I n 197) Long-lasting DURSBAN* brand insecticide is good insurance for your customer list. It can last up to 8 weeksŠnot just 3 or 4. If the insects get back to your customer before you do, it's goodbye good customer. That's why you'll want the insecticide that gives long-lasting protection to your business reputation! DURSBAN brand insecticide. Whether you use the 2E or the double-strength 4E concentrations, you get longer residual control than with any other leading turf insecticide. And best of all, DURSBAN insecticides even cost less to use than many others. So for sod webworms, chinch wi bugs, billbugs, ants, grubsŠyou Jk name it Šwhy not use the insec-igrijHr ticides that keep running strong. ^ And long. Get DURSBAN brand ^^^ insecticides. Just be sure to read and follow all label directions and precautions. Agricultural Products Department, Midland, Michigan 48640. DOW CHEMICAL U.S.A. ŁTrademark of The Dow Chemical Company c 1981, The Dow Chemical Company HEsBs&V&di mm < s >« oc H <73 D Q g i < U 2 £ 3 RHODE ISLAND Old Fox Chemical into lawn care Bernard V. Buananno, Jr., presi-dent of Old Fox Chemical, East Providence, R.I., has announced the formation of a new subsidiary Š Old Fox Lawn Care, Inc. The new company is offering services of regular fertilization and pest control treatment to home-owners in the Rhode Island area. The service starts with a free analysis and measurement of the lawn. Once the program is in-itiated, the lawn will receive reg-ular fertilizer and pesticide appli-cations throughout the year. Old Fox Lawn Care offers a guarantee that if a customer is not completely satisfied with the re- sults of an application, it will continue to work on the lawn until the customer is satisfied, or will refund the cost of the application. A similar lawn care operation has been formed in the Springfield area of western Massachusetts. Old Fox Chemical has been manufacturing fertilizer and pro-viding crop and turf protection services for New England farmers and golf courses for 30 years. Dr. James F. Wilkinson, former research director for ChemLawn Corp., Columbus, Ohio, recently joined Old Fox. ŁŁŁ One of the trucks used by Old Fox's new lawn care company. L4WN GARE INDUSTRY ROBERT EARLEY, Editor/Publisher PAUL McCLOSKEY, Assistant Editor CANDY MANKOWSKI, Production Manager MARILYN MacDONALD, Production Supervisor DENISE JOHNSON, Graphic Design JOAN SMITH, Circulation Supervisor MARKETING/SALES New York Office: ROBERT EARLEY (212) 888-2892 757 Third Ave., New York, NY 10017 Midwest Office: KIMBERLY CORRY (312) 938-2312 111 E. Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL 60601 Southern Office: DICK GORE (404) 233-1817 3091 Maple Dr., Atlanta, GA 30305 Northwest Office: BOB MIEROW (206) 363-2864 1333 N.W. Norcross, Seattle, WA 98177 Classified: DAWN ANDERSON (218) 727-8511 1 E. First St., Duluth, MN 55802 Please send advertising materials to: LAWN CARE INDUSTRY 120 W. Second St. Duluth, MN 55802 218-727-8511 HARCOURT BRACE JOVANOVICH PUBLICATIONS HBJ ROBERT L. EDGELL, Chairman RICHARD MOELLER, President LARS FLADMARK, Executive Vice President ARLAND HIRMAN, Treasurer THOMAS GRENEY, Group Vice President EZRA PINCUS, Group Vice President LAWRENCE WITCHEL, Group Vice President JOE BILDERBACH, Vice President JAMES GHERNA, Vice President GEORGE GLENN, Vice President HARRY RAMALEY, Vice President LAWN CARE INDUSTRY (USPS 397250) is published monthly by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publications. Corporate and Editorial offices: 757 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10017. Advertising offices: 757 Third Avenue, New York, New York 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: $15 per year in the United States and Canada. All other countries: $40. Single copies: $2 in the United States and Canada; all other countries: $4.50. Second Class postage paid at Duluth, Minnesota 55806 and additional mailing offices. Copyright © 1981 by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may al, 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. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, P.O. Box 6017, Duluth, Minnesota 55806. Mi Urban pest management. The Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Maryland will sponsor a new "urban phase" to their integrated pest management program for homeowners in the 'commuter corridor' between College Park and Columbia, Maryland. The program will operate as an advisory service for controlling pest problems of lawns and ornamental shrubs. Weekly scouting reports will be furnished on insects, diseases, weeds and nematodes in each participating site. In addition, each participant will receive a loose-leaf binder in which to collect prepunched leaflets and fact sheets published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service, or other agencies. A landscape map will be drawn up for each participant; soil samples will be taken, and weekly community newsletters published from April through August. For further information contact: Milt Nelson: (301) 454-3622, extension urban agricul- ture agent. Spray water pH. A recent article by T.E. Moore in Plants and the Landscape states that the most expensive spray is the one that gives poor control. One reason for ineffective sprays can be traced to the pH of water. Decomposition of various chemicals can be quite rapid depending on the degree of alkalinity. The ideal pH for spray material is between 5.0 and 6.0; anything above 7.0 can cause the insecticides to give poor control. Check your water before mixing. The status of silvex. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Dow Chemical Company has reached an out-of-court settlement with five families from Globe, Arizona, that accused the chemical manufacturer of negligently manufacturing a her-bicide that they said left them with numerous permanent medical problems when the substance was sprayed in a nearby national forest. The amount of the settlement wasn't disclosed as part of the agreement, which was reached just prior to the start of a trial. The families agreed to dismiss the suit against Dow and a companion suit against the U.S. Forest Service. The suits charged that Dow was negligent in manufacturing Kuron, a trade name for silvex. Kuron was allegedly sprayed in the Tonto National Forest near Globe in 1968 and 1969 in connection with the Salt River Project, a water and power development. The families claimed they weren't warned of the spraying in 1969 and charged that Kuron produced dioxins, which the suit called "the most poisonous substance syn-thesized by man." Many lawn care industry spokesmen feel that the ban on silvex might be lifted in the next few years once the material is properly reviewed and pending legal suits are settled. Do you have chindownitis? Most businessmen get their chins down at one time or another. And the lawn care businessman is no exception. Why not? As a group, they are shrewd, compulsive, decisive, and adventurous risk-takers. Chindow- nitis is a common affliction, but it is curable. Here are some tips offered by John and Mark Arnold of ExecuTrak Systems Inc., a Waltham, Mass., consulting and management strategy firm. First, do one thing different every day of the week and see whether it has a positive effect on your people Š and yourself. On Monday, tell your secretary you don't want to be disturbed for one hour. During that hour, write down in 25 words or less what your job is and what you think it should be. Then ask one of your managers to write down what they think your job should be. Compare the two and then write a final statement for yourself. On Tuesday, keep a log of all the work that crosses your desk. Analyze how much of it falls within your newly defined mission. Then delegate the rest. On Wednesday, ask your managers what you can do to help them do their jobs better, and vice versa. Circulate all the answers among your key people and then talk about what should be done. On Thursday, tell your managers you want information about something that is going especially well and why it is going so well. Discuss the lessons that can be applied to other areas of business. On Friday, make a list of the highest priority problems and opportunities. Ask your amangers for their own lists. Prune the combined list down to about eight or nine items, and then talk about the most effective way to approach each item. And on Saturday? Take the day off and relax. WÊmmÊÊÊ^^m PRODUCTS Spray equipment for the lawn care industry Wide range of tough spray rigs Westheffer Company, of Lawr-ence, Kansas, produces a complete line of spray applicators for the lawn care businessman. Units are furnished with stainless steel tanks and are available in capacities from 800 to 1200 gallon for large truck installation and up to 520 gallon skid mounted units for mounting on pick-ups or trail-ers. Belt drive reels, mechanical agitation, and calibrated sight gauge are all standard with pump and drive options available. Write 701 on reader service card This sprayer slides right in Designed for installation forward of wheel wells in any eight foot bed fleetside three-quarter ton pickup truck, the model PC 20 portable spray tank from Tuflex Manufacturing company is com- pact and versatile. The unit is 64 inches long, 31 inches wide, and 28 inches high. Standard equip-ment includes no leak five inch fillwell mounted on 14 by 18 inch access plate, vent assembly, five inch fillwell cover, calibrated sight gauge, choice of three- quarter inch drain outlet or one inch siphon outlet. Write 702 on reader service card New lawn spray rig can handle any job The LS-205 lawn spray rig from Pumping Systems Inc. is a com-pletely self-contained pumping unit with tank, pump, and hose reel with hose. It is cradle mounted and will easily slide into the standard pickup truck or van. The LS-205 features a self-priming, direct-drive pump, jet agitation for wettable powders, brass pipe fittings to resist corro-sion, and an oil-filled, stainless steel tank gauge with quick coupler mount. Write 703 on reader service card Professional design on versatile sprayer Designed like industrial/ agricultural equipment, Agrotec's lawn and garden sprayer has reli-able performance and long life. Its versatility gives the owner many possible uses. There are trailer or tractor-mounted models with a choice of two tank sizes and piston or roller pumps. A wide range of accessories are available. The unit contains the quality features of competitive models at a lower cost to the lawn care businessman. Write 704 on reader service card Customer sprayer is a top performer New Dobbins single cylinder, medium pressure sprayer from Master Manufacturing Company. This sprayer features a trailer hitch with parking stand for attach-ments to riding tractors. The five foot boom provides six and a half feet of spray coverage. The polyethylene tank is non-corrosive. Tank capacity is 30 gallons. The Dobbins is ideal for the lawn care businessman. Can be used for spraying all types of pesticides, herbicides, soluble fertilizers and disinfectants. The pump delivers up to 2.5 gpm at 300 psi and can spray a 30 foot tree. The 18 inch orchard gun adjusts from a solid stream to a fine mist. Write 705 on reader service card High pressure pump capable of 170 psi A high speed centrifugal pump capable of developing high pres-sure Š to 170 psi Š for efficient spraying has been released by the Hypro Division of Lear Siegler, Inc. The pump, called Series 9200, can be direct driven or belt driven at speeds to 6000 rpm to develop these pressures. The pump deliv-to page 14 n > £ 2 a c in H ?c < America - Fiesta nr r. vji A grass team that won't break your budget You can't control the spiraling costs of chemicals and fertilizer, but you can control the quantities that you have to use by planting improved turfgrasses like America Kentucky bluegrass and Fiesta Perennial ryegrass. America and Fiesta, a new breed of turfgrasses that have the ideal turf qualities you want along with tolerance to summer and winter stresses and turf diseases. And you get all of this at a reasonable price. America Kentucky bluegrass and Fiesta Perennial ryegrass Š Two great turfgrasses that don't need pampering. Jim KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS ^¡o -ve PERENNIAL RYEGRASS Produced by Pickseed also produces Touchdown KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS PICK^EE® PICKSEED WEST Inc. PO Box 888. Tangent. OR 97389 Ł (503) 926 8886 ^^ Distributed in Canada by Otto Pick and Sons Seeds Ltd Bo* 126 Richmond Hill, Ontario Ł (416) 884 1147 MEETING DATES < S C/3 D Q 2 < U z £ 3 Arizona Turfgrass Conference, Phoenix, May 7-8. Contact: Dr. William Kneebone, Plant Sciences Dept., Building #36, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721. First Annual North Carolina State Univer-sity Turfgrass Spring Field Day/Exhibit, May 19, 1981; UCSU turfgrass field plots, 4200 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, N.C. Contact: Joe DiPaola, 1126 Williams Hall, N.C. State University, Raleigh, N.C. 27650; (919) 737-2657. North Carolina Landscape Contractors Association Field Day, Oakland Plantation, Carvers, N.C., June 6. Contact: NCLCA, P.O. Box 25891, Raleigh, N.C. 27611, (919) 832-1498. University of Massachusetts Turfgrass Field Day, South Deerfield, Tune 24. Con-tact: Dr. Joseph Troll, Stockbridge Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, 413-545-2353. American Seed Trade Association Annual Meeting, Atlanta, June 28-July 2. Contact: ASTA, Executive Building, Suite 964,1030 15th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20005. American Sod Producers Association Summer Conference and Field Days, Her- shey, Pa., July 15-17. Contact: Bob Garey, ASPA, Association Building, Ninth & Min-nesota, Hastings, NE 68901, 402-463-5691. University of Nebraska Turf Field Day and Equipment Show, Mead, August 4. Contact: Dr. Robert Shearman, University of Neb-raska, 377 Plant Science Building, Lincoln, NE 68503, 402-472-1143. Central Plains Turf Foundation/Kansas State University Turf Field Day, Manhat-tan, August 12. Contact: Dr. Robert Carrow, Kansas State University, Dept. of Horticul-ture, Waters Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506, 913-532-6170. University of Rhode Island Turfgrass Field Day, Kingston, August 26. Contact: Dr. C. Richard Skogley, Acronomy Dept., Univer-sity of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881. 1981 Garden Industry of America Confer-ence and Trade Show, Sept. 10-11-12, Pittsburgh Convention Center, Pittsburgh, PA. Virginia Tech Turfgrass Field Days, Blacksburg, Sept. 15-17. Contact: Dr. Jonn R. Hall, 421 Smyth Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 703-961-5797. National Lawn and Garden Distributors Association Annual Conference, Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 15-18. Con-tact: Nancy S. Irving, NLGDA, 1900 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, 215-564-3484. Pacific Horticultural Trade Show, spon-sored by the California Association of Nurserymen, September 23-25, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA; Con-tact: Richard Staples, manager, Pacific Horticultural Trade Show, 1419 21st Street, Sacramento, CA 94814, (916) 443-7373. Central Plains Turf Foundation/Kansas State University Turf Conference, Manhat- tan, Oct. 6-8. Contact: Dr. Robert Carrow, Kansas State University, Dept. of Horticul-ture, Waters Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506, 913-532-6170. 1981 Chemlawn Turf Symposium, Oct. 14-15; Contact: Dr. B. G. Joyner, Plant Diagnostic Lab, Chemlawn Corporation, 6969 Worthington-Galena Road, Suite L, Worthington, Ohio 43085. Florida Turf-Grass Association Confer-ence and Show, Orlando, Oct. 18-21. Contact: Nona Murphy, Florida Turf-Grass Association, 1520 Edgewater Dr., Suite E, Orlando, FL 32804, 305-425-1581. The 69th Annual Grounds Management Conference and Trade Show, Portland Marriott Hotel, Portland, Oregon, November 1-5, 1981. Contact: Allan Shul- der, Executive Director, Professional Grounds Management Society, 7 Church Lane, Pikesville, Maryland 21208: (301) 653-2742. Professional Grounds Management Soci-ety Annual Meeting, Portland, Ore., Nov. 1-5. Contact: Allan Shulder, PGMS, 19 Hawthorne Ave., Pikesville, MD 21208, 301-653-2742. National Institute on Park and Grounds Management, Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 1-6. Contact: National Institute, Box 1936, Ap-pleton, WI 54913, 414-733-2301. New York Turfgrass Conference and Trade Show, Empire State Plaza, Albany, N.Y., Nov. 16-19. Contact: Ann Reilly, 210 Cartwright Blvd., Massapequa Park, NY 11762, 516-541-6902. Professional Lawn Care Association of America Conference and Trade Show, Commonwealth Convention Center, Louis-ville, Ky., Nov. 18-20. Contact: Jane Stecker, PLCAA, Suite 1717, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611, 312-644-0828. Ohio Turfgrass Conference and Show, Columbus Hyatt House, Dec. 1-3. Contact: Dr. John Street, 1827 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, 614-422-2592. Texas Turfgrass Conference, College Sta-tion, Texas, Dec. 7-9. Contact: Dr. Richard L. Duble, 349 Soil & Crop Science Center, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, 713-845-4826. Nebraska Turferass Foundation Confer-ence & Trade Show, Holiday Inn Conven-tion Center, Omaha, January 12-14, 1982. Contact: Paul Bergman, 2428 W. 11th, Hastings, Nebraska 68901; (402) 463-5055. Introducing FOLIAN®. the easy-to-use liquid fertilizer that's safe and effective on any kind of turf. FOLIAN is a complete fertilizer. Its special formulation of N-P-K, sulfur and iron gets nutrients directly into grass tissue. And FOLIAN will not cause tip burn when used as directed. Convenient to use FOLIAN is the only turf-builder you'll ever need. It saves you time because there's no mixing or agitation required before using FOLIAN. And FOLIAN can be applied in more concentrated form than most other liquids. As a result, you can service more lawns per truckload with fewer wasted man-hours. A clear solution of the highest quality, FOLIAN won't settle out in your tanks. It's compatible with most pesticides, too. Greens lawns fast Because of its patented formulation and foliar activity, FOLIAN greens up turf quicklyŠfaster than dry fertilizers or suspensions. And at the recommended rates, FOLIAN supplies enough residual fertilizer in the soil to keep grass green and healthy for many weeks. Good for your business Your customers will love the results FOLIAN gives. And you'll appreciate FOLLAN's convenience. Best of all, FOLIAN makes your lawn care service more valuable. It means repeat business from satisfied customers and greater confidence in you. Give FOLIAN a try and discover how it can mean more green for both of you. To find out more about how to get started using FOLIAN, call toll-free 800-228-2178 Omaha, Neb., 800-446-1841/800-446-1845 Hopewell, Va. or write Allied Chemical Corporation, Dept. AG, PO. Box 1000R, Morristown, < N.J. 07960. Chemical Plant Foods FOLIAN complete liquid fertilizer. REGULATION Canada says no to 2,4-D with dioxins Canada's Agriculture Minister, Eugene Whelan, has announced measures aimed at phasing out some 2,4-D herbicide products in Canada by as early as 1982. The measures were outlined after traces of dioxin contaminants were identified in 2,4-D by Agri-culture Canada's Food Production and Inspection branch last Oc- tober. The restrictions apparently will not seriously affect the lawn care industry, as the measures target a form of 2,4-D known as butyl ester which is used primarily for ag-ricultural weed control and is said to be more toxic than the ester based 2,4-D used for lawn and garden weed control. Neither for-mulation, however, contains the highly volatile dioxin 2,3,7,8 No mixing, no burning, no hassle. TCDD found in the brush control herbicide 2,4,5-T in trace quan-tities. According to an Agriculture Canada report, the dioxins found in 2,4-D "are of a very low toxic-ity." The measures outlined are: an immediate ban on the sale by basic manufacturers of technical esters of 2,4-D that have been shown to contain dioxins; a phasing out of all sales of a volatile form of ester-based 2,4-D called butyl ester; and action to ensure that all 2,4-D material is free of dioxin contamination by 1982. "We are extremely encouraged by the compliance already shown by industry with our measures," Mr. Whelan said. "Basic man-ufacturers have already responded with a voluntary withdrawal of all technical esters to permit a more detailed evaluation." A task force at the Agricultural Institute of Canada, formed to review the possible hazards as-sociated with the use of pesticides in agriculture, has concured with the measures. Dr. Clare Rennie, president of the Institute said, "We are in complete agreement with the restrictions placed on the use of 2,4-D. The phasing out of all sales of the highly volatile butyl ester formulation is appropriate." The statement released by the task force deals at length with 2,4-D and related herbicides. It discusses the environmental and health concerns regarding pes-ticides and places in perspective the risks and benefits associated with pesticide uses in agriculture. The statement recommends future emphasis on integrated pest man-agement and emphasizes that pes- ticides are essential to producing a wide range of food crops grown in Canada. "We realize that these measures will not ensure that only dioxin- free 2,4-D is used this season," Mr. Whelan said. "Our aim is to phase into completely uncontaminated products by next year. In the interim, users may recognize this new situation. It simply is not physically possible to phase into completely dioxin-free 2,4-D this year." When asked on a local radio show why the federal government was pursuing the matter since the dioxins found in 2,4-D were de-termined to be relatively innocu-ous, Dr. Steve Safe, professor of biochemistry at the University of Guelph, said: "Because they're sensitized as everyone else is to dioxins, and want to know and advise the public." The response reflects the highly emotional nature of the con-troversy, also being waged across the border in the U.S. As recently reported in Lawn Care Industry, the Madison, Wisconsin City Council recently enforced a ban on the spray of 2,4-D in the city's parks and median strips. The deci-sion was the result of a public outcry over a seizure by a child who lived next to a park where the herbicide was being sprayed. Amid fears that the controversy is far from over, lawn care businessmen in the United States are organizing to prevent unsci- entific review of test cases. In Madison, the compromise was reached largely due to testimony by local golf course superintend-ents and agronomists who said that the weed killer was neither harmful nor unnecessary. 0Ä' vl profit ¡n _ ijtfJH w featuring Remote Wand for E-Z SPRAYING of TREES and SHRUBSŠspray reaches to 20' height Š12' flexible hose V, **** 83 built for performance boom spray 2 acres/hr. minimal misting and overspray 13 gal polyethelene tank 6V2 ft. overlap boom spray width quick change from boom spray to wand wand storage on tank adapts to garden tractors and riders equipped with 12-volt electrical systems Model 83 Quick hitch pull upit Šalso available as Model 82 tractor mount Makers of fine power products for lawn care E-Z RAKE, INC./LEBANON, IN 46052 Write 111 on reader service card Ł IF YOU DON'T KNOW US, YOU SHOULD! Ł 'We can help you CUSTOM FORMULATE your 1981 program!" Select your dry fertilizer analysis, combine it with a pre-emergent or an insecticide, then contact us! Don't purchase your 1981 needs until you've talked to LAWN AIDS WE FEATURE: -Custom formulated dry lawn care products (including blends with sulphur coated urea) Custom formulated liquid fertilizers and Formolene Ž Herbicides, Insecticides and Fungicides Sta-Green Tee and Fairway specialty products Equipment: Hahn Spray-Pro and Grounds Maintenance Equipment. CS-80 Motorized Rotary Spreader. Tip 'N' Measure containers LAWN AIDS P.O. Box 339 Tipp City, Ohio 45371 Tel. 513-667-8314 "CONTACT ME" RON GROVE ALSO 513-339-8326 "MEETING YOUR CUSTOM NEEDS" z n > S 2 a G C/3 H pa < Write 120 on reader service card Certified Manhattan is the favorite fine-leafed perennial ryegrass of home owners for dressing up their homes. It's fast germinating and has that dark green color that makes a 'people stop-per' lawn. For new lawns or for overseeding, you can't go wrong with Certified Manhattan. Manhattan is used by professional lawn care people throughout the northern half of the country. Manhattan is being imitated. To be sure you are getting the real Manhattan, look for the blue certification tag on each package Distributed by: Whitney-Dickinson Seeds, Inc. 52 Leslie Street. Buffalo. NY 14240 716/ 896-1111 Co-Marketer: Turf-Seed, Inc. P.O. Box 250. Hubbard. OR 97032 503/ 981-9571 Write for free teeh sheet on planting and maintaining Manhattan Manhattan Ryegrass Growers Assn. 1349 Capitol St.. N.E. Salem, Oregon 97303 Manhattan fine-leafed perennial ryegrass House Dressing L & M LAWNCARE Ohio lawn company gains patent to spray large-granule fertilizer There is a lot of flowery language written in script, an imposing seal and the signature of the federal Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks on the document. It is United States Patent Number 4,238,072. It starts out by saying: "A method for applying a nor-mally dry granular fertilizer hav- ing granular particles with slow-release lawn nutrients and a parti-cle size in the range of from eight to 50 mesh and carrying slow-release lawn nutrients and some water-soluble nutrients to a lawn . . ." It is this document that Joe Matulis of L & M Lawncare, a lawn Ł care franchise company based in Cleveland, is holding in his hands as he explains: "This represents the culmination of our ideas and efforts of the past several years." His partner, Nick Licursi is the inventor of this equipment. The document goes on: 44 . . . The method includes the steps of dispersing in an aqueous medium from about five to 15 percent by weight of the normally dry granular fertilizer to create a suspension of granular particles with slow-released lawn nutrients, agitating the granular particles to maintain them in suspension, and spraying the suspension to the lawn ..." And Matulis continues: "Our 10 years experience in landscaping and maintenance and chemical lawn care convinced us initially that in order to provide the most effective, long-range service, we would have to handle and apply nutrients and chemicals whose physical properties varied widely. The problem, however, was to accomplish this in an effective and efficient operation. The process accomplishes these objectives and combines the best qualities of both worlds Š liquids and granules." Many lawn care companies and fertilizer suppliers have been wrestling with this problem throughout the '7O's. And back when these two partners who grew up in the ethnic neighborhoods of Cleveland started telling suppliers and anybody who would listen about the merits of the process they were working on, some might have been skeptical. But the document for their patent became official December 9. "This capability has excellent marketing value when approach-ing the homeowner," Matulis told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, "and we have capitalized on it from the outset. The addition of a U.S. patent number not only adds cre-dence to the method, but also solidifies our image generally. "Additionally, our efforts to ex-pand geographically through franchising have been greatly aided," he said. "Each of our 11 existing franchises have com-mented at one time or another that any initial reluctance he might have had about joining our indus-try was satisfied, at least in part, by the fact that a patent on the process was in the works." Invention background. As the patent document explains, this invention relates to a method for applying normally dry relatively large particle size (granular) fer-tilizers to lawns. Lawn fertilizers are available in various forms including solutions of nutrients in water, dispersions (suspensions) of fine powders (70-80 mesh and smaller) in an aqueous medium, dry powders and dry granules. Both liquid fertilizers and dis-persons of fine powders in aque-ous mediums are usually sprayed using conventional types of liquid solution fertilizer equipment. Dry fertilizers in the powder form or the granular form are convention- ally applied by dry spreaders. Each of the various physical forms of fertilizer compositions has its advantages and disadvan-tages. Many liquid fertilizer solu- tions are often too rich in nutrients and can cause fertilizer "burn." With the finely divided powder or dispersions, a principal problem is retention on the leaves or blades of grass. This can also cause burning. Granular fertilizers which are spread on the lawn in a dry condition do not generally have many of these types of problems. Because of the larger particle size, "dusting" is also not a problem. However, like any spreader-applied fertilizer, application can be uneven because of turns at the end of a row, skips and overlaps. Invention summary. Briefly stated, the document explains, the Licursi invention resides in a method for applying normally dry granular fertilizers having slow-release nutrients and having a particle size such that at least about 80 percent of the dry fer-tilizer will pas through an 8-mesh screen and be retained on a 50-mesh screen. The method comprises sus-pending the granular fertilizer in an aqueous medium to form a suspension of granular particles having slow-released lawn nut- rients and comprising from about five percent to about 15 percent granular particles by weight, agitating the suspension to pre-vent settling of the granular fer-tilizer and spraying the suspen-sion onto a lawn. Further, the preferred embodi-ment of the invention con-templates a suspension in which up to about eight percent by weight of the normally dry granu-lar fertilizer dissolves in the aque-ous medium, thereby making some nutrients immediately avail- able to the lawn upon spraying for an instant "greening" effect. to page 19 i ' Ł 'j I" vf t. ',/- .r Ł ŁI V/nf-.-x. jàlJc na BM/ % i f * \ m .. wm nsl h , >- \ t ' /v J : . A UfS X ir H// '' t'i-Zl /, '&M y* , 'ŁŁ Ł - ' v . » .¡'I ut . * You know you're going to get 'em with Basagran. V/'vV « A ¿ V/.1 herbicide I * j V* ' t * * . As a turf professional, you know how yellow nut-sedge can compete with desirable grasses for water and nutrients. This tough weed reduces the attractiveness of residen-tial turf, golf course fair-ways and tees. It can lower the value of sod crops as well. And you don't want to risk using a herbicide that might dam-age your turf. But you don't have to live with these problems. This year get the so-lution. Basagran® herbi-cide. Applied according to label directions, Basa-gran is the only post- emergence herbicide that effectively controls yellow nutsedge, without turf injury So, for the proven combination of toughness on yellow nutsedge and gentleness on your turf, use Basagran herbicide. And get the edge on yel-low nutsedge. BASF Wyandotte Corporation, Agricultural Chemicals Division, 100 Cherry Hill Road, Parsip-pany, New Jersey 07054. Follow label instructions BASF LEHR ON LABOR LAW How employer privacy laws will affect you and your employes By Richard I. Lehr As we informed you last month, the Carter administration regula-tions increasing the minimum sal-ary levels for an exempt executive, administrative or professional employe were frozen indefinitely by President Reagan on February 6, 1981. The freeze simply means that the current minimum salary levels remain effective until further notice. When I spoke to the Chief of the Wage and Hour Branch of the Department of Labor, I was in-formed that they have no idea as to when the current minimum salary levels will increase, if at all. Therefore, lawn care employers who are utilizing this exemption should continue to do so without fear of an imminent increase in minimum salary levels. If and when such salary levels are in- creased, we will publish that in-formation in this column. Discussion continues on sub-minimum wage. The Senate and the House are still examining various approaches for establish-ing a subminimum wage for teen-agers. One popular approach is to permit employers to pay each teenager 75 percent of minimum wage for his initial six months of employment. Problems with this approach may be in the adminis-trative end: will the Department of Labor be able to administer a subminimum wage efficiently, without increased expenditures? Furthermore, organized labor is vigorously opposed to this, claiming that regular hourly workers will lose their jobs or laid off employes will not be recalled because the employers will have an opportunity to save on labor costs by employing teenagers at a subminimum wage. Overview of state privacy laws for private employers. Approxi-mately half of the states passed laws in 1980 regulating the col-lection, maintenance, and dis- semination of personal informa- tion on individual employes. Most of the statutes discuss employe access to personnel files and using arrest records and lie detector tests for employment purposes. The following is a list of the subjects covered, and which states passed statutes relating to those subjects. Personnel files. Employers in California, Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin must permit employes to inspect their person-nel files. The inspection cannot be made at a time that is inconvenient for the employer, but the employer cannot use that inconvenience in an effort to prevent employes from examining their personnel files. Arrest records. Employers in Illinois are prohibited from asking a job applicant about his prior arrests. Employers in Ohio, Vir-ginia and Maryland are prohibited from asking job applicants ques-tions about criminal charges that have been expunged from the applicant's records. In California, employers are prohibited from requesting infor-mation relating to an applicant's arrest record that did not result in a conviction. Employers in Pennsylvania may consider a job applicant's felony and mis-demeanor conviction record, and arrests which relate to the position sought by the applicant. Polygraph exams. Seventeen states prohibit employers from requiring applicants or employes to take polygraph exams as a condition prior to employment or continuing employment. Those states include: Alaska, California, Connecticut, the District of Col-umbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michi-gan, Minnesota, Montana, Neb-raska, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. Similar bills were introduced last year in Ohio, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Iowa and Kentucky. We will keep you informed about the progress of current bills on this subject. Medical records. Employers are guaranteed access to their medical records if they work in Connect-icut, Wisconsin or Ohio. Employers in Maryland are prohi-bited from asking a job applicant questions relating to physical, psychological or mental illnesses, disabilities, handicaps, or treat-ments which are not directly re-lated to the applicant's fitness for the position he seeks. While it is possible that these legislative developments will spread to other states, there are a few ideas for lawn care employers to keep in mind if the state in which they conduct business does not have these types of statutes: (1) It is generally a good practice to let an employe see his personnel file if he asks to. Some employer-employe problems can be resolved by simply eliminating the suspi-cion that an employe has about his personnel records, and the infor- mation that the employer posses-ses about the employe. I am in favor of an open policy at the work place, which, besides reducing suspicion, is another factor in building greater loyalty toward the lawn care employer. (2) Polygraph exams are an effective, objective way of making various business decisions. For example, if chemicals are missing and you suspect that some employes may be responsible, a polygraph exam will not identify who took the materials, but it can provide information to make an to page 17 SOP'fcSOH gypsum works four ways lo ' Loosens clay soil to improve drainage! i Optimizes use of fertilizer, water, seed! Ł Alleviates winter salt damage! Ł Adds soluble calcium and sulfate sulfur! Versatile Sof'n-Soil gypsum helps turf maintenance professionals boost business, Spring and Fall. In Spring, this natural soil conditioner loosens heavy clay soil structures and promotes drainage to increase fertilizer effi-ciency. In Fall Sof n-Soil gypsum protects against the harmful effects of winter w deicing salt. Sodium chloride, toxic to most plants, causes heavy clay soils I ŁŁ I £Ł I to tighten.This keeps water from leaching out the salt.The available OUIIO SQuSlieO calcium in Sof n-Soil replaces toxic sodium attached to clay particles-Ł permits new seed or sod to grow normally. C\ icrnmorc And it's ^00% safe! Non-burning. Non-toxic. Harmless to people,plants and 113 pets Look ¡nto the multi-profit opportunities of adding Sof n-Soil gypsum appli-Ł i/M 11 cation to your lawn service programs. - Write to us for specifics at 101 S. Wacker Drive, lOl yOUS Chicago,IL60606,Dept. LCI581 CHEMICALS DIVISION UNITED STATES GYPSUM Primary supplier of secondary plant nutrients INSIDE THE INDUSTRY L. A < s >« OC H CO D Q Z i < u 2 £ Million-dollar lawn care companies LCI's third annual look at the industry's largest by Bob Earley Ecìitor/Publisher At least 30 chemical lawn care companies grossed more than one million dollars last year. The largest percentage of these com-panies are chain operations. At least another 74 chemical lawn care companies grossed between $250,000 and $1 million. Many of these companies will go over the million-dollar mark in 1981. The survey is based upon questionnaires filled out by many of the companies, esti-mates by lawn care businessmen across the country and estimates by editors and the marketing staff of LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. The list is by no means conclusive, but does include most of the major chemical lawn care companies in the United States. The list does not include companies whose main business is not chemical lawn care, for example, mowing/maintenance companies. In the following listings, (C) represents a chain operation with offices in more than one city, (F) represents a franchise operation, (I) represents independent companies operating for all practical purposes in one metropolitan area, and (Fe) represents a franchisee. The companies are not listed in ranking order. Over $1 million in sales ChemLawn Corp., Columbus, Ohio, heads the list. It grossed in excess of $113 million last year. It has 160 branches, and employs more than 2,000 persons. Lawn Doctor, Inc., Matawan, N.J., has 285 franchises employing 2,000 persons. Gross sales were estimated by the company at $20 million on service to 130,000 customers. Lawn Medic, Inc., Bergen, N.Y., has 78 franchise and company-owned outlets employing 291 persons. Gross sales were estimated by the company at $7.13 million on service to 52,000 customers. Davey Lawnscape Service, Kent, Ohio, has 16 branches employing 170 persons. Sales were estimated at $6.3 million on service to 42,000 customers. R. W. Collins, Inc., Satellite Beach, Fla., has 16 branches employing 150 persons. Sales were estimated at $3.4 million on service to 21,000 customers. Hydro Lawn, Inc., Gaithersburg, Md., has four branches employing 52 persons. Sales were estimated at $2.4 million on service to 15,000 customers. Liqui-Green Lawn Corp. has 23 franchises. Sales were estimated at more than $2 million. Lawn King, Inc., Fairfield, N.J., has franchise sales estimated at more than $2 million. Lawn Beautiful, Wheeling, 111., has two branches employing 60 persons. Sales were estimated at $1.8 million on service to 16,000 customers. Easy Lawn Corp., Piqua, Ohio, has five branches employing 40 persons. Sales were estimated at $1.65 million on service to 16,000 customers. Turf Doctor, Framingham, Mass., has three branches employing 55 persons. Sales were estimated at $1.4 million on service to 8,000 customers. Spray-A-Lawn of Warren-Youngstown, Inc., Youngstown, Ohio, has one branch employing 32 persons. Sales were estimated at $1.3 million on service to 11,730 custom-ers. Spray-A-Lawn of Pittsburgh, Inc., has two branches employing 36 persons. Sales were estimated at $1.23 million on service to 11,664 customers. Truly Nolen, Inc., Hollywood, Fla., has 12 branches with 24 service employes. Sales were estimated at $1.2 million on service to 5,500 customers. Shur-Lawn Co., Omaha, Neb., has two branches employing 30 persons. Sales were estimated in excess of $1.15 million on service to more than 6,500 customers. Super Lawns, Inc., Rockville, Md., had 12 franchise and company-owned outlets employing 20 persons. Sales were estimated at $1.1 million on service to 5,000 customers. Royal Lawns, Inc., Pine Brook, N.J. has 12 licensed outlets, employing 30 persons. Sales were estimated at $1.02 million on service to 3,500 customers. ChemLawn Corp. (C) Columbus, Ohio Lawn Doctor, Inc. (F) Matawan, New Jersey Ever-Green Lawns Corp. (C) St. Louis, Missouri Lawn Medic, Inc., (F,C) Bergen, New York Davey Lawnscape Service (C) Kent, Ohio Tru-Green Corp. (C) East Lansing, Michigan Perf-A-Lawn Corp. (C,F) New Carlisle, Ohio Leisure Lawn, Inc. (C) Dayton, Ohio R. W. Collins, Inc. (C) Satellite Beach, Florida Barefoot Grass Lawn Service (C,F) Worthington, Ohio A-Perm-o-Green Lawns, Inc. (F) Austin, Texas Green-Lawn, Inc. (C) Louisville, Kentucky Hydro Lawn, Inc. (C) Gaithersburg, Maryland Liqui-Green Lawn Care Corp. (F) Peoria, Illinois Lawn King, Inc. (F) Fairfield, New Jersey Lawn Beautiful (I) Wheeling, Illinois Excelawn, Inc. (C) Louisville, Kentucky Keystone Lawn Spray (I) Wayne, Pennsylvania Easy Lawn Corp. (C) Piqua, Ohio No-Risk Exterminating Co., Inc. (I) Fort Myers, Florida Spring-Green Lawn Care Corp. (F) Peoria, Illinois Turf Doctor (I) Framingham, Massachusetts Chemical Applicators (I) Pearland, Texas Spray-A-Lawn of Warren-Youngstown (I) Warren, Ohio Spray-A-Lawn of Pittsburgh (I) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Truly Nolen Exterminating, Inc. (C) Hollywood, Florida Shur Lawn Co. (I) Omaha, Nebraska Super Lawns, Inc. (F) Rockville, Maryland Tomasello, Inc. (I) West Palm Beach, Florida Royal Lawns, Inc. (F) Pine Brook, New Jersey $500,000 Š $1 million in sales Lawnmark Associates, Peninsula, Ohio, has three branches employing 37 persons. Sales were estimated at $930,000 on service to 6,500 customers. Greenlon, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, has one branch and 15 employes. Sales were esti-mated at $805,000 on service to 7,000 customers. McGinty Brothers, Inc., Long Grove, 111., has one branch with 12 employes. Sales were estimated at $762,000 on service to 5,200 customers. Spray-A-Lawn, Inc., Orrville, Ohio, has two branches with 23 employes. Sales were estimated at $730,000 on service to 5,720 customers. Agro Lawn Systems has three offices in the Washington, D.C. area, employing 26 per-sons. Sales were estimated at $700,000 on service to 2,400 customers. Lawnco, Inc., Brooklyn Heights, Ohio, has one branch with 18 employes. Sales were estimated at $660,000 on service to 5,125 customers. Atkins Lawn Care, Columbia, Mo., has six branches with 14 employes. Sales were estimated at $600,000 on service to 3,000 customers. Parker Pest Control, Inc., Ponca City, Okla., has four branches employing 15 persons. Sales were estimated at $550,000 on service to 4,000 customers. Green Lawn Fertilizer Corp., Kansas City, Mo., has three branches with 19 employes. Sales were estimated at $511,458 on service to 4,200 customers. Lawn Doctor/Matawan, N.J., is a franchisee that has 12 employes. Sales were estimated at $505,000 on service to 2,200 customers. Senske Weed and Pest Control, Spokane, Wash., has two branches with 15 employes. Sales were estimated at $500,000 on service to 5,000 customers. Wagenschutz Lawn Spraying, Plymouth, Mich., has one branch with 10 employes. Sales were estimated at $500,000 on service to 4,000 customers. Lawn Craft, Bellevue, Wash., has two branches with five employes. Sales were estimated at $500,000 on service to 1,000 customers. American Lawnservice, North Hills, Pa., has six branches with 15 employes. Sales were estimated at $500,000. Lawnmark Associates, Inc. (C) Peninsula, Ohio Ford's Chem Service, Inc. (I) Pasadena, Texas Greenlon, Inc. (I) Cincinnati, Ohio McGinty Brothers, Inc. (I) Long Grove, Illinois A-l Spray Service (I) Tacoma, Washington Lawnrite Corp. (I) Bohemia, New York A-l Wilson Power Spraying, Inc. (I) Fort Lauderdale, Florida Spray-A-Lawn, Inc. (I) Orrville, Ohio Agro Lawn Systems (I) Washington, D.C. area Lawn Builder (I) Harrison, Ohio Lawnco, Inc. (I) Brooklyn Heights, Ohio Lawn Groomer (C) Normal, Illinois Atkins Lawn Care (C) Columbia, Missouri Parker Pest Control, Inc. (I) Ponca City, Oklahoma Green Lawn Fertilizer Corp. (C) Kansas City, Missouri Yardmaster, Inc. (I) Painesville, Ohio Burke Pest Control, Inc. (I) Fort Lauderdale, Florida Rollins Lawn Care (C) Atlanta, Georgia Lawn Doctor/Matawan (Fe) Matawan, New Jersey Spray-A-Lawn (C) Cincinnati, Ohio Senske Weed & Pest Control (I) Spokane, Washington L & M Lawncare (F) Cleveland, Ohio Signature Lawns, Ltd. (I) Davenport, Iowa Security Pest Control of Florida (I) Port Richey, Florida Wagenschutz Lawn Spraying (I) Plymouth, Michigan Lawn Craft (I) Bellevue, Washington American Lawnservice (I) North Hills, Pennsylvania $250,000-$500,000 in sales Lawn Doctor of Fairfax, Va., is a franchisee with two branches and 15 employes. Sales were estimated at $460,000 on service to 2,700 customers. Trapp Pest Control, Inc., Cape Coral, Fla., has two branches with 20 employes. Sales were estimated at more than $450,000. Lawn Doctor of Islip, Bohemia, N.Y., is a franchisee with one branch and 12 employes. Sales were estimated at $450,000 on service to 3,200 customers. Evergreen Lawns, Manchester, Ct., has one branch employing 15 persons. Sales were estimated at $420,000 on service to 2,300 customers. Village Green Lawn & Tree Care, West Chicago, 111., has one branch with eight employes. Sales were estimated at $415,000 on service to 2,900 customers. Perma Green, Boise, Idaho, has one branch with 12 employes. Sales were estimated at $405,000 on service to 5,000 customers. Evergreen Lawn Care, Inc., Troy, Ohio, has one branch with 10 employes. Sales were estimated at $400,000 on service to 2,800 customers. Evergreen Chem Lawn Care, Troy, Mich., has four branches with 10 employes. Sales were estimated at $400,000 on service to 3,000 customers. Four Seasons Lawn Care, Parksville, Mo., has one branch with 10 employes. Sales were estimated at $396,000. Lawn-A-Mat of Bellmore, N.Y., is a fran-chisee with one branch and 12 employes. Sales were estimated at $380,000 on service to 1,650 customers. Grasshopper Lawns, Inc., Watertown, Conn., has one branch with 10 employes. Sales were estimated at $376,000 on service to 1,150 customers. Liqui-Lawn, Inc., Hygiene, Colo., has two branches with nine employes. Sales were estimated at $356,000 on service to 2,000 customers. Lawn Life Corp., Salt Lake City, Utah, has one branch with 10 employes. Sales were estimated at $350,000 on service to 4,300 customers. Green Valley Co., Merriam, Kans., has one branch with 10 employes. Sales were esti-mated at $350,000 with 2,000 customers. Halifax Spray Service, Daytona Beach, Fla., has one branch with eight employes. Sales were estimated at $349,778 on service to more than 2,000 customers. Highland Park Lawns, Grand Island, Neb., has one branch with 10 employes. Sales were estimated at $331,000 on service to 1,800 customers. Jay-Lan, Inc., Sioux City, la., has two branches with 10 employes. Sales were estimated at $330,000 on service to 3,700 customers. Eggen Weed Control, Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz., has one branch with 13 employes. Sales were estimated at $329,000 on service to 2,000 customers. Atwood Lawnspray, Inc., Sterling Heights, Mich., has one branch with 14 employes. Sales were estimated at $320,000 on service to 2,800 customers. Lawn Kare by George, Alexandria, Va., has one branch with eight employes. Sales were estimated at $320,000 on service to 1,000 customers. Green Thumb Custom Lawn Service, Cin-cinnati, Ohio, has one branch with 12 employes. Sales were estimated at $317,000 on service to 2,300 customers. Tree Lawn Corp., El Paso, Texas, has one branch with 14 employes. Sales were esti-mated at $313,000 on service to 7,000 customers. Brookins Lawn & Ornamental Spraying Service, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., has one branch with 11 employes. Sales were esti-mated at $300,000 on service to 2,000 customers. Holley's, Inc., Memphis, Tenn., has one branch with eight employes. Sales were estimated at $280,000 on service to 1,285 private homes and 56 apartment complexes and some government and commercial work. Green Lawn, Munster, Ind., has one branch with 12 employes. Sales were estimated at $277,000 on service to 2,345 customers. TurfGard Co., Troy, Ohio, has one branch with seven employes. Sales were estimated at $267,000 on service to 2,200 customers. Gary Struyk Turf Maintenance, Omaha, Neb., has one branch with nine employes. Sales were estimated at $265,000 on service to 1,550 customers. Vitalawn, Jeffersontown, Ky., has one branch with seven employes. Sales were estimated at $256,000 on service to 2,200 customers. Lawn Masters, Inc., Hawthorne, N.Y., has two branches with eight employes. Sales were estimated at $250,000 on service to 1,000 customers. Grow-It-Green, Inc., Dearborn, Mich., has one branch with 10 employes. Sales were estimated at $250,000 on service to 3,000 customers. Chem-Care Lawn Service of Alabama, Inc. (I) Birmingham, Alabama Lawn Doctor of Fairfax (Fe) Fairfax, Virginia Trapp Pest Control, Inc. (I) Cape Coral, Florida Lawn Doctor of Islip (Fe) Bohemia, New York Village Green Lawn & Tree Care (I) West Chicago, Illinois Perma Green (I) Boise, Idaho Evergreen Lawn Care, Inc. (I) Troy, Ohio Four Seasons Lawn Care (I) Parkville, Missouri Lawn-A-Mat of Bellmore (Fe) Bellmore, New York Grasshopper Lawns, Inc. (I) Watertown, Connecticut Liqui-Lawn, Inc. (I) Hygiene, Colorado Lawn Life Corp. (I) Salt Lake City, Utah Green Valley Co. (I) Merriam, Kansas Halifax Spray Service (I) Daytona Beach, Florida Highland Park Lawns (I) Grand Island, Nebraska Jay-Lan, Inc. (I) Sioux City, Iowa Eggen Weed Control, Inc. (I) Scottsdale, Arizona Atwood Lawnspray, Inc. (I) Sterling Heights, Michigan Lawn Kare by George (I) Alexandria, Virginia Green Thumb Custom Lawn Service (I) Cincinnati, Ohio Tree Lawn Corp. (I) El Paso, Texas John's Spray Service (I) Daytona Beach, Florida Brookins Lawn & Ornamental Spraying Service, Inc. (I) Jacksonville, Florida Holley's, Inc. (I) Memphis, Tennessee Green Lawn (I) Munster, Indiana Clarence Davids & Sons, Inc. (I) Blue Island, Illinois TurfGard Co. (I) Troy, Ohio Gary Struyk Turf Maintenance (I) Omaha, Nebraska Vitalawn (I) Jeffersontown, Kentucky Lawn Masters, Inc. (I) Hawthorne, New York Turf Pride, Inc. (I) Augusta, Georgia Grow-It-Green, Inc. (I) Dearborn, Michigan Aqua-Lawn, Inc. (I) Fairfield, Connecticut Evergreen Lawns (I) Manchester, Connecticut Lawn King of Scotch Plains (Fe) Fanwood, New Jersey Tech Turf, Inc. (I) Mahwah, New Jersey Turfmasters (I) Northport, New York Southern Spray Co. (I) Memphis, Tennessee Professional Lawn Care (I) Ashville, Ohio Lawn Arranger (I) Columbus, Ohio Black Diamond (I) Toledo, Ohio Chem-Turf Corp. (I) Battle Creek, Michigan SPRAY PRODUCTS from page 5 ers 86 gallons per minute at its maximum psi, and 136 gpm at 40 psi. The pump features a pressure-tested cast iron housing with precision balanced nylon impeller. The high chrome content stainless steel shaft is strongly resistant to corrosion and is pro-tected by an efficient mechanical seal. Sturdy ball bearing construc-tion supports the shaft on either end. Write 706 on reader service card Thermoplastic hydraulic hoses Recommended for use in all weed spray control applications, Synflex Weed Spray Hose from the Eaton Corporation is unaffected by weed-killing solutions and can be used with solvents and oils. With seamless flexible nylon extrusion, Synflex Hoses make braiding un-necessary and light weight makes handling easier. Available in three-eights and one-half inch interior diameter, the hoses come in lengths of 500 feet with exceptionally smooth bore to allow greater flow and lower pressure loss. Write 707 on reader service card New sprayer-mulcher has 1,000 gallon tank Hydro-Turf introduces their "re-newed" model Multi-Purpose Sprayer Mulcher for 1981. The unit provides a 1000 gallon capac-ity, powered with a 37 horsepower Wisconsin engine, high volume pressure Hydro or mechanical agitation, skid mounting of four wheel electric/hydraulic brake trailer for direct and convenient loading from tow vehicle, fold down turret, ground level controls and many other features found on their low cost models 300 and 600. Write 708 on reader service card New spray unit with built-in baffles New 500 gallon fiberglass tank sprayers from F. E. Meyers Co. have built-in baffles and stainless steel mechanical agitators. Model "10-5E" features the Myers 10 gpm pump with pressures to 500 psi, powered by a seven horsepower Kohler cast iron engine. Model "25-5E" has a 25 gpm, 800 psi pump and 23 horsepower Kohler twin cylinder engine. NOTICE! roRMOlfNi 30-0-2 LIQUID LOW-BURN FERTILIZER FOR LAWN CARE PROFESSIONALS is now exclusively manufactured and sold east of the Rocky Mountains by: HAWKEYE CHEMICAL COMPANY Box 899, Clinton, Iowa 52732 (319) 243-5800 Order FORMOLENE Fertilizer or complete liquid lawn fertilizer formulations from these authorized dealers: ALPINE PLANT FOODS LTD. New Hamburg, Ontario NOB 2G0 Canada (519) 662-2352 GREAT PLAINS ASSOCIATES, LTD. Niles, Ml 49120 (616) 683-7463 M0YER AND SON INCORPORATED Souderton, PA 18964 (215) 723-6001 AUSTIN FERTILIZER & CHEMICAL CO. Lake Placid. FL 33852 (813) 465-5203 Sanford, FL 32771 (305) 322-0443 GROWER'S AG SERVICE Kearney, NB 68847 (308) 234-2124 NICE'N GREEN PLANT FOODS, INC. Lisle, IL 60532 (312) 963-3328 FL0-LIZER INCORPORATED Kingston, OH 45644 (614) 642-3001 M0RRAL CHEMICAL COMPANY Morral, OH 43337 (614) 465-3251 OLD FOX CHEMICAL COMPANY Enfield, CT 06082 (203) 749-8339 SAALE BROTHERS FARM & GRAIN CO. West Alton, MO 63386 (314) 899-0933 VOGEL SEED AND FERTILIZER Jackson, Wl 53037 (414) 677-2273 HAWKEYE if NITROGEN Basic sprayers are sold as skid units. Some of the options avail-able are a new spray hose, spray guns and running gear. Write 709 on reader service card Save fuel with motorless sprayer The WS-480 Grounds Wheelie, manufactured by Wheel Spray Corp., of Delafield, WI, is a liquid chemical sprayer with a unique ground driven pumping system. It is a push type motorless sprayer which does not require gasoline, batteries, cords or water hoses. Used to apply liquid fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides, insec- ticides and growth regulators, the BNI VI twin wheel pumps spray a fan of solution six feet wide at 1000 square feet per gallon. Coverage is relatively un-changed by the speed at which the sprayer is pushed. The faster it is pushed, the faster it pumps. The pumping system and the six gallon container are made of corrosive resistant materials. Write 710 on reader service card Backpack mistblower for efficient spray The Windmill 55M Back Pack Mistblower is powered by a 40cc 2-cycle engine and has a three gallon capacity spray tank. Since mistblowers deliver a fine mist, spray mixtures are concentrated 10 times stronger than in dilute type pressure sprayers. Hence, the mm backpack covers a lot of ground in a hurry and is excellent for quickly spraying an area for mosquitoes and other nuisance type insects. In spraying for lawn and garden insects one tankful covers about one acre of foundation shrubs in 15 minutes. Spray reaches 25 feet vertically and a simple nozzle adjustment allows narrowing or widening the spray beam. The narrow spray pattern is used for highest reach and deep penetra-tion into plants. The diffused or wide spray pattern delivers a gen-tler spray excellent for flowers or delicate plants. Write 711 on reader service card Sprayers built for the industry A line of lawn sprayers is available during 1981 for the lawn care industry. FMC Corporation is making available truck mounted units featuring fiberglass tanks in three different sizes. Built espe-cially for lawn spraying, they are available in 300, 600 and 1200 gallons. The Bean pump is standard on the units in either the 10 or 20 gpm size. And the units are pto or engine driven depending on the tank and pump selected. Com-pleting accessories such as warn- ing lights, tool boxes, hose reels, hose and guns are also available. The 300 gallon unit features a 10 gpm pump with water meter and Kohler engine. The unit slides into a standard pick-up truck bed. The mid-size unit, 600 gallons, fits on a one-ton truck and is available with 10 gpm Bean pump with either engine or pto power. The 1200 gallon unit bolts on a one and-a-half ton truck and comes with either a 10 or 20 gpm pump and can be engine or pto driven. All the sprayers feature full length mechanical agitation, pul-sation dampeners and the Bean adjustable relief valve. The pump features raised valve seats, ceramic cylinders and hardened valve chamber. Write 712 on reader service card Cut plant loss with accurate spray monitor The 943A Sprayer Monitor from SED Systems Inc., provides the information you need to keep spraying equipment working at its efficient best. Precision flow sen- sor mounts in line just before selector valve to measure all chemical flow to spray booms. Mud proof speed sensor can be mounted on any wheel for sure ground speed reading. The Sprayer Monitor will monitor the spraying of insecticides, pes-ticides, herbicides, and fertilizers year round on any agricultural implement for acreage, speed dis-tance and rate of working. The automatic monitor offers precise chemical distribution and minimizes plant loss. It also com- pensates for worn spray nozzles by measuring the actual flow and shows increased application rate due to nozzle wear. Features in-clude solid state electronics, large digital read-out, automatic metric conversion, stainless steel flow sensor, and universal mount. E-Z Rinse cleans containers fast Unrinsed pesticide containers can leave several dollars of residues says Phil-Worth Manufacturing. Rinse containers fast with the E-Z Rinse can rinser. Rinse plastic or metal containers of different sizes and shapes. Rinse with water or liquid nitrogen solution. Use from a hydrant at the plant or a nurse tank on the job. Rinse solutions go to page 16 Write 123 on reader service card Write 106 on reader service card AS A PROFESSIONAL YOU NEED THE BEST SOIL SAMPLING EQUIPMENT WE MAKE THE BEST: Ł No bending over. Ł Push into ground with foot. Ł Fertility sampling. Ł Turf Profiling Equipment. Ł Greens Sampler. Write for more information: Clements Associates, Inc. LC RR No. 1 Box 162A Newton, Iowa 50208 Phone: (515) 792 8285 DEPENDABLE SPRAYERS FROM DOBBINS MODEL 21165 COMMERCIAL SPRAYERS FOR FARM & INDUSTRY 65-gallon polyethylene tank. Powerful single cylinder pump. Handles all types of pesticides, herbicides, soluable fertilizers and disinfectants. Can be converted to trailer hitch mount. POLYETHYLENE TANK SPRAYERS FOR YARD AND GARDEN The Polyethylene Tank is sturdy, noncorrosive and light weight. Centrifugal pump has just one moving part. Designed to meet the budget and needs of the suburban homeowner. Ideal for fertilizing lawns, shrubs, gardens, weeds and insect control. g See your jobber or write: MASTER MANUFACTURING CO. P.O. Box 694, Sioux City. IA 51102 Call (712) 258-0108 DOBBINS SPRAYER Get more tough weeds per tcmlcf uL When you use BANVEL® plus 2,4-D, or use BANVEL 4S alone, you've got a tiger in your tank. A tiger against the toughest weeds in any turf. BANVEL 4S controls most broadfleaf weeds for a full year with one application, because it attacks them through the leaves and roots. With the roots destroyed, there's no regrowth. The combination of BANVEL and 2,4-D gives you an even broader spectrum of economical weed control. BANVEL is a full-season herbicide. Use it anytime during the growing season, early spring to late fall, warm or cool weather, wet or dry conditions. Store it over the winter; it stays stabile from season to season. Mixing quickly in hard or soft water, BANVEL can be applied with conventional spray equipment. And when you use it according to directions, it will give you the most beautiful, weed-free turf you've ever had. Ask your Velsicol distributor about BANVEL, or write now for complete information. Velsicol Chemical Corporation, 341 E. Ohio Street, Chicago, IL 60611. wmm^ä Banvel Before using any pesticide, read the label QVelsicol © Velsicol Chemical Corp.. 1980 til green w garde HEAVY-DUTY Spray Gun and Hose The Green Garde heavy-duty spray gun easily adjusts from a fine mist to long-distance jet-stream spray. Convenient trigger control locks for continuous spray, provides positive drip-free shutoff. Heavy-duty, 400-foot long hose is mar-proof chartreuse PVC and features strong braid reinforced double tube con-struction to withstand pressure to 3000 PSI. Easy-to-handle...only half the weight of a conventional hose. For complete information, write to: Encap Products Company P.O. Box 278, Mt. Prospect, IL. 60056 Phone (312) 593-6464 or Jim F. David, 318 Alta Mesa Dr., So. San Francisco, CA 94080 Write 109 on reader service card ANNOUNCING a remarkable Multi-Purpose Spreader. I- 7iJta MODEL T-7 The most advanced light weight spreader in decades. Warren's new T-7 spreads seed, fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides up to 20 feet wide with a precise accuracy that assures correct disbursements on one pass. Ł Large fingertip control knob. Ł Continuous moving interior agitator. Ł Innovative directional flow control. Ł Stainless steel and plastic heavy duty construction. Ł Enclosed and protected gear and main drive shaft. Distributor and dealerships available. Write 133 on reader service card (Adv*rtlMm«nt) TRUGREEN A Cure for Anemic Grass BY PAUL SARTORETTO, Ph.D. - W.A. CLEARY CORPORATION Your doctor tells you when your red cell count is low, you are anemic, and you need iron to build up the hemoglobin. So you take iron, but not just any kind of iron. Most often than not your prescription will read iron citrate (chelated iron). Presto! The hemoglobin count goes up; the capacity of your blood to take up oxygen and dissipate carbon dioxide increases; you are revitalized. Your pale anemic color disappears and you take on the healthy pink color as a result of the increase in red blood cells which permeate your body. Anemia is a visual phenomena It can even be spotted through the skin. There is a startling parallel between human anemia and grass anemia (commonly known as chlo-rosis). A severe case of grass anemia is evident to everyone: yellow grass caused by a drop in chlorophyll count. Whereas, hemoglobin is red, chlorophyll is green. The degree of chlorosis (grass anemia) is di-rectly proportional to the amount of chlorophyll in the plant. The biochemistry of the plant depends upon the ability of chlorophyll to take up carbon dioxide and dissipate oxygen. So, if your grass is chlorotic the good doctor prescribes iron, CHLOROPHYLL CH=CH2 R HEMOGLOBIN CH=CH CH'CH , C«2 COOPhytyl right? Wrong! The essential element in chlorophyll is magnesium. GL- HOOCCH2 Its only logical that the good doctor at W. A. Cleary has made up a prescription of magnesium citrate for your grass. But, mindful of the fact that iron plays an indirect role in the synthe-sis of chlorophyll, we have also in-corporated iron citrate into the prescription. There is one other element that has been slighted by some golf course superintendents, and that is potassium. Here are some quotes from agronomists discussing the importance of potassium: "Potassium influences root growth and foliage stiffening" "Potassium reduces water loss and wilting." To put it simply, potassium makes the grass strong, turgid, and most certainly prevents softness, limp-ness, and wilting which is often associated with lush growth. The old time superintendents, through many years of experience, have unanimously voiced the dan-gers of overfeeding which produces soft, lush grass and its many ac-companying problems. They would draw the analogy of feeding your grass like you would feed your dog. Don't overfeed but keep it lean and hungry. Whenever the color of the greens are questioned because of Write 127 on reader service card this practice, the old timer will tell you that he has lived with this light green color, and that is his criterion or test that he is feeding light. It is difficult to convince him that potassium is the key. He can have a greener green and can feed a little heavier to accomplish this provided he has the right amount of potassium to strengthen the grass. Needless to say, the prescription for good chlorophyll production should include soluble potassium. While these three important ele-ments are being chelated and blend-ed in their proper proportions, why not add important chelated trace elements, such as manganese, molybdendum, boron, and zinc. When this prescription is ready for market it should have an approp-iate name. We, at Cleary s came up with the name: TRUGREEN. How often should you use TRU-GREEN? Everytime you fill your spray tank, throw in some TRU-GREEN. Its economical, but most of all its used up by the plant con-stantly. You wouldn't take Geritol just once, would you? Once you have tried TRUGREEN, we defy you to give it up. "TRUGREEN" is not a substitute for, nor should it alter, your well-balanced fertilizer program. It is a formula that will stimulate chloro-phyll production and help "harden off" the grass during periods of high stress. Available in a case, and 55 gallon drum. 2 x V/i gallons CORPORATION SOMERSET, NEW JERSEY SPRAY PRODUCTS from page 15 directly into the spray tank. Con-tainers are punctured to prevent re-use. Special adapter for 30 and 55 gallon drums is available. Write 714 on reader service card Self-propelled sprayer is an all-purpose rig Hahn, Inc. is introducing a new self-propelled all-purpose sprayer, spreader and utility vehicle. The Spray-Pro is self-propelled (16 horsepower engine), has a three speed transmission and 160 gallon poly tank. Standard sprayer has a centrifugal pump and 15 foot boom. Its high flotation tires as-sure minimal turf loading. It is equipped with a tachometer calibrated for the speed range of each forward gear which allows for more accurate application by the experienced or inexperienced driver. Optional equipment in-cludes precision spreader for fer-tilizer, seed or lime. Utility bed creates handy 54 by 46 inch utility truck. Write 715 on reader service card Big spray with dry and liquid slurry The Finn LawnFeeder sprays granular and liquid lawn care products in slurry form. The mechanical paddle agitator and centrifugal pump, both variable speed hydraulic powered, are major features which enable the LawnFeeder to handle a wide range of lawn care products, liquid or granular. The LawnFeeder sprays four gallons of slurry per minute and most applicators treat 1,000 square feet per minute. Granular materi- als can be concentrated to rates of up to 12 pounds per 1,000 square feet with uniform suspension from the first to last gallon. Write 716 on reader service card Splash proof fiberglass tanks Baytech, Inc., a manufacturer of centrifugally cast fiberglass tanks, has released a new 48 inch diame- ter tank line with capacities of up to 1,000 gallons. In addition, tanks have a flat spot on each end to permit mounting of mechanical agitation. Tanks are used for ag-ricultural spray application equipment as well as for general chemical storage. Many sizes are available. Write 717 on reader service card Self-measuring plastic containers Measuring and dispensing con-centrated liquids and granular material in accurate portions is made simple for the user by means of a patented line of plastic con-tainers from Container Manufac- turing, Inc. Uncomplicated to use, the tip "N" measure containers provide a safe way to measure chemicals in a closed container that prevents ac- cidents or spillage and possible injury to the operator. The closed measuring head allows the user to see the amount of chemical to be used and check against the re-quired dosage before pouring. The patented four-back scale gives the added feature of safe and simple adjustments without the danger of spills during pour back. Write 718 on reader service card MARKETING IDEA FILE Do you keep your customers in the dark? As the professional lawn care industry expands year by year, the average homeowner may be confronted with a bewildering set of choices to make. Most companies provide fertilizer, herbicide, insecticide application and lawn care consultation to the homeowner who, in many cases, may not be aware of the complexity of the average service. Dr. Roger Funk of the Davey Tree Expert Company says the most frequently asked question regarding a choice between competing companies is the method of the materials' applica-tion Š liquid or dry. "Which type of application is best for the lawn over a period of time?", they might ask. And it may be a good idea to include this kind of basic information to a prospective customer in your introductory sales brochure. According to Dr. Raymond P. Freeborg, research agronomist at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, "Once the nutrients, including ammonium, nitrate, phosphorus, potash, sulfur, iron, and the necessary minor elements are in the soil solution surrounding the plant roots, whether the original source was in liquid or dry granule form, the availability of these nutrients is controlled by the soil environment." In either case, fertilizer must be dissolved in water and absorbed through the epidermis of the roots or leaves before it can be utilized by the turfgrass plant. Therefore, liquid or dry applications produce the same quality lawn, if the fertilizers are applied at the proper rate and frequency. It then comes down to the quality of the company doing the application. This is an easy point to get across. If the customer is informed of this kind of basic plant science, you can encourage his trust and solicitation. The question of proper application and the quality of the service is difficult for the homeowner to judge, particularly if he is unfamiliar with the lawn care companies servicing his area. However, the same quality guidelines used in selecting any service department or organization will help determine which lawn company can offer the greatest benefits. The customer should also be informed of the type of training and research facilities used to educate your employes to keep them abreast of new developments in the turfgrass industry. In other words, let them know if you're providing state of the art methods; they'll respect you for it, and the result may be a very satisfied customer. £ z n > S z a c C/5 H pa 2 > LEHR from page 11 objective response. If lawn care employers use the polygraph exam, they should be aware of the legislative trend against its use, and they should make sure that the individual giving the exam fol- lows proper exam procedures. (3) Questions relating to arrest and conviction records are im-portant if an individual will drive a company vehicle or will be responsible for company property. Even if states do not prohibit employers from asking these questions, frequently such ques-tions lead to equal employment problems. The EEOC has a negative at-titude about those questions be-cause statistically they disqualify a greater amount of blacks pro- portionally than whites. If the lawn care employer finds that the question is related to the job for which the individual applies, then he should ask the question. How- ever, an equal employment prob-lem will arise if he treats applic-ants differently when they have given the same answers to that type of question. Thus, if a lawn care employer wants to ask a question, then he must accept the result objectively. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT Equal Employment Opportu-nity Commission analyzed. Ac- cording to a report filed by Presi-dent Reagan's transition team, the EEOC has changed the term of "discrimination" from the mean-ing of moral equality to mean "numerical equality." Instead of following the law that calls for equal opportunity, the Reagan transition team says that the EEOC has focused on the equality of result. According to the transition team, the statutes prohibiting dis-to page 18 Richard Lehr is a lawyer in the Birmingham Jaw offices of Sirote, Permutt, Friend, Fried-man, Held 8r Apolinsky, and a frequent con- tributor to LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. VOU CAÍ1 HAVC mone V comiM OUT OP VOUR GRASS! With our exclusive PATENTED liquid and granular process for successful lawn care. if if if Or you are a landscape contractor or architect, you are degreed or licensed as a horticulturist or agronomist (not required), you are presently a technician or manager of another lawn spraying company, if you just want to own your own business, Our success can be your financial security As innovators in lawn-care, we can provide enterprising individuals with the products and know-how to cultivate a rich future. You can give your customers "two for the price of one" with our exclusive patented process. And, needless to say, IT DRIVES THE COMPETITION UP THE WALL. If you are not earning the extremely high profits you should, give me a call at 1-800-821-7700 EXT. 601 or call collect (216) 481-5000 John J. Yadouga - Director of Franchising Corporate Offices: 19506 Nottingham Rd. Cleveland, Ohio 44117 Ł Complete training and on-going assistance to insure your success Ł $18,500 required Ł 100% financing available Ł SEVERAL AREA DIRECTORSHIPS ALSO AVAILABLE ©L&M LAWNCARE 1981 m mwncRRE INTERNATIONAL, INC. TM THIS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER IN ANY STATE IN WHICH THE MAKING OF THE OFFER WOULD BE CONTRARY TO LAW. Write 117 on reader service card LEHR from page 17 crimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, and na-tional origin were never passed with the intent of favoring dis-criminatory hiring as a way to remedy prior discrimination. In making an analogy to voting rights legislation, Congress did not pass legislation giving minorities two votes because for so many years they had been deprived of one vote. The task force says that on the same basis, Congress did not pass legislation requiring employers to discriminate against non- minorities to remedy prior dis-crimination. The transition team recom-mended the following changes regarding the EEOC: Ł Affirmative action should not be an EEOC requirement, as it has absolutely no legal statutory foun-dation. Ł Instead of looking at numeri-cal results, the EEOC should con-centrate on whether or not an employer intended to discrimi-nate. Currently, intent is irrelev- ant, according to the EEOC. Ł Testing should be considered a legitimate approach for distin-guishing between two qualified candidates. The current EEOC regulations requiring data val-idating various testing procedures make testing totally unaffordable for the small businessman, such as the typical lawn care employer. Ł EEOC officers should be im-partial, which they presently do not appear to be. Furthermore, all employers should be presumed innocent, unless the evidence shows otherwise. Currently, any employer who goes to the EEOC will no doubt have an experience to relate about an apparently pro-employe EEOC procedure. UNIONIZATION AFL-CIO focuses organizing campaigns on women. At a meet-ing of the AFL-CIO Industrial Union Department and Coalition of Labor Union Women, confer- ence leaders focused on efforts to organize more employes by appe-aling to women employes. Ac-cording to the union organizers, they should identify the women's concerns and make an appeal to those concerns, which include: Ł Equal pay for equal work. Statistically, women earn 59 cents for each dollar a man earns when they are performing the same work. Ł Equal access to job training programs. Ł Arrangements relating to child care. Ł Prevention of sexual harass-ment. Ł Prevention of sexual dis-crimination in job assignments and promotions. The unions intend to stress to women workers, that many of these objectives could be remedied through collective bargaining pro-cedures. OSHA Labor Department and labeling regulations. The Reagan adminis-tration recently withdrew a regu-lation proposed on January 16 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration requiring manufacturers to specifically identify and label hazardous sub- stances in the work place. The OSHA regulations would have required specific evaluation pro-cedures, labeling requirements and records preservation regard-ing the identification of hazardous materials. According to OSHA, the hazards identification proposal would have affected 328,000 manufac-turing facilities and more than 20 million employers. Labor Secret-ary Donovan stated that with-drawing the rule will "permit a more complete analysis of a number of issues, including over-lap with other regulatory pro-grams and the preparation of a new proposal. " A plan for all seasons. Write 105 on reader service card Ihe Payroll Savings Plan is one of the easiest, safest ways to get started on the saving habit. Even if saving has always seemed too difficult in past seasons. A little is automatically taken out of each paycheck toward the purchase of U.S. Savings Bonds. \ou'll never miss it, so you'll never spend it. It just keeps growing for some coming spring, or maybe a warm vacation during a cold winter. It's a plan for all seasons. rJa,lcC * * For all Americans. _ StOckVs./ A public service of this publication ¿d and The Advertising Council. Łnumerica. The tdller the grass ...the higher we pop! a small fortune. Homeowners depend on you for the very best lawn care advice, service and products. Healthy, vigorous lawns mean healthy, vigorous sales. And that's where Daconil 2787 comes in. It's the best fungi-cide on the market because it delivers the most effective broad-spectrum disease control. A regular spray schedule with Daconil 2787 provides un-surpassed protection against the most common and most serious lawn diseases, such as Dollar spot, Brown patch, Stem rust and Copper spot...even in hot, humid weather. Daconil 2787 from Diamond Shamrock. Give your customers the best because it's best for your business. Find out more about Daconil 2787 effectiveness on turf and ornamentals. Write, Diamond Shamrock, Agricul-tural Chemicals Division, AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS DIVISION 1100 Superior Avenue, Cleve- noo Superior Avenue land, Ohio 44114. Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Diamond Shamrock From residentiol ro light commerciol turf installations, Champion hos o pop-up to do the job! When you compare rhe cost, precision construc-tion ond performance, you'll buy Champion. The 18HP (2" pop-up), the P180 (21/2m pop-up) and the 6178 Impulse pop-up are just three of over one-hundred fifty sprinklers, valves, controllers and accessories featured in the new Champion, full-color catalog. Ask for your free copy. CHAMPION SPRINKLER EQUIPMENT 1460 N. Naud St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 221-2108/(213) 223-1545 Iff you're in the business of beating lawn diseases. Daconil 2787 fungicide could be worth COST CUTTINGS £ z Should you have a pension program? Most lawn care businesses have fairly young staffs. That's only reasonable. Your personnel should be trim and energetic in order to tackle long summer hours and an expanding route schedule. But once your business grows, applicators will assume managerial positions and managers will take over executive spots. Hopefully, they can enjoy long, secure careers. But once they retire, will you be able to offer them the same security? Maybe you should think about starting a pension plan. The New York Times reports that a Bureau of the Census study found that companies with fewer than 100 employes employ 31 percent of all nonseasonal workers over 25 years old. Yet, employes of these smaller concerns represent 67 percent of all workers not covered by some type of pension program. A pension plan may be costly, but now there's help on the way. The Simplified Employe Pension, or S.E.P., is the Government's effort to make it easier for small businesses to provide retirement plans for their workers. "The program is designed to encourage small businesses to provide pension programs," said Sylvester Schieber, research director at the Employe Benefit Research Institute, a non-profit policy research group. Created as part of the Revenue Act of 1978, S.E.P.'s are relatively new and many small businesses are not aware of this retirement-program option, according to tax consultants. Sim-ply put, an S.E.P. is a cross between a pension plan and an Individual Retirement Account. Money is put into separate I.R.A. accounts for each worker, and they own it immediately. However, certain workers can be excluded from the plan. For example, those below age 25 do not have to be covered, nor do those who have worked for the company for less than three of th — previous five years. The paper work required for an S.E.P. is minimal: The employer has merely to pick up one form from the Internal Revenue Service, fill it out and distribute copies to workers. "The companies don't have to file anything with us," said Ellen Murphy, an I.R.S. public information officer. "So a great advantage is the savings and administrative costs which can be prohibitive for a small company." Maybe you should think about it. A pension plan can add both career incentive and professionalism to your business. PATENT from page 8 Example. The document ex-plains an example where a sus-pension according to the inven-tion was formed with a normally dry spreadable granular fertilizer having a nutrient ratio of 30-4-4 and containing 30 percent nitro- gen, of which 71/2 percent is water-insoluble nitrogen, four percent phosphorus and four per-cent soluble potash. The normally dry granular fer-tilizer mix material includes as nitrogen sources, 1.25 percent by weight of the entire fertilizer com- position ammonium phosphate, About 93 percent by weight of the fertilizer remains in suspension in granular form. 10.7 percent urea formaldehyde and 18.05 percent urea and other soluble organic materials. In the example, this granular fertilizer is suspended in water to the extent of 8.76 percent by weight in 100 parts of water. For convenience, this amounts to forty 15-pound bags of the normally dry-spread granular fertilizer sus-pended in 750 gallons of water in tank. The composition will dis-solve partially in water to the extent of about seven percent by weight to provide immediate act-ing nutrients for instant greening, within one to four days after application. About 93 percent by weight of the fertilizer remains in suspen-sion in granular form. This quan-tity of luspension is sufficient to fertilize 200,000 square feet of lawns. In use, the suspension is agi-tated within the tank and quickly attains a quite uniform distribu- tion of the insoluble granular particles. The granular suspension is then sprayed on a lawn. When the water solution soaks into the ground, it carries with it the soluble nutrients for quick availa-bility to the grass. The insoluble granules carrying slow-release nutrients penetrate into the root system of the lawn. EXCEL HUSTLER Infinite maneuverability within its own radius with total control in the palm of one hand! GPW-6-181 EXCEL INDUSTRIES. INC. Ł BOX 727 Ł HESSTON. KANSAS 67062 Ł (316) 327-4911 Ł (800) 635 3260 An EXCEL HUSTLER is designed for year 'round use, making it the investment that pays off in lower operating costs, superior performance and time savings. Less oper-ator effort is spent maneuvering around obstacles and on daily servicing so productivity increases. Three heavy-duty HUSTLER models are available: 1. HUSTLER 275 (20 or 23 hp gas) 2. HUSTLER 295 (25 hp gas) 3. HUSTLER 305 D (27.5 hp high efficiency diesel) Attachments for all these HUSTLER models include the new 72" 3-way offset mower deck that mulches, discharges side or rear, a 60" flail mower, 72" heavy duty deck, edger, 54" snow thrower, 60" V-blade, 60" or 72" dozer blade, 60" rotary broom, utility scoop, ROPS/Cab and more. Call toll free 1-800-835-3260, or write for information. and twin drive wheel infinite sss^sff^SrssffgísSí S3SS5S5¿ ° The choice of the Pros. £21 Turf & Grounds Equipment < S >-oc H co D a 2 s < U 2 £ AD-PROMO from page 1 the resources for expansion, a direct mail ad campaign can pin point a target area and avoid unwanted markets. Most com-panies want to eliminate low and high income groups from their mailing lists in order to develop upper middle income 'core' areas. "The wealthy and higher income groups usually go for land- scapes," says Weber. "We want to isolate the broad middle class." Other factors important in selective advertising are property value, work status, and other background factors of the target group. In Washington, D.C., a lawn care advertiser would be advised to emphasize the labor-saving as-pects of a lawn service because of the number of multiple bread winners in that area. In heavily developed ethnic neighborhoods, promotional copy should be sim- ple and to-the-point. In New Jer-sey, where many Ford workers have been laid off recently, com-petitive pricing would have to be emphasized. It all points to a cardinal rule in timate call. Once an advertiser has stimulated interest, he has opened the door for the professional follow-up at the point of sale. Mix it up. Combined with an rpTm" WE STILL HAVE SOME OLD FASHIONED IDEAS ABOUT TAKING CARE OF YOUR LAWN. CALL US FOR ALL YOUR LANDSCAPING AND MAINTENANCE NEEDS. Four Season's Lawn Care ad combines solid values with a new approach the advertising game: Know your market. Although advertising does not sell jobs, it opens the door for referrals and the all-important es-effective direct mail campaign, other less-direct advertising media may be effective. A distinctive logo or ad idea, once it has been Bookstore TURF MANAGER'S HANDBOOK by Dr. William Daniel & Dr. Ray Freeborg This specially designed manual by leading turf specialists is a comprehensive, organized approach to turfgrass science and care. An easy-on-the-job reference for planning, purchasing, hiring, construction and plant selection. $18.95 hardback $14.95 paperback Pascal P Pirone DISEASES & PESTS OF ORNAMENTAL PLANTS by Pascal Pirone This standard reference discusses diagnosis and treatment of diseases and organisms affecting nearly 500 varieties of ornamental plants grown outdoors, under glass or in the home. Easy to understand explanations of when and how to use the most effective fungicides, insecticides and other control methods. $26.50 MRCT* THAI ma INSECTS THAT FEED ON TREES AND SHRUBS by Johnson and Lyon Essential information for identifying more than 650 insect pests and the injuries they cause. More than 200 color illustrations. $38.50 TREE MAINTENANCE Pascal Pirone The fourth edition of this guide for anyone involved in the care and treatment of trees. Special sections on tree abnormalities, diagnosing tree troubles, non-parasitic injuries and assessing the suitability of different trees. $27.50 DISEASES OF SHADE TREES by Terry Tattar Because shade trees require specialized maintenance rarely used in the forest, this text seeks to aid the arborist in providing necessary care to maintain vigor and prevent shade tree diseases. An in depth look at infectious and non-infectious tree diseases. Plant pathology not necessary. $23.50 DftfflSlSOf SHflDf WIS tirf rrigatbn manual TURF IRRIGATION MANUAL by James Watkins A guidebook for engineers, architects, designers and contractors. Keeps pace with the latest developments in turf and landscape irrigation. Specific chapters devoted to rotary sprinkler design systems, golf course design systems and expanded engineering and reference material. $19.50 EW1 management TREE FARM BUSINESS MANAGEMENT by James Vardaman A guide to help you increase profits from tree farming. Major problems confronting large and small tree farms and how to meet them including recommendations for seeking out accountants, lawyers and other professionals. $20.50 GUIDE TO TREES by Simon & Schuster Beginner and experts reference to 300 trees with 350 full-color illustrations. This authoritative guide supplies you with a full description of size, color, shape, leaves, flowers, fruit and seeds; information on habitat, propagation and growth conditions PLUS a hardiness zone maps, glossary and index. $19.95 hardback $8.95 paperback ADDITIONAL TITLES TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT - $16.95 TURFGRASS SCIENCE & CULTURE Ł $22.95 WESTCOTTS PLANT DISEASE HANDBOOK $32.50 WYMAN'S GARDENING ENCYCLOPEDIA - $25.00 GARDENING IN SMALL PLACES $7.95 HOW TO GROW HEALTHY HOUSEPLANTS - $5.95 FUNDAMENTALS OF SOIL SCIENCE - $25.95 GREENHOUSE OPERATION & MANAGEMENT - $17.95 HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE $22.00 PLANT PROPAGATION $21.95 HORTUS THIRD $99.50 TREE CARE $9.00 SOILS AND OTHER GROWTH MEDIA $12.00 EXOTIC PLANT MANUAL - $37.50 HANDBOOK OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL CONSTRUCTION $48.50 SOILS & SOIL FERTILITY - $24.95 THE GREENHOUSE ENVIRONMENT - $28.95 FUNDAMENTALS OF ENTOMOLOGY AND PLANT PATHOLOGY - $21.00 MODERN WEED CONTROL Ł $16.00 DISEASES OF TURFGRASS - $27.00 TREE SURGERY Ł $17.00 TREE IDENTIFICATION - $9.00 WESTERN HOME LANDSCAPING Ł $5.95 SHRUB IDENTIFICATION $8.00 MANUAL OF WOODY LANDSCAPE PLANTS - $19.00 WEED SCIENCE $24.00 HOME LANDSCAPE $16.00 THE PRUNING MANUAL - $12.95 Mail this coupon to: Book Sales Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publications One East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802 Name Address. City . State_ . Zip. Signature. . Date. Please send me the following books. I have enclosed a check* for the total amount. Title Quantity Price Total Price #Please add $2.50 per order, and if ordering multiple copies, also add 25$ per additional copy for postage and handling costs. (postage & handling) Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. Total Enclosed LCI mailed directly, will be apt to grab the eye of a newspaper browser shuffling through the shopper ads if the same logo is used. This cross-media reinforcement can help transmit credibility if the proper forum is used. Using newspaper ads indepen-dently, however, may not provide the appropriate highlighting. Many "shoppers," "pennysavers" and "throwaways" are dense with ads that tend to bury a well-designed layout. "There's just generally page after page of monumental clutter," says Weber, "and a great deal of confusion. Direct mail, on the other hand, gives the opportunity to distin- guish yourself through the quality of the image." Among those lawn care mana-gers interviewed who use mainly direct mailings along with other types of support advertising are George Meeley of ChemTurf in Anaheim, California. "We tried fliers and throwaways," he said, "but found the return was mini-mal. With direct mail, we were able to realize up to six percent return in some areas." What with local competition from private gardeners in Califor-nia, lawn care advertisements there must distinguish the two services and sell what to many is an entirely new concept. Meeley finds that direct mailing does this best. "We don't mention the gar-deners in our brochure, but do manage to get the point across." The ChemTurf ad emphasizes that chemical lawn treatment is a concept that was successful in the East and Midwest and which they have researched and adapted for western lawns. "We'd like to put the gardener in a 'mow and go' situation," said Melley. Along with a 10 point lawn analysis offer, the brochure gives the impression of professionalism and responsi-bility. Outside factors. Once in a while local conditions such as drought thwart what was once steady and consistent business. When this occurs, advertising themes must adapt to meet the slackening de-mand. In New Jersey, A1 Rumbo, president of AJR Industries, Inc., is going with a "now more than ever" lawn care ad theme in the hopes of emphasizing the liability of water scarcity. "Our advertising concept would have been com-pletely different if drought hadn't hit us," he said. In addition, AJR Industries' ad-vertisement points out that "a well-fed lawn resists drought." Rumbo, along with other drought-stricken lawn care businessmen in the New Jersey area, are experimenting with cooperative advertising in news-paper supplements and inserts. Their literature lists members of their board of directors, among whom are some distinguished academics, in order to establish credibility during the emergency. Other lawn care companies are responding to social trends around the nation. In order to pacify environmentalists and others sen- sitive to reports of high toxicity in pesticides and weed killers, they are trying to project a less controv-ersial image. James Calderwood, in Burlington, Massachusetts, calls his company Controlled Ecology Services. "It doesn't turn people off right off the bat," he says. Earthscapes in California is another name that manages to inform without offending. But these names also serve a different function. As subtle forms of ad- vertising, they allow a lawn care company to enjoy a wide market availability. "We can go anywhere with the name," says Calderwood. "It becomes a question of what people associate us with." Means available. Creating a market is what lawn care adver-tising is all about in many parts of the country where the concept is new to the consumer. And in California and New Jersey, the marketing idea must be created with an eye to local needs. The same holds true in small, isolated communities where media acces- sibility is limited and lawn care managers have to resort to avail-able means. In Owensboro, Kentucky, Bob Meeker of Agrilawn, Inc. says that roadside billboard advertisement works best for him. "We have to utilize what we have," he says. "So far, there's been an excellent re-sponse." In the future, Agrilawn hopes to supplement their signs and billboards with some direct mailing tie-ins, but for the present, the billboards manage to grab the attention of the community. Radio spots also seem effective in smaller communities where newspaper circulation is scant and there are no mailing houses to handle a mass mail distribution. Radio affords the means to speak directly to a potential customer and to use attention-grabbing dramatization. In Crawfordsville, Indiana, where Helen Foxworthy runs Vita Green Lawn, Inc., the ad manager at a local radio station designs 15 and 30 second spots promoting her company. Using the sound of weeds popping through the ground, the ad runs three times a day and is changed for crabgrass emphasis in the spring and broadleaf weed control in the summer. FELDMANN COMBINATION TILLERŠAERATOR Ł 18" rotary garden tiller digs deep for a finely tilled seed bed Ł 15V2" power lawn aerator penetrates turf, promotes thatch deterioration, allows water, air and fertilizer to reach grass roots for lush, green lawn Ł Dependable chain drive powered by rugged, reliable 2-hp Briggs & Stratton engine Ł Light-weight, easy handling; fold-down handle for compact storage and trans-portation Feldmann Engineering and Mfg. Co., Inc. Sheboygan Falls. Wl 53085 414/467-6167 Although fairly expensive dur-ing rough times, Foxworthy finds that the return has been gratifying and that the ad manager manages "to get the point across" to the community of nearly 12,000. Prime time. Television and radio advertisement works when used in communities that are not too large. In the bigger com-munities, where three and some-times four stations serve the area, ad time is expensive and prohibi-tive to most lawn care budgets. On the other hand, when there is only one or two stations broadcasting locally, the price and coverage can be just right. Doug Columb, owner and operator of Grasshopper Lawns, Inc., in Watertown, Connecticut, finds that television ads serve his community and his needs best. The community is small enough so that he can afford the air time and he works with a team of advisers to page 25 TOOLS,TIPS,TECHNIQUES Developing a landscape maintenance business Joe Marsh, J & M Landscape Maintenance Consulting, Inc. gave these tips on developing a landscape maintenance business at a recent conference: Ł Keep good records. Paperwork can sometimes become a burden. Ł Keep contracts simple. Too often, contracts get confusing and hard to read, because they are written in "legalese." Ł Look for good employes. Good workers produce the best results. Also, maintenance contractors should look for good equipment technicians, because they can cut down on unneces- sary downtime. Ł Develop good promotional programs. These are important in obtaining new customers. They can often be developed at reasonable costs. Some examples and written descriptions of the business and of its services. Ł Plan financing. Plan sources of financing well and develop and maintain an effective accounting method. He suggested keeping profit/loss statements for each month and summary cost cards on each account. > z n > z a c C/5 H pa 2 > The Andersons (4 will pay you $50 a ton to try any of our Tee Time fertilizers with insecticide." Bob Scobee, Sales Manager Bob Scobee Now, in addition to saving time by feeding the turf and controlling insects in one applica-tion, you can save money, too. The Ander-sons will send you a rebate of $50.00 per ton or $1.00 per bag for all Tee Time fertilizers with insecticide de- livered to you between July 1, 1981 and October 16, 1981. The Andersons offers one of the broadest lines of fertilizers with insec-ticide in the industry. Carefully manufactured Tee Time fertilizers are combined with either Dursban® or Diazinon.® The effectiveness of both Dursban and Diazinon in controlling insects is widely known. And the outstanding performance of Tee Time fertilizers is well estab-lished. The various combinations of these proven performers pro-vide a full line of products Dursban* Trademark of Dow Chemical Co. the professional can rely on for unbeatable results, time after time. To get your rebate, all you have to do is complete the Proof of Purchase Rebate Certifi- cate presented to you by your distributor at the time of delivery. Mail it along with a copy of the bill of sale or bill of lading to Bob Scobee, Sales Manager, The Andersons' Lawn Fertilizer Division. All rebate requests must be postmarked no later than November 16, 1981. Your rebate check will be mailed promptly Š it's that simple! If your present supplier does not carry The Diazinon* TVademark of Ciba-Geigy Andersons' Tee Time products, call us toll-free or write and we'll give you the name of your nearest distributor. You'll be glad you did. the professionaTs partner Andersons Lawn Fertilizer Division P.O. Box 119 Maumee, Ohio 43537 Ohio: 800-472-3220 Outside Ohio: 800-537-3370 Write for information on other Models Model WIPE OUT GRUB PROBLEMS WUHPROMOL PROXOLWORKS Kills.white grubs, sod webworms, cutworms and armyworms on contact. Proven results for many years by golf course professionals to meet their precise insect control needs. NO ODOR Proxol produces no unpleasant odor to offend customers. PENETRATES THATCH Readily penetrates thatch to concentrate in the soil at the zone of larval activity. ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND Proxol does not produce a long-term residual buildup. At recommended rates it controls principal damage-causing insects as listed on the label without significantly affecting beneficial insects. LOW CONCENTRATIONS Proxol is effective at 11/2 oz. to 3% oz. per 1,000 sq. ft. for cutworms and sod webworms. 3% oz. per 1,000 sq. ft. is requiredior grubs. TUCO Division of The Upjohn Company USE IN A PROGRAM Proxol is highly soluble in water. Easily applied with conventional ground equipment. Can be tank mixed with other non-alkaline pesticides. Low effective rates offer economy. CONVENIENT 2 and 5 lb. packages make measurement easy. Eliminates waste. READILY AVAILABLE Over 150 U.S. distributors and 8 regional TUCO Distribution Centers assure convenient product availability. ACTI-DIONE A TUCO broad spectrum fungicide, long used by golf course professionals, to stop turf disease problems before they start. TOLL-FREE INFORMATION For product availability and information just call: Outside Michigan 1-800-253-8600 Inside Michigan (collect) 0-616-323-4000. AD-PROMO from page 21 on how to get maximum effect from the time allotted. Combined with a hard-sell di-rect mailing, television advertise-ments can assure almost total ad coverage of a chosen target group. Columb says he is going with a newspaper ad back-up and will sink at least 15 percent more dollars into his ad campaign this year because of the condition of the economy. "A lot of guys are tightening up their ad budget this year," he says, "but we're thinking positively." lardmastef Yardmaster's 5 for 4 special offer The man who designs Grass-hopper's television commercials is Mike Watt, vice president of Media Direct, Inc., in Bristol, Connect- icut. Watt believes that in a self- contained community, television spots can be highly effective. "Television gives you the high profile," he says. "It legitimizes your service and is in itself a stamp of quality if it's done right." The Grasshopper spots run six times a week from the beginning of March, increasing in frequency to eight, 12, and 18 spots per week until peak season. The commercial shows a rich, green lawn and asks the viewer: "How would you like your lawn to look like this?" An army of people, says Watt, then appear and demonstrate the vari-ous stages of the Grasshopper lawn care treatment. "There's a lot of activity," he says, "along with a cross-media plug about the Grass-hopper brochure." Watt says that a heavy direct mailing campaign in conjunction with a short flight of television spots is probably the most effective promotion combination. He rec-ommends those in the Midwest and southern markets to investi-gate the possibility of using tele-vision as the costs are probably less expensive than in the West and Northeast and the return can be satisfying when followed up with other ad forms. Saturation point. When a com-pany is firmly established and has reached the outer limits of its local market, it obviously becomes un-necessary to bombard the home- owner with introductory sales brochures. When this is the case, news-paper ads on a weekly basis may be just the right ticket. Jim Sackett, president of Evergreen Lawn Care, Inc., in Troy, Ohio, says he's in an established market and uses a simple three by three inch dark-bordered ad in the local paper that says simply, "Prevent Crabgrass Š Call Today." With new housing starts slowing, he feels this is adequate. "We stress simplicity," he says. "Most ads have too many small words and try to be too clever. You want an ad that's clean and easy to read." Although conceding that direct mail is probably the most effective method of advertising, Sackett believes that it all depends on the market you're going into. "Some day we'd like to not have to advertise at all," he says. Customer idea book from Barefoot Well, some do, some don't. A residential lawn care service is forced by sheer volume of poten- 25 tial customers to use some form of media representation to reach them. But many in the commercial > lawn care field find that they have < to spend very little on a glossy ad n promotion. Says Mike Gopiela, ^ owner of Landscape Consultants £ in Dearborn, Michigan, "We work 2 for a clique of apartment owners ^ and usually rely on word-of- ^ mouth. As a result, we spend next * to nothing on advertising." Whispering campaign. When all is said and done, whether in the commercial or residential lawn j care business, most agree that ^ word-of-mouth is the best form of g advertising available. All the ^ hard-sell gimcrackery in the world is no substitute for the personal recommendation of a satisfied ac-count. Richard Ritenour, owner of Custom Lawn Care in Butler, Pennsylvania, uses direct mail but says that "it's surprising how to page 26 HERE ARE 12 REASONS WHY LESCOSAN* 3.6G + FERTILIZER ¿¡fa. WORKS FOR YOU. ^Sgfr Lescosan 3.6G + Fertilizer Controls Crabgrass More Effectively Š than any other pre-emergence herbicide Š because it has more granules per square foot than any other herbicide-fertilizer combination. -and costs less than most other pre-emergence products. Lescosan 3.6G + Fertilizer Controls Crabgrass and Feeds Longer Š than any other pre-emergence herbicide. Š because this 18-5-9 fertilizer product contains slow-release nitrogen, LESCO Sulfur-Coated Urea of course, for sustained feeding. Lescosan 3.6G + Fertilizer Can Be Applied With Confidence Š because it is virtually dust-free. Š because it has uniform granules size for even application. Š because Lescosan is labeled for all turf-type grasses including bents. Lescosan 3.6G + Fertilizer Is The Newest of Four Convenient Forms of Lescosan. Š Lescosan + Fertilizer provides crabgrass control and sustained fertilization. Š Lescosan 4E is competitively priced, an emulsifiable concentrate not a wettable powder for ease in mixing and application. Š Lescon 7G has a 12/24 mesh size. -Lescosan 12.5G has a 20/40 mesh size. Call Barb and ask her to 10 *Lescosan (Betasan-registered TM Stauffer Chemical Co.) The patented ChemLawn Gun. The best gun in the business have a salesman contact you to take your order. (800) 321-5325 Nationwide (800) 362-7413 In Ohio LESC# PRODUCTS Division of Lakeshore Equipment & Supply Co. 300 South Abbe Road, Elyria, Ohio 44035 (216)323-7544 MONEYWISE < S >« oc H c/3 D Q z u z £ 3 The check is in the mail When the cost of goods and services rises during periods of peak inflation, other, less apparent costs tend to ride the turbulence upward. You might say these intangible costs are the price of inflation. Among these could be listed the cost of borrowing, the cost of investment, and the cost of making business agreements. One such agreement the lawn care businessman relies on is the 30-day pay back system to suppliers. During rough times this period may be stretched or inflated to 60 or even 90 days depending on the financial position of the debtor. "Everyone is living off the trade debt," Steve Tsengas, president of APSCO Inc., told Business Week magazine. Suppliers are most uncomfortable when their slow-paying customers don't communicate with them. The next worse sin is untruths, including the biggest of all: "Your check is in the mail." Most accounts receivable clerks know how to count, and when a supposedly mailed check doesn't arrive in two weeks, they lose faith that it was mailed in the first place. One last-resort play ploy that sometimes works in times of serious troublp is to change controllers. The new one then says to the trade: I'm new here, and it's going to take me a couple of weeks to get adjusted." That tack may buy enough time for the company to arrange outside financing, increase sales, or spin off an asset to generate cash. But even the most wily controllers are second guessed. "We sometimes charge extra to a customer we know is going to take longer to pay," says Harry Stalford of International Seed in Halsey, Oregon. "It's in the nature of the business." On the other hand, suppliers aren't interested in bullying their accounts into handing over the money. Especially in the lawn care industry, where many businessmen work closely with their suppliers, the pay back period can be adjusted to mutual advantage. "We can't treat them that way," says Stalford. "We have to be able to work with them. It's part of our service." Most creditors will work with the businessman who discusses the cash flow crisis openly, who sets reasonable payment dates and meets them (or at least makes partial payments on the agreed dates), and who keeps the creditor informed on the progress of the work-out plan. AD-PROMO/rom page 25 referral rather than hard advertis-ing moves business." Ritenour has his name on his truck and sees every prospective account personally before work on their lawns begins. He relies on the personal touch to convince cus-tomers that he isn't interested in the quick pay-off. He believes that a lush appearance will sell more jobs than any paper flier ever will. In order to avoid fall-out from angry environmentalists, he uses no negative words in his signs and posters, but instead words like "control" and "helps" to em-phasize a positive approach. "It's not good to promise too much," he said. The general agreement on the effectiveness of referral and word-of-mouth promotion echoes the words of Stan Weber when he said that "Advertising does not sell the job, all it does is to help get the estimate." Lawn care adver- tising is a service that tends to sell itself if done properly. Reviewing the several ap-proaches taken by lawn care com-panies across the country, most follow a pattern established by the latest in advertising technology. All are especially suited to the area and market that the company serves. In some areas, conditions have forced different emphasis and tactics. Others haven't changed or have little desire to do so. In every case, changes have been made or are being planned. Remember, advertising is the art of persuasion, but the style is up to you. Some markets require only a gentle nudge or a soft sell ap- proach; others are harder to win over and may call for a more aggressive campaign. Above all, your method must be determined by what might be called the social landscape of your market area. This is the sum of all its haphazard parts, whether it means income, industry, lifestyle, local events, or, especially this year, what the weather's like. But credibility is the key. Whether it is achieved by a broad-based ad coverage using a number of different media, or whether a modest approach is maintained, supported by personal follow-up, results are what matter. Š Paul McCloskey FOR LITERATURE ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW THE LABEL FOR ROUNDUP. Roundup* is a registered trademark of Monsanto Co. RCJP-SP1-111D © Monsanto Co. 1981 CALL TOLL-FREE 1-800-621-5800 In Illinois. 1-800-972-5858. One man with Roundup in a backpack sprayer can handle many weed control jobs that once took several people. General weed control. Edging. Trimming. Small renovation jobs. RoundupK herbicide helps make all of these a one man job. Sprayed on the foliage of tough, actively growing weeds, Roundup goes right down to the roots, controlling the entire plant. Treated weeds won't grow back. So there is less need for repeat treatments, mowing and hand weeding. Nothing works like Roundup. One man can do the work of several, and in less time. This can mean a savings for you in time, labor and maintenance costs. Reach for Roundup today, and put your own one man army to work. Monsanto DILEMMA from page 1 Turfgrass Conference, Burton, president of Lawn Medic in Be-rgen, New York, took action. In a paper he delivered on the "Pes-ticide Dilemma Š Updated Perspective," he commented on the methods his attackers used to subvert the facts, create public fear and control legislation on pes-ticide use in the lawn care indus-try. All chemicals are bad. Without denying that pesticide opponents were sincere in their effort to protect the public from harmful poisons, Burton said that the myth most detrimental to the industry is that "all chemicals are bad. Natural organic materials are pre-ferred, from the growing and pro-cessing of the food we eat, to natural biological controls for dis-ease and pests." Hand in hand with this idea is the fancy that incidents where pesticides have harmed individu-als are general and commonplace. "There's a growing consensus that pesticides are poisonous, and that poisons in any form or amount should not be tolerated," Burton said. Burton believes that the public has been "spooked," that their fears are irrational, and that mis-information is being telegraphed with alarming regularity. De- scribing this process, he said that the public believes "there is a built-in 'time bomb' effect inhe-rent in the long term toxicity of pesticides. The lawn care industry is one of a number of pesticide interests around the country who have been targeted by their adversaries as hazardous to public welfare. But there are others. Burton mentioned the widespread belief that "man- ufacturers are concerned only with profits and have no regard for the environment." The federal government, acting as official arbiter of all environ-mental impact conflicts, seems to be suffering legal whiplash from being hard hit by both sides in the conflict. But, says Burton, the prevailing notion is that "the government is not doing enough to restrain pesticide manufacturers and users." The long term effects. If the popular currency of these ideas is sustained, Burton predicts grave consequences for both industrial interests and the national well being. The industry can expect "greatly increased costs of de-veloping new pest controls and thus a reduction in the number of firms involved in pesticide re-search," he said. In the government sector, fre-quent chemical tresspass litigation will "greatly expand bureaucracy at all levels, with the cost of regulation skyrocketing. An added effect will be increased workman's compensation and general liabil- ity insurance claims registered. These hidden costs will be as-tronomical." Along with hidden costs will spring hidden irony. If efficient pesticides are prohibited, less effi-cient pesticides will be sprayed, resulting in actually "more pes- ticides being used." Burton main-tains that environmentalists may be dismayed at the results. "The cost of food and fibre will shoot up," he said, "resulting in mal-nutrition, losses in the economic balance of a payments from food exports, and finally, a forced busi-ness recession." Take political action. Burton urged everyone that might be affected by over-regulation of vital pesticides to do their part in becoming familiar with pesticides and the controversies surrounging their use. "Preach judicial use of pesticides," he said, "and be fully aware that many pest controls do pose hazards. When used prop-erly, however, they have great benefits with a minimal risk. It's the same with aspirin Š too much can kill you." Prejudiced opinion can be de-feated if the defense is thorough in its research and equable in debate, Burton contends. "Don't blindly defend all pesticides," he said. "Show an awareness that pes-Burton believes that the public has been "spooked," that these fears are irrational, and that misinforma-tion is being telegraphed with alarming regularity. The public oelieves there is a built-in "time-bomb99 effect inherent in long-term pesticide toxicity. ticides will eventually outlive their usefulness and may pose an unacceptable hazard. Explain to others that pesticides are different, and just because one may not be suitable for use, it does not mean all pesticides are the same." Burton advised all pesticide users to indoctrinate themselves and their employes on pesticide knowledge: "Handle, store, and apply pesticides according to your local, state and federal laws. Pro-per application follow-up can only give pesticide opponents less clout during litigation." Burton suggested that a government liaison committee be formed to keep in contact with state agencies and legislative bodies dealing with pesticide matters. "Ask to be informed of impending rules and regulations," he said. "Obviously we want to have some input into the forming of any new rules, regulations or laws." Burton suggested that each pes-ticide user keep in contact with the Professional Lawn Care Associa- tion of America and Associated Landscape Contractors of America in order to strengthen political drive. And finally, while noting to page 28 S: z n > 2 > tí!» no Mfnui* » tmn T IB Ł i tRWUUUD FO* LOOlJOtt CMUIg»}1 g *"WM«0 fi» foe* s«l CoÑwÍtOv ** JJmMlO fOR LOCA SOU CONDITIO* »ORWUTto f(W loin softly ^ KMULATtO m LOCAI SOU COTOll*^ ' níMÜU,,° ,o"i0cu son cowrie. o fOR LOCAI soil C0N0I1WHI ^Woro*^^ m fc*. — ***** KO (OR LOCAI SOIL CWM^ Ml0 LOR LOCMJOIL «VJMUI, - ^OFÉSSIONAL 0 TO» LOCAL me I Fertilize/ IM^^HTE^ I UJCOSAN1 $G Ł You'll love scosan Mr «un? -^Rt**' o«-^ mmM jÉ i P I p MOU * ^ co Š ŁfMAHD FOR 10CU som L ^V "" ' J T ^ Ł i J y-*- If ttìB vota«*«*011 ISSwMtMoflBfso» COWIKT^^TàSmUT^' ¿'»WofM,^, , m * ** ü toMùntl ^TUIWVIWIÄW FOR LOCK SOIL C¡ /omuiAUD m IOKUIHITÍD löR l Ol H SOU C ^MUIAÎIO voavVOtt CONDII»' ^^ V0RMUIATK SOU COHWW VORWUlATfD SOUOOWH' V-ESC L «will PROFESSIONAL Juif Fertilizer PROFE^vo^AI Jua¿ FetW\\m It SCO s Al ) Ł SOU Í0VÍ Ł M SOU CO' : JBBKMMHMMMMBI B 1 »*» M»J W I Ł\\tim J Lescosan* (Betasan-registered trademark of Stauffer Chemical Co.) Write 119 on reader service card-(800) 321 -5325ŠNationwide (800) 362-7413ŠIn Ohio A Family of Fin« Products Lescosan 12.5G Š LescoreneŠLeseo 4ŠLescoborŠ Lescopor Š Lescopex Š Leseo Non-Selective HerbicideŠLeseo MSMAŠLeseo Thirom 75WŠLescozyme Š Lakeshore Chinch Bug & Sod Webworm Control. LESC^ PRODUCTS Division of Lakeshore Equipment & Supply Co. 300 South Abbe Road, Elyria, Ohio 44035 (216)323-7544 DILEMMA from page 27 that these were institutional goals, he offered some advice on what each user could do to promote pesticide tolerance at the commu- nity level: Ł Establish just which materials are harmful. It's better not to talk about chemicals Š it leaves a bad taste with many people. Ł Ask your community leaders to consult with their agricultural college, experiment stations, and United States Department of Agri-culture for information and guid- ance. Ł Determine what are natural pests in your area, and the materi-als needed to correct them. Of the materials needed to correct a given situation, choose those that are safest to apply and have the least residual harm. Ł Ask that an advisory council be established to assist in "making the rules and policing the situa- tion. You, as part of the industry should be on this council, as should interested lay people." Burton concluded by saying: "Operate your business with careful respect to handling all pesticides Š make every effort to fully comply with all existing rules and regulations. And the more you know about pesticides, the better we all are." Š Paul McCloskey ADS from page 1 survey conducted by the magazine. This figure represents an average of 2.9 percent of the annual grosses of the companies surveyed. By far the single most popular form of advertising was Yellow Pages ads, which were used by 67 percent of the sample population. The next most popular form was newspaper ads, followed closely by personal calls, phone solicita- tion and direct mail, pegging 44, 35, 32 and 31 percentage points respectively. In a similar survey conducted last year, readers of the magazine again most frequently bought Yellow Pages advertisements at an average cost of $993, and similarly used newspaper ads, personal calls, direct mail, and phone sol- icitation in order of preference. Given the cost of television air time and the number of expensive metropolitan markets served by the industry, television ads rated the least most frequently used medium, with only four percent of those surveyed subscribing. Tele- vision advertisement seems to be on the rise in smaller communities where there is only one local station, according to one adver-tising executive, but as yet are not popular enough to register sub- stantial gains over other more established forms. Surprisingly enough, radio was used by only 16 percent of those surveyed in 1980, the same figure reported by an earlier survey and equal to those using door hanger brochures and other forms of direct ad distribution. Nine percent of those surveyed reported using no advertising. This group may most likely be those lawn care services restricted to industrial and commercial ac-counts, where word-of-mouth and an established reputation seems to serve as the best promotion. The results of this survey are based on a 53.6 percent response to 500 questionnaires mailed to read-ers of Lawn Care Industry last year. For a copy of the survey, contact: Bob Earley, Editor/Publisher, Lawn Care Industry, 757 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. COUNT ON IMITRO-26 PLUS 1 Week 2 Weeks 3 Weeks 4 Weeks 5 Weeks 6 Weeks 7 Weeks 8 Weeks 9 weeks 10 weeks III U A Liquid Nitrogen fertilizer solution. A Combination of controlled release nitrogen (slow release) and free nitrogen for quick green up. INIITRO-S6 PLUS C P Chemical Co .lnc.. 39 Westmoreland Avenue White Plains. N Y 10606 (914) 428-2517 Write 104 on reader service card Hann spray-pro 15-ft. 3-section folding boom for Wk ft. coverage. Spray fungicide, herbicide, insecticide, liquid fertilizer. 160 gal. polytank, jet agitation, centrifugal pump. High flotation tires and 4-wheel design protects turf. Only half the PSI of other utility trucks and sprayers. Optional SPREADER, UTILITY BED, HAND GUN Some Dealerships available. Telephone (812) 428-2025. Accurately spreads 1000 lbs. sand over 3000 sq. ft. in two minutes. Spreads fertilizer, seed, lime 20 to 45 ft. swath. Building self-propelled sprayers for 33 years. Hahn AG/TURF DIVISION 1625 N. Garvin St. Evansville, IN 47711 Write 114 on reader service card Embark* Plant Growth Regulator Distributor Locations California Mover Chemical Co. ban Jose Santa Ana Target Chemical Co. Cerritos Fresno San Jose Van Waters and Rogers San Jose Los Angeles San Diego Wilbur-Ellis Co. Chula Vista Santa Fe Springs Fresno Woodland Colorado Balcom Chemical Inc. Greeley Florida Southern Agricultural Insecticides, Inc. Palmetto Georgia Regal-Chemical Co. Alpharetta Illinois Chicago Toro Drake-Scruggs Equip. Inc. Decatur Turf Products, Ltd. West Chicago Indiana The Daltons Inc. Warsaw Iowa Big Bear Equipment Des Moines Davenport Kansas Champion Turf Equipment Wichita Kentucky George W. Hill & Co. Florence Ky. Maryland Commercial Lawn Services Inc. Rockville Cornell Chemical & Equip. Linthicum Heights Massachusetts Richey and Clapper Co. Natick Michigan Lawn Equipment Corp. Novi W. F. Miller Co. Birmingham Minnesota Minnesota Toro Minneapolis Turf Supply Co. St. Paul Missouri Beckmanns Turf Chesterfield Champion Turf Kansas City Nebraska Big Bear Equipment Omaha New Jersey Andrew Wilson Inc. Mountainside New York Agway Inc. Syracuse Green Spaces Yonkers J & L Adikes Jamaica North Carolina So. Agricultural Insecticides Inc. Hendersonville Boone Ohio Chemi-Trol Chemical Co. Gibsonburg Lakeshore Equipment & Supply Elyria Oregon Van Waters & Rogers Portland Wilbur Ellis Portland Pennsylvania Farm and Golf Course Supply Philadelphia Lawn and Golf Supply Pheonixville Miller Chemical Hanover Rhode Island Old Fox Chemical East Providence Texas Chemical & Turf Specialty Dallas Van Waters & Rogers Dallas Houston Utah The Steve Regan Co. Salt Lake City Virginia Wilson Feed and Seed Richmond Washington Van Waters and Rogers Kent Seattle Wilbur-Ellis Co. Seattle Spokane Wisconsin Reinders Bros. Inc. Elm Grove Canada Velsicol Corp. Mississauga, Ontario Hawaii Hawaiian Ag. & Fert. Co. Waipahu Write 129 on reader service card Northrup King turf gets trampled, torn, squashed,and scuffed and it still looks great. But thats not news to you. The days when turf just laid around looking pretty are long gone. Now your turf has to be pretty Šand pretty tough, too. Tough enough to take all kinds of wear and still go on looking terrific. That's just why so many pros like you specify turf seed from Northrup King. For years, Northrup King has given pros all they needŠlow maintenance varieties, winter hardy blends, special mixes for specific geographic problems, and expert help in selecting the right one. And no matter what Northrup King turf seed the pros uset they get turf that's good looking and hard working. Find out more about quality turf seed from Northrup King. Talk to your Northrup King representative or distributor. Or talk to someone with great looking turf. Northrup King Co., P.O. Box 959 Minneapolis, MN 55440 Ł Ł Write 125 on reader service card CONFESSIONS from page 1 Wright starts out the article by writing: "In 1975 and 1976,1 drove a tank truck and sprayed lawns with chemicals, including the phenoxy herbicides 2,4-D and silvex. My company, Funk Lawn Co., thoroughly doused Buffalo and the surrounding area, including Niag- ara Falls and Lewiston. Funk told its workers nothing about the harmful effects of these chemicals, although many studies have al-ready drawn alarming conclusions about them. "We were told the spray was so safe you could practically drink it," she continued. "Spraying the herbicide silvex, we advised par-ents to keep pets and children off the lawn 'for a few hours/ " Silvex has since been banned for use on lawns and elsewhere. She continued the article, writ-ing: "At Funk, production was first, "Suburban customers were easily duped by a false air of professionalism . . . the hustle was to suck them into a program. . safety last. With no special gear and sloppy monitoring of employe chemical use, we sprayed in high winds, poisoned gardens, occa- sionally murdered grapevines and rose bushes, but mostly eliminated dandelions and other broadleaf weeds from lawns. That was the job. "Suburban customers were eas-ily duped by a false air of profes- sionalism ('Yes sir, I recommend a full-spectrum broadleaf weed control with at least one soil conditioner in spring or fair)," she wrote. "The hustle was to suck them into a program of at least four sprays (out of a maximum of six) averaging $30 to $100 per spray. Our customers, including churches, homes, factories, schools and businesses, could get up to four annual doses of 2,4-D and silvex, year after year." She then went into a lengthy discussion of the effects of 2,4-D, citing various studies. At least one New York lawn care businessman has said that her discussion was less than balanced. She concluded the article by writing: "Governor Carey signed a bill June 23, 1980 which created a panel to investigate dioxin-related herbicides and their victims, a study lauded as the nation's first. However, victims of Agent Orange, whether Vietnam vete-rans, toxic waste site neighbors, or agricultural neighbors like myself are understandably cynical of RADNOR VALLEY SLICED TWO-THIRDS OFF CREEKBANK MOWING BILLS, - ' v * J v# > . Ł J. * V c s : Ł ? * t M Mark Curtin Superintendent Radnor Valley Country Ask you' iQcaf distributor for EMBARK plant growth regulator. And this season bank on fewer mowings. V t Agricultural Products '3M 223-6 SE IM Pontor iiaouun wi ii iv/'vvoi. ^^ _ 22J6'SE Ask you - Iqcai distributor for EMBARK plant growth Cm QrIf^ <Ł H* ?m Center regulator. And this season bank on fewer mowings. tl I lUCll l\ \ < 3M HEARS YOU. Plant Growth Regulator s1 t^e^U COM ' " ' Ł v' ' > v ? ' Ł 'I'lMP'" '-K I Ł i ' f I ' w mz studies the Environmental Protec-tion Agency is ordering chemical companies to conduct on 2,4-D. "From the first 'cancellation/ the government took nine long years to partially ban 2,4,5-T and silvex," she wrote. "Looking up and down weed-killer aisles at local garden stores, I don't know what it will take to ban 2,4-D, but I don't think we have nine years to do it." CORPORATIONS Harvester sells lawn line to Cub Cadet Corp. International Harvester's Ag-ricultural Equipment Group an-nounced it has signed an agree-ment to sell its line of lawn and garden tractors to Cub Cadet Cor- poration, a newly-formed sub- sidiary of MTD Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a producer of outdoor power products. International Harvester would continue to market Cub Cadet lawn and garden tractors and offer service and parts support through its organization of more than 2,000 agricultural equipment dealers in North America. "The Cub Cadet line is stronger today than ever before, and we feel this decision will benefit both companies as well as the dealers," said Robert L. Lee, general man- ager of this International Harvester business segment. "The company has allocated substantial resources to improve its lawn and garden equipment in recent years and to improve support to dealers," he said. "International Harvester and Cub Cadet Corporation share a committment to continue that growth in the future." The buyer, Cub Cadet Corpora-tion, would manufacture the small tractors at its Brownsville, Ten-nessee plant. Cub Cadet would build the basi-cally identical product now man-ufactured by International Har- vester. JJ3M Lawiiicare Increase Sales & Advertise Your Business 9 Years Promotional Experience & 15 Years in the Law near e Industry Ł famous Westwind jackets Ł hats Ł vinyl custom decals Ł custom printed tee shirts Ł imprinted specialties Ł door hanger ORDER RAIN GAUGE NOW! as advertised last month Introductory offer Custom 2 color printed tee shirt to help promote the Lawncare Industry. Front (IT'S YOUR LAWN) with scene Back (AND WE CARE) Send $5.99 + $1.00 postage Call or write for quantity price ? z n > z a c C/3 H ?a H-2 > M-(C 00 rj'i BEHIND THIS ISSUE < 2 >« oc H C/3 D Q 2 i < U 2 £ < I'm a figure filbert from way back, and here are some lawn care ones for you to chew on. As you can see in this month's "Inside the Industry," we have identified at least 29 chemical lawn care companies that grossed more than one million dollars in 1980. We also listed another 74 companies that grossed between $250,000 and one million dollars. This is an incomplete listing, but most of the major chemical lawn care companies in the country are included. To try to do some kind of comparison between 1979 and figures for last year, I compared statistics from 17 companies that were included in both surveys. ChemLawn was not part of this comparison, but the 17 companies collectively grossed $41.94 mil-lion in 1979 on service to 298,000 customers. This comes down to an average yearly sale of $140.74 per customer. One year later, these same 17 companies were grossing $50.81 million on service to 344,000 customers. These figures compute to an average increase of 21.2 percent in gross sales, along with a 15.4 percent increase in customers. When I did this exercise last year comparing 1978 with 1979 for select com-panies, the percentages were 31 percent up in gross sales, and 22 percent up in customers. So it would seem that growth in the industry is tapering off somewhat from the boom years of the late 1970's, but still going along at a healthy clip. The average yearly sale per customer this past year was $147.71, an increase of $6.97, or five percent. Again, these figures are for only 17 chemical lawn care companies, but the percentages seem to hold up with what our other LAWN CARE INDUSTRY surveys have been showing about recent growth of the industry. One last note on the survey of the largest companies in the industry. Only 103 com- panies are represented here. We have a circulation of 13,000, about 45 percent of which are chemical lawn care companies. If you feel you have a place on this list, drop us a line, and we will be happy to give you the recognition you deserve. U My Get the right pressure at the nozzle... Go Hypro all the way! Big jobs or small jobs you need steady, reliable pressure at the nozzle. You get it with Hypro sprayer pumps and accessories: pressure for long discharge lines, for compact portable units, for fine spray or steady stream. That means time savings and applica-tion precision that can help you make more money. And Hypro dependability keeps your sprayer on the job, season after season. Get the facts. See your Hypro dis-tributor or write us today. Hypro High Speed Centrifugal Pumps. Belt driven. Models available for hydraulic, gear or engine drive, too ^ Capacities to 130 gpm ^m Pressures to 170 psi. Speeds to 6000 rpm. Hypro Piston Pumps. The Series 5900 20 gpm at 500 psi-plenty of output for proper agitation Other Hypro piston pumps with capacities ^to 25 gpm Hypro offers a complete selection of sprayer accessories: gauges, strainers, agitators, ball valves and couplings, and a full line of valves and fittings. Send for your free Hypro catalog now. A DIVISION OF LEAR SIEGLER INC 319 Fifth Ave NW. St. Paul. MN 56112 Ł (612) 633-9300 pr bl: CLASSIFIED RATES: 40« per word (minimum charge, $15). Bold face words or words in all capital letters charged at 60* per word. Boxed or display ads charged at $40 per column inch (one inch minimum). Agency commissions will be given only when camera-ready art is irovided by agency. For ads using "ind box number, add $5 to total cost of ad. Send ad copy with payment to Dawn Anderson, LAWN CARE IN-DUSTRY, 1 East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802. BOX NUMBER REPLIES: Mail box number replies to: LAWN CARE IN-DUSTRY, Classified Ad Department, 120 W. 2nd St., Duluth, MN 55802. Please include box number in address. FOR SALE Used spray trucksŠChevy, 750 gallon tanks, automatic hose reels, mechani-cal agitation. Limited quantity. Call (513) 845-0517. s/ai 900 gallon Finn hydroseeder. Trailer mountedŠincludes reel. Excellent condition. $8,500. Zionsville, Indiana. 317-873-5937 or 317-873-5231. George. 5/8i HELP WANTED Experienced Lawn Technician. Ex-cellent opportunity for person experi-enced in chemical lawn care. New company with growing pains. Excel-lent promotion possibilities. Salary, bonus, benefits. Send resume and salary requirements for further infor-mation. All inquiries held in complete confidence. Tuckahoe Lawn Care, P.O. Box 27, Slocum, RI 02877. n L.C. ManagersŠSun Belt AreaŠ Growth-oriented lawn care company opening multiple offices throughout the Sun Belt area, looking for Mana-gers and Manager Trainees. Submit resume and salary requirements. All replies held confidential. Write LCI BOX 51. 5/81 LAWN CARE MANAGER for our Pittsburgh operation. Must have some previous management experience in lawn care. Excellent salary and bene-fits plus bonus tied in to growth in excellent opportunity to grow with us. Write or call home office for further information. KAPP'S GREEN LAWN, INCORPORATED, 2605 Alma Drive, Ft. Wayne, IN46809. 219-747-2096.5/81 HELP WANTEDŠDenver based chemical lawn care company looking for ambitious, hard-working career minded individuals for our young, growing company. Competitive salaries and fringe benefit packages offered for many areas in the Rocky Mountain region this spring. Send resumes to Evergreen Lawns, 1950 Chambers Rd., Aurora, CO 80011 or call (303)344-8757. s/si Irrigation specialist for Massachusetts landscape firm. Experience a must. Excellent opportunity to join growing firm. Excellent salary & future for qualified person. Send resume and salary history to Mark Forge, Green Carpet Landscape, 161 Washington St., Worcester, MA 01610. 5/ai MISCELLANEOUS Increase your profits this year with "Garden Tips", the monthly customer newsletter with your company name/ phone. Proven response . . . cements customer relations, gets them to spend more, opens new doors expertly in new expansion areas. Low cost, effec-tive profit building. Call today 516-538-6444, we'll send complete infor-mation or write: Garden Tips, Box 117, Garden City, NY 11530. TF NEW/THE WICK-IT WEEDKILLER. Lightweight hand-held wick applicator. Low herbicide usage. Johnsongrass and other weeds grow-ing among desirable plants. $24.95 plus $2.00 for handling. Send for brochure. Plant Production, Rt. 7, Box 441 E., Forth Worth, Texas 76119. s/ai KELWAY® SOIL ACIDITY TESTER, used by PROFESSIONALS nation-wide. Direct reading, lightweight, portable, fully serviceable, no power source. Model HB-2 reads moisture too. Available through distributors. For brochure contact Kel Instruments Co., Inc., Dept. T, P.O. Box 1869, Clifton, N.J. 07015. 201-471-3954. TF ADVERTISERS Allied Chemical Corp 6 The Andersons 21 BASF Wyandotte Corp 8 C.P. Chemical Co 28 Champion Brass 18 Cleary Chemical 16 Clements Associates 15 Diamond Shamrock 18 Dow Chemical Co 2, 3 Encap Products Co 16 Excel Industries 19 E-Z Rake, Inc 7 FBC Chemicals, Inc 31 Feldmann Engineering 21 Hahn, Inc 28 Hawkeye Chemical Co 14 Hypro Div 30 L & M Lawncare 17 Lawn Care Industry 20 Lakeshore Equipment & Supply 25, 27 Lawn Aids 7 Logos for Lawn Care 29 Manhattan Ryegrass Growers 7 Master Mfg. Co 15 Monsanto Co 26 Northrup King Co 28 Pickseed West, Inc 5 PLC A A 21 Rhone Poulenc Chemical 32 3M Co 28, 29 Tuco Chemicals 22 U.S. Gypsum 11 Velsicol Chemical Corp 15 Warren's Turf Nursery 16 We have your best interest at heart. Give Heart Fund American Heart Association USENITROFORM ® TM IN YOUR SPRAYS TO AVOID There are more acres of ornamental turf in many states than any other "crop." Because of that, overapplication of water-soluble nitrogen may constitute a major source of nitrates in groundwater. You can avoid the problem by using slow-release, water insoluble formulations containing 38% Powder BlueTNitroform.® Nitroform ureaform nitrogen is ecologically responsible. There is little or no leaching. No salt build-up, and it helps grass maintain good, green color between feedings. You can feed the roots while you feed the tops and still avoid flush top growth. Quick-release nitrogens feed the tops, resulting in too much top growth, with little or no root growth. Nitroform Powder Blue does not burn or streak. It can be mixed and applied with insect-icides and fungicides. Be environmentally responsible. Use Nitroform 38% nitrogen in your lawn sprays. If you prefer a dry product, specify Blue Chip". Call your turf supplier or write for more information. FBC Chemicals, Inc. 4311 Lancaster Pike, Post Office Box 2867, Wilmington, Delaware 19805 © 1981 Š FBC Chemicals, Inc. LONG LASTING CHIPCO 26019 IS STRONG MEDICINE, FOR LAWN DISEASE PREVENTION. What do you say to a customer when the fungicide you're using on his lawn fails to keep turf diseases from breaking out between treatments? Even if the customer thinks that a lack of water is causing that brown, burned look, you know better. Now you can prevent major lawn diseasesŠwithout making extra service callsŠwith CHIPCO 26019 fungicide. Chipco 26019 gives you the longest residual on the market. Long enough for you to effectively prevent diseases with your established spray schedule. When diseases threaten your customers' lawns-and your reputation-don't make excuses for a fungicide that fails,or doesn't last. Make sure, with Chipco 26019. It's the long last- ing, strong medicine for lawn disease prevention. For de- tails, ask your chemical distributor, or contact: Rhone Poulenc Chemical Co., Agrochemical Div., Rhone Poulenc Inc. Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852. (tPRHdNEPOULENC Write 128 on reader service card Please read label carefully, and use only as directed.