W-75. America's leading preemergenceturf herbicide. Delivers effective control of more than 20 tough annual grasses and broadleaf weeds in turf and ornamentals. In wet-table powder and granules. DACAMINE® 4D. For postemer-gence control of over 70 hard-to-get broadleaf weeds, you just can't beat Dacamine 4D. Kills the roots so tough perennials will not return. DACONATE® 6. Proven post-emergence protection against tough 
weeds like nutsedge, chickweed, wood sorrel and a variety of grassy 
weeds. Daconate 6 is a liquid, ready-to-use herbicide with a built-in sur-
factant for uniform wetting. MCPP + 2,4-D AMINE. Phenoxy acid formulation for use on turf. Espe-
cially useful on golf course fairways. Delivers effective control of many weeds including dandelions, plantain, chickweed and clover. MCPP-K-4. Formulated for use on lawns and golf courses. MCPP-K-4 is effective on hard-to-control weeds like clover, chickweed, plantain and many more. Always follow label directions carefully when using turf chemicals. AMINE 4D. Selective herbicide recommended for control of many broadleaf weeds, including dande-lions, morning glory, plantain. For lawns, golf courses, parks. So start planning now to get a head start on next season's turf prob-lems. Your Diamond Shamrock dis-tributor can help you plan your full season program today. 6b Diamond Shamrock AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS DIVISION 1100 Superior Avenue Cleveland. Ohio 44114 Ł I potential than other soluble nitro-gen sources. Much research is needed to determine how MO reacts in the soil and how it is best used. In summary, IBDU, SCU, and UF are all good slow release products. Knowing the individual charac-teristics of each material, lawn care businessmen can make a decision on which product or products they want, based on their particular needs and experience. The major factors influencing the decision on which product to choose may ultimately be the price and availability of the materials. Also, these nitrogen sources can be bought straight, or as mixed fer-tilizers. Know what you are get-ting. If soil tests indicate that your soil doesn't need any extra phos-phorus, get a material with just nitrogen and potassium. If your soil is high in phosphorus and potassium, buy a straight nitrogen material. RESEARCH Mowing quality varies with perennial ryes Many new turf-type perennial rye-grasses have been introduced in recent years and most of the new cultivars have medium to good mowing quality, according to a recent study by Martin Petrovic of Cornell University. In the past 10 years, there has been an explosion of new peren-nial ryegrasses to hit the market. The reason, according to Petrovic, is that the perennial ryegrasses offer several advantages over other turfgrasses, namely, very fast ger-mination and establishment, which is very desirable on seeded stands, mowing quality and sus-ceptability to diseases such as Fusarium blight. However, the older perennial ryegrasses were known for poor mowing quality and susceptability to diseases of stem rust and red thread. Plant breeders saw an opportunity to make big break-throughs with perennial ryegrass in respect to mowing quality and disease resistance. Their efforts paid off with many new turf-type perennial ryegrasses having ac-ceptable mowing quality and moderate resistance to red thread. However, stem rust still represents a challenge, says Petrovic. A new perennial ryegrass cul-tivar trial was initiated last fall at the Cornell University Turfgrass Field Laboratory in Ithaca, New York. The test consisted of three replicates of 38 perennial ryegrass cultivars seeded on six by six foot plots. Mowing was done as needed at a one-and-a-half inch cutting height with a reel-type mower. In August 1980, difference in mow-ing quality was already apparent. A rating of mowing quality was made on August 17, 1980, using a scale of good, medium, or poor quality. Cultivars with good mowing quality were: Belle, Blazer, Delray, Derby, Diplomat, Pennfine, Regal, R-36 and R-40. Caravelle, Hunter, Linn, Manhattan, Pelo, Runner, Score, Sprinter, Trimmer, and Venlona had poor mowing quality. It should be pointed out that these plots were relatively immature and mowing quality could change with maturity. Write 133 on reader service card 26 WATER >« oc R co D Š g w ai < U 2 £ 3 Landscape irrigation design for maximum water efficiency Irrigation is a tool for turf and landscape management, and like any tool it must be properly de-signed, properly built and prop-erly used to do an efficient job. According to Bruce Camenga, of Toro's Irrigation Division in River-side, Calif., any improper design, product, or operation will mean wasted water. At the 19th Illinois Turfgrass Conference, he dis-cussed how to recognize and cure problems in installed systems where efficiency is poor, and cov-ered design problems, installation problems, operational problems and changes in conditions. Design problems. He said de-sign problems are normally caused by errors in judgment or execution by the designer and can generally be classified into four areas. (1) Gallonage demand is too high, operating pressure is too low, or piping is undersized. These conditions are caused by inaccurate information given to the designer or simply by designer error. All result in poor coverage because the sprinklers do not perform as they should. There are three solutions to this problem. One is to change to a sprinkler having a lower gpm with the same radius specifications. However, if this is done, the running time must be pro-portionally increased because less water is being applied to the turf. Another solution is to determine whether the pressure losses can be reduced or the available pressure raised by an adjustment to a pressure-regulating valve or by the addition of a booster pump. The final solution is to delete some of the sprinklers from each section and form new sections to lower the gpm demand, a very time-consuming and expensive method of correction. It means adding new sections, which mean more valves, which mean more stations on the con-troller. Sometimes the controller has no room for expansion, so a second controller must be added or a controller with more stations must be brought in. (2) Sprinkler heads are spaced TOMORROW'S TECHNOLOGY TODAY... Last season Cleary in-troduced the flowable thiram turf fungicide and now through modern flowable technology we are introduc-ing a host of flowables: fer-tilizers, insecticides, fungicides and other specialties. The flowable technology provides the professional turf manager with convenience, ease of application, and costs comparable or less than other pesticide spray applications. New chemistry means more innovative products from W.A. Cleary Chemical Corporation. 1049 SOMERSET STREET, SOMERSET, NJ 08873 (201) 247-8000 too far apart. This is another area in which the design is at fault and which usu-ally is the fault of the designer misapplying the equipment. Too wide a spacing results in poor coverage Š sometimes with little or no water being applied in the areas between the sprinklers Š and usually is compensated for by running the sprinklers much longer than they should be run. To correct this type of problem, you can either change the sprinklers to a different nozzle or use a different sprinkler that has a larger radius with the same gpm. If the gpm increases, there can be a corresponding increase in pres-sure losses, which means the operating pressure will drop and the radius may be even less than the original. Once again, if the sprinkler heads or nozzles are changed, the precipitation rate must be checked to see if the running time must be changed for the sprinklers. Another method of correcting this problem is to increase the pressure Š if possible. This change might increase the radius of the sprinkler, but would also increase the gallonage demand, which would increase the pressure losses. This type of correction must be approached with caution because the necessary increase in pressure could cause other prob-lems. If the sprinkler is already work-ing at optimum pressure, the in-crease in pressure may cause a break-up of the water pattern and actually reduce the radius of the sprinkler. The increased pressure and gallonage could also cause a velocity higher than would be considered safe for irrigation de-sign. (3) Different types of sprinklers or areas to be covered are mixed together on one station. This is almost always a designer error. If spray and rotary sprinklers are on the same irrigation station, a mismatched precipitation rate is created as spray heads normally have a precipitation rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour, but most rotaries have a precipitation rate of around Vi inch per hour. As a result, the entire station must be run long enough so that the rotary sprinklers are putting enough water on the landscape. This means the area in which the sprays are located will be over-watered. In order to correct this problem, the types of sprinklers must be changed so that they are compatible or they must be sepa-rated from that station and put on an independent station or a station that already has a similar type of sprinklers. Designers often treat turf and ground cover the same, which means one station could be covering both areas at one time. This is usually very inefficient because ground cover normally needs less frequent applications of water than most turf does. The correction is to physically separate the two types of areas being cov-ered. This normally means another valve and another controller sta-tion. Quite similar is a situation in which shady areas are on the same station with a sunny area. When this happens, the watering schedule has to be set for the sunny area to keep the landscape in good condition. to page 28 Write 133 on reader service card testet ; I Ł Ł t'W DONT E EXCUSES. : SURE, WITH DCO*26019. Sfolte Łj >. i Ł , ï C / '¿W Al* v ; Ł 5 ' 4Y1X-1JLVJ_j UU1 U-j, VV1H 1 CHIPCO 26019. LONG LASTING CHIPCO 26019 IS STRONG MEDICINE, FOR LAWN DISEASE PREVENTION. What do you say to a customer when the fungicide you're using on his lawn fails to keep turf diseases from breaking out between treatments? Even if the customer thinks that a lack of water is causing that brown, burned look, you know better Now you can prevent major lawn diseasesŠwithout making extra service callsŠwith CHIPCO 26019 fungicide. Chipco 26019 gives you the longest residual on the market. Long enough for you to effectively prevent diseases with your established spray schedule. When diseases threaten your customers' lawns-and your reputation -don't make excuses for a fungicide that fails,or doesn't last. Make sure, with Chipco 26019. It's the long last-ing, strong medicine for lawn disease prevention. For de-tails, ask your chemical distributor, or contact: Rhone Poulenc Chemical Co., Agrochemical Div., Rhone Poulenc Inc. Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852. (+m RHONE POULENC Write 133 on reader service card Please read label carefully, and use only as directed. 28 IRRIGATION /mm page 26 The sprinklers on the same station in the shady area then are over-watering that area. Where different types of soil exist, design should take this variation into consideration so that one section does not cover more than one soil type. When more than one type is covered, you can often get run-off from a rather impermeable soil while the water is being absorbed nicely in another area. Unfortunately the system has to be set up for the area that is absorbing water nicely, which means run-off will occur in the other area. The same type of situation applies where there are slopes and level areas in one project. If one station covers both a slope and level area, you will have run-off on the slope even though insufficient water has been applied to the level area. (4) Materials selected are not proper for the job, creating maintenance problems. oc < 2 >* oc H co D Q Z < u 2 £ < Selection of materials is another area in which the designer can go wrong. Among improper selection would be selection of flush-type or non-pop-up sprinklers for use in turf areas, which would require that a moat or cement collar be placed around each sprinkler so the turf will not interfere with the throw of the sprinkler. Another improper selection would be high risers in shrub areas, especially along sidewalks and curbs. High risers are ugly, distracting from an otherwise pleasant land-scape, and subject to both unin-tentional damage and vandalism. The possibility of lawsuits result-ing from people cutting a corner and tripping over these risers is also very real. Equipment is now on the market that will allow the sprinklers to be placed at a level below the shrub or ground cover and, when the sprinklers are acti-vated, will pop up above the shrubs or ground cover. A very poor selection of materi-als and swing joints or the entire High risers are ugly, distracting from an otherwise pleasant landscape, and subject to both uninten-tional damage and vandalism. Equipment is now on the market that will allow the sprinklers to be placed at a level below the shrub or ground cover and, when the sprinklers are activated, will pop up above the 
shrubs or ground cover. lack of them or flexible risers results in a maintenance problem when people or vehicles hit the sprinklers or risers extending above grade. If a suitable swing joing or flexible riser is not specified and installed, the sprinkler pipe is normally dam-aged, creating a large maintenance problem. Where there are slopes, low head drainage is always a maintenance concern. It causes wet areas, which turn into quagmires as traffic passes through them. There is also a potential hazard created by low Free from Hypro Sprayer Pump Handbook New Edition! 8 pages of helpful information to help you select and use your pumps better. Hookup diagrams for piston, roller and centrifugal pumps. Graphs of pump outputs, flow through spray nozzles. Data on pump and sprayer component selection plus much more. Send for your free copy now. When you need pumps for sprayers or pressure wash systems make your choice Hypro IS) 319 Fifth Ave NW. St Paul. MN 55112 Ł (612) 633-9300 Write 114 on reader service card ANNOUNCING a remarkable Multi-Purpose Spreader. ***** MODEL T-7 The most advanced light weight spreader in decades. Warren's new T-7 spreads seed, fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides up to 20 feet wide with a precise accuracy that assures correct disbursements on one pass. Ł Large fingertip control knob. Ł Continuous moving interior agitator. Ł Innovative directional flow control. Ł Stainless steel and plastic heavy duty construction. Ł Enclosed and protected gear and main drive shaft. 7û, TURF NURSERY, INC. Phone: 312/974-3000 Distributor and dealerships available. 8400 West 111th. Street Palos Hills, Illinois 60465 Write 139 on reader service card "Our new TORCO sprayers have proven to be the best investment we ever made " " The high interest rate really had us scared Š it seemed to be a bad time to replace our old spray units. However, we have virtually eliminated "down time" expense and high maintenance cost with this fantastic 500 gallon TORCO sprayer unit. It greatly improved our performance over our former spray units, and it's built to keep on performing long after 
others have been "cannibalized". TORCO has proven to us that great equipment pays for itself!" Frank Reynolds, pres. Lawn Rescue, Inc. TORCO means tough! TORCO Equipment Company*207 Eiler Ave.*Louisville, Kentucky*40214 (502)366-1415 head drainage. The hazard and maintenance problem can be eliminated by the addition of check valves in the line or risers that drain normally. Since most sprinklers have a higher precipitation rate than the infiltration rate of the soil onto which they are throwing water, the controller must have a capability of being multi-cycled. By multiple cycling, the sprinklers run several times for rather short periods. This allows the water to infiltrate the soil. Multi-cycling has a further benefit in that it can be used to proportionately reduce the run-ning time Š and thus the water applied Š to all the stations as the climatic conditions change. If a designer does not feel com-fortable with the information about a sprinkler, especially the distribution pattern, he should obtain the necessary information or bypass that particular product. If the coefficient of uniformity of sprinklers in pattern is poor, im-proper coverage will be the result, which will create a tremendous maintenance problem for the owner and will certainly decrease the designer's reputation. Installation problems. Let's make a rather large assumption, Camenga told the audience, that all of the above problems over which a designer could stumble have been overcome. He has designed the system properly as far as hydraulics are concerned, spaced the heads ac-cording to the manufacturer's rec-ommendations, has not mixed the type of sprinklers or areas covered, and has made a good selection of equipment. The next problem then becomes what happens when the system is installed. Sometimes the pressure at the sprinkler heads is reduced but the reduction is not related to design. The controllers or valves may have malfunctioned or nozzles may have become plugged. Improper installation could result in debris finding its way into the pipelines; if not properly flushed out, the debris could plug the sprinklers and valves and even create prob-lems in the controllers. Further, there could be devia-tions from the design; a contractor might use smaller pipe than shown on the design, either inten-tionally or unintentionally. Sprinkler heads could also be improperly spaced, resulting in poor coverage. There is always the possibility of the wrong sprinklers being installed in the wrong places. Naturally, these can be avoided with proper inspection of the job. This, however, is not always available. As the control lines for the system are put in, the wire runs are sometimes too long or the wire is too small. A voltage drop could result that could keep the electric valves from operating. Poorly in-to page 30 Write 133 on reader service card DERBY Turf-type Perennial Ryegrass Was the Grass Good Enough for the Super Bowl and Rose Bowl Derby is the turf-type Perennial Ryegrass that does all things well. That's why it was chosen to form the turf at Super Bowl XIII and Super Bowl IX as well as the 1980 Rose Bowl game. Derby was a logical choice because it was tough enough to take a pounding and yet remain handsome enough for the piercing eyes of the television cameras. Yet Derby is also the perennial ryegrass that thrives when cut consistently to 3/16th inch on golf putting greens or at either 1 inch or IV2 inches for general turf use, such as home lawns, parks and 
playgrounds. A disease-resistant variety, Derby will germinate in a week or less under ideal conditions. It responds rapidly to fertilization and mixes well with other fine-bladed grasses. Derby is also the top choice for the overseeding of dormant Bermuda grass in the Southern U.S. Here's what you can expect from Derby Perennial Ryegrass Germinates in a week or less under ideal conditions Mows beautifully Thrives when cut to 1 inch, 1V2 inches or 3/16th for specialized uses Holds its very dark green color even during chilly Southern winters Responds rapidly to fertilization Never, never needs pampering Mixes nicely with other turf-type grasses Is a disease-resistant variety a Product of D iniERnHTionnb SEEDS,inc. P.O. Box 168, Halsey, Oregon 97348 Telephone (503) 369-2251 Ł TWX 510/590-0765 Write 133 on reader service card IRRIGATION from page 28 sulated wire connectors and dam-aged wire insulation can also create a voltage drop leading to malfunctioning valves. If the con-trol lines are hydraulic rather than electric, leaks in the tubing, either the supply or the control lines, would create operational prob-lems. Plugged or kinked tubing can cause malfunctions. It is the duty of the contractor to make sure that the electrical source for the controller is proper and that the controller is pro-grammed correctly. Excessive voltage could blow the controller apart and cause a fire hazard, whereas low voltage would keep the controller from operating properly. Operational problems. Camenga said that if the system was designed properly and in-stalled properly, the lawn care businessman who does irrigation work is still not home free. As climatic conditions change, the program should be changed. If the program is not, either too much or too little water will be applied Šeither of which will create maintenance problems. There is a possibility of retro-fitting the sys-tem with moisture-sensing de-vices, which could eliminate much of this type of problem. During the break-in period, the program has to be fine-tuned so that the running time per station for the areas is not too long or too short and the running frequency is proper. Also, the programming must be set so that the irrigation is done at the proper time. He said that the improper time would be during high water demand periods, day time hours, or when there is a heavy wind. Condition changes at site. Even when the three major problem areas are covered, problems can still result. These results are created by condition changes at the site, he said. A fairly frequent condition change is a drop in static pressure due to higher water demands in the project area, which increase the friction loss in the city mains, resulting in lower available pres-sure. Correcting this condition is much like correcting the condition of poor design where pressure is too low. It might be possible to change to lower gpm sprinklers that have the same radius specifi-cations. Remember, however,that the running time would have to be increased proportionally. Another possibility would be to see if the pressure losses can be reduced in the irrigation system by using larger valves, piping, or water meter. There is always a possibil-ity of incorporating an in-line booster pump to increase the pres-sure. If none of these possiblities is practical, then some sprinklers will have to be deleted from each section and formed into new sec-tions to lower the gpm demand, thereby reducing friction losses. In very rare cases there can be a radical increase in static pressure. MAJESTIC A Kentucky Bluegrass standout in building professional turf growing reputations. Majestic consistently stands out. Majesties features match-up to the top quality turf requirements of golf courses, sod farms or wherever high quality turf is the goal. That's why Majestic builds professional turf growing reputations. Majestic has full season rich dark-green color Good resistance to common turf diseases. Good rhizome and tiller development for a strong turf of excellent density and vigorous recovery from wear We know it sounds like a lot to expect from Majestic. But it's true. You can build your professional turf growing reputation on it. O AO E. F BURLINGHAM & SONS Jjf |LC PO. Box 217 Ł Forest Grove, OR 97116 fi I J 1 (503)357-2141 - Telex:36-0274 Cable: Burlingham Irrigation systems have a range of pressures in which they perform properly. Too high a pressure is just as detrimental as too low a pressure. If a high pressure does come about, the system should be adjusted by the use of any type of valve that will reduce the operat-ing pressure. This could be a throttling valve, pressure reg-ulating valve, or flow-control valve. Many sprinklers have a pressure adjustment incorporated into them, which can be used. If these two suggestions do not solve the problem, an in-line pressure regulator should be installed. In the past few years, we have seen another problem that can change the conditions on an irri-gation system Š mandated wat-ering limitations. Although we hope these do not happen too often, they are a very real possibil-ity. If limitations are imposed, naturally all automatic controllers must be reprogrammed to fit into the limitations. Where water usage must be decreased, the best thing to do is to work on increasing the efficiency of your irrigation system by re-ducing run off, reducing exces-sively deep percolation, reducing low head drainage, eliminating daytime watering, and reducing overthrow onto unnecessary area. Unfortunately, most water-limitation programs penalize the already efficient systems. But even the most efficient systems can be made more efficient with a little study and a lot of common sense. SALES Shipments down for mower manufacturers The average forecast of 27 com-panies who responded to an in-dustry outlook survey by the Out-door Power Equipment Institute is for an overall 3.1 percent decline in selected shipments for the cur-rent (1981) model year, which began September 1, 1980. With the exception of rotary tiller shipments, which are ex-pected to remain flat, the projec-tions are for a decline in shipments of walk-behind mowers (down 4.7 percent), lawn tractors and riding mowers (down 3.1 percent) and riding garden tractors (down 4.4 percent). As for major economic indi-cators, the industry projects the consumer price index to increase 12.1 percent in 1981 while the gross national product (in 1972 dollars) is seen increasing 0.6 percent. Housing starts are proj-ected at 1.25 million, the un-employment rate at 7.6 percent, and the increase in producer prices for finished goods at 13 percent. Personal disposable in-come is forecast to increase 0.4 percent. A total of 27 manufacturers representing the above product areas responded to the OPEI sur-vey. Companies reported esti-mates only for the markets which they serve directly. An industry outlook survey cov-ering the 1982 shipment year will be conducted in April or May. The results will be presented by McDonough Power Equipment, Incorporated during the OPEI meeting June 14-17 at The Cloister in Sea Island, Georgia. Write 133 on reader service card USE MTROFORM ® TM IN YOUR SPRAYS TO AVOID There are more acres of ornamental turf in many states than any other "crop." Because of that, overapplication of water-soluble nitrogen may constitute a major source of nitrates in groundwater. You can avoid the problem by using slow-release, water insoluble formulations containing 38% Powder BlueMNitroform Nitroform ureaform nitrogen is ecologically responsible. There is little or no leaching. No salt build-up, and it helps grass maintain good, green color between feedings. You can feed the roots while you feed the tops and still avoid flush top growth. Quick-release nitrogens feed the tops, resulting in too much top growth, with little or no root growth. Nitroform Powder Blue does not burn or streak. It can be mixed and applied with insect-icides and fungicides. Be environmentally responsible. Use Nitroform 38% nitrogen in your lawn sprays. If you prefer a dry product, specify Blue Chip"'. Call your turf supplier or write for more information. NITROFORM THE LONGEST FEEDING Ł Ł Ł Ł Ł FBC Chemicals, Inc. 4311 Lancaster Pike, Post Office Box 2867, Wilmington, Delaware 19805 © 1981 Š FBC Chemicals, Inc. Write 133 on reader service card 32 TURF Seville new to | turf markets A new St. Augustine grass that has s been some 12 years in develop-ment was introduced to the market last fall by a Palmetto, Florida, company. Called Seville, the grass is ac flourishing on the grounds of c/5 Pursley Sod Farm, which acquired q the patent early last year. Seville is a semi-dwarf, vigorously-growing perennial turfgrass with several outstanding attributes. It has a uniform texture, short intemodes, shorter and nar-rower leaf blades as compared to other St. Augustine varieties like Floratine and Floratam, a ten-dency to grow horizontal, a rich dark green color, excellent toler-ance to shade and cold, moderate seed head production ability and resistance to St. Augustine Decline Virus (SAD). It is not resistant to chinchbugs, but has shown strong tolerance to gray leafspot disease. Seville is somewhat easy to maintain and requires less fre-quent mowings than other cul-tivars, an obvious advantage from the standpoint of energy conser-vation. Moreover, because of shorter and narrower leaf blade, it does not produce excessive thatch. Color retention and spring green-up rate are good under mod-erate fertilizer and cultural man-agement. It has responded well to nitrogen fertilization and supple-mental iron. Seville was developed in 1968 by Dr. Terry Riordan, former turf-grass breeder at O.M. Scott and Sons Company, Marysville, Ohio. Parent lines used for this cross were originally grown at O. M. Scott's research station at Apopka, Florida. Soon after the develop-ment of Seville, a plant patent was obtained by Dr. Terry Riordan and Jake T. Gruis of Scott's. The patent and exclusive propagation and marketing rights were acquired by Pursley Sod Farms in the spring of 1980. Over the last eight years, Seville's performance has been tested in the field at various loca-tions in Florida, Texas and California. Pursley Sod Farm has established several test plots at various locations in Florida and Georgia, among them Walt Disney World Tree Farm in Orlando, University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Maclay Garden State Park in Tallahassee, Deerwood Country Club in Jacksonville, and University of Georgia campus in Athens. Seville is also being grown on a few home lawns in central Florida. Due to a limited supply, Seville is being marketed as rooted plugs suitable for planting on existing or new turf areas on 12 to 18 inch centers. Estimated time for the establishment of rooted plugs is about three weeks. The grass then Available at quality garden centers Also available: REVEILLE GYPSUM PELLETS Ifs pellelized! REVEILLE'S easy-to-apply pellet form lets you spread it with any type spreader. No dust. No mess. Easily controlled application rates. Goes to work immediately to neutralize soil acidity. Conditions it with essential calcium. Helps restore and maintain correct pH for ideal soil txilance. Ifs the best investment you can make in your soil. Write 101 on reader service card American Pelleting Corp « P Q Box 3628 * Pes Moines. Iowa Ampel, i 50322 I ** COMBINE CONVERSION DEVICE* CONVERT YOUR BROADCAST SPREADER TO A COMBINE CAPABLE OF APPLYING 3 DIFFERENT GRANULAR MATERIALS AT ONE TIME. 1. NO MORE HAND MIXING MATERIALS 5. NO MORE HUGE EQUIPMENT EXPENSES 2. NO MORE USING EXPENSIVE PRE-MIXES TO SERVICE MORE CUSTOMERS 3. NO MORE $15,000 OR MORE SPRAY TRUCKS 6. NO MORE 2 OR 3 TIMES AROUND THE 4. NO MORE EXPENSIVE COMBINES SAME AREA GETTING DIZZY HERE IS THE ANSWER YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. 1 TIME AROUND DOES IT. Norman Lynd, owner of Green Thumb Lawn Service, located in Willow Grove, PA., has invented and is now manufacturing this conversion device* that will change a broadcast spreader into a combine, without spending thousands of dollars. A. Installation takes approximately one hour and you don't have to be a mechanic B. Once installed, it can be removed in less than one minute for cleaning and put back together in one minute. C. Installation instructions and directions are included. D. The unit is made with rugged stainless steel and aluminum. (No rusting) E. All nuts and bolts for assembly are stainless steel. F. Because of the simplicity and ruggedness of this unit, it should never need replacement. G. Three adjustable metering slides for calibration are the only moving parts. H. A common ruler is used for calibration settings I. Please allow three weeks for delivery. J. At this time, insert devices are available for cyclone brand spreaders model 
#99-100 and 100B only. If you want them 
for other types of spreaders, please send 
us MANUFACTURERS NAME. MODEL # of spreader and YOUR ORDER Please allow 6 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY. ŁPATENT PENDING K. These units are not available from any other source at this time. L. Payment in full must accompany all orders before shipment is made. M.We will ship all orders via UPS in U.S.A. unless otherwise specified. N. Total price $50.00 per unit plus $5.00 per unit for shipping and handling. Please make checks payable to NORMAN LYND 2450 OLD WELSH RD. WILLOW GROVE, PA 19090 TELEPHONE 215-657 6200 Write 113 on reader service card LOGOS FOR LAWN CARE Increase sales and advertise your business 9 years experience in the field Promotional items for equipment companies and lawn care businesses Łcalendars Łspecialty items ®tee shirts ®hats Łdoor hangers Łvinyl decals «jackets NEW HOT ITEM FOR THIS YEAR Rain gauge with your business name 1. Background _ white or yellow. 2. National trade mark Š no charge. 3. Custom logos $12.50 Customers supply art work. 4. Order must be pre-paid. We pay freight! 5. Gift box included. 6. Allow app. 3 weeks delivery. MODEL 100-249 250-499 500-1,000 1,000 + #826 $2.42 $2.32 $2.08 $1.92 #825 $1.97 $1.87 $1.69 $1.54 No more dried up lawns! Your customer will know when to water ADVERTISING SPECIALISTS ORDER NOW BEFORE SPRING RUSH Logos For Lawn Care Joseph Merkel Box 67 Jamesport, NY 11947 (516)722-4764 can be mowed to one and a half inches. Additional information on the availability, cultural management and marketing of Seville can be obtained from Pursley Sod Farms, Rt. 1, Box 402X, Palmetto, Florida 33561. REGULATION NACA head calls for peer review A top spokesman for the ag-ricultural chemicals industry has called on federal regulators to begin basing their pesticide policies on scientific rather than political judgments. In a speech before the 35th Annual Meeting of the North-eastern Weed Society, Dr. Jack D. Early, president of the National Agricultural Chemicals Associa-tion, said that the pesticide indus-try was not adverse to government regulation "as long as the reg-ulators base their decisions on scientific principle instead of political expediency." "Unfortunately," he said, "in the political setting of the recent past, we have found that the latter supersedes the former more often than not." Dr. Early cited the recent recall of the proposed nitrite ban and the suspended use of the herbicide 2,4,5-T as examples of unscientific handling by federal regulators of scientific matters. Public announcements of these bans on the slim thread of presumptive evidence, he noted, often create public crises when in fact none exist. In addition, Dr. Early said that such unscientific regulatory ac-tions have sparked a wave of anti-pesticide sentiment in many local areas and have helped influ-ence a growing trend by some states to out-regulate pesticide law. The NACA executive said that the industry was encouraged by Congress' recent decision to in-clude provisions for peer review by independent scientists of sci-entific studies in the 1981 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Reauthorization Bill. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency relies on these studies as the basis for their pesticide regulatory ac-tions. Dr. Early warned, however, that the public should not expect more scientifically balanced pesticide standards unless Congress consid-ers certain modifications to FIFRA and is prepared to revise the Delaney amendment to the 1938 Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The Delaney Clause effectively bans any chemical compound or substance believed to have car-cinogenic potential and has served as a major catalyst in the regulat-ory decisions which have resulted in the impromptu suspending or banning of pesticides and other chemical products. Sorry about that. In our article on the new chemical waste laws in the January issue of Lawn Care Industry, it should be noted that liquid containers must be triple rinsed and that the rinse solution must be used during all regular operations. Write 133 on reader service card i EP"> Ł > >JG? Another fine. quality-controlled product of Jacklin Seed Company. Glade grows in up to 60% shade What's your problemŠtrees with only a straggle of grass? Near sides of build-ings with bleak tufts of pale green? Maybe Glade can help! Sow it under trees and beside buildings. Glade will grow in up to 60% shade because of improved resistance to powdery mildew. 
Glade has a better-than-average resist-ance to Fusarium blight, making it a prime ingredient in professional turf-grass mixes. and in 100% sun. Open sunny stretches are equally perfect for Glade's deep green turf. Glade's rhizome and root system form a deep, close-knitted sod. Low-growing, Glade germi-nates and establishes quickly. A Rutgers selection (tested as P-29), Glade Kentucky bluegrass is your guarantee of physically pure and genetically true seeds. Ask for Glade at your local wholesale seed distributor. Kentucky bluegrass U.S. Plant Patent 3151 Write 118 on reader service card 34 oc < S >« OC H co D Q g i < U Z s < RESEARCH Salvage nitrogen with grass clippings Many lawn care companies re-move the clippings from their client's lawns by bagging them as they are cut. This consumes some energy itself, but more impor-tantly, according to H. C. DeRoo of the Connecticut Agricultural Ex-periment Station in New Haven, it also wastes valuable energy in the form of nitrogen fertilizer. The principle source of fertilizer nitrogen is anhydrous ammonia, which is synthesized at high tem-peratures and pressures using ni-trogen from the air and hydrogen from natural gas or other hydro-carbons. Thus, a reduction in the large amounts of nitrogen used on lawns could save substantial energy. In the fall of 1975, DeRoo estab-lished four turf plots at their Valley Laboratory in Windsor, Connect-icut. Each plot was instrumented with tensiometers to measure soil moisture at various depths, with suction probes to remove samples of soil water at similar depths, and with wells to sample the ground water beneath each plot. The primary purpose of this installation was to study the leaching of nitrate nitrogen to groundwater. This is important because nitrate nitrogen at con-centrations greater than 10 ppm in drinking water can be harmful to infants and ruminant animals. To date, the studies on these turf plots have shown little loss of nitrogen by leaching. After the instruments were in-stalled, the turf plots were limed, tilled, fertilized, and seeded with a conventional mixture of Kentucky bluegrass and fescue grass. After establishment, the plots were fer-tilized once in the spring and once in the fall of 1976 and 1977 with a standard lawn fertilizer (10-6-4) containing 50 percent nitrogen. Each application corresponded to a typical turf fertilization of about two pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. In 1978, the fertilizer nitrogen was changed to inorganic ammonium sulfate and enriched with the heavy isotope of nitrogen on two plots. This isotope (mass 15) is not radioactive, but can be distinguished from normal nitrogen, which is 99.6337 percent mass 14, with an instrument known as a mass spectrometer. The determination consists of measuring the ratio of the two isotopes and comparing the ratio in the sample to the ratio in normal nitrogen. The grass was mowed weekly in spring and fall and about every two weeks in summer. The clip-pings from each of the four plots were collected, weighed, and then subsampled for analysis for mois-ture, total nitrogen, and in 1978, for the isotope N (15). Following subsampling, clippings were re-turned to two of the four plots. In "I wouldn't do anything to harm this tree.That's the reason I use Roundup.' As Donald Dusek will tell you, controlling tough weeds is just part of his grounds mainte-nance problem. As a park superintendent, Don is also responsible for protecting his valuable trees, shrubs and plants. So he insists on Roundup® herbicide by Monsanto. With Roundup, Don can be confident that all of his valuable vegetationŠincluding this beautiful 75-year-old pecan treeŠcan continue to flourish. He just follows label directions for Roundup. Since Roundup has no residual soil activity, and won't wash out of treated areas, Roundup helps Don Donald Dusek Park Superintendent, Victoria, Texas control weeds in many different situationsŠeven in his most delicate areas. See your local Monsanto representative or chemical dealer soon for your supply of Roundup. Like Don, you'll Find that Roundup is the solution to many of your toughest weed control problems. Monsanto Nothing works like Roundup. FOR LITERATURE CALL TOLL-FREE 1-800-621-5800 In Illinois, 1-800-972-5858. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW THE LABEL FOR ROUNDUP. Roundup" is a registered trademark of Monsanto Co. RUP-SP1-102D © Monsanto Co. 1981 Write 133 on reader service card 1978, the experiment was revised so that clippings from one plot fertilized with N (15) were ex-changed with the clippings from the plot receiving no labeled fer-tilizer. In this way, the speed at which nitrogen from clippings was re-leased by decomposition and utilized by the new growth could be measured. Clippings from the two remaining plots were dis-carded as before. The response of the two plots receiving the clippings was obvi-ous: the grass was greener and growth was more vigorous than where the clippings were re-moved. Thus, if the clippings are returned, less fertilizer nitrogen is required to maintain the same appearance. On an annual basis the differ-ence between the yields and nitro-gen content of the clippings was substantial, particularly after the first year of establishment. In 1976 and 1977, about 1.8 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet were removed when the clippings were removed from the plot. This amounted to fully 45 percent of the total amount of nitrogen applied. In 1976, the amount returned in the clippings was 56 percent, so that nitrogen equivalent to over half the fertilizer was added to the plots by the end of the season. This agrees with studies in Michigan of removal of clippings from Merion Kentucky bluegrass where an ad-ditional two pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet was required to maintain turf quality compara-ble to that where clippings were returned. Where clippings were returned, the yield of dry matter was greater by 15 to 55 percent, depending on the year and the source of nitrogen fertilizer. Since the yields were greater, the amounts of nitrogen contained in the clippings were also greater. Indeed, only the third year, nitrogen equivalent ot nearly 80 percent of the total fertilizer nitrogen applied had been re-turned to the plot in the clippings. Two objections to leaving the clippings on a lawn might be mentioned. One is simply the appearance of brown, dead clip-pings which may spoil the looks of the lawn. With frequent mowing to heights to one-and-a-half to one-and-three-quarter inches as in these experiments, appearance was not a problem. A second objection is that failure to remove clippings may contri-bute to the accumulation of thatch. However, studies have shown that clipping debris does not form a major component of thatch. Grass clippings decompose relatively readily, especially when cut at such a size that they fall through the turf close to the soil. This rapid decomposition is verified by our measurement of the appearance of the nitrogen isotope tracers in plots receiving clippings containing N (15). Within one week after cutting, the tracer had begun to appear in the new growth of grass. The accumulation of tracer nitrogen was followed in order to estimate the amounts of nitrogen in the crop derived from all sources. At the end of the third year, about one-third of the nitro-gen harvested in the lawn grass came from soil organic nitrogen, one-third from the cumulative ef-fect of returning clippings to the plot. NEWSMAKERS Gregory Richards, vice presi-dent of Hydro Lawn in Gaithers-burg, Maryland, has announced the following promotions: Bill Stocker has been promoted to assistant branch manager; Hollis Hopkins and Steve Scott to cus-tomer service managers. At the Springfield, Virginia branch, Jed Erickson has been promoted to branch manager, Robert Butterworth to assistant branch manager and Jeff Beksel and Frank Abbruscato to customer service managers. At the Séat Pleasant, Maryland branch, Norman Tetter has been promoted to branch manager and Jeff Ayers to customer service manager. At the Columbia, Maryland branch, Jim Anderson has been promoted to assistant branch man-ager. Wick Marrs Art Wick has been named to fill the newly expanded position of product manager of fertilizer and turf seed for the Lakeshore Equipment and Supply Company in Elyria, Ohio. In his new position he will be responsible for product development and marketing, re-search coordination and product technical training. Paul R. Marrs of Bloomington, Minnesota has been named vice president, marketing and sales, for the Judd Ringer Corporation in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Ms. Kelli R. Sneed, a junior at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, and a major in landscape ar-chitecture, has been awarded a $500 scholarship grant by Weather-matic Division of Telsco Industries, it was announced by Telsco president L. O. Snoddy. Sneed Fletcher Willard J. Fletcher has been appointed engineering manager for Teslco Industries. He will di-rect Telsco's new products re-search and development program, as well as supervise engineering activities to improve current product lines. The New York State Turfgrass Association recently honored four of its leaders for outstanding con-tributions to the group. The Cita-tion of Merit, the highest award the association bestows, was pres-ented to Ed Worthington of the Ed Worthington Corporation in Saranac Lake, New York. His "Turfgrass Gazette", published since 1960, has been a familiar piece of turfgrass literature for customers and industry and edu-cational people. Robert A. Russell, vice president of J. & L. Adikes, Inc. of Jamaica, New York, was feted for out-standing and unselfish contribu-tions to NYSTA. He is first vice president of the American Seed Trade Association, secretary trea-surer of the Lawn Institute, and a participant in many other local turf associations. Dr. Richard Smiley of Cornell University was presented with a plaque in recognition of his years of service as liaison between NYSTA and Cornell. That position has now been assumed by Dr. Martin Petrovic. A plaque signifying thanks for service as president of the NYSTA was awarded to Melvin B. Lucas, Jr., who is currently president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. William D. Hughes is director of the Toro Company's new business development group, responsible for developing new business op-portunities for the company. Joseph Walto is director of design and development, new products, and Stanley M. Brown is new business development manager. Hughes AI Jen Neal K. Allen is the manager, international sales, for Simplicity Manufacturing Company in Port Washington, Wisconsin. He is re-sponsible for the growth and di-rection of the company's inter-national sales and marketing ac-tivities. P.J. Lenihan is manager of Lawn Medic in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Gary Suroter is owner of A-Pest L & T Division in El Paro, Texas. Gary Morris is operations manager for Excelawn Corpora-tion in Lombard, Illinois. Richard F. Dalby is president of Lawn Magician, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Sensation Corporation has announced the appointment of a new distributor for the states of Kansas and Oklahoma. The Hec-kendorn Corporation, Cedar Point, Kansas, will handle Sensa-tion's full line of lawn mainte-nance equipment. Lee A. Delaney has been ap-pointed president of Teledyne Wisconsin Motor. Delaney, im-mediately prior to his appoint-ment, had been president of Mur-phy Diesel Co., in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has been active in the diesel and gasoline engine to page 36 EXCEL HUSTLER 261 New, big machine performance in a compact size, low price. GM-4-181 EXCEL INDUSTRIES. INC. Ł BOX 727 Ł HESSTON. KANSAS 67062 Ł (316) 327-4911 Ł (800) 635-3260 Write 110 on reader service card EXCELS economical new HUSTLER 261 with 60" deck offers unparalleled performance with a surprisingly small price tag. Superior engineering also gives the 261 features that keep pro-ductivity up and operating costs down. The infinite maneuverability, plus added performance features like the 60" 3-way deck with floating action and short wheelbase, lets you cut trimming time around any obstacle so operating costs can be reduced significantly. The 261 is the ideal grounds mainte-nance machine for parks, apartment complexes, condominiums, cemeteries, or anyplace where tight maneuvering is needed. Designed for year round use, the HUSTLER 261 attachments include a 60" 3-way deck, 60" dozer blade, V-blade, utility scoop, edger, rotary broom, tilt-deck trailer, and more...giving the 261 four-season productivity. Call toll free 1-800-835-3260, or write for the name of your EXCEL distributor and free literature. He'll be glad to set up an EXCEL HUSTLER field demonstration for you. Approved for GSA and HUD purchases. GS-07S-06107 OPH(CO)m-3223 lnt.n.- c|usive dual-hydros«« ?7eaych The S wf,ee'S.,er'around ^ [ever steering Pcapab«'Tus to maneuver" (orward, This counter-rottjŽ its own rad'U ot sp^ hage, raVC-,a,icsys,em The choice of the Pros. Turf & Grounds Equipment PEOPLE from page 35 industry throughout his career. John Meadors is owner and president of Meadors Lawn and Grounds Maintenance in Dan-ville, Virginia and is involved primarily in mowing and other maintenance services. Robert Pendzick is president and Richard Gembolis is residen-tial sales manager of Lawns Incor-porated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a chemical lawn care and mainte-nance service started in 1959. Thomas Mauer is manager, Stephen Corrigan and Martin Jagodowski partners, of Mountain View Lawn Gare, in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Mountain View is a relatively new operation, begun in March of 1980. Larry A. Kirsch is supervisor, parts merchandising, for Simplic-ity Manufacturing Gompany. He will be responsible for the promo-tion and sale of parts and acces-sories for the Simplicity product line. % f ft / m Kirsch Steve M. Taugher is district sales manager for Simplicity Manufacturing Gompany, man-ufacturers of powered lawn, gar-den, and snow removal equip-ment. Ben Malinkowski is executive technical representative for Scott's ProTurf. Don Brougher is technical rep-resentative for central and south-eastern Ohio for Scotts ProTurf. Dave Wolfard is technical rep-resentative of Scotts ProTurf for Kansas and western Missouri. Worlfard spend four years as an assistant golf course superintend-ent in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, after completing school. Steve Viafore is Scotts ProTurf representative serving the Long Island, New York area. Three district managers have been appointed by the October Power Equipment Division of the J. I. Case Company. Appointed were Douglas Korthals, Jefferson-town, Kentucky; Bernard Ott, Saginaw, Michigan; and James Simons, Jr., of Royersford, Pennsylvania. As district manager, Korthals will be responsible for the mar-keting objectives of Case lawn and garden tractors and attachments in southern Indiana, southern Il-linois, and Kentucky. Ott will be responsible for mar-keting in northern Michigan, and Simons will be covering eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Robert E. and Carol Miller own and operate Acme Maintenance, in Acme, Michigan, a chemical and maintenance lawn care serv-ice. Edward Gruber if manager of Davey Lawnscapes, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. David W. S. Boose is owner of Jacaranda Landscape and Maintenance, in Naples, Florida. Rick Shafer is owner of Evergreen Lawn Care and Land-scaping, in Sparks, Nevada. Jeff Winters is owner of The Profes-sional Landscaping Company in Springdale, Arkansas. Barry Stern is manager of Green Care, Incor-porated in Smyrna, Georgia. Dick Bowman is advertising manager of the White Farm Equipment Company in Oak Brook, Illinois, the marketer of a full-line of farm wheel tractors, harvesting machinery, outdoor lawn and garden equipment and related accessories. * Giageos Donald P. Giageos is national sales manager of Simplicity Man-ufacturing Company. His most recent position was manager, mar-keting services, for the company. In his new assignment, he will be responsible for the company's domestic sales activity and its field sales force. COST CUTTINGS Are you a hazardous waste generator? Are you generating hazardous wastes? If so, it may be costly and time consuming to repair the damage to both nature and your relationship with government. In order to find out whether you are complying with the terms of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act passed by Congress last November, here are some contacts to call in your area: In Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Ver-mont and New Hampshire, contact Rich Cavagnero, EPA Region I, (617) 223-0240. In New Jersey, New York, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, contact Harry Ruisi, EPA Region II, (212) 264-0503. In Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsyl-vania, Virginia, and West Virginia, contact Shirley Bulkin, EPA Region III, (215) 597-8751. In Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, contact Ray Cozart, EPA Region IV, (404) 881-3446. In Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wiscon-sin, contact T. J. Kim, EPA Region V, 800-572-3176 (IL); 800-621-3192 (IN, MI, MN, OH, WI). In Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, contact Fred Woods, EPA Region VI, (214) 767-2765. In Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, contact Dennis Degner, EPA Region VII, 800-892-3837 (MO); 800-821-3714 (IA, KS, NE). In Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming, contact Jim Rakers, EPA Region VIII, 800-332-3321 (CO); 800-525-3022 (MT, ND, SD, UT, WY). In Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada, contact Bill Wilson, EPA Region IX, (415) 556-1407. In Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, contact Betty Wiese, EPA Region X, 800-542-0841 (WA); 800-4260-0663 (AL, ID, OR). Embark" Plant Growth Regulator Distributor Locations California Moyer Chemical Co. San Jose Santa Ana Target Chemical Co. Cerritos San Jose Van Waters and Rogers San Jose Los Angeles San Diego Wilbur-Ellis Co. Chula Vista 
Santa Fe Springs Fresno Woodland Colorado Balcom Chemical Inc. Greenley Florida Souther Agricultural Insecticides, Inc. Palmetto Georgia Regal-Chemical Co. Alpharetta Illinois Chicago Toro Drake-Scruggs 
Equip. Inc. Decatur Turf Products, Ltd. West Chicago Indiana The Daltons Inc. Warsaw Iowa Big Bear Equipment Des Moines Davenport Kansas Champion Turf Equipment Wichita Kentucky George W. Hill & Co. Florence Ky. Maryland Commercial Lawn Services Inc. Rockville Cornell Chemical & Equip. Linthicum Heights Massachusetts 
Richey and Clapper Co. Natick Michigan Lawn Equipment Corp. Novi W. F. Miller Co. Birmingham Minnesota Minnesota Toro Minneapolis Turf Supply Co. St. Paul Missouri 
Beckmanns Turf Chesterfield Champion Turf Kansas City Nebraska Big Bear Equipment Omaha New Jersey Andrew Wilson Inc. Mountainside New York Agway Inc. Syracuse Green Spaces Yonkers J & LAdikes Jamaica North Carolina So. Agricultural Insecticides Inc. Hendersonville Boone Ohio Chemi-Trol Chemical Co. Gibsonburg Lakeshore Equipment 
& Supply Elyria Oregon Van Waters & Rogers Portland Wilbur Ellis Portland Pennsylvania 
Farm and Golf Course Supply Philadelphia Lawn and Golf Supply Pheonixville Miler Chemical Hanover Rhode Island Old Fox Chemical East Providence Texas Chemical & Turf Specialty Dallas Virginia Wilson Feed and Seed Richmond Washington Van Waters and Rogers Kent Seattle Wilbur-Ellis Co. Seattle Spokane Wisconsin Reinders Bros. Inc. Elm Grove Taugher Bowman Write 131 on reader service card increase your profits by fertilizing your customers' trees and shrubs with JOBES. Authorities agree that trees need fertilizer when growing in poor soil, surrounded by pavement or packed earth and when competing with grass. Doesn't that describe the conditions under which most of your customers' trees are growing? Tree fertilization is easy to sell for you can point out these visible signs: wilting, slow growth, leaf yellowing, thin foliage and dieback on ends of branches. lobe's Spikes are: Easy To Use Economical Efficient Provide Proven Performance Recommend and use JOBE'S in your lawn care program: Jobe's Fertilizer Spikes for Beautiful Trees and Shrubs (16-8-8) lobe's Fertilizer Spikes for Beautiful Evergreen Trees and Shrubs (12-6-8) Jobe's Fertilizer Spikes for More Productive Fruit Trees (5-15-15) Call for prices, literature that will help you sell, and the name of your nearest distributor. 1/800-354-9360 Job«» FBITUZER SPIKES International Spike, Inc., " P.O. Box 1750, Lexington, KY 40593 Write 116 on reader service card Bruce D. Jennings, III has been appointed marketing develop-ment manager for the chemicals division of the United States Gyp-sum Company. Jenning's respon-sibilities will include expanding market opportunities for gypsum's use in agriculture. Ronald E. Slater is field sales manager, accounts, for United States Gypsum. Salter's respon-sibilities will include coordinat-ing the activities of sales engineers and serving as local technical representative. The Toro Company has an-nounced that Ernie Jones will be the new company representative for the San Francisco Bay-area chapter. Ronald E. Slater is fields sales manager, accounts, for the West-ern district of the United States Gypsum Company's chemicals division. William M. Hannon is chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Murray Ohio Manufac-turing Company, one of the na-tion's largest producers of lawn-mowers. Robert A. Flesher is vice chairman and John L. Duncan is president and chief operating of-ficer. John L. Ufjeil is executive vice president of Mallinckrodt, Inc. Mallinckrodt is a manufacturer and marketer of specialty chemi-cals. John Perdeau is owner of Beauty Lawn, Sylvania, Ohio. Matt Flanagan is branch man-ager for Chemlawn, in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. Kenneth R. Millius is owner of K.R.M. Garden Management, in Sun Valley, California. The Southern Turf Equipment Company, Charlotte, North Carolina, is the distributor for the Sensation Corporation's full line of lawn and maintenance equip-ment. Consolidated Turf Equipment, Limited, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is distributor of Sensation's prod-ucts. Richmond Power Equipment Company, Richmond, Virginia is distributor of Sensation's lawn maintenance equipment. Roberts Supply, Inc., in Or-lando, Florida, will handle Sensa-tion's lawn care distribution in Orlando. Donald Andrews was honored by the Upjohn Company for out-standing achievement in sales. MEETING DATES Reinders Fifth Annual Turf Conference, Waukesha Expo Center, Waukesha, Wis., March 18-19. Contact: Ed Devinger, Rein-ders Brothers, Inc., 13400 Watertown Plank Rd., Elm Grove, WI 53122, 414-786-3300. Landscape Irrigation Institute, University of California at Riverside, March 23-April 3. Contact: Angela Ditchey, The Irrigation Association, 13975 Connecticut Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20906, 301-871-1200. Turf and Landscape Institute, Anaheim, Calif., April 14-15. Contact: Ed McNeill, Southern California Turfgrass Council, 1000 Concha St., Altadena, CA 91001, 213-798-1715. Arizona Turfgrass Conference, Phoenix, May 7-8. Contact: Dr. William Kneebone, Plant Sciences Dept., Building #36, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721. RADNOR VALLEY SLICED TWO-THIRDS OFF CREEKBANK 
MOWING BILLS.. You don t have to be a golfer to appreciate the job EMBARk plant growth regulator did on these r creekbanks. Mark Curtin, grounds superintendent of this 18-hole golf course, used to catch a lot of flack about lost balls if he wasn t constantly cleaning up these creekbanks. And the way he tells it that used to cost quite a piece of change. About $3,200 a season. That old creek meanders along about a mile through the course It used to keep a four-man crew busy for three days Three weeks later we d be back again At least eight times a season. -r'Now, just two treatments of EMBARK PGR and two mowings and I'm home. $1,000 a year against $3,200: With EMBARK PGR, you spray whenever grass is actively growing. Spring, summer or fall. One spray replaces two months mowing, at a fraction of the cost. fj \ a] Ask you' locai distributor for EMBARK plant growth regulator /tod this season bank on fewer mowings. 3M HEARS YOU. jgàjfc, Agricultura! Product« I IMUI Plant Growth Regulator University of Massachusetts Turfgrass Field Day, South Deerfield, June 24. Con-tact: Dr. Joseph Troll, Stockbridge Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, 413-545-2353. American Seed Trade Association Annual Meeting, Atlanta, June 28-July 2. Contact: ASTA, Executive Building, Suite 964,1030 15th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20005. American Sod Producers Association Summer Conference and Field Days, Her-shey, Pa., July 15-17. Contact: Bob Garey, ASPA, Association Building, Ninth & Min-nesota, Hastings, NE 68901, 402-463-5691. University of Nebraska Turf Field Day and Equipment Show, Mead, August 4. Contact: Dr. Robert Shearman, University of Neb-raska, 377 Plant Science Building, Lincoln, NE 68503, 402-472-1143. Central Plains Turf Foundation/Kansas State University Turf Field Day, Manhat-tan, August 12. Contact: Dr. Robert Carrow, Kansas State University, Dept. of Horticul-ture, Waters Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506, 913-532-6170. University of Rhode Island Turfgrass Field Day, Kingston, August 26. Contact: Dr. C. Richard Skogley, Agronomy Dept., Univer-sity of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881. Virginia Tech Turfgrass Field Davs, Blacksburg, Sept. 15-17. Contact: Dr. Jonn R. Hall, 421 Smyth Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 703-961-5797. National Lawn and Garden Distributors Association Annual Conference, Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 15-18. Con-tact: Nancy S. Irving, NLGDA, 1900 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, 215-564-3484. Central Plains Turf Foundation/Kansas State University Turf Conference, Manhat-tan, Oct. 6-8. Contact: Dr. Robert Carrow, Kansas State University, Dept. of Horticul-ture, Waters Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506, 913-532-6170. Florida Turf-Grass Association Confer-ence and Show, Orlando, Oct. 18-21. Contact: Nona Murphy, Florida Turf-Grass Association, 1520 Edgewater Dr., Suite E, Orlando, FL 32804, 305-425-1581. Professional Grounds Management Soci-ety Annual Meeting, Portland, Ore., Nov. 1-5. Contact: Allan Shulder, PGMS, 19 Hawthorne Ave., Pikesville, MD 21208, 301-653-2742. National Institute on Park and Grounds Management, Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 1-6. Contact: National Institute, Box 1936, Ap-pleton, WI 54913, 414-733-2301. New York Turfgrass Conference and Trade Show, Empire State Plaza, Albany, N.Y., Nov. 16-19. Contact: Ann Reilly, 210 Cartwright Blvd., Massapequa Park, NY 11762, 516-541-6902. Professional Lawn Care Association of America Conference and Trade Show, Commonwealth Convention Center, Louis-ville, Ky., Nov. 18-20. Contact: Jane Stecker, PLC A A, Suite 1717, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611, 312-644-0828. Ohio Turfgrass Conference and Show, Columbus Hyatt House, Dec. 1-3. Contact: Dr. John Street, 1827 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, 614-422-2592. Texas Turfgrass Conference, College Sta-tion, Texas, Dec. 7-9. Contact: Dr. Richard L. Duble, 349 Soil & Crop Science Center, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, 713-845-4826. American Sod Producers Association Summer Convention and Field Day, Her-shey Lodge, Hershey, PA, July 15-17. Contact: Bob Garey, Executive Director, ASPA, 9th & Minnesota, Hastings, NE 68901, 402-563-4683. University of Florida Turfgrass Research Field Day, Fort Lauderdale, FL, April 1, 1981. Contact: Dr. Bruce J. Augustin, University of Florida Agricultural Research Center, 3205 SW 70th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, 305-475-8990. New York State Turfgrass Conference and Trade Show, Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York, November 16-19. Contact Janet Dudones, The Ed Worthington Corpora-tion, 50 Petrova Avenue, Saranac Lake, NY 12983. 37 > ? z n > x m z D C cn H X < 2 > X 38 PRODUCTS > oc H cn D Q Z £ < u 2 £ Sidewinder's power pumpers Sidewinder "Green Line" utility sprayers from the FMC Corpora-tion are equipped with a Briggs and Stratton three horsepower en-gine which drives a centrifugal pump delivering five gallons per minute at up to 60 psi. The engine drives a positive displacement piston pump which can deliver three gpm at 300 psi in the model 30HP. Both sprayers have tanks made of high density polyethylene. Both sprayers have a big four inch filler opening with a drain plug for easy filling and cleaning. Suited for nurseries, estates, small parks, greenhouses, truck farms, large gardens and small fruit orchards, these easy-to-use sprayers have attractive options to make them suit a variety of needs. The model 15HP comes with the model 745 spray gun, but a model 757 gun is optional as well as a wand kit, tree gun extension, root feeder and double discharge greenhouse gun. The model 757 pistol grip spray gun is standard on the 30 HP sprayer, but options include a five foot spray boom with nozzles covering an 80 inch swath, a tree gun extension, a greenhouse gun with double nozzles, a root feeder and a pressure gauge kit. Write 701 on reader service card Rugged catch-all The new Zeeter catcher for the Dixon ZTR 308 riding mowers allows an uninterrupted flow of clippings through a seven inch diameter poly tube, with no sharp angles or corners to impede free flow. With a minimum lift factor, the grass feeds into a tough nylon bag suspended firmly from a steel frame and held in place by a rigid housing lid. This assembly keeps the five-and-a-half bushel bag from sagging and dragging, even when full of heavy grass. The bag is easily removed for emptying: unlatch the lid, slide the bag off the frame, reverse that procedure to reattach. The clear, 40 millimeter Lesan tub is heavier than industry standards and with-stands impact from both within and without. The entire catcher can be attached or removed from the mower with a minimum of time and effort. With the mounting bracket secured by only two fas-teners, most owners will probably leave the mounting in place dur-ing mowing seasons. Write 702 on reader service card Ritzi Rails scoff at scuffs Classic Ritzi-rails bed side pro-tectors from Classic Auto Acces-sories will not only keep your pick-up truck looking new, but will also hide damage already done to an older truck. Made of bright diamond tread aluminum for design and durability and available for GMC-Chevy and Ford wide bed trucks. Write 703 on reader service card Honda introduces heavy duty mower Designed to handle heavy duty jobs, American Honda's self prop-elled mower features design inno-vations to meet work demands for durable and dependable equip-ment. Honda's five horsepower GV-200 vertical engine delivers plenty of power to handle heavy cutting jobs. A sturdy, mechanical gover-nor controls engine speed and a trochoid oil pump insures proper engine lubrication. The new HR-21-5 also features the Roto-Stop, a blade stopping system pioneered by Honda to minimize hand and foot injuries. When the handle lever is released, the rotor blade stops within a few seconds while the engine con-tinues to run. The HR-21-5 is powered by a self-propelling rear wheel drive system improved for superior handling. The mower has a fixed speed setting and two optional speed settings obtained with minor adjustments. New features include a belt tension roller and a heavy duty drive gear with driven face for added durability. Two ball bearings have been installed in WITH A KUBOTA FOR MAINTENANCES WONT HAVE GROUNDS FOR C" It seems that more and more grounds maintenance profes-sionals these days are switching to our Kubota tractors. We are pleased by this de-velopment, but not surprised. After all, Kubota is the world's largest manufacturer of mid-size tractors, 12 to 81 hp. That means our tractors fall into the most desirable size, price, and horsepower range for your type of work. And Kubotas are built to tackle grounds maintenance chores of almost every type. Standard features include rear PTO, 3-point hitch, and a dependable hydraulic system. Larger models, beginning with the 30-hp L305, have independent or live power. Our tractors are therefore prepared to handle the imple-ments you need for mowing, fertilizing, trenching, loading, hauling, and snow clearance. To add to their capacity for hard work, all Kubota models are available with 4-wheel drive. Besides all that, Kubotas have another very important advantage. They are amazingly trouble-free. construction is one of the reasons, but even more important is that every one of our tractors comes equipped with a tough, durable, water-cooled diesel engine. Not only are diesel engines more economical than gasoline engines, they are also much easier to maintain. For one thing, they never need a tune-up. With no spark plugs, no distrib-utor, and no carburetor, there's nothing to tune. We are proud to have a large national sales network that is notable for its commitment and quality. So for a good look at our leading grounds maintenance models, pay a visit to your local Kubota dealer. He'll show you why owning a Kubota lets you spend your time maintaining the grounds, not the tractor. ^KUBOin We're looking for work. 01961 Kubota Tractor Corporation Write 120 on reader service card MONEYWISE each front and rear wheel for longer wear. Standard features include a dual element type of air cleaner to minimize engine wear and an aluminum cutter housing. The rear grass bag holds up to two bushels and its slim design affords maximum maneuverability. Write 704 on reader service card Lawn vacuum swallows debris As you mow your lawn, the PeCo Lawn Vac pulls up all debris through the mower deck using a gas-powered or PTO-driven vac-uum, then mulches and deposits it in the unit's easily-emptied bagger or metal box. A wand attachment is also available for hard to reach placesŠunder bushes and along pathways. Engineered for long life and power, the unit comes with a powerful three horsepower, 3600 rpm engine, or a modification for your tractor's PTO drive unit. Each PeCo Lawn Vac is designed specifically for your tractor model so it may act, with your tractor, as a single unit. The PeCo Lawn Vac will pick up, bag and mulch up to 12 or more bushels of lawn debris. On most models, the heavy canvas bag includes a disposable plastic liner for easy removal and can be thrown away or used again. Then the mulched material can be used for gardens, shrubs, trees, or any place where you would like to work organic matter into your soil. Write 705 on reader service card Rear discharge tractor-mower The 448-18 horsepower garden tractor from J. I. Case features the Case hydraulic drive (Hydrive) system which powers the tractor and attachments. Included as standard are an Onan twin-cylinder, four-cycle engine; rug-ged twin-channel frame; cast iron axles both front and rear; and a high clearance design. The unit has the Snap-Fast at-tachment system can can handle the Case built mowers, utility blade, lawn sweeper, snow blower and dump cart. The 448 will also handle the Case hydraulic tiller. Rear-discharge design of the mower permits close-up trimming on either side of the deck. All steel welded construction is mounted on a floating drawbar suspension and the rear-discharge chute con-centrates clippings under the rear axle for convenient pick-up. For commercial uses, the new mower is built for extra cutting width. Parallel linkage suspension maintains an even cut the full width of the deck. Precision tim-ing belt-drive synchronizes the three blades at the required cutting speed. Blades are mounted in line and overlap. Write 706 on reader service card to page 40 Social Security tax rates up Up, up, and away! Social Security tax rates rose to 6.75 percent on the first of January, with an accompanying tax base increase to $29,700.00. This means that at the present rate, both employe and employer (in matching funds) would pay out a maximum of $1975.00 in Social Security taxes. As a perennial hedge against the future, the rate and base are scheduled to rise according to the table below. Plan accordingly. Employee contribution Year Rate Base (matched by employer) 1981 6.65% $29,700 $1975.00 1982 6.70% 32,400 2170.80 1983 6.70% 35,400 2371.80 1984 7.05% 39,000 2613.00 1985 7.15% 42,900 3024.45 1986 7.15% 46,800 3346.20 1987 7.15% 50,400 3603.60 1989 7.15% 54,000 3861.00 1990 7.65% 57,600 4118.40 Sulfate of Potash, there is far less chance of burning lawns or gardens! GSL Sulfate of Potash (0-0-52-18) is the safest and most effective potash you can use! It is nearly free of chloride and has the lowest salt index of any potash. (0.85 vs. 1.94 for potassium chloride.) It is the safest potash you can buy. Because GSL Sulfate of Potash contains 18% sulfur, you get better disease resistance to Fusarium Patch, Ophiobolus Patch, Dollar Spot Fungus and Powdery Mildew. You also get less Poa Annua infesting your lawns. GSL Sulfate of Potash contains both K and S in the ratio used by grasses. This results in a better response to the nitrogen, phosphate and other nutrients you apply. Let GSL Sulfate of Potash help you keep customers satisfied, increase repeat business and add to your profits. GSL makes several grades of Sulfate of Potash for solutions, granulated, blended or suspension products. Call or write for complete agronomic information. Great Salt Lake Minerals & Chemicals Corp. P.O. Box 1190 Ogden, Utah 84402 Ł (801) 731-3100 Western Office: P.O. Box 14761, Spokane, Wa. 99216 Ł (509) 928-2747 Northeast Office: 880 Rosedale Ave., Marion, Oh. 43302 Ł (614) 382-5304 Southeast Office: P.O. Box 1102, Smyrna, Ga. 30081 Ł (404) 977-2322 A subsidiary of Gulf Resources & Chemical Corporation Ł Houston Write 133 on reader service card PRODUCTS from page 39 Braided high pressure hose This 800 psi high pressure hose from Green Garde is ideal for pest and weed control operators, hor-ticultural and grounds mainte-nance personnel, and landscape and tree spraying contractors. With a bursting pressure of 3,000 psi, this hose features extra strong braid reinforced double tube PVC. Extra bright chartreuse color will not mark patios or curbs. Less than half the weight of conventional hose, it will slide over ground and around corners and trees. Made in 400-foot continuous lengths with-out splices. Write 707 on reader service card Snapper grass catcher The Snapper Vac-n-Pac Grass Catcher is a vacuum cleaning attachment for Snapper Garden Tractors from McDonough Power Equipment. Installed directly and easily to the rear of Snapper tractors, the Vac-n-Pac prevents jack-knifing while operating in reverse because there is no pull cart. The Vac-n-Pac is used with a 48 or 54 inch rear discharge mowing unit which provides the shortest distance for cuttings and litter to travel because the air duct is mounted in the center rear instead of on the side. With the rear mounted Vac-n-Pac and a rear discharge mower, you can trim close on both sides and easily maneuver around trees, shrubs and buildings. And, since the catcher is all heavy gauge metal, there are fewer moving parts and less maintenance. The Vac-n-Pac grass catcher will vacuum cuttings, leaves, pine straw, pine cones, twigs, and light litter. When used in conjunction with a Snapper Thatcherizer, a front mounted spring loaded tine device for loosening thatch, the Vac-n-Pac will also pick up thatch. Therefore, taking, sweeping, and separate vacuuming is eliminated. Write 708 on reader service card Bringing up young striplings Straight Tie guy wires are simple, neat and easy to install, saving both time and material. Made from nine gauge wire, they have a 360 degree loop at one end and are covered with a weather resistant sleeve to protect the tree from damage along with special self-locking fasteners. Straight Tie allows newly planted trees, up to one and-a-half inch caliper to be supported with just one stake and allows the tree to move naturally so it develops properly. either overtaxed or understaked. Overstaking with three stakes in a triangular pattern does not allow the tree any movement. Under-staking with no supportive tie allows the tree too much move-ment and sometimes tree damage occurs from the tree hitting the stake. Write 709 on reader service card Triplex reel mower cuts like shears Locke Triplex power mowers are best utilized on large grass areas or for lawns with considera-bly shrubbery, walks and raised borders. All models may be used with sulkies which may be at-tached or detached in less than a minute. Grass catchers are avail-able for use on these mowers with seven blade reels for extra low cut. Locke Triplex offers three dif-ferent widths of cut: 70 inches, 75 inches, and 85 inches. All are available with forward and reverse or forward-only drives. Side reels lift to full vertical position for easy transport and compact storage. LESCOSAN CAN-CONTROL CRABGRASS MORE EFFECTIVELY than any other pre-emergence herbicide. - CONTROL CRABGRASS LONGER than any other pre-emergence herbicide. -BE APPLIED WITH CONFIDENCE. Lescosan is labeled for bents. Lescosan does not damage grass roots or thin turf. BE PURCHASED NOW IN CONVENIENT FORMS. Lescosan 4E is competitively priced, an emulsifiable concentrate, not a wettable powder, for ease in mixing and application. In addition to Lescosan 7G and 12.5G, Lescosan 
3.6G + Fertilizer is available in a formulation to provide cleaner, greener turf with one application. LESCOSAN CAN DO ALL THIS. CAN YOU AFFORD TO BUY ANYTHING ELSE? Lescosan* (Betasan-registered trademark of Stauffer Chemical Co.) CALL BARB. SHE'LL TAKE YOUR ORDER. patented \ (800) 321 -5325-Nationwide The 1sestWgun iSl \ (800) 362-7413-ln Ohio in the business LESC^P PRODUCTS Division of lakeshore Equipment & Supply Co. 300 South Abbe Road, Elyria, Ohio 44035 (216)323-7544 Write 121 on reader service card MARKETING IDEA FILE The 60 series power mowers differ from the standard series in that clutches and transmission drives have been eliminated in favor of belt drives for both reel and traction. Drives in the grass cutting area continue to be chain so that wet conditions will in no way affect the operation of the mower. Castings have also been eliminated in favor of rugged weldments improving rigidity and minimizing vibration. Write 710 on reader service card Total lawn care system with Chew Chew The "Chew-Chew" line of lawn vacuums from the Lambert Corpo-ration and a complement of ver-satile attachments make up a total lawn care system that vacuums, mulches and bags in a single operation. Each of the three mod-els allows consumers to reduce litter, leaves, grass and hedge clippings to one-eighth their original volume. Lambert's three lawn vacuum models have capacities of five, seven and 10 bushels, and engines for the units range from a three-and-one-half horsepower model to a self-propelled five horsepower unit. Each model vacuums through a 30 inch steel nozzle and features a single lever height ad-justment and stabilizer wheels in back of the nozzle. All three models have vented cloth inner bags and insertable disposable plastic bags. Attachments available to com-plement the "Chew Chew" line include a shredder/hopper that diverts vacuum suction to an all-steel hamper for shredding tree branches, hedge clippings, straw mulch and discarded garden plants. The mulched material can then be deposited directly into disposable plastic insert bags for trash pick-up. Write 711 on reader service card Flowable Maneb formulation Stoller Chemical has just received EPA clearance for a new four pound flowable Maneb formula-tion. Label recommendations in-clude control of most disease of vegetables, ornamentals, turf and grasses. Manufactured by a micro-flo process, Stoller flowable Maneb assures consistent micron-size particles. The smaller the particle, the better the coverage and crop protection. Stoller Flowable Maneb exhibits activity against a wide range of fungal organisms. It protects decay of stems, foliage and vegetable parts. Low rates give effective control even under the most severe disease conditions. The product mixes readily with water and is compatible with most insec-ticides, including spray oils. Con-sult State Agricultural Service or State Agricultural Experiment Stations in your region for recom-mendations. Write 712 on reader service card New hard fescue is a good mixer Tournament Hard Fescue from Pickseed has produced out-standing turf results. Persisting under warm, dry conditions, Tournament was bred in Holland and based on its hardiness and longevity, Tournament produces a low-growing, dark green, fine-textured turf with excellent ger-mination, seedling vigor, and es-tablishes a dense turf. Testing in Europe, the United States, and Canada has indicated that the hard fescue has high resistance to common turf diseases and can be adapted for use in most reclama-to page 42 Are your customers talking back? Your customers are probably the most important people you know. It's always good to keep a close professional relationship with them, and one of the best ways to serve this need is a customer service card. Recently, Perf-A-Lawn Corporation in New Carlisle, Ohio, sent out what they call "You be the judge" cards to all the customers in their eight branch offices. The response rate was a handsome 14 percent. Among some of the questions asked were: "How were you treated when you first called Perf-A-Lawn?"; "Has Perf-A-Lawn lived up to your high standards?"; "How has your lawn looked this year?"; "Has your service been prompt and professional?"; "Is there anything you believe we should change about your program?"; "How did you originally hear of Perf-A-Lawn?"; "What other service would you like Perf-A-Lawn to offer?". Writes Perf-A-Lawn's Mike Hiller, "Although we realize the information we obtained from these cards was bias, it did at least let our customers know that we are actively enthused about being their lawn care company." The bottom line, i ne Douom une, I lit* UUIIUIII i rc uuiiui 11 l/Vl U/1 I I III I a liraivi Ł i^i wuiraiavuvi ŁŁ V/U91UI i ici oaudiav/uui i, V/Usmmer oausracuon, Customer Satisfaction, Customer satisfaction. That really says it all. To keep your customers satisfied, their lawns must be thick, green and attractive. But that s not always easy. Wouldn't it be great if there were a product specifically designed to answer your needs? There is. Super Fairway Fertilizer from ProTurf®. It's a dry-applied granular fertilizer produced by Scotts® exclusive Polyform® 
process. Super Fairway Fertilizer spreads quickly and evenly to provide good distribution of nutrients. That means you 
can treat more lawns a day. And more lawns mean more profits. Plus, Super Fairway Fertilizer has a high nitrogen analysis that provides quick green-up and sustained feeding for up to eight weeks. Your customers see the results in a short time and get good-looking lawns that last for weeks and weeks. And, because of its high analysis, 
you'll have fewer bags to handle. Super Fairway Fertilizer has other benefit-related features. Using potassium sulfate as the potash source provides 
increased plant safety, so you'll get fewer 
call backs. Which leads to greater peace 
of mind. Also, because excess bulk and weight are removed, you can reduce storage space by one-third and lower 
labor costs with fewer bags to lift and spread. It all adds up: Improved results / More lawns treated per day / Fewer call backs / Greater peace of mind / Fewer bags to handle / Reduced storage needs / Lower labor costs. 2 Ł;:.;ŁŁ V You owe it to yourself, and your customers, to try ProTurf Super Fairway Fertilizer and reach a new bottom line . . . more satisfied customers. Inquire about the other special ProTurf products, services and selling 
programs, specially geared to lawn care 
service needs. Your Tech Rep has all the information, so give him a call. Or call Scotts direct... toll free: 800/543-0006 or call collect 
513/644-0011 in Ohio. © 1981, The O. M Scott & Sons Co.. Marysville, Ohio 43041 All rights reserved. Write 133 on reader service card PRODUCTS /rom page 41 tion work with very good tolerance to salinity. Fine fescues are important as components of lawn seed mixtures for cool sites with moderate shade. Blending several fescues together to make use of the best qualities of each is recommended. If the lawn is to be entirely of fine fescues, about four pounds of seed are needed for each 1,000 square feet. Like most improved fine fes-cues, Tournament performs best under less intensive management, low nitrogen levels, less mowing and reduced watering. Specific recommendations will vary by region, so consult your local turf specialist for best results. Write 713 on reader service card Solar powered pump Solar powered water pump from ACP Solar Potentials is ideal for decorative fountains or waterfalls. Submersible pump is only five Under 67 CID engine produces 25.5 horsepower and and 47.8 foot-pounds of torque at 2800 rpms. Compared to an air-cooled en-gine, its low operating tempera-ture of 180 degrees (F) extends the life of valves, rings and other internal working parts. The Out Front 72 mows a 72 inch swath and has maneuverable rear wheel steering for tight trimming around trees, under shrubs, and other hard-to-handle places. Its deck suspension is articu-lated for mowing hills and dales, operational stability and climbing curbs in transit. The deck also has anti-scalp caster wheels and rol-lers. As with the 19.9 horsepower air-cooled engine, the machine has a hydro-static transmission with a single foot-pedal control. Steering has been revised for easier opera-tion and a new seat provides greater support and comfort. Write 715 on reader service card inches long, pumps up to eight feet at approximately two gallons per minute. Solar voltaic panel pro-vides the power. Write 714 on reader service card Tight trimming rotary mower This versatile riding rotary mower from Jacobsen features an optional water-cooled engine for heavy duty service. The four cy-WATSK AQUA-GRO YOUR KEY TO MORE SATISFIED CUSTOMERS Irregular growth of turf in stratified soil when maintained with plain water Recovery of same area in two weeks when ^ maintained with Aqua-Gro and water Aqua-Gro eliminates hard-to-wet areas like banks, slopes, hard spots Ł Compensates for variations in soil mixtures, soil stratification and lawn contours Ł Enhances the response to all chemicals, reducing chemical costs Ł Allows for the rewetting of B & B stock and the establishment of sod Ł Eliminates seed floating Ł Reduces heat and drought stress Ł Reduces disease Ł Complete water management for a more uniform lawn care program. AQUA-GRO is available in liquid concentrate or spreadable granular. For free illustrated brochure write to: , I* AQUATROLS CORPORATION OF AMERICA, INC. m 1432 Union Ave., Pennsauken, New Jersey 08110(609) 665-1130 Write 103 on reader service card The taller the grass ...the higher we pop! From residential to light commerciol turf installations, Champion has a pop-up to do the job! When you compare the cost, precision construc-tion and performance, you'll buy Champion. The 18HP (2" pop-up), the P180 (21/2* pop-up) and the 6178 Impulse pop-up are just three of over one-hundred fifty sprinklers, valves, controllers and accessories featured in the new Champion, full-color catalog. Ask for your free copy. CHAMPION SPRINKLER EQUIPMENT 1460 N. Naud St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 221-2108/(213) 223-1545 TOOLS,TIPS,TECHNIQUES What a maintenance contract should cover It may be just a piece of paper, but a lawn maintenance contract will protect both you and your customers from gambling on each other's rising expectations. As a legal document, it's defense against customer ignorance, unreason-able demands, acts of God, and maybe even trimming the rose bushes, if you please. In short, a script for smart business. What should your professional contract look like? What should it include? What should it ignore? If it conforms honestly to your service capability, a good contract may end up saving you time and money. The California Landscape Contractor's Association in Los Angeles, California has come up with a mock-up contract that they recommend for all kinds of landscape maintenance work. It is divided into two areas, 'General Scope' and 'Lawn Mainte-nance,' with each section becoming progressively specific. Here are some of its highlights. The 'General Scope' section sets up the overall business terms of your service. Included are such items as duration of contract, guarantees to supply all equipment, labor, transportation and permits as needed, number of inspections per year, and the exact dimensions of your lawn care responsibilities. The second section on 'Lawn Maintenance' sets up specific areas of responsibility. How many times per month will you Make a separate agreement on slope mainte-nance. Slopes can be both difficult to main-tain and hazardous to service and should be handled separately. mow, trim and edge?; Will you be using reel or rotary mowers; What will your mowing heights be in warm weather?, In cold weather? When you fertilize, how much nitrogen will you use every 1,000 square feet per year? And how often will you apply weed, pest, and fungus controlling agents to the lawn?, Is reseeding an option for you? If so, will you water? And if so, how often? These are all important aspects of lawn maintenance which you should set terms for before the first crew arrives. Get it all down in writing first. If you are into tree, shrub, and vine maintenance, what, where, and when will you prune?, Do you have pole pruning equipment? Then include that in the contract. Do your customers expect you to deep root-feed their trees? Get it in writing. If you trim vines, some customers are touchy about how it should be done, and particularly about how their vines are attached and reattached. Make sure you know beforehand. Most of the time, customers are absent when your crews arrive. Even small details like these should be discussed and included in the contract so you won't end up paying for service calls or inadvertant damage. How many times should their shrubs be fertilized? How many times should their trees? The next section of this model contract concerns flower beds, ground cover, and slopesŠpotentially risky areas of your customer's landscapes. What exactly do they want trimmed? And where? The contract suggests that you make a separate agreement on slope maintenance. Slopes can be both difficult to maintain and hazardous to service and should be handled separately. Do they require complete disease and pest control in their flower beds? Have them specify everything. It can only save you money. The final section deals with irrigation. Some customers may want you to adjust and service all their sprinkler heads for coverage. You may prefer to do it this way in order to avoid customer mistakes. At any rate, get it into the contract. The final statements of the contract are perhaps the most crucial. They read: "All items not checked on this contract shall be considered extra and shall be charged under separate purchase order according to the nature of the item." Just a 'drip bucket' clause to protect you against unforeseen circumstances. And that's the name of the gameŠprotectionŠit can only help you save. Write 133 on reader service card MARCH 1981 (Expires in 60 days) reader service card Use this card to obtain more information...fast. c û. o LU z * t CO 2 CO £ LU û-2 CO CO co co < -J o I-co oc D 45 £ s z n > This unretouched photo from California demonstrates an advantage of including 20% Citation with an improved blend of bluegrasses. On the left is 100% Kentucky bluegrass damaged by Fusarium blight. On the right the Citation-bluegrass mixture shows little or no damage. 'PROGRESS FROM THE GROUND UP1 fêtenuM Citation Türf-Perennial Plant Variety Protection Number 7500003 VH asked for an an purpose* deep rooted high temperature tolerant ryegrass ŁM litis is our answer! Dr. William Meyer, Research Director, states: "At Turf-Seed, Inc., we set out to develop a turf-type perennial ryegrass with 
rapid establishment, good heat tolerance and the ability to maintain high quality throughout the hot summer months. We also wanted an attractive, dark green color and improved mowing performance. After years of cross breeding and testing, Turf-Seed developed Citation. I believe it comes very close to the specifications we were looking for in a fine-leafed ryegrass." Citation had the highest average turf performance rating in a five-year test at Rutgers University. This excellent record has 
been confirmed by years of proven performance in applied 
use by turf professionals throughout the United States. Top-quality Citation seed is now available for your use. For test results and information write: Vaughan-Jacklin Corp. Bound Brook, NJ 08805 Downers Grove, IL 60515 Post Falls, ID 83854 
Landover, MD 20785 Jonathan Green & Sons Farmingdale, NJ 07727 Turf-Seed, Inc. Hubbard, OR 97032 J & L Adikes, Inc. Jamaica, NY 11423 x a c C/5 H 73 2 > 73 Write 134 on reader service card » BEHIND THIS ISSUE 46 00 05 OS < 2 C/D D Q 
Z z è 3 Are we going to lose 2,4-D? This is a question I have been asked more than once by lawn care businessmen across tlje country. As you can see from assistant editor Paul McClos-key's story on page one of this issue, Madison, Wisconsin officials came one vote away from banning the use of 2,4-D in that city. Only some uses are being restricted. And Des Rice, president of The Weed Man in Toronto, told me earlier this week that Canadian agriculture officials are still work-ing to restrict use of 2,4-D north of the border. Who knows what is going to happen? I sure don't, but in a recent conversation with an exec from one of the top lawn care chemical suppliers, he told me: 'The government is going to take it away. It might take awhile, but I really believe they have their minds set on it, and it's going to happen." Sobering words to be sure, but you can bet that LAWN CARE INDUSTRY will stay on top of any develop-ments, and keep our readers alerted as to what they can do. Another situation that has reached crisis proportions in some parts of the country is available water for drinking, not to mention landscape use. Many, many lawns across the country suffered considerable damage as a result of water shortages and extreme heat, and as Paul McCloskey reports in his story on the front page, the situation is still critical in many areas. Another page one story in this issue, based on a talk given by Jerry Faulring of Hydro Lawn in Gaithersburg, Maryland, of the Virginia turf conference gets into fuel alter-natives for lawn care companies. Businessmen I talk to say that their vehicle fuel costs represent anywhere from four to nine percent of their total yearly expenses. That's a big chunk, and you should be looking into diesel or propane conversions for your equipment. One last thing. We've changed our front page to give it a little more punch, and we've also changed some of our column heads. We hope you like the changes. Pr ^y pi bl CLASSIFIED RATES: 40* per word (minimum charee, $15). Bold face words or words in all capital letters charged at 60* per word. Boxed or display ads charged at $40 per column inch (one inch minimum). Agency commissions will be given only when camera-ready art is Tovided by agency. For ads using *ind box number, add $5 to total cost of ad. Send ad copy with payment to Dawn Anderson, LAWN CARE IN-DUSTRY, 1 East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802. BOX NUMBER REPLIES: Mail box number replies to: LAWN CARE IN-DUSTRY, Classified Ad Department, 120 W. 2nd St., Duluth, MN 55802. Please include box number in address. MISCELLANEOUS PREPARE NOW to increase next year's profits. "Garden Tips" the monthly customer newsletter with your company name/phone. Proven response . . . cements customer rela-tions, gets them to spend more, opens new doors expertly in new expansion areas. Low cost, effective profit build-ing. Call today 516-538-6444, we'll send complete information or write: Garden Tips, Box 117, Garden City, NY 11530. KELWAY® SOIL ACIDITY TESTER, used by PROFESSIONALS nation-wide. Direct reading, lightweight, portable, fully serviceable, no power source. Model HB-2 reads moisture too. Available through distributors. For brochure contact Kel Instruments Co., Inc., Dept. T, P.O. Box 1869, Clifton, N.J. 07015. 201-471-3954. FOR SALE 1978 LAWN SPRAY TRUCK. 1300 gallon tank. 3 ton. 22,000 miles. Electric hose reels. Phone Rob Franks, 318-221-4289. COLORADO NURSERY, established 8 years, year-round business with snow plowing. Building and land also avail-able. Sales y2 million. Terms available. Call 303-476-3047 weekdays. PROFITABLE LAWN SPRAYING BUSINESS. Suburban north Jersey. 800 selected accounts. Data sheet available. Write LCI Box 43. For Sale. Granular lawn service vehicleŠ1980 Dodge D200 maxivan, heavy duty suspension throughout. Complete with 150 gal. tank, B&S engine with Hypro piston pump, power rewind reel, hose & gun. Vehi-cle under warranty, in excellent con-dition. Ready to go immediately! Call 301-694-6007. AUSTIN AREA Hydro-Mulch, Fertili-zation and Landscape business for sale. Under $25,000 for established operation with new equipment in booming area of sunbelt with strong economy and excellent growth record. Owner has other business interest and must sell. Reasonable terms. Write LCI Box 44. FOR SALE 1976 Hydro Turf 300 gallon hydro mulcher $1,900. 1977 Toro Groundmaster 52 $1,600. Scott Man-ges North Manchester, Ind. (219)982-6139. Hahn-JR-3 Aerifier. Like new. $1,200.00: Ryan tractor drawn aerator. 36" swath. $500.00 or best offer. (517)482-9787 Guardian Landscape, 1449 Christopher Avenue, Lansing, Michigan 48906. LIQUID FERTILIZERS with or with-out slow release NITROGEN for lawn and turf industry. Delivered in truck loads to NY, NJ, Conn., RI, Mass., NH, Vt. and Maine. Tanks available! Call Old Fox Chemical, Inc., P.O. Box 187, South Deerfield, Mass. 01073 (413)665-2407. Know pH instantly, Patented elec-tronic tester. Portable, handheld. For soil, liquids, etc. $22. postpaid. Details free. A & H Marketing, Dept. L8, 8325 Dru Ave. S.E., Alouquerque, NM 87108 Phone (505)266-4821. A-l Finn 900 gal spray tank and flat bed, includes all hardware to fit on your own truck cab. Handles both granular and liquid. Two Hahn elec-tric reels with 325' of hose on each, with spray guns. Only used two seasons. PTO driven. $5295.00 or best offer. Now sells for $11,000. Reply to LCI Box 45. Finn Bantam Hydroseeder tandem trailer mounted has all extras like new condition used under forty hours, $10500.00 or best offer, call Murph's Turf after 6:30 pm M.S.T. (308) 436-2456. 1977 Chevy Š C-60 lawn spray truck, excellent condition, 1,200 gallon steel tank mounted on 14 foot platform. 2 Hanney electric hose reels with 500 feet of hose on each. Bean 20-20 pump mechanical and jet agitation. $11,500. Call or write, Rusin Landscaping, Inc., 340 North Drive, Lorain, Ohio 44053. Phone 216-233-8217. Reinco Hydroseeder, 1,000 gallon on trailer. Excellent condition. $7,500. George. 317-873-5937 or 317-873-5231. HELP WANTED WANTED. LAWN SPRAY MANAGER for Pontiac, Michigan area. Applicants must have related background and references. Send resume to LCI Box 48. LAWN CARE MANAGERŠWe have a position available for a personable confident lawn care manager. An understanding of turf science is es-sential; direct experience in the lawn care industry is not. This is an excel-lent opportunity to become a part of and grow with a promising company! LAWNCARE, INC. P.O. Box 357, Pittstown, NJ 08867 (201)735-4490. Colorado lawn care firm seeking qualified, aggressive individual in-terested in lawn care work developing into branch managenent rapidly. Sal-ary dependent on experience and/or education. For information call or write Liqui-Lawn, Inc., P.O. Box 208, Hygine, CO 80533. 303-772-4331. ORNAMENTAL PLANT CARE MANAGER. Position open at a young and growing commercial lawn maintenance company in the Northern Virginia area. Must have experience in pest management and maintenance of ornamental shrubs and trees. Benefits, vacations, salary negotiable. Applic-ants must be reliable and aggressive. Write LCI Box 47. Chemical Lawn & Tree Care Company needs General Manager with at least three years experience with a national or regional lawn care company. Ex-perience must include sales, and cus-tomer and employee relations. Salary open. 214-690-1051, Layson, Inc., P.O. Box 30121, Dallas, Texas 75230. Experienced Lawn Technician. Ex-cellent opportunity for person experi-enced in chemical lawn care. New company with growing pains. Excel-lent promotion possibilities. Salary, bonus, benefits. Send resume and salary requirements for further infor-mation. All inquiries held in complete confidence. Tuckahoe Lawn Care, P.O. Box 27, Slocum, RI 02877. Safety in numbers. Take stock in America. Buy US. Savings Bonds. WANTED TO BUY ACQUISITIONS WANTEDŠA large energy company in the Midwest and Southwestern United States is in-terested in acquiring large dealerships in the lawn care industry. The seller's management must be willing to re-main. This is a large-growth oriented company with substantial capital aval lable. All inquiries will be treated in the strictest confidence. If in-terested, please send some indication of annual revenues, profits, and assets to LCI Box 46. Markefinq 'Gouncil ADVERTISERS Adelphi Kentucky Bluegrass 22 American Pelletizing Co 32 The Andersons Advertising 20 Aquatrols Corp. of America 42 Boots Hercules Agrochemicals Co. 31 Burlingham & Sons 30 Champion Brass 42 Ciba Geigy Corp 18, 19 Cleary Chemical 26 Diamond Shamrock 24, 25 Dow Chemical Co 2, 3 Excel Industries 35 P.B.I. Gordon Corp 12, 13 Great Salt Lake Minerals 39 Green Thumb Lawn Service 32 Hypro Inc 28 International Seed, Inc 29 International Spike, Inc 36 Jacklin Seed Co 9, 33 Jacobsen Div 21 Kubota Tractor Corp 38 Lakeshore Equipment 40 Lofts Pedigreed Seed Co 48 Logos for Lawn Care 32 
MTD Products 47 Manhattan Ryegrass Growers 16 Micron Corp 8 Monsanto Co 34 Rhone Poulenc Chemical 27 O.M. Scott & Sons Co 41 3M Co 36, 37 Torco Equipment Co 28 Tuco Agric. Chemicals 7 Turf Seed, Inc 11, 45 Union Carbide Agri Products 23 United States Gypsum 17 Velsicol Chemical Corp 10 Warren's Turf Nursery 8, 28 For day-in, day-out dependability... Hire a Professional ! Because there's no time for down-time in the world of professional grounds and turf care, dependable equip-ment is a necessity. That's why MTD makes Lawnflite Professionals to last through years of continuous hard use...with minimum time out for -r* maintenance. Strength and durability are built into Lawnflite Pro-fessional mowers and tillers with heavy-duty compo-nents: handles that won't twist, throttles that don't bind, steel wheels with thick-wall tires, muscular industrial engines with Stellite exhaust valves and double-protection air cleaners. Performance and convenient operation are part of all Lawnflite Professionals by design. Chain reduction drive gives the tillers quick response and gets the most out of every horse-power. All tiller controls are within arm's reach on or below the handles. Lawnflite Professional mowers are equipped with extra-large, 638 Model 111-638 22" Cut/Rear Discharge Rotary Mower LAWNFLITE Professionals 618 Model 111-618 20" Cut/Side Discharge Rotary Mower remote-mounted gas tanks and large-capacity grasscatchers that keep them mowing, with fewer stops for fill-ups and emptying. The mowers roll easily on big 8" wheels with heavy-duty sealed ball bearings, while exclu-sive "Ultra-Lift" blade design gives a clean, even cut. Con-venient levers quickly adjust cutting height to any of five settings from 3A" to 3W. The Professional Model 618 mower offers all these features, plus the combined strength and light weight of a cast aluminum alloy deck. Professional Model 638 provides a wide 22" cut, and its true rear-discharge design means extra maneuverability and close-trim mowing next to trees, fences, and other obstacles... on both sides of the mower! Behind every Lawnflite Professional are a full-year limited warranty and, even more importantly, the MTD heritage: 50 years of design and manufacturing excellence. 398 Model 211-398 « 5 HP/Chain Drive * ']?{ Rotary Tiller 418 Model 211-418 ^ V y 8 HP/Rear Tlne/Chaln Drive Rotary Tiller Write today for color brochure with full specifications MTD PRODUCTS INC P.O. Box 36900 Cleveland, Ohio 44136 Write 133 on reader service card baron KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS is the most customer -proof mm V i n lean buy Alan Maged, y Lawn-A-Mat dealer, Garden City Park, Long Island, New York. . . one of the largest independent lawn care dealers, servicing over 2000 lawns. rass 1 V il ìSése "I make sure Baron is in every pound of grass seed we use. Last year it amounted to 80,000 pounds of Lofts special lawn seed mixtures. If all goes well, I'll order even more this year. "Why do I insist on Baron? Because my customers expect me to compensate for everything, from the 
weather to their own mistakes. Some homeowners may let their lawn grow to six or eight inches, then cut it to three-quarters of an inch! Or they'll forget to water their grass during a drought, or use their lawn for a baseball field. With all that abuse, they still expect a good lawn. "I need a 'customer-proof' grass seed mixture. So I specify Baron, Yorktown and other top quality Lofts grasses in my special mixture. I get a lush, green color, an excellent root system and the best resistance to leaf spot I've ever seen. Guess that's why I get better than 85% renewals every year. "One last thing, I really depend on my suppliers for delivery and service. I've dealt with the Lofts people for 15 years and they haven't failed me yet. That's very important to me.' w . * * Lofts JL-Jj pedigreed KSâiiil Seed) Inc. Bound Brook, N.J. 08805/(201) 356-8700 Write 133 on reader service card