PROJECTIONS Economic indicators for 1979: What lawn care businessmen think The inflation rate will be higher next year than it was this year, but the unemployment rate will stay about the same. Partly because of ever-increasing inflation, cash outlays 
for both essential and discre-tionary capital expenditures will be substantially higher next year than it was this year. Unfortunately, total expenses will also be up, although administrative and sales ex-penses will show little if any 
change. And both time and money expenditures on promotion efforts will be significantly higher next year. PESTICIDES Researcher updates the furor over dioxin The implication on a national television program that the herbicide 2,4,5-T is being used by lawn care companies has caused a considerable backlash in the lawn care industry, says Univer-sity of Maryland turf specialist Dr. Charles Darrah. ''Numerous lawn care operators have reported lost ac-counts and complaints which to page 8 GOVERNMENT CPSC asks comment on mower safety standard The federal Consumer Pro-duct Safety Commission (CPSC) received more than 100 com-ments Š including ones from 
companies like Toro, Deere, 
FMC and Gale Products and the Outdoor Power Equipment In-stitute Š on its proposed safety 
standard for power lawn mowers, and now is asking for 
comments on those comments. Specifically, the CPSC is Those views are the opinions of experts. No, not the usual 
ivory tower types of experts, but those who really should know Š 
actual lawn care businessmen in the field. In an exclusive nationwide survey commissioned by LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, 300 lawn maintenance firms, including 
everything from one-man opera-tions to million-dollar com-
panies, were interviewed. The survey was conducted by Laurencom Writers. The respondents were selected on a random sample, population-weighted basis. They were located in and around 12 major metropolitan areas: 
Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Chicago, and Detroit. Their opinions on the 12 key economic indexes are sum-
marized in Table 1. They also provided supplementary reasons 
for their economic views. The most representative of those statements are quoted below in the same order as the indexes are listed in the table. There is 
also an average figure shown which is the percentage change expected by the majority in each index during 1979. 1. Inflation rate. Majority opi-nion: Up an average of 2% over 1978. "I'm afraid we still haven't come close to whipping this problem," said a Detroit lawn 
maintenance operator. (o page 10 IM/N m ^ffll Serving lawn maintenance Ł jUI^/bi and chemical lawn ^^ ^^fBB1 care professionals. INDUSTRY DECEMBER 1978 Ł VOL. 2, NO. 12 Ł A Harvest Publication CHANGES Davey execs exit; form own company Three former executive man-agers with Kent, Ohio-based 
Davey Lawnscape Service have 
left to form their own company. The new company, Erbaugh & Associates, Hudson, Ohio, is headed by J. Martin Erbaugh, Frederick J. Fassett and Patrick 
C. McCafferty. Erbaugh told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY that the company was organized to provide mar-keting, financial and production 
counsel to firms or persons plan-
ning to enter the chemical lawn 
care field or to firms presently in 
business looking to increase their 
market penetration. Gordon Ober, one of Davey's to page 19 EQUIPMENT Tractor, mower shipments register sharp increases Manufacturers' shipments of lawn tractors, riding mowers and walk-behind power mowers registered sharp increases in the model year just concluded, ac-cording to estimates by the Out-
door Power Equipment Institute (OPEI). Paced by an 18.1 percent in-crease in front engine riders, shipments of lawn tractors and riding mowers surged an overall 11.9 percent to 750,000 units from to page 19 seeking comment on data it received concerning the 
reliability of brake-clutch mech-
anisms for power lawnmowers, and also comment on several questions it has concerning the reliability and safety of brake-
clutch mechanisms. The request for comment was published in the Nov. 2 Federal Register. Deadline for comment was the 22nd of last 
month. One part of the proposed standard would require all walk-behind mowers to have a blade control system that would LCI SURVEY (V Lawn care businessmen predict industry growth of 30% next year to page 19 QUICK STARTS Lawn Doctor and the New York Times page 2 Ataenius beetle given common name page 2 Green Lawns announces spray seminars page 8 NFSA forms lawn/turf task force page 9 Lawn care in the 80's page 12 More million dollar lawn care companies page 10 MEMOS 2 MEETING DATES 4 TOOLS, TIPS & TECHNIQUES 6 NEWSMAKERS 6 COST CUTTINGS 8 MARKETING IDEA FILE 11 MONEYWISE 17 PRODUCTS 19 In a recent survey, the ma-jority of lawn care businessmen predicted that their gross revenues will grow 30 percent between this lawn care season and next. In the survey, conducted by LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, 77 percent of the respondents said their revenues would grow by the 30 percent figure. One per-cent of the respondents said their 
revenues would decrease by an average of 10 percent. Ten per-cent of the respondents said their revenues would remain the same. In the same survey, the respondents said that their 
average number of accounts was 690, up from 610 last year. The average response for gross revenues of the companies sur-veyed was $199,000. Seventy-five percent of the businessmen said their revenues increased an average 25 percent this year over last. One percent said they decreased an average 21 percent over last. Eleven per-cent said their business 
remained the same. A total of 952 questionnaires were mailed in July to readers of 
LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. More than 232 usable responses were returned, or 24.4 percent of the mailing. Tabulations were made by computer. Sample percent-ages should be within six percent 
of true percentages, according to LAWN CARE INDUSTRY market research manager Clarence Arnold. Business growth and expectations, 1977-79: 1977-78 1978-79 11% responded their business stayed the same 1% responded their business decreased an average of 21% 75% responded their business increased an average of 25% IW 9NISNV1 9Q1S 30N310* 1I0S AilSsaAlUil ilVl . Itf ossv fi-K fn care industry in Indian-is part of a continuing series ntry where the lawn care rofile of the city, potential ; that operate there and how Ł 10% expect their business to remain the same Ł 1% expect their business 
to decrease an average of 10% Ł 77% expect their business 
to increase an average of 30% 2 INSECTS u w Q >« oc H CO D Q g u c* < u 2 < Ataenius spretulus given common name; similar turf-damaging beetle discovered The Ataenius spretulus beetle Š which has wrecked havoc on home lawns and golf courses across the country in the last few years Š has been given a com-mon name. At its recent annual meeting in New York City, the En-tomological Society of America dubbed it the "black turfgrass 
ataenius/' Dr. Harry D. Niemczyk, pro-fessor of turfgrass entomology at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, told LAWN CARE IN-DUSTRY that he and other 
researchers have discovered another beetle that damages turf 
at the same time of the year that black turfgrass ataenius larvae do. The insect has been deter-mined to be Aphodius granarius. Dr. Niemczyk found larvae of 
this species at locations in Boulder, Colorado and Detroit. At first glance, Dr. Niemczyk said, adults appear identical to the black turfgrass ataenius. But 
the larvae of the Aphodius are slightly larger and have a some-what darker head capsule. The most outstanding identifying feature of the larvae is a V-shaped series of spines located in the rastal pattern. MEETINGS Lawn talks highlight Virginia turf show Eight presentations related specifically to the lawn care in-dustry will highlight the annual 
Virginia Turfgrass Conference Jan. 24-25 in Williamsburg. Fairfax County extension agent C. L. Hall will speak on ''What the Homeowner Ex-pects;" Jerry Faulring, president of Hydro Lawn, Gaithersburg, Md. will speak on "What a Lawn Service Company Can Provide;" Dr. Houston B. Couch of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VPI) will speak on "Critical Management Practices for Virginia Lawns." Also, Dr. Bob Reynolds of VPI will speak on "Financial Mange-ment Concepts;" and Bob Earley, editor of LAWN CARE IN-DUSTRY will speak on "Lawn Service: The Exploding New-comer in the Turf Industry," and "Effective Advertising and Pro-
motion for a Lawn Care Company." There will also be a 
session on "Developing Timely, Effective and Flexible Customer Programs." For further information, con-tact: Dr. John F. Shoulders, 
Department of Agronomy, 419 Smyth Hall, VPI, Blacksburg, Va. 24061, 703-951-5797. L4WN OIRE 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 J. SLAYBAUGH Associate Editor: BRUCE SHANK Technical Editor: RON MORRIS Assistant Editors: SCOTT SCREDON, MIKE CASEY 
Graphic Director: RAYMOND GIBSON 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 Northwest Office: BOB MIEROW (206) 363-2864 1333 N.W. Norcross, Seattle, WA 98177 Classified: DOROTHY LOWE (216) 651-5500 9800 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44102 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY is published every month by The Har-vest Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. at 9800 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44102 (2161 651-5500. Copyright © 1978 by The Harvest Publishing Company. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be repro-duced either in whole or in part without consent of copyright owner. Controlled circulation postage paid at Cleveland, Onio. 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 change-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. HARVEST MEMOS Gauging the Maryland/Virginia/D.C. market: Dr. Charles Darrah of the University of Maryland and lawn care busi-nessmen in his area have decided that they really don't know too much about the nature of the lawn care industry in their 
region. What's more, they have decided to do something about it. With hoped-for money from the Maryland-Virginia 
Agricultural Reporting Service, they are planning a detailed survey of the lawn care industry in the Mid-Atlantic. Mis-measuring in Indiana: One of the biggest problems facing the lawn care industry as a whole is the sometimes 
commonplace practice of undermeasuring or overmeasuring customer lawns. The customer always loses out, whether he 
is being overcharged, or whether he is not receiving the pro-per amount of fertilizer and pesticides. Plus it does nothing 
but give a big black eye to the lawn care industry. Jerry Hartsough, president of Agrilawn Corp., Goshen, Ind., says he has run up against customers receiving competi-
tive estimates anywhere from 2,000 to 8,000 square feet differ-ent than his own measurements. And he says he and his field men take great pains in getting the truest estimate they can. He says that this is one area that he foresees government regulation taking over if the industry does not clean up its act, and when that day comes, "there are going to be a whole lot of unhappy people in this industry/' Group seeks minor pesticide labels: The work of a little-known inter-regional group of state agricultural experiment stations around the country is beginning to pay off. The group's project, called IR-4, is to coordinate nationwide ef-forts to gather scientific data necessary to add minor-use authorizations, many for turf and ornamentals, to restricted-use pesticide labels. Earlier this year, data on minor uses for the following chemicals were turned over to the EPA, which is studying data and will decide individually which to register and add to pesticide labels. Insecticides are oxamyl, manufactured by 
Du Pont Co., Wilmington, Del.; Diazinon, manufactured by Ciba-Geigy Corp., Greensboro, N.C.; aldicarb, manufactured by and marketed under the trade name Temik by Union Car-bide Corp., Jacksonville, Fla.; acephate, manufactured and marketed under the trade name Orthene, by Chevron Chemi-cal Co., San Francisco, Calif.; oxydemeton-methyl, manufac-tured and marketed under the trade name Metsystox-R by Chemagro Agricultural Div., Mobay Chemical Corp., Kansas City, Mo.; methomyl, marketed under the trade name Nudrin by Shell Chemical Co., Houston, Texas, and by Du Pont Co. under the trade name Lannate; and carbary, manufactured and marketed under the trade name Sevin by Union Carbide 
Corp. Herbicides are glyphosate, manufactured and marketed under the trade name Roundup by Monsanto Agricultural Products, St. Louis, Mo.; napropamide, manufactured and marketed under the trade name Devrinol by Stauffer Chemi-cal Co., Westport, Conn.; alachlor, manufactured and marketed under the trade name Lasso by Monsanto; oxa-diazon, manufactured and marketed under the trade name Ronstar by Rhone-Poulec Inc., formerly Rhodia, Inc., Mon-
mouth Junction, N.J.; oryzalin, manufactured and marketed 
under the trade name Surflan by Elanco Products Co., Indian-
apolis. A fungicide is chlorothalonil, manufactured and mar-keted under the trade name Bravo by Diamond Shamrock Corp., Cleveland. Lawn care and the New York Times: Fred Diegtel, vice president of operations for Lawn Doctor, Inc., Matawan, N.J., has been writing letters to the New York Times since June, and has yet to receive a reasonable response to a question he has about an article that appeared in that newspaper. In the June 4 issue of the Times, columnist Fred Ferretti wrote a flippant article about lawn care, attributing appar-
ently fabricated quotes to the lawn care businessman such as: "I am your lawn specialist. We tend to the sick and bald. What can I do for you?" and: "You're getting hysterical. Calm down. Are you telling me that you hope we can cure your sick, bald and obviously diseased lawn?" Although Lawn Doctor was not mentioned by name, the article uses the term "doctor" often, and it turns out that Kim Herud, Lawn Doctor of Verona-Cedar Grove, did indeed make a sales call to columnist Ferretti just before the article was written. Herud admits he was a bit late for his appoint-ment, but did not treat the columnist in the manner de-scribed in the article. Diegtel feels that the article took an unnecessary cheap shot at the industry in the interest of nothing more than providing grist for a column on a slow news day. He has even written Times executive editor Abe Rosenthal a number of times. But the paper is not writing back. Short story of great beauty. This little bluegrass came to market from Sweden and became a best seller. Fylking Kentucky bluegrass forms a luxurious, low-growing, fine-textured thick turf. It establishes fast, develops a greater density of rhizomes and roots. Fylking is tough, with improved resistance to many diseases, and better tolerates drought, heat, cold, smog and foot traffic. Greens up early, stays green through summer and late into fall. Great as the backbone bargain for lawn turf seed mixes. Fylking performs well when cut low (even low as one-half inch). Fylking Kentucky bluegrass costs less than most other elite blues. In short, insist that this best seller be included in every lawn seed mix. Fylking Kentucky bluegrass. FYLKING KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS Ž Another fine, quality-controlled product of Jacklin Seed Company. MEETING DATES U w D OS P C/D D D Z w c* < u z 
5 Turfgrass *79, Baltimore Hilton, Balti-more, Md., Jan. 8-10. Contact: Dr. Charles Darrah, Department of Agronomy, Uni-versity of Maryland, College Park, Md. 20742, 301-454-3715. Nebraska Turfgrass Conference, Nebraska Center, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Jan. 8-10. Contact: Dr. Robert C. Shearman, 105 Plant Industry Building, University of Nebraska, Lin-coln, Neb. 68583. ProTurf Seminar, Holiday Inn North, Newark, N.J., Jan. 9. Contact: O.M. Scott & Sons, Marysville, Ohio, 800-543-006. ProTurf Seminar, Lantana, Randolph, Mass., Jan. 10. Contact: O.M. Scott & Sons, Marysville, Ohio, 800-543-006. ProTurf Seminar, Holiday Inn, West-burv, New York, Jan. 11. Contact: O.M. Scott & Sons, 800-543-006. New Hampshire Turf Seminar, Sheraton-Wayfarer Motor Inn, Bedford, N.H., Jan. 
11-12. Contact: George Estes, Department of Plant Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, N.H. 03824. Chemicals for Turf Use Seminar, sponsored by Midwest Regional Turf Foundation, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., Jan. 15-19. Contact: Dr. William H. Daniel, Department of Agronomy, 2-443 Lilly Hall, West 
Lafayette, Ind. 47907, 317-749-2891. Michigan State University Turfgrass Con-ference, Kellogg Center, MSI I Campus, East Lansing, Jan. 16-17. Richard W. Chase, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, East Lansing, Mich. 48824. Southeastern Pennsylvania Turf School, and Trade Show, Westover Country Club, Jeffersonville, Pa., Jan. 16-17. Contact: William H. White, SE Corner Broad and Grange Streets, Philadelphia, Pa. 19141. Green Lawn 11th Annual Lawn Spraying 
Seminars, Hilton Airport Inn, St. Louis, Mo. Jan. 17. Contact: Jim McCurdy, Green 
Lawns, Inc., 633 W. Monroe St., Belle-ville, 111. 62221, 618-234-2141. Western Pennsylvania Turf and Grounds Maintenance School-Trade Show, 
Howard Johnson Motor Lodge, Monroe-
ville, Pa., Jan. 23-25. Contact: Phil Sellers, 
311 Jones Law Building Annex, 311 Ross St., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219. ProTurf Seminar, Troy Hilton, Troy, Mich., Jan. 23. Contact: O.M. Scott & Sons, 800-543-006. ProTurf Seminar, Holiday Inn, Cleveland, Ohio, Jan. 24. Contact: O.M. Scott & Sons, 800-543-006. ProTurf Seminar, Sheraton Valley Forge, King of Prussia, Pa., Jan. 25. Contact: O.M. Scott & Sons, 800-543-006. Pump and Pump Controls Short Course, St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 23-25. Contact: Irriga-tion Association, 13975 Connecticut Ave., Silver Spring, Md. 20906, M01-871-8188. VPI & SU Annual Turfgrass Conference, Colonial Williamsburg Conference Cen-ter, Williamsburg, Va., Jan. 24-25. Con-tact: Dr. John F. Shoulders, 419 Smyth Hall, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va. 24061, 703-951-5797. 15th Annual Northern California Turf-grass ;md Environmental Landscape Exposition, San Mateo County Fair-grounds, Jan. 24-25. Contact: Marilyn Heinrichs, NCTC, P.O. Box 268, Lafayette, Calif. 94549. Professional Turf and Landscape Con-ference, Tappan Zee Inn, Nyack, N.Y., Jan. 31. Contact: Frank Claps, 136 Laurel Ave., Larchmont, N.Y. 10538, 914-834-
6846. THE LITTLE TRACTOR THAT DOES BIG TRACTOR JOBS. A lot of landscaping and construction jobs are too big for a lawn and garden tractor, yet too small for a large industrial tractor. And that's where our John Deere "little-big" tractors come in. At 22 and 27-PTOhp, they have the power you need for loading, digging, 
grading, posthole digging, transporting, trenching, 
tilling and just about any other job you do. Yet they're still small enough so they're not too expensive to buy or operate. Both the 22-PTO-hp 850 and the 27-PTOhp 950 are equipped with liquid-cooled diesel engines that give you excellent fuel economy. And both offer a versatile 8-speed transmission plus a 3-point hitch (Category 1) that accommodates a family of more than 20 tractor-matched implements. We also offer a choice of tire sizes and styles to fit your j*^ needs. And your John Deere dealer is a man you can count on for parts, service and good advice. So if you're looking for a real workhorse that's just right for the jobs you do, see the 850 or 950 at your nearby John Deere dealer. Or, for a free brochure, write: John Deere, Dept. 63, Moline, Illinois 61265. a THE JOHN DEERE LITTLEBIG" TRACTORS. Nothing runs like a Deere.® The Fertilizer Institute Annual Meeting, Hyatt Regency, Chicago, 111., Feb. 4-6. Contact: Doung Culkin, TFI, 1015 18th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036, 202-466-2700. 50th International Turfgrass Conference and Show, Georgia World Congress Cen-ter, Atlanta, Ga.f Feb. 4-9, 1979. Contact: Conrad L. Scheetz, GCSAA, 1617 St. An-drews Dr., Lawrence, Kan. 66044, 913-841-2240. Associated Landscape Contractors of America 1979 Annual Meeting and Trade Exhibit, Galleria Plaza Hotel, Houston, Texas, Feb. 4-9,1979. Contact: John Shaw, ALCA, 1750 Old Meadow Rd., McLean, Va. 22101, 703-893-5440. ProTurf Seminar, Thunderbird Hotel, Bloomington, Minn., Feb. 6. Contact: O.M. Scott & Sons, Marysville, Ohio, 800-543-006. ProTurf Seminar, Holiday Inn No. 4, Milwaukee, Wis., Feb. 7. Contact: O.M. Scott & Sons, Marysville, Ohio, 800-543-006. ProTurf Seminar, Hyatt Regency O'Hare, Rosemont, 111., Feb. 8. Contact: O.M. Scott & Sons, Marysville, Ohio, 800-543-0006. ProTurf Seminar, Hilton Inn North, North High Street, Worthington, Ohio, Feb. 12. Contact: O. M. Scott & Sons, 800-543-0006. Penn State 50th Anniversary Turfgrass Conference, Sheraton Penn State Inn, State College, Pa., Feb. 13-16. Contact: Dr. Joseph M. Duich, 21 Tyson Building, Penn State University, University Park, Pa. 16802. Greens Lawns 11th Annual Lawn Spray-ing Seminars, Hilton Airport Inn. St. Louis, Mo., Feb. 14. Contact: Jim McCurdy, Green Lawns, Inc., 633 W. 
Monroe St., Belleville, 111. 62221, 618-234-2141. Illinois Landscape Contractors Seminar, Indian Lakes Country Club, Blooming-dale, 111., Feb. 14-16. Contact: Carole Rachesky, 665 Forest, Glen Ellyn, 111. 60137, 312-858-8356. Capital Area Turf School, Hershey Motor Lodge, Convention Center, Hershey, Pa., 
Feb. 20-21. Contact: Harold E. Stewart, 75 5. Houcks Rd., Suite 101, Harrisburg, Pa. 17109. ProTurf Seminar, Holiday Inn 9009 East 
Arapahoe Rd., Denver, Colo., Feb. 20. 
Contract: O. M. Scott & Sons, 800-543-0006. ProTurf Seminar, Hilton Airport Plaza Inn, 8001-112th St., N.W., Kansas City, Mo., Feb. 21. Contract: O. M. Scott & Sons, 800-543-0006. ProTurf Seminar, Holiday Inn, 1-279 at St. Charles Rock Road, St. Louis, Mo., Feb. 
22. Contract: O. M. Scott & Sons, 800-543-
0006. American Sod Producers Association Midwinter Conference, Doubletree Inn-Mall, Scottsdale, Ariz., Feb. 25-27. Con-tact: Bob Garey, ASPA, Association Building, 9th and Minnesota, Hastings, 
Neb. 68901, 402-463-5691. Northeastern Pennsylvania Turf School, Master Host Motel, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Feb. 27-28. Contact: Cy Chadwick, Court House Annex, 5 Water St., Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 18702. 30th Annual Canadian Turf Show, Chateau Halifax, Halifax, Nova Scotia, March 4-7. Contact: Canadian Golf Course Superintendents Association, 698 Weston, Rd., Suite 32, Toronto, Ontario M6N 3Re, 416-767-2550. Reinders Turf Conference, includes irrigation seminars, equipment show and service clinic, Elm Grove, Wis., March 6-8. Contact: Ed Devinger, Reinders Brothers, Inc., 13400 Watertown Plank Rd., Elm Grove, Wis. 53122, 414-786-3300. Midwest Turf Conference, Purdue Uni-versity, West Lafayette, Ind., March 12-
14. Contact: Dr. William H. Daniel, Department of Agronomy, 2-443 Lilly Hall, West Lafayette, Ind. 47907, 317-749-2891. Northcentral Pennsylvania Turf School, Smethport Country Club, Smethport, Pa., March 20. Contact: Clarence E. Craver, Court House, Smethport, Pa. 16749. Symposium on Turfgrass Diseases, sponsored by Ohio State University, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, ChemLawn Corp., University Holiday Inn, Columbus, Ohio, May 15-17. Contact: Dr. P. O. Larsen, 2865 E. Orange Rd., Galena, Ohio 43021, 614-422-6987. THE BIGGEST VALUE IN CONTROLLED RELEASE NITROGEN! Magnification of sulphur coated urea granule tr-> ? Z n > 70 M z D C CD H ?o a n o If you're a lawn applicator. . . If you're not using Sulfur Coated Urea . . . READ THIS! Then call us toll-free at: East of the Mississippi 1-800-321-5951 
In Ohio Dial 1-800-362-7413 
Or Call Collect 216-323-7544 If you're a lawn applicator and you're not using LESCO 36 Sulfur Coated Urea in your program, it's costing you 
money, it's costing you per-formance, and maybe it's 
costing you customers. LESCO 36 Sulfur Coated Urea is a giant leap for turf management. This controlled 
release nitrogen source delivers a guaranteed mini-mum of 36% nitrogen and 12% sulfur. Between 10 to 20% of the nitrogen is avail-able within the first 7 to 10 days, with the remainder 
available over a period of 
several months. This means quick greening, sustained feeding and reduced applica-
tion costs. And because you buy from Lakeshore, you 
buy from the manufacturer. And that means quality and 
savings. If you are a truckload buyer, take advantage of our toll-free information service and call Barb today. She'll have our representative con-tact you immediately. Those east of the Mississippi can reach her by dialing 1-800-321-5951. (In Ohio, dial 1-800-362-7413.) If you're west of the Mississippi, call Barb collect at 216-323-7544. Take that small step and call today. We'll be glad to tell you about LESCO 36 and our other fine LESCO Prod-ucts, such as LESCOSAN (Betasan*), the liquid pre-emergence crabgrass control that outsells all the competi-tion. Our LESCO Quality Prod-ucts and Friendly Service are always as close as your phone. Ł(BetasanŠRegistered TM of Stauffer Chemical Company.) LESC^ PRODUCTS Division of Lakeshore Equipment & Supply Co. 300 S. ABBE ROAD, ELYRIA, OHIO 44035 A FAMILY OF FINE PRODUCTSŠLescosan 12.5GŠLescoreneŠLesco 4ŠLescoborŠLescoparŠLescopexŠLesco Non-Selective Herbicide Lesco MSMAŠLesco Thiram 75WŠLescozymeŠLakeshore Chinch Bug & Sod Webworm Control NEWSMAKERS After one full lawn care season, Agrilawn Corp., Goshen, Ind. has developed a strong busi-ness position in that community, which is 40 miles east of South Bend. Jerry Hartsough is presi-dent of the company, which is a spin-off of his landscaping business. David Miller is vice president, D. Robert Corson is secretary-treasurer, and Truman Miller is assistant secretary-trea-surer. Newsom Jensen Peter Loft, chairman of Lofts Pedigreed Seed, Inc., Bound Brook, N.J. has announced the 
opening of a branch in Land-over, Md. to serve the Mid-Atlantic region. Products from this branch are marketed under 
the name of Lofts/Maryland. Strick Newsom has been named vice president and general man-ager, and Vanessa Jensen has been named assistant vice presi-dent and assistant manager. John Morrisey was elected president of the Atlantic Seeds-men's Association at its annual meeting recently in Boston. He is vice president of the Wholesale and Institutional and Pro-fessional Turf Division of Loft's Pedigreed Seed, Inc., Bound Brook, N.J. Other officers are: Charles Kindsvater, Otis S.pTwilley Seed Co., Trevose, Pa. first vice president; D. L. Gruenbaum, O.M. Scott & Sons, Marysville, Ohio, second vice president; Robert Wetsel, Wetsel 
Seed Co., Harrisonburg, Va., secretary; and Randy Pope, John 
Zuelzer & Son, Manhasset, N.Y., treasurer. Executive committee 
members include John Zajac, Garfield-Williamson, Inc., Jersey City, N.J.; Charles Walkiewicz, 
Vaughan-Jacklin Corp., Bound Brook, N.J.; and Hugh MacWil-liam, Agway, Inc., Syracuse, N.Y. Paula Dietz has been named western representative for L & E 
Chemicals, Royal Oak, Mich., according to company president Donald Benham. She was 
formerly turfgrass extension specialist at Michigan State Uni-versity. TOOLS,TIPS & TECHNIQUES Hydraulic seeding of existing lawns Jerry Faulring, president of Hydro Lawns, Gaithersburg, Md. feels that overseeding existing lawns by hydraulic seeding is a very economical approach to reestablishment Š and it has proven very successful for his company. "We introduced our Program IV this spring to fill a large void in the kind of services offered to the market," he told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY recently. "We did not reach our sales goal for Program IV this spring due to the long winter causing a late start and equipment delivery delays. But we 
did overseed another 600 lawns this fall in a geographic area about 100 miles by 75 miles. I think that is pretty efficient." For the overseeding program, Hydro Lawn uses a 3,000-gallon hydraulic seeder manufactured by Finn Equipment Co., Cincinnati, Ohio. Two other hydraulic seeders on the Hydro Lawn's 3,000-gallon hydraulic seeder market are manufactured by Reinco, Plainfield, N.J. and Bowie Industries, Inc., Bowie, Texas. Faulring started Hydro Lawn in the fall of 1975 after sev-eral years of experience in sod production and the lawn care 
industry. With one truck, he signed up 344 customers that first fall. The next year he ended with three trucks and 2,100 customers on the books. Last year he ended with 5,000 customers and 12 trucks. He ended this lawn care season with more than 20,000 cus-tomers, serviced by seventeen 1,300-gallon spray rigs, four 300-gallon manager spray rigs and the hydraulic seeder (gross receipts were $1.5 million, see "Million Dollars Lawn Care Companies, LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, Nov., 1978, page 4) H.J. Baker & Bros., Inc. has been appointed as sales agent to the fertilizer manufacturing industry for Ag Industries Mfg. (AIM) Corp.'s production of sul-fur-coated urea. AIM is owned 
by Lakeshore Equipment & 
Supply Co., Elyria, Ohio. Lakeshore has announced a number of appointments. Don Friihauf will be the company's Lake Erie representative, cover-ing eastern Cleveland to Buf-
falo, N.Y. He was formerly assis-tant golf course superintendent at The Pepper Pike Club in the 
Cleveland area. Paul Morgan will serve the company in product develop-ment. He is a past president of the Midwest Regional Turf Foundation and the Ohio Turf-grass Foundation. Clifford Belden will the com-pany's Hudson Valley repre-sentative. This includes most of the northeastern counties of New Jersey and all of Fairfield County, Connecticut. He is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, holding a B.S. degree in turf. Stanford Seed Co., Buffalo, N.Y., has named Richard S. Bell manager of the company's Phila-delphia division, which is head-quartered in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. Bell has been with the com-pany since 1965 in an executive position for finance and adminis-tration, and currently serves as corporate secretary-treasurer. 
He began his career in the seed trade with Seaboard Seed Co., Bristol, 111. Stanford Seed Co. is a 
producer and distributor of Old English brand turfgrass seed and 
lawn products for industrial and residential use. Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. He received his B.S. degree in 
agronomy and turf management 
from Delaware Valley College of Agriculture at Doylestown, Pa. P.C. Kleyla has been named new product specialist'for Sevin carbaryl insecticide for Union 
Carbide Corp., Jacksonville, Fla. Also, Frank J. Gonzales has been named field development repre-sentative in the West and Daniel 
P. Veileux in the Midwest. Staples Staats Clark Staples has been named field sales manager for OMC-Lincoln's Cushman and Ryan turf care equipment lines. Also, Gary Staats has been name eastern U.S. service manager for Cushman-Ryan turf care equip-ment. Steve Tubbs has joined the sales staff at Great Western Seed Co., Albany, Ore. He will assist in marketing the company's es-tablished brands and in opening markets for newly developed grass seed. George Swoboda has been ap-pointed sales manager for na-tional accounts of Lofts Pedi-greed Seed, Inc., Bound Brook, N.J. He will operated from Cam-bridge, N.Y., traveling through-out the United States and work-
ing directly with national ac-
counts. Grand Junction Pipe & Supply Co., Grand Junction, Colo, has been named a full-line franchised turf distributor for Rain Bird Sprinkler Mfg. Corp., Glendora, Calif. The new dis-tributor is involved in the sale of irrigation equipment for residen-tial, industrial and golf course applications. Sales manager is Ron Jaynes. . The appointment of Hal G. Dickey as turf seed marketing 
manager at North American Plant Breeders, Mission, Kan., has been announced by L. C. Nelson, business director. Only 
recently re-entering the turf market with a national launch of Regal fine-textured ryegrass, the firm announced its plans to intro-
duce other elite grasses in the 
near future. Toro Co., Minneapolis has named Walter J. Wilkie, preis-
dent of Wilkie Turf Equipment, Inc., Pontiac, Mich, as its out-standing United States dis-tributor for 1978. The company's purchases of Toro equipment this past year fopped the $12-million mark, double the value of his preceding year's purchases. A close competitor of Wilkie for the top waward was E. D. McConkey, president of Chicago Toro Turf-Irrigation, Inc., Itasca, 111. Others receiving awards were Lee Strebel, president of Gulf Shore Turf Supply, Inc., Pensacola, Fla.; Leonard L. John-
son, president of L. L. Johnson Distirbuting Co., Denver; and 
Roy W. Simpson, president of The Norton Corp., Phoenix. Bell Bergen Robert E. Bergen has been named division manager of FMC Corp.'s Outdoor Power Equip-
ment Division, Port Washington, Wis., manufacturers of Bolens lawn equipment. Bergen joined 
the company in 1977 as assistant division manager. He replaces Dave Hill, who will be relocat-ing to Arizona before retirement at the end of next year. New officers of the Pro-fessional Grounds Maintenance Society elected at its annual meeting in Indianapolis are: Fred A. Lennertz, Jr., president; 
J. Alton Enloe, vice president; 
and John R. Van Vorst, trea-surer. Lennertz is superinten-dent of grounds and transporta-tion for Indiana Univer-sity/Purdue University at Indianapolis. Enloe is super-visor of landscape and grounds maintenance for the University of Houston. Van Vorst is super-visor of parks for the borough of Tenafly, N.J. Robert H. Yarborough has been name a chemical sales 
representative for TUCO, Divi-sion of The Upjohn Co., Kala-mazoo, Mich., by marketing man-ager Owen B. Lewis. Yarborough will be responsible for sales in INCREASE YOUR PROFITS AND While Building a Strong Professional Image 
Be Able to Create 
Better Lawn Results than your Competition HERE'S HOW AGRO'CHEM, INC. tx>wr*c Aba TH0OOOI CAH HELP Such soil reports with complete recommendations are truly the soundest and most practical way of managing outdoor areas scientifically and exactly. They are well worth their initial costs as they will repay with savings in material, time, and expenses that are usually created by faulty guessing. Sample Soil Test Form Provides the Following Essential Information Necessary for Professional Management GREGORY GREENGRASS. 'Gregory is my name, grass is my fame." TESTS Total Exc. Cap. pH of Soil Organic Matter % Nitrogen No./Acre Sulfates No./Acre Phosphates No./Acre PA) Calcium No./Acre Magnesium No./Acre Potassium No./Acre Sodium No./Acre Base Saturation % Calcium (60-70%) Magnesium (10-20%) Potassium (2-5%) Sodium (.5-3%) 
Other Bases 
(Variable) Exc. Hydr. (10-15%) Salt Cone. Chlorides Boron Iron Manganese Copper Zinc Value Found L P E R Too High V O Too Low Total Desired Amts E B 
Amts. in Corrective Value In Soil L L 
Soil Quant. (Toxic) E (Deficient) For O. M Restoration K. S Primary Appli. No. Appli. Req. = Safe Mat. Quant. Cost To Apply Per Appli Per Acre Per Acre Per Appli. Mat. Cost Per Unit Secondary Appli. No. Appli. Req. = Safe Quant. To Apply Per Acre Per Appli. Mat. Cost Per Appli. Per Acre PRESCRIPTION FORMULATINGŠPutting your soil test recommendations to work for you in the exact manner required by your soil and lawn. In the past, Soil Testing was almost useless because very few people could obtain the exact materials required. Now, due to our com-puterized prescription blending plant, we formulate exactly to soil test recommendations or to your specifications. These formulations can contain the Primary Nutrients (NPK), the Secondary and Micro Nutrients (Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Bo) along with Soil Looseners, and/or Rebuilders, Mat and Thatch Decomposers and other required products Š all can usually be for-mulated into one easy to use product. Most formulating can be had as: A. Natural organic forms B. Synthetic Form C. Both Organic and Synthetic Forms By applying materials exactly as required by your soil and grass, you will be able to obtain superior results over standard products or other formulating procedures. Superior Professional Results = More Business, Higher Recognition, + Greater Profits. MANAGEMENT PROGRAMSŠTailored to your Soil-Plant Requirements and to the dollar cost you desire to pay for materials. TECHNICAL HELP AND ASSISTANCE from Experienced Degreed Professionals that will bring added profits and business. MATERIALS INCLUDING:ŠFertilizers, Herbicides, Fungicides, Seed Insecticides and Special Problem-Solving and Preventing Products. We can formulate any product to your specifications Š Tell us what you want and what you want to pay and we'll formulate to your 
specifications. APPLICATION EQUIPMENTŠSpecially designed application equipment that is inexpensive to purchase, and most important, easy to use. We can build units to your specifications or will supply the components so you can build units yourself. TOTAL COST FOR MATERIAL PER ACRE THE AGE OF PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL ADVICE AND RESULTS IS UPON US N0WI BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT THIS RESPONSIBLE POSITION - PLAN TO ATTEND LEARN THE NEWLY DISCOVERED SECRETS OF MOTHER NATURE, NEW TECHNIQUES, NEW PROBLEM AND LABOR SAVING PRODUCTS AND EQUIPMENT ACQUIRE A TOTALLY NEW CONCEPT OF THE SPRAY BUSINESS. SPRAY DEALER TRAINING CLINICS-Designed especially for the man desiring to become a high quality professional capable of producing positive results with the abili-ty to spot problems, diagnose their cause, cure and prevent their recurrence. The subject matter is presented in an "Eyeball to 
Eyeball" basis in a digestable and immediately useable form so everyone understands all concepts and will be able to profit 
from this knowledge immediately by being able to put the ac-
quired information to use in his daily business operation. Special purpose products for solving and preventing problems are introduced as are new types of application equipment and techniques. Individual questions and problems are answered and solved. Clinic Courses cover the following: The secrets of Plant Growth Characteristics that will bring you success. FertilizersŠPrimary, Secondary, and Micro Nutrients. Their function in soils and plants. Raw Material Sources Š Natural and Synthetic. Costs and choosing the best for your purpose. How Fertilizers are manufactured and the results achieved. SoilsŠThe Key to Your Success Š Problem Solutions Mechanical vs Natural Chemical rectifiers Soil Aids and Rebuilders that can be sprayed. Natures RhythmŠunderstanding it so that you can make Mother Nature work for you instead of working against your 
efforts. Soil TestingŠTesting Methods available - Understanding the value and interpretation of results - value of research -evaluating the soils in your area - what should be used on the lawns in your area. Lawn CareŠListing problems, objectives, budgets and pro-gramming to meet the requirements of your area. Offering a spray service in your area - requirements, etc. Surveying, 
Scheduling, selecting proper materials. Weed ControlŠContact, Selective, Total, Soil Sterilization Lawn Weeds. Industrial Weed Control. Fence Line Spraying. Chemical Weed Picking. Aquatic Weed Control. TREE, ORNAMENTAL AND SHRUB CAREŠRoot Feeding, Spraying. EquipmentŠSelection, calibrating, special purpose and multi-purpose units. How to equip a truck rig. Large arec spraying units. Application TechniquesŠMixing and applying materials Educating, communication, informing your customers. Planning and programming. Plus much, much more. A total concept you can't afford to miss. A very affordable 
program, packaged with all of the materials you are taught on so you can use the methods and the products immediately after training to prove to yourself and your customers that you can provide better results with your service. This 
unique Dealer package is designed to train you in the most effective way of providing a professional service, provide you 
with the necessary materials plus you will receive your total in-vestment back with a profit. A deal that can't be matched. A 
variety of Dealer Packages for you to choose from to match your needs, expansion, market and available funds. Advance 
training available. This is not a Franchise. No fees or royalties. 
You are your own boss. The above Dealer Package represents the 4 day training package. Other packages available. Training available in Jan., Feb., and March, 1979. Seating is limited. Reservations made on a first come first served basis. For complete information call 
Mr. C. Gregory. 312-455-6900. YOUR TOTAL SOURCE FOR PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT YOU CAN EXPAND INTO THE SPRAY BUSINESS Š INEXPENSIVELY and PROFESSIONALLY AGRO CHEM'S Professional spray unit for the small, new applicator, and Š it is expandable For the larger established applicator. The basic unit includes (as pictured) 1ŠRectangular 300 gallon holding tank Š 110 lbs. w/4" fill cap & man way 1Š250' light weight pressure hose 1ŠElectric hose reel 1ŠGas engine & special Pump 1ŠLawn gun with assorted nozzels 1ŠPressure regulator and bi-pass unit 1 eachŠSuction & Bi-pass hose 1ŠRoot feeder This basic 300 gallon unit can be expanded to whatever size spray rig desired by simply adding more tanks Š eliminates purchasing new equipment as business expands. This basic spray rig is designed 
to fit in a pick-up truck, the 
tank situated between the rear wheel well and cab of truck. The motor, pump and hose reel on the right side leaving the remainder of the truck bed for other equipment and 
supplies. Van pictured shows the basic __ . spray unit in the van, leaving m the entire rear area for storage of products. As you will see, these sprayer units have been designed with a great 
deal of thought, resftirch, and years of experience. They are designed 
and built by professionals, for professionals. For more details, either call 
or write Mr. Pierce. Pictured: 16' Flat bed truck carrying 5 Š 300 gal. tanks -»- 1500 gals. 2 Š 500' hose reels & ability to apply as many as 5 different products or any combination required. t" 1 . JjaSSPS ©pei '1 r JIm MC III 'ŁŁnil * - © tf ' Ł >' V- \ , . aci... v.,. Ł : Ł -1 1 1 laWMB i With advertisment signs Without signs AGRO;CHEM. INC. i) Phone: 312-455-6900 11150 Addison Franklin Park, III. 60131 Please send me more information on: Ł 2 day Ł 3 day Ł 4 day dealer training clinincs Ł Spray Units Ł Root Feeding Ł Problem I would like to solve in Name Company. Address . City Phone State. -Zip-. Area Code_ COST CUTTINGS Saving money with the "PUD" concept They are not doing it yet, but when Rich and Gail Fishman, co-owners of Lawn Doctor of Northampton in the Philadelphia area, switch to the "PUD" concept, they hope it will save them quite a bit of money and time. The idea is simple, and not unlike the rout-ing system that most lawn care companies use. A "PUD" is a Planned Unit Development Fishman type of housing development that often also includes condominiums, apartments and common green belt and recreational green areas. The idea is to have a single truck and manager for each large development, or for two developments if they are smaller. A common tactic on the West Coast and in other areas across the country is for lawn care companies to offer a rela-tively cut-rate price for care of common green belt areas in exchange for promotion of a company's lawn care services to individual home owners in any given PUD. 11TH YEAR Green Lawns sponsors annual spray seminars Green Lawns, Inc., Belle-ville, 111. will sponsor its 11th An-nual Lawn Spraying Seminars in the St. Louis area early next year. Company president Jim McCurdy told LAWN CARE IN-DUSTRY: "My seminar will give you all the information you need to start a lawn spraying business." Topics include: All formulas for two-through-five-application programs, equipment require-ments and specifications, appli-cation techniques, advertising copy and layouts ready for media, and "solutions to prob-lems before they become prob-
lems." The lawn spraying seminars will be held January 17th and 
February 14 at the Hilton Air-port Inn, across from Lambert International Airport in St. Louis. Cost is $550. For information, contact: Jim McCurdy, Green Lawns, Inc., 633 W. Monroe St., Belleville, 111. 62221, 618-234-2141. MEETINGS New York conference moved up a week The Professional Turf and Landscape Conference, spon-sored by a number of New York metropolitan area green industry groups, has changed its date from February 7 to January 31. The conference is scheduled for the Tappan Zee Inn, Nyack, 
N.Y. For further information, con-tact: Frank Claps, 136 Laurel Ave., Larchmont, N.Y. 10538, 914-834-6846. EDUCATION Georgia Turfgrass Foundation formed The Georgia Turfgrass Foundation recently was formed to support research and educa-Lawn and Garden Manufacturers Association board of directors elected recently in Chicago are: (From leftj Robert B. Nichols, Jr., Nursery Specialty Products, Inc., Greenwich, Conn.; Karl J. Boehm, Jr., Warp Brothers, Chicago; Willis R. Barrett, Phillips Products Co., Inc., Streamwood, 111.; fane McAlpine, Carefree Garden Products, West Chicago, 111.; LAGMA president C. Edward Scofield, RA-PID-GRO Corp., Dansville, N.Y.; and Eugene Olshansky, Science Products Co., Inc. Not pictured are: Norman Rivkees, Melnor Industries, Moonachie, N.J. and George E. Perry, Plantabbs Corp., Timonium, Md. tional programs in the state, ac-cording to Timothy H. Bower, ex-tension turf specialist at the University of Georgia, Athens. The Foundation's first action was a campaign to educate home owners to the advantages of pro-per lawn grass choice, mainte-nance and methods of renova-tion during a special "Turfgrass Week." MEETINGS Lawn maintenance session featured at Mid-Am show A special session on "Making Money in Lawn Maintenance" will headline the Mid-America Trade Show Jan. 14-17 at O'Hare Exposition Center in the Chicago area. More than 1,000 persons are already pre-registered for the show, and more than 220 ex-hibitors will fill 365 exhibit spaces. The lawn maintenance ses-sion will be held between 10 and 
11 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16. Panel speakers will be Charles McGinty, president of McGinty Brothers, Long Grove, 111.; Tyrrell Hughes, president of American Lawn Service, Menomonee Falls, Wis.' and William Fischer, president of Spring-Green Lawn Care Corp., Naperville, 111. For further information, con-tact: Donn Sanford, managing 
director, Mid-America Trade Show, 4300-L Lincoln Ave., Roll-ing Meadows, IL 60008. 312-359-8160. "r:sSlONALS in dustr\a\ jR-3'Aenr.e^ tted, ftSt!^ k * ^ountanrf*1*' —u,CK.mnspott. TM-140 6 tt. swath. AlsoŠslft 11625 N. Garvin St., Evansville, In. 47711 Circle 112 on free information card DEALERS WANTED (812)424-0931 BUSINESS Toro sales up 41%; earnings nearly double Toro Co. sales Š sparked by a 33 percent product category gain in professional turf equipment 
and a 42 percent gain in turf 
irrigation equiipment Š topped out at more than $227.4 million 
for fiscal year 1978 ended recen-tiy. Earnings were a record at more than $11 million. Primary and fully diluted earnings per share were $4.12 and $4.05, almost twice the $2.14 and $2.13 recorded in 1977. Sales were $66.4 million higher Š 41 percent Š than the $161 million recorded in the preceding year. MAINTENANCE ALCA annual meeting is February 4-9 in Houston The 1979 annual meeting of the Associated Landscape Con-tractors of America will be held February 4-9 in Houston. The week-long program will feature a wide variety and full schedule of business sessions and technical workshops. There 
will also be an equipment demonstration and exhibit. Last year's sessions were strong on lawn maintenance and also featured a special chemical lawn care session. For further information, con-tact: John Shaw, ALCA, 1750 Old Meadow Road, McLean, Va. 22102, 703-893-5440. FERTILIZER NFSA lawn turf task force meets; may provide services to industry Members of the National Fertilizer Solutions Lawn/Turf Task Force, meeting last month in Chicago: (From left, back to camera) NFSA executive vice president Richard Gilliland, Peter Shoemaker, Tully Tupper, Richard Fetter, Richard Farst, and (also back to camera) committee chairman F. J. Ranstead. At a special meeting held last month in Chicago, the Na-tional Fertilizer Solutions Asso-ciation decided to do a test mail-ing to lawn care companies to determine interest and what kind of services it could provide to the industry. Possible services NFSA could provide include: exposing com-
panies in the lawn care industry to potential sources of fertiliz-ers and chemicals, provide seminars and educational ses-
sions at NFSA functions, provide grants for research on lawn fer-tilizers, introduce fertilizer 
application equipment suppliers io the lawn care industry. Attending the meeting were: Richard L. Gilliland, executive PESTICIDES DBCP curbs proposed; restricted lawn use OK The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed ending some uses of the pesticide DBCP, but allowing other uses Š including on home lawns and golf courses Š under strict precautions. The proposal would make permanent an action the EPA took last year when it tem-porarily suspended most uses of DBCP on vegetables but permit-ted other crop and commercial treatments, if made by certified applicators wearing protective clothing. The pesticide has been used in the U.S. since 1955 to control nematodes that damage numerous crops, home lawns and golf course turf. The EPA last year gave appro-val for Occidental Chemical Co., 
Lathrop, Calif., Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Mich., Shell Chemical Co., Houston, and Am-vac Corp., Los Angeles, to sell DBCP products in the U.S. because they added the neces-sary precautions to their pro-ducts' labels. MEETINGS Lawn talks featured at Maryland turf show Four special lawn care presentations will highlight Maryland's Turfgrass '79 to be held Jan. 8-10 at the Baltimore Hilton. Lawn care consultant J. Mar-tin Erbaugh of Erbaugh & Associ-ates, Hudson, Ohio will speak on lawn care marketing tech-
niques; Jerry Faulring of Hydro Lawn, Gaithersburg, Md., will speak on professionalism; Robert Earley, editor of LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, will speak on lawn care advertising. For further information, con-tact: Dr. Charles Darrah, Depart-ment of Agronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, Md. 20742, 301-454-3715. vice president of NFSA; T.C. Tupper, manager of specialty fertilizers for Ashland Chemical Co., Columbus, Ohio; Peter D. Shoemaker, Jr., The Valley Fer-tilizer Š Chemical Co., Inc., Mount Jackson, Va.; Richard Farst, president of Blank's Agri-Service, Marion, Ohio; Richard Fetter, president of Morral Chemical C., Morral, Ohio. F. J. Ranstead, marketing manager for Hawkeye Chemical Co., Clin-ton, Iowa, a division of Getty Oil, chaired the meeting. "There are more corn and soybean dealers providing fertil-izer for lawn care companies than you might imagine," Fetter said at the meeting. Tentative plans call for NFSA to possibly hold lawn work-shops at its mid-year meeting in July in Indianapolis, and at its 
annual meeting next December 
in St. Louis. The association's 1978 annual meeting was earlier this month in Atlanta. Major lawn care companies that belong to NFSA include: ChemLawn Corp., Columbus, Ohio; Liqui-Green Lawn Care Corp., Peoria, 111.; Sears Lawn & 
Leaf, Wheeling, 111.; and 
Singature Lawns, Ltd., Daven-port, Iowa. For further information about NFSA, contact: Richard L. 
Gilliland, NFSA, 8823 N. In-dustrial Rd., Peoria, IL 61614, 309-691-2870. The association has 
1,500 corporate members. For the first time in pesticide history, "The Silver Skunk" gives you the convenience and precision required for urban and industrial spray operations. It is a revolutionary new portable high-pressure pesticide sprayer. Utilizing the exclu-sive Micro-Injection System, "The Silver Skunk" accurately meters small amounts of pesticide concentrate directly into the high-pressure water flow. You may eliminate bulky mix-ing tanks, for "The Silver Skunk" allows you to couple See me at your nearest dealer! directly to a garden hose for a water source. "The Silver Skunk" features portability, simple calibration, allows the 
operator to easily switch from one concentrate to another, records total gallons used on each job and is designed for extended service life. The unit comes complete with 100 feet of high-pressure spray hose, a wand, three nozzles and adapters. You're ready to go to work the moment "The Silver Skunk" walks through the door. Power Spray Technology, inc. Suite 8, Township Square Building Hook and Calcon Hook Roads Sharon Hill, PA 19079 Phone:(215)461-6331 Economic indicators for 1979: What lawn businessmen think,Ž, TABLE 1: EXPECTATIONS FOR 1979 Up Down Little/ over from Nochange Inflation rate 42% 19% 39%* Unemployment rate 38 21 41 Gross profits 48 17 35 Net profits 43 18 39 Essential capital expenditures 44 19 37 Discretionary capital expenditures 49 18 33 Administrative/sales expenses 34 25 41 Payroll expenses 42 22 36 Total expenses 40 23 37 Administrative/sales personnel 39 20 41 Payroll personnel 42 18 40 Promotion efforts 63 13 24 *AII respondents were asked to respond to each Economic Index so each horizontal line Ł 100% of survey group. "Everyone Š including all levels of government Š keeps talking about ways to slow or stop it but nothing to date seems to be really working. But stop it we'll have to, or else we'll have exactly the same type of econ-omic disaster which other coun-tries have gone through.'' 2. Unemployment rate. Majority opinion: Little or no 
change from '78. "It now appears that the worst of this may be behind us," 
a Boston operator said. "For 1979 I expect the unemployment situation will stay about what it is now. "One problem with this index is that I'm not sure it accurately measures those people really 
looking for work. I believe there are many people included in the statistics like students, house-wives, and retired people who 
are not really looking for full time work. "At least I know from our own experience that it's not easy to get good employees, even if you're basically looking for 
beginners and you're prepared to train them. Too many people apparently are happy to collect unemployment pay rather than going to work." 3. Gross profits. Majority opi-nion: Up an average of 6% over 1978. "I've been in business for almost five years," said a New York operator. "During that time my gross profit percentage really 
hasn't increased. I've done far 
more work each year, of course, but the gross percentage hasn't moved upward. "But based on advance orders for '79 that I've already gotten booked, I'm forecasting an in-crease of between 6 and 7% in gross profits. Part of that in-crease will result from higher 
prices which I'm now able to 
charge Š with several years ex-perience behind me Š and part will come from more careful purchasing of supplies and 
equipment. I now shop around much more than I did at the start, and this attention to buying will start paying off in '79." 4. Net profits. Majority opi-nion: Up an average of 4l/i% over '78. "We're anticipating an in-crease in net profits of about 5%. That will be a very nice change from the past few years." said a Chicago lawn maintenance 
company owner. "Since 1976 Š no, actually '75 Š our net hasn't moved upward a bit. In fact we thought our-
selves lucky to keep it where we did. "But starting then we really started watching expenses. That's really a pain; I'd sooner be out in the field estimating or selling, but the chore has to be done. "It takes time for expense cuts to filter down to the black 
ink at the bottom of a profit state-ment, but in the past few months that lovely color has been ap-pearing more and more. In 1979 we're really expecting to see a lot of it." 5. Essential capital expen-ditures. Majority opinion: Up an average of 5% over '78. "In the last few years we didn't purchase anything which was not literally required to keep the firm afloat," a Philadelphia operator said. "We read and believed all the economic doomsday predictions, and we though it would be far better to 
keep as much cash on hand as possible for the crunch. "Now it looks like doomsday may be postponed for awhile, so in '79 we have a fair amount of catching up to do, including buy-
ing one, maybe two, new pickups." 6. Discretionary capital expenditures. Majority opinion: Up an average of 8%. "For the past two years we just put the lid on discretionary capital goods purchases," a Den-ver lawn maintenance firm partner said. "The general economic situa-tion just didn't inspire either confidence or purchases of any-thing which could be put into abeyance. The problem with that type of action, however, is that it also makes expansion difficult. You can't really expand if you haven't got the tanks and trucks. "About a month ago my partner and I sat down and figured out the business we already had on the books for '79. When we added up the total it was surprising; we couldn't possibly service it all adequately with our current equipment. So in '79 we're budgeting for about 9 or 10% more spending for capital goods of a discretionary nature." 7. Administrative/sales ex-penses. Majority opinion: Little or no change from 1978. "When we first got started in 1973 we were pretty concerned with getting business," said a Los Angeles operator. "Worrying about overhead was the least of our worries. "Now, almost six years later, we give far more attention to 
overhead, because we've learned that saving $100 is just as good as doing a $500 job on which 
we net 20%. "Obviously that doesn't mean we ignore selling. It does mean that we now closely monitor ex-
penses, both on a year-to-date, and a previous year's com-parison, basis, and when over-head starts getting out of had we move quickly to correct the prob-lem. In '79 we're hoping to keep our administrative and sales ex-
pense ratio to the same level as in '78." 8. Payroll expenses. Majority opinion: Up an average of 41/2%. "There's really very little we can do about this index," a Miami operator said. "Most of the components are beyond our control. "For example, with the most careful budgeting possible we still can't do anything about in-creased costs due to higher Social Security and workmen's 
compensation contributions. Nor, within broad limits, can we do much about ever-increasing costs of fringe benefits which we've already negotiated with 
our employees. "But for 1979 we're planning for an increase of 5% or less. If we achieve that we'll be happy. Increases in this index for the 
last several years have been run-ning far more than that; in '78 
they were almost 9%, for exam-
ple. So we'll be pleased to hold the line Š if we can Š at 5%." 9. Total expenses. Majority opinion: Up an average of 4% over '78. "Not too long ago there were only two sure things: death and taxes," said a Seattle lawn main-tenance company manager. "Now you have to add increasing expenses to that list. "I read every good business and trade magazine. Whenever I see a cost cutting idea I give it a try; many of them do work for us. 
but even with those savings our 
total expense figure keeps rising. "It isn't, however, rising as fast as it was a few years ago, so perhaps we're finally coming to the surface. For '79 we're budgeting for a 5% increase, and 
if that proves accurate it will be 
down from about an 8% increase last year." 10. Administrative/sales per-sonnel. Majority opinion: Little or no change from 1978. "Our plans for 1979 call for a 9% increase in sales volume, but we're going to try to handle that with existing employees," said a Dallas operator. "Rather than get involved in all the paperwork and fringe benefit costs of new people, we're going to set aside one-quarter of any increase in company net profits. At the end of '79 we'll split that among the entire staff. We've discussed this with them and they're happy 
with the idea. We are too, because a relatively small firm 
like ours just can't handle all the extra time and money factors of BUSINESS More "million dollar" lawn care companies Three more lawn care com-panies have been added to LAWN CARE INDUSTRY'S list of "million dollar lawn care com-panies" published in these pages last month. The three companies Š one each from Ohio, Texas and Washington state Š bring the total to at least 41 companies grossing more than or just under a million dollars this year. The survey was based on questionnaires filled out by com-
panies, estimates by lawn care businessmen across the country, and estimates by the editors and adding new people." 11. Payroll personnel. Majority opinion: Up an average of 2%. "Our '79 estimates call for an increase in sales volume, both to new and existing accounts, of about 4%," said a very large San Francisco lawn maintenance operator. "We figure we can han-
dle that increase by bumping up field crews by about 2 or 3%. We train all our own people, and productivity has been growing since we started using semi-annual refresher courses in con-junction with a local state college. I know from talking with several other operators in this area that they're concerned about the output of their people. Those refresher courses in both technical and business subjects have almost eliminated that problem for us." 12. Promotion efforts. Majority opinion: Up an average 
of 8V2% over '78. "We want more volume. So does our competition. That means that in '79 we're going to have to work harder and be more creative at our promotion ac-tivities," said a Philadelphia operator. "We're budgeting for 
an increase of about 9% in both 
dollar and time. We're also going to re-examine our media. I think we'll be using more direct mail and weekly newspapers Š which have produced excellently for us Š and less daily paper and radio advertising." Summing up for the other 299 respondents, a Chicago operator said, "While we don't anticipate that 1979 will win any gold medals, we think that in com-parison with the last couple of ye^rs it will qualify for at least a bronze, maybe even a silver. You could say we're pleasantly op-timistic about '79." marketing staff of LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. Qestionnaires by 
the following three companies were received after the Novem-ber issue deadine. Signature Lawns, Ltd., Daven-port, Iowa has well over 10,000 lawn care customers serviced by 14 employes from five outlets. John S. Freemire is the company 
president. Greenlon, Inc., Cincinnati, has sales of just under a million dollars with 7,500 customers being serviced from one outlet with 20 employes. Richard Steinau is president. Ford's Chem Service, Inc., Pasadena, Texas, has sales of just under a million dollars working out of three outlets with 16 em-ployes. Richard E. Boyd is 
manager. MARKETING IDEA FILE How about free calendars for advertising? Free calendars, one of the oldest advertising gimmicks, still abound. In fact, say their makers, their use is growing 10 to 20 percent a year, despite soaring costs. The Specialty Advertising Association International reports that stores, banks, gasoline stations, insurance companies and the like bought $330 million worth of calendars to give away last year, up from $174 million only five years ago. Most cost between 50 cents and a dollar apiece, and some even have a price tag of six or seven dollars. Jim Donahue, sales manager for Shaw-Barton Co., a Coshocton, Ohio calen-dar maker says: "But how else can you capture that wall space 365 days a year?" Perhaps some of the larger lawn care companies should be us ng this type ot advertising of their services, and as a marketing idea to keep their current customers reminded of what mowing and watering practices they should be follow-ing for their lawn at different times of the year. If any compa-nies are already doing this, let LAWN CARE INDUSTRY know. 1 Virginia Field Days draw 280. More than 280 turf professionals from 13 states Š including many lawn care businessmen Š viewed the latest turf equipment, products and re-search at the 1978 Virginia Tech Field Days and Trade Show recently. At right, Jack Kidwell (left) owner of Kidwell Turf Farms, Culpeper, Va.; Robert J. Peterson, (center) agrono-mist at E. F. Burlingham and Sons, 
Forest Grove, Ore., and Harry Stalford, agronomist at Inter-national Seeds, Halsey, Ore., com-pare the effects of various Kentucky 
blue grass seed blends on sod quality. Comparisons of herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, irrigation systems, seed varieties and soil types were made at field day stops at Blacksburg facilities by Virginia Tech faculty members. There were 35 exhibitors. DIOXIN FLJRORfrom page 1 were later resolved when the facts were presented/' he said recently. In early August, ABC-TV's "20-20" newsmagazine format television show aired an account of "the domestic harms that may now be traced to what was the deadly component in Agent Orange Š dioxin." Agent 
Orange, a mixture of the herbi-cides 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T, was used 
in the Vietnam War as a defoliant. Although the program dealt with the present agricultural uses of 2,4,5-T, the component 
containing dioxin, in one of the telecast lead-ins a ChemLawn Corp. truck was shown. Columbis, Ohio-based Chem-Lawn has entered into litigation against ABC for what ChemLawn claims was a misrepresentation. The company said it does not use the herbicide because it is not 
labelled for home lawn use (see "ChemLawn Files Suit Against ABC Network for Misrepresen-tation on '20-20* TV Show," LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, Sep-tember, page 1). Background on the "furor over dioxin," as Dr. Darrah calls it, might be useful to the lawn 
care businessman who may have 
come up against complaints touched off by the television show. "The herbicide 2,4,5-T is in the class of herbicides known as 
the phenoxy compounds," he said. "Several of the phenoxy herbicides have been or are used in turf for broadleaf weed con-trol." He said 2,4,5-T was used on turf up until the early 1970's when it was banned for home lawn use. It was barred partly because of its dioxin content and partly because other herbi-cides were as effective for broadleaf weed control in turf and were also less phytotoxic. Several relatives of 2,4,5-T, however, are still widely used on turf. The closest relative is 2,4,5-TP, or silvex, as it is commonly known. Because of similarities in the manufacturing process, he said, dioxin would be expected to be found in 2,4,5-TP. Recent 
analytical procedures have detected dioxin in silvex in the range of .020 - .070 parts per million (ppm). The federal En-vironmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows no more than 0.1 ppm dioxin content of the active ingredient in 2,4,5-T or 2,4,5-TP. Thus far no dioxin has been detected in 2,4-D or MCPP, he 
said. These two phenoxy herbi-cides are manufactured using 
different starting products and the occurrence of the highly toxic dioxin Š TCDD Š is unlikely. According to a recently published Council for Agricul-ture Science and Technology (CAST) report, the ABC tele-vision program consistently con-fused the toxicity of the com-pound with the dose. Annual applications of dioxin in Agent Orange in Vietnam were 3,000 to 30,000 times greater per acre than in current applications of 2,4,5-T in the United States. Dr. Darrah said that researchers point out that to obtain a toxic dose of dioxin, from 200 to 2,000 toxic doses of the moderately toxic 2,4,5-T would have to be in-gested (depending on the test species). Spraying a turf area with 2,4,5-TP containing the maximum 
allowable dioxin content at a rate of one pound per acre would 
result in only 4.5 micrograms of dioxin per acre. The CAST commentary cites an incident in which fallout from an accidental release of chemicals from an Italian factory contaminated an area with amounts of dioxin in excess of 52,000 micrograms per acre. The medical records from 623 preg-nant women in the contaminated 
area showed that the number of spontaneous abortions and the number of children born with birth defects were below normal. In this instance, exposures were more than 10,000 times greater than those that could be expected to occur with the pru-dent use of 2,4,5-TP on turf. "Nevertheless," Dr. Darrah said, "there is always the argu-ment that introducing any amount of a toxic substance into the environment is not good. For-tunately, there are other weed control alternatives that could replace the use of 2,4,5-TP without seriously affecting the degree of weed control obtained. He said MCPP is active on most of the same winter annual weeds as 2,4,5-TP, but in some cases to a lesser degree. In many of the more resistant winter an-nuals, however, combining MCPP with 2,4-D and/or dicamba will provide excellent weed control, he said. EDUCATION Michigan turf conference set for January 16-17 Slow-release nitrogen car-riers, Fusarium blight, equip-ment updates and a discussion of the energy crisis as it relates to the turf industry will be dis-cussed at the Michigan State University Turfgrass Conference 
to be held January 16-17 at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing. Of particular interest to lawn care businessmen should be the session on slow-release nitrogen carriers, where fertilizer 
company representatives will debate the merits of each carrier. Also, the equipment session, which will discuss nozzles, tanks, pumps and other spray equip-
ment. For'further information, con-tact: Richard W. Chase, exten-sion specialist and project leader, Cooperative Extension Service, Michigan State Univer-sity, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, East Lansing, Mich., 48824. Dependability, Service & Long Life mean Better Profits with TORCO QUALITY LAWN CARE EQUIPMENT BUILT TO RUN AS LONG AND AS HARD AS YOU DO! TS1250:1250 gal. stainless steel tank w/20 G.P.M. -FMC turf pump. TC 1250: same as TS 1250 with lower-priced carbon steel tank. Ł Designed and built to outlast second chassis. Ł Mechanical agitation Š 7 paddles, 6 bearings. Ł Jet sweep eliminates tank settlings. Ł Easy accesss for pump and filter service. Ł PTO driven Š only 2 belts involved. 
Ł Calibrated sight gauge Š 18" leak-proof hatch. Ł Choice of electric or lower-priced, belt-driven reels. Ł Special light-weight turf hose Š easy pull-out. 
Ł Metered gun with unique TORCO spray nozzle. TF 300: 300 gal. fiberglass tank w/10 G.P.M. -fmc turf pump. 500 gal. also available. Skid mounted for VA ton pick-up. Same TORCO features as TS 1250. (Self-contained engine.) IMPROVE YOUR IMAGE (EYE APPEAL) WITH UNIFORMED PERSONNEL AND TORCO'S SLEEK, LOW PROFILE EQUIPMENT. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL TOLL FREE 800/626-1818 or 502/366-1415 (collect in KY.) exclusive area dealerships available Š contact Ed Weimer TORCO EQUIPMENT COMPANY 207 Eiler Ave., Louisville, Ky. 40214 Distributors of ASPLUNDH aerial baskets and chippers, RO digger der-ricks, utility bodies and fabricators of complete lawn care equipment. - Lawn CO 1 care i in ! the 1 80's What you have to look forward to Š specialization, stabilization, reappraisal of dry, mergers, longer-residual pesticides, special equipment, government regulation and more. by Bob Earley Editor What changes will take place in the lawn care industry in the next five years? Liquid application will dominate, but there will be a serious reappraisal of dry, par-ticularly as new and improved products come on the market. There will be a thinning of profit margins as increased competi-tion and inflation take a greater hold. Many "gardeners" who 
hoped to cash in on chemical lawn care will be forced back to 
their specialty. Also, serious use of growth retardants will begin. Fewer 
independent lawn care com-panies will open their doors Š but there will be more franchises. More pest control operators will offer lawn care as part of their services. Lawn care businessmen will have more year-round help being paid bet-ter wages. Finally there will be better equipment available Š mainte-nance businessmen won't have to rely as much on having to "commercialize" common gar-
den tractors, and there will be more opportunities for small 
companies manufacturing equip-ment, especially spray equip-ment. These are some of the opi-nions of people who should know Š successful lawn care business-men across the country. Their ideas about what the future will be like for their industry touch on the areas of marketing, competition, management, 
chemicals, turf varieties, labor, 
equipment, government regula-tion, the economy, irrigation and 
the possible formation of a lawn care association. Small towns, specialization and stability. Dick Deering, pres-ident of Perf-A-Lawn- Corp., New Carlisle, Ohio sees the ma-jor metropolitan markets ex-panding and also sees the emer-gence of a new small-town market. "Small towns pattern them-selves after the big city, and as lawn service becomes a more established and well-accepted 
practice in major metropolitan areas, the small-town areas will soon follow," he told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. Matt Stano, Stano Landscap-ing, Milwaukee, feels there will be an upsurge in the demand for qualified landscape mainte-nance firms to handle both residential and commercial ac-
counts. Consequently, there will be a greater need for landscape 
maintenance people to satisfy that demand Š particularly quality landscape maintenance. "Commercial accounts will turn in increasing numbers to the landscape maintenance contrac-tor because they will see that 
their own in-house people would be better employed in the other areas and because they won't want to hire specialized help and buy specialized equipment," 
Stano said. "Hopefully, the role of the landscape maintenance contrac-tor will increase in importance in an industry already considered one of the fastest growing in the country," he said. Tyrrell Hughes of American Lawn Services, Menomonee Falls, Wis. agrees with this. "We believe the full-service appraoch will continue to pro-vide stable and sensible growth not dependent on economic cy-cles," he told LAWN CARE IN-DUSTRY. "The industry as a whole will come into much greater public recognition and acceptance." Specialization is a key to the future of the industry, according to Bret Goodman, senior partner 
of Quality Lawns, Milwaukee, 
and the dramatic growth of 
ChemLawn Corp., Columbus, 
Ohio is living proof of the lawn care specialist. "ChemLawn has taken the lead in mass marketing the lawn care professional," Goodman said. "I foresee further specialization, not only in fertilizing, but in tree work, dis-ease control, mowing, erosion control, renovating and design." He said that "ripping out, refurbishing and renovation of existing lawns and landscaping" 
offers one of the most dramatic opportunities for profit and growth in the coming year. "Our business has taken a strong position in this segment of the industry," he said. "With the increasing move to the outdoors and nature, people are taking a 
closer look at their yards and feel the need to enhance that part of their homes. Also, with the in-creased velocity of home sales in 
recent years, a new generation of home owners is taking over ex-isting homes that had been neglected in the past." Stano also agrees that because of complexities of the maintenance business and technologies required to solve new problems that there will be 
a greater degree of specializa-tion. On the other hand, he feels that there will be some com-panies who will capitalize on this and incorporate all aspects of the business within the scope of 
their work. Reappraisal of dry. Although he still sees the liquid applica-tion approach dominating for the next few years, Jerry Faulring of Hydro Lawn, Gaithersburg, Md. also feels there will be a "serious 
reappraisal of the dry approach 
for the application of lawn care products. "I see a lot of new technology surfacing regarding material handling," he said. "There will 
be a lot of technology borrowed from agriculture, specifically in the area of developing complete products Š including pesticides Š that are marketed as suspen-sions for liquid applicators. He said there will be more specific complete products developed for dry applications too. And these dry products will 
be manufactured in several loca-tions so as to reduce distribution costs and allow the dry ap-plicator to be more competitive. Gary Weaver, president and general manager of Turf Gard Co., Troy, Ohio, also says that there will be several more dry 
material products introduced within the next few years. He said companies like The Ander-sons, Maumee, Ohio and Lake-shore Equipment & Supply Co., Elyria, Ohio will be in the fore-front of this kind of develop-ment. He also said that a new dry combination material of blended fertilizer, Balan and Dursban may be a available for purchase by the spring of 1980. "A bagged product such as this would further increase the 
flexibility for custom applica-tions for both dry and liquid ser-vices," he said. The "gas station" approach. John Wright, vice president of ChemLawn Corp., says there are 
a few directions the industry may take within the next few years in terms of structure. First, there is the possibility that one, or two or three, large companies might dominate the industry. Secondly, a number of smaller Š but still relatively large Š regional companies might develop. Thirdly, he sees the possibil-Cohen: "Gardeners who have hoped to cash in on chemical lawn care will be forced back to their specialty. . Erbaugh: "Inflationary pressures . . . the effect will be a 'thinning' on profit margins. . Weaver: "There will be fewer independent 
companies and more franchises. . Franklin: "I look and hope for the availability of more 
satisfactory slow-release nitrogen sources for use as liquids. Sandler: "Many 
independents will . . . be absorbed by others ... so that they can operate more efficiently and 
economically. . ity of many small companies developing to service the home owner, much like the "gas station 
on every corner" type of marketing similar to the oil industry. Quite likely, all three types of development will take place within the next five to 10 years. Faulring does not see many, if any, more successful giant na-tional companies emerging for a long time. "The industry will be com-prised of strong, regionaal 
leaders with numerous, small 
but effective companies working in small market segments," he said, "We will probably go the way of the American farmer Š minimum size for survival will not be much beyond the five-man company or outlet." Bob Cohen, president of The Green Scene, Los Angeles, believes that in the eastern states the "trend of recent years will 
continue, with the 'ease of entry' improving to the point that price 
competition will eventually force the less efficient, less profes-sional operators back into land-
scape and gardening-related functions. "That is," he said, "the 'gar-deners' who had hoped to cash in on the chemical lawn care 
process will be forced back into their original specialty. The sur-vivors will be the large, specialty suppliers .... probably offering less-than-custom service, but at very competitive rates." In the West, Cohen sees at-tempts by certain eastern com-panies to penetrate the huge market, but with "considerable 
frustration. "The more temperate regions, especially the Pacific South-west, look so appealing," he said. "But the technical problems of 
landscape care are considerably 
more complex, however, and at-tempts to develop a simple, ef-ficient process to service the lawns, ornamentals, trees and groundcovers that make up a landscape will be hampered by 
existing govenment regulation and the increasing risk of damag-
ing a landscape by improper use of, or improper cleaning of, equipment and herbicides." Cohen feels that successful operators in the West will have to offer a service completely op-posite the spectrum of the "maintenance gardener" whose primary abilities are those of cutting, trimming and cleanup. The service of the spray industry will have to include feeding, conditioning, pest control and weed control of all types of landscape plants, instead of just lawns, as in the East. "Operators will have to be skillful in recognizing different plant types, and their suscep-tibility to fertilizer burn, herbi-cide non-selectivity and pest con-trol chemicals," he said. "Moreover, with an average residential lawn of only 2,500 square feet, and the hilly terrain," he said, "the use of large tank trucks becomes dif-ficult and the processing itself is 
a unique problem in logistics management." Eventually, he also sees the major structural pest control operators trying por-tions of the market in the West, 
offering lawn feeding as part of their regular service. Franchises, mergers and retailers. Turf Gard's Weaver feels there will be fewer inde-pendent lawn care companies going into business in com-parison with the increasing num-bers of new franchises being sold with already well-established companies. Joe Sandler, president of Lawn King, Inc., Fairfield, N.J., 
one of the largest franchisers in the industry, expects to see 
mergers between some of the smaller operators to help them compete with the larger ones. "Many independents will af-filiate or be absorbed by others 
around them so that they can 
operate more efficiently and economically, he told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. "The less ef-ficient or downright dishonest ones will fall by the wayside." Large corporate retailers such as Sears and Montgomery Ward will become more of a factor in the industry, feel the principle of Techniturf, Inc., South Berlin, Mass. Š president Dean Squier, logistics manager Alan Bebka and fulfillment manager Jim 
Fothergill. Marty Erbaugh, former general manager of Davey Lawn-scape Service, Kent, Ohio, and now president of lawn care con-sulting firm Erbaugh & Asso-ciates, Hudson, Ohio, agrees with this assessment. "My guess is that more large retailers will be attracted to the lawn care industry as the retailers place greater emphasis on services in general," he said. Longer residuals. Some of the improvements that Floyd 
Franklin, division operations manager for Rollins Lawn Care, Atlanta, Ga. hopes for and ex-pects are: Insecticides with more residual effect but still environ-mentally acceptable; more effec-tive, selective herbicides against hard-to-kill weeds such as spurge, dallisgrass and nutsedge; growth retardants that really work 
without sacrificing the appear-ance of the turrfgrass; and, the 
availability of more satisfactory 
slow-release nitrogen sources for use as liquids. "Realistically," Franklin says, "I believe new pesticides for the lawn care industry will be slow in coming because of the tremen-
dous development costs encoun-tered by chemical companies as compared to the relatively small lawn care market for these chemicals." Dave Napolitano, of Associ-ate Industries, Inc., Montebello, Calif., says: "In the 80's, we will Napolitano: "We will see sprays for lawns that will retard growth . . . cutting reduced to only four times a year . . see sprays for lawns that will retard growth, thereby cutting reduced to only four times a 
year. At the same time, the lawns 
will stay green all year." He also agrees that new in-secticides will be developed that will have a broader range of coverage and at the same time be effective for longer periods of time. He says that all-purpose herbicides will be developed 
capable of "weeding out" landscape areas more effectively and also have longer residuals. Napolitano sees new ground-covers being propulgated to in-sure longer life. In essence, he says, once groundcover beds are planted the life expectancy will be from five to 10 years. In the area of turf varieties, Franklin looks for a bluegrass that will grow successfully in the southern states, at least through the lower transition zone areas. He also 
hopes for a bermudagrass that will grow in the shade. Quality 
Lawns' Goodman said that a combination of recent-year droughts and conditions that 
allow for such troublesome dis-eases as Fusarium blight should stimulate development of "tougher" grass. "We are already seeing this with the growth of use of such 
varieties as Victa and Nugget blends," he said. Equipment designed for the industry. In the area of mainte-
nance and spray equipment, Herman Carruth, president of 
AAA Lawn Industries, Inc., Tucker, Ga., says: "Most of our suppliers have catered to the non-profit golf course industry whose unlimited budget enables it to purchase new equipment yearly. Being a profit-oriented business, we in the lawn care industry must have 
reliable equipment and more im-portantly, a readily available supply of replacement parts at an affordable price. "If we are to continue too grow as we have in the past," he said, "we must bridge this gap. The development of better equipment and more qualified people to work in the field would be the greatest gift the lawn care 
industry could receive in the 80's 
to fulfill the needs of our customers." On the same subject, American Lawn Services' 
Hughes adds: "Most of the lawn care in-dustry at this time still has to de-pend on commercializing com-mon garden tractors ourselves. This situation should get better in the 1980's." He suggest that satisfactory mowing machinery 
should have vacuum capacity, 
give a quality cut and have real durability. Allen Dall, president of Lawnco, Inc., Brooklyn Heights, Ohio looks for better equipment for applying materials to lawns both liquid and dry. Also, more advanced tree and shrub feeding equipment. He also says that computers will be used more and more by medium to large com-panies for material and service 
control. Dall says that, because of in-creased water and sewer costs, to page 18 Deering: . . as lawn service becomes more established in major metropolitan areas . . . small-town areas will soon follow ..." Carruth: . . we in the lawn care industry must have reliable 
equipment and ... a readily 
available supply of replacement parts ..." Squier: . . the best the lawn care industry can look forward to ... is pricing itself out of most of its market. The worst, outright ban of chemical lawn care ..." 14 PESTICIDES | EPA won't bring back DDT, despite study Q In spite of a study by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) saying that DDT probably does not cause cancer, an Environ-£ mental Protection Agency (EPA) £ spokesman said the once fre-quently used insecticide will not z be taken off the EPA's cancella-ble tion list. 
< Altho ugh the recent NCI ^ study is not in agreement with ^ earlier ones which said DDT ^ caused cancer, there are other reasons for not bringing back 
DDT, the spokesman told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. "It was one of only several reasons for cancellation. Other reasons include: DDT's ac-cumulation in the food chain, its 
persistence in the environment and its effect on wildlife/' the spokesman said. He said groups could petition EPA to remove its cancellation on the basis of the NCI study. "I don't see us changing because of the study by itself," he said. DDT is now only available for emergency reasons. It was used on home lawns largely for grub control. RESEARCH Preemergence herbicides studied in Nebraska Continuing research to deter-mine the effects of successive 
applications of preemergence herbicides on the heat tolerance and water use rate of Kentucky bluegrass turfs is underway at the University of Nebraska un-der the direction of turfgrass 
specialist Dr. Robert C. Shear-man. The objectives of the re-search are (1) to determine the effects of successive pre-emergence herbicide applica-tions on turfgrass quality and performance; (2) to evaluate the role of herbicides in successive 
applications on heat and drought tolerance; (3) to determine the effect of successive applications on the water use rate of the grasses; and (4) to observe the effects of the susceptibility of bluegrasses to disease and other environmental stresses. Previous studies have indi-cated that the effects of repeated 
preemergence herbicide appli-
cations are subtle and occur mainly when the plants are ex-posed to environmental stress. The research will study the effects of benefin, marketed by Elanco Products Co. under the trade name Balan; EL-131, an ex-perimental herbicide which Elanco hopes to market in the near future; bensulide, marketed by Stauffer Chemical Co., West-port, Conn., under the trade name Betasan; siduron, marketed by the Du Pont Co., Wilmington, Del. under the trade name Tupersan; and DCPA, marketed by Diamond Sham-rock Corp., Cleveland, Ohio un-der the trade name Dacthal. All of these herbicides are commonly used by lawn care businessmen across the country in their spring and other appli-cations on home owner lawns. The research is funded in part by the Golf Course Superin-tendents Association of America, Lawrence, Kan. REGULATION Technical and Instructional Books TREE SURGERY Tree Surgery, A Complete Guide, gives an up-to-date account of mod-ern tree surgery operations. The the-ory behind acquiring the skills and knowledge necessary to perform competent tree surgery is outlined 
clearly and precisely. $15.00 DISEASES OF TURFQRASSES Couch's Diseases of Turfgrasses is one of the best references on that subject to date. No turf library is complete without it. It provides an in-depth analysis of turfgrass disease causal organisms and control of them. From diseases caused by pathenogenic plants to viral turf dis-eases, Couch presents information necessary for any plantsman to achieve fine turf. $24.50 WOODY LANDSCAPE PLANTS Manual of Woody Landscape Plants is a valuable reference for anyone in-terested in woody plants. The book provides concise, factual informa-tion on common and not-so-com-mon woody ornamentals, ground 
covers and vines as well as the nar-rowleaf and broadleaf evergreens which are adapted to Midwestern 
and Eastern climates. $19.00 TREE MAINTENANCE Tree Maintenance is an indispensi-ble guide to anyone involved with the care and treatment of trees. All phases of tree care are described in non-technical language The book includes a comprehensive list of ef-fective and safe pesticides for trees. $25.00 TREE MAINTENANCE I'i'im >\i /*« SW0N&SCHUSTERS Guam $ GUIDE TO TREES 
Simon & Schuster's Guide to Trees provides beginner and expert with a 
reference to 300 trees. Black and white line drawings and 350 color photographs accompany descrip-tive text on each tree, including ety-mology, habitat, description, propa-gation, and conditions for growth. $17.00 TREE FARM BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Tree Farm Business Management covers all phases of a tree farming operation, from obtaining an accur-
ate timber inventory to timing sales 
for profitable results. Budgeting, pre-paring scientific financial forecasts, special tax problems, and other fi-nancial matters are given thorough coverage. $16.00 DGHttfSOf SHftDf IRKS DISEASES OF SHADE TREES Diseases of Shade Trees is an ex-cellent introduction to tree diseases, including infectious and noninfec-tious. Part III. Special Topics, cov-ers nonpathogenic conditions, dis-
ease diagnosis and living hazard-
trees. The book describes the the-
ory and practice behind maintaining 
a healthy tree that serves a positive purpose. 
$22.00 SOIL MICROBIOLOGY The second edition of Soil Micro-biology integrates microbiology, soil science, and biochemistry to char-acterize soil microflora. The revised 
edition adds a closer scrutiny of en-vironmental problems, information 
on soil toxicants formed by microor-
ganisms. and a chapter on micro-bial metabolism of pesticides. $19.50 DISEASES & PESTS OF ORNAMENTAL PLANTS Diseases & Pests of Ornamental 
Plants, fifth edition, includes new ornamental disease hosts, identifies new diseases, and describes the spread of known diseases to a wider range of host plants. The book key-notes environmental factors adverse to the health of 500 ornamentals. 
$19.00 Weeds Trees & Turf Books Dept./Fran Franzak 9800 Detroit Ave. Cleveland, OH 44102 Name Company Address _ City .State. -Zip-Quantity Title Unit Price Total f Title Unit Price Guide to Trees $17.00 Soil Microbiology $19.50 Diseases & Pests of Ornamental Plants $19.00 Tree Surgery $15.00 Tree Farm Business Management $16.00 Tree Maintenance $25.00 Diseases of Shade Trees $22.00 Manual of Woody Landscape Plants $19.00 Diseases of Turfgrasses $24.50 Total Shipping & Handling Chg. (1.00 per book) Total Payment Enclosed Congress expedites pesticide program A liberalized approach to uses of a pesticide that are not in lateral accord with the printed label on the product is one of the amendments to the Federal 
Insecticide, Fungicide and 
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) that a House-Senate Conference Com-mittee has approved. According to Steven D. Jellinek, assistant administrator for Toxic Substances, other amendments include: Con-ditional registration permitting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to register products similar to old chemicals or providing new uses for them; a "generic standards" approach 
allowing EPA to make broad decisions for an entire group of products containing the same in-gredient; and a diminished re-quirement for reviews on the ef-ficacy of pesticides. Jellinek said recently that it was "very frustrating" to have to turn down numerous applications because of a double standard that allows continued use of products already 
registered but requires a full 
complement of registration data before identical new products can be registered. Jellinek added that EPA planned to issue regulations for conditional registration within the next few months, and begin issuing such registrations im-
mediately thereafter. The generic standards ap-proach to re-registration of ex-isting pesticides will make possi-ble a more streamlined pro-
cedure rather than the present practice of regulatory decisions on a product-by-product basis. He also said the amendments provide a new definition of "use inconsistent with the label." It makes clear that certain prac-tices, which may not be in strict or literal accord with the printed label, are nonetheless legally consistent with label directions. "Specifically," he said, "pesticide applicators will be able to use less than the specified label dosage to treat for a pest not listed on the label, to 
mix pesticides and fertilizers on a broader basis, and to employ responsible methods of applica-tion not specified on the label. ŁMH^HHHHHHaHi^H 15 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY Marketplace by Mike Casey assistant editor t-> ? Z n > w 2 a c C/> H M-Indianapolis Memorial Day weekend. To most people, it is the unof-ficial start of summer; it is the first barbecue, the first sunburn, a parade of soldiers and, just as much a holiday tradition Š the Indianapolis 500. On Memorial Day Sunday, 500,000 people rally 
in Indianapolis to watch 33 race 
cars zoom around the oval track at speeds of 200 mph. For most people that Sunday is a day of rest and relaxation. For Charles Thompson, however, it is nothing but hustling. He maintains the city's most famous 
lawn, the Indianapolis Speed-way's infield, and the rest of the grounds. "I've been here for 18 years and never seen the complete race. We're always doing 
different jobs that day (the day of the race) like getting victory lane ready. The whole month of May is very busy for us," Thompson says. Unfortunately, he does not get a chance to show off his lawn care abilities to the national tele-vision audience. The infield is covered with spectators and their vehicles. After the race is over, his work really starts. Thompson es-timates it takes two weeks to 
return the speedway to top shape after the race. Two full days are needed just to clear the litter from the infield, which is a 3A mile-long and 3/b mile-wide chunk of bluegrass. Thompson modestly says the lawn maintenance job is not that much out of the ordinary. "It's no real problem. We fer-tilize twice a year and mow it regularly. That's about all we have to do." While Thompson maintains the city's most famous piece of 
turf, Indianapolis lawn care businessmen take care of lawns that are not as famous Š but then 
they get to watch the In-dianapolis 500 too. Lawn care in Indianapolis mirrors the nationwide trend towards increased lawn care ser-vices; lawn care, in the capital of Indiana, has developed the same as in other metropolitan areas. Prior to 1970, when ChemLawn Corp. entered the In-dianapolis market, lawn care 
was essentially the respon-sibility of the home owner or a maintenance company. The maintenance companies offered complete services rang-ing from mowing to flowerbed 
work. With ChemLawn's en-trance things changed. More and more people began to take lawn care services, some which are essentially chemical applications. Today, there are 
more than a dozen chemical ap-plicator companies in the city. Older companies which offered total maintenance pro-grams are entering the chemical application field to supplement 
their services. For example, Don Needham, 40, Irvington Land-scape Service Inc., Indianapolis, offered a chemical application 
program for the first time this year. Needham started in the area in 1963 and offers landscaping, dethatching, sodding, aerating and now chemical applications. Success of other companies and 
requests from his existing com-panies influenced Needham to offer a four-part application ser-vice. He now has about 150 customers taking the application 
service. Other more established com-pany owners say ChemLawn and other chemical application ser-vices have not directly added to their business volume or changed their sales tactics. "ChemLawn has added a lot of professionalism to the industry but I don't see any direct benefit for my company," says one 
established company owner. All eight lawn care busi-nessmen interviewed for this arti-cle agreed that their businesses have done well this year. All mentioned increasing sales, new accounts and other signs in-dicating a vibrant, healthy finan-
cial picture of the industry. They attributed the industry's growth to customer acceptance, increasing building, a healthy economy and customers' desire for increased leisure time. Increased building is clearly demonstrated by figures from the Indianapolis Office of Metro-politan Development. Housing Norm Mahin sprays with the familiar ChemLawn truck in the background. John Haas in a customer's backyard with a Bobcat and a scoopful of mulch. He is the owner of Creative Landscape. Gene Rexroad of M & R Land-scaping holding a tree he is planting in yard of a new home owner. Rex-road added a garden center to his business two years ago and "it has been offering a good return for dollar investment." Vince Flecker of Shur Spray Lawn Care just completed his first full year in business with 400 accounts. Hoone Rexroad Flecker Haas Mahin Engledow Rolsky permits for this year increased by 21 percent as compared to last year's total. As of this September permits were taken out for 2,959 units; last year permits were taken out for 2,450 units. The building trend shows that the southern part of Marion County, where Indianpolis is located, is becoming the prin-cipal area for new construction. In the past the northeast and 
northwest sections of the county 
were the main areas for building. While all the statistics point towards increased building, which means more homes and lawns, the area is not without its problems. One lawn care Ed Engledow, owner of Engledow, Inc. cnecks over American States Insurance mini-park in downtown Indianapolis. Trie insurance com-pany's new mini-park is one of Engledow's accounts. businessman dubbed In-dianapolis "the white grub capital of the world." All lawn care businessmen agreed that white grubs were the most widespread service prob-lem this year and in past years. They estimate that seven to 10 percent of their accounts were attacked by the pests. All busi-nessmen use Diazinon marketed by Ciba-Geigy Corp., Greens-burg, N.C., wet or dry to combat the problem. They give the insec-ticide good marks for insect con-trol in their area. Occasional pest problems are from the sod web worm and chinch bug; with varying degree of emphasis lawn care business-men list the principal disease problems as Fusarium blight, 
leaf spot, snow mold and brown patch. Several mentioned that snow mold was more of a problem this year than in the past because of the unusually heavy snowfalls and a late spring. Snow mold is usually found near driveways and sidewalks where snow is piled. Most of the area's lawns are bluegrasses ranging from com-mon Kentucky to the latest blends. A few fine fescues and even a couple of bentgrass lawns are in the city's older sec-tions. The average size residential lawn is about 12,000 square feet; 
the per application charge for a 
lawn that size ranges from $31 to $35. To some lawn care busi-nessmen, the key to success is the number of accounts. The more the better, obviously, because 
more means more money in sales, therefore more profit, etc. However, a few Indianapolis lawn care businessmen have taken a different route to a pros-perous busineess. They have zeroed in on one part of the market or featured a special ser-vice, which gives them a com-petitive edge. For example, John L. Haas, 26, Creative Landscape, In-
dianapolis, has found his niche by servicing apartments. He pro-vides a total maintenance service for 120 acres a week; Creative Landscape services seven different apartment complexes which account for all its business. "Handling apartments, you lose some of the residential traf-fic but you cut road-time way 
down. It's road-time that can kill you. All of my accounts are within a mile of my front door. Also, I don't lose much time if equipment breaks down. It is not 
much of a problem to bring it into be fixed or fix it on the job," he says. Haas finds the apartment managers to be very business-like paying their bills on time and expecting quality service. The apartment managers are willing to experiment with different products and tech-niques that a home owner might not be willing to try. The secret to retaining his ac-counts, Haas says, is developing a good rapport with the customers and doing the work himself.Haas directs crews and works on the lawns. "That way I'm sure the job gets done right." Haas entered the apartment market when he lived in one of the apartment buildings that he 
now services. One building lead 
to another and he became an apartment grounds maintenance specialist. Besides the total maintenance program, comprised of mowing, chemical applications, edging and bed work, Haas offers year-
round services by plowing snow and cutting firewood. These ad-
ditional services guarantees him 
a steady cash flow during the slow season. Another Indianapolis company which has firmly estab-lished itself in a particular field is Engledow Inc. Ed Engledow, 38, is now president of a company with a 40-year reputa-tion. Engledow specializes in commercial accounts. "There is a certain satis-faction of being with companies who want to make a statement 
with their landscaping. They are professional and creative. It is 
fun to be part of what they're do-ing," he says. Engledow likes doing com-mercial work for business reasons also. He says it cuts travel time because of fewer counts, as compared to residen-tial companies and fewer ac-counts also mean less office work for the dollar volume. His company offers a total landscaping maintenance pro-gram including fertilizing, weed control, mowing pruning, clean-
up, landscaping and flowerbed work. Before Engledow took over the business, it had established a reputation of catering to com-mercial accounts. "We've tended to concentrate and the result, at 
this time, is that the concentra-tion has worked well." However, there are potential dangers in concentrating on non-residential accounts. "You're very subject to swings in the 
economy. In the latest recession, we didn't really suffer that much, but it is clear that some 
businesss dropped off." Some of Engledow's accounts dropped the company's services and employed their own workers to maintain the grounds. By using employees for grounds mainte-nance, the companies were able to keep key employees, who otherwise would be laid off and looked for other jobs. Engledow employs 30 persons doing otherside landscape work during the peak part of the season. While Engledow has concen-trated on one aspect of the 
market, another lawn care businessman services mostly residential accounts but has 
found one special type of an ac-
count that helps his business. Vince Flecker, 27, Shur Spray Lawn Care, Indianapolis, was a high school science teacher and a wrestling coach. Through coaching he made contacts with 
athletic directors at various schools. These contacts paid off in a business sense because he now cares for some high school foot-ball fields. "I'll need to work a little harder now to get more fields." Flecker says his science back-ground helped by giving him ex-perience with chemicals, soils and insects. He just completed Mort Rolsky, owner of Pro Care Landscapers,, also does landscape design, and is pictured at his board. Excelawn LIQUID LAWN CARE foe Hoone, branch manager of Indianapolis' second-largest lawn care company Š Excelawn. his first full-time year of lawn care work, after working five years part time. "I found out I couldn't do the two jobs at once so I went full time into lawn care. It has been a very good year. I started off with 55 then 150 and now 400 ac-counts," Flecker says. He is planning to purchase another spray rig and hire a per-son for next year to help him ser-vice lawns. A specialized added service is another method of carving a part of the market. Gene R. Rex-road, 37, M & R Landscaping Inc., 
Indianapolis, added a garden center to his business two years ago. "It has been looking very promising and offering a good return for dollar investment," he says. His garden center sells lawn equipment, plants and shrub-bery. "It is a one-stop center," he says. He estimates that the gar-den center accounts for 50 per cent of his profits while the other two services total the other 50 
per cent. By blending the landscaping service, lawn care and garden center together, Rexroad had in-creased his sales. "When you get the three together it makes sell-ing a lot easier," Rexroad says. Customers who take one service are lured to another one, and this increases dollar volume without increasing new customers. Rexroad, who has been in business for eight years, services mostly residential accounts on lots of VA to four acre lots. M & R employs 10 men during the peak season and two in the slow 
season. One Indianapolis lawn care businessman is proud of a part of his business that does not even 
make a profit. Mort Rolsky, 58, Pro Care Landscapers, is one of the participants in the Central Garden Flower and Patio Show, which 10 local landscapers par-ticipate in; they show off land-scape creations to the public. One Pro Care creation was a 3,000-square-foot garden with a 12-foot waterfall and 4,000 an-nuals. "The guys really like to work ofi the project, and it gives us a lot of self-satisfaction," he 
says. Besides this gratis work, Pro Care offers a complete mainte-nance service and specializes in 
maintaining apartments, con-dominiums and businesses. The 
company also landscapes and then maintains residences. Rolsky's long career in public parks maintenance has trained 
him very well to operate his 
business. He has 27 years of park 
experience including architec-ture, maintenance and land-scaping. He was a park superin-tendent in Missouri and 
Indianapolis. "I left because I had to satisfy someone else's goals rather than mine," Rolsky, who opened his 
business five years ago, says. His company has about 200 accounts and employs 25 persons at the peak of the season. His 
sons, Lowell, 22 and Mitch, 20, are in the business also. Mort is 
president of Indiana Chapter of 
Professional Grounds Management Society. While some lawn care businessmen have chosen to specialize, add particular ser-
vices or concentrate on one sec-tion of the market, other com-
panies have been successful by offering maintenance services targeted at the mass residential market. ChemLawn, the largest company account-wise in the area, has three branches in the metropolitan area. While 
ChemLawn workers declined to 
say how many accounts they have, competitors estimate that each branch has 10,000 accounts. Norman G. Mahin, 29, manages ChemLawn's north branch; he joined the company 
in 1972. He grew up on a farm near Indianapolis. "There is too much country in me, I thought, for me to work in Indianapolis." However, his father sold the family farm, and Mahin took a job with ChemLawn which in some ways is similar to his back-ground. "I worked with fertil-izers and soils on the farm." He still lives on a farm and likes his job because he is work-
ing outdoors and making things grow. Probably the second largest company in the area account-
wise is Excelawn, Indianapolis. This company headquarters are in Louisville, Ky., and has a branch in Chicago also. Joe Hoone, 34, is the company's Indianapolis branch manager; he worked with ChemLawn for four years before he joined Excelawn. MONEYWISE The ins and outs of routing Mort Rolsky's battle plan for routing is displayed on his of-fice wall. The different colored pins on the map of Greater Indianapolis indicate his customers and the different types of services they receive. A map like this is not unlike the maps that adorn many of-fice walls of lawn care businessmen across the country. Rolsky, Pro Care Landscapers, uses the color-keyed map to route his service men into sections of the city. Pro Care ser-vice zones, like those of most other companies, are broken down into geographical areas. The maps with pins can save time, and more importantly Š money. For example, if a customer on Elmwood Street needs a special fungicide application and another one two blocks away needs the same application, the route manager can 
easily see it is more efficient to do both jobs at once. Coordinating special service items with the regular ser-vices reduces callbacks which eat up valuable time and in-crease expenses, Rolsky says. Not only does a color-keyed map make routing easier, it gives the boss the big picture: where most of his accounts are, what types of services are selling best and what areas need 
special attention. Routing is more than just sending people here and there. Accompanying routing are three major management deci-sions: how far should a service area be expanded to take in new customers; should servicemen bill customers, and can 
routing be used as an employee motivator? Two big expense items, travel time and labor costs, have to be weighed when considering expanding into a new 
territory. Indianapolis lawn care businessmen were unable to provide any absolute guidelines for expanding a service 
territory. They agreed that when a company is starting off it is wiser to take accounts that are available, even if the driving dis-tances are long. They reasoned that it is more important to get accounts in the beginning and then try to build other accounts 
in the area by providing a good service to the first customer. 
Hopefully, word-of-mouth advertising will have done its job and the lawn care businessman will have enough accounts to make the area a profitable item. As to the second point, all lawn care businessmen in Indianapolis with large routes say they bill customers just af-ter application services are finished. However, they reported varying degrees of success with on-the-spot billing. Their responses ranged from poor to excellent. Those lawn care businessmen who had poor results from on-the-spot billing say at least it saves them the postage of a first mailing. Also, it gives them a chance to talk with 
customers and find out if they have problems. Two Indianapolis companies have found out how routing can help motivate employees. Joe Hoone, Excelawn, says, "Our men set up their own routes. This gives him control of his own territory. We find that this is a better motivator, it is like having your own small company. It is a lot better than coming in and having a route thrown at you and being told, 'take it or leave it."' Another company that uses this philosophy is Chem-Lawn. Branch manager Norman G. Mahin says, "The em-ployee feels that full responsibility and does not feel like a 
machine." Besides improving the employee's attitude towards his job, routing this way improves service to the customer. The employees are fully aware of the area, their customers and the customer's problems. Ł fill What should be on a route card? Indianapolis lawn care businessmen, like most others, use route cards to direct and arrange their routing. Here is the information that should be on a route card: Š customer's name, address, location of house and phone number. Š lawn size, price and type of service. Š type of grass, type of soil, description of lawn, including past pest or fungi problems, shaded areas and weed prob-lems. Š application dates. A card with this information will help the regular ser-viceman refresh his memory about the lawn or give back-ground to a new employee. TURF MANAGEMENT Liming a good investment on your customer lawns The upward adjustment of pH on acid soils is an important management practice the lawn 
care businessman should include 
in his program or at least recom-
mend for his customer lawns, ac-cording to Dr. C. Richard 
Skogley, professor of turfgrass management at the University of Rhode Island. He says that although the lawn care businessman or home owner can seldom see a visual response to liming, it has been demonstrated repeatedly that it is a good investment. "It has been known for many years that efficiency of growth of most turfgrasses can be in-
creased by applying ground 
limestone to acid soils," he told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY re-cently. "This increased growth ef-ficiency might be the positive result of one, or several, effects that limestone can have within the soil." To fully understand this, it is necessary to know something about the nature of 
limestone, he said. Limestone is calcium and magnesium carbonate. Limestone with less than 10 per-cent magnesium oxide is called high calcium; lime with more than 10 percent magnesium ox-ide in it is called high mag-nesium or dolomitic lime. 
Limestone is very slowly soluble, 
so if it is to be of value, it must be ground very fine. A general stan-dard is that it should all pass a 
20-mesh screen, 80 percent 
should pass a 60-mesh screen, 
and 20 percent should pass a 100-
mesh screen. Calcium and magnesium are both nutrients required for plant growth, he said. In acid soils these nutrients are often.in short supply Š the first reason for lim-ing. High magnesium (dolomitic) limestone is preferred if it is available. In addition to supplying nutrients, limestone also reduces 
soil acidity. It has been repeated-ly demonstrated that most grasses make their best growth at a pH of about 6.5 (very slightly 
acid). In many parts of the coun-try, primarily in the high rain-fall areas, the native soil pH may range from 4 to 5. By raising the pH (making the soil less acid), a 
number of things may happen: Ł Availability of other plant nutrients in the soil is increased, 
also improving efficiency of 
applied fertilizer. Ł Reduces toxicity of aluminum. Ł Improves conditions for growth of favorable soil bacteria (including improved conditions for organic matter decom-
position). One further possible benefit of liming is an improved physical 
condition of the soil. This is par-ticularly so if the soils are high in silt and clay. Dr. Skogley said that simple soil tests for acidity level (pH) can determine the limestone re-
quirement for a particular soil. Considerably less limestone is required to adjust the pH on light, sandy soils than on soils high in silt and clay. "The ideal time to correct the pH level is when preparing the soil for seeding or sodding," he 
said. "During soil preparation, limestone can be thoroughly mix-ed with the upper few inches of soil. This is desirable since lime-
stone is slowly soluble, and when surface-applied, downward movement is very slow." Several years may be re-quired to change the acidity a 
few inches below the surface. Once the correct soil pH is es-tablished, it normally requires about 25 pounds of limestone per 1,000 square feet annually to maintain the level. Since pH changes slowly, it might be sug-gested that a 50-pounds-per-thousand-square-feet applica-tion be made every second year. Limestone may be safely applied during any season. To 
avoid inconvenience to lawn care customers, it is often sug-gested that application be made when the turf is not in use, such as in the fall, because of the 
dustiness. Also, if possible, it is best not to apply limestone short-ly before, or after, fertilizing. This is because it can slightly tie up certain fertilizer elements. "For many years/' Dr. Skogley said, "the only form of 
limestone available was the dus-ty, ground agricultural lime-stone. It is still by far the most 
widely used form. It can be dif-ficult to spread with many mech-anical spreaders, and it is vir-tually impossible to spread with broadcast spreaders." Drop-type spreaders, with large openings and heavy agitators, are required to proper-ly spread ground limestone, he 
said. "In recent years, pelletized limestone has come onto the market," he said. "Because of added processing, the price is 
considerably above that of the dusty product. The convenience of greatly improved spread-ability, and dust-free handling, might well offset the price dif-
ferential." One or more liquid lime products are also on the market. "The claim that a single gallon of one of these products is equivalent to 500 pounds of calcium carbonate in adjusting soil pH, or improving plant growth, has not been sub-stantiated in research trials," he said. "In fact, it appears that li-quid lime must be used at nearly 
equivalent weights to dry forms to provide equal neutralizing power." RESEARCH Texas' Beard studies oil spills on turf Detergent proved most effec-tive in enhancing bermudagrass recovery from motor oil, hydraulic fluid and brake fluid damage in a recent study of oil spills on turf conducted by Texas 
Agricultural Experiment Station turf researcher Dr. James Beard. Petroleum spill damage was on bermudagrass was studied to determine injury symptoms and subsequent recovery rates. Five petroleum products com-monly used in lawn main-tenance equipment were applied and injury symptoms noted for gasoline, motor oil, hydraulic fluid, brake fluid and grease spills. Calcined fine clays (kitty litter), activated charcoal and detergent were applied within 20 minutes of each spill and 
evaluated as corrective agents. Detergent improved recovery time about half as much as the eight to 10 weeks recovery time noted without corrective measures. None of the cor-
rective treatments were effec-tive on either the gasoline or grease-damaged turf. If petroleum spill is of high volume, turf and soil may need to 
be replaced. Lawn care in the SO's^pa, that irrigation installation will come into its own in the East. In the West, where lawn irrigation is the norm rather than the exception, Napolitano says that new strides are taking place in irrigation equipment not only to save on water, but reduce electrical output as well. Also, valves are being modified to be maintenance-free while new heads will be designed to elimi-nate damage caused by maint-
nance equipment, vehicles, van-
dalism and time. Government regulation is coming. ChemLawn's Wright 
says that government regulation is coming, and there are many in the industry who agree with him. "Our biggest challenge of the 80's will be the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Health and Safety 
Administration," says Norm Hays, vice president of Lawn Pride, Lexington, Ky. "Because of this, I believe that we will be actively offering a total program of lawn care while successfully 
practicing Integrated Pest Management." Although Hydro Lawn's Faul-ring does not see a significant amount of new government regulation in the short term, he does see the "industry emerging as a selective applicator of pesti-
cides based more on need. We will be forced to do this not by regulation, but because it is right and because it is one of the significant ways to increase pro-fits without raising prices." John Hogg, president of 26-year-old John's Spray Service, Inc., Daytona Beach Fla. agrees that there will be greater restric-
tion on uses of certain lawn spray chemicals Š particularly insecticides Š and also says that it will become more difficult to qualify as a pest control operator in the future. Lawnco's Dall says that these stricter pesticide regulations will also affect the home owner and cause more people to have to go 
to lawn service companies "to get results." A code of ethics, sobering thoughts and the future. ChemLawn's Wright and many others in the industry say that some sort of "code of ethics" or 
standards will be necessary in the future for the stable growth of the lawn care industry. Faul-ring and others have advocated 
the same masures, and perhaps also the formation of a national lawn care association to foster 
these goals and allow the in-
dustry to share its ideas and thoughts. There will be some problems in the growth of the industry though, code of ethics or not, says Techniturf's Squier. "The most important fact of life in America today is the 
failure of both the leaders and the people to come to terms with exhaustion of our petroleum reserves," he told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. "The present rate of inflation will accelerate, and it will be entirely due to the enor-mous importation of oil, and no economic measures which do not curtail this importation will halt this inflation. "It does not matter whether the country wakes up and does something to reduce oil imports or waits until the economic forces now at work do the job, the results will be the same," he said. "We believe the best the lawn care industry can look forward to 
on the 80's is pricing itself out of most of its market. The worst, 
outright ban of chemical lawn 
care as one of the many 
measures taken to reduce oil im-ports," he said. "A dramatic breakthrough in energy tech-nology, such as a practical solar cell would turn the dark picture bright again." Sobering thoughts indeed. However, the outlook of most lawn care businessmen is op-timistic. "The industry will continue to grow through the 1980's, though at a slower rate than the 1970's," says concultant Erbaugh. "Because the market is continu-ing to expand, the industry will not be severely impacted by 
recessionary factors," although he admits that the impact of an economic slowdown will hit the 
industry harder than in 1973-74. Continuing, Erbaugh says: "Barring any major technolog-ical breakthrough, it will become difficult for prices to keep up with inflationary pressures. The effect will thus be a 'thinning' on 
profit margins. This is character-istic of any industry becoming in-
creasingly competitive in an inflationary environment. 
Observing this, many companies will begin diversification into different turf and ornamental 
related services. "Despite the fact that the in-dustry, from a nationwide 
perspective, will continue to grow in the 80's, many market areas will approach saturation. 
In those areas, the issue will become how to maintain and in-crease market share in the con-text of limited market expansion. This will cause increased emphasis on marketing strategies 
and product quality." Lawn King's Sandler speaks for most when he says: "The demand is there, the services we perform are neces-
sary and needed and the public will be served. The outlook for the industry as a whole is bright for the 80's and into the 90's." MOWER STAND ARDSfrom page 1 (1) prevent operation of the lawnmower blade unless a con-trol is engaged by the operator, (2) require that the operator be in continuous contact with the control in order for the blade to be driven, and (3) cause the blade to stop within a specified time upon release of the control by the operator, most likely three seconds. Mower manufacturers have charged that the rules may entail unwarranted extra costs and perhaps preclude development of even better designs. Current tactics of mower manufacturers are aimed at getting the CPSC to 
revise the rules so that they specify lawnmower perfor-mance, not design (see "In-
novative Safety Standards Sought by Mower Manufac-turers, LAWN CARE IN-
DUSTRY, May 1978, page 1). Most manufacturers are also worried about the reliability of the clutch brakes needed to meet the new standards. "I suppose the technology for a clutch brake is within the realm of possibility/' Richard G.. 
Peterson, vice president for technical affairs at Jacobsen Mfg. Co., Racine, Wis. has said. "But most manufacturers haven't 
really gotten enough time on them to be sure we have a fail-safe design." The next standard the in-dustry will face seeks to curb the noise of walk-behind mowers. The federal Environmenta Pro-tection Agency (EPA) noise stan-dard, originally planned for Sep-tember, now is not expected until 
mid-1979. But the industry expects that today's mower noise, which 
ranges up to 87 decibels (db), will be limited to 82 db by 1981, and then to 73 db by 1987. The EPA says that one method of meeting these standards should 
only add $12 to manufacturing costs of a mower For further information, con-tact: William Kitzes, Office of Program Management, CPSC, Washington, D.C. 20207. MOWER SHIPMENTSfrom pa gel 670,000 units in 1977. Shipment value was $383 million, a 22.2 percent increase over 1977's $313.5 million. Estimated shipments of walk-behind mowers totaled 5.4 million units in 1978, for an in-crease of eight percent over 1977's five million units. Ship-ment value increased 16.6 per-cent from $469.5 million to $547.6 million. DAVEY EXECSfrompagel most experienced district managers most recently in the 
company's successful Pittsburgh 
office, will assume marketing responsibilities for the company. 
Davey operates branches in eight 
midwestern cities, and is a multi-
million dollar lawn company (see "Million Dollar Lawn Care Companies," LAWN CARE IN-DUSTRY, November, 1978, page 4.) Erbaugh said that his company's specific services in-
clude sales promotion, planning given objectives of a firm, finan-cial planning and cash manage-ment, new market expansion 
planning and personnel develop-ment planning, and start-up alternatives. In other Davey news, the parent Davey Tree Expert Co. 
recently added a new division Š Davey Environmental Services Š according to an announce-ment made by the company's president, Jack W. Joy. The service will offer to clients horticultural appraisals, computerized street tree inven-tories, master street tree plans, environmental impact studies, vegetation management information, rights-of-way main-tenance evaluations and recom-
mendations, soil sample analysis, pesticide residue 
analysis, educational programs and contract research. To head this new service, Davey has named Richard E. Ab-bott, vice president, as its manager. PRODUCTS Unit allows technician to measure wind velocity One of the biggest problems facing lawn care businessmen and the lawn care industry as a whole is the possibility of damage to a home owner's land-
scape plants if a pesticide is 
sprayed on a day when the weather is too windy. Hand-held anemometers available from R. A. Simerl can help the lawn tech-nician in the field measure wind velocity at any given time prior to spraying a lawn. The unit is electrical, self-powered and features a folding cup type rotor. To use, the cups are unfolded, the instrument is held in the wind, and the velocity is read directly from the meter scale. No batteries are required. Detailed information is available. Circle 207 on free information card Fiberglass tanks for the lawn care tank farm For the lawn care company seeking to establish its own storage and mixing tank farm for fertilizers and pesticides, Raven Industries, Inc. offers an addi-tion of 4,000 to 12,000 gallon 
fiberglass tanks to its line. Measuring 10 feet, four inches in diameter, the new Raven tank series complements the company's existing size range of 55 to 6,000 gallons in tank diameters from 23 through 90 inches. These tanks are used by 
many of the larger lawn care businesses in the country. Circle 208 on free information card Non-selective herbicide works within 6-8 hours Research Products Co. and Aero Mist, Inc. join together in introducing REPCO-KILL, a new non-selective, diesel-oil-based herbicide and ground sterilant, which has uses in lawn renova-tion work. The herbicide con-tains 2,4-D, bromacil, phenols and penetrants, and usually knocks weeds down within six to eight hours on a warm, sunny 
day. Circle 209 on free information card New brochure details Jacobsen turf line Even though snow may be fly-ing in many parts of the country, now is the time to begin plan-ning any purchases of new mow-ing equipment for those extra lawn care customers you are go-ing to add next season. Jacob-sen's complete line of turf care equipment is described in a new, four-color, 16-page brochure just released. Of particular interest to the lawn care businessman are the company's line of four rotary 
mowers: The Commercial 20, the Commercial 21, the Out Front 72, and the new Turfcat 50/60, which features an articulated deck 
design that follows undulating turf for superior cutting perfor-mance. Also described in the 
free brochure are the company's gang and tractor reel mowers, covering the latest pneumatic 
designs; walk-behind reel mowers; sweepers; seeders and 
aerators; turf tractors; and the company's new UV-4, four-wheel drive vehicle for on- and off-the-road work. Circle 210 on free information card GREEN LAWNS 11th ANNUAL LAWN SPRAYING SEMINARS Will be held January 17th and February 14th, 1979, at the Hilton Airport Inn, St. Louis, Missouri (across from the Airport). My seminar will give you all the in-formation you need to start a lawn spraying business: 1) ALL FORMULAS FOR 2, 3, 4 and 5 SPRAY PROGRAMS. 2) EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS. 3) APPLICATION TECHNIQUES. 4) ADVERTISING COPY AND LAYOUT READY FOR MEDIA. 5) SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS BEFORE THEY BECOME PROBLEMS. Cost of the seminar is $550. (Your profit, after lobor and material, on your first 7 orders.) Write or call JIM McCURDY Green Lawns, Inc. 633 West Monroe Street Belleville, Illinois 62221 Phone 618-234-2141 or circle 114 on reply card NOW PROVIDING OUTSTANDING EQUIPMENT FOR THE LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. Ł LAWN CARE UNITS Ł SPRAYERS Ł PUMPS Ł TANKS WESTHEFFER TURF DIVISION Box 363 LAWRENCE, KS. 66044 Tele 913-843-1633 ACT NOW! EXCELLENT INCOME PROTECTED TERRITORY PROVEN TRACK RECORD YOUR OWN BUSINESS Secure your future with one of the nation's fastest growing industries. Perf-A-Lawn Corporation is now offering Franchises in your area. WE OFFER: Computerized routing Š Volume buying (no mark-up) Š Continual technology back-up Š Paid training For complete information, call: RON WILSON Perf-A-Lawn Corporation 127 Quick Road.New Carlisle. Ohio 45344 Phone: 513-845-3558 Circle 109 on free information card PRODUCTS Ball valves for liquid spray system For the lawn care business-man putting together a liquid fertilizer/pesticide spray system for next lawn care season, the OPW Division of Dover Corp. of-fers fiberglass-reinforced poly-propylene ball valves. The valves are corrosion-resistant to a wide range of chemicals, in-cluding all known fertilizer solu-tions and almost all turf pesti-cides. Complete details are given in the company's free eight-page 
catalog BV. The valves feature self-aligning balls which float freely to provide a tight seal against Teflon seats. All styles are designed with easy access to internal parts for servicing 
without removing the end con-nections from the line. Circle 201 on free information card 300,000 square feet with one tank load Finn Equipment Co. will offer a 1,200-gallon version of its LawnFeeder to lawn care businessmen for this season. The 
unit is capable of spraying 300,-000 square feet with one load, at a rate of four gallons per minute. It features mechanical agitation and all-hydraulic drive. It is designed to fit on a truck with a capacity of 22,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, or about a 2V2-ton truck. Size is 102 inches cab to axle length. Circle 202 on free information card Lawn plugger-aerator is easily transported A new lawn plugger-aerator from Yard Marvel Mfg. Co., Inc. is compact enough for lawn care businessmen to transport it from job-to-job with ease. Its dimen-
sions are 17 inches wide by 30V2 inches long by 23 inches high. It has applications to the lawn care businessman for troublesome compacted lawns on a spot basis, 
or for extra add-on business from 
existing customers. Advantages of aerating with a plugger-type unit are that it revitalizes the lawn by opening up the root structure of the grass. It also breaks up the surface so water 
can penetrate, thus water goes deeper and does not evaporate as fast. This also applies to fertil-izer application after plugging. The unit is designed to take out plus from IV2- to lV2-inch deep, approximately V2-inch in diameter. Circle 203 on free information card Suspending clay for suspension fertilizers Floridin Co. offers a data sheet on its MIN-U-GEL 200 
suspending clay for suspension fertilizers. The product permits use of insoluble plant nutrients in liquid fertilizers, holding these salts in stabilized suspen-sion. It maintains suspension and permits the addition of important 
insoluble trace elements. Insolu-ble pesticides are suspended in uniform manner throughout the suspension. Circle 204 on free information card Product allows deep penetration of water Compaction of soil is a major problem the lawn care business-man has in maintaining healthy customer lawns. Water has a sur-face tension which makes it run 
off slopes, stand in puddles and run off dry spots without penetrating the soil. Water-In, manufactured by Water-In, Inc., breaks up surface tension of water so fine that it does not run off slopes, puddle in low areas, but rather penetrates deeply into 
soils. Established lawns should be treated in the spring to open 
the soil for faster growth. They can also be treated again in the heat of summer to prevent crusting of soil. After planting a new lawn, one quart should be sprayed per 1,000 square feet and the mulch will stay wet and the seed will germinate faster. Circle 205 on free information card New herbicide kills 33 common lawn weeds Spectrum 33 Plus Lawn Weed Killer, manufactured by Ciba-Geigy Corp., will kill 33 trouble-
some common lawn weeds, in-cluding poison ivy and poison 
oak, chickweed, dandelion, plan-tains, ragweed and many other similar broadleaf weeds. It is available for use on lawns con-sisting of bluegrass, fescue, zoysia, bermudagrass, bent-grass, St. Augustinegrass and centipedegrass. Circle 206 on free information card The Residential Lawn Care and Maintenance Service Industry Isn't Coming. It's Here. /// THE KIPLINCER WASHINGTON LETTER Chemical and equipment suppliers who have learned that lesson are growing faster than ones who haven't! Consumer Wants/Needs: Mass America today is "into" a new leisure life style, and home owners who were oriented to home, family and do-it-yourself lawn care and maintenance during the late I950's and 1960's are now into action sports and services that free up extra time for their leisure activities Š lawn care/maintenance services fill their need. 25-30% Annual Growth: According to a recent LAWN CARE INDUSTRY market study there are 7.5 million customers using lawn care and maintenance services this year, (primarily single family home owners) and 1.9 million new customers will be added to this rapidly expanding service industry next year. It's Here: In 1979 the lawn care industry will be 9.4 million customers (4 million acres of turf) producing service receipts of 2.2 billion -I- dollars .. . which says clearly that the lawn care and maintenance service industry has arrived. It's the new volume marketplace . .. the new mass market for lawn and garden products. Shouldn't you be getting your product story to this growing marketplace? Match your message to the market. WWN J Serving lawn maintenance V MJ .^Jmm and chemical lawn ^ [ care professionals INDUSTRY A Harvest business publication. Lawn Care... The Growingest Market. SPLIT PERSONALITY. Another fine, quality-con-trolled product of Jacklin Seed Company. KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS U.S. Plant Patent 3151 Bright sunshine or moderate shade makes little difference to Glade Kentucky bluegrass. With its split per-sonality, Glade grows well under both conditions. A Rutgers University selection, low-growing, deep green Glade has im-proved resistance to most races of leaf rust, stripe smut and to powdery mildew in up to 60% shade. Because of its better than average resistance to most races of Fusarium blight, Glade Kentucky bluegrass is being used as a fortifying ingredient in many professional turf grass mixes. It blends beautifully 
with the new, fine-leafed rye grasses, fescues and other elite bluegrasses. Specify Glade for your next turf grass mix. You'll appreciate the split personality that thrives in both sun and shade. A BEHIND THIS ISSUE COMING ISSUES Upcoming features in LAWN CARE INDUSTRY include: Janu-ary Š Miami MARKETPLACE. February Š Houston MARKET-PLACE, weed identification and control, herbicides available to the lawn care businessman, lawn care advertising; March Š Atlanta MARKETPLACE, insect identification and control Jnsecti-cides available to the lawn care businessman. April Š San Fran-cisco MARKETPLACE, disease identification and control, fungi-
cides available to the lawn care businessman. May Š Boston 
MARKETPLACE. June Š Pittsburgh MARKETPLACE. July Š Washington, D.C. MARKETPLACE. August Š Seattle MARKET-PLACE. The wrong chart was inadvertently published on page 17 of the November issue of LAWN CARE INDUSTRY depicting months when lawn care businessmen buy equipment. As was stated in the accompanying story, January is the first choice for buying equip-ment, and February and March the second and third choices. We don't really want to spill the beans, but just can't resist printing in this space a letter we received recently from Mrs. Kathleen Weiss of Snyder, N.Y. She wrote: "The subscription of LAWN CARE INDUSTRY I am purchas-ing from you is to be a Christmas gift for my husband. Could you please send me a gift certificate to put in his stocking before we 
receive our first issue in January? Thank you very much, your co-operation is appreciated." We'd like to take this opportunity to wish Joseph Weiss, co-owner of Grass-Green, a Merry Christmas, and we also hope you 
enjoy your future issues of LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. And to all of our other readers Š both old and new Š we would also like to wish you a happy and prosperous new year. fcjr *tdky ADVERTISERS INDEX Agro-Chem 7 Deere & Co 4 Green Lawns 19 Hahn, Inc 8 Jacklin Seed Co 3, 21 Lakeshore Eqpt. & Supply Co 5, Cover III Lofts Pedigreed Seed, Inc Cover IV Perf-A-Lawn Corp 19 Power Spray Technology 9 Professional Turf Specialties 22 Torco Engineering 11 Westheffer Co 19 Professional SPRAY EQUIPMENT AT AN ECONOMICAL COST!!! w DEPENDABLE ACCURATE Ł ECONOMICAL ? Inductor allows you to mix 4. Eltctric Imm reel provides quick chtmlcali one yard at a time rewinding and proven service Your spray company is different than others so you need a sprayer tailored to your needs. That's why the Professional Turf Specialties system is used by lawn spray companies from Chicago to Texas. No other system con suspend large particles such as IBDU ond nitroform and offer a separate tank that allows you to mix one product, one lawn at a time, through an inductor as well as these features: 1) A pumping system that can load or unload itself and other trucks. 2) Remote throttle tachometer and pressure gauge for finite accuracy. 3) Ability to suspend slow release nitrogen such as IBDU9 or nitroform. 4) Can be mounted on your present equipment or on any new truck. 5) Optional compartmentalized tank, allowing you to fill one section from the other and custom mix chemicals on the job through an inductor. Professional Turf Specialties CALL COLLECT ( 309 ) 454-2467 SUPPLIERS OF EQUIPMENT AND CHEMICALS FOR TURF MAINTAINENCE 1801 INDUSTRAL PARK R0. Ł NORMAL, ILLINOIS 61761 754 o3*5 91 i /I9654 - * Circle 121 on free information card 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. Rates: 35c a word for line ads, 65c a word 
for display ads. Box numbers add $1 for mailing. All classified ads must be received by the publisher before the 10th of the month preceding publication and be accompanied by casn or money order covering full payment. Mail aa copy to Dorothy Lowe LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, Box 6951, Cleveland, Ohio 4410! HELP WANTED AGRICULTURALIST, HORTICUL-TURALIST/AGRONOMIST. Excellent opportunity to assume broad scope responsibilities for a major chemical lawn care company. Primary responsibility will involve research, training, and providing technical support to Branch Manage-
ment Personnel. Successful candi-date should have a PhD. in agricul-ture with specialization in agronomy and horticulture. Some experience 
in turf management or related fields. 
Salary commensurate with experi-
ence and job responsibilities. For 
confidential consideration, send resume and salary history to: Box 215, Lawn Care Industry, Box 6951, Cleveland, Ohio 44101. COLORADO OPPORTUNITY. Es-tablished lawn chemical service offers position with ownership par-ticipation to individual with liquid application and formulation experi-
ence. Replies will be held in strict 
confidence. We are not looking for an investor but an experienced, 
honest, hard worker. Reply Box 26527, Lakewood, Colorado 80226. CHEMICAL LAWN CARE and tree company needs service manager for 3,000 customers. Start January. Salary open. Send resume to Lawn Doctor, Box 30121, Dallas, Texas 75230.214 690-1900. FOR SALE FOR SALE: 1978 Finn lawnfeeder mounted on 1978 GMC 17,500 GVW 
truck, 4000 miles, automatic 
transmission. 800 gallon sprays granular and liquid lawn care pro-ducts. Hydraulically powered drive, two hose reels with 300 ft. of hose on each reel. Will sell with or without truck. Call 317 873-5231 and ask for George. LAWN SPRAYER Š New generation automatic sprayer. Cuts spraying time by 75%. Sprays insecticides, herbicides, fungicides. Under $250.00. Free information. Yard Mate, P.O. Box 971, Arvada, Co. 80001. MISCELLANEOUS KNOW pH INSTANTLY. Electronic tester, portable, handheld. For soil, liquids, etc. Low cost (under $25). 
Details free. A & H Marketing, Dept. LI, 8325 Dru Ave., SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108. USED EQUIPMENT UPDATING FLEET AND EQUIP-MENT: 3 Š 1975 Chevy's and 14Š1976 Chevy 1-ton spray trucks. All have 750 gal. steel tanks, pumps, hose and reels. Ready to spray. Good condition. Also, 3Š1976 Chevy 3A ton pickups, 12Š750 gal. tanks, 2Š1,200 gal. tanks. Several Beam and R&M pumps, hose reels and other misc. spray equipment. Call: 1 513 845-0517 or 0717. Ask for Charlie Pratt. 1978 GMC 3A ton spray truck with 220 gallon tank, hydraulic driven pump and mechanical agitation, hose, hose reel, spray wand, and floation tires. This truck in excellent condition and ready to spray would make a good starter system. For details call 217 
529-5692. LAWN SPRAY TANKER. 1Š1977 ex-cellent condition 1500 gallon Load-star International, completely equip-ped with hose reels and 300 ft. of delivery hose. Phone 313 549-1912. WE RECOMMEND LESCOSAN In two seasons, we reduced the crabgrass population from 90%-plus to less than 10%. And this is on big lawns of almost an acre. Lescosan is the mainstay of our 
crabgrass control program. -^john r linkhart Perf-A-Lawn Vice-President (Sales) As John R. Linkhart knows, Lescosan is the answer to pre-emergence crabgrass control. The undeniable proof 
exists in every application. "Nashville is the premier area for crabgrass. And Lescosan is the main-stay of our crabgrass control pro-gram. It works better on crabgrass and foxtail than any other product." The Perf-A-Lawn profes-sional chemical lawn main-tenance company specializes in liquid spray applications and they're building more than turf. They're building a reputation. "Since we are constantly expanding our franchise market, we must be sure a 
product works. So we recom-mend Lescosan to our franchisees." Lescosan (Betasan*), available in 4E emulsion or 12.5 granules, provides full-season effectiveness on all 
grasses, as well as on a number of ornamentals and ground covers. When Perf-
A-Lawn buys Lescosan from Lakeshore, they buy from the formulator. And for Perf-A-Lawn, that means quality and savings! If quality, savings and performance are selling Lescosan to you, take advan-tage of our toll-free informa-tion service and call Barb today. Those east of the Mississippi can reach her by dialing 1-800-321-5951. (In Ohio, dial 1-800-362-7413.) If you're west of the Missis-sippi, call Barb collect at 216-323-7544. She'll have our represen-tative contact you so you'll know why Perf-A-Lawn rec-ommends Lescosan and how our other fine LESCO Prod-ucts (including LESCO 36 Sulfur Coated Urea) are selling themselves every 
day! Our LESCO Quality Prod-ucts and Friendly Service are always as close as your phone. Ł(BetasanŠRegistered TM of Stauffer Chemical Company.) LESC^P PRODUCTS Division of Lakeshore Equipment & Supply Co. 300 S. ABBE ROAD, ELYRIA, OHIO 44035 A FAMILY OF FINE PRODUCTSŠLescosan 12.5GŠLescoreneŠLesco 4ŠLescoborŠLescoparŠLescopexŠLesco Non-Selective Herbicide Lesco MSMAŠLesco Thiram 75WŠLescozymeŠLakeshore Chinch Bug & Sod Webworm Control 5,000,ooot POUNDS Sold Worldwide barcJh KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS 4,000,000 3,000,000 2,000,000 1,000,000 Baron Outsells Merion by more than 10 to 1! No Wonder: Quicker Germination Less Fertilization Required Greater Disease Resistance More Widely Adaptable Less Expensive \ m# \ g-i.v \ Merion KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS 1976 1977 1978 Lofts Pedigreed Seed, Inc. Bound Brook, N.J. 08805/(201) 356-8700 Lofts/New England Lofts Kellogg Seed Co. Lofts/Maryland Arlington, Mass. 02174 Milwaukee, Wis. 53201 Landover," Md. 20785 617-648-7550 414-276-0373 301-322-811 1 Great Western Seed Co. Lofts/New York Oseco Ltd. Albany, Ore. 97321 Cambridge, N.Y. 12816 Ontario, Canada 503-926-2636 518-677-8808 416-457-5080 Merion production figures taken from "Seed Crops" published by U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Crop Reporting Board, Washington, D.C. Baron production figures supplied by Baronbrug Holland and Lofts Pedigreed Seed, Inc. Circle 115 on free information card