Interview with new Tru Green chief Consolidation to bring professionalism BY ELLIOT MARAS Editor SPECIAL REPORTŠMany LCOs are uneasy about the numerous regulations aimed at their industry. Not John Slocum, presi-dent of Tru Green Corp. A 16-year veteran of Waste Management, Inc., the na-tion's leading solid waste disposal business, he's seen it all before. Environmentalist de-mands for lawn care regula-tions are similar to what the 
waste disposal business 
went through, says Slocum, who shuttles between Tru Green's Atlanta headquar-ters and Waste Manage-ment's Chicago headquar-ters. Ultimately, he says, reg-ulations are good for the in-dustry if they're not 
excessive. They bring about uniformity of service. Consolidation, which Tru Green in large measure brought to the lawn care in-dustry, also contributes to professionalism, Slocum says. The man knows of what he speaks: Slocum was ac-tive in Waste Manage-ment's solid waste disposal See SLOCUM Page 24 Slocum: Consolidation good. WWN GRE NDUSTRY Serving commercial mowing and chemical lawn care professionals VOLUME 13 NUMBER 7 JULY 1989 Lyme disease stirs control interest BY ELLIOT MARAS Editor Media attention on Lyme disease this summer has left LCOs in some regions swamped with requests for tick controlŠa service few LCOs are willing to provide. While most of the insec-ticides LCOs use for surface feeding insects will control the disease-carrying ticks, many LCOs are wary of the liabili-ties tied to tick control. Most 
are aware that nothing can 
control ticks 100 percent. Public concern about Lyme disease has been strongest in Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts and TODAY'S TURF Prof. Noel Jackson describes chemical and cultural methods needed for optimum control of turf-infesting fungi. 12 MOWERS Zero-turn radius 
models gaining. 10 CLASSIFIED See what's for sale, Q Q miscellaneous items. OU Connecticut. These states have reported the highest inci-dence of Lyme disease, accord-ing to a cover story in the May 22 issue of Newsweek. "It's scaring people," says Vincent Tummino, owner of the Sayreville, Edison-Metuchen, Parlin and South See LYME Page 9 EPA moves on Tempo, Confront WASHINGTON, D.C. The U.S. Environmental Protec-tion Agency has registered 
Tempo insecticide for home lawn use and Confront her-bicide for the control of annual 
and perennial broadleaf 
weeds. Tempo, a pyrethroid, was introduced for indoor pest control and ornamental uses last year. In addition to home 
lawn use, Mobay Corp. is pres-ently seeking approval for use 
on commercial turf and golf 
courses. Confront, a non-phenoxy herbicide, is for use on orna-mental turf and cool season grasses, according to the Dow Chemical Co. It will be intro-
duced in the fourth quarter of the year. The EPA withheld regis-tration of Tempo for commer-See EPA Page 28 Ł irifT IIAIITII ************* 3-DIGIT 488 157 00486132 1C 93 PETE C0CKINGHAM LIBRARY W- 121 USGA TURFGRASS INFO FILE 30G MICHIGAN STATE UNIV EAST LANSING MI 48824-1048 BATTLEGROUND: KANSAS CITY Wyandotte Co. Kansas City, KS Shawnee Overland Park Olathe ohnson Co. KANSAS Kansas City, MO Raytown Lee s Summit Jackson Co. MISSOURI Cass Co. Low bids irk LCOs BY JAMES E. GUYETTE Managing Editor Many Kansas City con-sumers shop price when purchasing lawn care and landscape ser-vices, and that practice has some quality-conscious turf managers concerned about the state of their industry. Charges of "lowballing" are flying as a price war rages on, despite efforts of the Profes-sional Lawn Care Association of Mid-America to encourage a keen sense of profession-alism. Some turf managers believe that too-low prices result in 
unacceptable work, and that, in turn, makes the entire oc-cupation look unprofessional. "It's throughout the city, it's a hell of a price war," says Lance Schelmammer, owner of Grass-Roots, Inc. in Olathe, Kan. "It's degrading the in-dustry as a whole." An informal survey by LAWN CARE INDUSTRY could not establish that rampant 
lowballing exists. Most Kansas City turf managers contacted are un-willing to publicly point an ac-See KANSAS Page 21 Rulings okay for NY LCOs N BY JAMES E. GUYETTE Managing Editor ew York turf managers 
are conducting busi-ness as usual this sum-mer following two recent court decisions. A 1987 New York state law mandating customer con-tracts and posting is still being 
enforced, but more restrictive regulations have been ruled "null and void." Under the two court deci-sions, states are permitted to make laws regulating pesticide use notification, but state of-ficials can only write regula-tions that are authorized by the state legislature. In one case, New York State Supreme Court Justice Paul E. Cheeseman ruled that the New York State Depart -See RULINGS Page 27 LATE NEWS Ohio LCOs accept posting law OHIOŠAggressive action by Ohio's green industry has resulted in statewide posting 
regulations that are acceptable to both LCOs and environmentalists. The posting requirements, which were approved by the Ohio Legislature's Joint Committee on Rules and Regulations, are similar to those seen in other states. They call for the posting of a standard sign with the company's name on it. The signs are to remain for at least 24 hours. Currently, there is some flexibility as to what constitutes a suitable warning sign, but after 1990 the signs are required to be at least 4 by 5 inches, and they need to contain a drawing of an 
adult, child and dog inside a circle with a line drawn through it. Abutting property owners have a right to be See OHIO Page 26 For the long run. Introducing a powerful new force in riding rotary mowers. Now there's more to Cushman® Front Line® Mowers than top cutting performance. More power. More operator comfort. More endurance. Now there's the new diesel-powered model Cushman 807. Its totally integrated power train and new hydraulically-powered steering gives you un-matched performance over the long run. The 807 dispatches thick, wet grass on tricky maneuvers around obstacles without losing ground speed. No other rotary mower gives you a cleaner cut. At the heart of the new, four-wheel 807 is a powerful 21.5 horsepower, 3-cylinder Kubota 950 diesel engine. We've also included a heavy-duty Donaldson air cleaner and a new, heavy-duty Cushman PTO clutch to 
keep your new Cushman Front Line 
running longer. A complete family 
of Cushman Front Lines and a wide range of accessories are avail-
able to meet all your needs all year 'round. Choose a 3 or 4 wheel design with 60- or 72-inch side or rear discharge mower deck. Or add the exclusive Cushman Grass Caddy® system, which lets you cut, catch, and hydraulically dump 16 bushels of clippings without leaving the seat. For a convincing demon-stration contact your Cushman dealer today. Or call toll-free: 1-800-228-4444. CUSHMAN1 BUILT TO LAST 3449 Cushman, P.O. Box 82409, Lincoln, NE 68501 © Outboard Marine Corporation, 1987. All rights reserved. L4WN OIRE INDUSTRY ELLIOT MARAS Editor JAMES E. GUYETTE Managing Editor ROBERT EARLEY Group Vice President KIM SESSER Production Manager CAROL LANDSTROM Production Supervisor BRYAN VOLLMAN Graphic Design JOAN SCHUMACHER Circulation Supervisor GAIL PARENTEAU Reader Service Manager THEODORE C. MATHEWS Promotion Director JOHN PRESSELLO Graphics Manager MARKETING/SALES Midwest Office: JON MIDUCKI (216) 243-8100 ext 422 FAX (216) 826-2832 National Sales Manager 7500 Old Oak Blvd. Cleveland, OH 44130 MARSHA DOVER GLORIA COSBY (216) 243-8100 FAX (216) 826-2832 Regional Sales Managers 7500 Old Oak Blvcf Cleveland. OH 44130 Southern Office: DICK GORE (404) 233-1817 FAX (404) 261-7022 3475 Lenox Road. N.E., Suite 665 Atlanta. GA 30326 Western Office: BOB MIEROW (206) 783-0549 FAX (206) 784-5545 1515 N.W. 51 Street Seattle. WA 98107 Classified DAWN NILSEN (218) 723-9349 1 E. First St.. Duluth, MN 55802 Please send advertising materials to: LAWN CARE INDUSTRY 120 W. Second St. Duluth. MN 55802 218-723-9192 EDGELL COMMUNICATIONS. INC PUBLICATIONS ROBERT L. EDGELL, Chairman RICHARD MOELLER, President LARS FLADMARK, Executive V. Pres 
ARLAND HIRMAN, Vice Pres./Treasurer THOMAS GRENEY, Senior V. Pres. EZRA PINCUS, Senior Vice President JOE BILDERBACH, Vice President JAMES GHERNA, Vice President 
GEORGE GLENN, Vice President HARRY RAMALEY, Vice President LCI ADVISORY COUNCIL MARTY ERBAUGH RON KUJAWA Erbaugh Corp. KEI Enterprises Peninsula. OH Cudahy. Wl A. J. POWELL JACK ROBERTSON U. of Kentucky Robertson Lawn Care 
Lexington. KY Springfield. IL LAWN CARE INDUSTRY (ISSN 0160-6042) is published monthly by Edgell Communica-tions. Inc. Corporate and Editorial offices: 7500 Old Oak Boulevard. Cleveland. Ohio 44130. Advertising Offices: 7500 Old Oak Boulevard. Cleveland. Ohio 44130. 111 East Wacker Drive. Chicago. Illinois 60601 and 3091 Maple Drive, Atlanta. Georgia 30305. Accounting, Advertising Production and Cir-culation offices: 1 East First Street, Duluth. Minnesota 55802. Subscription rates: $25 
per year in the United States; $50 per year in Canada. All other countries: $100 per year. Single copies (pre-paid only): $2.50 in the U.S.; $5.00 in Canada; elsewhere $10.00; add $3.00 for shipping and handling per order. Office of publication: Edgell Communica-
tions. Inc., 1 East First Street. Duluth. Min-nesota 55802. Second class postage paid at 
Duluth. Minnesota 55806. Copyright © 1989 by Edgell Communications. Inc. All rights re-served. No part of this publication may be 
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical includ-ing photocopy, recording, or any information 
storage and retrieval system, without per-mission in writing from the publisher. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. P.O. Box 6200. 
Duluth. Minnesota 55806 ViV Vbpa ChemLawn's first quarter revenues dropped 13 percent from last year due to poor spring weather, according to Ecolab's first quarter shareholder's report. The first three months' revenue for 1989 was $28 million 
compared to $32 million in 1988. The operating loss worsened to $24 million for the quarter from 
$19 million in 1988, reflecting delayed revenue and increased manpower investments, the 
report says. "However, the 
delayed production is expected to he recovered in the second quarter." Orkin Lawn Care's 1988 operating income dropped 3 percent from 1987 due to accelerated expansion of new branches and the 1988 drought, according to Rollins, Inc.'s calendar 1988 annual report. The drop, which resulted in $42 million in operating income, 
followed a 7 percent gain in 1987. Orkin Lawn Care opened 12 new branches in 1988, the report stated. The operating loss was 
called a "major disappointment." Florida is a booming market for landscape firms, reports Mike Counselman, president of Stiles Landscape Service Co., one of the 
area's largest firms. Counselman says the property developers have finally realized 
the importance of landscape 
work and there aren't enough high volume providers to service 
the demand. The 2,4-D Hotline has been reinstated by The Industry Task 
Force on 2,4-D Research Data. The hotline, 1-800-345-5109 (In Canada, 517-835-2091) is best 
used for media relations. Manning the hotline is Wendell 
Mullison, Ph.D., author of about 60 herbicide-related publications. He was recently elected fellow of the Weed 
Science Society of America. LCI Turf-Type Tall Fescue rated #1 four consecutive years. i Nationwide testing at 41 sites of turf-type tall fescues place ARID as #1, and the first choice 
for athletic fields, parks, playgrounds and public area lawns. Nationwide testing gives Arid the lead. Mean Turfgrass Quality Ratings of Tall Fescue Cultivars At Four Shade Locations in the United States Quality Ratings 1-9 9=Ideal Turf Name Arid Finelawn I Trident Pacer Mustang Apache Tempo KY-31 
Falcon Houndog Adventure Jaguar Bonanza Olympic Maverick Willamette Rebel Clemfine Brookston Johnstone Kenhy Mean 6.0 5.6 5.4 5.3 5.3 5.2 5.1 
5.0 
5.0 5.0 4.9 
4.9 
4.8 
4.8 4.7 4.6 4.5 4.4 4.4 4.0 3.4 Data from USDA National Turfgrass Evaluation Program Drought Tolerance (Dormancy) Ratings of Tall Fescue Cultivars Dormancy Ratings 1-9 9=No Dormancy Name Mean Name Mean Arid 7.7 Chesapeake 5.7 Olympic 7.7 Tempo 5.3 Apache 7.3 Houndog 5.0 Jaguar 7.3 Pacer 5.0 Finelawn I 6.3 Johnstone 5.0 Mustang 6.3 Kenhy 5.0 Rebel 6.3 Maverick 5.0 Bonanza 6.0 Brookston 4.3 KY-31 6.0 Clemfine 4.3 Adventure 5.7 Trident 3.7 Falcon 5.7 Willamette 3.3 Finelawn 5GL 5.7 Data from USDA National Turfgrass Evaluation Program Be sure to order Arid from your seed wholesaler or sod distributor. Brown Patch Ratings of Tall Fescue Cultivars Brown Patch Ratings 1-9 Name Arid Adventure Jaguar Rebel Pacer 
Maverick 
Falcon Clemfine Apache Tempo Olympic Houndog Chesapeake Finelawn 5GL KY-31 Mustang Bonanza Trident Johnstone Finelawn I Kenhy Willamette Brookston 9=No Disease Mean 6.3 6.2 6.1 6.0 5.9 5.8 5.8 5.7 5.6 5.6 
5.6 
5.6 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.5 
5.3 5.0 4.9 4.3 Data from USDA National Turfgrass Evaluation Program Another fine, quality-controlled product of Jacklîn Seed Company Circle No. 107 on Reader Inquiry Card Organic Lawn Care winning Minneapolis customers BY ELLIOT MARAS Editor MINNEAPOLISŠOne of the most pesticide-alarmed com-munities in the country, Min-
neapolis/St. Paul, has 
spawned a company that promises lush lawns using no synthetic chemicals. In two years, about 1,000 Minneapolis area home-owners have signed on with Organic Lawn Care. The ser-vice costs as much as 30 per-
cent more than standard services for lawns 6,500 square feet and above and includes no pest control. (Costs are comparable for lawns 3,500 to 5,000 square 
feet and less for lawns under 3,500 square feet.) The company's claims have drawn skeptism from some turf experts. One thing that can't be ar-gued, however, is that Organic Lawn Care has found a mar-
ket. Owner Mark Miles, 28, has been extracting plant nutri-ents and studying their effects 
on plant roots for the last six years. He has been farming since he was 13. Miles hopes to persuade the University of Minnesota to 
test his fertilizer mix, which 
consists of alfalfa, kelp and 
corn extracts. Miles' and other natural fertilizer programs are based on the premise that turf at op-
timum health will resist pests naturally. A proper nutrient 
mix, the theory holds, will achieve stonger root systems. "We fertilize with all (16) of the elements that are neces-sary for plant growth, as recog-nized by the University (of Minnesota)," Miles says. Miles studied agronomy for a year and a half at North Da-kota State University and has consulted with agronomy pro-fessors in Iowa and Minnesota 
in his research. An advocate of all natural fertilization for both turfgrass 
management and agriculture, 
he feels consumer concerns about risks associated with 
chemicals are justified. Miles does give his custom-ers tips on how to control 
weeds and insects, should these pests appear. But he 
claims there have been few 
complaints. "Plants of all kinds are nat-urally resistant to insects and 
disease if they are at optimum health," he says. The mixture Miles' fertilizer, applied at a rate of two pounds per thou-sand square feet, is mixed at a commercial mixing facility in Minneapolis. It is bottled in 55-gallon drums, then mixed into backpack sprayers, on-site, on customers' lawns. The extracts provide all of the macro-nutrients, micro-nutrients, enzymes and natu-PESTICIDE CONCERNS PROVIDE READY MARKET ral microorganisms associated with plant breakdown. "When you extract the al-falfa in its purest form, you end up with 20 percent nitro-
gen in protein form, and a good potassium concentration in a form that the plant can ingest within minutes," he says. Calcium, extracted from the corn, strengthens disease resistance, Miles says. He says the mixture at a lower concentration works 
well for shrubs and at a higher 
concentration for trees. Miles says fertilizers that are high in nitogen are popular because they give a fast greenup and dark, green color. However, the high nitrogen concentration hurts the 
plant's ability to resist heat and drought stress. "It (excessive nitrogen) en-courages fungus, disease and 
evapotransporation," he says. The key benefit his mixture provides to turf is deeper root depth, Miles says. He claims 
that within five applications, roots will be eight inches deep. "We force that root system to expand." Miles says his customers' lawns grow slower and have a 
lighter, but pleasant, shade of green compared to most lawn 
care customers' lawns. The ad-
vantages, he says, are that less 
watering and mowing are needed. From these benefits spring still others. "The less you water, the less fungus and disease you have," he says. He recom-
mends his customers water only when the grass has begun 
to wilt. Will it work? One researcher, R.E. Schmidt, Ph.D., an agronomy professor at Virginia Tech, is skeptical of Miles' claims. Schmidt has tested seaweed-based fertilizers (See June issue 
of LAWN CARE INDUSTRY.) and believes that some plant-
based fertlizers have commer-
cial potential. "He (Miles) may have some validity, but not to the extent that he's claiming," Schmidt 
says. Triumph gets rid of the toughe Constant callbacks and retreatments can drive even the best lawn care business 
right into the ground. But you can reduce your callbacks Šand increase your profitsŠ simply by re- at controlling problem turf placing whatever insecti- pests, including white grubs cide you've been using with and mole crickets. Triumph! For example,inlOyears of Because no other insecti- university testing,Triumph cide is proven more effective has been shown to deliver © 1989 C1BA-GEIGY Corporation .Turf and Ornamental Products, Box 18300, Greensboro, NC 27419. Always read and Jollow label directions. For retail Miles: Deeper roots help. Schmidt: Questions the claims. Schmidt says the turf plant will not be able to take up enough nitrogen in the alfalfa extract. He also suspects the alfalfa has much less nitrogen 
content than the 20 percent Miles claims it has. "The plant can't take up plant matter of organic nutri-ents" fast enough to provide results, Schmidt says. "I don't think most of the clientele 
would be happy with the re-sults they would get from ni-trogen released from ground up alfalfa." One of Miles' competitors, Steve Hoogenakker, president of Granulawn, Inc., has not had success offering a no-pesticide program. Hoogenakker, who last year switched to Ringer Corp.'s products for his "organic" cus-tomers, was able to reduce his high turnover among those customers by adding pesticides to the program. Agreeing with Miles that a dense, healthy turf will resist pests naturally, Hoogenakker 
points out that pesticides may be needed to get the turf into shape. "A lot of times you have to clean the weeds out of the lawn first to give the lawn a chance to thicken up," he says. Attending to pests Miles claims his customers experience less crabgrass than 
other homeowners do if they have his initial spring treat-ment. If they do see crabgrass, 
he offers suggestions. He tells them to set their lawnmower blade at the lowest setting, then mow the infested st turf pests, including these. 90 percent control of white grubs within just 2-3 days 
of application. And, unlike other insecti-cides,Triumph consistendy provides lasting control for a lull 8-10 weeks. So one your clients, late summer or early fall Just that application is all you need they'll more for effective turf protection. often be the Which doesn't mean you green, nego-worft still collect notes from tiable variety sale to and use only by certified applicators or persons under their direct supervision, and only for those uses covered by the applicator certification area. Or, they can spot spray the area with a pre-mixed, 
post-emergent herbicide. Or, they can spray Listerine on the area during the hottest 
part of the day. Insect problems? Miles tells customers to apply ivory soap solution. For grubs, he 
suggests a solution of ivory 
soap, chewing tobacco juice 
and alcohol. All of these methods are questioned by Greg Senst, ag-riculture inspector for Hen-
nepin County. Senst particu-larly takes issue with the idea of mowing out the crabgrass area. He says it would do more 
to augment the crabgrass than eliminate it. Liquid aeration The first two applications of Miles' five-round progam include a solution Miles claims 
releases the attraction be-tween soil particles; a liquid 
aeration process. Since his patent on the product is pending, he does not wish to describe it except to say that it's an all natural 
product. Future plans While Organic Lawn Care has been popular with many Minneapolis homeowners, 
Miles' long-term goal is to sell his mixtures to LCOs and do-it-yourselfers. He already sells to 25 retailers and seven lawn 
care firms. "People don't buy us for price," says Miles, "They buys us because they know we're safe and we're effective." He notes that his firm is ex-empt from state pesticide reg-
ulations and pays much less for liability insurance than other lawn care firms. Schmidt believes that tests to date show limited value for 
all natural fertilizer products. He thinks those who have signed up with Miles are peo-ple who want to believe in such a program. LCI LCI adds new marketing rep CLEVELAND, OHIO Barbara Thomas has joined LAWN CARE INDUSTRY as eastern marketing manager. She replaces Gloria Cosby, who accepted another job with Edgell Communications. LCI Barbara Thomas UPFRONT Cool heads needed on "organic" issue No issue has the capacity to incite squabbling within the industry's ranks like "organic" versus "chemi-cal" lawn care. Reasonable dialogue often gives way to emotion and accusation. This happens because the producers and marketers of the more natural lawn care materials have a tendency to 
say their products are safer 
than the traditional products. But that's only half of the problem. The other half is that the "chemical" firms tend to as-sume that all "organic" competitors stoop to the 
above-mentioned tactic. Controversy has to be ex-pected when different technology is introduced. It would be unfortunate, how-ever, if the industry failed to support an open-minded yet 
critical view of these tech-nologies. Our recent State of the Industry Survey showed a large number of readers are interested in more natural alternatives such as soil bio-
stimulants and natural f . A ELLIOT ' f MARAS a ]J| EDITOR pesticides. But the credible research in these areas is in its in-fancy. Much of what turf professionals hear about these products is hearsayŠ 
testimonials about products 
being marketed by small, often mysterious outfits. Eventually, a more credible sense of what these products 
can provide will be available. Until then, hostility con-tinues to erupt when someone claims their "organic" program is safer and better, or when someone thinks that someone is doing 
that. These incidents usually occur in the more chem-ophobic markets, as happened recently in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Rumor held that the WNOR-AM NOR-AM CHEMICAL COMPANY A Schering Berlin Company 3509 Silverside Road. P.O. Box 7495. Wilmington. DE 19803 IMPORTANT; Please remember always to read and follow carefully all label directions when applying any chemical. Copyright © 1989 NOR-AM Chemical Company All rights reserved Ringer Corp.Šsuppliers of some of the best studied nat-
ural products and a member 
of the Professional Lawn Care Association of Amer-
icaŠwas responsible for a very negative portrayal of the lawn care industry on KSTP-TV. The rumor is completely false. I contacted the station to learn from the reporter who did the story that Ringer made no contact with him 
regarding the Public Citizen attack on lawn chemicals. It was in no way responsible for the story. Ringer, a very visible player in the industry, may have been taking the heat for some negative advertising 
that appeared in the Min-neapolis/St. Paul area last year. Organic Lawn Care, Inc., featured in this month's is-sue, circulated flyers showing a chemical applicator dressed in a spaceman's uniform. (The company has for-tunately refrained from such 
practices this season.) Fanning the animosity be-tween the "organic" 
advocates and the rest of the industry is the consumer me-diaŠalways looking for a fast, easy story. In fielding reporters' ques-tions, I've found that reporters doing stories on 
"chemical" versus "organic" 
lawn care often presume that the two methods are adver-
sarial. Convincing them otherwise takes some doing. Then there are the envi-ronmental alarmists, ready to 
enlist the "organic" lawn care firms in their crusade against chemical use. Companies that wish to market alternative methods should be aware of what orga-nizations promising endorsements are saying 
about the rest of the lawn 
care industry. At present, an all natural lawn care program has not been successfully marketed 
on a large scale. Dick Schmidt, a re-searcher at Virginia Tech who is studying some of the 
products on the market, points out that the customers 
who buy these programs are 
probably motivated by per-sonal bias. They don't represent a large customer base as far as the average LCO is concerned. Some LCOs are offering natural programs as alter-natives for customers who are willing to pay more. So far, they don't report great suc-
cess with these programs. Universities, chemical manufacturers and the larger lawn care companies, mean-while, continue to study soil biostimulants, natural pesticides and other prod-ucts. These efforts deserve 
the support of all who are interested the largest possible selection of methodologies. The New r This advanced controlled-release material derived from methylene urea polymers is the ideal nitrogen source for all your turf needs. That's because NUTRALENEŽ works two ways. First, it provides a quick-release nitrogen through hydrolysis. Second, 
NUTRALENE releases nitrogen more slowly 
through microbial action for sustained feeding. This dual action (the result of its unique molecular structure) makes NUTRALENE the superior controlled release nitrogen source. The following points show that 
NUTRALENE meets all the professional's requirements 
for a broad-use nitrogen. in NITROGEN! This quality nitrogen source offers... Ł Quick greenup Ł Controlled-release nitrogen feeding for up to 16 weeks Ł Both hydrolysis and microbial actionŠ not dependent on coating or particle size for release Ł Minimeli leaching and volatilization Consistent release of all nitrogen in one growing season, under all conditions, even during cool soil tem-perature situations Ł Low salt and low burning potentials Ł 40-0-0 guaranteed analysis Circle the Reader Service numbers of those items of interest to you. For rapid response, use the peel-off label from the front cover 101 116 131 146 161 176 191 206 221 236 251 266 281 296 311 326 341 102 117 132 147 162 177 192 207 222 237 252 267 282 297 312 327 342 103 116 133 148 163 178 193 208 223 238 253 268 283 298 313 328 343 104 119 134 149 164 179 194 209 224 239 254 269 284 299 314 329 344 105 120 135 150 165 180 195 210 225 240 255 270 285 300 315 330 345 106 121 136 151 166 181 196 211 226 241 256 271 286 301 316 331 346 107 122 137 152 167 182 197 212 227 242 257 272 287 302 317 332 347 108 123 138 153 168 183 198 213 228 243 258 273 288 303 318 333 348 109 124 139 154 169 184 199 214 229 244 259 274 289 304 319 334 349 110 125 140 155 170 185 200 215 230 245 260 275 290 305 320 335 350 111 126 141 156 171 186 201 216 231 246 261 276 291 306 321 336 351 112 127 142 157 172 187 202 217 232 247 262 277 292 307 322 337 352 113 128 143 158 173 188 203 218 233 248 263 278 293 308 323 338 353 114 129 144 159 174 189 204 219 234 249 264 279 294 309 324 339 354 115 130 145 160 175 190 205 220 235 250 265 280 295 310 325 340 355 WWNOIRE INDUSTRY JULY 1989 This card void after Sep. 15,1989 1. CHECK BELOW YOUR PRIMARY BUSINESS AT THIS LOCATION: A. LAWN CARE COMPANY: Read each choice before answering. 10 Ł Chemical lawn care company 20 Ł Mowing/management lawn care company and/or landscape contractor 30 Ł Both chemical lawn care company and mowing/management lawn care company and/or landscape contractor B. SUPPLIER 50 Ł Chemical and equipment dealer and/or distributor C. OTHER (specify) 2. WHAT IS YOUR TITLE? I would like to receive (continue receiving) LAWN CARE INDUSTRY each month: Yes Ł No Ł Signature: Date. [ BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS PERMIT NO. 665 DULUTH, MINNESOTA POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE READER SERVICE DEPARTMENT WWN CURE INDUSTRY POST OFFICE BOX 6080 DULUTH, MINNESOTA 55806-9780 I.I.I..I.I.I..I.II....II..I.I..I...II..I.II 1.11 NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES LYME from Page 1 Amboy Lawn Doctor fran-chises in New Jersey. He notes 
there have been several arti-
cles in local newspapers. "Ev-erybody's picking up on it." Holding most LCOs back for now is the lack of available data on tick control. The debilitating disease is spread by deer ticks, which mostly inhabit wooded areas. Newly-hatched larvae usually pick up the disease from field mice, then pass it on to other 
hosts during the succeeding stages of their life cycles. Humans and pets can both be infected. "There's just not a lot of data out there right now (on controlling the ticks)," notes Rich Harding, salesman for 
Rockland Chemical Co., West 
Caldwell, N.J. Since ticks can 
migrate from an untreated property to a treated one, LCOs have no idea how often 
insecticides need to be ap-plied. "Lawn care operators are very interested in getting into it," Harding notes. Gordon Morrison, national sales manager for Zoecon 
Corp.'s Professional Pest Management Division, doesn't see a lot LCOs can do about the ticks since the ticks 
congregate in largely unpopu-lated, wooded areas. However, he thinks periodic yard appli-cations can minimize a home-
owner's exposure for him/ herself and his/her pet. Morrison also thinks LCOs can educate their customers 
about minimizing their expo-sures when they go camping, hunting or hiking. People can protect themselves by wearing boots, long pants and insect repellants. Morrison suggests profes-sional applicators send their 
local media safety tips for homeowners. "It is a way for 
lawn care and pest control op-erators to get a little free pub-licity and at the same time promote their services," he says. Studies under way The Dow Chemical Co. is presently studying tick con-trol with its insecticide, Dursban. The company re-cently distributed a four-page 
bulletin on treating for ticks 
with Dursban 50W, a wettable 
powder. The bulletin recommends entire lawns be treated, as well 
as weeds and bushes along the edges. There is no recom-mended frequency as of yet. "It's something the lawn care people could offer, have a 
very viable money making proposition, and at the same time be providing another ser-
vice," says Bill Davis, turf sales specialist for Dow's Northeast district. "It could be a good image builder." Davis thinks LCOs could minimize liability simply by 
using proper wording in their 'It's something the lawn care people could offer, have a very viable money making proposition, and at the same time be providing another service. ' service agreements. One product that is being marketed specifically for tick control is Damminix. It con-sists of biodegradable card-board tubes filled with cotton 
balls soaked in permethrin, an insecticide. The tubes, placed 
in the ground, attract mice, which bring the lethal balls back to their nests. The ticks 
are then killed. Damminix, developed at the Harvard School of Public Health, is owned and mar-keted by EcoHealth. Spokesman Bryan Spielman says a package is being devel-
oped specifically for LCOs. Rockland's Harding sees two drawbacks to Damminix: 1) The property may not have 
mice; 2) Dogs and cats, and possibly small children, could get into the tubes before any mice do. Tick control sells Tummino, the New Jersey Lawn Doctor dealer, is one 
LCO who has marketed a tick control program this yearŠ and with good results. Offering dry Dursban appli-cations in rounds two, three 
and four for tick control, Tum-mino signed up about 15 per-cent of his customers. He 
charges $4.50 per thousand square feet for one applica-tion; $3.50 per application for the three-round package. The Dursban is applied on the entire turf and shrub areas. It is not applied along founda-tion walls. Tummino tells his custom-ers that nothing will guarantee 100 percent controlŠhe guar-antees that the product will be 
applied at suggested rates and that it will reduce the tick pop-
ulation. Tummino also provides customers literature about Lyme disease if they request it. Lawn Doctor, Inc. began of-fering its flea and tick control program to dealers last year, notes Ewald Altstadt, director of operations. The Lawn Doctor program is not, however, designed spe-cifically to prevent Lyme dis-ease. LCI All sports turf managers and superintendents will want to read this comprehensive guide to turfgrass varieties for athletic field, playground and golf course use. This volume is sprinkled with sports trivia and history, diagrams of playing areas and comparisons of natural turf with artificial surfaces. So, order your copy today... then grab a bag of warm popcorn or peanuts and settle in for entertaining, enlightening and straightforward sports turf talk. TURFSEED PO Box 250 Ł Hubbard, OR 97032 Ł 1-800-247-6910 503-981-9571 Ł FAX 503-981-5626 TWX 510-590-0957 ... for Turf-Seed's new Tuifiu'n guide to the proper grass for popular sports. Full 8Vz x 11 size, four color printing. Zero-turn radius mowers add up to faster mowing BY JAMES E. GUYETTE Managing Editor Zero-turn radius mowers offer superior mobility, and they are gaining in popularity with professional cutters. Industry experts are predicting that the concept 
will become the accepted stan-dard in the not-too-distant fu-
ture. They say that a zero-turn radius mower can complete a cutting job much quicker, and that the use of trim mowers is 
virtually eliminated. "I think it's the coming thing," says Consultant Philip D. Christian of Alpharetta, 
Ga. "It leaves less work to be done by smaller, less-efficient, pieces of equipment." Because of complete finger-tip control, using a zero-turn radius mower avoids wasted 
motions, turns and backups, according to Art Evans, presi-dent of Magic Circle Corp., makers of the Dixie Chopper. "It eventually will prevail because it's a better way of do-ing things," he forecasts, not-
ing that a standard tractor 
needs an acre-and-a-half of travel to mow just one acre of turf. "The worst zero-turn ra-dius machine out there will make a tractor run and hide," Evans comments. Zero-turn radius mowers are on the job at Environ-mental Care, Inc., headquar-tered in Calabasas, Calif. "They enable us to use a larger piece of equipment on a smaller lawn area," reports Robert L. Scofield, vice presi-dent of corporate relations. A zero-turn radius mower is basically defined as one that 
can turn around within its 
own diameter. The drive 
wheels have individual hydraulic motors that allow them to spin independently 
when the operator moves two hydrostatic steering levers back and forth. The wheels on one side can spin backwards while the wheels on the other side move forward during a turn. They operate similar to a bulldozer 
or tank. While most zero-turn ra-dius mowers do indeed have a lever system for steering, 
Gravley's new Pro Master has a yoke handlebar. The new Exmark Explorer has a wheel 
that functions the same as le-vers. "We've taken that tech-nology and put it to a steering wheel," says Exmark Presi-dent John Smith. He adds 
that many mower operators feel more comfortable using a 
steering wheel instead of le-vers. Kubota makes a tractor with a steering wheel that per-mits all four wheels to steer the vehicle around obstacles. Because the gearless drive wheels have separate drive units, the blade rotation rate is not affected by how fast the mower moves. "You can 
match the speed to ground conditions," Christian says. "You can rev the motor and go whatever speed you feel like." Christian maintains that some machines in the industry 
are inappropriately termed zero-turn radius. He offers a simple test for a potential buyer: "Can it zip around a fireplug?" High-production mow-
ing/management con-tractors report that they just love zero-turn radius mowers. "I think that's the only ma-chine to use," says Ann Witzig, owner of Tidy Turf in Tremont, 111. "I have a push mower, but I use it very 
rarely." At one point Ann and her husband Jerry were mowing 360 lawns a weekŠby them-
selves! "You can move your fingers an inch and go where-ver you want to go." They used a Grazer mower that they bought after watch-ing one in action. "We saw one being used at an apartment complex," she recalls. "He could go all around the trees; we stopped and talked to the fellow." Witzig has since purchased a Walker zero-turn radius mower. She likes the built-in vacuum system that features an oscillating spout inside the 
polyethylene catcher. Ease of maintenance is an-other plus, she says. "If you need to change a spark plug or anything you don't have to 
crawl into anything: The 
whole deck flips up like a funny car would." The mower also offers a precision cut, Witzig notes. Witzig: Disdains trim mower. With DOW you have over Dow covers the country with more qualified people than any other company in the business. The people you see here play key roles in implementing the philos-ophy we call The Partnership5Ž services. In a nutshell, The Partnership is everything Dow offers you, above and beyond the products themselves. It represents Dow's commitment to you and your industry... a commitment of both human and material resources to the goal of helping you succeed and furthering the interests of your industry. Dow field sellers support you. Your Dow representative is your key to all the benefits of The Partnership. He or she can put on sales, business and technical training seminars for your staff. Help you answer customer questions. Recommend sound market-ing strategies. Provide sales support Jerry Beachell material. Even speak at local meetings. And what's the benefit to you? Infor-mation and support services that can help you run your business more effi-ciently and profitably. No other company in the business has so many highly trained people in 
its field sales staff. And they all work for you in The Partnership. Technical help when you need it. There are over ten Dow Technical Services and Development (TS&D) 
specialists, most of them with advanced 
science degrees, including urban Vanelle Carrithers Jim Bean Janet Rowley Barb Hill Vince Geiger District Manager Les « thePartnership DOW'S COMMITMENT TO YOU Judy Bertholf Bird: The Pro Star zero-turn radius mower scores points with him. "I started using zero-turn radius machines back in 1982," reports Sam S. Russo, owner of Sam S. Russo, Inc. in Bayville, N.J. "They were much more efficient than the regular riders," although the devices still had bugs to be worked out. Russo owns 64 Walker mowers and one Grasshopper. He tends entire retirement villages, and the trustees at 
one complex insisted that no riders be used. They hired Russo because his bid said he uses Walkers, which the trust -
ees believed were push mowers. "When I showed up with riders they were furious," Russo recalls with a laugh. 
"These people were upset, but at the same time they were get-
ting compliments in the club-house." Now a lot of retirement vil-lages specify "Walker-type 
mowers" (zero-turn radius). 
"It was the biggest break-through in South Jersey com-mercial mowing." Russo previously used walk-behind mowers. A two-man crew could mow 40 lawns a day. But if four zero-turn ra-
dius mowers are used along 
with a roving person manning a string trimmer, that crew 
can do 300 lawns a day. An operator can really move. "He (or she) can just 50 partners in the field. entomology'. One of their major func-tions is to conduct continuing studies on Dow products and how they work in actual practice. They relay their 
findings to you and other operators so you will have the most up-to-date technical information. As experts on insects, weeds, and their control, they conduct training seminars in the areas of chemistry, botany and entomology, 
among others. Located at key points Mike Gelhaus Cliff Mohrhaus, Field Sales Manager throughout the country, these TS&D specialists provide technical infor-mation and application advice that specifically pertains to serving your customers. The Partnership is More... It's continual research and testing, to assure both safety and efficacy. It's Brian Olson John Peterson training, workshops and seminars, on business management, on selling, on 
products. It's informational literature on a variety of subjects. Your success is the goal of every aspect of The Partnership. That's because we believe the more successful your business is, the better for every-one involved... you, your customers, 
and the entire industry. The Partnership is Dow's commitment to you. John Madia District Manager keep buzzing around the 
houses. A Walker (or other zero-turn radius machine) just doesn't leave much to trim," Russo notes. Like Witzig at Tidy Turf, Russo likes the Walker vac-uum clipping collection sys-
tem, and so do his clients. "Maybe the housewife just got done vacuuming her house, and now her landscaper is vac-
uuming her yard." Customers can be told, "We're not only cutting your grassŠwe're vacuuming up all your clippings." The use of a zero-turn ra-dius mower can improve a firm's turnover rate. "You're going to keep your help longer," Russo points out. "It took the operator off his feet." Because the operator sits down, during the work day "he's resting up to go out" that evening. Russo explains what can happen if he were to operate a zero-turn radius mower alongside an operator with a 
walk-behind: "At 3 p.m. his tongue is hanging out (from exhaustion) and I'm still sit-
ting there wiggling my fin-
gers." That's true, agrees John P. Mowder, marketing manager at Dixon In-dustries, Inc. "This machine is 
designed for operator com-fort." The Dixon line of zero-turn radius mowers includes a 30-inch model to fit through gates and other tight spots. Grasshopper makes a 35-incher, and LESCO, Inc. is 
looking into plans to market a 
36-inch model in the spring. LESCO currently has a 52-incher that features separate 
hydraulic pumps and wheel motors instead of hydrostats, which can be difficult to repair and expensive to replace, ac-
cording to Pete Thompson, an equipment service manager. That cost can be reduced by as much as one-third, Thompson says. "The biggest 
thing is that it runs cooler." He expects other manufactur-ers to follow suit with that 
concept. The owner of a typical zero-turn radius mower has to pay 
attention to the hydraulics, Consultant Christian points out. "The whole hydraulic sys-tem has to be maintained. You have to change the oil; you 
have to keep the filters clean." Getting the hang of op-
erating a zero-turn ra-
dius mower can be a challenge, but opinions vary on how long it takes. "Maybe for the first hour or two the machine might feel too aggressive and too temper-mental," says Russo. "Within two weeks you can be just as good as anyone out there." "I was discouraged the first five days I used it, then it got better and better," says Witzig. "You know the work it See ZERO Page 28 TODAY'S TURF Cultural, chemical methods needed to control fungi BY NOEL JACKSON Fungi comprise a diverse, very successful and ex-tremely prolific group of organisms that are ubiquitous in their distribution in turf. Natural and managed turfs harbor a large number of fungi species, including many that 
are involved in the breakdown of dead, organic material, but also some that invade living 
plants to cause disease. In spite of many manage-ment practices directed to-wards their elimination, residual populations of these fungal pathogens invariably persist in turf. Every year, therefore, the potential exists for a succes-sion of turf diseases. This hap-pens as the resisting structures of disease-causing fungi surviving in previously infected plants, in the thatch 
layer, or in the soil resume ac-tive growth. The pathogenic fungi re-spond to specific environ-mental conditions that are conducive to the renewal of 
their activity. But even if con-ditions are less than optimum, sufficient vegetative growth 
and/or sporulation occurs to 
ensure survival and carryover 
of each species. Given optimum conditions, however, the large numbers of fungal propagules (spores) are generated to serve as disease inoculum (material that in-cites disease). Many factors involved A large amount of inoculum in a susceptible turf does not 
inevitably mean widespread disease. Specific environ-mental conditions (not neces-sarily the same as those favoring inoculum buildup) are needed for infection to oc-
cur and the consequent dis-
ease symptoms to develop. Thus, a complex set of in-teractions involving grass host, fungal pathogens and en-vironmental conditions ul-timately determines whether a pathogen is favored suffi-ciently to take advantage of 
the host and initiate a disease outbreak. Knowing which factors in-fluence the development and JMk r® o jk j Ł ' % V % ï 5 £ V4 Ł Š^rK -s t c, ŁV j. " %(/ k Ł' < j r I ' . . Ł A *j r* * è. *** > "».A > m.' Ł'J/ -' Ł ' * Jft ^sZt* j&E ¿eíE&r''-Give grubs an inch and they 11 take a whole yard. Grubs feed at many levels in a yard, but it's at 1" to IVi" below the surface where they do their real damage. And because grubs are constantly moving from one level in the soil to the next, a single treatment of most insecticides will only 
get the ones closest to the surface. Oftanol is a Rtg. TM of Bayer AG, Germany. ©1989 Mobay Corp. 62901 But with OFTANOL® insecticide, you have the strength to knock out those grubs closest to the surface now, and the staying 
power to deal with grubs, rising up from the depths, in the future. So take away that inch. And keep the whole yard. Mobay Corporation A Bayer USA INE COMPANY Oftanol. Bayer Specialty Products Group Box 4913, Kansas City, MO 64120 severity of particular diseases, coupled with the ability to rec-
ognize their early symptoms, allows management practices to be employed that may mini-mize damage by fungal patho-gens. These cultural measures in-clude judicious changes in irri-gation and fertilizer practice: modification of soil pH; im-provement of soil aeration and drainage; improved light in-
terception and air flow; thatch removal; adjustment of mow-ing height and frequency; re-straints on the amount of wear; insect control; and the use of disease resistant 
cultivars. However, even the most adroit turf manager cannot rely entirely on cultural tactics to avoid all disease problems. In some situations, supple-
mental chemical control with 
fungicides may be needed. Fungicides needed? Do fungal diseases play such an important part in the home lawn environment that fungicide use is warranted? With some exceptions, the answer is generally no. In lawns composed of cool season grasses, for most situations, 
diseases rank low on the list of problems that need to be ad-dressed. Overriding problems in common order of priority in-
clude soil infertility and acid-ity; weed infestation (both broadleaved weeds and weed grasses); insect infestation; improper mowing practices; water mismanagement; heavy shade; and excessive wear. Correction of any and all of these is the first order of busi-ness before diseases can be considered. The common cool season grasses used for lawnsŠKen-
tucky bluegrass, fine fescue, tall fescue and, increasingly, 
perennial ryegrassŠare all susceptible in varying degrees 
to an assortment of diseases. If vigorously growing swards of these grasses are maintained in the appropriate 
manner, disease is seldom a 
major problem. The situation is improving continually as plant breeders make steady progress in se-
lecting cultivars with both good agronomic characteris-tics and disease resistance. Most of the Kentucky blue-grass cultivars now have excel-lent leaf spot resistance and resistance to some additional diseases. For instance, stripe smut and rusts are being in-
corporated into the newer 
cultivars. The introduction of finer-leaved, turf-type tall fescue and the cold-hardy, turf-type perennial ryegrasses is a major breakthrough in improving the turf quality and extending 
the use of these two grasses. But deficiencies in the re-sistance of one or both of these grasses to brown patch, red thread and pink patch, rusts and snow molds all need to be 
addressed. Expectations vary If the well-maintained, vig-orous lawn is relatively disease free, where do the exceptions occur? The answer lies in the inter-pretation of what constitutes a well-maintained vigorous lawn. Quality of turf to the 
homeowner is very subjective, and acceptable standards dif-fer enormously. Management options range from "masterly inactive" where the lawn receives noth-ing more than a few desultory mowings to the other extreme of constant attention. Neglected or minimal maintenance lawns may well support outbreaks of those diseases encouraged by low 
soil fertilityŠred thread, dol-lar spot, and various leaf spots. But because of the diverse botanical makeup and the 
open nature of the turf, dam-age by fungi when it occurs 
often passes unnoticed. In contrast, there are many homeowners who invest con-siderable time, effort and cash 
in striving for the perfect lawn. Much to their chagrin, these intensively managed lawns seem to suffer greater depredation from disease. The reason is twofold: lush, high density swards of uni-form composition are more vulnerable to some diseasesŠ 
brown patch and pythium 
blight are two good examples. Secondly, even the most minor blemish in the pristine turf attracts attention. In ef-fect, the ultimate in lawn per-fection can be realized, but often at the risk of increased 
disease susceptibility. Like an intensively man-aged sports turf, routine appli-cations of preventative fungicides may be needed to 
maintain these lawns free from disease. Restricting nitrogen So, what are the options for disease management in the home lawn? Nitrogen fertilizers play the major role in determining sward color and density (key 
factors in perceived quality), but these also markedly influ-
ence disease susceptibility. If expectations are lowered a little, then a sound cultural program will provide good turf with a minimum of disease problems. Such a program includes the following steps: Ł Restrict nitrogen use to 3 to 3V2 lbs. of actual nitrogen per thousand square feet, and include iron with each fertil-About the Author Noel Jackson, Ph.D., is a professor of plant pathology at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston. izer application. Ł Blend insect and disease resistant cultivars where pos-sible to form the sward, mow it regularly at the appropriate 
height, dethatch periodically, and lime only when needed. Keep soil moist Soil moisture availability also plays an important role in turf quality and a vital role in fungal disease incidence. Ideally, the soil should be always moist and the leaf sur-
faces dry. The latter is an im-possible goal, but one to be strived for. Water early in the morning so the leaves dry early in the day and are not wet overnight. Such a regimen may, however, be impractical. Water at night if necessary, but water ade-quately (1 to IV2 inches per week) in two or three water-ings. It is critical to water earlyŠ before the soil dries out. Once 
dry, soil and overlying thatch are extremely difficult to rewet uniformly. In addition, the founda-tion is laid for heat and 
drought stresses which pre-
dispose turf to infection by some high temperature toler-ant pathogens. Biological control strat-egies that utilize antagonistic microorganisms to alleviate turf diseases are being ex-plored. Some antagonists may be introduced directly into turf, or natural populations may be 
encouraged to increase by the provision of additional sub-strate. Various organic amend-ments applied in solution or as a topdressing serve in this function and some formula-tions are being claimed as ef-fective treatments against the 
more intractable patch dis-eases like necrotic ring spot. Preventative application Situations occur when chemical disease control mea-
sures are the only recourse. What are the implications? There is no universal fungicide for turf diseases. Therefore, accurate diagnosis is essential so that the appro-priate, registered fungicide can be usedŠand used accord-ing to the manufacturers' rec-ommendations. Indiscriminate or excessive use of even the correct fungicide can be usedŠand used according to the manu-facturer's recommendations. Indiscriminate or excessive use of even the correct fungicide is a waste of re-sources, and may affect desire-ble soil microflora and fauna adversely, particularly those involved in recycling organic matter. LCI You want: A grass with good color, A That shrugs off disease and insects, That shows off in the sun, And even grows where there isn't that much sun. We've got it! Even in low fertility tests, Eclipse gave impressive performances in the USDA national test at 37 different locations. Zajac Performance Seeds, 33 Sicomac Road. North Haiedon, NJ 07508 201/423-1660 George W. Hill 8c Company, P.O. Box 787, Florence. KY 41042 606/371-8423 Jacklin Seed Company, W. 5300 Jacklin Avenue. Post Falls, ID 83854-9499 800/635-8726 208/773-7581 Peterson Seed Co., Inc., P.O. Box 346. Savage. MN 55378 800/328-5898 612/445-2606 Rothwell Seeds (in Canada), P.O. Box 511, Lindsay, Ontario, Canada K9V 4S5 705/324-9591 Eclipse: U.S variety protection Cert. «8000154 and Canadian License «2391. BUSINESS SENSE ÎWÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊË Perfecting your employee evaluations Every employee is inter-ested in how he/she is performing. The formal evaluation is one way of giving them this information. The formal evaluation is useful to both employer and employee. It is done in writing and kept on file for future re-
view. The evaluation process doesn't start with an evalua-
tion formŠit starts with an understanding of the job posi-
tion. If you can't explain the 
position, you can't evaluate it. The first item on the eval-uation form is the job descrip-
tion. Job descriptions vary considerably in detail. As companies mature, job descriptions tend to become more detailed. But in the be-ginning, you should concen-trate on making the job description as clear and con-cise as possible. It should include the back-ground needed for the job, the particular skills needed for the job, the tasks/functions of the 
job, the responsibilities of the job, and the reporting lines the employee will follow. Descriptions of the tasks/ functions and the re-
sponsibilities are important parts of the evaluation. Too often, small companies ignore these descriptions. The evaluation form also lists areas to be discussed be-tween employer and employee. These areas vary according to the employer's needs. For example, in some orga-nizations it is very important to have good relations between 
employees. In others, it isn't as important. The manager chooses the areas to be discussed based on 
the organization's interests. The owner/operator states to 
the employee what is impor-
tant in his/her particular orga-nization. The employee is then told that something in his/her work habits is going to be 
watched. Take for example the way in which employees treat cus-tomers. Everyone would agree that it is important for employees About the Author Rudd McGary, Ph.D., is a consultant with All Green Management Associates, Columbus, Ohio. to treat customers well, yet very few companies evaluate how well employees do it. This happens for a very simple rea-son. Most companies can't put into writing, or describe ver-bally, what "treating custom-ers well," means. There is no one correct ex-planation of the phrase, "treat customers well," just as there is no one correct explanation of the phrase, "handles chemi-cals safely." There have to be defini-tions for these phrases, and if you want to evaluate these areas, you must be willing to 
explain what is expected in a simple manner. Once you have defined the different areas to be evaluated, 
you should consider the way in which you are going to evalu-ate. A suggested way is a scale rather than simple "yes" or "no" responses. This means that instead of listing "treats customer well" and checking 
off yes or no, you give a rating of one to 10. When using such a scale, some explanation is needed. After an employee has been evaluated, make sure you have suggestions for improvement. It is very poor management to 
make negative comments or 
give a negative rating without providing suggestions for im-
provement. One technique which works well is sometimes called the "sandwich" technique. If you have areas in which your eval-uation is negative, you can sandwich in positive com-ments about other areas of an employee's performance. Give LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1989 WÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊËWÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊtÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊtÊÊË a positive, go to the negative, and then give a positive. This makes the evaluation process more comfortable. When should the evalua-tion be done? Most companies do formal interviews once a year. Remember that you are giving feedback on perfor-mance almost every day and that the formal evaluation is a 
continuation of the process. It is useful to conduct the performance review close to the actual performance of du-
ties. It does little good to evalu-ate peformance of duties three months after the fact. The employee evaluation These we waste. Introducing CHIPCCT SEVIN * brand SLcarbaryl insecticide, the only grub control material available to professional lawn care operators that is effective, economical, and environment-ally sound. CHIPCO SEVIN * brand SL provides consistent and effective grub control. At a cost no greater -and usu-ally less- than anything else on the market. Plus you get the peace of mind that comes with knowing CHIPG) SEVINK brand SL is al-so widely used for the control of mites, ticks, and fleas on poultry, pets, and game birds. So it's ideal for use on lawns, parks, golf courses, or any ©1988 Rhône Frxilenc Ag Company, 2 T.W. Alexander Drive. Research Triangle Piirk, NC 27709. CHIPCO\ SEVINR and RONSTAR * are registered trademarks of Rhône Poulenc. As with any crop protection chemical, always read and follow instructions on the label. m MAINTENANCE METHODS should fit your company, not the calendar on your wall. The employee evaluation needs to be understood as a part of total management re-sponsibilities. While com-panies in the green industries have a tendency to evaluate performance on an informal basis, this won't work on a long-term basis. Employees want to know how they're doing, and they want to know on a regular basis. They want concrete ideas about the areas that the company considers important so they can work on those par-ticular areas. An evaluation program meets these concerns. LCI Cost and price analysis by hours worked Landscape maintenance 
estimating is the skill of 
accurately projecting the cost of a series of activities 
prior to their performance. In "Estimating Landscape Maintenance Costs", parts I and II, we developed the formula (shown in figure A) for converting quantities to hours required per year (shown in column 5). To calculate the total price for performing the mainte-
nance services, we multiply hours required per year by an hourly sales price. To determine this sale price we must analyze all of our costs, overhead and profit by the hour. Pricing services by the hour, or time-based pricing, is most often used in the service 
industries where service is the product. The absence of a tan-gible product eliminates the basis for a uniform pricing structure. Our product is manufac-tured, delivered and consumed 
while we are on the property. There is no inventory remain-ing. The delivery of landscape maintenance services is peo-ple-intensive, and people work by the hour. By structuring all 
other costs, including over-head and profit, to be calcu-
lated by the hour, we can 
simulate the actual cost flow. Unit prices and lump sum prices often evolve from time-based pricing. Example: Your attorney may charge a set fee, or unit price, for the legal work required to form a small corpo-
ration. He or she calculated the unit price from their expe-rience with time-based pricing These we dorit. area frequently used by people and animals. And with CHIPCO * SEVIN® brand SL, you not only get ef-fective control of the white grub complex, but 27other turf pests, 
as well. Including tough ones like chinch bugs, billbugs, army-worms, and sod web worms. Ask your chemicals supplier for CHIPCO * SEVIN * brand SL carbaryl insecticide. CHIPCOK SEVIN ® brand SL is a product of the CHIPCOK line that includes CHIPCO* brand 26019 fungicide and CHIPCO RONSTAR* brand 2Gpre-emergent 
herbicide. ft RHÔNE-POULENC AG COMPANY because they could accurately project the hours required to form the small corporation. Look at figure B, Price Analysis by the Hour. This is a hypothetical example of the 
revenues and costs associated with a two-person mainte-nance crew. The example is an oversimplification of a very complex issue. It is given only 
to illustrate the theory of cost flow by the hour. Cost analysis by the hour must focus on the individual crew or work unit. One unit 
consists of the people, equip-ment and overhead support re-quired to deliver the services to the customer's property. The work unit is a mobile, self-contained, service deliv-ery unit that generates reve-nue and incurs costs con-tinuously as time passes each 
day. The good news is that the value of these services is set by a relatively low industry stan-dard. Work that delivers the services efficiently can sub-
stantially increase profits. The time-base in the exam-ple is 1,760 projected billing hours per year. The crew chief is full-time (2,080 hours per year), and his or her off-mow-ing season activities generate a cushion to counter-balance any shortfall in billing hours 
accumulated during the sea-son. Material is not included in cost analysis by the hour be-
cause it is not necessarily 
time-related. Material is cal-culated separately with the ap-propriate markups, and is added to the total. The hourly sale price may vary from line to line on the 
estimating form, reflecting cost and crew differences. The formula in figure A uses $20 per hour for travel time be-cause all of the equipment is not in use during travel. You 
may elect to reduce hourly sales prices for activities such 
as pruning because they re-About the Author Philip D. Christian III is a business consultant based in Alpharetta, Ga. He was chief of ChemLawn Services Corp.'s maintenance division in the 
1970s. quire less equipment, or in some cases, separate crews. Pricing services by the hour is a flexible and fast method of quoting prices to prospective customers. Any activity that can be reduced to time and material can be accurately es-timated. If the activity is not time-related, or if the time cannot be accurately projected, you may quote the customer on a "time plus material" basis. Unusual, one-time, extra work activities, such as landscape repair, may be easily and fairly priced to the customer using this method. Figure C is an example of an annual equipment cost spread sheet. Column 10 is the total equipment cost for one two-
person work unit for the year. All of the columns on the an-nual equipment cost 
spreadsheet may be changed to fit your company's geo-graphic area, purchasing power, equipment selection and equipment maintenance procedures. The columns would also change as the size 
of the crew gets smaller or larger than the two-person crew shown in the example. The overhead shown in the example is the cost of the sup-
port system for one work unit. This cost was calculated from 
a model company set up to manage five work units. The overhead total per work unit 
also includes the sales com-mission or direct cost of sales associated wih acquiring the 
work. The profit is also calculated from the five-work unit model company, and it reflects a fair return on investment. The growth of landscape maintenance service in the next few years is a solid trend in the industry. Meeting that growth and profit opportunity 
will require that we accurately 
estimate. LCI MAINTENANCE METHODS COST A PRICE ANALYSIS BY THE HOUR (figuri» A) MAINTENANCE LABOR ESTIMATING FORM 1 2 QUANTITIES FACTOR ESTIMATOR :_ 3 A 5 6 7 HOURS FREQUENCY HOURS HOURLY S/YEAR PRICE TURF: LARGE MOWER: 250.000SF 7 30.000SF/HR Ł 8.33HRS x 20FREQ - I67HRS x 25/MH Ł A175 TRAVEL: 2 HRS x 20FREQ - AOHRS x 2c/jUt - 800^ Figure B: PRICE ANALYSIS BY THE HOUR FOR A TWO PERSON CREW ! 2 3 4 DESCRIPTION HR/YR PRICE/HR ANNUAL PRICE PERCENT LABOR: GREW CHIEF CREW MEMBER FULL TIME 1 .760 12.71 6 . 24 22,377.00 10,982.00 SUBTOTAL: 1,760 18.95 33,352.00 381 EQUIPMENT: 1,760 8.22 14,467.00 161 OVERHEAD: 1,760 12.83 22,581.00 261 PROFIT: 1 ,760 10.00 17,600.00 201 TOTAL 1,760 50.00 88,000.00 100% NOTE: THE HOUR HOUR MAN-HOUR SALE ($50.00), BY PRICE IS CALCULATED BY DIVIDING THE CREW PRICE PER THE 2 PEOPLE ON THE CREN EQUALINC $25.00 PER-MAN Figure C Annual Equipment Cost 1 _2_ J_ _4_ _5_ _6_ J_ 8 9 
10 11 Description: Size Type Capital Usable Life Capital Operation Total Est. Annual Expected Cost in Hrs Cost Cost Cost Hrs Use Cost Life in Per Hour Per Hr Per Hr. Per Year Years Push Mower 21" Rotary 420 1,200 0.35 0.93 1.28 600 768 2.00 2 Cycle Front Deck 36" Rotary 2,600 2,500 1.04 1.20 2.24 750 1,680 3.33 Walk Behind 4 Cycle 1,680 Riding Mower 60" Rotary 6,000 3,000 2.00 2.50 4.50 750 3,375 4.00 Riding Mower Hydrostatic Drive Backpack Commercial 2
 Cycle 350 800 0.44 1.12 1.56 400 623 2.00 Blower Model 2 Cycle Nylon Cord Commercial 2
 Cycle 325 300 1.08 1.50 2.58 300 775 1.00 Trimmer Model 2 Cycle Edger Commercial 4 Cycle 380 500 0.76 1.82 2.58 300 774 1.67 Edger Model 4 Cycle Equipment 8" X 16" Open 2,600 4,800 0.54 0.21 0.75 1,200 902 4.00 Trailer w/Brakes Truck 3/4 Ton Pickup 10,000 2,000 5 6.12 11.12 500 5,560 4.00 14,457 Illinois ponders posting SPRINGFIELD, ILL.ŠIllinois lawmakers are considering a 
sign posting bill that would eventually require tank-wash-ing water to be recycled. The bill would require sign posting, pre-notification for those who request it, and by 1991 cleaning water would have to be routed through a collection system. The proposal entails doing "basically what we've been do-ing now," says Robert F. Par-
mley, general manager of the Chicago region at Barefoot Grass Lawn Service, Inc. "I'm not sure how many (LCOs) are aware of it," notes Parmley, who adds that indus-try representatives had a hand in preparing the legislation. "We know that we are fac-ing posting," reports Patricia 
Cassady, executive director of the Illinois Landscape Con-tractors Association. "We're not endorsing it; we're not 
necessarily fighting it." Cassady says that the bill, as written, creates confusion 
over some of the requirements. "Are you going to have to post when you use a squirt of Roundup? I think we have to be a little more realistic. We're 
trying to address that now." Cassady says the measure is more appealing than previous proposals. Posting will require extra work and expense, she says, adding, though, that "we rec-ognize the concern out there. We're citizens, too." William J. Davids, vice president of Clarence Davids & Sons, Inc. in Blue Island, 
says he has little problem with the bill. LCI ON SALE NOW AT PARTICIPATING TECUMSEH fAUTHORIZED SERVICE DEALERS ORTH AMERICAN SPECIAL REPLACEMENT ENGINES FOR RIDING MOWERS AND LAWN TRACTORS MODEL 810700B 10 H.P. Oil Pump Lubrication Electronic ignition Cast iron Cylinder Sleeve 3 Ot. Rust Proof Fuel Tank $375" & FACTORY FREIGHT SEE YOUR PARTICIPATING TECUMSEH AUTHORIZED SERVICE DEALER TECUMSEH PRODUCTS COMPANY LISTED IN THE YELLOW PAGES UNDER "ENGINES, GASOLINE" IN YOUR LOCAL PHONE DIRECTORY ENGINE & TRANSMISSION GROUP SERVICE DIVISION Circle No. 122 on Reader Inquiry Card 0% FINANCING % Install the #1 software for the lawn and tree care industry by September 29, 1989 and receive a 2-year INTEREST FREE loan. $895 down, $208.50 per month gets you a complete system: computer, printer and Lawn Assistant software! Software only terms also available. REAL GREEN COMPUTERS 3130 Crumb Rd. Walled Lake, Ml 48088 (800) 422-7478 Inside Michigan call (313) 669-1118 Circle No. 120 on Reader Inquiry Card WWN GIRE INDUSTRY Serving commercial mowing and chemical lawn care professionals LITERATURE ROUND-UP Improve turf looks. Learn how to prevent unsightly broadleaf weeds and reduce costly callbacks with the advanced new chemistry of preemergence Gallery.Ž Elanco Products Company A Division of Eli Lilly and Company Dept. EM-455 Indianapolis, IN 46285 1-800-352-6776 Circle No. 166 on Reader Inquiry Card Improve turf health. Free guide describes how you can control 14 major turf diseases and three ornamental diseases with one product Š Rubigan®. Elanco Products Company A Division of Eli Lilly and Company Lilly Corporate Center, Dept. EM-455 Indianapolis, IN 46285 1-800-352-6776 Circle No. 164 on Reader Inquiry Card AM wmtoovcnoM TO Cutless Improve floral beauty. See how to prevent over 50 unsightly weeds in ornamentals with Surflan® or XL®. 
Gentle enough to spray over the top. Elanco Products Company A Division of Eli Lilly and Company Lilly Corporate Center, Dept. EM-455 Indianapolis, IN 46285 1-800-352-6776 Circle No. 163 on Reader Inquiry Card Improve turf quality. Find out how to make turf denser and darker green with less mowing and watering with Cutless® turf growth regulator. Elanco Products Company A Division of Eli Lilly and Company Lilly Corporate Center, Dept. EM-455 Indianapolis, IN 46285 l-800-352-6776 PanaSea Liquified Sea Plant Extract Ł builds bigger, stronger root systems. Ł increases turf tolerance to a wide variety of stresses. Sand-Aid Granular Sea Plant Meal Ł reduces nutrient leaching and water losses. Ł improves soil fertility. Emerald Isle, Ltd. 2153 Newport Road 
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103 U.S.A. (313)662-2727 Circle No. 167 on Reader Inquiry Card Feldmann offers a complete line of equipment, is easy to use. Walk behind includes core plug, scarifer/ sheer or tiller tine variations with 
three engine options. Pull behind core plug aerator is available in 32" or 48" width, with option to gang three units together. Gasoline powered portable earth augers are available in 2 ", 4", 6", 8", and 12" diameter. Call 800-344-0712. Feldmann Eng. & Mfg. Co., Inc. 520 Forest Avenue Sheboygan Falls, WI 53085-0908 414-467-6167 FAX 414-467-6169 Circle No. 166 on Reader Inquiry Card Hannay Reels has released a spray hose reel catalog for their customers and dealers. It describes hose and 
cable reels for a variety of applications; washdown, grounds and vehicle maintenance, pest control, 
steam cleaning, lawn care service, tree 
spraying, spray painting, and general maintenance. Hannay Reels 600 East Main Street Westerlo, NY 12193-0076 518/797-3791. Circle No. 169 on Reader Inquiry Card Woods Mow'n Machine features 
include 5 tractor models from 12 hp to 
21 hp gas plus 16.5 diesel. Mower decks available in 44", 52", 61" and 72" widths. Plus hydro-transaxle direct drive, finger tip control, "zero" turn maneuverability and much, much more. Woods Division of Hesston Corp. Highway 2, South, PO Box 1000 Oregon, IL 61061 (815) 732-2141; Telex: 279 970 Circle No. 170 on Reader Inquiry Card Howard Price Turf Equipment offers two models of walk behind mowers, WB36K has a 36" deck and WB48K a 48" deck, both powered by a Kawasaki 12.5 HP air-cooled engine. Standard features include all steel spindle with l-'/C blade shaft, 
removable deck covers, double wide drive belts, five-speed, and a user-friendly dash. A6+ bushel grass catcher is available. Howard Price Turf Equipment 18155 Edison Ave. Chesterfield, MO 63005 (314) 532-7000 Fax: (314) 532-0201 Circle No. 171 on Reader Inquiry Card You Can Turn Problems Into Profits. 
Aquatrols offers water management chemicalsŠAquaGro soil wetting agents, SuperSorb water absorbants 
and FoliCote transpiration minimizer to aid the lawn care professional. 
SuperSorb and FoliCote help you 
establish quality turf and trees. Call us Toll Free for the Sports Turf/Lawn Care User's Guide. Aquatrols 1432 Union Avenue Pennsauken, NJ 08110 (800) 257-7797 In NJ, (609) 665-1130 FAX: (609) 665-0875 Circle No. 160 on Reader Inquiry Card .Ben/Meadows Grounds Management ; Catalog B Horticultor* Arboricultor« A Tro* I .WMilWlM I I . UM C«* A f OlHCwW MWÊffl Products aplenty for grounds management!ŠCatalog L20 has hundreds of items for lawn 
maintenance professionals. Products 
featured include: flagging, stake flags, erosion control products, hand-held and pole pruners, shovels, rakes, sprayers, herbicides, respirators, tree climbing equipment, ropes, and much Ben Meadows Company 3589 Broad Street Atlanta, GA 30341 (404)455-0907 Circle No. 161 on Reader Inquiry Card DOGGETT Six different fertilizers for trees. All contain a good balance of slow & fast release nitrogen and all contain iron, copper, manganese, & zinc. These products were designed for hydraulic 
injection into the soil, in the root zone. The Dogget Corporation 30 Cherry St. Lebanon, NJ 08833 (201) 236-6335 Fax (201) 236-7716 Maruyama - M15P Manual Backpack Sprayer.This 4 gallon sprayer is compact and lightweight. Polyethylene tank has a large diameter fill lid with filter basket. Gear driven pump features a uniflow piston design. Locking trigger valve permits easy intermittent or continuous spraying. All purpose dual head nozzle produces fine to medium mist. Maruyama U.S., Inc. 15436N.E. 95th St. Redmond. WA 98052 (206)885-0811 Circle No. 172 on Reader Inquiry Card Mobay offers a series of comprehensive brochures on disease and insect management for turf and ornamentals. Identification and prevention of specific problems such as mole crickets and nematodes are addressed in each, along with treatment options using 
recommended Mobay products. Mobay Corporation Specialty Products Group PO Box 4913 Kansas City, MO 64120 816/242-2333 Circle No. 173 on Reader Inquiry Card As a service to the industry, NOR-AM has developed this handy Field Guide to Effective Turf Management. This guide provides the professional with references and application schedules 
to anticipate and prevent seasonal problems from insects, weeds and diseases. NOR-AM Chemical Company 3509 Silverside Road, P.O. Box 7495 Wilmington, DE 19803 (302) 575-2000 Fax 302-575-2013 Circle No. 174 on Reader Inquiry Card A COMPLETE LINE OF TURFGRASSES FOR PROFESSIONAL USE Northrup King Turf Research has invested years of testing to develop a line of grass seed mixtures and blends designed to fit specific management 
and environmental requirements. All 
are carefully formulated to fit your turf renovation needs. Northrup King Co. Medalist Turf Products PO Box 959 Minneapolis, MN 55440 Circle No. 175 on Reader Inquiry Card ^ A;r*tiV Iüwn Cushman offers three new brochures that provide comprehensive information on the why's and 
wherefore's of lawn overseeding, aeration, thatch & compaction. Each brochure details when to perform these lawn maintenance services and 
suggests choices for grass types. Cushman key #6503 P.O. Box 82409 Lincoln NE 68501 Circle No. 176 on Reader Inquiry Card Orion bill' C EINE s This six-page color brochure tells "the inside story" about Onan's 16-24 horsepower "performer" engine line. It features component photos together with detailed descriptions of features 
and benefits. A specifications table and list of standard and optional features is also included. Onan Corporation 1400 73rd Ave. N.E. Minneapolis, MN 55432 (612) 574-5000 Circle No. 177 on Reader Inquiry Card Rohm and Haas Company offers a broad line of agricultural chemicals to the turf and landscape industry. DITHANE® and FORE® fungicides provide broad spectrum disease control, including algae. KERB® herbicide is effective on Poa Annua. Order our label manual for full details: Rohm and Haas Company Marketing Services Department Independence Mall West Philadelphia, Pa. 19105 Circle No. 179 on Reader Inquiry Card Perfco Corporation not only offers the finest 4-color brochures for Lawn Care & Landscaping, they also offer posting signs. Both generic and customized signs are available for a very 
reasonable price including an 18" plastic stake. Call Perfco at 1-800-543-0900 or OHIO 1-513-845-3897 for FREE samples. Perfco Corporation 
85 Quick Road New Carlisle, Ohio 45344 513-845-3897 A Natural Organic Fertilizer; Non-Toxic, Non-Burning, Environmentally Safe. Provides quick green-up, plus longlasting slow nutrient release. Extensively tested by Universities of Michigan State, Wisconsin and private institutions. SUSTANE is a Certified Organic Product. Sustane Corporation 1107 Hazeltine Blvd. Chaska, MN 55318 
(612)448-8828 Circle No. 182 on Reader Inquiry Card ROOTSŽ Root Growth Enhancer A natural biostimulant for sustainable lawn care. ROOTSŽ liquid concentrate stimulates root growth without pushing top growth. Increases the uptake of water and fertilizer. Less nitrogen is required & fewer stress 
problems occur. Grass is more resistant to heat, drought, and wear. ROOTS inc. 
New Haven CT (203)786-5295 Circle No. 181 on Reader Inquiry Card Seed Research of Oregon offers a complete line of improved, top quality, low maintenance turfgrasses. Many of their varieties have high levels of endophytes for improved stress tolerance and insect resistance. These products are available through 
their network of distributors. Seed Research of Oregon, Inc. P.O. Box 1416 Corvallis, OR 97339 (503) 757-2663 FAX: (503) 758-5305 Circle No. 180 on Reader Inquiry Card New Pipe-Piper Boring Unit has been added to Turfco's Pipe-Pi per line of vibratory plows. The Boring Unit makes fast work of horizontal drilling 
under sidewalks and driveways. The tunnel is accurate to approximately 
twenty-five feet. Turfco Mfg., Inc. Mr. George Kinkead 3456 Washington Ave. N. Minneapolis, MN 55412 Circle No. 183 on Reader Inquiry Card Commercial Turf Troa and Specialty Products Manual THE SOURCE Professional Turf Care Products; herbicides, fungicides, fertilizers, insecticides, irons, program consulting. UAP Special Products P.O. Box 1467 Fremont, NE 68025 (800) 642-TURF; (800) 228-0096; 
(402) 727-8689 Circle No. 184 on Reader Inquiry Card 7«¿T Saw Gi&otq^ TfU^ .«näi»*»« i WAlKEBf^MQW.ERS Walker offers a very compact, maneuverable rider mower for use by commercial operators. Unique features such as built-in grass collection system and direct (no 
chain) dual hydrostatic drive are targeted for the demands of commercial mowing. Available in 11 
or 16-HP models with 36, 42 or 54-inch front mounted mowing decks. Walker Manufacturing Company 1839 East Harmony Road Fort Collins, CO 80525 (303) 226-1514 Circle No. 185 on Reader Inquiry Card KANSAS from Page 1 cusing finger at their col-leagues and competitors, but privately, several companies were cited as being engaged in lowballing. Yet several of the alleged lowballers quote fees that are higher than the person mak-ing the accusations. One vocal turf manager maintains that a certain com-pany is lowballing. He charges $18.75 to mow a 7,500 square-foot yard. The alleged lowballer charges $34 for the 
same fictional property. A number of turf managers, even those who have been beaten by low bids, consider lowballing to be the same as offering a loss-leader. Whatever you call it, the quality of workŠand reputa-tionsŠis taking a beating in 
the process, says Reg Robertson, owner of Custom Lawn and Landscape, Inc. in Olathe, Kan. Competitors have made bids that are 30 percent lower 
than his, a situation that Robertson attributes to inex-perience more than intent. "It's an easy business to get into, and when you're starting out you need businessŠand you bid too low. You can al-ways have people who have it 
priced wrongŠpriced below their costs. You have to base your price on what your costs are. Because some business owners fail to see this fact, it makes it hard for the estab-lished firms to justify their higher rates to bargain-con-scious customers, Robertson 
says. "The guy who's under-priced is hurting himself; he can't do things right, and that reflects poorly on the entire in-dustry." Too many new companies "are starting up on a string" with no licenses and no insur-ance, says David S. Murphy, president of PLCAMA. Murphy, who owns Green Valley Co. in Shawnee Mis-
sion, Kan., recounts coming across a two-man crew spray-ing trees for $15 a house. They were clad only in boots and shorts. Murphy telephoned the company's owner to discuss 
the situation in a friendly way, and the boss "didn't show any shame. He didn't seem to be too upset about it." In addition to being illegal, 4Some of the companies that are honestly making an effort to provide good services to their customers are getting pummeled about the head and shoulders.9ŠTuggle what the tree sprayers were 
doing was a health hazard, Murphy says. "Is that The American Way? I don't think so. He's undercutting me and I'm upset about it." That's right, says Dan Tug-gle, ecological specialist/in-
vestigator for the Kansas State Board of Agriculture. "Some of the companies that are honestly making an effort 
to provide good services to 
their customers are getting 
pummeled about the head and shoulders." Kansas City's metro 
area, which encom-passes two states, lends itself to an influx of unlicensed operators, Tuggle points out. "The population is heavier on one side of the line (Mis-souri), and the money is heav-ier on one side of the line (Kansas)," he says, noting that this invites unlicensed Missouri contractors to prac-tice business illegally in Kan-sas. Operators can offer bargain rates through "volume pur-chasing (of materials) or con-
trol of overhead by legitimate 
or other means," he says. Tuggle comes across some of these "other means" when he inspects the trucks of LCOs who have monkeyed around 
with the product. "Sometimes 
they do show that the tank mix is not what it should be." The industry needs to step up efforts to police itself by turning in more business 
owners who are failing to fol-low the regulations, Tuggle be-
lieves. Mowing fees in the Kansas City area are estimated to range between $18 and $28 an hour. A chemical application for a 7,500 square-foot yard costs about $36 to $55. Of course, the prices can vary widely. The hottest competition is for commercial accounts of 
20,000 square feet and up, re-ports Robertson at Custom Lawn and Landscape. Schelhammer of Grass-Roots fears that Kansas City may be faced with a situation like St. Louis, which Sche-
lhammer says had a price war about a decade ago. He says 
the professionalism of the 
work suffered during that 
time. "Mowing prices are at an all-time low," he laments. "Your quality has got to go down." He tells of one commercial property that he mowed for $95. The property manager asked him if he could beat a 
competitor's bid of $45. "I told him, 'Sure, I'll match it if I only cut half of the property.'" He adds, "That's below what a high school student 
would charge." With commercial accounts, Schelhammer says, a property manager may become sus-picious of a firm that charges too little. Schelhammer tells of an ac-count he retained despite a shockingly low bid from a competitor. The property manager said that "common sense dictates that it cannot be done prop-erly at that price." Bryan Shelton, president of Shelton & Son, Inc. in Kansas City, Mo., has been up against bids that were as low as half of what he charges. He feels that will take its toll on his competitors. "They don't find out until a year or two down the road. They find out later that this doesn't work so goodŠbut in 
the meantime we've lost ac-
counts from them," Shelton Keller: Don't worry about it. says. "Those who are undercut-ting their prices probably 
don't intend to stay in busi-ness," says Murphy at PLCAMA. H ow concerned should Kansas City turf mana-gers be about too-low Sales Managers and Sales Representatives Tru Green Corporation, America's fastest growing grounds care service company is seeking to fill the positions of Commercial Sales Representatives and Commercial Sales Managers in several major market areas. SALES REPRESENTATIVE A college degree is preferred with a minimum of 2 to 3 years of solid sales and marketing experience. Service or grounds care industry background is a plus and must be able to substantiate a consistent track record of success in sales goal achievements. The successful candidate must possess excellent communication and field organizational skills and be able to work in a team building environment. DISTRICT SALES MANAGER A college degree is required and must have 2 to 3 years of management ex-perience in supervising field sales personnel. Grounds care or service in-dustry background is a plus and must be able to substantiate a consistent track record of success in profit and sales goal achievement. Responsibilities for this key management position encompass sales train-ing and motivation, profit and loss, marketing, and operations team building. This position offers a competitive base salary and the opportunity to par-ticipate in a performance based incentive plan. A comprehensive benefits package is also offered. Please send resume and salary requirements to: Mr. William C. Johnson, Director of Sales Tru Green Corporation 1111 Alderman Drive I Bldg. 200, Suite 2751 Alpharetta, GA 30201 1 TRU CREEN Circle No. 127 on Reader Inquiry Card Why play host to unwanted guests, when Lebanon has what it takes to keep pests off your turf? Your lush green turf is plenty of good eating to all kinds of insects. Like grubs. Chinch bugs. Sod webworms. And billbugs. That's why Lebanon features an out-standing choice of formulations with DURSBAN, straight or in fertilizer/ chemical combinations. DURSBAN con-trols almost any kind of surface or soil-feeding insect, and keeps controlling 
weeks after you apply. It's also effective 
as a perimeter treatment around build-ings and patios, to stop nuisance pests like ants, ticks, earwigs and fleas. Feed and control in one easy move. Save time and money with Lebanon combination fertilizers and DURSBAN. If you want the long-range benefits of a premium homo-
geneous fertilizer, use Country Club I9-4-6 With DURSBAN. Or if you prefer the controlled-feeding of an S.C.U. blend, choose Lebanon Pro 20-3-5 With 
DURSBAN. For situations that require a straight chemical application, Lebanon offers a 2.32% DURSBAN formulation on a 
granular cob base. For more information, contact your local Lebanon distributor or call our Green line, today, at 1-800-233-0628. Send pests the messageŠthe picnic is over with DURSBAN. Circle No. 111 on Reader Inquiry Card non TOTAL TURF CARE A division of Lebanon Chemical Corporation P.O. Box 180 Ł Lebanon, PA 17042 'Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company pricing? Some believe that fees should be set in accor-dance with the overheadŠnot the competition. "You can't let that stuff bother youŠit'll drive you 
nutty," says Don Keller, owner of Keller Tree and Shrub Care in Independence, Mo. He adds that "I no longer shop my competitors. There's a lot of people working for less. There's a lot of people working for more. I have to base my charges on my costs." Keller says he runs into people all the time who plead, "I'm a widow, can you cut my 
lawn for $10 or $15?" For that kind of money Kel-ler says he can't afford to drive his truck to the property, yet "there are people out there who are going to cut it for that. 
There are people out there who continue to keep their 
costs lower than I do. Who am I to say they're wrong?" Charges made by Keller's colleagues regarding large firms that charge too little for certain jobs do not disturb Keller. "I don't call that a lowball. I call that a loss-leader." Keller is no stranger to bid-ding wars. On one job he bid $56, and "someone wanted to 
do it for $31Š1 don't know 
what they're offering for $31, and I imagine the customer doesn't either." Still, companies will use that technique to get a foothold in the market with the hope of raising prices later, and Keller views that as an ac-
ceptable, if risky, business tac-
tic. "That's the free enterprise system. When the free enter-prise system is biting you on the butt you don't like it," Kel-ler comments. After a 20-year absence, The Davey Tree Ex-pert Co. has estab-lished a branch in Kansas City. Geoff Cowan, the district manager, says the company 
studied the local marketplace for six years before making the move. "We've already tripled (the business) in just two years," Cowan reports. "Some of the small people will think we're undercharg-ing," he says. The company gets about $23 an hour for the mowing services it offers. Cowan admits, though, that bargains can be had by 
people seeking tree care. "I'm definitely below the average," he says, noting that fees are set according to the job at hand. Selling tree care in Kansas City is difficult, Cowan says, hence the lower prices. "Last year it was hard to break into the market with trees," he recalls. "People here aren't very tree concious," Cowan ob-serves. "They're worried about in-sects (on the trees) and that's 
about all." The demand is small for specialized care. "There's not 
a lot of varieties to play with," he explains. Cowan is not concerned about companies undercharg-ing Davey. "It doesn't bother me. You're always going to have these Mom and Pop oper-
atorsŠ and they're always going to be cheaper." LCI ACCLAIM: Because your turf is always on display. Here's the only multi-purpose spreader you'll ever need! Warren's® Professional Model T-7n is built to outperform and outlast any broadcast spreader in the business. Ł 33% larger hopper capacity holds up to 20 lbs of material. Weighs less than 6 lbs (empty). Ł Virtually indestructible Š base and canister are hi-impact poly-ethylene. All interior exposed metal parts are tough stainless steel to fight corrosion. Ł Enclosed and protected gear case and drive shaft assure trouble-free operation. Ł Easy to operate. Precision flow-rate control is always in full view so it can be adjusted during operation. Ł Gives you more precise distri-bution ...goes anywhere a 
person can walk. Ł More versatile Š spread seed, pesticides and fertilizers in 'paths'up to 20 feet wide. Contactyour Warren'sT-7n dealer or phone 1-800-828-8873 toll free for more information. warren'sr TURF PROFESSIONALS Seed & Special Products Division P.O. Box 459 Suisun City, CA 94585 Phone:1-800 828-TURF (8873) FAX: 1-707 428-3932. Corporate Office: Crystal Lake, IL 60014 Circle No. 106 on Reader Inquiry Card Circle No. 128 on Reader Inquiry Card Safe, effective crabgrass control« Here is what lawn care professionals need for controlling crabgrass. Here is Acclaim® 1EC Herbicide-a rescue treatment that is truly effective, yet easy on turf. Unlike the old arsenates, Acclaim is effective with just one treatment. Acclaim won't harm turf, and it can even be applied to new or reseeded turf. ; Be ready for rescues anytime« The best time to be ready for rescue treatments is early, beginning within 2 weeks of July 4th,-but Acclaim controls emerged crabgrass up to 5 tillers anytime. So you should plan ahead by putting Acclaim on your trucks. That way you can take care of little crabgrass problems along borders and sidewalks before your 
customers even see them. And you'll keep them happy without complaints or costly callbacks. Read and follow label directions carefully Horrh^f Drl Acdaim is a reftisu-n'd trademark of Hoechst Celanese (Virporatior 1 * The name and logo HOBCHST are registered trademarks at Hoechst AG n^. JL The name and logo ROI SSEL are registered trademarks of Rnussd Uclaf S A hOUSSBI ^ Introducing the new Ryan Lawnaire® 28. The revolutionary Lawnaire 28 combines the technology and preci-sion of golf course aeration with the demands of lawn maintenance. Its reciprocating, crank mounted tine arms feature a vertical coring ac-tion similar to larger Ryan aera-tors. Tines penetrate straight in to a depth of 2V2 inches, and come straight out. The results are a more 
professional-looking job, better root development, greener lawns, and 
more satisfied customers. Ryan brings quality aeration from golf greens to green lawns. Make more money by the yard. Because time is money, the Lawnaire 28 is designed to cover big jobs quickly Š up to 24,000 sq. ft. per hour. But because not every job is big, it's also compact and maneuverable. Just 34 inches wide, the Lawnaire 28 easily fits through yard gates. The unique tricycle front wheel gives the unit a zero turning radius while aerating! Even the tightest spots are no 
problem. And because it's a Ryan, you can rest assured that the Lawnaire 28 will keep you on the job and out of the repair shop for years to come. Check out Ryan's reliability in your own backyard. Contact your Ryan dealer and ask for a free demonstration today. Or call toll free: 1-800-228-4444. RYAN BUILT TO LAST A CU8HMAN Product: Group 6506 Ryan, P.O. Box 82409, Lincoln, NE 68501 © Outboard Marine Corporation, 1988. All rights reserved. 'It's our responsibiity as one of the industry leaders to find solutions to any valid concerns these people may have.9 SLOCUM from Page 1 acquisitions in the 1970s. Tru Green, with approxi-mately $100 million in reve-nues gained largely through acquisition, naturally invites 
comparisons with ChemLawn Services Corp., the industry 
leader. Ł Both were acquired by a larger company in 1987 and saw major management over-hauls in 1988. Ł Both have identified bet-ter customer service as a major 
challenge facing the industry. Ł Both see non-chemical al-ternatives as paramount to the industry's future and are ac-tively researching these alter-natives. Then there are differences: Ł Application re-sponsibilities are largely de-termined at the district level for Tru Green service techni-cians. Ł Tru Green does not yet have nationwide name recog-nition. Ł Waste Management brings to Tru Green a working relationship with some envi-ronmentalist organizations. Four months into his new job in April, Slocum gave an exclusive interview with LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. Following are excerpts. Ł How do the environ-mentalist pressures facing the lawn care industry compare with those you experienced in the waste disposal business? They're similar. Any indus-try that has environmental as-
pects to it is going to have outside groups trying to pull 
coals. We're not going to get into a press debate over these things (environmental issues). It's our responsibility as one of the industry leaders to find solutions to any valid con-cerns these people may have. We've worked with them in 
the pastŠwe're not fighting them all the time. Waste Management had a joint recycling project with the Sierra Club and conservation groups. Our philosophy is to 
try to work with these groups. We intend to develop good, sound, environmentally solid policies and procedures in all our operations. In time, we hope to be able to forego the use of chemicals in a lot of our 
operations. We'll just reduce the chemicals as much as pos-sible. Ł Are you presently re-searching non-chemical alternatives? We're working on biological insecticides. We also want to expand our use of sludges for fertilizer. There are also other projects that are in their in-fancy. Ł How extensive are your research facilities? We have Waste Manage-ment's corporate R & D in the Chicago area and then there's 
Tru Green's R & D in Fre-mont, Ind. The Tru Green lab has six full-time professional re-
searchers. The Waste Man-
agement lab is larger. It is involved in research relating to lawn care, solid waste, haz-
ardous waste and pest control. Our goal is to be an industry leader in research related to products that are less contro-
versial. But we feel the chemi-cals we use today are safe or we 
wouldn't use them. Ł How will the mergers affect the lawn care indus-
try, long-term? Consolidation is helping to fund new research and devel-opment, which ultimately will 
benefit the industry. That's 
what happened in solid waste disposal. I don't see Tru Green or ChemLawn gobbling every-body up. The small companies will benefit from the tech-nological improvements the big companies make. The solid waste disposal business was at this point (in 
terms of consolidation) in the late 1970s. Ł Tru Green has been at the forefront of acquisi-tion activity. Will the ac-
quisitions continue at the 
same pace as they have in the past? The tax changes that took effect in January have made it more difficult. Acquisition ac-tivity will slow down. Ł What sort of lawn care company do you look to ac-quire? We look at companies of all ages and sizes. If we have an 
existing operation in a given market, and another company 
can be incorporated into that operation, that makes for an attractive acquisition candi-
date. A big consideration in ac-quisitions is people. We want 
people with experience. Another consideration is market opportunity. Ł What sorts of changes do you make in a company after you acquire it? We don't change the man-agement. Every market is dif-ferent, so we leave operations and marketing up to the indi-vidual managers. They have a " A little maintenance goes a long way with Nassau Kentucky Bluegrass. Why is Nassau a low maintenance blue-grass? Because it re-quires less fertilizer to maintain a dark green color, has superior drought tolerance, pro-duces less thatch com-pared to other varieties while having excellent resistance to Fusar-1 ium blight, 13 LOFTS " INC. f ion mi brook, New \erseu 08805 1/800: S 20-1890 I 201:356-8700 leaf spot, red thread, pink snow mold, stem rust, and stripe smut This resistance de-creases the need for costly fungicide appli-
cations. Nassau is a hybrid variety (P-59 X Baron) 
developed by Dr. C. Reed Funk of Rutgers University Jacklîn Seed Company West 5300 \0(kiin Avenue Pc»f fulls. I tin ho 83854-9499 l/800 o35-872t> 1/208:773-7581 Circle No 109 on Reader Inquiry Card lot of autonomy. We offer the branch man-agement purchasing benefits, technical support, data pro-cessing, regulatory support 
and financial support. Ł What do you see as the major challenge facing the lawn care industry? I see two challenges: cus-tomer retention and employee stability. In the past, customer turn-over has been an acceptable part of the business, as much as 90 to 100 percent in one year. We would like to see it below 30 percent. In order to accomplish this, we need a more stable em-ployee base. Ł How will this be ac-complished? We need to treat the spe-cialists as professionals. We have to make them feel proud of their jobs and we must de-
velop incentive programs. I have been out meeting employees and asking for in-put, face to face. Ł Customer growth has levelled off, industry-
wide, in the last two years. 
Are there any new mar-
kets left? There is still a lot of new customer potential in all the markets. More and more peo-ple are going to look to us to 
provide them with environ-mentally sound programs. There's a tremendous future in lawn care. Lawn care is something people don't want to bother 
with (doing themselves). Reg-ulatory concerns will also be affecting the do-it-yourselfers more, too. Ł One geographic mar-ket the industry hasn't 
grown a lot in is the 
WestŠTru Green is not in that region. Do you see po-
tential there? We intend to be out west. We must establish a market-ing strategy. People there tend to want full (landscape maintenance) service. That's why a lot of the 
small, full-service companies 
are dominating that market. In the Northwest, the cus-tomers are more like they are in the other parts of the coun-try, but you don't have major population centers. Ł Speaking of full ser-vice, Tru Green is the only major lawn care firm that 
has acquired several mow-ing/management firms. Will these acquisitions continue? We will acquire those firms to support our lawn care oper-
ations, but I don't see them as 
a major acquisition leaning. Ł When Waste Manage-ment first bought Tru Green, officials said Waste 
offered Tru Green a ready 
supply of commercial cus-tomers. Has this "cross marketing" begun? No. I would assume that at some point in the future we would want to take advantage of that synergy that's avail-'Lawn care is something people don't want to bother with. Regulatory concerns will also be affecting the do-it-yourselfers more, too.9 able. However, we at Waste Management are still in the learning process with lawn care. Ł Tru Green is the only major lawn care firm that owns an equipment manu-facturer, Professional Tree & Turf Equipment. Will that operation be ex-panded? We don't intend to expand on it. We're not in the equip-ment manufacturing business, per se. Ł How good is Tru Green's public visibility at the present time? Right now, our name recog-nition is not that good. We in-tend to develop public relations efforts to make Tru 
Green a household word. LCI Investors buy Triazone PARSIPPANY, N.J.ŠTriazone Corp., manufacturer of liq-uid, slow-release lawn care fertilizers, and its parent 
company, Arcadian Corp. will be bought by private in-
vestors. The two companies will be bought by a newly-formed holding company, Fertilizer Industries, Inc. The sale is subject to shareholder approval. Sterling Group of Houston, Tex. and Unicorn Ventures Fund of Cranford, N.J. will both hold equity ownership in Fertilizer Industries. Investment amounts were not re-vealed. Arcadian and Triazone were previously owned by AAC Holdings, Inc., says Paul DeBartolo, Triazone president. Under the new arrangement, Triazone will be a subsidi-ary of Arcadian, says DeBartolo. He says the officers of both Triazone and Arcadian will remain the same. LCI Handle your grub situation fast, before things get really ugly. At the very first sign of grub damage, apply DYLOX® insecticide. Nothing kills all species of white grubs faster. Within hours, the grubs are dying and the turf is recovering. When grubs threaten, act fast. DYLOX is a Reg. TM of Bayer AG. Germany ©1989 Mobay Corp. 74541 Use DYLOX. And turn an ugly little problem into a lot of beautiful turf. For more information, contact Mobay Corporation, Specialty Prod-ucts Group, Box 4913, Kansas City, MO 64120. Dylox Mobay Corporation A Bayer USA INC COMPANY Bayer f^Ti OHIO from Page 1 pre-notified if they request. Safety cautions, as listed on the product's label, need to be issued to the customers. This can be done via an invoice left at the property after the appli-cation. "We supported the rule, as did the Sierra Club," reports Jim Betts, executive director of the Ohio Pesticide Ap-
plicators for Responsible Reg-ulation. OPARR officials took an active role in formulating the regulations. Betts, who previ-ously was a state legislator and 
candidate for governor, says Betts: A reasonable rule. OPARR testified at public hearings and met with state officials. The process has resulted in increased prestige and clout for the organization. "The de-partment (of agriculture) has accepted OPARR as a respon-sible spokesman for the indus-try," Betts adds. "It shows that the industry acts responsibly," says Lauren S. Lanphear, vice president of the Forest City Tree Protec-
tion Co. in South Euclid. Lan-
phear was OPARR's chair-man since its inception in 1985 until April of last year. He re-mains on the board of trustees. "I think we showed that we were willing to work with the legislative body," Lanphear notes. The green industry's visible stance helped ensure that rad-ical environmentalists did not cloud the judgment of state of-ficials, says Lanphear. "We wound up with a law that was ironed out through rational thinking," he points out. Lanphear is particularly pleased that the posting does not have an air of panic or fear about it. "It's a right-to-know issue, not a safety issue," he explains. "We feel that this is a rea-sonable rule and that the lawn 
care industry should support it," says Betts. An informal survey indi-cates that Ohio LCOs support OPARR's action. "I think it's a good law com-pared to some of the others that I've read about in New York," says Jeff Bisker, presi-
dent of Your Lawn, Inc. in Ashville. Increase the range and profit-ability of your lawn and garden care operations with Hannay Reels. Hannay hose reels enhance your spray equipment's mobility, while increasing the life of the hoses. And with our 
CR 16-14-16 portable 
cable reel, you can take the cable for power equipment with you easily and efficiently. Hannay makes over 2700 different reels, and if we don't 
already have one that's perfect for your needs, we can custom-
design one that is. So ask us for our free spray hose catalog, or get more information on our Model CR 16-14-16 cable reel. And see how much 
farther you can go with 
Hannay Reels. Hannay Reels 600 East Main Street Westerlo, New York 12193-0076 
Telephone 518-797-3791 For the name of your nearest 
Hannay Reels dealer, call toll-free 1-800-982-0030. Hannay Reels Made with reel pride in the USA. Keith Waller, president of Perfecturf, Inc. in Mentor, says the regulations will pro-mote "a more professional im-age for the industry and keep some of the non-professionals out." The Ohio Landscapers As-sociation supports the mea-
sure, says Tom Emmett, the president. "I've heard no com-
plaints. We knew this was coming. It seems like the re-sponsible thing to do." Smaller outfits will be com-pelled to comply with the vol-untary posting currently done 
by larger firms, Emmett 
points out. "I don't think they've asked us to do any-
thing that's out of the ordi-nary or hard to do." Emmett reports that al-ready he's been solicited by two companies who make the signs. "They're right on top of it." It took several years of nego-tiations between the indus-
try, the state and environ-mentalists to hammer out the regulations. The bill in its original form was acceptable to the industry, but the Sierra Club objected. State officials came up with another version, but that was 
turned down by both the in-dustry and the environ-mentalists. According to Lanphear, OPARR then suggested that the state start over with the 
original proposalŠsince at least one group, the industry, 
supported itŠand work from 
there. The Sierra Club nego-tiators favored posting real es-tate sign-sized warnings at several locations on the prop-erty, they wanted the signs to contain more detail and more fearsome warnings, and they wanted the signs to remain up for a longer period of time. Lanphear recalls that it soon became apparent to all 
the parties involved that the 
original less-restrictive pro-
posalŠwith some modifica-tionsŠwould be the one to get 
the nod from the legislators. "I think the Sierra Club re-alized that they could get ei-
ther some things or nothing at 
all," Lanphear observes. Lanphear adds that some of the more radical environ-mentalists in the Cleveland area were displeased with their negotiating team, but the Si-erra Club officials in Colum-bus (the state capital) had 
already given their word that the proposal would be accept-able as presented. "They 
agreed not to oppose it." However, the environ-mentalists who are unhappy with the compromise are get-ting a good amount of press in the Cleveland area. A number of articles have been written about the recent turn of 
events. Betts urges Ohio LCOs to do everything possible to co-operate with neighbors who 
wish to be notified. LCI RULINGS from Page 1 ment of Environmental Con-servation does not have the authority to make regulations 
that go beyond the scope of 
state law. However, in the second case, United States Court of Appeals Circuit Judge Irving R. Kaufman ruled that the state is allowed to make such laws regulating pesticide use 
notification, including the re-quiring of customer contracts. A coalition of industry groups unsuccessfully main-
tained that these laws con-stitute "labeling," and that the authority to make such laws belongs only to the U.S. Con-gress under the Federal Insec-
ticide, Fungicide and Roden-ticide Act. "FIFRA 'labeling' is de-signed to be read and followed by the end user. Generally, it is conceived as being attached to the immediate container of 
the product in such a way that it can be expected to remain affixed during the period of 
use," writes Kaufman in the federal ruling. "By contrast," he contin-ues, "the target audience of 
the New York notification program is those innocent members of the general public who may happen upon an area 
where strong poisons are pres-ent as well as those who con-
tract to have pesticides 
applied. The mere proximity of the warning, for example, notices posted around an en-closed field or copies of the EPA's labeling information provided to the contracting 
parties, does not transform 
the admonition into 'labeling' 
within the meaning of FIFRA." Kaufman adds, "Notifica-tion requirements such as 
cover sheets, signs, and news-paper advertisements do not impair the integrity of the 
FIFRA label. Rather, they serve to further the purpose of the statute by enlisting state 
aid to prevent 'unreasonable adverse effects (of pesticide 
use) on the environment.'" Kaufman's ruling, if upheld on appeal, means that each 
state could set up different standards for pesticide noti-fication, says Elizabeth Seme, executive secretary of the New York State Green Council. "There will be no con-formity between states on any of these issuesŠall for the 
same chemical," Seme ex-plains. "The federal appeal is not only a disappointment, but may be a future problem," 
Seme observes. However, Seme comments that the organization is pleased with the decision that declared certain state Depart-ment of Environmental Con-servation regulations "null 
and void." The New York Supreme Court ruled that DEC Com-
missioner Thomas C. Jorling was, in effect, making laws with his restrictive regula-
tions, and that those regula-tions go beyond the scope of 
what the legislature intended. Jorling "has promulgated an administrative rule which is not consistent with the pol-
icies expressed in the statute but is 'out of harmony' with 
those polices," Cheeseman writes. He goes on to say that Jor-ling "deviated from applying 
his technical expertise and ventured into a broader area of public interest," which is not permitted under the law. He notes that the legislature had made its intent known by pre-viously rejecting several pro-Burton: Wait and see. posed laws containing Jor-ling's regulations. The requirements in Jor-ling's regulations included a pre-notification plan that would have to specify in writ-ing the exact day of an applica-tion. If it rained that day the process would have to begin all over again. A number of signs would also have to be posted 
on a property. Seme says it was fortunate that the regulations were 
turned down. "They would have been a nightmare for lawn care (professionals) to implement." "We're thrilled that we won't have to contend with 
those regulations," reports Laurie Broccolo, manager of plant health operations for Ted Collins Associates, Ltd. in 
Victor. "We're hoping that it won't be overturned on appeal." Broccolo notes that "the DEC will have to go back to the drawing board," and that she is concerned over what the 
agency will come up with next. Her company has posted signs and provided pre-noti-fication for a number of years, she adds. At Lawn Medic, Inc. in Bergen, "We're posting, we have contracts, and we're giv-ing pre-notification," says Don Burton, president. The company has decided to "wait and see and do 
basically what we've done over the last few years." Burton says that Lawn Medic is following a few of the now-voided DEC regulations. He uses 5-by-8-inch yellow signs with black type and some of the required wording. LCI Elite Turfgrass Seed Mixture Triple Play is the unique blend of ryegrasses that has been care-fully selected to meet specific needs for seeding Athletic Fields, 
Lawn Areas and Golf Courses. Triple Play contains the elite turf-type ryegrasses of PENNANT, MANHATTAN II and STALLION. Triple Play will produce a beautiful dark green color with excellent heat and drought tolerance. Seeding Recommendation 5 to 7 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. Ask Us About Our Full Line of Turf Grass Seeds. QUALITY... It's a Way of Life at Tyler. If you want the very best in quality products and service, write or call us today. ............ | Please send me information on the Tyler products checked below: | Name | Quality Enterprises, Inc. Service Ł Convenience P.O. Box 365 Ł Route 53 Ł Elwood, IL 60421 Telephone (815) 423-5551 I I 
I 
L Company Name Area Code & Company Phone-Address City . State Zip Ł Tyler Greensward custom formula fertizlers. Ł Chemical control products for turfgrass programs. Ł Grass seed blends. Ł All Tyler products. I I 
I ZERO from Page 11 can do, but you have to learn how to use itŠpractice!" "I've never lost a sale because some-one couldn't drive itŠnever!" says Evans at Dixie Chopper. An operator can become "extremely good" in half a day, says LESCO's Thompson. "They'll be mowing with it in 30 minutes," says Ron Hayden, new prod-ucts manager at Pro Star. His company boasts of the most fa-mous zero-turn radius mower user: 
Boston Celtics basketball star Larry Bird. "He mows with it all the time," Hayden reports. "He's got the roughest yard I've ever seen in my life." Bird's spread in French Lick, Ind. is built on old farm land, and the Pro Star 
provides a good cut, Hayden explains. Bird feels as comfortable steering the mower as he does making jump shots on the parquet basketball court at Boston Garden. "He's said that one 
of his favorite pastimes is mowing grass." Zero-turn radius mowers are rela-tively new as far as the tech-nology goes, but industry experts say the bugs in the machines that may have turned people off in the 
past have been eliminated. In the early days of the zero-turn concept, "There were a lot of flower beds that went under the mower deck," recalls Jack Steinhour as he discusses the now-defunct Hesston Front Run-ner of the 1970s. Steinhour is advertising manager at Woods, which markets the Mow'n Ma-
chine. The company is owned by Hesston. Although the Front Runner was costly and hard to get used to, it was an innovative design. "Like the Lincoln 
Zephyr, the machine was a little too 
advanced for the market," Steinhour says. Newer zero-turning radius models have larger engines and beefed-up cool-
ing systems. These are needed because the engine is running all the time, and it doesn't get a chance to "rest" like a tractor engine would between swaths, says Evans. The first zero-turn radius mower was built in 1955. "We're the original," says Max Swisher, president of the Swisher Mower and Machine Co., Inc. The Ride King mower does not have hydrostatic steering. Instead it has a 
single drive wheel in front that can pivot 180 degrees. Reversing the wheel reverses the mower. John Regier is generally credited with inventing the traditional zero-turn radius mower in 1964. He got the idea from a combine-like swather that was used to cut alfalfa. "John Regier said, 'Hey, that'd be perfect for a lawnmower,"' according to Ken Raney, advertising manager at Excel Industries, Inc., makers of Hus-tler mowers. "He went home and built one in his garage." The 36-inch mower "had belts 
everywhere, but it worked." Regier devised the first offset mower deck because it was needed to ensure that the belts all matched up. He later 
discovered that the offset deck made it easier to trim up close. At the time, Excel made only tractor cabs, which were strictly an after-mar-ket add-on. As the tractor makers de-cided to include cabs with the finished product, Excel "was looking for some-thing else" to make. Enter Mr. Regier and his unique mower. Excel's Ray Rilling, who worked in the maintenance department, created a hydraulic drive unit in his garage at homeŠand the Hustler mower line was born. "The cab industry took a downturn for us, and the mowers took an upturn for us," Raney says. Zero-turn radius mowers tend to cost more. But, they also tend to hold up longer, according to in-dustry experts. The machines can also be used for snow plowing during the winter. A number of brands, such as Snapper, offer a complete line of snow removal accessories. The Commercial Clipper, a new zero-turn radius mower made by Shiv-vers, Inc., comes with a 4-year/4,000 commercial service limited warranty. With most mowers, "By the time it mows enough to pay for itself all you have left is junk," says Evans at Dixie 
Chopper. With his brand, "It's not a throw-away lawnmower. It's not cheap." Prices for the 11 models range from $4995 to $8995. The single-front-wheel Ride King sells for under $1,000. The Exmark Explorer retails for $6,799. Walker mowers sell for $4,500 to $7,000, but contractor Russo is not 
concerned. "The cost is over double, 
but the performance is over triple," he says. "When I first started my business I tried all the mowersŠand I still do," 
he concludes. LCI EPA from Page 1 cial turf and golf course uses due to 
concern about runoff into lakes, ponds and streams, says Hal Paul, marketing manager for Mobay's specialty prod-ucts group. Runoff tests are presently 
under way at Pennsylvania State Uni-
versity. Mobay will promote Tempo this summer for tick control in response to public concern about Lyme disease, Paul says. He says Mobay expects approval for commercial turf and golf course uses by next season. Confront is composed of an amine salt formation containing one part 
clopyralid to three parts triclopyr per gallon. Both active ingredients act as a plant hormone mimic, disrupting plant cell growth. Initial control results are noticed four to six days after treatment, ac-cording to Rob Peterson, Dow's turf marketing manager. Triclopyr con-trols ground ivy, oxalis, spurge, violets, chickweed and speedwell, among oth-
ers, while clopyralid controls such weeds as musk thistle, clover, dan-delion and plantain. "Together, these two active ingre-dients that form our herbicide give lawn care firms excellent broad spec-trum weed control," says Peterson. LCI State affairs director hired by PLCAA MARIETTA, GA.ŠThe Professional Lawn Care Association of America has hired Thomas Delaney as its director of state government affairs, a newly-created position. He assumed his new role on June 1. Delaney worked for the Georgia De-partment of Agriculture's pesticide di-
vision for 15 years, most recently as agriculture manager. LCI Tom Delaney EPA seeks diazinon data WASHINGTON, D.C.ŠConcern about toxicity to birds has prompted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to 
gather data on diazinon use on home lawns. Regulatory action could be taken, pending review of the data. The agency yanked diazinon from use on golf courses and sod farms be-cause of bird kills, in April of 1988. "We are reviewing it and we will make a decision after the data is re-viewed," says Spencer Duffy, the EPA's review manager for diazinon. He says the product is still registered for use on home lawns. LCOs and homeowners use diazinon to control grubs. Ed Brandt, an economist with the agency's benefits and economic ana-ylsis division, has been put in charge of assessing the product's benefits for home lawn use. He says the agency is concerned about toxicity to birds. Officials for Ciba Geigy Corp., a ma-jor supplier of diazinon based in Greensboro, N.C., have been meeting with EPA officials since late last sum-mer on the matter. LCI St. Paul examines lawn chemicals ST. PAUL, MINN.ŠThe city of St. Paul has decided to set up a task force to examine lawn pesticides as they re-late to groundwater contamination. 
The resolution states the city needs a 
plan to phase out detrimental prac-tices. The Toxic Chemical Task Force will hold public hearings and make rec-ommendations to the city council re-garding new rules "and the possible 
banning of non-organic chemical fer-
tilizers and pesticides." The resolution calls for the task force to consist of two representatives from environmentalist groups, two 
lawn care industry representatives, one solid and water conservation dis-trict person, one agricultural education representative, a person involved in a 
recylcing program, and two youths. LCI A rich green lawn, healthy shrubs and trees Ł Natural Food Grade Fertilizers / All Trees, Shrubs, Flowers y Natural Fungas & Disease Control ^ Ł Garden Plants & Soil y Aeration Products Our products are non-toxic, non-poisonous and will not harm your children or pets. Safe to use next to ponds, lakes and streams. Safe for new seedling, too because our products are salt and acid free. Dealer Inquiries: Call 1-800-798-1069 I'm not harming a living thing. Organic 6 Lawn Care . ^ we're nature friendly Circle the Reader Service numbers of those items of interest to you. For rapid response, use the peel-off label from the front cover PLACE COVER LABEL HERE PRINT PHONE NUMBER BELOW iWWN ORE INDUSTRY JULY 1989 This card void after Sep. 15,1989 1. CHECK BELOW YOUR PRIMARY BUSINESS AT THIS LOCATION: A. LAWN CARE COMPANY: Read each choice before answering. 10 Ł Chemical lawn care company 20 Ł Mowing/management lawn care company and/or landscape contractor 30 Ł Both chemical lawn care company and mowing/management lawn care company and/or landscape contractor B. SUPPLIER 50 Ł Chemical and equipment dealer and/or distributor C. OTHER (specify) 2. WHAT IS YOUR TITLE? I would like to receive (continue receiving) LAWN CARE INDUSTRY each month: Yes Ł No Ł Signature:. Date [ BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS PERMIT NO. 665 DULUTH, MINNESOTA POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE READER SERVICE DEPARTMENT WWN GIRE INDUSTRY POST OFFICE BOX 6080 DULUTH, MINNESOTA 55806-9780 I.I.I..I.I.I..I.II....II..I.I..I...II..I.II NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES 1 New Billy Goat blower has higher horsepower Billy Goat Industries, Inc., Lee's Summit, Mo., has added an 11 horsepower blower to its line of Quiet Blow leaf and de-bris blowers. The QB-1100 features a lightweight 14-blade fan that runs 400 to 500 rpms faster than 8 horsepower blowers. The machine is able to offer quieter performance and bet-ter cleaning power than other 
brands on the market, accord-ing to the company. The QB-1100 has a vibra-tion-reducing dampening sys-
tem for the handlebars, and it is designed to be well-balanced and easy to operate, according 
to the company. LCI Circle No. 130 on service card. wmß® Grow Gun injects material into plants, turf Grow Gun Corp., Arvada, 
Colo., introduces a new prod-uct called the Grow Gun Probe. It comes in three sizes. The probes inject fertil-izers, water and air into the 
root systems of plants. The device can be used on trees, shrubs and lawns in 
tight places. It can help treat fairy ring, according to the company. The three probes can oper-ate via pneumatic pruning 
equipment. An air compressor 
of 15 CFM will work the mini-probe model. LCI Circle No. 131 on service card. Husqvarna trimmer stays close, balanced A new string trimmer de-
signed for easy access to hard-to-reach places and reduced 
user fatigue is now available from Husqvarna Forest & 
Garden Co. The Husqvarna Model 26RLC features a 48-inch-NEW PRODUCTS long curved shaft for use around shrubs, flower beds, walls and corners. According to the company, the well-balanced trimmer 
weighs 11.8 pounds and fea-
tures a narrow engine housing for operation close to the body. The result is less strain on the operator's shoulders and back. It has a 26 cc engine. LCI Circle No. 132 on service card. Restore fading mulch with LESCO product 
A new spray-on product that restores color to old, faded mulch is now available from LESCO, Inc. in Rocky River, Ohio. One application of LESCO Nu-Mulch keeps old mulch looking fresh and new for at 
least two months, according to the company. The colorant is environ-mentally safe, inert and non-toxic to plants. The material is applied with a hand-held or larger sprayer after being mixed with water. According to LESCO, the cost of spraying with Nu-Mulch is 50 to 60 percent less than the labor and materials needed to topdress beds with new mulch. LCI Circle No. 133 on service card. New frontiers in turf technology SATURN PERENNIAL RYEGRASS *PVP800114 New variety introductions get better and better with every passing year. Significant advancements in turf science and genetics make it possible. This year's Number One introduction, Saturn Perennial Ryegrass, is the most outstanding of all. It ranked first in North American testing at 22 University locations in a just-released report by USDA. Saturn Perennial Ryegrass is setting a new standard that future introductions will find hard to beat. ZAJAC PERFORMANCE SEEDS 201-423-1660 FAX 201-423-6018 33 SIC0MAC ROAD NORTH HALED0N. NJ 07508 Other Zajac Performance Seed varieties include Jaguar II and Emperor Tall Fescues, Omega II Perennial Ryegrass, Vista Red Fescue, and Liberty Kentucky Bluegrass. Introducing Gallery. Nothing's more terrifying than to hear a customer say, "They're back." Dreaded broadleaves. Costly callbacks. You want to scream. Your nightmares are over at last. Elanco introduces the unique preemer-gence broadleaf weed control for turf-grassŠnew Gallery 75DF. Featuring an advanced new chemistry, it casts broad-leaves into the dungeon and throws away the key all season long. Your customers won't be haunted by spurge. Or oxalis. Or white clover. Or 41 other tough broadleaves. And you'll be haunted less by costly callbacks. Yet turfgrass has nothing to fear. New Gallery is actually more tolerant on your turf than other herbicides. So there's no risk of off-site damage to nearby ornamentals, gardens and trees. Put an end to the horror of broadleaves. Instead of hearing "They're back," start saying, "They're gone." With new Gallery. See your Elanco distributor. Or call 
toll-free: 1-800-352-6776. Elanco Products Company A Division of Eli Lilly and Company Lilly Corporate Center Dept. EM-455, Indianapolis, IN 46285, U.S.A. GalleryŽŠ(isoxaben, Elanco) CLASSIFIED RATES: $1.00 per word (minimum charge, $35). Boidface words or words in all capital letters charged at $1.25 per word. Boxed or display ads charged at 1X $85; 3X $80; 6X $75; 9X $70; 12X $65 per column inch (one inch minimum). (Frequencies based on a calender year). Agency commission allowed only when camera ready art is provided by 
agency. For ads using blind box numbers add $15 to total cost of ad. Send ad copy with payment to: DAWN NILSEN, LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, 1 E. 
First St., Duluth, MN 55802. (218) 723-9505. Fax 
Number (218) 723-9615. BOX NUMBER REPLIES: Mail box number replies to: LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, Classified Ad De-partment, 1 E. First St., Duluth, MN 55802. Please include box number in address. BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES CURBMATE-THE MONEY MACHINE. Patented, 
electrically driven and self-propelled machine pro-
duces beautiful continuous concrete landscape 
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ders between lawns and flower beds, along driv-eways and sidewalks, etc. Applications for residential and commercial settings, golf courses, etc. Turn $5,000-$10,000 equipment purchase into 
$50,000-$100,000 potential annual income. (801)273-3938. 7/89 CURB KING: Curbing machine that lays continu-ous concrete landscape borders. Low investment, high returns. For information call 303-434-5337 or write PO Box 40567, Grand Junction, CO 81504. 9/89 FOR SALE Spray Truck: 1985 F-30 diesel with 750 gallon 
stainless steel tank; new Myers PTO pump, 2 elec-tric Hannay hose reels. 912-897-4279. 7/89 HANNAY HOSE REELS: New in the box. E1526's and E1530 s - $349.00 We will ship and pay freight anywhere in the U.S.A. and Canada. Immediate delivery. Other size reels and parts available at 
fabulous savings! Call 313-543-2200, in Michigan. 
Outside Michigan - 1-800-843-LAWN. TF ROYER DIRT SHREDDER Model 182. In Excellent Condition. $9,000 or B/O. 313-243-3382 or 313-243-8522 Evenings. Jack's Lawn Service, Monroe, Mich. 7/89 USED CHIPPERS, BUCKET TRUCKS, BOOM TRUCKS: Stump grinders, stake bodies, tree trucks and dumps. New Morbark and Woodchuck 
Chippers. Rayco stump grinders at discount prices. We also buy trucks and equipment. Op-dyke, Inc., Hatfield, PA (Phil, area) 215-721-4444. 7/89 Bowie Hydromulcher 1100: Trailer mounted with extra duty suspension and extra wide tires, Kubota Diesel powered with heavy duty clutches and powertrain, centrifugal pump and electric hose reel with hose. Well maintained. No rust. $11,900. Call Gary at (317)873-5231. 7/89 MISCELLANEOUS LANDSCAPE TRAINING VIDEOS Intermediate mower maintenance field and shop repair; efficient/profitable mowing techniques; professional shrub trimming, plant installation, basic landscape plan drawing, etc. ENGLISH AND SPANISH. Write for free brochure. C.D. Anderson Landscape Videos 515 Ogden Avenue Downers Grove, IL 60515 1-800-937-0399 HELP WANTED TREE & SHRUB SERVICES COORDINATOR: All Green Corporation, a nationally expanding lawn care company, is seeking a qualified individual to 
develop, implement, and coordinate a Horticulture Program for its company's branches. The right individual must have a horticulture related degree, 
managerial experience and the ability to suc-cessfully manage a profit center. This key position will be located in a major market area in the South-west. If you are interested, please send your re-sume (with salary history) in strictest confidence to: William E. LeBaron, All Green Corporation, 2864 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 200, Marietta, 
Georgia 30062. 7/89 Excellent positions in the irrigation & landscape industry are available now. Call Florapersonnel, the international employee search firm for the or-namental horticulture industry. Completely con-fidential. Employer pays fee. Florapersonnel, P.O. Box 1732,1450 S. Woodland Blvd., Suite 201, De-
Land, FL 32721-1732. (904)738-5151. Jim 
Bambrick, Jeff Brower, David Shaw, CPC, Bob Zahra, CPC. TF MAJOR LAWN CARE COMPANY needs to fill mid-dle management field staff position in the Dallas 
area. Related degree preferred, but must have hands-on experience in lawn and ornamental care. Must have strong communications skills and be willing to travel. Good benefits. Resume and salary history to LCI Box 210. TF LAWN CARE MANAGER in charge of production wanted for fast growing lawn care company. Tre-mendous potential for advancement and pay in-creases. Pleasant working conditions. Call 203-372-3511 (Bridgeport, CT) Ask for Tony or Bob. 7/89 WANTED Wanted to Buy - Lawn care companies of all sizes 
anywhere in U.S. wanted to purchase by national 
corporation. If interested, please respond to LCI Box 197. Strict confidentiality maintained. TF Roll with the best... Brouwer turf rollers. TR130, the walkbehind model that is ideal for smaller areas. Its compact size and maneuverability let you into those confined areas, between buildings and around obstacles. Ł 5 H.P. Honda engine Ł Hydrostatic transmission Ł Large rear support roller Ł Special rounded edge roller to prevent turf damage For more information contact vour Brouwer dealer...TODAY Woodbine Ave., Keswick, Ont., Canada L4P 3E9 Tel. (416) 476-4311 Fax. (416) 476-5867 BROUWER TURF EQUIPMENT LIMITED An Outboard Marine Corporation Company 7320 Haggerty Rd., Canton, Ml. 48187 Tel. (313) 459-3700 Fax. (313) 459-8778 89-120P Copyright 1989 Brouwer Turf Equipment Limited. Circle No. 102 on Reader Inquiry Card ADVERTISERS INDEX NO. ADVERTISER PAGE WANTED TO ACQUIRE Lawn care companies of all sizes in U.S. and Canada being sought by national cor-
poration. Complete buy out or stay and grow with us. If inter-ested, please call me directly: Don Karnes Senior Vice-President TRU GREEN CORPORATION (404) 442-8700 STRICT CONFIDENTIALITY MAINTAINED I TRU GREEN 101 Andersons 34 102 Brouwer 33 103 Ciba-Geigy 4-5 104 Dow Chemical 10-11 105 Hannay Reels 26 
106 Hoechst Reels 26 
107 Jacklin Seed/Arid 3 108 Jacklin Seed/Eclipse 13 
109 Jacklin Seed/Nassau 24 
110 KLMBioSys 33 
111 Lebanon Chemical 21 112 Lesco 36 
113 Lofts Seed 35 114 Mobay/Oftanol 12 115 Mobay/Dylox 25 116 Nor-Am 6 117 Cushman 2 118 Ryan 23 119 Organic Lawn 28 120 Real Green 16 121 Rhone-Poulenc 14-15 122 Tecumseh 16 123 Turf-Seed 9 124 Tyler 27 
125 Zajac 31 
126 Elanco 32 127 True Green 21 
128 Warrens Turf Nursery 22 New Products 130 Billy Goat Inds./ Blower 31 NO. ADVERTISER PAGE 131 Grow Gun Corp/ Prope injector 31 132 Husqvarna/Trimmer 31 133 Lesco/Nu-Mulch 31 Literature Round-Up 160 Aquatrols 18 161 Ben Meadows 18 162 Doggett 18 163 Elanco/Surflan 17 164 Elanco/Rubigan 17 165 Elanco/Cutless 17 166 Elanco/Gallery 17 167 Emerald Isle 18 168 Feldman 18 169 Hannay Reels 18 170 Hesston/Woods 18 171 Howard Price 18 172 19 173 Mobay 19 174 Nor-Am 19 175 Northrup King 19 176 Cushman 19 177 Onan Corp 19 178 Perfco 19 179 Rhom & Haas 18 180 Seed Research 20 181 Soilizer 20 182 20 183 20 184 (JAP 20 185 Walker 20 This index provided as an additional service. The publisher assumes no liability for ommission or error. Remember when you had to power rake THATCH? Research at Michigan State University rated Bio-Groundskeeper for Thatch Reduction® most effective for reducing thatch. The easy-to-apply liquid is especially attractive for commercial application: ALL NATURAL, EASY APPLI-CATION, in-tank mixing with fertilizers or herbicides, no fear of moisture damage, COST SAVINGS. UPT0 $50.00 TH'SADWORTH ad for $2? 95 S3 Coupon offer 9ood ln ^ S.A. only I I I I I For Thatch Reduction KLM Bio-Systems, Inc. 10700 Normandale Blvd. Bloomington, MN 55437 612-884-4081 1 -800-383-4081 DISTRIBUTORS Terra International. Ine Montgomery. AL Ag Turf Chemical Brampton. Ont . Can Cameron. Co. Cathedral City. CA 
Wilbur Ellis 
Chula. Vista. CA Turf Tech 
Sacramento. CA SAJ Turf Products. Ine Federal Heights. CO The Charles C. Hart Seed Co. Wethersfield. CT 
Odessa Natural Enterprises Odessa. FL DuCor Chemical Corp Orlando. FL 
Grass Roots Turf Des Moines. IA 
Professional Turf Specialties Champaign. IL Turf Products Ltd. 
West Chicago. IL 
Arthur Clesen, Ine 
Wheelilng. IL Cory Orchard Supply Ine Indianapolis. IN Allen County Co op Assn. New Haven. IN Egypt Farms White Marsh. MD 
Yerxas. Ine 
So. Portland. ME Benham Chemical Co 
Farmington Hills, MI J. Mollema & Son. Inc Grand Rapids. MI Turfgrass. Inc 
South Lyon. Ml 
Tri Turf 
Traverse City. Ml 
Turf Supply Co 
Eagan. MN North Star Turf Co. St Paul. MN 
Eastern Turf Equip Co Fayetteville. NC 
Turf Specialties 
Hooksett. NH Seacoast Lab. Inc Dayton. NJ Green Pro Services Hempstead. NY Bissett Nursery Corp Holtsville. NY 
Environmental Chemical Co Spring Valley. NY Forrest Lytle & Sons. Inc Cincinnati. OH Lebanon Chemical 
Lebanon. PA 
Allegheny Lawn Products 
Wexford. PA Steve Regan Co. 
Salt Lake C.ty, UT 
Wilson Feed & Seed Co . Inc Richmond. VA Pacific Horticultural Supply Ktrkland. WA Fran Cher Chemicals. Inc Longview. WA Leas Green Meadow. Inc Washington. D C THE LAST WORD Publications cut down diseases, injuries Nipping tree diseases in the bud and cutting down on worker injuries may be a little easier for contractors following the release of two new publications. Husqvarna Forest & Garden Co. of Itasca, 111. has issued a free, 32-page booklet that extensively covers 
several main subjects regarding chain saw use, including safety, directional 
felling, sweep limbing and cross-cutting. The Husqvarna Work Technique for Limbing and Felling features color photographs of sawyers in action, and it has clear 
drawings to illustrate the methods. The booklet is written in a bright, understandable style. The company can be contacted at 907 Irving Park Road, Itasca, 111. 60143; (312) 773-2777. No urban forester should be without the latest book by 
Alex L. Shigo, Ph.D. Entitled, Tree Pruning: A Worldwide Photo Guide, the JAMES E. GUYETTE MANAGING EDITOR 186-page project, printed on glossy paper, is crammed full of beautiful color shots. This tome would be equally at home on your 
coffee table or on the 
dashboard of your pickup. Some of the photos are stunning in their stark 
depictions of tree care gone 
bad. And Alex's clear text explains fully the proper 
techniques and attitudes needed to avoid those unfortunate examples. The book is being translated into Italian and German, and plans are in the making to possibly publish a 
Spanish-language edition. Alex, who is currently a noted consultant in the green industry, spent 26 years working as chief scientist for Tee Time insecticides root bugs out where they hide. Our Tee Time granular insecticide and fertil-izer combinations go right to the root of the insect pest problem. That's because we use special con-ditioning agents that absorb insecticides to keep them on the ground where they belong... not 
blowing away like dust in the wind. We offer Tee Time in the widest variety of insecticide registrations available, with Diazinon®, Dursban®, Dylox(* and Oftanol®. Formulated to work best for your application. Or prepackaged formulas in granular or liquid. Our specialists can help you find the Tee Time solution to root out your particular insect pests. To find out more about Tee Time insecticide mixes, just call 1-800-225-ANDY, or contact your 
local Tee Time distributor. And get the latest TurFact from your partner. Personal service. Consistently high product quality. Technical innovation. Proven performance. All backed by a genuine integrity that is all too uncommon in today's business world. That's The Andersons. •1988 The Andersons TurFact'" and Tee Time* are trademarks of The Andersons. Diazinon* is a trademark of Ciba-Geigy. Dursban* is a trademark of Dow Chemical Co. Dylox* is a trademark of Mobay Corp., Agricultural Chemicals Division. Oftanol* is a trademark of the Parent Company of Farbenfabriken Bayer GmbH, Leverkusen. the professional's partner The^ECS* Andersons 1-800-225-ANDY Circle No. 101 on Reader Inquiry Card a division of the United States Forest Service. He has disected more than 15,000 trees with a chain saw, and his worldwide research has resulted in 270 publications. (A number of cutaway color photos of these chain saw disections are included in the book.) "A major problem throughout the history of tree pruning has been the scant attention given to pruning as it affects the health of trees, while great attention has been given to pruning as it affects the desires of man," he writes in the preface. "In this guide I discuss pruning for the desires of man, but also for the health of trees and their associates." In urban settings a fallen tree limb that results in 
property damage, injury or death is often dismissed as a 
tragic Act of God. Alex makes the point that many times these unfortunate accidents are not really accidents, but events that can be predictedŠand avoidedŠthrough proper tree 
care. Among other things, pruning practices are discussed at length as Alex details some common 
blunders associated with tree damage: ur The wrong tree can be planted in the wrong place, leading to mutilation to make 
it fit. ur Flush cuts can destroy the tree's defense system. fcr Ditto for stub cuts. Topping often creates a weakened, hazardous tree. Alex believes that if you have to top a tree it's time to replace that tree. And don't plant trees under powerlines. tr Overpruning causes a number of unhealthy and dangerous results. Allowing "included bark" branches to continue 
growth can lead to branch failure. Included bark happens when two smaller branches form one big one, resulting in cracks along the old bark line. And wound dressings are inappropriate. They do not stop rot, and some dressings actually stimulate it. Readers with a philosphical bent will enjoy Alex's musings along with the technical advice. Urban foresters will appreciate the biology behind tree care. Some may feel that they're, uh, out on a limb 
without this fascinating 
book. To obtain Tree Pruning: A Worldwide Photo Guide contact Shigo and Trees, Associates, 4 Denbow Road, Durham, N.H., 03824-3105; (603) 868-7459. For Commercial Use Only designed rear-discharge vacuum system collects up to eight bushels of clippings. And an innovative modular design permits easy servicing of all components. The LESCO 52 Commercial. Designed for productivity, reliability and you. To order or arrange for a demonstration, call us at (800) 825-3726 or stop by the nearest LESCO Service Center. LESCO, Inc., 20005 Lake Road, Rocky River, OH 44116 (216) 333-9250 Most zero-turning-radius mowers are designed to serve both the con-sumer and commercial markets. At LESCO, we didn't do that. We are pleased to introduce the first in a new line of mowers built exclusively for today's professional 
cutter. The LESCO 52 Commercial zero-turning-radius mower. Features include an exclusive dual-articulating deck, allowing you to go 
where others simply can't. All-hydrau-lic traction-drive and a 20-horsepower engine deliver exceptional power and 
endurance. The optional LESCO-The LESCO 52 Commercial features front-to-back and side-to-side deck articulation. "It's my personal honor to introduce this tall fescue Š one of the finest on the market today." Jon Loft, Chairman of Lofts Seed Inc. M< L ore and more turf professionals are turning to fescues. To meet the demand, Lofts introduces an excep-tional variety. Tribute, named in honor of the late Peter S. Loft, is a 
product of the same breeding program 
that produced Rebel II. And it shares many of the outstanding qualities that are making Rebel II so successful: Attractive dark green color 
Fine-leafed, dense growth Minimal thatch buildup Improved drought and heat tolerance Resists Fusarium Blight 
Syndrome Well-adapted for shade use Withstands foot traffic better 
than Kentucky bluegrass Try Tribute Š the exceptional new tall fescue from Lofts. Tribute was named to honor the memory of Peter S. Loft. Royalties from sales of Tribute will be donated to the Peter Selmer Loft Memorial Scholarship Fund. Lofts/New England Arlington, MA (617) 648-7550 VI LOFTS Lofts Seed Inc. World's largest marketer of turfgrass seed Bound Brook, NJ 08805 (201) 356-8700 Ł (800) 526-3890 Ł (800) 624-1474 (NJ) Lofts/Great Western Albany, OR 
(503) 928-3100 or 
(800) 547-4063 To locate the Lofts' distributor nearest you, call (800) 526-3890 (Eastern U.S.) Ł (800) 547-4063 (Western U.S.) Lofts/Maryland Beltsville, MD (800) 732-3332 (800) 732-7773 (MD) Sunbelt Seeds, Inc. Norcross, GA (404) 448-9932 or (800) 522-7333