THROWS HAT INTO ROUNDUP RING Stauffer Patents New Herbicide Stauffer Chemical Company has been granted a patent on a her-bicide that, although still in the advanced stages of field testing, may turn out to be a significant market competitor to Monsanto Company's Roundup herbicide in the next two years. Herb Day, sales manager Š specialty products, confirmed that Stauffer has received a patent covering two classes of com-pounds for use as herbicides, but he added that no commercial deci- sion has been made on the prod- uct. Continuing research 'The product sits right now in the research department, where it began, and where it will be for the next couple of years," he told Lawn Care Industry. Stauffer declined to make further comment on the commer-cial plans of the herbicide or the chemicals it contains. Since Monsanto Co.'s Roundup herbicide was introduced in 1976, it has grown to be one of the company's most important prod-ucts. It also holds a patent position that is not due to expire until 1991, at which time the market for it may open up. 'There are many new to page 20 Herb Day A Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publication JULY 1982 Ry Serving lawn maintenance and chemical lawn care professionals BUTZ TO SPEAK AT PLCAA SHOW Former secretary of agricul-ture, Earl L. Butz, will be the principal speaker at the PLCAA annual convention in Indianapolis, Nov. 16 to 18. He will address the topic, "Populism, Politics, and Progress." Butz served as secretary of agriculture from 1971 to 1976, and is currently dean emeritus of agriculture at Purdue University. Butz served as assistant secretary of agriculture from 1954 to 1957 during the Eisenhower administration. Following this he returned to Purdue as dean of agricul-ture. In 1971 he became U.S. secretary of agriculture until 1976. Butz has been honored with the American Farm Bureau Federation award for distinguished service to agri-culture. MARKET COMPETITION HEATS UP; BUSINESSMEN REPORT THEFTS Tales of Larceny Blight Industry The law of the street is replacing standards of fair play in some lawn care markets across the country. To wit: In southern California, corrosive chemicals were slipped into a lawn care truck tank, disabling the system and causing $16,000 worth of damage. Company officers claim a competitor was responsi- ble for the sabotage. In Naperville, 111., lowballing is a common practice according to one lawn care businessman Š quoting prices so low that service and quality lawn care cannot pos-sibly be rendered. Raymond Blackburn of R. A. Blackburn Equipment Corp., Kensington, Md. advises a customer. A profile of this experienced dealer is on page 10. MISQ 0337699 X r OH o r PTEKE pp0F MICHIGAN STATE UNIV CR1° r SOIL SCL F LANSING MI 828 SCF Bob Parmley In Chicago, the offices of Tempo 21 Lawn Beautiful were ransacked and invoices, receipts, and mail-ing lists were taken including the names of about 10,000 lawn care customers. The chief suspect is a local competitor. Other reports from around the to page 21 Thief Makes Off With Customer List The offices of Tempo 21 Lawn Beautiful in Carol Stream, II., were broken into late last March and 11 boxes containing lawn care in-voices, receipts, and IRS docu-ments removed, according to Tempo 21 president Robert Parmley, including, he said, data on at least 10,000 of the company's 20,000 customers in the Chicago area. "They didn't even bother some cash that was on the desk," he said, adding that customers whose rec-ords were stolen have been notified to beware of anyone of-fering lawn services without first measuring their lawns. Parmley said that he has already spent about $3,000 following up the investigation of a suspect, and that a grand jury is scheduled to to page 20 BONUSES TAKE PRECEDENCE Maintenance Workers See Wage Budgets Tightening With the rate of inflation rising and mowing/maintenance businesses tightening up their overhead costs, mowing/ maintenance workers are feeling the pinch. A pinch that means more competition for jobs, fewer bonuses, and heavier reductions in wage budgeting. Yet, as one businessman in Aurora, Colo., said, "At least the work is still out there." True, the work is out there, but as the industry continues to battle imposed economic burdens, the workers themselves are being taken to task. Larry Shelton, president of Clas-sic Landscape, Raleigh, N.C., says, "We have to be careful now, we really don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. No longer can we give a raise to a man after seeing he works hard for three or four days. The economy just won't allow it." Starting wages dip Across the country, employers shared Shelton's opinion. Not only could many employers not give raises, but - many could not in- crease their starting wages over to page 19 Without a summer application of Dursban, big problems could pop up in fall. While most insects emerge in spring, sod webworms and other varieties don't spring into action until late summer or fall. And even DURSBAN* insecticideŠwhich gives you the longest residual action in the businessŠwon't protect your customers' lawns from spring to fall. That's why it's important to apply DURSBAN twice a yearŠon your first round for the early risers and later in the summer to get the late bloomers. And considering the relatively low cost of DURSBAN, a two application insecticide program makes doubly good sense. After all, DURSBAN costs as little as 35< i-3 C/3 D < U Is it five years already? The date was July 25,1977.1 know because I have a plaque on my wall that commemorates the date. As the first issue of LA WN CARE INDUSTRY rolled off the presses, the skeleton staff that produced it sipped cheap champagne out of paper cups. The champagne may L4WN OIRE INDUSTRY ROBERT EARLEY, Editor/Group Publisher PAUL McCLOSKEY, Associate Editor JOAN HOLMES, Production Manager MARILYN MacDONALD, Production Supervisor DAVE JOHNSON, Graphic Design JOAN SMITH, Circulation Supervisor GAIL KESSLER, Reader Service Manager LINDA WINICK, Promotion Manager MARKETING/SALES New York Office: ROBERT EARLEY (212) 888-2892 757 Third Ave., New York, NY 10017 Southern Office: JIM BROOKS, National Sales Manager RON KEMPNER (404) 233-1817 3091 Maple Dr., Atlanta, GA 30305 Northwest Office: BOB MIEROW (206) 363-2864 1333 N.W. Norcross, Seattle, WA 98177 Classified: DAWN ANDERSON (218) 727-8511 1 E. First St., Duluth, MN 55802 Please send advertising materials to: LAWN CARE INDUSTRY 120 W. Second St. Duluth, MN 55802 218-727-8511 A HARCOURT BRACE JOVANOVICH PUBLICATION ROBERT L. EDGELL, Chairman RICHARD MOELLER, President LARS FLADMARK, Executive Vice President ARLAND HIRMAN, Treasurer THOMAS GRENEY, Group Vice President EZRA PINCUS, Group Vice President JOE B1LDERBACH, Vice President JAMES GHERNA, Vice President GEORGE GLENN, Vice President HARRY RAMALEY, Vice President VBPA &ABP LAWN CARE INDUSTRY (USPS 397250) is published monthly by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publications Corporate and Editorial offices: 757 Third Avenue. New York. New York 10017. Advertising offices: 757 Third Avenue. New York. New York 10017, 111 East Wacker Drive, Chicago. Illinois 60601 and 3091 Maple Drive, Atlanta. Georgia 30305. Accounting. Advertising Production and Circulation offices: 1 East First Street. Duluth. Minnesota 55802. Subscription rates: one year. $15 in the United States. $18 per year in Canada. All other coun-tries: $40 per year. Single copies (prepaid only): $2 in the U.S.; elsewhere $4.50; add $3.00 for shipping and handling per order. Second class postage paid at Duluth. Minnesota 55806 and additional mailing offices. Copyright ©1982 by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Microfilm copies of ar-ticles are available through University Microfilms. International. 300 N. Zeeb Road. Ann Ar-bor. Michigan 48106. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. P.O. Box 6200, Duluth. Min-nesota 55806-9900. _ have been cheap, but it sure tasted good. Has it really been five years since Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. started publishing LAWN CARE INDUSTRY? Yep. The front-page headlines were: Ł "Predict Industry Growth Will Hit 25% in 1977." Ł 44Sears Enters Market with 7,000 Customers." Ł "Certification Programs to Be Effected Oct. 21." Ł "Rust-Free Ryegrass a Real Possibility." Ł "Lawn-A-Mat Emerges from Chapter 11 Soon." Ł "ChemLawn Irrigation Sec-tion on the Upswing." In some ways, being on the front page of our inaugural issue was the kiss of death. Cases in point: The story on Sears started out by saying "Sears' entry into the lawn care business took off fast with an initial 7,000 customers signing up fron March to May 1977." That sears outlet in Chicago may have taken off fast, but the company went belly-up soon after that. And the ChemLawn irrigation story started out like this Š "Poseidon, ChemLawn's new di- vision for the installation of irri-gation systems in residential lawns, continues to prosper, ac-cording to vice president of opera-tions Bill Grant." Like Sears, ChemLawn's novel idea was deep-sixed soon after our story ran. Our editors wrote about certifi-cation by saying, "Just who may or may not apply restricted pes-ticides, a question that has been an enigma until now, will become all to comprehensible Oct. 21. This is the deadline when only certified applicators or people under their direct supervision will be able to use them. The edict is a result of the amendments to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act signed into law in 1972." Has certification been with us only five years? It sure seems like longer than that. Of the rust-free ryegrass we wrote Š "Out in the seed-bountiful Willamette Valley of Oregon, Dr. Bill Meyer, president of Pure-Seed Testing and technical director for Turf-Seed, Inc., both of Hubbard, Ore., is working on pe-rennial ryegrass species that resist rust while keeping and improving the grass' good qualities." Dr. Meyer is still breeding in Oregon, working on perennial ryegrasses of all kinds, along with other seed varieties. Moving inside the first issue, one headline read: "Green Lawn To Expand, Accounts Jump 40%." We wrote, "Green Lawn's success with openings in Oklahoma, Nashville and Memphis this year has precipitated company execs to plan two new openings in 1978," with Knoxville, Chattanooga and Richmond being the front- runners." The Louisville-based company was then a liquid-based company, now it is dry. Under a headline that said "Rollins Tests Market Potential in Atlanta," we wrote Š "A giant in commercial pest control and home security systems, Rollins Services, Inc., is testing the lawn care market in Atlanta." Rollins Lawn Care now is a multi-million dollar company operating throughout the Southeast. Also in that issue, then Chem-Lawn research director Dr. James Wilkinson wrote that lawn care companies should not remove clippings from home lawns to maximize fertilizer effect. Dr. Wil- kinson is now with Old Fox Lawn Care in the Northeast. We wrote that housing starts in 1977 would top out at more than 1.7 million. A far cry from the 300,000 that are projected to be built this year. Those were the days. ChemLawn was expected to open 20 new offices in 1977, and 15 to 30 more the next year. On thatch, we wrote: "Whether you provide full lawn mainte-nance or chemical application service only," you should be on the look-out for thatch build-up. Any applied material Š is useless when it is prevented by thatch from reaching the soil." The thatch problem is still with us, with no industry-wide solutions in sight. Charter advertisers in LAWN CARE INDUSTRY were: Adelphi Kentucky Bluegrass, American Pelletizing Corp., E. F. Burlin-gham & Sons, Crown Chemicals, Derby Tiller Co., Diamond Sham-rock, Dobbins, Inc., Dountz Equipment Co., Du Pont Co., Essco Mfg. Co., Garfield-Williamson, Inc., Hanson Equipment Co., Her-cules, Inc. (now BFC Chemicals, Inc.), Heritage House Products Corp., Hypro Div., Lear Siegler, Inc., International Spike, Inc., F. D. Kees Mfg. Co., Lakeshore Equip- ment & Supply Co., Loft's Pedig-reed Seed (now Loft's Seed), Moody Sprinkler Co., National Mower Co., New Roots Publishing, Pest Control Supplies Co., Reinco, Inc., Rockland Chemical Co., Snowco, Inc., Southern Mill Creek Products, Swift Agricultural Chemicals Corp. (now Estech, Inc.), Thomson Publications, The Toro Co., Tuflex Mfg., Velsicol Chemical Corp. and Yannar Di-esel, Ltd. These and other adver- tisers have supported us strongly over the years. Since that champagne-filled day five years ago, we have published 58 issues in total. That is well over 2,000 pages of magazine for any- body who has all 58 of the issues, and about 25 million total magazine pages when you figure in every issue that has been mailed. It took an awful lot of trees to produce that much paper. It has been a labor of love for all of the people who have staffed LAWN CARE INDUSTRY over the years, particularly present staffers including myself as editor and group publisher, associate editor Paul McCloskey, national sales manager Jim Brooks, and regional sales managers Ron Kempner and Bob Mierow. A labor of love indeed. U Inquiries serviced for 90 days from date of issue. For those countries outside the U.S., please apply appropriate postage before mailing. READER SERVICE INFORMATION CARD 7-82 1 For more information on products or services mentioned in this issue, circle the corresponding numbers below, fill in appropriate information and mail today. 101 108 115 122 129 136 143 150 157 164 171 178 185 192 199 206 213 220 227 234 102 109 116 123 130 137 144 151 158 165 172 179 186 193 200 207 214 221 228 235 103 110 117 124 131 138 145 152 159 166 173 180 187 194 201 208 215 222 229 236 104 111 118 125 132 139 146 153 160 167 174 181 188 195 202 209 216 223 230 237 105 112 119 126 133 140 147 154 161 168 175 182 189 196 203 210 217 224 231 238 106 113 120 127 134 141 148 155 162 169 176 183 190 197 204 211 218 225 232 239 107 114 121 128 135 142 149 156 163 170 177 184 191 198 205 212 219 226 233 240 PLEASE CHECK BELOW YOUR PRIMARY BUSINESS AT THIS LOCATION: A. CONTRACTOR OR SERVICES ŁLawn care service business involved primarily with fertilization, weed, and insect control. Please specify method of application 10 Ł Liquid 11 DDry 12 DBoth 20 UPrimarily mowing/maintenance service 30 ŁLandscape contractor/lawn service company 40 Ł Nursery or garden center/lawn service company 50 DPest control/lawn service company 60 Ł Irrigation contractor/lawn service company B GROUNDS CARE/MAINTENANCE AT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF FACILITIES: 110 nPrivate or public estate NAME BUSINESS NAME. CITY 120 130 140 150 190 ŁSchool, college, university, hospital, or similar facility ŁCondominium housing development or industrial park ŁGovernment grounds, parks, around municipal buildings, military facilities Ł Cemetery or memorial garden ŁOther (please specify) C. SUPPLIER 210 ŁChemical dealer or distributor 220 ŁEquipment dealer or distributor 230 QSeed broker/dealer 240 DSod grower _TITLE . _ADDRESS. _STATE_ JZ\P_ _TELEPHONE_L ) AREA CODE I WISH TO RECEIVE (CONTINUE RECEIVING) LAWN CARE INDUSTRY EACH MONTH Ł YES Ł NO SIGNATURE DATE BUSINESS REPLY CARD FIRST CLASS PERMIT NO. 665 DULUTH, MINNESOTA POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE READER SERVICE DEPARTMENT L4WN GURE INDUSTRY POST OFFICE BOX 6200 DULUTH, MINNESOTA 55806 NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES LEHR ON LABOR LAW Board Sides With Employers In Chemical Disclosure Suits In three recent cases, Minnesota Mining 8r Manufacturing Co., Bor-den Chemical, and Colgate-Palmolive Company, the National Labor Relations Board considered whether or not unions have the right to request lists of chemicals to which workers are exposed, in addition to other health, safety and medical information. These cases arose from efforts of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union to gather informa-tion concerning work place hazards. This was prompted by a discovery in 1977 which linked a pesticide to sterility in male employes. The union requested a list of generic names of all chemicals, results of toxicological investiga- tions, a list of raw materials, and other health related data. The employers refused to comply with the union's request for two reasons. First, the employers ar-gued that complying with the union's request would com-promise the employers' interests in the confidentiality of propriet-ary and trade secrets. The National Labor Relations Board concluded that the employer does not have an abso-lute obligation to provide this information to unions. Rather, the employer must "bargain in good faith over the request for such information, including the feasi-bility of disclosing such informa-tion in a manner that will adequately safeguard its legiti-mate proprietary interests." Thus, the decision to disclose these materials will be made at the bargaining table. However, the employer will have the burden of establishing that there is no feasi- ble way to disclose the materials without damaging the employer's proprietary or trade interests. Employers eyeball test In an equal employment de-velopment of interest to many lawn care employers, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington held that an employer owed a female truck driver over $18,000 in back wages for not hiring her because of their results of a discriminatory test. A female applied for a job as a truck driver, which would include loading and unloading the rig. An important element of the employer's test was whether, based on the employer's visual perception, an applicant was physically capable of handling the job. No actual job-related test was given, such as asking an applicant to lift objects of the same weight and size which would be required to do if she were hired. The applicant in this case had experi-ence as a truck driver, but she was short and weighed slightly more than 100 pounds. A man was hired for the job, instead of the woman, because "he appeared to be strong." The problem for the employer in this case was not that he hired the man instead of the woman. Rather, strength test, then there would be no legal problem with the employer's selection of a man to Employers hold burden of proof the employer's problem was the failure to base his hiring decision on an objective test which consid-ered reasonable factors related to the essential duties of the job. Had the employer requested applicants to lift objects of similar weight which they would have to lift on the job or take some type of fill the position. However, basing a decision on the stereotype that small women are physically incapable of han-dling a job requiring considerable strength is discriminatory, even if the employer's assumption is cor-rect. Many lawn care employers interview and hire women as applicators. At no time should a lawn care employer base a deci- sion not to hire a female for that job on the basis of her sex. If each applicant is judged according to his or her objective ability to perform the tasks essential to the job, then no lawn care employer should face a discrimination alle-gation based on sex. Recent developments A bill has been introduced (H.R. 6103) to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act, which covers minimum wage, overtime, Belo plans, exemptions, and other wage and hour issues. The bill would require those employers who viol-ate the Act to pay three times the amount owed. Richard Lehr is an attorney with the Birmingham law firm of Sirote, Per-mutt, Friend, Friedman, Held 8r Apolinsky and a frequent contributor to Lawn Care Industry. 7 £ c C/D i We've got killing weeds down to a formula. If you're looking for solutions to tough weed problems, Diamond Shamrock offers you three phenoxy formulations from the Turf CareŽ products line that get the job done effectively and more economically than the other leading postemergence herbicide. MCPP-K-4. Excellent early control of those hard-to-kill weeds that 2,4-D herbicides can miss...clover, chick-weed and plaintain. MCPP-K-4 is absorbed by weeds and translocated to the root system, so weeds are killed where they live. What's more, MCPP-K-4 is easy on tender grass too. If necessary, you can reseed within two weeks. Amine 4D. This selective post-emergence herbicide controls a wide variety of broadleaf weeds on established turf. Amine 4D is especially effective against dande-lions. And it's gentle on most grasses. Amine 4D is low in volatility, so it won't vaporize, even in hot weather. MCPP+2,4-D Amine (1 Plus 1). A new phenoxy formulation of MCPP and 2,4-D that combines excellent killing action with economy and convenience. Designed in a packaged mix, MCPP+2.4-D Amine (1 Plusl) delivers effective control of hard-to-kill and common broadleaf weeds with better economy than the other leading postemergence herbicide. It's ideal for early season use on established turf because it provides first rate killing action with gentleness to most grasses. And areas around trees can be treated without risk of root injury. Compare Diamond Shamrock phenoxy formulations with other herbicides. You'll find that application for application,you can't beat our formula for beating weeds season after season. Always follow label directions carefully when using turf chemicals. 6b Diamond Shamrock Agricultural Chemicals Division Diamond Shamrock Corporation 1100 Superior Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44114 b pPM ŁHMBM yV^c'-sjr'/-ijjji-' rtfij^ijfeiŁ ?Ł ^ŁŁ waj* 1. SPRAY 2. SLICE 3. SEED 5. COMPLETED DAY 1 DAY 10 DAY 10 RENOVATION DAY 30 Ł ^Ilf "LAWN RENOVATION WITH ROUNDUP HERBICIDE IS ABOUT 30 TO 40% MORE PROFITABLE FOR US THAN CONVENTIONAL METHODS." s-s,n John Loyet, President Greenscape Lawn & TVee St. Louis, Mo. We put Roundup* herbicide on our customers lawn, came back 10 days later to power rake it and then seed it. About 10 days after that, the per-ennial ryegrass we planted came up. We were just amazed at how good it looked. We used to have to plow or disk the lawn we were renovating or use a sod cutter to remove it. With Roundup, it only took us 6 mam-hours to do a job that used to take 24. And the results were just as good. Our customers like Roundup almost as much as we do because the lawn holds up really well under light traffic all during the renova-tion period. For us, it extends the season by about a month and turns a normally slow fall into a profit opportunity season. We plan to use Roundup for lawn renovation from here on in!' IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LAWN RENOVATION WITH ROUNDUP, CALL TOLL FREE 800-621-5800 FOR YOUR FREE LAWN RENOVATION GUIDE. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTIONS FOR ROUNDUR Roundup® is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company. © Monsanto Company 1982. RUP-SP2-104 Monsanto INSIDE THE INDUSTRY CM 00 O J > to D < U < J LCI DEALER PROFILE: The R. A. Blackburn Corp. Getting to Know Your Dealer fust Might Save Your Business Douglas Blackburn Raymond Blackburn When a mowing and maintenance businessman spends $8,000 for a commercial mower, he's made a tremendous investment. If that machine is down for want of a $25 part, you can be pretty sure the principal owner will begin to rant and rave. Will he stop? Only his dealer knows for sure. Second only to perhaps his partner, a maintenance business-man's equipment and service de-aler is his most important profes-sional contact. If that dealer knows the market well, is a good businessman himself, and is pro- fessionally organized to service his professional customers, a maintenance businessman can save thousands in unapplied labor and equipnent costs. One of the reasons maintenance businessmen in the Washington, D.C. area do less raving than others across the country is the R. A. Blackburn Equipment Corp., lo-cated in Kensington, Md., and run by Raymond and Douglas Blackburn. Dealers primarily of Gravely, Lawnboy, Echo, and Yazoo mowing equipment, the Blackburns devote about 70 per-cent of their business to the profes-sional maintenance market in the area. "This is a sophisticated com-mercial market," said Doug Blackburn, Raymond's son and heir. "If it hadn't been for the commercial business, we would have been very hungry for work." Overstock parts One of the reasons for the Blackburn's success as dealers is their attitude toward servicing their commercial clients. Al- though it is costly to keep large inventories in these days of high interest rates, Blackburn over-stocks almost all his essential machine parts. "If there was a better way you can bet we'd do it," said Doug Blackburn. "But there's nothing worse than reaching for a part and coming up empty- handed." Blackburn says that if he sells a particular machine he expects to have the parts to service it. But that does not mean he doesn't make an effort to counsel his customers in service and maintenance effi-ciency. "We encourage our cus-tomers to stock key replacement assemblies Š starter assemblies, for example. They are easy to replace and he can go back later and replace the damaged one." The Blackburns also hold serv-ice schools for their commercial accounts at no cost to the cus-tomer, even providing a free lunch during the break. Blackburn says that it helps in the long run. "It's all the more help to us if our accounts know their machines inside and out. We don't make money on servicing equipment, we make money on selling it." However, the two go hand in hand. When a commercial cus-tomer brings in a machine to repair, he knows exactly what part his machine will be outfitted with. "Every part we sell is a genuinely original manufacturer's part," says Blackburn. "And for a commercial customer that is very important. We sell absolutely no gypsy parts." Arbiters of the market Blackburn is not unaware of the tremendous influence dealers have as arbiters of the marketplace. A case in point is the 20 inch Lawnboy, a light weight mower with plastic shrouding, a small gas tank, and relatively inexpensive. "The benefit of the mower is that it has a commercial engine," said Blackburn. "But you can buy two of them for the price of a commer-cial 20. They are now sold in the discount houses, and we can't compete with that." They can, however, put a serious crimp in the marketing of machines that are not profitable. He says a tremendous influence of the parts availability of those machines can make them very difficult to service. Units vs. dollars Blackburn says that the market for the Lawnboy, recently adapted to the consumer market through the introduction of staggered wheels, is wide open for someone who introduces a similar machine with a straight wheel assembly. He adds that Gravely machines are becoming very commercial oriented. One of the discrepancies he sees between the dealer and his relationship with the manufac-turer is their relative philosophy of sales. "They look at units sold," said Blackburn. "We look at dol-lars.", Blackburn says that all dealers are currently in the midst of a controversy that is threatening to upset the entire commercial mower market. Recently, the Con- sumer Product Safety Commission The R. A. Blackburn Equipment Corp. showroom holds full lines of professional cutting equipment. has issued a standard, due to go to page 17 RAVELY IS sutVKI They now can be controlled by a NEW effective carbamate insecticide TURCAM* TURCAM Insecticide offers the professional turf and ornamental care specialists a new effective broad spectrum insecticide for the control of a wide range of ornamental and turf pests including gypsy moth, Eastern tent caterpillar, certain scale insects and weevils, Japanese beetles, sod webworms, chinch bugs, mole crickets, white grubs and various nuisance pests such as fleas, wasps and fireants. In addition to controlling these and many other pests, TURCAM Ł Will not damage your ornamentals Ł Will not get tied up in your turf thatch Ł Is odorless Ł Is suitable for use in Liquid Systems. For further information on TURCAM including full labeling and recommendations for use please contact your local distributor or write to the address below. 30 m TURCAM Broad Spectrum Insecticide ® BFC Chemicals, Inc. 4311 Lancaster Pike Wilmington, DE 19805 Circle No. 103 on Reader Inquiry Card 12 TULSA, OKLAHOMA'S LLOYD KUHN >< oc H CO D Š Z < u 2 £ < J Leaf-Raking Business Key To Winter Cash Management All of Lloyd Kuhn's lawn care personnel will be employed this winter. No, his company, Tulsa Lawn Care, will not move to southern California, but will re-main in Oklahoma, where from November to January, dry leaves fall like snow. Kuhn, who operates a lawn care business during the spring and summer months, runs a leaf-gathering and raking business during his off season. A relative new comer to the trade, Kuhn says he finds it a needed service and a successful business enterprise. In August of last year, after moving from Springfield, 111., Kuhn says he looked for something that might sustain his lawn care business through the winter months. Built-in opportunity After talking to several commu-nity citizens, he says he realized that falling leaves in Tulsa were a burden to many of them. He found that they are not allowed to burn them, and that the city had stop-ped their leaf pick-up service several years ago. "Some of these people have 300 bags of leaves, and they just don't know where to put them. So, I decided if the city wasn't going to provide the leaf-gathering service, I would," he explained. With $7,000 invested in equip-ment, including a Giant Vac Leaf Loader, a one-ton dump truck converted from his lawn care rig, and several back-pack blowers, Kuhn says he began his business praying for customers. In November, Kuhn mailed ad-vertisements, explaining his service. The next day he received 150 requests. Two services are provided by Eight simply great ideas. Four belong to Champion. The mousetrap, sewing needle, safety pin and belt buckle have always ranked near the top as the simplest, least expensive, most useful inventions of all time. Champion also offers four items of irrigation equipment which are designed and engineered with the same principles in mind. Simple, inexpensive and useful, they are high quality, highly efficient products which have passed the test of time in millions of installations throughout the United States. Impulse Pop-up Sprinkler Model 6179: Equipped with a brass impact sprinkler with an arm for precision spray, this is the ideal sprinkler for the big coverage job. It is field-adjustable for full or part circle, and features a self-flushing stem, retract spring and wiper seal to clear debris. Spring Retractable Pop-up Sprinkler Model P180: A full V/i" pop-up allows the sprinkler to rise above longer grasses. Designed for easy, unlimited adjustment of spray direction and flow, it is engi-neered to take the punishment of mowers and weather while deliver-ing years of trouble-free service. Shrubbery Sprinkler Head Model P190: Those special watering problems Š gardens, flower beds, shrubbery and ground cover areas Š are solved with this durable plastic, distance-adjustable sprinkler. Controller Model AC-7D: Simplicity of operation and quality of workmanship set this new controller apart from countless others on the market. Complete automatic watering of seven separate areas guarantees your installation will receive just the right amount of water at exact, pre-set times. Its all-metal cabinet provides durability, and its simplicity brings peace of mind. Yes, when you come right down to it, Champion continues to build better mousetraps for the irrigation industry. Four of them are described above. For the right controller, sprinkler heads, valves and other accessories, turn to Champion. You can't beat Champion for quality, performance or price. CHAMPION SPRINKLER EQUIPMENT 1460 N. Naud St. Ł Los Angeles, Calif. 90012-1982 In California, telephone 213/221-2108 or 213/223-1545 Outside California, call toll free: 800/421-9051 or 800/421-9054 the company. The customer can either rake the leaves to the curb of the property line, whereupon Kuhn will gather them, or Kuhn and his workers, using their pack blowers, can rake and gather the leaves. The leaves need not be bagged, because of a 15-foot hose, 12 inches in diameter, that is attached to the leaf loader. The leaves are then vacuumed into the leaf loader where they are mulched to one-fifth of their original size. They are then dumped into the truck, car-ried to the dunp, or in some cases a horse stable. Kuhn has set the average charge for gathering at between $40 and $50. There is a minimum charge of $25 for this service and the average charge for raking and gathering leaves is $150 to $300. Kuhn says one yard took an entire week for a charge of $600, and this year they have a contract for a $900 opera-tion. Last year Kuhn had four full-time employes and four part-time workers. This year he will double the size of his operation. Kuhn admits much of his work was done in affluent neighbor-hoods, contributing to his success. However, he adds, "we raked a lot of lawns for little old ladies who just couldn't do it themselves." Word to the wise He also warns that a business of this sort may not work so well in other areas of the country. "Al- though the business has been very good for me, it could not be as successful in other areas. Maybe they can burn their leaves, or just don't have the number of trees we have. Also, we have so many maples and maple leaves fall so gradually that many of our cus-tomers were repeaters." For those who have the right conditions, the rewards of this sideline can be great. The first benefit, he says, is the added revenue and cash flow the busi-ness provides, especially at a time when most lawn care businesses are strapped by the cost of money and high interest rates. Also, the fact that an employe can work with the company all year-round is both a major benefit to the company and its personnel. The leaf raking business also provides an opportunity to gain new customers for the spring and summer months. Kuhn took ad- vantage of the fact that he was meeting prospective lawn care clients and left a brochure with everyone he served. "We picked up some good solid customers this way," he said. Strict schedule As a final benefit Kuhn found many people will remit their bills right on the spot. Last year he had 100 percent on-time remittance. In order to prevent the costs of starting a leaf-raking side-line from overburdening the benefits, Kuhn offers several suggestions, Number one, he says, is not to take on everyone as they call. Plan a strict schedule as to when you will be in an area, and serve the people in that area on a regular day on a regular basis. "This way you will not be travelling from one side of town to the other." PRODUCTS Pop-up sprinkler eliminates flow-by A new pop-up sprinkler with a four-inch pop up height for un-obstructed spray distribution and an exclusive co-molder wiper seal to eliminate flow-by has been introduced for the lawn care pro-fessional by Rain Bird, Inc.'s Turf Division. Designated Model 1804, the new sprinkler clears low ground covers and taller turf grass cuts recom-mended for better root develop- ment and improved drought re-sistance. The patented co-molded, multi-function wiper seal cleans the stem as it pops up, flushes debris away as it retracts, and keeps debris from entering the unit at the nozzle/wiper seal interface. Arresting flow-by at a low eight psi, the superior sealing charac-teristic of the exclusive seal allows the use of extra strength stainless steel retract springs, assuring positive pop-down even in sandy soils and eliminating the possibil-ity of damage from lawn mowers and hazards to foot traffic. Addi- tional features include a filter screen located under the nozzle to prevent clogging and a fully open one-half inch threaded inlet to facilitate case flushing and speedier installations. Circle No. 150 on Reader Inquiry Card Brochure for lawn care irrigation controllers Griswold controls has announced the publication of their new "2000 Series Irrigation Control Sys- tems," a 20-page, color brochure that describes and illustrates a line of Griswold Control's irrigation controllers, solenoid valves and pressure reducing valves. Controllers are capable of man-aging 12 or 24 stations with sepa- rate seven day programs for each station, thus maintaining each area's own precise watering re-quirements. Programs are entered or changed by simple manual switches or insertion of pre-marked cards. Diaphragm valves are specially designed for use with effluent, recycled or extremely dirty water conditions. Valves are mechani- cally self-cleaning and virtually maintenance-free, having no sc-reens, filters or small orifices to clean. Circle No. 151 on Reader Inquiry Card Commercial turbine has only one moving part The Clearman Company has added a new, efficient, and trouble-free wobbling turbine head to its line of sprinklers for the lawn care in-dustry. The new 5F Series is designed for commercial applica-tions, made of black, sun resistant nylon and has only one moving part. Sprinkling begins at only three psi and maximum coverage of 44 feet diameter is reached at 20 psi. Droplet size is controlled by selecting one of the available orifice sizes which range from 0.062 inch to 0.220 inch. These result in flow rates from 0.5 gpm to 5.0 gpm at 20 psi. The use of injection molding for all parts plus a unique snap-together assembly technique re- sult in a low production cost and a correspondingly attractive price. Circle No. 152 on Reader Inquiry Card Six station solid state lawn sprinkler control Richdel, Inc., manufacturer of irri-gation valves and controls, has introduced its new line of elec-tronic irrigation controls for use in the lawn care industry. The new additions include three models: R416 six station, R418 six station, and the $420 12 station control. The R416 six station is designed for indoor mount complete with United Laboratories approved plug-in transformer. Circle No. 153 on Reader Inquiry Card r > 2: n > 2: a c C/5 C g^noHjEquipment Costs, The compact, economical HUSTLER 261 makes snort work of big acreage with instant drive wheel steering response. Scientific Guide To Pest Control Operations PEST CONTROL OPERATIONS by Dr. L.C. Truman Dr. G.W. Bennett and Dr. W.L. Butts Domestic: $29.50* (hardcover) Foreign: $34.50* (hardcover) The SCIENTIFIC GUIDE TO PEST CONTROL OPERATIONS is designed to provide a sound basis for studying the scientific aspects of pest control and promote technical competence. It places emphasis on urban and industrial pest problems. This volume also covers the laws and regulations concerning the pest control industry. The SCIENTIFIC GUIDE TO PEST CONTROL OPERATIONS is written for owners, su-pervisors, servicemen, salesmen, students, persons preparing for state certification under the EPA/state programs for commercial pesticide applicators, and people interested in structural pest control. The SCIENTIFIC GUIDE TO PEST CONTROL OPERATIONS - a must for anyone involved in the field of pest control! Return this coupon to: Book Sales Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publications One East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802 Domestic: $29.50* (hardcover) Foreign: $34.50* (hardcover) YES! Please send me_ -copy(ies) of the SCIENTIFIC GUIDE TO PEST CONTROL OPERATIONS. A check or money order for_ Please charge to my Visa, Master Card, or American Express (circle one) Account Number Expiration Date _is enclosed. 'Please add $3.00 per order plus $1.00 per additional copy for postage and handling. Nairn Address City Signature--State-Phone--Date. -Z'P-Quantity rates available upon request. Pleast allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. LCI 72 EXCEL Turf & Grounds Equipment V-V- . . -vTo J-., R^einnqMiJY m "Vfcfl Coulter-type edger eliminates the need for conventional hand edgers. Leave it to EXCEL to cut equipment costs while also cutting your mowing time. By placing the control of direction, speed and braking in one hand, EXCEL gives operators of the HUSTLER 261 the ultimate in maneuverability. This simplifies cutting in close quarters or around obstacles. A big 18 hp Briggs & Stratton engine gives you the power for high speed, straight-away mowing. The exclusive HUSTLER 3-way mower deck allows for side or rear discharge. Or, with blade dividers in place and all deck doors closed, the grass clippings are finely chopped and dropped as mulch. It's three decks combined into one. Other year-round attachments for the HUSTLER 261 include a side-mounted edger; grass vac; grass com-pactor; utility scoop; 60" dozer blade; 60" V-blade; and 60" rotary broom. See your HUSTLER distributor about all the time and labor saving advantages of the 261.. .an efficient, economical so-lution to high cost turf and grounds maintenance. Call Toll Free 1-800-835-3260 or write for FREE literature. EXCEL INDUSTRIES, INC. Box 727 / Hesston, KS 67062 EX2-6-582 14 CM CO 05 T-" >« J 5 MOWING/MAINTENANCE MARKETPLACE CO D Q Z < u 2 £ < i-3 Washington, D.C. No lack of work, No laclc of competition In Washington, D.C., there is an ordinance on the books that pro-hibits property owners from let-ting their grass exceed 12 inches in length. Violators are charged 130 percent of the amount the city is billed for having the job done for you. Not bad if you happen to be in the mowing/maintenance business in this well-kempt city. In the nation's capitol, Big Brother's on your side. The attention paid to landscape appearance in the Washington metropolitan area is second to none. As the country's showcase to visitors from around the world, little expense is spared to make public property look its best. And the attitude seems to have trickled down to area residents as well. "This is a fairly recession-resistant town," said David Lyons, president of J & L Landscaping Inc., Derwood, Md. "We've so many government employes in this area and they all have a guaranteed income, so they can budget pretty consistently for maintenance work." But if Lyons isn't lacking for work, he's not lacking for com-petitors either. In the business for nine years, the first five were years of market abundance, when Lyons could confidently predict the out-come of most maintenance con- tract bids. Now, however, com-pany start-ups have narrowed the gap. Mad dash "When we win a bid now," says Michael Lyons, vice-president of the company and manager of con- tracts, "there's usually a mad dash to find out where I screwed up." Lyons said that jobs that he got handily two years ago he cannot come close to getting today Š thus the fear that when he does win a job easily he immediately fears some essential cost has been overlooked. "The commercial maintenance work is becoming extremely competitive in this town," he said. "Companies that I've never bid before are taking jobs away from us." Attributing the overcrowding in some degree to companies coming from out of state when their home market has dried up, the Lyons's decry the higher incidence of lowballing and price undercutting prevalent in maintenance bid markets today. "There are two kinds of low-ballers," said David Lyons. "There are the cutthroats and then there are those that don't know what they are doing and win jobs by default." Although he doesn't fault companies for trying to get honest work, he says that there are companies doing huge volumes at very low profit margins who are driving down market prices. J & L Landscape Inc. obviously takes considerable interest in the costs of doing contract commercial maintenance. For that reason they also scrutinize the machines they use to handle the requirements of volume mowing and maintenance. According to Michael Lyons, the best machine to use is the one with the least number of controls. "If there is an extra screw or bolt to turn on a machine, you can bet that it will be turned and the machine will not run," said Michael Lyons. "We have found that we have a very good dealer network in this town and can be pretty selective about our orders and choices." Some of the properties of cutting machines that Lyons's have found to be a nuisance on many units are: small wheels that can't jump curbs easily and tend to tear, inadequate deck strength on some of the larger mowers leading to deck warp and uneven cuts, and, unnecessarily sophisticated throttles and starters which seem always to break down. Bigger and simpler "Time is of the essence in this business," says David Lyons. "We need rugged machines that can make money for us. For that reason we don't use hand machines and stick with the bigger and simpler machines. Some of our Lawn Boys are four years old and still running beautifully." Tom Farley, district manager of Theodore Brickman Companies in Washington agrees that Washington metropolitan area is a competitive market, but that the emphasis on property managenent in the area can provide the repeat business that mowing/ maintenance companies look for. The Brickman companies, known for their study and con-centration of maintenance cost analysis, employ a costing and estimating system. One of Farley's jobs as Washington district man- ager is providing the local adjust-ments that can be used to make the system effective in the Washington metropolitan area. No perfect system However, Farley warns that any system used to analyze job costs can only approximate the real costs of doing business: there is no perfect system. "The numbers are an approximation," he said. "Every company has so different an overhead structure and defines them so differently, that any sys- tem developed can only be a guide." As a new entrant in the Washington market, Farley was pleased to discover that the local suppliers are a professional bunch. 15 I n > c a David Lyons Tom Farley "No matter where a company chooses to expand, it's very im-portant to establish a good relationship with these people. After all, they know the market as well as anyone." When asked about the possibil-ity of government contract maintenance in a market so heav- ily funded by the federal govern- ment, he finds that in general, government contract maintenance is an inevitability. "As govern- ment budget constraints become greater, any public agency will be forced to consider contract maintenance in order to stay within the budget." Government efficiency "There is a natural reluctance to resist private sector contracts," he added, "because of the system. Nobody wants to be in the business of having to tell people they aren't doing their job right, but govern-ment efficiency is very low." Although Brickman Companies use a software system, for many routine business functions, Farley warns that customizing software ago when he worked for the Robert Kennedy's full time and through contacts made working on their properties, developed his own re-sidential maintenance business. Although he does take on com-mercial work because there are less "headaches," most of his 75 to 100 accounts around the met-ropolitan area are currently resi-dential. He finds that one of his biggest headaches in the maintenance business is finding qualified hel-pers who are committed to the business. "I just can't seem to find the help," he said. "My main interest is to stay small, do well, and make a buck. And you just can't do that if your help just likes to daydream." Beavers tells of the old axiom in the maintenance business that goes: There's two ways of doing a job, the customer's way and the right way. He says that although working for residential accounts supplies him with more tips on doing it the customers way than he can afford, residential work af-fords him the opportunity to keep his company streamlined. And he A uniform costing system for lawn maintenance is only as useful as the information supplied. for the lawn maintenance industry has to be very delicately ap-proached. "Some systems can be very good," he said, "but the danger of them being very bad are considerable." Farley said that in any attenpt to construct a uniform costing sys-tem for lawn maintenance, the system is only as useful as the information supplied. "There is hardly any job that doesn't require some mixture of machinery," he said. "You have to categorize the information so that you end up with a notion of the cost of a particular man on a particular machine. The more diverse the information the more conplicated the feedback." As to the future of the mowing and maintenance industry in the Washington area, Farley says that a more professional industry over- all is going to help everyone. "The industry as a whole can offer new insights into the possibility of what a landscape site can be," he said. "The whole business will then be that much more enjoyable to work in." One maintenance businessman who obviously enjoys his work as much as Farley is Litz Beavers, president of Beavers Landscaping, Inc. in Washington. Beavers began his maintenance business 10 years hardly ever gets a call back. Beavers insists that the Washington market is a healthy one. "The value of real estate isn't getting any cheaper," he said. "What turned this industry into a real professional one is that hus-bands and wives are both working now and don't have time to do it themselves." 1,000 lawn goal Another Washington area resi-dential mowing/maintenance businessman who has put a grip on the residential maintenance mar-ket is Jim Johnson, president of Johnson's Landscaping in Bethesda, Md. Johnson started his residential mowing business in 1972 and his goal over the next two years was "to shoot for 1,000 lawns." Indeed, he just about hit the mark in his second year, but was forced to drop 400 accounts like a hot potato in 1974. "Our grass cutting division was our biggest money-maker," said Johnson, "but it was also our biggest overhead burden. We lost nearly $20,000 dollars that year." In 1974, the gas crunch hit the D.C. area and Johnson was forced to make radical changes in his mowing operation. What he did was drop his entire Litz Beavers fleet and switched to a bike and buggy arrangement. "I went out and bought 32 cycles and designed wooden buggies for them to haul and made them in my shop. We cut down on our accounts and made our routes more efficient." Johnson said that the bike and buggy system was successful, but that after a while some of his Jim Johnson personnel opted for using their own vehicles for the job. And now most of his crews are using their own transportation to get to and from the job sites. Johnson operates his residential maintenance system on what he calls a "progressive point system," in which each job is assigned a difficulty rating. The crew is paid a to page 16 n M-CO 00 Turf Maintenance? mHSBI Let your grasses do the work Turf problems can be avoided, improved varieties are your lowest cost management tool. if the turf area you manage is over 15 years old, chances are it is a mixture of poa annua, wild bentgrass and other questionable turf species. Make your job easier and cut maintenance costs. Renovate and plant a mixture of improved turfgrass varieties like Touchdown and America Kentucky bluegrass and Fiesta Perennial ryegrass. All these have the ability to establish quickly, and produce a dense weed resisting turf. They will stand up to wear, turf diseases, and seasonal stress. Professional testing proves it. university of Illinois Touchdown was outstan-ding in its ability to out compete Poa annua. Ohio State university America ranked first out of 30 commercial bluegrass varieties in incidence of Sclerotica Dollar Spot. (At low, medium, & high fertilization levels.) Ohio State university Fiesta ranked number 1 out of 22 commercially available perennial ryegrasses in overall turf quality for entire season. Touchdown KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS PERENNIAL RYEGRASS mm KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS Produced by Pickseed Also Produces PICK^EE® PICKSEED WEST Inc. pO Bo* 888 Tangent OR 97389 Ł .503) 926 8886 Distributed M Canada by Otto PICK and Sons Seeds Ltd Bo» 126 Richmond Hill Ontario Ł .416* 884 1147 16 >« 5 £ CO D Q 2 < U 2 £ 3 FINANCE ChemLawn May Lose $6M in Second Quarter ChemLawn Corp., Columbus, Ohio, expects to post a loss for its fiscal second quarter, ended May 1, that could be more than double the year-earlier deficit of $3 mil-lion, Jack Van Fossen, president, said. Despite the projected loss, the company expects earnings for fis- cal 1982, ending Oct. 30, to be more than 25 percent higher than fiscal 1981's $7.9 million, or $1.30 a share. Van Fossen predicted a similar gain in sales from fiscal 1981's $142 million. Sales in the second quarter were about 11 percent higher than the year-earlier $29.7 million, he told the Wall Street Journal. The second quarter loss reflects the seasonality of ChemLawn's business, but is not a concern to management, Van Fossen said. "We take a longer-term view of the business," he said. "One week of bad weather can shift tour revenue from one quarter to another, but it does not have anything to do with how you finish the year." The improved earnings outlook partly indicates that the recession is not any longer biting into the company's customer base, Van Fossen said. In some ways, he added, the prolonged recession may even be helping ChemLawn's business. "Many of the customers who were on the fringes of using their disposable income to purchase our service probably were eliminated from our customer base in fiscal 1980 and 1981," he said. At the same time, consumers who defer-red purchases of durable goods had more money available for discretionary items such as lawn care, he said. Aggressive stance With that in mind, Van Fossen said ChemLawn decided to be more aggressive in marketing its lawn care services. "We believed that with the economy the way it was, the better thing was to take a more aggressive stance, rather than running for cover," he said. ChemLawn anticipated some moderation in the price of chemi-cals and did not boost its prices. It also implemented a sales incentive program for its personnel and asked each unit to set specific goals for increases in customers. CONTRACTORS ELIGIBLE Gifts Available From Safe-T-Lawn Irrigation contractors who specify and install any Safe-T-Lawn sprinkler irrigation components Š plastic heads, brass heads, ball-drive rotaries, impact sprinklers, valves, and controls Š are eligible for bonus gifts of their choice from the "Spec-N-Get" Catalog. Until August 31, 1982, contrac-tors will be awarded points for all Safe-T-Lawn products purchased according to a point schedule. The contractors send Safe-T-Lawn copies of invoices, and gift certifi-cates are returned. The gift certifi- cates are redeemable, for brand name merchandise from the Safe-T-Lawn "Spec-N-Get" catalog, ev- erything from cameras to tele- vision sets, food processors to chain saws. MARKETPLACE from page 15 'Cutting most profitable' rate that is multiplied by the number of points they accumulate at the end of the week. It provides a built-in production incentive, says Johnson, because the crews are really doing piece-work. "The rate is higher in the spring," said Johnson, "and lower in the summer because the grass is easier to cut." However, he adds, obviously a varied one. Although most businessmen interviewed say the market has become crowded to the point where underbidding is a serious threat to business survival, all contend that mowing/maintenance is a big money maker in this market. One of the most cited reasons for the relative prosperity of the market is One reason this market is so prosperous is the guaranteed income of federal employes. an employe will keep on getting his rate boosted the longer he stays, providing the incentive to return to the job year after year. Because his business, which also includes a landscaping divi-sion, is so maintenance intensive, Johnson's Landscaping has gone through hundreds of mowers. He says his first experience was with the old 21 inch Toros. "They had the best system for dispensing grass ever invented, but they weren't built for production." Heavy duty models He said he was buying mowers every year and therefore decided to go with the heavier-duty Jacob-sen mowers, but with a light- weight homeowner chassis. "They lasted quite a while," said Johnson, "but you couldn't gun them too much." Because he had trouble getting parts for the Jacobsens, Johnson switched eventually to Lawn Boys, which he says are well serviced in the Washington area and more cost-effective in the long run. "Grass cutting is still our most profitable division," said Johnson, adding that it has become tougher than ever to get the jobs he used to get readily. "With the amount of one-truck operations out there, it is very easy to get underbid in the market today." The Washington metropolitan mowing/maintenance market is the guaranteed income of govern-ment employes. That combined with a professional maintenance supplier relationship has made Washington an active and aggres- sive maintenance market. Those who choose to come here will find the market sophisticated. TURF MANAGERS' HANDBOOK By Dr. William Daniel and Dr. Ray Freeborg $23.95* hardcover $ 18.95 * paperback This essential reference book covers: Łscope and organization ®pests and controls Łgrasses and grooming *uses of turf Łrootzones and water Łserving turf needs Łnutrition *AND MORE The TURF MANAGERS' HANDBOOK is an easy on-the-job reference to planning, purchasing, hiring, construction, and plant selection. These 424 pages contain 150 illustrations, 96 color photographs plus 240 tables and forms. fit UKggto Ordering Information Please send. Signature . of the hardback ($23.95* ea.) Name (print) of the paperback ($18.95* ea.) Address Quantity rates available upon request. City 'Please add $3.00 per order plus $1.00 per additional p. copy for postage and handling. Phone Please charge to my Visa. Master Card, or American Express (circle one) Account Number Expiration Date -State . -Zip. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. Send to: Book Sales Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publications One East First Street Duluth, MN 55802 LCI 72 It drives your dirt to drink Ł ŁŁand drain too much or too little water, and you've got problems !... unless you use Aqua-Gro the rootzone water management tool. Aqua-Gro is specially formulated to eliminate problems from excessive moisture. Its unique blend ensures faster, more uniform water penetration and drainage. Aqua-Gro will provide the desired residual benefits, irrigation after irrigation, because it does not leach. Insufficient moisture can cause localized dry spots and browned out turf. MONEYWISE Getting Around The Lending Window Lawn care businessmen who have a house, an acre or two of personal or commercial real estate, or even a vacant lot might find it a lot easier to finance their business expansions. Many small business owners are re-mortgaging personal property holdings and plowing the money into their companies, according to a report in Inc. magazine. "The lending window is often closed to small business operators," said William Hobson, president of BA business Credit Corp., a BankAmerica Financial Service Company in Allentown, Pa., one of a growing number of lenders who are providing such second mortgages for small business owners. "And the terms are often prohibitive even if they find a lending source. Since mortgages are secured loans, we can offer financing at lower interest rates, on more flexible repayment terms." The volume of second mortgages on personally owned real estate has risen 200 percent over the past five years. DEALER PROFILE/rom page 10 into effect this month, which they hope will significantly reduce the number of mower-related acci- dents to consumers. The standard calls for a dead-man control at the handle of all mowers, which upon release by the operator, will cause the blade to stop within three seconds. Two separate actions on the part of the operator are required to reengage the blade. Service dealers affected Although the standard applies predominately to consumer pur-chasers, service dealers will be affected in several ways. To disas-semble the engine Š or in many cases just to remove it from the mower Š a brake/clutch must be removed and then re-installed. The problem with all of this is that the service dealer may become a party to a liability action if some- 17 one gets hurt once the unit is worked on. The dealer may have to check every unit to make sure it meets the ii safety standard when it leaves his ^ shop and keep a record of that > inspection. Blackburn says that w many commercial operators may be tempted to disengage the brak- c ing mechanism to save on wear A and tear and machine efficiency. "But we're the guys that are going to hang on the deal. We could be held ultimately responsible for an accident." The Blackburns, Raymond and Douglas, are professionals that make the Washington mainte- nance market one of the most well supplied areas of the country. They are concerned about what their professional customers need and know their market well. They are good at what they do and, in the words of Doug Blackburn, "If you are a good salesman, you want to sell good machines. PROFESSIONAL TREE AND TURF PRODUCTS Advances in Turfgrass Pathology published by HARCOURT BRACE JOVANOVICH PUBLICATIONS in cooperation with Dr. B. G. Joyner, Dr. P. O. Larsen and Chemlawn Corporation $27.95* (hardcover) $18.95* (paperback) ADVANCES IN I TURFGRASS RATHOLOGV Sfss This extensive volume contains chapters on: Ł turfgrass diseases Ł cool v.s. warm season pythium blight and other related pythium problems Ł snow molds of turfgrasses Ł fairy rings Ł leaf spot of Kentucky Bluegrass in Minnesota Ł initial and filed fungicide screening Ł turfgrass disease resistance Ł PLUS MUCH MORE! ADVANCES IN TURFGRASS PATHOLOGY is a compilation of more than 23 reports and discussions by the nation's leading turfgrass pathologists. Explore the diseases that attack turfgrass. Find out how to conquer the battle of turfgrass diseases. KEEP CURRENT WITH NEW IDEAS ON HOW TO HANDLE TURFGRASS PROBLEMS WITH ADVANCES IN TURFGRASS PATHOLOGY. COPIES LIMITED Š DON'T DELAY! Return this coupon to: Book Sales Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publications One East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802 YES! Please send me copy(ies) of ADVANCES IN TURFGRASS PATHOLOGY $27.95* hardcover $18.95* paperback Quantity rates available on request. A check or money order for. Js enclosed. Name Address. City Phone _ -State. -Zip. 'Please add $3.00 per order plus $1.00 per additional copy for postage and handling. Please charge to my Visa, Master Card, or American Express (circle one) Account Number Expiration Date. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. LCI 72 Aqua-Gro provides fast relief. Aqua-Gro moves water into the rootzone reducing run-off and evaporation. More uniform water movement and distribution through the soil profile reduces summer stress and watering costs 30%-50%. In addition, Aqua-Gro enhances the efficacy of pesticides and fertilizers, while eliminating the problems associated with thatch, compaction, and poor soil mixing. So use Aqua-Gro. Available in liquid concentrate or spreadable granular from your local distributor. It's an important ingredient to insure the constant healthy growth of turf on grounds, playing fields, and golf courses. For free illustrated brochure and further information call TOLL FREE 800-257-7797, in N.J. 609-665-1130, or write: /a* AQUATROLS CORPORATION OF AMERICA, INC. ^pf^ 1432 Union Avenue, Pennsauken, N.J. 08110 AQUA-GRO® It drives your dirt to drink...and drain. THE ONE SUPPLIER FOR ALL YOUR PROFESSIONAL CHEMICAL NEEDS FOUR POWER MCPP Excellent post emergent control for chickweed, clover, pigweed, ragweed and many other broadleaf weeds. Economically priced. FOUR POWER DP (WEEDONE DP)® Best post emergent spurge and oxalis control available. An outstanding herbicide for your hard to control weed problems. Weedone is a Reg. TM of Union Carbide Corp. FOUR POWER PLUS Four Power Plus is the most effective, efficient and economical 2,4-D, Banvel® combination broadleaf herbicide available. Registered with E.P.A., one application controls a wide spec-trum of broadleaf weeds. Banvel is a Reg. TM of Velsicol Chemical Corp. Read and follow all label instructions. FAST IN SEASON SERVICE BEST IN SEASON PRICES CALL YOUR CLEAN CROP REPRESENTATIVE TODAY Clean Crop Special Products Group Home Office Ł Greeley Colorado (303) 356-4400 - Dwight Mellecker Balcom Special Products - Colorado Greeley, Colorado (303) 352-4750 Ł Cary Hall Central Valley Special Products Bryon, Texas (713) 272-8479 Ł Joel Albrecht Growers Ag Service Special Products Kearney, Nebraska (308) 234-2124 Ł Dennis Faith Growers Service Special Products Columbus, Ohio (614) 276-5103 - Jeff Keirns Northwest Special Products Portland, Oregon (503) 238-9745 - Mike Edminster Pueblo Chemical & Supply Co. Special Products Division North Kansas City, Missouri (816) 221-2783 - Brian Lawrence Selco Supply Co. Greeley, Colorado (303) 351-7110-Gary Schmunk Circle No. 101 on Reader Inquiry Card Circle No. 102 on Reader Inquiry Card BOOKSTORE 375-SITE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION DETAILING by Theodore D. Walker An introduction to the subject of site design and construction detailing. Focus is on design implementation. Discusses the nature of construction drawings. Presents the characteristics, origin and nature of construction materials. $24.00 380-RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPING I by Theodore D. Walker Provides an in-depth discussion of the planning, design and construction phases of residential landscaping. Illustrated with the work of professional landscape architects. Covers everything from analyzing the site to constructing the landscape. $22.50 355-PERSPECTIVE SKETCHES by Theodore D. Walker A reference source of ideas, media use, styles and techniques. Grouped by subject matter. Illustrates technique for vegetation, vehicles, play equipment and recreation facilities, people, animals, etc. $19.50 Cost Data for Landscape Construction 345-COST DATA FOR LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION 1982 Kathleen W. Keer, Editor An updated unit cost data reference for designers and cost estimators. Developed to fill the tremendous need for detailed landscape construction cost data. Laid out in easy-to-use CSI format. Annual. $27.50 365-PLAN GRAPHICS by Theodore D. Walker Focuses on plans, elevations, sections and lettering. Provides many different examples to be used as guidelines in personal soil experimentation. Includes graphic techniques for site analysis and design concepts. $21.00 340-CONSTRUCTION DESIGN FOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS by Albe E. Munson Design specifications for layout, grading, drainage, structures and irrigation. Also explains mathematics of drafting. $34.50 010, 015-ADVANCES IN TURFGRASS PATHOLOGY by Dr. B.G. Joyner & Dr. P. Larsen Leading U.S. turf pathologists report on turfgrass diseases, pythium blight, snow molds, fairy rings, leaf spot of Kentucky Bluegrass in Minnesota, initial and filed fungicide screening, turfgrass disease resistance, etc. Contains new ideas on how to combat turfgrass problems. $27.95 hardcover, $18.95 paperback 335-LANDSCAPE DESIGN THAT SAVES ENERGY by Anne Simon Moffat and Marc Shiler Practical guide to landscaping a home or office to reduce space heating needs by as much as 30 percent annually. Contains specific planning strategies for the four main climatic zones of the continental United States. $9.95 paperback 110, 120-TURF MANAGER'S HANDBOOK by Drs. William Daniel and Ray Freeborg This specially designed manual by leading turf specialists is a comprehensive, organized approach to turfgrass science and care. An easy, on-the-job reference for planning, purchasing, hiring, construction and plant selection. $23.95 hardcover, $18.95 paperback 530-INTERIOR PLANTSCAPING by Richard Gaines One of the first handbooks directed at the professional interior plantscaper. Includes design and maintenance clues for foliage. $28.50 385-TREES FOR ARCHITECTURE AND THE LANDSCAPE by Robert L. Zion A book of photographic tree definitions, or portraits, intended to facilitate communication between the landscape architect, the architect and the layman. $11.95 m 455-THE GRAFTER'S HANDBOOK by R.J. Garner Revised and updated fourth edition. The encyclopedia of plant propagation by grafting. Contains information on the chemical control of weeds in orchards, on diseases and on the vegetative propagation of woody plants. $16.95 800-THE GOLF COURSE by Geoffrey S. Cornish and Ronald E. Whitten The first book ever to give the art of golf course design its due, and golf course architects the credit and recognition they deserve. 320 pages and approximately 150 color and black and white photographs. Traces the history and evolution of the golf course, analyzes the great courses, shows how they were designed and constructed. $35.00 THE GOLF COURSE 795-FIRST AID MANUAL FOR CHEMICAL ACCIDENTS by Marc J. Lefevre This indispensable guide helps you take quick corrective action to minimize the harmful effects of chemical accidents. Written for people (other than doctors) called on to aid fellow workers who are victims of such work-related accidents. A must reference for any work situation involving hazardous chemicals. $16.50 paperback Marc JL L«f«vr» First Aid Manual for , w® Accidents 555-THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE by Thomas H. Everett 10 volumes compiled in an easy-to-use encyclopedic format with Latin/popular name cross-referencing. 20,000 species, 3600 genera, 2500 cross-references, 10,000 photographs. Slated to be the standard reference source in the field of horticulture. $525.00 565-WEEDS by Walter C. Muenscher Second edition. Premier text for identification and basic natural history for weeds found in the continental United States and Canada. Ecological data on weed biology combined with excellent keys and plant descriptions makes this an essential reference book. $34.50 665-THE OXFORD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TREES OF THE WORLD Bayard Hora. Editor An authoritative reference describing the principal trees of the world. Includes biology and growth of trees, ecology of different types of forest, forest management, timber usage and pest and disease control. $24.95 Recreation Planning and Design ŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁMM Ł ŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁMS MMMMMM SeymourMGoid 790-RECREATION PLANNING AND DESIGN by Seymour M. Gold A comprehensive look at recreation needs for parks and how they can design the park facility for the community. Book's content can help justify construction and maintenance needs. $37.50 ADDITIONAL TITLES 410 - DISEASES * PESTS OF ORNAMENTAL PLANTS $29.95 660 - DISEASES OF SHADE TREES $23.50 610 - DISEASES OF TURFGRASS $30.00 480 - GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT FOR FLOWER & PLANT PRODUCTION $15.35 490 - GREENHOUSE OPERATION * MANAGEMENT $19.95 350 - HANDBOOK OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL CONSTRUCTION $48.50 360 - HOME LANDSCAPE $24.95 510 - H0RTUS THIRD $99.50 690 - INSECTS THAT FEED ON TREES & SHRUBS $47.50 370 - LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS: MANAGEMENT, METHODS & MATERIALS $19.95 545 - MODERN WEED CONTROL $21.50 700 - THE PRUNING MANUAL $14.95 710, 720 - SHRUB IDENTIFICATION $18.00 hardcover, $8.00 paperback 780 - TREE IDENTIFICATION $9.95 760 - TREE MAINTENANCE $35.00 770 - TREE SURGERY $18.95 650 - TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT $19.95 630 - TURFGRASS SCIENCE & CULTURE $25.95 640 - TURF IRRIGATION MANUAL $22.95 620 - TURF MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK $14.65 560 - WEED SCIENCE $24.00 570 - WESTCOTT S PLANT DISEASE HANDBOOK $34.50 580 - WYMAN'S GARDENING ENCYCLOPEDIA $29.95 CLOSEOCJTS ORDER THESE TITLES AT SPECIAL REDUCED PRICES! 430 - FLOWER & PLANT PRODUCTION IN THE GREENHOUSE $13.60 440 - FUNDAMENTALS OF ENTOMOLOGY & PLANT PATHOLOGY $18.50 450 - GARDENING IN SMALL PLACES $6.75 | Mail this coupon to: Book Sales, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publications One East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802 I | Name | Street Address | P.O. Box Number | City/State/Zip j Phone Number | Signature 460 - GREENHOUSE ENVIRONMENT $21.20 500 - HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE $18.80 540 - INTRODUCTION TO FLORICULTURE $25.00 .Date. Please send me the following books. I have enclosed payment* for the total amount. Please charge to my Visa, Master Card or American Express (circle one) Account Number Expiration Date BOOK NUMBER AND TITLE QUANTITY PRICE TOTAL PRICE * Please add $3.00 per order plus $1.00 per additional copy for postage and handling. (postage & handling) Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery Prices subject to change. Quantity rates available on request Total Enclosed LCI 72 BUDGET TIGHTENING/ron, page ' Wage Pinch Motivates Scramble For Bonuses last year's and one employer de-creased the wages of his starting workers from four dollars to $3.35. However, despite the gloomy picture, benefits still exist for the mowing/maintenance worker. In fact many employers are searching to find out just what they can give without sinking company profits. Clarence Davids, Sr., who has been in the lawn industry for 31 years and is owner and manager of Clarence Davids and Sons, Inc., Blue Island, 111., says, "We used to give our workers an eight to 10 percent cost of living pay raise ever year, but sometimes our com-pany profits were not keeping up with the cost of living, so we decided to reevaluate, and see how we could get the most from our workers, yet still pay them a fair salary." Davids says they set up a pro-gram in which a worker's prod-uctivity and dependability are evaluated. At the end of the evalu- ation, it is determined how much of a raise the employe should receive. At that point he will receive exactly half. Two to three months later, if he continues to perform well, he will receive the full amount. Cash awards "We feel the program gives our workers more incentive," Davids said. "The days of giving to be giving are gone. Today, you have to earn whatever you get." The company has also set up a program to award cash bonuses for those employes who safely and responsibly handle the equipment given to them. In the past, Davids said, the awards have been be- tween three to five hundred dol-lars, this year they will be deter- mined by the profits of the com-pany. Joe Stout, manager of Complete Lawn Service Inc. in Arlington, Va., said he felt the economy had been good to him. "Actually the lack of jobs has helped our busi-ness, we can pay less for the work we need," Stout says. Last year Stout paid his starting wage earners $4 an hour and this year is paying starting workers at $3.35. "This does not mean they will continue to make less," Stout explains, "in fact, usually they are promoted to the same salary as last year, just as fast. What it has done is enabled us to find out who will work good and hard for us, with-out paying a lot of money to those who will not." Starting wage lowered Lowering the starting wage, Stout said, actually has helped his workers. To those who deserve raises there is more money to pull from. Burton J. Harrington, general manager of Contra Costa Land-scaping, Inc. in Martinez, Calif., awards productivity bonuses to those employees he feels have put in extra time and effort. "If the company is doing poorly, you just can't award raises to everyone. However, usually it is not the laborer's fault, he may be 'If the company is doing raises to everyone. That's conducted twice a year. This re-view evaluates the productiveness of an employee. Art Hall, an owner of Clearwater Landscaping in Sun Valley, Idaho, said he felt the state of their business, especially at this time, determined the wages of their workers. "This year we have had to hold some raises, workers have had to return at the same wages as last year, and some have had to take a reduction. They have been affected as much as we have." poorly, you can't award when bonuses come in/ working twice as hard, yet profits just don't show it. This is when productivity bonuses are awarded," Harrington explains. The productivity bonuses are awarded on an individual basis. Usually they are given at the time of a performance review that is Despite the economic burden placed on the naintenance com-pany, Hall says he continues and will continue to give raises to those workers putting forth an extra effort. Every six months the workers are evaluated and raises are given, depending on merit. Rod Keppel, an owner of Arbor Heights Nursery Inc. in Webster, N.Y., takes a different side than other conpany managers. Keppel, whose company did raise their starting wages this year by 25 cents, says he feels for a job to be done right, you have to pay for it. Paying for good help "If we need good help, we realize that we are going to have to pay a fair price. Many of our workers are college students, and if we expect them to return with their experience, we have to give a raise," he commented. Most maintenance workers this year will not be receiving substan-tial raises, yet with the benefits and bonuses employers are offer-ing, salaries can increase. Maybe, the time of giving to give is gone, but with its departure seems to have come a new attitude . . . reward the deserving. Sulfate of Potash will not burn turf! The trade has reduced or eliminated potash in summer applications because of the hazard of burn. This is no longer necessary because Sulfate of Potash can be used at the recommended ratio with complete safety. We guarantee it! Turf burn is a result of high salt index fertilizer, too much chloride and high summer temperatures Sulfate of Potash is nearly chloride free and has a salt index of 0.85 vs 1.94 for muriate of potash. Other sources of sulfur, such as ammonium sulfate, have salt indexes as high as 3.25. There is far less chance of burning turf and gardens if it is mistakenly overapplied, spread unevenly or unexpected weather conditions favor damage. The safest and most effective potash money can buv! In addition to 52% K20, Sulfate of Potash contains 18% Sulfur in the sulfate form, which is the form preferred by lawns and gardens. Sulfate of Potash gives better disease resistance to Fusarium Patch, Ophiobolus Patch, Dollar Spot Fungus and Powdery Mildew. It is also effective in suppressing Poa Annua. Use of Sulfate of Potash also results in better rooting, drought resistance, heat and cold tolerance and better wear resistance. And, its excellent potassium/ sulfur ratio increases grass response to nitrogen, phosphate and other nutrients. Leading researchers recommend an N-P-K ratio of 3:1:2 for applications on turf. Sulfate of Potash can be included in the hottest months to provide vital potassium and sulfur without fear of damage to the turf. Great Salt Lake Minerals & Chemicals Corp. P.O. Box 1190 Ł Ogden, Utah 84402 Ł (800) 453-4515 Western Office: P.O. Box 14761, Spokane, WA 99214 Ł (509) 928-2747 Northeast Office: 880 Rosedale Ave., Marion, OH 43302 Ł (614) 382-5304 Southeast Office: P.O. Box 1102, Smyrna, GA 30081 Ł (404) 977-2322 Midwest Office: 308 Hemlock, Hutchinson, KA 67501 Ł (316) 663-6372 A subsidiary of Gulf Resources & Chemical Corporation Ł Houston 20 HERBICIDE from page 1 - Stauffer Product I In Advanced | Testing Stages c (Z> M-(O 00 products out there, new chemi-cals, and new research," said Day. "And we are all going to be competing for the market pretty soon/' David Crosson, manager of pub-lic relations for Monsanto Agri-culture Products Co., commented that if new chemicals are used in the Stauffer product, open com-petition cannot be restricted. But, reading a prepared statement is-sued by Monsanto, he stated, "An examination of Stauffer's patent clearly shows that the prospective herbicide is dependent on the same active ingredient as is Roun-dup, a compound known as glyphosate. Monsanto has world-wide patent coverage on glyphosate as an active herbicidal ingredient and any attempt by Stauffer to commercialize a prod-uct under the patent recently is- sued to it would be an infringe-ment of Monsanto Co.'s Roundup herbicide patent protection." If lawsuits occur, it will be the result of infringement, said Cros- son. Day responded that Stauffer has not yet concerned itself with possible lawsuits, as the product will not be on the market for another three years. Still a dream As of December 31,1981, Roun-dup has been marketed in 115 countries, Crosson said, and for the past five years it has been at the top of the marketplace. According to Day, that is where the product will likely stay, at least for the next few years. Stauffer's prospective herbicide is still in the making. "Right now it's a dream," he said, eyes," he said. ALL* STAR PERENNIAL RYEGRASS Adikes Offers Pest Resistant Ryegrass Following their introduction of the first successfully marketed fine-textured ryegrass, NK Š 100 Perennial Ryegrass, and their in-troduction of the first man-made hybrid, Adelphi Kentucky blue-grass from Rutgers University, J & L Adikes of Jamaica, N.Y., an-nounced the introduction of All*Star perennial ryegrass. While it is anticipated that All Star will perform right along with the other improved turf ryegrasses on the market, the real reason for its introduction is due to several reports that the variety appears to have a resistance to sod webworm and as a more important added feature, possibly also a resistance to chinch bug. Both of these pests, particularly the latter, are a serious problem for good lawns. This possible resis-tance in the variety itself is of special interest due to the trend toward the reduction in the use of chemicals to control turf insects. Adikes is in the process of conducting a number of research projects to document and sub-stantiate the initial observations concerning the variety resistance to these insects. As far as the production outlook is concerned, the variety appears to have a good rust resistance, is early maturing and should give a reasonably good yield. THEFT from page 1 List Offered to Excelawn Corp. Office meet to decide whether enough evidence exists to bring the case to trial. Customers of Tempo 21 have received letters since the theft that Parmley says could only have come from their files. "The letters have unlisted phone numbers, re-ntal information, and even mis-spellings that could only have come from information contained in our files," he said. Unsavory incidents Parmley said that this is the latest in a long line of unsavory incidents that the company has had to contend with this past year, including free lawn analyses sto-len from client's mailboxes, dumpsters and trash bins outside his offices rifled through at night, and his crews being tailed during scheduled rounds. "This has been a year of turmoil in the Chicago area," he said. "There are currently about 55 lawn care businesses in the area, we have the third highest unemploy-ment in the market, and people are bargaining for prices like used-car salesmen." Thief stopped short Evidently, his notification of customers may have stopped short the thief s plans to use the infor-mation more fully, for recently it was reported that the names of several thousand lawn care cus- tomers were offered to another lawn care service. "Some guy called and asked us if we wanted to buy several thousand names," Glen Bailes, who heads the Lombard, II., office of Excelawn Corp. of America, told Crain's Chicago Business news-paper. "Of course, we said no and notified Tempo 21." Call Barb and ask to talk to your local seed specialist. (800) 321-5325 (800) 362-7413 Nationwide In Ohio LESCQ PRODUCTS Division of Lakeshore Equipment & Supply Co. 300 South Abbe Road, Elyria, Ohio 44036 "r p Chemlawn Gun. (216) 323-7544 best gun in the business. Circle No. 110 on Reader Inquiry Card LARCENY from page 1 'People think this business is easy' country have lawn care trucks tailed, mail boxes rummaged for invoices, and estimates stolen right off client property. "Yes," said Charles McGinty, president of McGinty Brothers, Inc., Long Grove, 111., "there are a lot of us in the market right now. But no one has to stoop so low as to what is going on in the business today." George Meeley, vice president of Chem Turf Inc., in Anaheim, Ca., reported that although there are only five lawn care companies in his area, he has dealt with some very serious competitive tactics. "I have had my trucks sabot-aged, sugar put in the gas tanks, incompatible chemicals put in the spray tanks, phone calls to the I.R.S. and Water Works accusing me of things I have not done, and our bills and estimates stolen. There is no doubt about who is doing it, he said. Call system Meeley added that because the theft of their lawn estimates has become such a problem, they al-ways contact the customer 48 hours after estimates have been submitted. "When they haven't gotten it," he said, "it is often very obvious where our's went to by the one that replaced it." ChemLawn of Chicago has ex-perienced the same problem: Ste-aling lawn invoices, estimates, and receipts left for the customer. Ed Stolon, regional agronomist for ChemLawn says that "because this is happening more and more frequently, we have started a sys- tem where we call our customers that night to make sure they have received their notices. William Fischer, president of Spring Green Lawn Care Corp., Naperville, 111., says his company has also been forced to contend with the rip-off artists. "When a customer complains that they have not received an estimate we tell them the day it was delivered and the estimated price. Then we ask them if anyone has quoted this price or lower to them," he said. "Usually, they can figure out what happened and will go with us." Appearance vs. reality Jeff Nolen, director of Excelawn Corp. in Wheeling, 111., said that his company also has experienced thefts of this nature. But, he did not feel it generally the fault of his competitors and said, "Many things 'seem' to happen in the market that are not as serious a problem as believed." What is going on in the business today and what is to be believed? Are the examples given extreme, or do they reflect an industry beginning to resort to ruthless-ness? ChemLawn's Stolon says that the overcrowdedness of the mar-ket, which some see as a major cause of the problem has led to some, but not all, of the problems. "There are a number of newer companies in the business right now. I think people look at this business and think it is easier than it really is," he said, adding, "but the newcomer is not usually the only one responsible, it can be those companies who underbid their competitors, hoping to win their business, that worry us." The competitive tactic of these businesses, according to Stolon, lies in unscrupulous price negoti-ation. A company inclined this way might employ a flexible pric- ing system, wherein he sometimes offers unrealistically low prices Š those that cannot possibly cover the costs of goods and services. When the market does become competitive, Stolon says, prices do tend to drop. "We point out to our customers the quality and service we provide, and because our cus-tomers are of value to us, we sometimes will lower our price, but there is a point below which you just cannot go." Spring-Green's Fischer agrees. "Lowballing and price negotiation have been a tactic of new indus-tries all along, but what is alarm-ing to me and of grave concern are the larger industries that are using them," he said. Unstructured policy Fischer said that many of the larger companies can afford to use an unstructured pricing policy. "Because they have outlets all over the country, they can afford to take cuts in profits in one area for a while," he said. It is corporate strategy, he suggests, that is causing some of the problems in the market today. 21 Ed Solon He added that if a company sets lower prices than his competitor, it can be fairly administered, but when a competitor willfully drops his price on individual accounts, it is very disturbing. "This isn't the automobile industry," he said. Not only is lowballing hurting the industry right now, but it is to page 22 c C/3 "9 5 CD 00 The pros chose SHADOW 4 4As professional lawn care specialists, we want our customers1 lawns to advertise for us. One of the major problems we find in many of our customers' lawns is stressed areas under and around shade trees. We formulated our Prograss lawn overseeding mix to remedy these difficulties. For our shade mix we chose 90 percent Shadow Chewings Fescue and 10 percent A-34 bluegrass. We see exceptional results when proper overseeding procedures are followed. Shadow makes us look good, too." Shadow is a new variety of Chewings type fine fescue developed for improved shade tolerance and resistance to powdery mildew. Breeding for these attributes was a long and tedious job, but the results were better, stronger turf than the old line fescues. Insist on the seed the pros choose for your shade mix. 'The hottest shade tolerant Marketed by itirf-Seedjnc. mm P.O. Box 250, Hubbard, OR 97032 503/981-9571 TWX 510-590-0957 The Research. Production, Marketing Company fine fescue under the sun" LARCENY from page 21 going to harm the industry in the long run, says Rick White, presi-dent of Village Green, Ltd., in Chicago. "When companies offer such ridiculously low prices, they are cutting corners all along the way," he said. "They use cheap materials, provide their help with little or no training, and provide low-quality service." "Soon, with all this price negotiation," he claims, "custom-ers are going to start asking, 'Is lawn care generic?' " White contends that lowballing will hurt the industry in two major areas. First, the industry's image will be cheapened. Second, once people realize that poor materials are being used, they will begin to do the work themselves to get the quality they desire. Perf-A-Lawn in Lafayette, Ind., has not been affected by price negotiation, but faced a different problem this past year Š short staking. This occurs when two adjacent lots are undermeasured and an extremely low price results. "We felt they had an unfair busi-ness going," Vern Wilson, owner of Perf-A-Lawn said. Asked if fears of recession and less-than-robust economic outlook have exacerbated the problem, Chem Turfs Meeley believes that the problems experienced are being blamed on the recession merely as an excuse. Solid economy Bob Otley, president of One Step Landscape, Inc., in Rochester, N.Y., says his business has not been affected by the recession. "Our economy is very solid, al- though it is always more solid than in other parts of the country," he said. However, despite the recession or the overcrowdedness of the market, most lawn care businessmen agreed that there is no real excuse for the shabby practices being employed in some markets. Many would like to see some form of enforcement of ethics by the Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA). Glen Bostrom, executive direc-tor of the association, says the PLCAA is aware of the problem and discussions concerning the industry's ethics have taken up a tremendous amount of time. "The subject is foremost in our thoughts," Bostrom said. "But you and I cannot legislate morals, we can only hope to lead people to understand good business prac-tices." The PLCAA currently has a code of ethics and all members before joining the association must make a commitment to abide by the rules. Bostrom said several of their members distribute a printed copy of the code to their customers so they too will know what is ex-pected of a PLCAA member. NEW SPRAY NOZZLES and ACCESSORIES — From SPRAYINC; SYSTEMS CO. NEWŠ Qmekkf Nozzle Assemblies A unique new system of quickly inter-changeable self-aligning spray nozzles and spray tips. To provide choice of spray droplet size, in full cone, hollow cone and flat spray patterns NPT (M) inlet conn. Write for Bulletin 195. NEW. Model 146 DirectoValve. For remote "on-off" control of spray nozzles and booms from operator s location. Oper-ates on 12 VDC system Pressure range from 0 to 65 psi. 1%" NPT (F) spray line con-nection. Write for Data Sheet 16108. NEW. Model 244 Electrical Regulating Valve For remote pressure control in agricultural spray applications. NPT (F) inlet and out-let conn. Operates on a 12 VDC system. Pres-sures to 100 psi. Write for Data Sheet 16994. NEW_ and 1" Nylon Liquid Strainers Strainer head and bowl made of reinforced Nylon material for pressures to 75 psi. Threaded bowl can be easily unscrewed by hand. Write for Data Sheet 15353 SPRAYING SYSTEMS CO. North Ave. at Schmale Rd., Wheaton, IL 60187 Telephone: 312 665-5000 / Telex No. 72-8409 Circle No. 115 on Reader Inquiry Card ŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁ Concerning lowballing, Bos-trom says, he feels it is purely bad business, but the law prohibits the association from in anyway reg-ulating prices. "We are aware of the business tactics being used to get customers, but the government does not allow us to become involved in price standards or to go into collusion against them." Raise next year "I tell them first of all that an operator who starts out with ex-tremely low prices is going to have to raise them next year to stay in business, which will only make his custoner realize that he did not get such a good deal," said Bos-trom. "Secondly, an operator who tries to do more work than he can handle will go out of business. It is not good business to sell below your established price, and in the end the good businessmen who keep their prices stable, are the ŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁ MEETING DATES University of Rhode Island Plant and Soil Science Dept. Turfgrass Field Day, Aug. 25, Turfgrass Research Farm, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, R.I. Contact: Dr. C. R. Skogley, Plant and Soil Science Dept., Woodward Hall, University of Rhode Is-land, Kingston, E.I. 02881. (401) 792-2570. Alabama Turfgrass Conference, Sept. 9-10, Auburn Conference Center, Auburn, Al. Contact: Kim M. Sheffer, Extension Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, Al. 36849. (205) 826-4985. Virginia Tech and Virginia Turfgrass Council Turfgrass Research Field Days, Spet. 14-16 (tentative), Turfgrass Research Center, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va. Contact: Dr. John R. Hall III, Agronomy Dept., Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, Va. 24061. (703) 961-5797. Northwest Turfgrass Conference, Sept. 20-23 (tentative), Conference Center, Yakima, Wash., Contact: Dr. Roy L. Gross, Western Washington Research and Exten-sion Center, Payallup, Wash., 98371. To improve your lawn care business, justadd water. You've got a grow-ing business, we've got a growing business. Why not combine them? Installing under-ground automatic sprinkler systems is easy and profitable. And with quality controllers, heads and valves from Rain Bird, rainmakers to the world since 1933, your customer is assured the best system available. His lawn stays healthier and so do you. For more information on this money-making opportunity, contact your nearest Rain Bird distributor. Or write to us at the address below. We'll show you how easy it is to make more green while you make more green. Pjva&BIPD* Bringing new ideas to life. 7045 N. Grand Avenue, Glendora, CA 91740 « Ram Bird It a registered traoemar* of Ram Bird sprinkler Mfg Corp Clendora California c 1978 Ram Biro Sprinkler Mfg Corp Florida Turfgrass Association Annual Conference and Show, Oct. 3-6, Curtis Hixon Convention Center and Hilton Inn, Tampa, Fla. Contact: Elizabeth M. Eyman, Executive Secretary, 1520 Edgewater Drive, Suite E, Orlando, Fla. 32804. (305) 425-1581. Southern California Turfgrass/Landscape Equipment & Materials Educational Ex-position, Oct. 6-7, Orange County Fair- grounds, Costa Mesa, Ca. Contact: Ed McNeill, Executive Secretary, Southern California Turfgrass Council, 1000 Concha St., Altadena, Ca. 91001. (213) 798-1715. Professional Lawn Care Association of America Convention and Trade Show, Nov. 16-18, Indiana Convention Exposition Center, Indianapolis, In. Contact: Alfred Van Horn, 435 North Michigan Ave., Suite 1717, Chicago, 111. 60611. (312) 644-0828. New York State Turfgrass Association Conference, Nov. 16-18. Empire State Plaza Š Albany Hilton, Albany, New York. Contact: Ann Reilly, Executive Director, 210 Cartwright Blvd., Massapepqua Park, N.Y. 11762. (516) 541-6902. Delaware Turfgrass Association Confer-ence, Dec. 6, Hercules Country Club, Wilmington, Del. Contact: W. H. Mitchell, Plant Science Dept., University of Dela- ware, Newark, Del. 19711. (302) 738-2531. Texas Agricultural Extension Service Turfgrass Conference, Dec. 6-8, Rudder Center, College Station, Tx. Contact: Dr. Richard L. Duble, Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A & M University, College Park, Tx. 77843. Rutgers University and New Jersey Turf-grass Association Turfgrass Expo '82, Dec. 6-9, Cherry Hill Hyatt House, Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Contact: Henry W. Indyk, Soils and Crops Dept., Cook College, New Brunswick, N.J. 08903. (201) 932-9453. Illinois Cooperative Extension Service Turfgrass Conference, Dec. 7-9, Prairie Capital Convention Center, Springfield, 111. Contact: Dr. Tom Fermanian, 1707 S. Orchard, Urbana, 111. 61801. (217) 333-7847. Ohio State University and Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Conference and Show, Dec. 7-9, Ohio Center, Columbus, Oh. Contact: Dr. John R. Street, Dept. of Agronony, Ohio State University, Columbus, Oh. 43210. Inquiries serviced for 90 days from date of issue. For those countries outside the U.S., please apply appropriate postage before mailing. READER SERVICE INFORMATION CARD 7-82 2 For more information on products or services mentioned in this issue, circle the corresponding numbers below, fill in appropriate information and mail today. 101 108 115 122 129 136 143 150 157 164 171 178 185 192 199 206 213 220 227 234 102 109 116 123 130 137 144 151 158 165 172 179 186 193 200 207 214 221 228 235 103 110 117 124 131 138 145 152 159 166 173 180 187 194 201 208 215 222 229 236 104 111 118 125 132 139 146 153 160 167 174 181 188 195 202 209 216 223 230 237 105 112 119 126 133 140 147 154 161 168 175 182 189 196 203 210 217 224 231 238 106 113 120 127 134 141 148 155 162 169 176 183 190 197 204 211 218 225 232 239 107 114 121 128 135 142 149 156 163 170 177 184 191 198 205 212 219 226 233 240 PLEASE CHECK BELOW YOUR PRIMARY BUSINESS AT THIS LOCATION: A. CONTRACTOR OR SERVICES: ŁLawn care service business involved primarily with fertilization, weed, and insect control Please specify method of application 10 DUquid 11 DDry 12 DBoth 20 Ł Primarily mowing/maintenance service 30 Ł Landscape contractor/lawn service company 40 DNursery or garden center/lawn service company 50 DPest control/lawn service company 60 Ł Irrigation contractor/lawn service company B. GROUNDS CARE/MAINTENANCE AT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF FACILITIES: 110 Ł Private or public estate NAME BUSINESS NAME. CITY 120 130 140 150 190 ŁSchool, college, university, hospital, or similar facility ŁCondominium housing development or industrial park ŁGovernment grounds: parks, around municipal buildings, military facilities Ł Cemetery or memorial garden ŁOther (please specify) C. SUPPLIER 210 ŁChemical dealer or distributor 220 ŁEquipment dealer or distributor 230 ŁSeed broker/dealer 240 DSod grower _TITLE . .ADDRESS _ _STATE_ _ZIP_ .TELEPHONEj ) AREA CODE I WISH TO RECEIVE (CONTINUE RECEIVING) LAWN CARE INDUSTRY EACH MONTH Ł YES Ł NO SIGNATURE DATE NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES BUSINESS REPLY CARD FIRST CLASS PERMIT NO. 665 DULUTH, MINNESOTA POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE READER SERVICE DEPARTMENT WWN CURE INDUSTRY POST OFFICE BOX 6200 DULUTH, MINNESOTA 55806 What's going on out there? Our front page story on unscrupulous competi-tion did not exactly shock the editors of Lawn Care Industry. We had heard reports concerning lowballing over the phone and across the conference table. We had treated the subject in various forms editorially Š always approaching the topic gingerly. Most of the time we heard that, sure enough, it was going on in most markets. It was a fact of business life. Most knew who was doing it. But it wasn't until a lawn care office was actually broken into and client records stolen that we commissioned an editor to find out to what extent those disposed to lowball were crossing over the stingy moral line into larceny. Freelance editor Carrie Phippen got on the phone to lawn care businessmen from New York to Los Angeles and found to our surprise that more than a few companies had had their trucks tailed routinely, tanks sabotaged, and billings and estimates stolen. In Chicago finally, some wayward soul Š heart pumping and eyes lit up Š broke into an office and burgled company papers. What was a shock to us was that some lawn care businessman would risk a term in jail in order to get ahead of the competition. From past conversations with you we had understood that most markets were not, in fact, saturated Š that there was plenty of work for everybody. To get a leg up all one needed was intelligent marketing people. While the story that Phippen got described some extremely bad examples of competitive scruples, they did make us wonder if the market was as elastic as many said it was. Are these unrelated incidents Š the work of crackpots Š or do they indicate an impacted marketplace? We'd sure like you to let us know. ADVERTISERS CLASSIFIED Reader Inquiry No. Page No. 101 Aquatrols Corporation of America 16-17 102 Balcom Special Products 17 103 BFC Chemicals, Inc 11 104 BFC Chemicals, Inc 28 105 Champion Sprinklers 12 106 Diamond Shamrock 7 107 Dow Chemical, U.S.A 2-3 108 Excel Industries 13 109 Great Salt Lake Minerals & Chemicals Corp 19 110 Lakeshore Equipment & Supply Co 20 111 Monsanto 8-9 112 PBI/Gordon Corporation ... 26-27 113 Pickseed West 15 114 Rain Bird Sales 22 115 Spraying Systems Co 22 116 Turf-Seed, Inc 21 NEW PRODUCTS 150 Pop-up sprinkler eliminates flow-by 13 151 Brochure for lawn care irrigation controllers 13 152 Commercial turbine has only one moving part 13 153 Six station solid state lawn sprinkler control 13 This index is furnished for the reader s convenience. However, the publisher can not guarantee its accuracy due to circumstances beyond our control. RATES: 50* per word (minimum charge, $20). Bold face words or words in all capital letters charged at 75' per word. Boxed or display ads charged at $50 per column inch (one inch minimum). Agency commissions will be given only when camera-ready art is provided by agency. For ads using blind box number, add $5 to total cost of ad. Send ad copy with payment to Dawn Anderson, LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, 1 East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802. BOX NUMBER REPLIES: Mail box number replies to: LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, Classified Ad De-partment, 120 W. 2nd St., Duluth, MN 55802. Please include box number in address. HELP WANTED TREE SPECIALIST Š Individual with detailed tree/shrub background and some lawn experience needed for growing company in Mid-Atlantic states. You will perform sales duties and help refine our tree care program. Good pay/benefits; year round employment. Come grow with us. Send resume in confidence to LCI Box 71. 7/82 Sales Š Unusual opportunity for qualified individual with education and minimum three years experi-ence in turf and ornamental industry. Job offers permanency and advancement. Position is in the mid-west. Salary and/or commission, plus benefit package. Write LCI Box 72. 7/82 WANTED TO BUY WANTED TO BUY Š Lawn Care Company in the MIDWEST area. Small to Medium sized. Chemical turf applications only, no mowing or trees. Write: Lawn Care, P.O. Box 361, Grosse lie, Mi. 48138. 7/82 GENERAL MANAGER Š For rapidly expanding Eastern United States lawn and tree care company. We are long established, well financed, multi-office organization with plenty of opportunity and rewards commensurate with experience and performance. You must have it all: managerial/people skills, sales ability, in-depth technical expertise. Horticulture or related degree preferred, but not required. This is the opportunity you have been looking for. Send resume to LCI Box 75. 7/82 FOR SALE Used Spray Units for Sale 1,250-gallon stainless steel tanks, Mechanical agitation. FMC 20 gallon/minute pump. Hanney electric reel. Ford F600 and Chevy C60's Š 76 s, 77s, 78 s and 79 s. Call 502-241-7341. TF Ft. Lauderdale lawn spray business. Est. 1948 gross $135,000 yearly. FourŠtwo ton spray trucks, two way radios. Principals only reply. Price $130,000. Tom Barrows, 517 Coconut Isle, Ft. Laud. Fl. 305-764-7830 after 6:00 P.M. 7/82 For Sale Š Irrigation Equipment 1977 VP-12 Ditchwitch vibratory plow, 1976 Wacer Dirt Tamper, pipe fittings and various other pipe tools and supplies. Montgomery Ward Hydroseeding & Lawn Care, P.O. Box 9695, Kansas City, MO 64134 816-765-2577 TF 1961 UMd Spray Unite For Sale Š 1250 gallon tanks. John Bean F.M.C. 20-20 pumps. Steel beds. 16 HP Kohler engine. Ford F600 s. Call 502-241-7341. TF For Sale - Used spray trucks; 1979 Chevy C60, 12,000 miles 2 spd axle; 1979 1250 gal. split tank (Prof. Turf Specialties), Hanney electric hose reel -Meyers pump, $15,000.00. !981 Prof. Turf Special-ties, 300 gallon tank. Ideal for pickup truck; new 18 hp B&S cast iron engine, put on in April, $2,500.00. Call 314-221-6344. 7/82 FOR SALE Š 1981 Ransomes motor 5/3 reel commercial mower. Cuts 7 acres per hour, 12' cutting width. Used only once. Made in England. Nothing compares to it. Retails for $28,500. Will sacrifice for $20,500.00. Must Sell, call 313-669-1333. 7/82 SERVICES GET ACQUAINTED PRICE! ENVY Chelated Mic-ronutrients will restore & maintain color and vigor in turf, trees, & shrubs. Check our delivered prices before you place your micronutrient orders in 1982. Call or write for more information. (312) 254-3115. NATIONAL LIQUID FERTILIZER CORP., 3724 West 38th Street, Chicago, II. 60632. 7/82 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Established Chemical Lawn Care business in a Southwestern city of 150,000 with 450+ estab- lished accounts. Unlimited potential. Owner has other business interests. Call 806-359-0639, 806-373-0853 7/82 10 volumes Ł $525.00 THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE by Thomas H. Everett This authoritative, up-to-date horticultural reference's material, language and style meet the needs of both the amateur and the professional. These volumes are compiled in an easy-to-use encyclopedic format with Latin/popular name cross referencing. You get 20,000 species...3600 genera...2500 cross references...10,000 photographs...and more! Also included are... Łplants and plant lore Łeffective growing techniques Ł handling pests Łand many other practical problems! Slated to be the standard reference source in the field of horticulture. ORDER YOUR SET TODAY! Send to: Book Sales, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publications One East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802 YES! Send me . set(s) of THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE at $525.00 per set. Payment must accompany order. Signature Date Name Street Address City Phone _State_ -Zip-Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. LCI 72 Use our classified blind box service for confidential results! TheTruman Sports Complex in Kansas City is unique in all the world. A 78,000-seat sta-dium specifically designed for football, and a 42,000-seat sta-dium specifically designed for baseball. Indeed there is not a bad seat in the house. Without exception, visiting media who have occasion to see every sta-dium in the land are universal in proclaiming it the most beau-tiful sports complex in the world. important role in attracting attendance. Turfmen of the world, take a bow! But if immaculate turf and ornamentals help attract crowds, they also help sharpen the skills of the athletes. "The management of both the Chiefs and the Royals know that foot-ball and baseball are games of inches," says George Toma, groundskeeper of the complex, "and so they are concerned with even the smallest details that could have a bearing on victory... and they believethat environment has a psycholog-ical effect on profes-sional athletes." The role of turf Toma goes on to say that the Chiefs know that football players have a deeper appre-ciation of perfection if they practice on im-maculate turf, "and so we keep the practice field absolutely per-fect." Obviously the physical con-struction is a major factor in its charm. But surveys show that the landscaping on the perime-ters and traffic islands plays an George Toma disousses the reasons why the Chiefs and the Royals are so gung ho on immaculate turf: His comments will make every turf pro feel a sense of pride. The Royals on the other hand are primarily concerned about the turf on the slopes beyond the centerfield wall adjacent to the scoreboard. It's against this backdrop that the Royals hold batting practice, and they don't even want a gum wrapper on the grass, let alone an extrane-ous weed that would affect the concentration of the hitter. Remember, we're talking about batters who have such remarkable eyesight that they can count the seams on a base-The truth about Ttimec that every Pro should know ball coming at them at 90 miles per hour. You better believe they could see a weed in that turf beyond centerfield... and you also better believe there better not be any weeds out there. Toma's secret weapon How does Toma keep the Truman Sports Complex immacu-late and still find the time to have prepared the playing fields for all 16 Super Bowls and all 16 Pro Bowls that have been played? "Well, for one thing, we plan on doing everything right the first time," grins Toma, "and Trimec is our secret weapon for controlling weeds totally, completely, in one fell swoop. Trimec does it right the first time. Over the years we've ex-perimented with virtually every herbicide on the market, and nothing works like Trimec... nor is any other herbicide so economical when you consider all factors." "On the outside perimeters of the parking area we've got about 35 acres of non-irrigated turf," continues Toma. "Heaven only knows what variety of weeds it can harbor and blow in to the area we manicure. But we've never found a weed that Trimec won't control." At the Chiefs' summer camp in Liberty, Missouri, and on the Arrowhead practice field at the sports complex where Toma can use a boom sprayer, he uses professional Trimec. But in smaller, manicured areas he uses Acme® Weed-No-More®, which is a homeowner formu-lation of Trimec. G \ Trimec is a patented herbi-cide manufactured by PBI/ GORDON Corporation (Patent Number 3,284,186). It is a Complex of chemicals in which the constituents have been reacted under precise lab-oratory control, so they have become more intimately asso-ciated than the components of a simple mixture. The result-TheTrimec Complex is avail-able in many different formula-tions for many different pur-poses. You'll find it in granular weed-and-feed products; in her-bicides designed to be mixed with liquid fertilizer; in both professional and homeowner weed control products; and in professional agricultural and homeowner brush-control products. ing Trimec product has unpar-alleled strength and breadth of spectrum, caused by the syn-ergism that occurs from uniting acids into a Complex. Cost per acre of weed-free turf is low because the syner-gistic Trimec Complex is fully effective with small amounts of chemical which translocates to the root system, resulting in a high degree of kill. Trimec Complexes have the name Trimec on the label and, beginning next year, they will carry this seal. Be sure to look for it on any broadleaf herbi-cide or brush killer you buy. It is your guarantee of profes-sional quality. TRIMEC' is a registered trademark of PBI/GORDON Corporation, U.S. Patent No. 3,284,186. TURF HERBICIDE A O GUARAtyg ® TRIMEC ^COMPLEX ^S/ONAL Watch for the coming of the Trimec seal pbi /GORdon conpoRation 1217 WEST 12TH STREET P.O. BOX 4090 KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI 64101 816/421-4070 Mtr I I paints a pretty picture Ł Ł Ł Ł Ł Ł 9 1 Ł1 Ł1 Ł _ 1 Łk I 1 sm w Ł M Nitroform® provides a consistent 38% nitrogen that's released by soil bacteria slowly and predictably Š just when it is most needed to make turf and ornamentals green and healthy. And Nitroform continues this slow, steady release to sustain growth for over six months (even during periods of sparse rainfall). You'll find Nitroform nonbuming, nonstreaking, nonleaching. It's easy mixing and clean handling, too. This versatile nitrogen source is available in Blue Chip® for dry applications, Powder BlueŽ for liquid use, and it can be mixed and applied with insecticides and fungicides. When you're buying a complete fertilizer be sure to check the label to see that it contains Nitroform, the most efficient source of Water Insoluble Nitrogen. Nitroform can do beautiful things for your business. BFC CHEMICALS, INC. 4311 LANCASTER PIKE, WILMINGTON, DE 19805 Ł Ł Ł Ł Ł