Turfgrass disease identification reference guide and photos, see pages 20-21 REGISTRATIONS Ohio obtains label for Ataenius beetle Ohio has obtained a state registration for the use of Diaz-inon AG500 4EC to control Atae-nius spretulus beetle adults before they can lay eggs. Dr. Harry D. Niemczyk, pro-fessor of turfgrass entomology at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster, told LAWN CARE IN-DUSTRY that plans call for test programs in Missouri, Colorado 
and Minnesota in 1978 in an ef-fort to obtain national labeling. This testing program is being sponsored by the Golf Course ADVERTISING ChemLawn testing TV in three major markets ChemLawn Corp., Colum-bus, Ohio this spring is testing 
television advertising in three of its markets Š Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Washington, D.C. According to the company, the purpose of the television test is to determine whether tele-vision can be a productive 
medium at a reasonable cost. The commercial was pro-duced at the same Chicago home as the photograph on the 1978 spring brochure being dis-tributed by ChemLawn. Bob Houshel, branch manager of the 
Chicago-Arlington Heights branch provided the truck used in the filming. Scott Solvie, branch manager of the Glen-view branch in Chicago, drove the truck in the closing sequence. Superintendents Association of America, Lawrence, Kansas. Today, damage from the Ataenius beetle has been con-firmed in areas of Canada and 
from 20 states. Dr. Niemczyk said the beetle larvae are what cause the dam-age. The tiny grubs feed on turf roots in mid-June in Ohio. Turf begins to wilt, even when it is irrigated. Under continued stress and summer heat, the turf begins to die in irregular patches. Diaz-inon is a trademark of Ciba-Geigy Corp., Greensboro, N.C. REGULATION Innovative safety standards sought by mower manufacturers In a special product demon-stration recently before the Con-sumer Product Safety Commis-sion, the lawn mower industry once again urged that any CPSC mandatory standard avoid restrictive design requirements, and that performance require-ments be adopted which would L4WN 7 Serving lawn maintenance Ł M^km^JmÊm and chemical lawn | care professionals. INDUSTRY MAY 1978 Ł VOL. 2, NO. 5 Ł A Harvest Publication ASSOCIATIONS Dormant nitrogen fertilization opposed by Michigan lawn sprayers The Lawn Sprayers Associa-tion of Michigan has issued a formal statement against dor-
mant nitrogen fertilization Š a method of fertilization presently 
being recommended by many turfgrass specialists and lawn care businessmen across the country. QUICK STARTS Dandelions as a crop? page 2 The pitfalls of government bidding page 2 PTO or auxiliary engine for sprayers? .. page 7 When your customers are concerned about pests ... page 16 Sizing up your potential market page 16 Starting out: fertilizer, equipment and red tape page 18 MEMOS 2 TOOLS, TIPS & TECHNIQUES . 7 MEETING DATES 10 
NEWSMAKERS 11 MARKETING IDEA FILE 17 COST CUTTINGS 18 MONEYWISE 19 PRODUCTS 19 For a complete market study of the lawn care industry in Los Angeles, see MARKETPLACE, page 12. This is part of a continuing series of in-depth looks at regions of the country where the lawn care business thrives. The studv includes a nrnfile nf the city, potential lawn care ite there and how they go iH 3N1SNn IS*3 ' 5 3Q19 IDS HQS 602 AlNrt 31V1S A ax3id laid da Ha- -«¿£-1103 3d -$^l-¿^^££9¿cl The main reason the 52-member organization gives for taking a formal stand against dor-mant fertilization is that the public will not accept it, making it difficult for professional lawn care businessmen to keep their customers happy. Another reason why the or-ganization opposes it is that it feels by the time the public ac-cepts the concept of dormant fer-tilization, sod growers will have sold substantial amounts of sod resistant to Fusarium blight, a se-to page 8 CONVENTIONS Penn Allied Show sells out 250 exhibit spaces The 1978 Penn Allied Nurs-ery Trade Show, scheduled July 25-27 at the Hershey Motor Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey, Pa., has already sold out its exhibit area of 250 spaces. Last year almost 3,500 turf managers, lawn care business-men, nurserymen and land-scapes attended the show. For further information, con-tact: Mrs. Pat Norman, Penn Allied Nursery Trade Show, 169 W. High St., Carlisle, Pa. 17013, or call (717 243-1786. allow manufacturers to develop 
new technological approaches to protecting users of power lawn 
mowers. The CPSC is now in its fifth year of developing a mandatory power mower safety standard. David T. McLaughlin, vice president of the Outdoor Power 
Equipment Institute and chair-
man of the Toro Company, Minneapolis, reminded the Commission of its statutory obli-gation to express safety stan-dards in terms of performance 
requirements except as they con-
cern product labelling or instruc-tional materials. Presenting the commis-to page 4 PROFESSIONALISM "Our own worst enemy," Lawnrite president says The president of a 45-employe lawn service company on Long Island in New York feels that "we can become our own worst enemy in presenting to the consumer the simple fact that lawn service companies do the job better while saving the con-sumer money." Paul E. Kampe president of Lawnrite Corp., based in 
Bohemia, N.Y., recently said that it also seems apparent that legis-lation now in effect and being considered will lead to profes-sional applicators being the to page 7 Do you service other than residential lawns? Yes .....85.2% No 14.8% If yes, please specify type: Churches 1.3% f^jj Cemeteries 2.0% Hotels and Motels 4.2% Others 10.0% Industrial 11.0% Condominiums/Apartments 16.9% Commercial Banks Business Office Buildings 54.6e! Source: 1977 LCI survey / GOVERNMENT EPA considers ban on 2,4,5-T herbicide The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering limitations or a pos-sible ban on the use of the herbi-cide 2,4,5-T. The herbicide is used widely for killing weeds and brush around rights-of-way along high-ways and utility lines. Environ-mentalists have long contended it should be banned because of evidence that cancer and birth defects may be caused by the herbicide itself and by its highly toxic byproduct Š dioxin Š which the agency said is fre-quently found mixed in with 2,4,5-T. Since 1970, the chemical has been banned for use around homes, parks, lakes and other recreation areas. About five mil-lion pounds of the herbicide were manufactured in 1976, according to the agency, mainly 
by three companies: Dow Chemi-
cal Co., Midland, Mich.; Thomp-son-Hayward Chemical Co., Kansas City, Kans.; and Trans-vaal, Inc., Jacksonville, Ark. MEMOS L4WN GIRE INDUSTRY Publisher: HUGH CHRONISTER General Manager: RICHARD J. W. FOSTER Executive and editorial offices: 9800 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44102 Editor: ROBERT EARLEY Executive Editor: DAVID SLAYBAUGH Associate Editor: BRUCE SHANK Technical Editor: RON MORRIS Assistant Editors: SCOTT SCREDON, MIKE CASEY Graphic Director: RAYMOND GIBSON Circulation Manager: JACK SCHABEL Research Services: CLARENCE ARNOLD Advertising Production Manager: PATRICIA KELLEY MARKETING/SALES Advertising Director: STEVE STONE (212) 421-1350 757 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017 Circulation & List Rental: TERRI HUTSENPILLER (216) 651-5500 Marketing & Merchandising Services: FRAN FRANZAK (216) 651-5500 Midwest Office: JOE GUARISE (312) 236-9425 333 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60601 Southern Office: DICK GORE (404) 252-4311 3186 Frontenac Court, N.E., Atlanta, Ga. 30319 Southwest Office: JOHN SANDFORD (213) 933-8408 5455 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1107, Los Angeles, Ca. 90036 Northwest Office: BOB MIEROW (415) 982-0110 582 Market St., Suite 1904, San Francisco, Ca. 94104 Classified: DOROTHY LOWE (216) 651-5500 9800 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44102 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY is published every month by The Harvest Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. at 9800 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44102 (216) 651-5500. Copyright © 1978 by The Harvest 
Publishing Company, all rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without consent of copyright owner. Controlled circulation postage paid at Cleveland, Ohio. SUBSCRIPTIONS: to Lawn Care Industry are solicited only from owners, managers, operators, buyers, merchandisers, agronomists, technicians, dealers, distributors and manufacturers of products associated with the lawn care and 
maintenance business. Position ana company connection must be indicated on subscription orders. Publisher reserves tne right to approve all subscription re-quests. Single copy cost $1.00 for current issue. All back issues $1.25 each. Foreign $1.25. Subscription rates: $10.00 one year, $18.00 two years, $23.00 three 
years. Group and foreign air mail rates available on request. SUBSCRIBERS: Send chance-of-address notices, correspondence regarding subscription service to Fulfillment Manager, Lawn Care Industry, 9800 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44102. Change of Address notices shoula be sent pro-mptly, provide old as well as new address, attach address label from recent 
issue. Please allow one month for change of address to become effective. POSTMASTER: Please send form 3579 to Fulfillment Manager, Lawn Care In-dustry, 9800 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44102. The Harvest Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., publishers of WEEDS TREES & TURF, PEST CONTROL, NPCA Extra, GOLF BUSINESS and the Scientific Guide to Pest Control Operations. Dandelion as a crop: As a lawn care businessman, you may spend certain times of the year doing nothing but worry-ing about getting rid of your customers' dandelions, but in Vineland, N.J., the first harvest of the lowly yellow weed is a cause for celebration. If you can't beat 'em, eat 'em Š and if you can't can't eat 'em, drink 'em," said Mayor Patrick Fiorilli. More than 400 
townsfolk in the rural south Jersey town paid homage to the dandelions this last month with unabashed fanfare. They jammed a grammar school gymnasium at $12 each to feast on crisp dandelion salad, murky dandelion soup, fresh 
dandelion ravioli, tender veal tips with dandelion, dande-
lion gelatin and dandelion wine Š lots of dandelion wine. 
Dandelions are a serious spring crop in the area, where 16 
farmers plant the weed's seeds in August and harvest dande-lions as the ground thaws in March. Dandelions for salad greens are worth $40,000 a year to local farmers. Government bidding: One thing Scripps-Howard writer Peter Phipps says that he has learned covering city and coun-ty government in recent years is how to rig a bid. Readers of LAWN CARE INDUSTRY who are involved in government work have reported facing some of the problems that Phipps outlined in a recent column for Scripps-Howard: "Rigging a bid is easier than many officials care to admit. Like most other things in government, competitive bidging is a game that can be tilted. "Basically there are two ways to rig a bid. You can write the bid specifications or you can play for the gravy down the road. The key lesson for the first is that you don't have to be 
the lowest bidder to win a contract, just the lowest bidder who meets city specifications. And if the specifications are written by one of your city hall friends precisely around your product or services, you'll be assured of the contract even be-
fore the bids are opened. "Now the second way to rig a bid Š namely, conspiring to make a profit on subsidiary contracts. The idea is to get your 
friends to assure you that if they are taken care of that there will be plenty of extra work beyond the official contract. With this kind of inside information, you can submit a ridiculously low bid Š confident that your city hall buddies will steer 
enough extra unbid work your way to make up for your front-end losses." Many lawn care businessmen and landscape mainte-nance businessmen say they have stopped bidding on gov-ernment work because of this type of atmosphere Phipps out-lined. Business failures: Business failures fell to a seasonally ad-justed rate of 24.2 per 10,000 in October from 27 in Septem-ber, Dun & Bradstreet, Inc., reports. Maryland lawn care industry grows: The lawn care indus-try in Maryland is certainly the most rapidly growing sector of the Maryland turfgrass industry, University of Maryland turf specialist Charles H. Darrah told LAWN CARE IN-DUSTRY recently. He said he has become involved with many of the smaller businesses through the Cooperative Ex-tension Service/Pesticide Applicator Training Program, and in most cases has found a tremendous "need to know" about current pesticide usage and regulations. He said he has also become directly involved with a few of the larger chemical lawn care companies, and finds many of 
the problems they face fascinating and he enjoys trying to find workable solutions. "Certainly a part of our research ef-fort at the University of Maryland in the future will be di-rected toward these problems," he said. Growth retardants: Minnesota Mining and Manufactur-ing Co., St. Paul, has introduced a compound that slows the growth of turfgrasses so that mowing can be avoided for five to eight weeks. The product, under development for seven years, will be sold initially for the maintenance of turf growth 
on commercial businesses such as cemeteries, golf course roughs and airports. That product called Embark 2-S, will also be available for commercial application on home lawns. The product is sprayed on lawns with IV2 to four pints used per acre mixed with 15 to 50 gallons of water. Different strength mixtures are used depending on grass species. Application costs are being estimated by the company at about $20 an acre. 2 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY MAY 1978 Dr. C. Reed Funk of Rutgers University (left), originator many of America's modern turfgrass cultivars, recently received an Award of Merit from Doyle Jacklin, Jacklin Seed Co., Dishman, Wash., president of the Lawn Institute, Marysville, Ohio. WM if it doesnt include Proveí you're losing turf! No other herbicide works like Provel® to control weeds, especially the hard to kill varieties like Dandelion and Plantain. Provel® has Dicamba formulation combined with 2, 
4D for fast and effective control over more than two dozen hard to kill weeds. Provel® herbicide gives excellent control over weeds other 
herbicides miss. The unique translocation action penetrates the 
entire weed, roots and all, thus attacking deep root and regrowth problems that tough weeds pose. Provel® herbicide can be used in warm or cool, wet or dry weather and stores Before using any pesticide, read the label. through the winter months without loss of potency. Provel® mixes quickly and easily in hard or soft water Ł and can be applied with conventional spray equipment. Don't lose turf with poor weed control. Get Provel® herbicide for fast, economical weed control you can really depend on. From Velsicol, the turf chemical specialists. Velsicol Chemical Corporation 341 E. Ohio St., Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 670-4592 oVelsicol Circle 113 on free Information card Dr. Henry W. indyk (left) of Rutgers University has been namea "Man of the Year" by the Irrigation Associa-tion. Presenting the award were president Paul Bohley (center) and past-president Kenneth White. LAWN CARE INDUSTRY MOWER STANDARDS frompa8ei sioners with a suggested "first draft" of performance language, he told them that "the public interest will not be served by the promulgation of requirements that compel industry to adopt one specific design which in-creases costs without com-mensurate benefits, eliminates any element of choice, and retards the incentive to develop new and innovative approaches to lawn mower safety." A special product demon-stration for the commissioners 
focused on protection from blade contact injuries which, accord-ing to the Commission, account for approximately 68 percent of 
lawn mower injuries. MAY 1978 4 The Commission's current proposed standard addresses this hazard by requiring a "dead-man control" device which would shut off the power com-pletely or disengage the blade from the power source when the user leaves the operator posi-tion. The device being given con-sideration by the staff for accom-plishing the latter is a blade 
brake/clutch mechanism. McLaughlin told the Commis-sion that testing by his company indicates that blade brake/clutch devices presently on the market 
are not reliable. "We have tested every clutch/brake mechanism of which we are aware and which is commercially available and they have, without exception, failed to satisfactorily perform," he said. Pointing to problems of prod-uct failure and unacceptable 
performance, he indicated that much more development work was necessary before a blade brake/clutch device is incorpo-
rated in walk-behind rotary mowers. Alternative designs address-ing the blade contact hazard were also demonstrated. They included: Ł a conventional walk-behind mower equipped with a control on the handle which re-quires continuous activation by tne operator in order for the unit to run. When the operator Toro's McLaughlin: . . require-ments that compel the (mower) industry to adopt one specific de-sign which increases costs without commensurate benefits. . . releases this control, the power source in the blade will come to a 
stop. Starting and stopping con-trols are mounted on the handle for easy access and remove the necessity for the operator to be in the vicinity of the mower housing when performing nor-
mal starting and stopping ac-tions. Ł a conventional walk-behind mower modified to place the height-of-cut adjustment con-trol in the handle. This removes any necessity for the operator to be in the vicinity of the blade housing when it is necessary to change the height of cut. The unit included special auxiliary side shields to reduce the possibility 
of foot contact with the blade, and the discharge opening was configured so as to virtually 
eliminate the possibility of blade contact. Ł a conventional walk-behind mower modified by add-ing additional shielding on the sides of the mower, placing the starting control in the operator position and incorporating a 
blade interlock with the dis-charge chute, as well as an auto-
matic latching mechanism to the discharge chute. The latching system prevents the removal of the grass bag unless the latch is 
unhinged. If the latch is un-hinged after the bag has been re-moved, the interlock stops the power to the blade giving the operator an audible warning that the blade is coming to a stop. GSL Sulfate of Potash (0-0-52-18) With GSL Sulfate of Potash, there is far less chance of burning lawns or gardens. GSL Sulfate of Potash is nearly free of chloride~and has the lowest salt index of any potash. (0.85 vs. 1.94 for potassium chloride.) It is the safest potash you can buy. Because GSL Sulfate of Potash contains 18% sulfur, you get better disease resistance to Fusarium Patch, Ophiobolus Patch, Dollar Spot Fungus and Powdery Mildew. You also get less Poa Annua infesting your lawns. GSL Sulfate of Potash contains both K and S in the ratio used by grasses. This results in a better response to the nitrogen, phosphate and other nutrients you apply. Let GSL Sulfate of Potash help you keep customers satisfied, increase repeat business and add to your profits. GSL makes several grades of Sulfate of Potash for solutions, granulated, blended or suspension products. Call or write for complete agronomic information. Great Salt Lake Minerals & Chemicals Corp. P.O. Box 1190 Ogden, Utah 84402 Ł (801) 731-3100 Western Office: P.O. Box 14761 Spokane, Wa. 99214 Ł (509)928-2747 Eastern Office: P.O. Box 29695 Richmond, Va. 23229 Ł (804) 288-2996 Northeast Office: 880 Rosedale Ave., Marion, Oh. 43302 Ł (614) 382-5304 A subsidiary of Gulf Resources & Chemical Corporation Houston Circle 106 on free information card Here's the 72 out-front rotary mower that doesn't slip and slide all over side slopes. When we designed this Jacobsen out-front commercial, we knew it could do all of the things we wanted it to. Like mow up to 30 acres a day. Climb up and down curbs. Trim 
tight around trees. And with optional accessories, it can mulch leaves, plow snow or blow snow. And even sweep. The trick was to distribute the weight so it would grip the turf 
with all six wheels when angling along side slopes. Cutter deck tilts up and down for mowing gullies and bank edges. meets the tough power mower safety standards of the American National Standards Institute, Inc. (ANSI). No mean feat in itself. Front wheels support cutter deck for super stability. Jacobsen Manufacturing Company, Racine, Wisconsin 53403 That's why the cutting deck is mounted on the carrier, with the two front wheels supporting it. This design keeps the rear wheels from lifting, and makes the Jacobsen the most stable out-front rotary on the market. Not only that, the weight on the drive wheels can be adjusted for different terrain conditions. For reliable traction. This Jacobsen out-front rotary Can perform zero turning radius, trims like a small mower. We suggest you ask your Jacobsen distributor for a demonstration of this superbly designed mower-trimmer-mulcher-sweeper-snow blower-plow-
combination-miracle-machine. It's the one that digs in on side slopes. An Allegheny Ludlum Industries Company &3S : By Circle 108 on free information card LAWN CARE INDUSTRY MAY 1978 5 Summer weed control starts with Dacthal. DACTHAL® herbicide solves mid-season weed problems before they start popping up on your customers1 lawns. An application two weeks before germination of Poa annua, late crabgrass, goosegrass, annual chickweed and other summer weed pests does the job. Broad-spectrum Dacthal controls a wide variety of annual grassy and broadleaf weeds in turf and ornamentals. Even certain species of troublesome Veronica wither up and die after a postemergence watering with Dacthal. Dacthal won't harm delicate turf. In fact, it is recommended on all lawn grasses. No wonder it's America's favorite turf herbicide. And, if you plan to reseed in the fall, you'll want to go with Dacthal. It won't interfere with fall seedings because it has a half-life of 90 to 120 days. Furthermore, you can apply Dacthal to new seedings in early spring after the grasses have exhibited a uniform greening of newly sprouted grass (1 to 2 inches in height). See your turf chemicals supplier, or contact the Diamond Shamrock Sales Office nearest you: Three Commerce Park Square, 23200 Chagrin Blvd., Beachwood OH 44122 Ł 1401 W. Paces Ferry Rd., NW, Atlanta GA 30327 Ł 5333 Westheimer Rd., Suite 850, Houston TX 77056 Ł Commerce Plaza Bldg., 2015 Spring Road, Oak Brook IL 60521 Ł 617 Veterans Blvd., Redwood City CA 94063. Circle 110 on free information card Diamond Shamrock The resourceful company Michigan State turf students Steve Vasher (left) and Dale Conzelman (right) received the TUCO Outstanding Scholar Award from Henry Lyons of the TUCO Division of Upjohn Co., Kalamazoo, Mich, at the Michigan Turfgrass Conference. PROFESSIONALISM frompoge! source, if not the only source, of lawn and garden chemicals. "It is important to note that this reality will occur only based on our mutual efforts earned through our professionalism," Kampe recently told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. Responding to an article that appeared in a recent issue of LAWN CARE INDUSTRY (see "ChemLawn Agronomist Speaks Out on Lawn Care Profes-sionalism, March, page 1), Kampe said: "Fractionalizing our industry by inaccurate, unsubstantiated claims against ChemLawn or any other company hampers, if not defeats, what has to be our major goal. But attacking companies does not lead to the growth of our individual businesses, and can only conclude in confusion to the 
homeowners, and therefore an uneasiness in purchasing srevices rendered by lawn ser-vice companies." Kampe feels the great ma-jority of homeowners are not purchasing any type of profes-sional lawn service, but are in-stead either doing the work themselves or doing nothing at all. "From that large, untouched base comes the growth of our in-
dustry and the penetration of all 
of our individual companies. "Our experience working in the Long Island area has been 
that large companies have aided in the development of our in-dustry in this market," he said. "This is due to the fact that con-sumer awareness about our in-dustry is developed by all of our promotional efforts." wmmmmmmmm SALES OPEI companies see 2.8% growth this year Participating member com-panies of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute project an overall 2.8 percent growth in selected industry shipments for the 1978 model year. The overall increase includes an average growth of 3.4 percent for walk-behind power mowers; 
3.7 percent for lawn tractors and rising mowers; 0.5 percent for garden tractors and a minus 2.1 percent for walk-behind tillers. The overall average 2.8 per-cent increase for the four pro-duct categories combined con-trasts with the decline in total shipments during the past three years. The last overall industry 
increase occurred in 1974 when 
manufacturers shipped 4.8 per-cent over the 1973 model year. SERVICE Turf specialist outlines what customer expects Homeowners subscribe to a professional lawn service to develop an attractive lawn and reduce the time spent on lawn 
care. But most don't know what to expect from such a service, says a turfgrass specialist for the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. Dr. Richard Duble recently outlined what he and other turf researchers feel a professional 
lawn service should offer. Dr. Duble said that the home-owner is often in a vulnerable position. "A customer is likely to subscribe to the first company of-
fering their service and to change the first time another company claims their service is superior." He said the company should describe its service in detail, pro-vide advance notification of ap-plications, respond within a reasonable time to problem calls 
and provide trained and qualified applicators. "Of course, the lawn service operator should also fulfill his promises. Too many operators 
promise weed control, thatch control and other benefits that they really do not provide." Duble said fertilization in his area should consist of timely and uniform applications of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium at an annual rate of about six, two and four pounds per 1,000 square 
feet, respectively. At least half of the nitrogen should be from a slow-release source. He said a source of iron is also needed in the fertilizer ap-plication to enhance color and prevent serious iron deficiencies that weaken St. Augustinegrass lawns in Texas and elsewhere in the Southwest. "There is no advantage of li-quid over dry fertilizer," he said. 
"Both slow-release and soluble fertilizers can be applied in dry or liquid formulations and can be applied uniformly with pro-per equipment." R 100 gal Tuflex Manufacturing Co...specialists in pest control fiberglass spray tanks. Economical prices with high quality handcrafted workmanship. Many other tank sizes available from stock. FIBERGLASS SPRAY TANKS The Tuflex manufacturing process al lows a five year warranty on all tanks. CONTROL THE PEST...WEED FERTILIZE SPRAY TANKS INTRODUCES THE NEW MODEL PC 200 Cap. 208 gal. 64" Long, 31 3/8" Wide and 27" Deep. De signed for installation forward of the wheel wells in a standard size pick-up truck and meeting EPA standards. PLANT LOCATION: 800 Eller Drive, Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316 U-600 gal U-200 gal THE LARGEST FIBERGLASS "PEST CONTROL" SPRAY TANK MANUFACTURER IN THE SOUTHEAST Write today to: Tuflex Manufacturing Co. P.O. Box 13143. Port Everglades, Florida 33316 C-500 gal or Call 305-525-8815 Circle 106 on free information card LAWN CARE INDUSTRY MAY 1978 7 New officers for the Virginia Turfgrass Council are, front row, left to right: Rex H. Harris, assistant treasurer; Earl H. Odell, secretary-treasurer; Gus C. Constantino, president; and Charles Moss, director. Back row, left to right are directors: George C. Baker, Stephen P. Skowronski, Archie Goode, Richard J. Fisher and W. Ray Weekley. Harris is superintendent, Eagle Haven Golf Course, Norfolk. Odell is assistant division manager for turf for the Toda Farm Equipment Company, Chesapeake; Constantino is president of Wilson Feed & Seed Co., Richmond; Moss is sales administrator for Richmond Power Equipment Co., Richmond; Baker is landscape architect for Dixon & Van, Nor-folk; Skowronski, Goode and Fisher are superintendents of, respectively, Meadowbrook Country Club, Chesapeake; Brookside Golf Club, Roanoke; 
and Lake Monticello Country Club, Charlottesville. DORMANT from pagel rious problem in Michigan and other parts of the Midwest. "By the time dormant ap-plication becomes accepted the problem to which it principally addresses itself will have long since disappeared/' said Art Brown, secretary of the associa-tion. In summing up, the statement said "it may be more advanta-geous to keep the dormant ap-plication method inside the text-
book." The association defines the dormant application method as a program designed to be'gin with a dormant application of IV2 
pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet in November, no ni-trogen application until the Name Firm Street You can fertilize a 4" diameter tree for two years for less than $1.00. And the money-off coupon that comes with each probe saves you $3 to start with. Agriform TabletsŠnothing could be faster, 
easier, safer, or more economical. Order your Agriform fertilizer probe for $6.99 and we'll give you a 
$3.00 coupon for Agriform Tablets Sierra Chemical Company 1001 Yosemite Drive Milpitas, California 95035 Please send me. -probe(s). I have enclosed a check for $6.99 each. Don't forget the coupon 
worth $3.00 toward my purchase of a case of Agriform Tablets for each probe I ordered. Offer expires June 1,1979. State AGItiFDRIl/r Aeriform (T) is used as a trademark of Sierra Chemical Company for its brand of controlled release fertilizers. ®1978 Sierra Chemical Company. LAWN CARE INDUSTRY Circle 112 on free Information card MAY 1978 If you want to feed your trees for 2 years, step on it. The Agriform fertilizer probe makes tree feed-ing fast and economical. It's simple.Take the 
probe and step on it. Just punch holes around 
the drip line of the tree. Drop the Agriform Tablets down into the root zone and walk away, for two years. No fertilizer bags to mess with. No spikes to hammer (and 
break). And, they won't burn or leach away. following June, Vi pound from June through September, and none in October. The main pur-pose of this fertilization program is to decrease lawn disease and 
improve overall vigor of turf-grass by more greatly empha-sizing root growth rather than leaf growth." The statement reads in part: "From the commercial ap-plicators point of view, we feel this method will not succeed since it presupposes customer acceptance . . . whether the dor-mant aplication is right or wrong 
may have little to do with public 
acceptance. We humans are prejudiced and opinionated, and work toward the preservation of 
what we want to believe, and most of us (the general public) would continue to believe that 
healthy grass is green-green grass. We would not wish to believe otherwise since we do 
not want our 'wisdom' to be 
obscured by the facts. "There are a great many things today that we know and accept as 'fact' Š yet will never implement. We still eat candy (bad for teeth), smoke, drink, waste all sorts of resources and in general do as we darned well please. If the general public strongly desires green-green grass in the spring, other recommendations to the contrary will not avail. "It has taken the general public a good 15 years to accept and understand that Merion 
bluegrass is an undesirable grass. In the improbable event that dormant fertilization becomes generally accepted, this would take another 15 years. During this 'learning period' the sod growers will have sold millions of yards of sod, grown with 'disease-resistant' blue-grass seed. By the time the dor-mant application method becomes accepted, the problem to which it principally addresses itself will have disappeared. "We feel that lawn diseases, in general, are either at their peak or declining because most 
newly sodded lawns contain some disease-resistant blue-grasses. A larger problem on the horizon might be the inter-
ference of the Environmental Protection Agency, who has taken our best insecticides and caused a proliferation of turf in-sect problems. "Is a compromise possible? Some of us find that deleting June, July and August spray applications on Fusari um-
infested lawns, plus a daytime watering program, results in the disappearance of the rings. In summing up: it may be more ad-vantageous to keep the dormant application method inside of the textbook, for the time being. A more permanent solution which cures the problem rather than caters to it Š disease-resistant varieties Š is at hand. Those of us who work in the commercial 
realm are not willing to face up to 15 years of confusion if there are other viable alternatives." T M SOPilsSOil Gypsum adds profitable extra sales to your lawn core business! Sof'n-SoilŽ Lawn & Garden Gypsum is a natural soil conditioner you can depend on to help boost your business two ways, two times a year. In Spring, application of Sof'n-Soil gypsum helps make fertilizers work more effectively all season long 
by loosening up heavy clay. This allows root systems to develop normally to keep lawns thriving all summer. In Fall, application of Sof'n-Soil gypsum works like health insurance to protect against the harmful effects of winter de-icing salt. Sodium chloride is toxic to most plants, causes heavy clay soils to tighten, keeps water from leaching out the salt. The available calcium in Sof'n-Soil gypsum replaces toxic sodium attached to the clay soil particles, permits new 
seed or sod to grow normally. Look into the multi-profit opportunities of adding Sof'n-Soil gypsum benefits to your services. Remind ecologically-conscious prospects that Sof'n-Soil gypsum is non-toxic, noncaustic, harmless to plants, pets and people. Ł For specifics, write to us at 101 S. Wacker Dr., Chicago, III. 60606, Dept. LC-58. Circle 110 on free information card LAWN&6ARDEN6YRSUM gtwpff H wwvm'' PivM - V t MMm m; , Mir*. Ł'/.'Ł -CHEMICALS DIVISION UNITED STATES GYPSUM PRIMARY SUPPLIER OF SECONDARY PLANT NUTRIENTS COMPANIES Delta Ornamental moves into new offices Delta Ornamental Spraying, has moved its offices from Agoura to Ventura, Calif., according to company president Don Rodrigues. The company provides weed, insect, disease, rodent and growth regulator applications and consulting services exclu-sively to landscape maintenance and contracting operations in southern California. New address is P.O. Box 5122, Ventura 93003. Phone is (805) 642-6244. High speed Hypro Centrifugals help you get the job done right! Whether you're spraying fertilizer or herbicides or insecticides, Hypro Series 9200 pedestal-mount centrif-ugal pumps give you nozzle pressures to get the job done right! Even with those long discharge lines, Hypro centrifugals deliver. Check em out. Rugged, dependable, economical Hypro centrifugal pumps-and a full line of accessories. Send for your free Hypro Sprayer Pump Handbook 
or pump catalog today. Series 9200 Hypro pedestal centrifugals offer capacities to 130 gpm, handle pressures to 170 psi and speeds to 6000 rpm. Compact, engine driven model features 
space-saving side-by-side mounting. Choose gear or hydraulic drive. Hypro Series 9000 gear-driven centrifugals mount directly on 1% inch PTO shafts. Hypro Series HM9200 centrifugals come complete with hydraulic motor. IS) A DIVISION OF LEAR SIEGLER. INC 319 Fifth Ave NW. St. Paul. Minn 55112 Ł (612) 633-9300 Circle 107 on free information card Texas A & M University Turfgrass Research Field Day, TAMU Turfgrass Field Lab, College Sta-tion, Texas, May 24. Contact: Dr. James B. Beard, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas 77843, 713-845-1551. Pacific Seedsman's Association, Vancouver, B.C. June 4-7. Contact: Margaret Herbst, 101 Park Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017, 212-685-5917. Rutgers Turfgrass Research Field Day, Ryders Lane Station, North Brunswick, N.J., June 7. Con-tact: Dr. Ralph E. Engel, Cook College, Rutgers University, P.O. Box 231, New Brunswick, N.J. 08903, 201-932-9427. Arizona Horticultural Trade Show, Mountain Shadows Resort Hotel, Scottsdale, Ariz., June 8-10. Contact: Ms. Morgan Rayburn, AHTS, 326 W. Cambridge, Phoenix, Ariz. 85003, (602) 279-1445. Oregon Seed Trade Association Meeting, Bend, Ore., June 11-13. Contact: Margaret Herbst, 101 Park Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017, 212-685-5917. Northern California Turfgrass Council Field Day, Fairfield-Suisun Waster Water Treatment Plant and Warren's Turf Nursery, June 14. Contact: Marilyn Heinrichs, P.O. Box 268, Lafayette, Calif. 94549. Merion Bluegrass Association Annual Meeting, Red Lion Inn, Spokane, Wash., June 15-16. Con-tact: Arnie Bonnicksen, 12342 25th N.E., Seattle, Wash. 98125, 206-365-7548. American Sod Producers Association Summer Convention and Field Days, Sheraton-Spokane, Spokane, Wash., July 19-21. Contact: Bob Garey, ASPA, Association Building, 9th and Minnesota, Hastings, Neb. 68901, (402) 463-5691. Missouri Turf Field Day, University of Missouri South Farms, Columbia, July 25. Contact: Dr. John H. Dunn, 1-43 Agriculture Building, University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo. 65211, 314-882-7838. Penn Allied Nursery Trade Show, Hershey Convention Center, Hershey, Pa., July 25-27. Contact: PNA, Inc., 169 W. High St., Carlisle, Pa. 17013, (717) 243-1786. University of Massachusetts Turfgrass Field Day, University Farm, South Deerfield, July 26. Con-tact: Dr. Joseph Troll, Stockbridge Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass. 01003, 413-545-2353. Illinois Landscape Contractors Association Annual Summer Field Day, Stonegate Farm Nursery, Poplar Grove, 111., Aug. 2. Contact: Carole Rachesky, Box 484, Bloomingdale, 111. 60108, (312) 894-4774. Lawn, Garden, Outdoor Living Show, Division of National Hardware Show, McCormick Place, Chicago, Aug. 14-17. Contact: Charles Snitow, National Hardware Show, Inc., 331 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017, (212) 682-4802. Central Plains Turfgrass Association/Kansas State University Field Day, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., Aug. 23. Contact: Dr. Robert N. Carrow, Horticulture Department, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan. 66506, (913) 532-6170. Farwest Nursery Garden and Supply Show, Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Ore., Aug. 25-27. Con-tact: Carl Plog, Farwest Nursery Show, 224 S. W. Hamilton St., Portland, Ore. 97201, (503) 221-1182. Ohio Turf and Landscape Day, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, Ohio, Sept. 12. Contact: Edward H. Roche, OARDC, Wooster, Ohio 44691, (216) 264-1021. Virginia Turfgrass Field Days and Trade Show, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univer-sity, Blacksburg, Va., Sept. 12-14. Contact: Dr. John F. Shoulders, Department of Agronomy, 419 Smyth Hall, VPI Blacksburg, Va. 24061, (703) 951-5797. International Pesticide Applicators Association Annual Convention, Sea-Tac Motor Inn, 18740 Pacific Highway South, Seattle, Wash., Sept. 13-15. Contact: Ed Walters, 20057 Ballinger Rd., N.E., Seattle, Wash. 98155, (206) 362-9100. Pacific Horticultural Trade Show, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, Calif., Sept. 20-22. Contact: Richard Staples, 1005 8th St., Suite 303, Sacramento, Calif. 95814, (916) 443-7373. Midwest Turf Field Day, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., Sept. 25. Contact: Dr. William H. Daniel, Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, 2-443 Lilly Hall, West Lafayette, Ind. 47907, 317-749-2891. Northwest Turfgrass Conference, Holiday Inn, Richland, Wash., Sept. 25-28. Contact: Dr. Roy L. Goss, Western Washington Research and Extension Center, Puyallup, Wash. 98371, (206) 845-6613. Fourth Annual Garden Industry of America Conference and Trade Show, Cincinnati Convention and Exposition Center, Sept. 29-Oct. 1. Contact: Paul Anderson, GIA, Box 1092, Minneapolis, Minn. 55440, (612) 374-5200. Northern California Turfgrass Council Irrigation Seminar, Goodman Hall, Jack London Square, Oakland, Calif., Oct. 4. Contact: Richard Harrison, Room 201, City Hall, Alameda, Calif. 94501. Central Plains Turfgrass Conference, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., Oct. 4-6. Contact: Dr. Robert N. Carrow, Horticulture Department, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan. 66506, (913) 532-6170. 10 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY MAY 1978 James Mcintosh has been named manager of Snow Prod-ucts Operation by Jacobsen Manufacturing Co., Racine, Wis. Also, Dale W. Pautzke has joined the company's Turf Products Div. as manager of its international sales office. Jay Glatt, former director of market development and assist-
ant director of the Oregon De-
partment of Agriculture, has 
joined Turf-Seed, Inc., Hub-bard, Ore., as vice president of the company's marketing de-partment. NEWSMAKERS ChemLawn Corp., Colum-bus, Ohio, has announced its 
new branch managers for this lawn care season: Ron Bahr, Toronto; Denny Baker, Cincinnati South; David Battles, Flint, Mich.; Floyd Beck-tell, Fort Wayne, Ind.; John Bran-non, Atlanta East; Morey Bru-baker, Houston West; Terry 
Cahill, Fort Worth, Texas; Mike 
Carpenter, Louisville (Ken.) West; Larry Congleton, Louis-ville East; Phil Cozart, Austin, Texas. Also, Chuck Deal, Boston; Dave Dempsey, Philadelphia Warminster; Tim Fortner, Columbus, Ind.; Dave Hildeth, Detroit Frazer; Fred Hobbs, Chi-cago Willowbrook; Rus Holli-day, Baltimore Owings Mills; Dave Houchins, Quad Cities; 
Bob Houschel, Chicago Arling-ton Heights; Rick Knepper, Pitts-burgh North Hills. Also, Craig Mason, Wichita, Kan.; Pat McAtee, Memphis, Tenn.; Danny Meyers, Houston North; George Miller, Lansing, Mich.; Rod Mills, Dallas South; 
Eric Minks, Columbus Gahanna; Bob O'Bara, Detroit West; Dave Ransome, QuadCities; Rich Spencer, Munster, Ind.; Bill Stanfill, Baltimore White Marsh; Doc Sturgeon, Huntsville, Ala.; 
Bob Vanchure, Philadelphia Malvern; Ray Wells, Baton Rouge, La.; Harold Williams, Denver; and Tom Wozniak, St. Louis Fenton. Mike Shaffer and Dennis Kollmorgen have been named lawn applicators for Yardmas-ter, Mentor, Ohio, according to company owner Kurt Kluznik. Jim Hamilton is the new sales manager at Zaun Equipment in St. Petersburg, Fla. He had been manager at the company's Or-
lando branch for five years and has been with company for 11 years. Gordon LaFontaine, vice president of Lawn Equipment 
Corp., Royal Oak, Mich., has been named president of the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation. 
Chuck Tatte has been named 
vice president. Among new board members are Robert Ol-sen, representing the lawn care industry. The Outdoor Power Equip-ment Group of Toro Co., Min-neapolis, has announced ap-
pointments: Lyle Fahning has been named manager for prod-uct evaluation; James E. Lovaas has been named to the new post of planning administrator; James C. Bruha will replace Lovaas as plant superintendent at the com-pany's Tomah, Wis. plant. The company's Irrigation Div. has promoted two people: Sara Romspert has been named parts accessories product manager, a 
new position. She will be re-placed in her former post as sales order supervisor by Sally Jo Ashton. Roundup.There's no better grooming aid for unruly turf. Monsanto Agricultural Prod-ucts Co., St. Louis, has named J. Edward Ruzic industrial herbi-cide manager for Roundup her-bicide. He succeeds Walter Hob-good, who has been appointed crop chemicals manager for Southeast Asia. Kris Early has been named irrigation specialist for Tri-State Toro Co., Davenport, Iowa. He will be responsible for sales and service of Toro irrigation equip-ment, working with contractors and designing systems for resi-
dential and commercial installa-tion. The Outdoor Power Equip-ment Group, FMC Corp., Port Washington, Wis. has announced four appointments: William C. Soellner has been promoted to general sales manager of lawn and garden equipment; David J. LeMay has been promoted to na-tional sales manager; G. J. Ludke has been promoted to manager-distribution services; and Charles F. Bartlett has been pro-moted to director of marketing for international sales and mar-keting. Roundup* belongs in your turf renovation program. Renovation of a weedy fairway, sod farm or other grassy area used to be a laborious and time-consuming chore, but not any more. Not with Roundup* herbicide by Monsanto. Because one application of Roundup will control many annual and perennial weeds, yet allow you to proceed with tillage and planting operations as soon as seven days later. Roundup also makes sense wherever treatments for grounds maintenance are called for. One man with Roundup in a backpack sprayer can replace many of the herbicides and frequent repeat treatments that are often necessary. Roundup gets to the root of the problem. Including many of your toughest vegetation problems, like: bluegrass, bermudagrass, quack-grass, bindweed, johnsongrass, fescue and vaseygrass. Can you afford to let another season go by without Roundup in your turf renovation and arounds maintenance programs? Your local chemical dealer is the one to see for your supply of Roundup herbicide. Roundup has no residual soil activity. That's why you can go in seven days later and re-plant. 
Roundup won't wash, leach or volatize from the treated area 
to injure desirable vegetation. Naturally, normal precautions should be observed to avoid spray drift. "Translocation" is the key. Roundup is applied to the weed foliage, absorbed through the leaf surface, and "translocated" throughout the entire plant. In this way, Roundup destroys the entire weed, including the roots or rhizomes. Soellner There's never been a herbicide like this before. J f Monsanto ALWAYS READ AMD CAREFULLY FOLLOW THE LABEL DIRECTIOMS FOR ROUNDUP HERBICIDE. Roundup" is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company, St. Louis, Mo. C Monsanto Company, 1978. RI78-04 Circle 117 on free Information card LAWN CARE INDUSTRY Marketplace Los Angeles has a lot of things that you don't see in other parts of the country. . . It has miles and miles of free-ways, Hollywood . . . and dichon-dra. It has the mountains, the ocean . . . and an alkaline soil to beat them all. It has movie stars, the San Fernando Valley . . . and front yards so small that the drive-ways next to them can only fit one car. It has the Palmdale Bulge, smog that makes your eyes burn .. . and Japanese gardeners. And it has plenty of beaches, an abundance of long-legged blondes . . . and the type of pesti-cide and work regulations that make Ralph Nader sleep peace-fully at night. Add it all up, and you try to figure out the situation for the lawn care industry in Los Angeles. Denne Goldstein has spent a lot of time and money doing just that. He came out from New York in the mid-60's with a franchise from what was then the giant in the East Š Lawn-a-
Mat. He established the base, and as recently as 1975, there were 15 Lawn-a-Mat franchises in southern California. Now there are two. The one run by Goldstein in the San Fer-
nando Valley and Aaron Hawker's operation in Orange County. Over the years, Goldstein says he has poured more than 
$100,000 into advertising and pro-motion, including six ads in TV GUIDE one year at $1,200 a pop. 
And a grand total of eight in-quiries to show for his invest-
ment. You talk to Goldstein's Encino barber Š a typical southern Cali-fornian who recently moved into a new home and added $9,000 worth of lawn and plantings. "I 
have a gardener that takes care of all of this, why do I need a lawn care service?" Bob Cohen, owner of another of the few 
bonafide lawn care services in Los Angeles backs up this point by saying that 80 to 90 percent of his customers have a gardener. The Japanese gardeners are indeed predominant. This may be one reason why lawn care has barely gotten a toehold in Los Angeles. Another reason is the Los small size of the lawns. Lawn care businessmen who are operating say that the average size of a lawn they care for is 
only 2,500 square feet, and many 
are smaller than that (with an 
average price of $100,000 for a home, many people living in the East and Midwest might find this 
hard to believe based on the size of lawns for less expensive 
houses they have). Another reason that might ex-plain why lawn care has not 
flourished is the fact that the 
lawns are made up of so many different varieties of turfgrass and ground covers. Everything 
from bermudagrass, kikuyu-grass, bentgrass, bluegrass, rye-
grass and ground ivy to dichon-dra, which is considered a weed in many parts of the country. The sheer volume of varieties in most lawn areas makes it hard 
for a company to come in with a single uniform tank mix to treat a single type of turf. The effi-ciencies and economies of scale that come with a production-
type, assembly line approach are just not possible. And don't forget regulations. California is the most regulated of the 50 states, and it is hard to do much of anything involved with fertilizers and pesticides without filling out a raft of forms. It makes it hard for the small 
company. There wasn't even a "lawn maintenance" section in the Yel-
low Pages until last year, and even now most lawn care businessmen admit that "no-
body reads it anyway." But there is some very definite lawn care activity in Los Angeles, and observers of the green industry look for more in the future. Besides the Lawn-a-
Mat franchises and Cohen's The Green Scene, there is also Mel Light and Bob Maxson with The Sowing Machine, Joe Di Ber-nardo with Four Seasons Pest Control, Mike Shapiro with 
Lawn Masters and others already in the market and mak-ing an impact. In addition to this, a new com-pany Š Pacific Green Š with an affiliation to respected Pacific 
Sod Farms in Camarillo is open-ing its doors this year in Beverly Hills offices. With their identifi-cation in the Los Angeles green industry the company should be 
a factor. Also, the strong land-scape contracting industry has one eye cocked and is waiting for 
the market to open up, and then you can be sure that many of those companies who are dabbl-ing in it now will become more of 
a force. Angeles by Robert Earley Editor As you walk up to Bob Co-hen's office of The Green Scene in west Los Angeles, you walk through what might be called a "lawn showroom." He has about 10 different kinds of seed and sod planted with signs on stakes in each patch of lawn grass. In the last few years he has be-come involved in installing lawns as well as caring for them, and this practice allows his cus-tomers and potential customers to see what a particular lawn will look like. He began his lawn business in the late 60's after a career as an 
aerospace engineer and investor analyst. He started with a granu-lar fertilization program, worked out of his home for the first year and grossed about $25,000. He now has built his business up to the point where he has 600 cus-tomers. About two years ago he 
began doing business as a land-scape contractor and got in-volved in sodding and hydro-
seeding. He feels that much of the competition for a lawn care busi-ness such as his is Japanese gar-
deners, "who are not always as 
knowledgeable and professional as they should be." Because of the proliferation of these gar-deners, he says the concept of a lawn treatment service is for-eign to most homeowners in Los Angeles. "They say 'I have a gardener that does that, don't I,' when you ask them about a lawn care ser-vice program," the 40-year-old Cohen said. "But what kind of 
job can that gardener do? He might receive a 10 or 15 percent discount on his materials which is about the only profit he can make on the application. On a $100 application, he might only make $10 for himself, and if he Cohen Saunders loses the lawn because of faulty application, he might risk losing a job that means between $500 and $1,000 a year to him in main-tenance revenue." Cohen says that 85 to 90 per-cent of his customers have a gar-dener to handle maintenance, while he fertilizes and provides pest control for the lawn. His average customer has a 2,500-square-foot lawn. He provides his service every other month, or six times a year. In addition to his basic spray service, he also 
offers dethatching, renovating, seeding and root feeding of trees and shrubs. He employes two "treatment specialists" who service 12 to 15 lawns a day. "You have to re-
member that we are managing a great variety of turfs, including bermudagrass, bluegrass, kikuyugrass, St. Augustinegrass, dichondra and many other groundcovers. Dichondra is con-sidered a broadleaf weed back East, but for some people out here, that is the only cover they have." How does Cohen or anybody in the lawn business in Los An-geles and the rest of southern California manage all of these different varieties? "Lawn busi-
ness out here is much more tech-
nical Š it's not just fertilizer, weeds and bugs," he says. "The biggest problem is choosing what herbicide to use, because they are not selective. You also can't 
afford to hire low-quality peo-ple, because they have to be able 
to make on-the-spot decisions 
about what to spray, where to spray and when to spray. The business is just more difficult out here because you can't go out 
with a common potion and spray everybody's lawn the same 
way." Cohen says he has figured out a way to treat all of the varieties of turf, but won't say exactly how he does it, although he does say 
his trucks are outfitted with 200-
gallon spray tanks after earlier using 1,000-gallon tanks. He also gets involved in treating garden areas adjacent to the homes he services. His typical charge for a 2,500-square-foot lawn treat-ment is about $23 for the basic service. He says the existing pric-ing standard for lawn work is similar to the pricing standards of the more established pest con-trol industry, but that as more companies come into the lawn care business in the next few years Š and he definitely be-lieves this is going to happen Š that the pricing structure will ad-
just downward due to increased competition. "I see no real limit to the kind of business I want to do," he says. He eventually hopes to 
have four or five service vehi-cles going full-time and also be 
grossing over $500,000. As for the future of the lawn care industry in Los Angeles, he feels that it will be necessary for a major sponsor to come in to make some kind of impact, "you are not going to do it with a lot of 
little guys because of advertis-ing requirements," he says. "Right from the beginning you are going to have to drop $50,000 to $100,000 worth of advertising down a black hole to make any kind of impact." He said that he spends about $5,000 a year on ad-
vertising. To get Tim Saunders of Mis-sion Viejo Pest Control on the phone, just dial 586-BUGS. The former Shell salesman decided to start a pest control business two years ago rather than trans-ferring to a different city for the company. He is 34 years old and has a B.S. in horticulture from Colorado State University. "I really think southern Cali-fornia has a lot of potential for the lawn care business, but I just Arrowsmith Handschuch can't figure out why somebody has not gone into it yet in a big way," Saunders said. He has not gone into the lawn care business in a big way yet, 
but does get involved in insect spraying and tree and ornamen-tal work. He has three sprayers, and has them set up to do about $200 worth of spraying a day, al-though he is gradually raising 
their quotas. "As far as I am concerned, any employe of mine is going to be licensed because of the risks involved with burning a lawn or losing a lawn because of appli-
cation of the wrong chemicals." He has his employes on an hourly plus commission plan that allows them to earn between $9,-000 and $12,000 a year. He now uses 50- and 100-gallon tanks, but says he will go to larger tanks when he gets further involved in outdoor work. He also uses small Toyota pickup trucks now, but says they are "toys." He is going to bigger, conventional pickups in the future. Greg Arrowsmith, 31, and Clint Handschuch, 31, began A & H Landscape Services, Inc. in Mission Viejo two years ago after 
working as golf course superin-tendents and doing other types of landscape construction work for a number of years. About 25 per-cent of their work is spraying of trees, general business facil-ities, roadsides, residential areas and work for community asso-
ciations. Jim Becker is in charge 
of the spray operation. About 50 percent of their work is hydro-
seeding and the balance is con-tracting. They have 31 employes. He feels that there is defi-nitely a market for chemical fer-tilizing and pest control in Los Angeles, because "the home-owner is interested in having his lawn, trees and shrubs look good, and he is willing to pay for it." They both say that many of the landscape contracting compan-ies in the Los Angeles area have one eye cocked on the lawn care market possibilities. "We are all thinking about it, but nobody has perfected a pro-gram for the great variety of situ-ations present here in lawns," Arrowsmith said. Part of the rea-son for this, he says, is that there is so much lucrative contracting work available that nobody has had the time. They feel that a system utiliz-ing smaller tanks is the way to go rather than the 1,000- to 1,500-gallon spray tank systems that are predominant in other parts of 
the country. Wayne DuBoise, 38, started Mission Landscape Services, Costa Mesa, in 1973 as a partner-ship, but found out fast that "partnerships just don't work out." It only lasted eight months, 
before he dissolved it and went into business for himself. He has built his business into a $270,000-a-year gross with six trucks on the road at any given time and between 15 and 20 employes. His business is primarily industrial mowing and maintenance with about 40 industrial accounts. He feels there is probably no place like southern California as far as lawn care potential goes. DuBoise Shapiro "I think until the economic system really crashes that you are going to see people around here spending money on their lawn and shrubs. The market is definitely here, but I don't think any one company is going to come in and blanket the whole area and take over all of the business." Mike Shapiro, manager of Lawn Masters in Encino in the 
San Fernando Valley has about 
700 customers, probably the largest lawn care only operation in Los Angeles. His minimum rate is $22.50 for his granular lawn care applications, and his company visits a customer lawn six times a year. The company applies fertil-izers and pesticides in granular 
form and also seed and aerate on an optional basis. Shapiro said 
that the company recently switched over from trying to sell new customers on an annual pro-gram with yearly cost figures. They have had more success sell-ing customers with brochures and sales techniques geared to to page 14 13 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY MAY 1978 Los Angeles from page 13 the one-time charge, and then converting the customer to an-nual. In the past the company has used phone solicitations, but the 
results have not been success-ful. Joseph Di Bernardo, 49, began his Four Seasons Pest Control 10 years ago after a career as an in-surance salesman. Like many others getting into business, he found out quickly that a partner-
ship was not the way to go for him. He said the problem is that there are just too many basic dif-ferences between partners. When he first started out, he was involved in installing lawns, renovation and sprinkler in-stallation, but now just sprays lawns, trees and shrubs with pesticides and also fertilizes. More than 20 percent of his 
business is home lawns, and he gets much of his work in lawn and tree disease spraying from 
other companies who do not 
specialize in it. About 15 percent of his work is weed control. He does much industrial spraying, and also includes among his 
customers many Hollywood and television stars (see accompany-ing story). "The California market is very much different from the rest of the country," he said. "We have virtually a 12-month grow-ing season and just an Don Napolitano Kessloff astronomical amount of gardeners. In fact, I get 25 per-cent of my referrals from gardeners. I have a tremendous respect for the gardener who seeks competent help in areas he does not understand. But not all of them do though." Di Bernardo's program in-volves six to eight visits a year for a large estate and less num-ber of visits for smaller yards. He handles pest control in the yard, 
fertilization and weed control and citrus spraying. His average yard is about 2,500 to 3,000 square feet, with a minimum charge of $30. They service five to eight yards a day. He said about 50 percent of his lawns are dichondra, 40 per-cent bluegrass and 10 percent 
bermudagrass. He said that cut-worms and flea beetles are a problem in dichondra lawns. At present, he is designing his own spray truck with a 400-gallon tank divided into two sections of 200 gallons each for the variety of spraying to be done on his jobs. Instead of the traditional green-and-white trucks that are pre-14 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY dominant in the industry, he is having his painted red and 
white. He said that it takes about $25 for his minimum pest control 
spray, but that he rarely does a minimum job. He advertises primarily in the Yellow Pages under the tree care classifi-cations, because it has been only in the past few years that a "lawn maintenance" section has been 
established in the directories, and he says that no home owners read it yet anyway. He also has small ads under "weed control" and "pest control." This year he will be advertising in three phone books, up from one book. At present, he has three trucks with 300-gallon tanks and 20-gallon-per-minute pumps. Each truck is completely equip-
ped with both dry and liquid chemicals in storage compart-ments. He uses stainless steel 
tanks on a 3/4- and one-ton 
pickups. He uses 300-foot hoses 
on electric reels and even has one 600-foot hose for difficult-to-reach places. Don Napolitano, 35, began Associate Industries, Inc., in Montebello eight years ago along with his father, Alex, 58, and his brother, Dave, 28. They are a 
full-service company, doing design, installation, maintenance and irrigation. Last year the com-pany grossed $1.2 million. They 
now have 25 vehicles and 50 year-round employes. About $250,000 of their business is maintenance. "For a lot of the business that we install we also come back and pick up the contract for the main-tenance on it," he said. "This is one of our main selling points Š the capability to handle the full package." Most of their work at 
present is condominiums and commercial accounts, unlike the 
residential work they started with eight years ago. Their main-
tenance jobs range from a small bank with a charge of $100 a month to a large industrial com-plex that brings in $10,000 a 
month in maintenance fees. Alex is in charge of the maintenance division, with 12 full-time em-ployes. Bill Kessloff is president of Programmed Landscape Main-tenance in Stanton in Orange County, and also is president of the Long Beach/Orange County chapter of the California Land-scape Contractors Association. He is involved in commercial landscape maintenance, design, 
installation and irrigation in-stallation. He has about 125 ac-counts on the books and about 45 employes. Most of his work is 
concentrated in residential areas, school systems, cities and 
parks. He said for the lawn care in-dustry to make inroads into the 
southern California market they will have to replace the garden-er. "Back in the East and the Midwest, there is no split re-sponsibility, and I just don't 
think that industry will ever grow out here because of that reason. The gardener takes care 
of everything, and that is what people are used to." Dave Mitts is vice president and operations manager and O. V. "Chip" Morgan is director of institutional sales for Bandini Fertilizer Co. in Los Angeles. They sell a lot of fertilizer in the area, and have some definite 
ideas about whether or not the lawn care industry could ever make it in Los Angeles. Mitts says: "To a great ex-tent, professional gardeners do most of the lawn work." He esti-mates that 60 percent of the households with an income of 
$25,000 or more have a gardener. Morgan feels that the initial lawn care company in the mar-ket Š Lawn-a-Mat Š failed "miserably because most people want the total maintenance job done, including mowing.'1 "I am personally very doubt-ful that the lawn care industry will ever catch on out here in residential developments," Mitts said. "Perhaps in the condomin-
iums, but I think the company will have to provide complete lawn care." Alex Napolitano Dave Napolitano Morgan adds: "It will be diffi-cult for a company to compete 
with the Japanese gardeners and the firemen working on the weekends." Larry Hart, 42, is vice presi-dent of Davis Pacific Corp. based in Beverly Hills, and closely in-volved with Pacific Sod Farms in Camarillo. Along with Brian 
Johnson, 27, and Christine McCarthy, 22, he has been study-
ing the lawn care market and 
will be starting up a new branch Morgan of the company Š "Pacific Green" Š this year. The com-plete name is "Pacific Green 
Lawn Feeding Service." "There are a great variety of lawn covers out here," Hart said, "and one thing we are going to tell people is that if they want di-chondra lawns, then they will also have to have other broad-leaf weeds as well in the lawn, because we will not be able to treat it with our system." They view their service as "supporting and supplementing the Japanese gardeners, not re-
placing them," according to Hart. The three are now in the process of designing their lawn care truck, and are working with the idea of using small pickups with two 60-gallon tanks. They will most likely be using the home owners' water and mix right on the spot. "We feel that with the tre-mendous number of varieties that there is no way to offer a 
lawn care service but on a cus-tom basis for each lawn," John-son said. They feel that the planned key to their success will be pene-tration within one area. They 
will be starting out in their back-yard in the area around Beverly Hills, and hope to have incre-mental growth to the saturation point and then expand if all goes well. Before anything becomes firm, they will continue to test thoroughly. "We will be looking for re-tention of customers and a slow, steady growth," Hart said. They envision a program of five or six visits a years, depending on the varieties maintained. They will offer fertilizer, insect and weed Sprayer of the stars On Academy Awards night recently, Joe Di Bernardo, owner of Four Seasons Pest Control in Westlake Village, Calif, was rooting for the movies "Goodbye Girl" and "Turning Point" 
to win the top award a little more avidly then the average movie-goer. Herbert Ross, the producer of those two movies, is one of Di Bernardo's lawn spray customers. His living room is adorned with autographed pictures of both television and movie stars he has done lawn care for in the last 10 years. People like Neil Simon, who wrote "Goodbye Girl"; Mike 
Connors of "Mannix" fame; Dean Jones of Walt Disney movies; Dennis Weaver of "Gunsmoke" and "McCloud"; comedian Foster 
Brooks; songwriter Jimmy Webb; pianist Roger Miller; Guy Marks; Ross Porter and many others. A few days after the Academy Awards ("Annie Hall" won the top prize) Di Bernardo had another good reason to do some serious rooting for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team on their open-ing day. First baseman Steve Garvey is also one of his lawn and yard care customers. MAY 1978 Bob Baier control and disease control on a special basis. Although prices have not yet been established, they see a cost of between $25 and $30 per appli-cation the basic figure, McCar-thy said. At the end of their first year in business, they hope to have between 500 and 1,000 ac-counts on the books. "Subse-quent growth would hopefully be at a much more rapid rate," Hart said. Bob Baier, 34, started Plant Control Corp., Irvine, six years ago after being involved in turf sales for a number of compan-ies. At present, 40 percent of his work is hydroseeding, 30 per-cent is maintenance and con-
struction and 30 percent is spray-ing. They also do quite a bit of 
lawn renovation work with their 26 employes. Almost two years ago, he had his brother Jim, 25, doing noth-ing but residential spray work af-ter a trip back East to see how the Major companies were approaching the lawn care mar-ket. "The major problem I see Hart McCarthy out here is that the landscapes are made up of so many differ-
ent kinds of plant material," he said. "It does not lend itself to the production approach that you have to have to make money at it." He is still attempting to de-velop a residential division, and one approach has been what he 
calls "quarterly sprays" in areas where the lots are between 6,000 and 10,000 square feet. He has 
less than 100 accounts at pres-ent, but charges anywhere from $100 to $250 a quarter, depend-
ing on lot size and work to be done. The basic program is pesti-
cide spraying, with the accounts checked twice a month and billed monthly. Another approach he has taken is what he calls a "weed insurance plan" that was de-veloped from the spadework he did in trying to develop his resi-dential business. He works with a contractor putting in a subdivi-sion, taking care of preparing the 
soil and landscaping prior to the new home owners moving in. Then he offers a plan to the own-er, complete with a certificate Johnson firn Baier that guarantees a weed-free lawn if the program he started with the contractor is kept up. 
His basic charge might be $30 for 2,000 square feet of lawn a quar-ter, and could go up to about $80 depending on size of the lawn 
and number of slopes, etc. He feels that for a lawn care company to make inroads in the market it will have to be on the 
basis of spraying pesticides, not fertilizer. Mel Light, 31, and Bob Max-son, 34, started The Sowing Ma-chine in west Los Angeles in June of 1976. They both had worked for Lawn-a-Mat franchises in the Los Angeles area, and decided to strike out on their own. They 
started out on the basis of pro-viding lawn maintenance, but have gradually gotten further into installing bluegrass lawns. At present they have 100 cus-tomers on a lawn maintenance schedule, and they service each lawn six times a year. They fer-tilize, apply pre- and post-emer-gence weed controls, spot seed and renovate when necessary. For installing a bluegrass lawn, they charge $170 for 1,000 square feet. Light adds: "If some big com-pany comes along and opens the market up, makes people aware, then I think it will be a very via-ble market. And as soon as some-body does, us and a lot of people 
like us are going to be right there 
competing with them." Manufacturers look at Los Angeles lawn care While in Los Angeles gathering information for this Market-place feature, LAWN CARE INDUSTRY organized a round table discussion with some of the local manufacturers that serve the national lawn care industry. Here's what they said about the Los Angeles market. Bob Windham, executive vice president, Turf-Vac Corp., Signal Hill: "We don't have lawns out West, at least not the size they have in the East and Midwest. But that doesn't mean there isn't business. I think you can retain the name lawn care if you want, but concentrate 
on educating the customer to a total concept of 
yard care .. John Slagor, Master Sprayers, Inc., Ontario: "I think you need to call it something besides lawn care. The first thing that goes through my mind as I look at the ads in your magazine is a couple guys piling off a truck with a 1,500-gallon tank on it and hosing down a lawn and then splitting. With the size of lawns out here, we don't have that situation . . Gary Bailey, national sales manager, Moody 
Sprinkler Co., Costa Mesa: "People aren't as settled out here, they are very mobile. People moved in, put in K-Mart front yards, then saw their houses appreciate in value three or four 
times before they sold them. The new home-owner doesn't want that K-Mart front yard af-ter the inflated price he paid for the house, and this is where your landscape people can come in and renovate and keep it green . . John Dobbins, president, Dobbins Corp., Gar-
den Grove: "Out here we can grow bermuda-grass without too much trouble. But I have 
noticed particularly in the Orange County area people are beginning to appreciate the value of a beautiful bluegrass lawn that is, un-fortunately, also more susceptible to insects and disease, and these people are going to pay to have their lawn maintained by an expert Gene Burton, Raindrip, Inc., Panorama City: "With the smaller lawn area, the homeowner is more susceptible to transmission of dis-eases and takes more nutrients out of the soil because of the intensive growing. He goes along by himself until he finds a bunch of bare ground and dead bushes and wonders what happened. At that point he will call in a professional . . W. F. York, president, Turf-Vac Corp.: "Peo-ple will do what they are taught to do. I am really not that familiar with an awful lot of advertising that told me I ought to have a lawn care service. People out here have been educated to have a pest control service or they are eaten out of house and home. The same could hold true for lawn care . . Dale Dodds, general manager, J. J. Mauget Co., Burbank: "People have yards out here with many ornamentals and trees to .go along 
with their lawns. The lawn care man who is going to make it out here has to know trees and ornamentals as well as lawn problems. You can't separate the two. It will have to be combined with the lawn care . . 15 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY MAY 1978 TURF MANAGEMENT ^ncernedcäboŽsts? Sizing up your market For more than 10 years, Uni-versity of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service specialist Stanley Rachesky has kept records of the inquiries on pest problems that have come into his Chicago office. Since Chicago is a typical midwestern city, Rachesky's results can be helpful in letting midwestern lawn and tree care businessmen see when each of their services can be of most value, and when to advertise them. Over the years, 4,532 persons called in with lawn insect prob-lems. In order of importance, June was the busiest month, with 856 inquiries. April had 846 in-quiries; May, 812; September, 715; August, 513; and July, 408. Rachesky's figures show that 1,554 persons had inquires about lawn diseases in the period. In June, 438 persons called in; in May, 356; August, 253; Septem-ber, 148; and April, 145. Figures showed that 656 per-sons called in cankerworm in-quiries Š 402 in June, and 176 in May. For aphids, the predominant problem months were June and February. For bagworms, the predominant problem months were September and August. For black vine weevil, the predomi-nant problem months were April 
and May. For tree borers, the predominant problem months were August and June. For cottony maple scale, the predominant problem month was by far April. For elm leaf beetle, the predominant problem month was July. For moles, the 
predominant problem months were February and November. Joe Bredeson has knocked on a lot of doors Š those of both lawn care professionals and their customers. Here the territory manager for Swift Agricultural Chemicals Corp. tells you how to analyze your potential. The business of professional lawn care breaks down into five areas Š knowledge of the mar-
ket, knowledge of the product and services, knowledge of the 
competition, knowledge of the customer's lawn and knowledge of the customer as a unique individual. I. THE MARKET (a) Who are the customers and potential custom-ers in the target mar-ket? (b) What are their needs and wants in the gener-al areas of customer be-havior that as a profes-sional lawn care busi-nessman you might be able to serve? Are these 
needs and wants rela-tively stable or relative-
ly capable of change? 
How are they changing or how might they change (both short and long range future)? (c) How are these needs and wants now being satisfied? Can they be better satisfied? If so, how? (d) What relevant external forces of change are at work Š social, econom-ic, technological, politi-cal, and so on Š that 
might change the an-swers above? (e) How do customers or po-tential customers per-DERBY TILLER-POWER HOE THATCHES & AERATES LAWNS Cuts neat borders around shrubs Š Tills soil for re-planting patches of old grass Š Power churns fertil-izers into soil Š Weeds flower beds and decorative plantings of shrubs Š Weighs 17 lbs., EASY TO USE. Patch Reseeding Not in Stores . . . We sell factory direct to save you money. Built for rugged use. Good engineering + simple design = low price. American made, gasoline powered, work tested for 10 years by truck farmers, nursery-men and gardeners. Derby Tiller-Power Hoe aerates or thatches 20 x 40 ft. section in five minutes or less. Has precise depth control, weeds 1 to 3 inches deep. High speed tines break ground for planting, tills 6 to 8 inches deep, power churns soil into finely granulated loam .. . Tills 9 in-ches wide. Powered by rugged 1 hp engine, easy to start ... fun to run ... women & children can operate it safely ... you guide it single handed ... doesn't tire you out. . . weighs 17 lbs. Makes easy work of hard chores. Built by Co. with 50 years experience in the manufacture of tough dependable gardening tools. Aerates & Thatches Weeds Small Spaces Service agents in your area, fully guaranteed ... your money back if not satisfied ... for full information plus free gardening guide write or call ... r I DERBY TILLER CO. . P.O. BOX 21 I RUMSON, N.J. 07760 CITY_ I Orders accepted by phone Mon.-Sat. 9 ! to 5, Call (201) 741-0601. Circle 114 on free Information card ceive your firm as a pro-fessional lawn care busi-ness, your products and services? (f) Who are your direct competitors in these tar-get markets? For each, 
what service is being of-fered? What are the competitors apparent strategies? What is his capability for change in strategy? How has he reacted in the past to competitive pressures? How might he react in the future? (g) What kind of indirect competition is there or might there be in the fu-ture? Because of the great diver-sity of markets and lawn busi-nesses, this description of kinds of lawn care market intelligence needed is necessarily overgen-eralized, but it may serve as a framework of thinking for the new lawn service account man-
agement as one considers and analyzes this important element of the selling operations task. II. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES This element is basic . .. yet often not taken serious. Cer-
tainly, every lawn care em-ploye in direct contact with the customer must have a 
"complete" knowledge of everything about his prod-ucts and services Š how they are made, characteris-tics, why they are made that way, how they will be ap-plied and at what rates for best results, schedule of lawn service and what takes 
place on each call, and so on. This is a never-ending facet of a successful lawn care 
business because technol-ogy is changing so rapidly. III. COMPETITION Here we are merely open-ing the door with the follow-ing kinds of data about the 
competitors: (a) Who: Obviously we must con-sider each competitor by name. Note that we are interested only in those rivals who are actively 
calling on the lawn care 
customers in this target market. (b) How much: How much business 
each competitor secures 
is important for the fu-ture strategy of one's lawn care business. In one's future strategy 
should one decide to focus on the rival who is doing the most business 
with this market? This competitor may be com-placent, and the cus-tomer may decide that your firm has earned his lawn care business and it is this rival from whom it can most easily be taken away. On the oth-er hand, one's strategy may be aimed at the small rival, who is not as strong in the market. (c) Trend: The trend of each competitor's lawn care 
achievement with the customer may be an im-portant datum. Without question Š your antici-pated strategies and 
retaliatory behavior of a rival may be quite dif-
ferent when his own 
business with this lawn 
customer is on the "up-take" than when it is not. (d) The rival service man: What kind of an individ-ual is he? How long with 
the lawn care firm? How long calling on custom-ers in this target mar-
ket? His technical skill? What is his call fre-quency, and is there any consistent pattern in it? 
What are his personal 
relations with the cus-tomer, if any? (e) Location: Of each lawn care ri-val's warehouses, order-handling facilities, and the like, is among the im-portant facts to be lear-
ned. (f) Service: Dry or liquid fertilizer application (or both)? 
How often is lawn ser-viced? Type of equip-ment used? What lawn 
care protection offered 
Š (pre-emergent weed control broadleaf weed control, insect and dis-
ease control.) Is mow-ing, soil aeration and thatching offered? (g) Pricing: Also requires a wide array of facts. For each 
competitor, what is his price per 1,000 square 
feet of turf area treat-
ed? Does he charge for a service call? How does 
he meet price competi-tion? What are his 
terms? (h) Obviously, much is needed to be known 
about each competitor's products used in his lawn care program. This 16 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY MAY 1978 kind of "technical" information ranges from what type of nitrogen carriers are used in each lawn application (water-soluble nitrogen-WSN vs. water-insoluble 
nitrogen-WIN) Š to 
what type chemical weed controls are being applied, etc. "Comparability" Š A Matter of Apples and Oranges . . . What con-sumer hasn't been war-ned about the dangers of comparing apples with oranges? Yet many of to-day's most glaring statis-tical errors are of this sort: Comparing the non-comparable. For exam-ple, comparing a fast re-lease nitrogen carrier with slow release nitro-
gen carriers. Make sure that what you are mea-suring is measurable. Not everything can be 
forced into a quantita-tive strait jacket. And where it cannot, serious errors will result with all 
concerned. IV. CUSTOMER'S LAWN To be extremely successful Š with a profit for his lawn care business one must shape all his talents and pro-fessional functions to the customer's needs, wants, and 
problems. Professional lawn care accounts should pre-sent their lawn care pro-grams (the company, the 
individual, and the prod-ucts) in such a way that the customer will perceive all these to be in fact "need satisfiers" or "problem solv-
ers." But, to do this, you must know and understand much 
about the customer's lawn needs and problems. You must be able not only to per-ceive them, but also to dis-
cuss them with customer in the customer's language. Professional lawn Analysis Š the lawn care business-man must be able to discuss with the customer in the cus-tomer's language: Ł Grass analysis 
Ł Turf density Ł Thatch depth Ł Potential for beauty of lawn Ł Mowing condition 
Ł Grassy and sedge type weed analysis Ł Broadleaf weed analysis Ł Insect analysis Ł Disease analysis 
Ł Soil analysis and testing Ł Shade conditions Ł Lawn measurement and "exact" price quote V. CUSTOMER AS A UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL Certainly, it is an accepted fact that the successful lawn care businessman's job is to 
influence behavior. And cer-tainly in our society, where 
the customer has great free-dom of choice, such influ-ence must result in end be-
havior and end results that satisfy both customer and the lawn care firm, or the 
lawn care businessman's success will be short-lived. For real progress Š match your message to the custom-ers needs. Suffice it to say here that each homeowner or business customer who 
has influence (or final word) on your lawn care service program must be under-stood as a unique individ-
ual. Men in business posi-tions are not different from what they are in their other 
roles. A purchasing agent, of MARKETING IDEA FILE Marketing penetration in a community One problem that many lawn care businessmen across the country have reported is that they have gotten into financial trouble when they have tried to expand their business too fast. This is particularly true of new companies, but even established companies begin to have troubles when they try to do too much business in too large of an area. John Dyarmett, representative for turf distributors Sidney L. Dryfoos Co., Solon, Ohio believes the only way that a lawn care businessman can make any profit is by concentrating his services in well-defined areas. "The way I see it," Dyarmett recently told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, "You go into an area and concentrate on it. Talk at ladies' garden club meetings, Lions clubs, Jaycees, offer your services to fertilize the local high school football field, things like this. It is a write off on your taxes anyway, and it can really establish you with customers and potential cus-tomers." Sidney L. Dryfoos company is also one of the largest golf car distributors in the country in addition to distributing turf products to golf courses and lawn care businessmen in north-ern Ohio. a large firm does not come to the office 8:30 A.M. close the 
door on the rest of the world, and become an economic 
robot or computer. He is hu-
man. How can you gather data on a customer that will help you to influence his oth-er behavior in buying your lawn care service? To gath-er the data, you can use sev-
eral means: (a) One way is to ask. Numerous customers want their lawn service company to have facts, and readily provide 
them. (b) Another way to gain data is by observing. It is amazing how data can be developed by keep-ing one's eyes and ears 
really open. Observing and asking questions of neighbors while per-forming other lawn ser-vices in the area. To make professional lawn care business successful one must make his own decisions 
about what is needed to satisfy enough customers Š for the firm to make a profit and stay in busi-ness. This business of decision making is not always easy in a dynamic economy where cus-tomers have freedom of choice. The customer is under no obli-gation to buy the service one of-fers. Thus, the professional lawn care businessman must antici-pate the consumer needs, and be ready to satisfy them, or risk los-ing the business. Planning ahead, figuring out what the customer 
demands will be, is vital to the 
business's very survival. when it comes to sprinklers donl buq on impulse! Compare price, precision construction and performance and you'll buy Champion. Ł Our full line of residential, commer-cial and agricultural impulse sprinklers are the reliable performers for those big jobs. Construction is of all brass and stainless steel. Ł Champion's pop-ups are impervi-ous to wear and engineered to take years of punishment while delivering years of trouble-free service. Available in all brass model, or with plastic body and stem with brass insert and bottom nut. Ł The products shown are just two of over one hundred fifty sprinklers, valves, con-trollers and accessories in the Champion line. Champion is your one-stop source for every irrigation need. Call or write Champion today We have a man in your area who'll be happy to tell you the full Champion story. Ask for free, full color catalog # CHAMPION SPRINKLER EQUIPMENT 1460 N. Naud Street, Dept. LC I, Los Angeles, California 90012 / (213) 221-2108 Circle 105 on tree information card > I \ Crabgrass ROCKLAND PROFESSIONAL Betasart Selective Pre-emergence Herbicide ROCKLAND BETASAN is available in three different strengths, Š 12.5% granular, 3.6% granular and 4 lbs. Emulsifiable Concentrate. (R) Betasan is a registered Trademark of Stauffer Chemical Co. ROCKLAND has a complete line of granular insecticides, herbicides and fungicides for Professional Turf Maintenance. ROCKLAND Fertilizers contain combinations of IBDU, NITROFORM and new SULFUR COATED UREA. Some available formulations Š 25-5-15, 30-2-5 and 20-4-10. All products are formulated with the highest quality ingredients and carriers. ROCKLAND PROFESSIONAL lawn and garden PRODUCTS CATALOG Ask your supplier or write CDCIROCKLAND CHEMICAL CO.. Ł I I PASSAIC AVE., WEST CALDWELL, N.J. 07006 Circle 104 on free information card LAWN CARE INDUSTRY MAY 1978 17 CASE HISTORY Starting out: fertilizer, equipment and red tape As they get into high gear servicing their third-year lawn care customers, Gary Weaver and Gary Hillman of Turf Gard in Troy, Ohio can concentrate fully on fertilizer and pesticide 
use Š unlike in the past two lawn care seasons. One of the most difficult problems Weaver, 31, and Hill-
man, 27, had was deciding on a company name and then market-ing it. When they did decide on Turf Pro, they found themselves with legal red tape on their hands that would take over a 
year and more than $2,000 to 
clear up. They also faced other start-up problems many lawn care busi-nessmen have. Weaver joined ChemLawn Corp. in 1970 and moved up through the ranks to become a branch manager. He then took a position with Leisure Lawn, also based in the same area, where he met Hillman, who was also work-ing for the company. In 1976 the two of them filed articles of incorporation under the name Turf Pro and started servicing customers that spring. They were nearing the fall season when they got a letter 
from International Telephone and Telegraph Corp., the parent company of O.M. Scott & Sons, Marysville. The company said it felt that the lawn care company's name was a direct infringement of Scott's ProTurf name, and re-quested that it be changed. Weaver and Hillman contacted a patent attorney and began the task of finding a new name and incorporating it. When they finally got appro-val of their present name, they 
were allowed a six month period to exhaust all previously printed advertising and marketing mate-rial. Then they developed a new logo and began operating under their new name. New uniforms had to be issued and all trucks re-lettered. In November Š after 
nearly 13 months and approxi-"Being a good long-distance truck driver does not make the company much money.' mately $2,000 Š they were offi-cial. "We started in business by designing an attractive four-color 
brochure," Weaver told LAWN 
CARE INDUSTRY. They felt that their first bro-chure was rather wordy, but designed it that way because they were the "new guys in town" and they wanted to fully explain their service. They feel a good brochure is the top consid-eration when starting out. "Since there were only two of us at first, so we concentrated in the better market areas in an ef-
fort not to spread out ourselves too thin," Weaver said. "Being a good long-distance truck driver "We have the best service department in the business does not make the company much money." More areas and several smaller cities were ad-ded last year and a few more towns added this year. At pres-ent they service from Sidney, Ohio to Hamilton, Ohio from north to south; and from Rich-
mond, Ind. to Springfield, Ohio from east to west. This is an area 
of about 3,600 square miles, with about an hour's drive from one corner to the other. They originally offered two dry fertilizer programs. Their 
standard program used only water soluble nitrogen along 
with phosphorus and potassium. Their "elite" program featured two forms of nitrogen (normal and slow-release). Various prod-ucts have been used, but they have settled on both urea-formaldehyde and sulfur coated 
urea in various blends and analyses purchased from sev-
eral different manufacturers. The elite program proved to be the one most customers pre-ferred, so they have decided to drop the standard program this year. From the beginning we have offered an optional prepayment plan," Weaver said. "An eight percent annual discount is ex-tended to any customer wishing to participate. About 30 percent of our customers use this plan." Hillman says: "Listening is the major factor in communi-cating with your customers; I think this is the main thing. He feels that another impor-tant factor in their success has 
been using the best possible combination of products for their customers. They use a combi-nation of dry, balanced fertil-izer and liquid spray weed con-trol. During the summer they also offer a slow-release nitro-gen in the fertilizer mix. They have a minimum square charge of $17.25 for a 5,000-square-foot application. An 8,000-square-foot application costs $22.50, and a 10,000-square-
foot application costs $26.50. In-sect control is also part of their basic program, and optional ser-vices include grub-proofing, va-
cant lot weed spraying and preventive fungicide programs. They started with an initial investment of about $40,000 worth of equipment, and at pres-
ent have three trucks and six em-ployes. "We have built the business on service," Hillman said. "We feel we have the best service department in the business. We 
try to answer each customer's 
questions and complaints as soon 
as possible. If we are out during the day and a customer calls, we try to get back to him that same evening or within 24 hours if it takes a visit." COST CUTTINGS How to reduce liability claims A lawn care businessman can't risk not being covered by adequate and necessary liability insurance, but he can reduce the number of claims he might be subjected to simply by eliminating the word "insurance" from his advertising and contract forms. If a customer asks if you are insured and wants proof, you can provide it, but don't invite trouble in this suit-conscious environment so prevalent today, advises business consultant Jim Nelson. Don't boast, "we are fully insured," or "we carry one million dollars liability insurance." Remind all lawn care servicemen, too, to avoid practices in the daily performance of their work that can cause property damage. After all, in-surance claims affect "front-end" dollars, profit sharing and the ability of a company to grant salary increases. In these 
days of skyrocketing insurance premiums, the lawn care busi-nessman needs to do everything possible to eliminate un-justified and minor claims, Nelson says. Cut It! Cut your grass and cut your risks with Mott 
flail safe mowers. Under conditions wet or dry, Mott cuts and mulches everything from fine lawns to high weeds. Cutting widths from 38 to 88 inches and gangs to 19 feet. Mott mowers have built-in Long Life Durability and for you this means Best Value Purchase. ^r&P^-^ 18 Circle 103 on free information card LAWN CARE INDUSTRY MAY 1978 18 SPRAYERS Whether your needs are for weed control, lawn insect or fungicide spraying, ornamental and shade tree spraying, or any general out-door work, we have the exact sprayer you require. Our reinforced fiberglass low profile tanks are available in the following sizes: 50, 100, split 100 (2 x 50), 200 and split 200 (2 x 100) gallon sizes. The reinforced fiberglass tanks are a low profile square design to minimize space, look attractive, and reduce chemical sloshing that you get in higher round style tanks. These tank sizes can be incorporated into many varieties of sprayers using Hypro, Bean, Cat or Sherwood pumps, either electric or gasoline powered. All our spray units come complete with tank, pump unit, welded steel chassis and hose reel, either skid or trailer mount. P.O. BOX 124 AMITYVILLE, NEW YORK 11701 516-799-7S05 Circle 106 on free information card m MONEYWISE Give employe a raise and save money Although the figures in the example are a little high for most lawn care employes, payroll-tax strategist Roy Johnson has worked out an example of how you can give your em-ploye a raise and save yourself money. Suppose employes making $15,000 get a raise to $16,500. It will cost the employer $17,498.25 a worker: $16,500 of wages plus Social Security tax of 6.05 percent, or $998.25. Social Security also takes $998.25 from each worker's $16,500, leav-ing $15,501.75. In this example, the employer can save about $100 an employe and the worker would not be any worse off if they got only a $500 raise to $15,500 and their employer paid 
their Social Security tax for them, Johnson says. Then the employer pays $15,500 plus 12.1 percent for Social Security, or $1,875.50, for a total $17,375.50. That is a $122.75 saving. And each worker has $15,500, only $1.75 less than if they got the full $16,500 and paid their own Social Security. II I ŁŁŁ ŁŁŁ PRODUCTS 40 operating minutes on overnight charge The new model 8260 nylon grass trimmer from Black & Decker Manufacturing Co. is a cordless product. It features a powerful battery pack which runs up to 40 minutes on a single overnight charge. The pack slips in and out of the trimmer with ease. It also offers a unique means of grass-
cutting by either of two meth-
ods. A tough nylon blade may be inserted for cutting in open areas, or a length of nylon line may be used for cutting close to 
fences, walls, rocks and trees. It weighs only six pounds. Circle 201 on free information card New sprav heads offer control of droplet size Improved spray distribution, greater penetration, lower capital and application costs and longer lasting protection result from low-volume, high-
concentration ground spraying using the new rotary, ball-bearing type Beecomist spray 
heads, models 360 and 361, manufactured by Beeco Products Co. Droplet sizes are precisely controlled through selection of easily replaceable porous sleeve assemblies which deliver fluid sprays, wettable powders and heavy flowable sprays in 20- to 100-micron droplets for greater effectiveness and reduced 
ecological danger. Circle 202 on free information card Riding mower offers rear bag option The new John Deere 66 riding mower is powered by a six-horsepower engine and features a five-speed transmission that shifts on the move, enclosed engine, 30-inch mower and a rear bagging option. Ground speeds vary from 1.4 to 5.3 miler per hour. Cutting height can be set from one to four inches. Circle 203 on free information card 54-inch pull-behind mower from Massey The new MF 5405 rear-mounted, pull-behind mower from Massey-Ferguson Inc. is a PTO-driven rotary equipped with three in-line blades adjustable between cutting heights of IV2 to four inches. It mows a 54-inch swath. Circle 204 on free information card Compression sprayers Burgess Vibrocrafters, Inc. has made available a four-color bro-chure explaining in detail its line of compression sprayers for pro-fessional use. One unit featured is the company's knapsack sprayer. It is a compact, large-
capacity sprayer with a low cen-ter of gravity, a concave curva-ture and an adjustable, padded shoulder harness. Circle 205 on free information card 3-way diaphragm valve for lawn irrigation A new electric diaphragm valve that has no minimum flow restrictions and utilizes a unique three-way solenoid has been developed for lawn irrigation by Johns-Manville. The three-way solenoid operation eliminates continuous internal flow through tiny orifices and includes a non-continuous bleed manual oper-
ator, which greatly reduces the chance of malfunction. When the solenoid is activated, the valve opens slowly and fully. Circle 206 on free information card Toro replacement blades Now Toro replacement blades can be ordered from a single source through the Blade Divi-sion of Aladdin Manufacturing. The replacement blades fit all Toro straight-blade mowers. 
These cover the 19-inch and 21-inch Guardian, Whirlwind and 
Home Pro models as well as the 21-inch Grassmaster. Further information is available. Circle 207 on free information card Circle 106 on free information card LAWN CARE INDUSTRY MAY 1978 19 Snowco offers the oil around utilitu trailer line Model 20-002 with standard hub caps Snowco Division of Beatrice Foods Co. 4354 McKinley, Omaha, Nebr. 68112 Please send Utility Trailer Information .State Zip Model 20-005 with standard wheel covers Take your choice of eight flatbed trailers with loading ramps or tilt decks, plus a box bed trailer with tailgate. They're ideal for hauling grounds maintenance equipment and other bulky, hard-to-handle items. Three trailers with ramps; two with perforated steel decks, one with wooden deck. Capacities 1,150 and 2,100 pounds. Five trailers with perforated steel tilt decks. Capacities 1,000 to 3,500 pounds. One steel box bed trailer with optional canvas or fiberglass cover. Capacity 1,200 pounds. Send Coupon Today Name-Firm Address City EDUCATION TURFGRASS DISEASE IDENTIFICATION Close-up of powdery mildew on grass blade. Spring dead spot on bermudagrass. by Dr. Joseph M. Vargas Jr. two most important in identifying turfgrass Powdery mildew on Kentucky bluegrass. The things diseases in the field are know-ing the species of grass, or preferably the cultivar the dis-ease is occurring on, and the weather conditions just prior to 
and during the development of 
symptoms. Knowing the grass species or cultivars can greatly reduce the number of disease possibilities since specific dis-eases only occur on certain species and in some cases only certain cultivars, i.e. melting-out 
only occurs on the conjmon type Kentucky bluegrass whereas the improved types are resistant. The other important thing is the weather. If the Kentucky blue-grass is thinning and dying in the heat of the summer there is no sense looking for melting-out which is a cool wet weather dis-
ease. You can find the major turfgrass species grown on home lawn turf and their disease prob-lems in the table. Photographs showing these diseases can be found also throughout the article. You may wish to cut the table and photos out and keep them in your vehicles so you can have them with you when disease prob-lems are encountered. As stated before, most of the information you need to identify home lawn diseases can be found in the table. A few brief comments will be made to 
supplement the tables. Kentucky bluegrass The three major diseases are melting-out in the cool wet weather of the spring and fall on ''common" types like 'Common', 'Kenblue', 'Newport', 'Park', etc. The "improved types" are resis-tant, i.e. 'Merion', 'Fylking', 'Nugget', 'Victa', etc. Fusarium blight is a problem whenever drought stress occurs but is most serious during droughty periods of the summer when warm weather adds to the stress prob-lem. 'Merion', 'Fylking', 'Nugget', 
'Pennstar' appear to be most sus-
ceptible whereas 'Adelphi', 
'Baron', 'Cheri', 'Majestic', 'Van-tage' and 'Parade' appear to be the most resistant although cer-tainly not immune. Stripe smut is a systemic perennial disease and once a grass plant is infected it will remain so for life. There-fore, the disease is present all the time, however, most turf is 
lost to the disease during the warm weather of summer espe-cially where high rates of nitro-gen are applied or where the in-fected turf is allowed to dry out. Powdery mildew is a prob-lem in shaded areas and culti-vars like 'Nugget' or 'Bensun' can be used or other species like the fine leaf fescues in the more 
northern climates. Poa trivialis 
should be used for shaded areas in more southern regions of the Kentucky bluegrass growing 
region. Rust is primarily a prob-lem on slow-growing turf in the late summer through the fall where nitrogen is deficient. The bermudagrasses Spring Dead Spot (SDS) has been the limiting factor in north-ward movement of bermuda-
grass. The longer the dormant period or the colder the winter the more severe the problem ap-pears to be. Fungicide applica-tions during the growing season appear to reduce the severity of the disease. The cultivar 'Mid-iron' has been reported to be Dr. Joseph M. Vargas Jr. is associate professor in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich. Fusarium blight on a Kentucky bluegrass home lawn. * Ł V- -vwä . V .'if' ' Ł ^ Ł . Ł- ... t Close-up of "helminth" or Close-up of "frog-eye" symptom of melting out lesions on grass Fusarium blight, blades and sheath. Melting out, susceptible cultivar of Rust on a Kentucky bluegrass blade. Kentucky bluegrass on right and resistant variety on left. Brown patch in lawn turf. Stripe smut infection on Kentucky blue-grass. Note clump appearance of turf. Close-up of stripe smut infected Ken-tucky bluegrass. 20 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY MAY 1978 Close-up of grass blade with stripe smut spore breaking through epidermis. resistant but more research is needed before any definite con-clusions can be drawn. "Helminth" is most serious in the coastal regions in which ber-mudagrass is grown and brown patch is most serious when warm temperatures of summer are ac-companied by high humidity. The zoysiagrasses Even though this species is advertised as a desirable species in the northern regions of the 
cool season grass belt, it is not. It 
does have the winter hardiness 
necessary to survive the north-
ern winters but usually doesn't green up much before June and usually turns brown in late August. It is a fine southern grass and that is where it belongs. 
Since it is basically a slow grow-
ing turfgrass species anyway, its two most serious problems are diseases that are most serious on slow growing turf, dollar spot 
and rust. All attempts should be made to keep nitrogen fertility 
levels up to reduce the severity of these diseases. The St. Augustinegrasses The most serious disease on St. Augustinegrass is St. Augustine Decline (SAD) caused by a virus. This virus is mechani-
cally transmitted. The question is often asked, "will I spread the 
disease from one lawn to an-
other with my mowers or other equipment?" The answer is usu-ally yes but it doesn't really mat-
ter because most turfgrass dis-
eases are caused by fungi which produce spores that are spread by the wind, i.e. rust, Helmintho-sporium, etc. or are native to most soil, i.e. Fusarium, Rhizoc-
tonia (brown patch) etc. How-ever, the answer for SAD is yes 
and it is an important means of spreading the disease. When go-ing from an infected lawn to a healthy one the equipment should be thoroughly washed with water or sterilized if pos-sible. Another alternative is to mow or cultivate the infected 
lawns last where possible. Other diseases of St. Augustinegrass include grey leaf 
spot which occurs most com-monly during the hot humid weather of summer and is most 
serious on newly established lawns. Brown patch occurs dur-ing the warm weather of late spring, early summer and tends to disappear during the extreme hot weather of summer and return during the warm weather of late summer early fall. Excess nitrogen fertility will increase the severity of both diseases. Do you want a copy of this ar-ticle to put up on the walls of your office, or to give to your employes for them to use as an on-the-job aid as the author suggests? Reprints are available for $2 each, and can be obtained by writing: Bob Earley Editor LAWN CARE INDUSTRY 9800 Detroit Ave. Cleveland, OH 44102 Quick-reference turf disease guide The Kentucky bluegrasses Diseases Cultivars Time of Year Symptoms Melting-out "Improved varieties are resistant. Common types like common, 'Newport', 'Park', 'Kenblue', etc. are susceptible. Cool wet weather of spring and fall. Most severe in spring. General over all thinning of turf. Black to purple spots present on 
leaf blaae and sheaths. Spots tend to be very large on susceptible cultivars. Fusarium blight Most cultivars suscep-tible. A few cultivars like 'Adelphi', 'Vantage' 
'Parade', 'Majestic', 
'Touchdown'nave shown 
some resistance. Most prevalent during hot, dry weather of summer, but can occur anytime drought stress conditions exist. The disease is characterized by a circle of dead grass surrounding a circle of so-called healthy grass 
often called a "frog-eye" symptom. They are usually 6" to 2' in diameter. In extremely susceptible cultivars, the disease will occur as dead spots ranging in size from a few inches up to a foot in diameter with the so-called healthy center missing. Stripe smut The most susceptible ones are 'Merion' and 'Windsor' followed by 'Fylking' & 'Pennstar' Foliar symptoms most prev-alent in spring & fall. In-fected plants die most often during summer drought periods. Clumpy appearance of a Kentucky blue-grass turf. Individual plants die leaving small bare spots. Turf may have a yellow appearance. Individual blades nave black stripes which are the spores of the funcus being produced in the plants veins. Tney eventually rupture the epidermis. They can b¿ rubbed off and will appear Drown to black in color on a white handkerchief. Rust Most cultivars susceptible. Most common in fall, especially on slow growing turf whicn may be due to lack of nitrogen. The turf may have a reddish-brown appearance. The individual grass blades will contain rust-colored spores of the fungus which can be rubbed off. Powdery mildew Most cultivars susceptible From mid-summer to late fall An infected turfgrass stand will be white in appearance. A disease of low 
light intensities most commonly found in the shade. However, it will occur in open 
areas during a fall which has a lot of cloudy weatner. Individual blades will contain a whitepowdery substance on the surface of the blades. The Bermudagrasses Disease Cultivars Time of Year Symptoms Spring Dead Spot All cultivars with the possible exception of 'Mid-iron'. SpringŠwhen grass begins to green up. Dead patches of grass ranging in size from 6 inches up to 3 feet. Brown Patch All cultivars susceptible. Late spring through early fall wnen aay time tempera-tures are 85°F plus and night time temperatures are 70°F DIUS accompanied by high Brown circles of grass rancing from 6 inches to 3 feet or more. All grass in spots is not killed initially. plus accor 
humidity. 'Helminth" Most cultivars susceptible. During cool wet weather of spring and fall. General all over thinning of turf. Black to purple spots on the foliage. The Zoysiagrasses Diseases Cultivars Time of Year Symptoms Dollar spot All cultivars 
susceptible. When temperatures are between 70°Fand85°F. Most severe when accom-panied by high humidity. The diseases is most serious on turf where nitrogen is deficient. Roundish straw-colored spots ranging from 1 inch on low cut turf up to 6 incn in higher cut turf. 'Helminth" All cultivars susceptible. The cool wet weather of spring and fall. General all over thinning. Black to purple spots present on the foliage. Rust All cultivars susceptible. Late summer early fall especially a problem on slow growing turf where nitrogen is deficient. Turf area becomes yellow to rust-colored in appearance. Rust colored spores can be found on the surface of the grass blades. St. Augustinegrass Diseases Cultivars Time of Year Symptoms Brown Patch All cultivars susceptible. Late spring-early summer and late summer-early fall. Circles of brown grass ranging in size from 6 inches up to a few feet or more. All the grass in the spot is not initially killed. Grey Leaf Spot All cultivars susceptible. During periods of warm rainy weather. Turf may appear burned or scorched. Mature spots on foliage have depressed grey centers with irregular brown margins often surrounded by a yellow ring. St. Augustine Decline (SAD) Most cultivars. Floratam is the exception, but its turfgrass quality is 
questionable. The disease occurs all season long. Turf areas turn yellow in color initially. 
The infected grass will eventually die. 21 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY MAY 1978 BEHIND THIS ISSUE Life in the fast lane. That is the way one lawn care business-man described his city to me recently while I was there working on a Marketplace feature (see page 12). According to figures released by the Marketing Economics In-stitute, Orange County alone has demonstrated a need for 20,000 new housing units a year, with the average new home price $121,-000. The lawn care potential is there. But the company or com-panies that crack the market are going to have to solve the prob-lems of servicing low-profit, postage stamp lawns with great varieties of turfgrasses and ground covers, myriad California pes-ticide regulations and an established network of Japanese gar-deners. Tough problems indeed. But the plum (or should we say orange in this case) that is the Los Angeles lawn care market may be well worth the time and effort. u lawn care company. R. W. Collins, Inc. Attention: R. W. Collins, Presi-dent, P.O. Box 2477, Satellite Beach, Florida 32937. BRANCH MANAGER Š National automated lawn service in franchise market seeks experienced in-
dividual to start ana head up com-pany areas. Tremendous growth potential for one presently with li-quid spray management experience. 
Send confidential resume to Lawn Doctor, Inc., P.O. Box 186, Conover Road, Wickatunk, N.J. 07765. USED E Q UL P M E NT FOR SALE: Finn lawn feeder, one 
year old, bed mount, 16 horsepower Briggs and Stratton engine. 219 747-3298. ADVERTISERS INDEX Champion Brass Manufacturing Co 17 Derby Tiller Co 16 Diamond Shamrock Corp 6 Essco Manufacturing Co 18 Great Salt Lake Mineral & Chemical Co 4 Hypro Div., Lear Siegler Corp 10 Jacobsen Manufacturing Co 5 Monsanto Agricultural Products 11 
Mott Corp 18 Rocklana Chemical Co 17 Sierra Chemical Co 8 
Snow Co 19 
Swift Agricultural Chemicals Corp 22-23 Toro Co 24 Tuflex Manufacturing Co 7 U.S. Gypsum 9 
Velsicol Chemical Corp 3 CLASSIFIED When answering ads where box number only is given, please address as follows: Box number, c/o LAWN CARE IN-DUSTRY, Dorothy Lowe, Box 6951. Cleveland, Ohio 44101. HELP WANTED BRANCH MANAGERS Chemical Lawn Care. Currently 17 Florida locations, year around operations. Branches range in size from 1 to 15 trucks. Agronomic background helpful but not necessary. Paid train-ing programs, Pension and Profit Sharing Plan. Send resume in con-fidence to Florida's largest chemical IMir CX distributors IPROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS Capitol Nursery Supply, Inc. Phoenix, Arizona 85005 602/272-5508 Swift Agricultural Chemicals Corp. Los Angeles, California 90023 213/264-5800 Foster-Gardner, Inc. Coachella, California 92236 714/398-6151 Foster-Gardner, Inc. Anaheim, California 92801 714/761-2521 Agri-Turf Supplies Santa Barbara, California 93101 805/963-3691 Abate-A-Weed Bakersfield, California 93308 805/589-0615 Robinson Fertilizer Company Orange, California 92666 714/538-3575 Wilbur-Ellis Company Chula Vista, California 92012 714/422-5321 Caceres Chemical Company Los Angeles, California 90046 213/876-1460 Moyer Chemical Company San Jose, California 95108 408/297-8088 Moyer Chemical Company Santa Ana, California 92707 714/549-2871 Agri-Chem, Inc. Ft. Lupton, Colorado 80621 303/288-4281 Avon Cider Mill Avon, Connecticut 06001 203/677-0343 Swift Agricultural Chemicals Corp. Winter Haven, Florida 33880 813/293-3147 McMullen Feed Store Clearwater, Florida 33516 813/446-5961 Swift Agricultural Chemicals Corp. Pompano Beach, Florida 33060 305/772-5550 Swift Agricultural Chemicals Corp. Atlanta, Georgia 30304 404/955-0774 Lawn & Turf, Inc. Conyers, Georgia 30207 404/483-4743 Swift Agricultural Chemicals Corp. East St. Louis, Illinois 62201 618/271-5650 Turf Products, Ltd. West Chicago, Illinois 60185 312/668-5537 Turf Management Supply Company Rockton, Illinois 61072 815/624-7578 Paarfburg Chemical Company South Holland, Illinois 60473 
312/474-3086 Olsen Distributing Company Barrington, Illinois 60010 312/381-9333 Professional Turf Specialties Bloomington, Illinois 61701 309/829-5031 Indiana Seed Company, Inc. Noblesville, Indiana 46060 317/773-5813 Deisch-Benham, Inc. D/B/A Desco Chemical Nappanee, Indiana 46550 219/773-7781 Chemi-Trol Chemical Company Indianapolis, Indiana 46225 317/634-7963 Seedkem, Inc. Evansville, Indiana 47708 812/424-2401 Tri-State Toro Company Davenport, Iowa 52802 319/326-4416 Leisur-Aid A Division of Aidex Corp. Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501 
712/336-2441 Toro Service Center Des Moines, Iowa 50318 515/243-0498 Big Bear Equipment Company West Des Moines, Iowa 50318 515/243-1271 Champion Turf Equipment, Inc. Wichita, Kansas 67209 316/943-0283 Rhodes Chemical Co. Kansas City, Kansas 66103 913/432-2424 Swift Agricultural Chemicals Corp. Glen Burnie, Maryland 21061 301/760-5927 Circle 111 on Cornell Chemical & Equipment Co, Inc. Baltimore, Maryland 21227 301/247-1525 Vaughan's Seed Company Div. of Vaughan - Jacklin Corp. Landover, Maryland 20785 301/322-8800 R.F. Morse & Son Company Wareham, Massachusetts 02571 617/295-1553 L. & E. Chemical, Inc. Div. of Lawn Equipment Corp. Royal Oak, Michigan 48067 313/398/3636 J.J. Dill Company Kalamazoo, Michigan 49005 616/349-7755 Turf Supply Company St. Paul, Minnesota 55121 612/454-3106 Swift Agricultural Chemicals Corp. Jackson, Mississippi 39205 601/366-4401 Champion Turf Equipment Inc. Kansas City, Missouri 64114 816/333-8000 Champion Turf Equipment, Inc. Springfield, Missouri 65803 417/869-2551 Professional Turf Specialties St. Louis, Missouri 63155 314/225-7515 Big Bear Equipment, Inc. Omaha, Nebraska 68137 402/331-0200 Rhodes Chemical Company Lincoln, Nebraska 68507 402/466-8156 Clark County Wholesale Mercantile Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 702/382-7700 The Terre Company Saddle Brook, New Jersey 07662 201/843-6655 Vaughan's Seed Company Div. of Vaughan - Jacklin Corp. Bound Brook, New Jersey 08805 201/356-4200 Wagner Seed Company, Inc. Farmingdale, New York 11735 516/293-2920 Eastern Turf Equipment, Inc. Fayetteville, North Carolina 28301 919/483-0179 Swift Agricultural Chemicals Corp. Wilmington, North Carolina 28401 919/371-2216 Sidney L. Dryfoos Company Cleveland, Ohio 44146 216/439-4363 Van Atta Seed & Imp. Company Cincinnati, Ohio 45225 513/541-2051 C.O. Lowe Sales Columbus, Ohio 43229 614/891-9668 Lee Road Nursery, Inc. Cleveland, Ohio 44101 216/561-3786 Larry's Garden Center, Inc. Maple Heights, Ohio 44137 216/662-3884 Binding Stevens Seed Co. Tulsa, Oklahoma 74135 918/627-4480 Lawn & Golf Supply Co., Inc. Phoenixville, Pennsylvania 19460 215/933-5801 Allen's Seed Store, Inc. Slocum, Rhode Island 02877 401/294-2722 Bell Oil Company No. Myrtle Beach, So. Carolina 29582 803/249-2616 Swift Agricultural Chemicals Corp. Columbia, South Carolina 29250 803/254-5189 Central South Turf Distributor, Inc. Nashville, Tennessee 37211 615/832-7725 Swift Agricultural Chemicals Corp. Houston, Texas 77002 712/682-6217 Turf & Garden Division of Todd Farm Equipment, Inc. Chesapeake, Virginia 23320 804/543-2071 Swift Agricultural Chemicals Corp. Vancouver, Washington 98660 206/696-3321 Turf Management Supply Company Sun Prairie, Wisconsin 53590 608/837-5598 Reinders Brothers Inc. Elm Grove, Wisconsin 53122 414/786-3300 free information card 22 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY MAY 1978 For ad on back cover circle 109 on free information card t * The Professional's Choice Every customer wants the very best fertilizers for their lawn. Why? Because today everyone is green conscious. With IBDU and PAR EX fertilizers, you can provide the most complete, balanced nutrition available for turf and ornamentals. Month after month, IBDU and PAR EX fertil-izers release just enough nutrients to keep turf 
and ornamentals green and hardy. IBDU, un-like all other slow release nitrogens, is acti-vated by soil moisture, not soil bacteria. It releases at an even, steady rate that can't be hurried or slowed by extremes in temperature. Precision mixed with other nutrients, gives you the best balanced fertilizer available today. Start your customers out with a nutrition program that includes IBDU and PAR EX fer-tilizers. Your customers will like the results. And you'll like the added green. Contact your PAR EX distributor or call us, 813/299-5010. liar ex IPROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS Swift Agricultural Chemicals Corporation Winter Haven, Florida 33880 ry . ~ \*w U ' Ł i Ł . ' * . ' - . . 1 « -Ł vv < ¿A ft .. -At HI ^ -F - * * Y ' A lough engine is only one way it's worth more. 1 V m Y *> vai K rA ,y mmm ŁLli .r Meet Toro's Hevi-Duty 2-cycle 21-inch rotary. It's specially engineered for long life and easy use at a surprisingly low price. Long life is worth more. Long life engineering starts in the rugged 2-cycle engine. It has a cast iron cylinder liner. Precision bearings on the crankshaft and connecting rod. Short PTO to resist shock. Air cleaner is up on the handle to draw less abrasive dirt, reduce frequency of service. On the chassis, steel wheels feature greaseable bearings. And cutting height adjustments have steel wear plates. Light weight is worth more. Light weight means less to push, load, unload and tire out your operators. Toro's 2-cycle m mm weighs just 52 poundsŠbetter than 20 pounds less than the comparable major competitive model. Adjustable handle also cuts down 
fatigue. Five quart tank reduces refueling stops. Red Wagon Service is worth more. You can summon the best service in the business right to your home turfŠmobile Toro Red Wagon Service. Find out about the worth more 2-cycle from your Toro distributor or dealer. Or call 800-328-2858 TORO GS-07S-02548 Worth more.