GAS VS. DIESEL TRUCK COSTS Cost premium for diesel = $4,131 Payback Time 27 Š months Annual diesel 19 _ savings = months $1,882 Anual 14 -months diesel 14 -months savings = $2,729 Annual diesel savings = $3,576 Miles/Year MEDIUM-DUTY Should you convert your trucks from gas to diesel? Rising energy costs. Fuel short-ages. Tight economy. For a lot of reasons, you may have wondered whether the time has come to switch your lawn care fleet from gas-engine power to diesel. Which engine is the most economical? That depends on how much you pay for it and how far you drive it, say medium-duty truck experts at International Har-vester Co., a major supplier of trucks to the lawn care industry. The more miles (or hours) you operate your truck, the more likely it is that you'll save money with diesel. But there are a lot of factors involved, such as maintenance, special equipment required, and so forth. Gas, in most cases, costs less to to page 30 (HBJ) A Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publication ms Serving lawn maintenance and chemical lawn care professionals EXPLOSION ROCKS DIAMOND SHAMROCK PLANT No Dacfhal this spring Lawn care businessmen across the country have been on the phone to alternate suppliers following the recent news that Dacthal will not be available for the 1982 lawn care season due to a production plant explosion. NOV. 18-20 Dacthal, a pre-emergence her-bicide manufactured and mar-keted by Diamond Shamrock Corp., Cleveland, Ohio, is one of two such products used in great quantities by lawn care businessmen in their spring appli-SEED OUTLOOK '82 cations. The other major pre-emergence herbicide is Betasan, manufactured by Stauffer Chemi-cal Co., Westport, Conn., and mar-keted by Stauffer and other com-panies under various trade names. An explosion in late July at Diamond Shamrock's Greens Bayou plant in Houston caused extensive damage to the Dacthal production unit, a company spokesman told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. "Greens Bayou is the only to page 14 PLCAA set for Louisville An attendance of more than 1,000 lawn care businessmen and 125 exhibit booths are expected for the Second Annual Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA) Conference and Trade Show to be held Nov. 18-20 at the to page 33 Harvest off slightly; pricing competitive; tall fescues up I have seen the future and it is tall fescue. And any lawn care businessman who does as I have done will agree. QUICK STARTS Lawn care franchising update 8 New mowers and tractors 16 Accounting: Thinking big 24 Yellow Pages show colors 28 Pruning uses and abuses 28 Ranking employe benefits 29 Upfront 4 Newsmakers 7 Meeting Dates 7 Cost Cuttings 24 Marketing Idea File 28 Tools, Tips 8r Techniques 28 Moneywise 29 Memos 34 Next month: Louisville PLCAA Show Preview November: Louisville PLCAA Show Issue December: Lawn Care Supplier Marketplace by Bob Earley Editor/Publisher Recently, I visited turf plots in the grass-seed-growing areas of Ore-gon and elsewhere. As soon as you approach the turf plots, it is obvi- ous which ones have withstood summer stresses the best Š tall fescue. And I say: If you are a lawn care businessman and you haven't heard of or don't understand tall fescues, within the next year or two you are going to be in the minority Š and losing customers to the members of your profession Combining in Oregon seed fields who do understand tall fescues. That's the big news. Oh, I'm going to spend some time telling you about the 1981 grass seed harvest and seed availability and prices for the 1982 lawn care season. But if you don't read any further, please remember this next sentence: Tall fescues are the coming thing in grass seed. In the 1950's and earlier it was Merion blue-grass. In the 1960's it was the improved Kentucky bluegrasses. In the 1970's it was the perennial ryegrasses. And in the 1980's it to page 10 PPOF ~ E (.4NSING 1 SCl STRONG. HELPS KEEP BUGS FROM COMING BACK BEFORE YOU DO, 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 II^H others. So for sod webworms, chinch ^L bugs, billbugs, ants, grubsŠyou m name itŠwhy not use the insec-ticides that keep running strong. 0 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. 'Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company £1981, The Dow Chemical Company B ? -UPFRONT H cu w c/3 >« oc H CO D Q g i < u z £ Seed country postscript If you read my page one story on the seed harvest, you know that I am not kidding about the turf-type tall fescues. They are going to play a very important part of the grass Palleted seed ready for shipment seed industry in the 1980's, and you as a lawn care businessman better find out as much about them as you can. And the major seed companies aren't kidding either. Lofts Seed Inc. was the first on the market with Rebel, and everybody else is not far behind. One major reason for the great interest is shown quite clearly in the upper right picture on this page, and that is the fact that the new tall fescues have a much finer leaf blade than what L4WN OIRE INDUSTRY ROBERT EARLEY, Editor/Publisher PAUL McCLOSKEY, Assistant Editor JOAN HOLMES, 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 Southern Office: JIM BROOKS (404J 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 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: one year, $15 in the United States, $18 in 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 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 6200 Duluth, Minnesota 55806-9900. Lofts Seed Inc.'s Rebel tall fescue (left) compared with Kentucky 31 tall fescue: The new tall fescues have a much finer leaf blade. has been available in the past. And people like Turf-Seed's Bill Meyer, and International Seeds' Gerry Pepin and Kevin McVeigh and Lofts' Rich Hurley and others are already at work on the second generation of tall fescues, which promise to be even better than what is available now. Turf-Seed's Bill Meyer on his turf plots: Along with researchers for other major seed companies, he is already selecting for a second generation of tall fescues. International Seed's Harry Stalford checking the seed crop for excess moisture. As LAWN CARE INDUSTRY Northwest marketing representa-tive Bob Mierow and I traveled seed country in late July at harvest time, we heard the praises of tall fescue sung by everybody we talked to. We also found out that competition among the seed com-panies is heating up more than ever before. And that means no-thing but better and better seed for you and your lawn care customers. Burning restrictions have been eased somewhat (seed farmers burn fields after harvest to get a better yield with the following season's crop) and that is good news too. There were some prob-lems this year with excessive moisture on Oregon seed fields, which hampered harvesting somewhat, but hot weather in early August took care of those problems and a good burn is expected on the dry fields. Enough on seed. At press time, the big news hit: No Dacthal this spring because of an explosion at Diamond Shamrock's Dacthal production plant in Houston. It is INDUSTRY'S Bob u LAWN CARE Mierow doubtful that other pre-emergence herbicide manufacturers (Stauffer, Elanco, Du Pont and Rhone-Poulenc) will be able to pick up the slack. If you haven't already, you had better get on the phone and line up your pre-emergence sup- ply pronto. We spoke with one lawn care businessman right after the news broke and he said: "I don't know what everybody else is going to do, but I am sure glad I ordered my bensulide (trade names Betasan, Lescosan, Trexsan and others) last week." U Roger J. Thomas has been named vice president, Turf Marketing for Jacobsen Division of Textron Inc., Racine, Wis., according to John R. Dwyer, Jr., president. The appointment is part of Tex-tron's reorganizing Jacobsen as solely a turf products company, manufacturing and marketing grounds maintenance equipment used for grooming golf courses, parks, large industrial sites, recre-ational fields and similar areas. Sollazzo Peter J. Sollazzo has been named technical sales representative for the W. A. Cleary Chemical Corpo-ration of Somerset, New Jersey. Mr. Sallazzo will cover the golf course and professional lawn care market in the Mid-Atlantic and in the Mid-West states. Mr. Sollazzo received an M.S. in weed science from Rutgers University and in 1979 obtained his B.S. in agronomy from Dela-ware Valley College of Science and Agriculture. A1 Varden, 41, of Oxnard, Calif., has been named vice president/ general manager of Davis Ranch in Camarillo, including its orna-DATES 1981 Garden Industry of America Confer-ence and Trade Show, Sept. 10-11-12, Pittsburgh Convention Center, Pittsburgh, PA. Annual Alabama Turfgrass Conference, Auburn, AL, September 14, 15. Contact: K. M. Sheffer, Extention Hall, Auburn Univer-sity, AL 36849, 205-826-4985. 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. Atlantic Seedsmen's Association Conven-tion, Biltmore Plaza, Providence, R.I., November 4, 5,6. Contact: Margaret Herbst, Executive Secretary, ASA, 230 Park Av-enue, New York, N.Y. 10017. 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. mental horticulture subsidiary, Pacific Green Sod. He has held the same title for the past 12 years with Davis Cablevision, Inc., which was recently sold. At his new post, Varden will be responsible for administrative duties for all operations on the ranch. Dr. Sam Kumar has joined the technical society of the W. A. Cleary Chemical Co. in Somerset, New Jersey. Dr. Kumar, an organic chemist, received his Ph.D. from the University of Delphi, India and was a research associate in the department of chemistry at Yale University. The Toro Company has as-signed its corporate public rela-tions account to the Minneapolis agency of David L. Mona & As- sociates, Inc. BcmvelH-2,4-D = Turf (minus 29 of the toughest kinds of weeds) All it takes is one application, and your weed control job is done for the season. And so are 29 of the hardest-to-kill varie-ties of broadleafs. BANVEL plus 2, 4-D is a versatile com-bination you use anytime from early spring to late fall. It kills by penetrating both leaves and roots, so weeds can't come back. Mixes quickly, stores well. Use it accord-ing to directions, and your weed worries are over for the year. Ask your Velsicol distributor about BANVEL 4S, too. Or write Velsicol Chemical Corporation, 341 E. Ohio Street, Chicago, IL 60611. Before using any pesticide, read the label QVelsicol ©Velsicol Chemical Corp., 1981 Circle No. 123 on Reader Inquiry Card Om^vTURB GRA&S^WILE Sabre is the new domestic variety of Poa trivialis which is a legendary performer in the shade. In actual use and on test plots it has proven itself superior in the shade to the fine fescues. And that's saying something. Sabre is also one of the prettiest turf grasses you've ever seen. Deep green, it is fine-bladed and its mowing qualities are truly superior. As a shade tolerant variety, it should be sown only in shady areas. It may be mixed with the fine fescues such as Highlight, Ensylva or Pennlawn, or bluegrasses such as Baron, A-34, Glade, Merit or Nugget, or used in a mixture which includes 20% turf-type perennial ryegrass such as Derby, Yorktown or Pennfine, or it may be sown alone. When mixed with other fine turf grasses in a winter overseeding mixture in the Southern U.S., it can dramatic-ally cut seeding rates. The addition of 20% Sabre (by weight) will cut the seeding rate of a fine fescue or ryegrass mixture by 50%. While its normal cutting height is 1 Vi inches, it will pros-per at lesser heights including 3/16 on a putting green. Free of Poa annua, Sabre is also a disease-resistant turf grass. inTERnnnonRb SEEDS, inc. P.O. Box 168, Halsey, Oregon 97348 Telephone: (503) 369-2251 Ł TWX 510/590-0765 Circle No. 109 on Reader Inquiry Card ¥ Thomas INSIDE THE INDUSTRY w C/3 >< oc H CO D Q 2 1 < U z £ 3 Franchising: The growing network of money-makers The facts are impressive. Over $333 billion in retail sales were garnered by franchises in 1980. This year's receipts are expected to push beyond $377 billion, repre- senting nearly one-third of all U.S. retail sales. Some call it a business marriage Š but is the lawn care industry beckoning? By most accounts the answer is yes. Lawn care franchisors have captured roughly eight percent of the chemical lawn care market nationwide, amassing receipts of close to $100 million just last year. The income is split among roughly 10 of the industry's most potent franchising networks. In addition, a survey by the International Franchise Associa-tion reported that only seven-tenths of one percent of franchised outlets closed as a result of busi- ness failure in 1980. The renewal rate for first year franchise owners was a robust 92 percent. Most of today's lawn care fran-chisors manage what is known as a 'business format' system. It's an arrangement whereby the fran- chisor establishes an integrated bond with the franchisee. Provi-sions are made for governing the service, trademark, marketing strategy, operating standards, quality control and a communica-tions system between the fran- chisor and the franchise owner. Those are the guts of the system. But the lifeblood runs through what nearly all franchisors refer to as a set of "intangibles" Š the residual value of the franchisor's experience, groundwork, and in-tegrity. "The magic of the relation-ship is that it's not complicated, but it's not that obvious either," said Tony Giordano, president of Lawn Doctor in Matawan, N.J., and the leading lawn care franchisor with 291 franchises to date. Consumer psychology That magic is consumer psychology. It's divided into two sometimes contradictory needs, says Giordano. "The first is that people want a national image to associate with. That's what they trust. The second is that they don't want to buy from someone who lives halfway around the world, they want him right in town." But there are other intangibles. The one that has the highest potential value to the franchisee is equity. Depending on its success, a franchise may be worth many tines over the initial investment value. And over the long run, this re- sidual value can provide the franchise owner with enough se-curity to multiply his investment. Although equity is based on real value, it's also based on potential. And the keystone of that value is based on the royalty fee, in most cases between eight and 10 per- cent of the franchisee's gross sales. It's a mechanism whereby the franchisor grows, in turn provid-ing better services to the franchise Lawn Doctor president Tony Giordano, the leading franchisor with 291 outlets. owner. "The fixed fee system just doesn't work," said Giordano. "The value of a franchisor is based on how strong he is. The royalty goes back to support the system. That's how the franchise owner builds up that equity." If equity is the key to the franchise relationship, concrete support is the means used to achieve it. Lawn Doctor provides their franchise owners with a full-scale equipment back-up, in-cluding their electronic "speed machine," spare parts, tools, a complete bookkeeping system, advertising and printing aids, training seminars, corporate bul-letins, and complete sales and marketing support. But if the franchising outlook is otpimistic in Matawan, in Bergen, N.Y., where Don Burton is presi-dent of Lawn Medic, it's being plagued by federal regulations. The federal government requires all franchisors to submit a com-plete disclosure profile of all re-ceipts and bookkeeping, a dossier of principles, and a balance sheet to be made public to any potential franchisee. "It's put a real kink in franchis-ing in our industry," says Burton. "For one thing, the bookkeeping costs alone are tremendous." Burton says that Lawn Medic does not subscribe to the federal disclo- sure laws on principle, believing they may be unconstitutional. "The accounting costs are very high and punitive in nature," he said. Lawn Medic stopped soliciting franchises in 1979 and instead is setting up partnership agreements whereby each dealer may have some equity participation. "We want to develop that group into a more nuclear, core group, one that is consolidated to some extent where all can benefit from profit sharing." But no matter which franchising arrangement is developed, one of the cardinal rules of franchising in the industry today is uniformity. Marketing your service along many lines requires that parts, machinery, accounting, and ap-plication techniques all be stand-ardized. And the most standardized item in any company's inventory is its system of chemical application. If the system is unique, protected, and streamlined, communications between the franchisor and the franchise owner will have been enhanced. Your system must have rock-bottom sellability. One of the more unique appli-cation processes in the industry is the property of L & M Lawncare, Cleveland, whose Joe Matulis and Nick Licursi preside over 13 franchises in the Midwest. They've patented a process that combines both liquid and granular fertilizer materials in one applica-tion. Levels of distribution "What we've done is to distrib-ute that same process on a number of different levels," said Matulis. "We sell it to the franchise owner, who in turn sells it to the customer. Now we're getting involved in area directorships and will have to sell that same process on an even higher level. But the process is the key." Matulis is bullish on the pro-mise of franchising. He says that it contains a built-in incentive for the investor. "I prefer the franchise owner to the branch manager," he said. "He's the guy that takes 100 percent of the responsibility for his business Š the same as we have." The franchise relationship also provides its own internal quality control says Matulis. Whereas the branch manager may cut back on his formulation to show the home office the money he's saved, the franchisee will always think twice. "If you've got a guy that's invested $30,000 in a franchise, any skimping will be on his head. He won't want to cut his own throat. He'll want to cut costs around the office instead to make his opera-tion more cost efficient." In order to ensure that his franchisees receive L & M's rec-ommendations on formulations, Matulis sends each franchise owner technical recommenda-tions by registered mail. That way everything is documented and up to date Š communications have been nailed down. But there are two chief problems that must be avoided at all costs before any franchise can get off the ground says Trent Laundre, L&M's southern marketing manager. "Undercapitalization and poor managerial capabilities will make any franchise go under." Ron Miller of Superlawns in Washington, D.C. agrees. "The majority of failures in this business are undercapitalized," he said. "The big thing is start-up money." But Miller has a system that can help the franchisee in the critical first year. "Our royalty fee is 10 percent," he said. "But it's 10 1 ' > 9 $ M (A Jm| Don Burton of Lawn Medic: "Regula-tions have put a real kink in franchis-ing." percent of their gross receipts, not the gross sales. That way they're not paying out before the books are balanced." As the mature franchisor-franchisee relationship is called a marriage, so the initial one or two years in the business is the honeymoon period. "You have to hold their hand for the first year or so," said Matulis. "You have to be right there when they need you, whether it's for sales back-up or technical advice." But the key to the relationship is trust. The franchisee has to have confidence that the parent com-pany is not in the business to sell franchises, but in the business of selling lawn care service. "When I collect the initial franchise fee," said Matulis, "I'm not that much richer, I'm just that much less out of debt. Understanding the differ-ence is critical." The concept is crucial to the understanding of the franchising idea. A sound franchisor will have invested thousands of dollars to set up his system. That system will include legal protection, adver-tising strategy, market research, and, most importantly, a stand- ardized application system. The start-up fee gives the fran-chisee the right to use what the franchisor's investment has built. The royalty, in turn, maintains that system. "You're not looking to save a buck putting the system together," said John J. Yagoda, L&M's franchise director. "The idea is to make your guy success-ful." w fi L & M Lawncare's foe Matulis: "You have to be right there when they need you." Any franchisor worth his salt will tell you that he's not in the business of selling franchises, but in the business of distributing lawn care service. Otherwise the system is a house of cards. "Our success is based on our franchisees," says Bill Fischer, president of Spring-Green Lawn Care Corp., headquartered in Plainfield, IL. "We've got suc-cessful franchisees and that's why we're successful." Spring-Green has been franchising for five years, with a cluster of 35 franchises spread throughout Illinois, In-diana, and Wisconsin. The Spring-Green management team that includes Fischer and vice presidents Rick Gretz and Tom Hofer is committed to the idea of franchise standardization. As such, communications is the key. They host monthly dealer meetings, and annual and semi-annual business projection meet-ings. "We use the projection as a goal setting device," said Fischer. "Without goals you're just a ship without a rudder." In addition to the business meetings, Spring-Green sends out the 'Blade & Shade', a weekly newsletter and have also installed an 800 number for the franchisee to use for direct access. "It's been very worthwhile to us," said Gretz. "And it's obviously worth it to our franchisees. They really put it to use." Spring-Green franchises both lawn care and tree care service, all of which is included in their franchise package. But they don't authorize any mechanical treework under the Spring-Green name. "We believe that diversity is contrary to the normal trend in the industry," said Fischer. "More and more the industry is becoming specialized." In order to standardize the two different services, Spring-Green has developed their system so that both services come off the same spray truck. "Everything is dual," said Tom Hofer. "There are some inherent drawbacks to doing both, but we've been very satisfied with the tree care end of it." Spring-Green considers them-selves a midwestern regional company. Their growth will eventually extend to Iowa, Min-nesota and Michigan, with no immediate plans for further exten-sion. But the midwestern zone is integral to their franchising con-cept. "There are not a whole lot of agronomic differences in our area," said Fischer. "Insect prob-lems vary from state to state, but otherwise conditions are fairly uniform." Spring-Green encourages their prospective franchisees to begin their business on a part-time basis the first year, preferably in the middle of the start-up year. That way he can retain his current position while establishing him-self for full-scale operation the following season. "We'll launch his sales with a direct mail package the first year," said Fisher, "a 40,000-piece drop. Then we'll coordinate additional mailings on a cooperative basis." The royalty not only covers the cost of servicing the franchisee, says Fischer, but is also the basis for income for the franchisor in a particular market. "When a franchise is granted for a particular market, the franchisor has effec-tively agreed not to compete in that market." "The royalty assures the fran-chisor an ongoing income from the markets that the franchisee pur-chased. It is critical to the long term success of the franchise re-lationship that the franchisee un- derstand these two basic reasons for the royalty. "Technical support is only part of the service we provide our franchisees. Of equal importance is marketing, budgeting, planning, and equipment development. We guard against our people becom-ing technical experts and business failures." Umbrella coverage The Spring-Green team believes that the franchise concept is dynamic, providing an umbrella under which the franchise owner can be creative. "It's somewhere in the middle of the risk syndrome," said Fischer, "and provides the small guy with the chance to compete with the bigger com-panies." Among the various franchising philosophies, the one that sets the franchisor himself in the middle of the risk syndrome may be a mix- ture of corporate and franchisee-owned outlets. At least that's the arrangement at the Perf-A-Lawn Corporation in New Carlisle, Ohio, where Ron Wilson is vice presi-dent and franchise director of 27 franchises and eight corporately owned outlets in 11 states. "We have a branch office within seven or eight driving hours from any one of our franchises," said Wilson. "Because we're also a distributor we have a strong relationship with our franchisees. If the suppliers want a guaranteed volume of, say, 100 tons of mate-rial, they don't want to deal with any receivables problem from the smaller guy." The result is that although Perf-A-Lawn doesn't have the problem of managing a big chain of corporate outlets, they do end with the burden of managing their receivables. "But we can afford to carry them," said Wilson. "It works both ways. A franchise program can bury a corporation unless the corporate office is big enough so that there isn't any significant receivables problem." Perf-A-Lawn's regional offices also solve many of the problems of directing local turf management from a distant center of operations. "You've got to have someone who knows the conditions in their area inside and out," said Wilson. "Most franchisees don't have an agronomic background and they need an expert in their area." Wilson believes the mixed sys-tem is also a spur for local compet-ition among the franchisee and the corporate office. If the franchisee is successful the corporate office will be motivated Š and vice versa. "But down the road we'd eventu-ally like the branch office to get smaller and the franchisee to con-trol the market and get stronger," said Wilson. "We want to take the weight off the company outlet." Perf-A-Lawn uses the franchis-ing system to penetrate markets which are not ready for corporate development. "We need our name in the smaller as well as the bigger markets," said Wilson. "But the corporate office has to be holding a strong position. If you're having trouble with your corporate office, you are going to have trouble with your franchisees." The parent company can always help the franchisee with his initial investment, says Wilson. For in-Spring-Green Corp's Bill Fischer: "We guard against business failures." stance, Perf-A-Lawn counsels its franchisees to take out long term bank notes. "Capitalization is very important," he said. "We want our guys to take at least four year loans so they won't have the cash flow problems in their first years in business." Barefoot Grass Lawn Service in Worthington, Ohio, also employs the 'feeler' approach to franchise distribution. "We try to target certain-sized cities," said Page Mays, director of regional opera-tions. "If it's a small city that we wouldn't want to set a corporate outlet in, we'll try to franchise there." If mixed corporate and indi-vidual franchising is one way of distributing the name and service of the parent company, co-oping is another. "We think of ourselves as licensees," said Joe DeSantis of his six Royal Lawns outlets in north- ern New Jersey. "One of the practi-cal differences is that we have just a three or four page agreement. It's very streamlined." Each Royal Lawn licensee is an independent, says DeSantis. "It keeps me directly involved in the industry," he said. "That way I have as much to lose in the quality of my lawns as any other licensee does." Perf-A-Lawn Corp's Ron Wilson: "Capitalization is very important at first." The licensee arrangement al-lows a company to co-op costs of advertising and insurance, but is not geared toward market domi-nance. Rather, it's an arrangement whereby a group of committed licensees can help each other with common expenses. Franchising comes under many different forms in the lawn care industry. Few are totally fran-chised companies. The majority have worked out arrangements for sharing the corporate name among both corporate and franchised outlets. Some are cooperatives of sorts, with profit and expense sharing systems worked out for the common good. Although there have been some franchising catastrophies in the lawn care industry, it seems as if the industry is building the system back again under more sophisti-cated terms. Those that believe it can work are establishing its integ- rity again. And there is no doubt that it is working in a number of areas. Developing a number of key ele-ments is helping what seems to be a revival. The first element is an application system that's simple and standardized. Most agree that if you're going to distribute your concept along many lines, you have to keep it simple. The second element is locating an investor who is well- capitalized. He may be a dynamic businessman, but without the fi-nancial resources, he may be a burden. Management is of paramount importance. As a part- ner in business, his company should be as sound as the fran- chisor's. But efficient communications is the bottom line. It's the crux of the partnership. If the franchisee feels that the parent company is ignor-ing his needs, he'll feel the break- away urge. On the other hand, if the franchisee isn't supplying feedback, something is usually wrong. Franchising seems to be a viable force in the industry according to active franchisors. It's a low risk entry into a national partnership. The success rate is staggering for all U.S. franchise operations. Why not lawn care? -Paul McCloskey Oregon seed on pallets waiting to be shipped around the country. SEED from page 1 will be tall fescue. It is as simple as that. But before we talk more about tall fescues, here is the scoop on availability of other varieties of grass seed for the coming lawn care season. For the most part, the 1981 grass seed harvest is an average one. But that is a far cry from what the marketing managers of the major seed companies thought it would be even a few weeks before harvest in late July and early last month. They were rubbing their hands together in contemplation of what many of them were calling a "bumper" crop. But it was not to be. The mild winter and wet spring had a lot to do with that. As one seed man told me: "The old timers in the indus-try say that a severe winter makes for the best seed crop." That was not the case this year in the Willamette Valley of Oregon where a large percentage of the grass seed for the whole world is grown. It is because of the climate. And while the climate was not the worst-ever this past growing season it was definitely not the best-ever either. Because the winter was mild in the Willamette Valley, disease organisms and in-sects were still alive rather than dormant. And then the very wet spring caused some of the grass plants to fall down and lodge, which makes for bad pollination. This all works against good seed yields. In the state of Washington, where another large percentage of grass seed is grown, particularly Kentucky bluegrass, the fungal disease "ergot" has been the problem this year. And make no mistake about it, ergot can be a big problem. The disease is a particu- larly bad problem in edible crops, but the main thing it does in turf seed is cut yields. Yields could be down as much as 40 or 50 percent The TM Proved tough enough to be a Cushman. People in your profession naturally expect a mower from Cushman to be something special. In its first year, the Front Line proved it is just that. The common-sense engineering and durability of the Front Line are just what you'd expect from a Suspended bucket seat for comfort Large-capacity fuel tankŠ up to 6 hours between refills Cushman® product. But its cut is cleaner and more even than most people expect from a riding rotary mower. Now, in addition to the 72" deck, we are offering a 60" mower deck for smaller jobs. In fact, with just one tractor you can now handle a variety of jobs with the accessories shown below. And this year the Front Line is also available with a diesel power engine. Yes, Cushman has put even more into the Front Line mower this year, so you'll get more out of it in the years ahead. To find out more about what Cushman value could add to our mower operation, contact your 'ushman dealer today. Wheel-type steering and clustered gauges for convenience Split front traction assist pedals for sharp turns and maneuverability Mower deck is 12-gauge carbon steel with welded reinforcements Single rear-wheel steering with traction T. . 1 a . assist nrm/.riPs The famous 18"hP 8 cutting height settings from 1" to 4V2* assist provides a zero turning radius air-cooled OMC engine powers its way through the toughest cuts Differential is 100% Cushman Deck lifts hydraulically for curbs PTO drive is Hydrostatic Cushman quality drive Now versatile enough to pay off all year. These specialized accessories make Che Front Line even more productive for you. 9U Diesel Power Ł 4-cycle. 2-cylinder engine Ł Water-cooled Ł Economical CUSHMAN 3040 Cushman, P.O. Box 82409 Lincoln, NE 68501 The Front Line Tough enough to be a Cushman. Call: 402-435-7208 Lamb McVeigh this year in some fields, because of ergot. Doyle Jacklin, of Jacklin Seed Co., Post Falls, Idaho told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY: "Although the overall quality for the Kentucky bluegrasses is outstanding, there are substantial ergot problems in some varieties, particularly the early-maturing varieties. The cool, moist spring made conditions perfect for ergot. Ergot is about the same size as the seed, and it makes it difficult to make a good cleaning separation." If you have gotten this far, you are probably wondering specif-ically what the grass seed situation is this year for the lawn care businessman. Here it is. Nothing is up, at least it was not at press time. One variety for sure is down, and that is fine fescues, off perhaps 20 to 30 percent. Scott Lamb, executive director of the Oregon Fine Fescue Commission, told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY: "The fine fescue crop is shorter than expected. It is an early maturing variety, and the spring rains during the pollination period seem to have hurt yields." Another seedman said: "The fine fescues are down 30 percent. We are virtually cleaned out of fine fescue for next year. We may run out of seed in the spring." Another said: "Supply is tight. Prices for fine fescue will stay high, but they will not go up any further." What about the perennial rye-grasses? Tom Stanley, sales man- ager of Agriculture Service Corp., Salem, Ore. said that the perennial ryegrasses seemed to be coming in slightly under average. "With the wet weather," he told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, "the plants lie down early in the spring. When they are down they often do not pollinate correctly." Lamb, who is also executive director of the Manhattan Ryegrass Growers Association, said that for the most part that much of the ryegrass was in good shape. He said that the certified Manhattan crop is low this year, and that a non-public Manhattan II should be ready for a substantial harvest by next year. Mike Robinson, marketing man-ager of Pickseed West, Inc., Tan-gent, Ore., said in late July that some perennial ryegrass yields could be off as much as 20 percent. But he also said that some fields were coming in good, so the result should be an average harvest. Another Willamette Valley seedsman said that his company was still predicting a normal pe- rennial ryegrass crop, and that it was all dependent on how suc-cessful the growers were in con- trolling rust in the fields. He also said that there was no carryover from last year going into this season. Larry Vetter, of Northrup King Co., Minneapolis, said that the to page 12 loll-Over Protection Structure (POPS) and Cab Ł Weather-proof Ł Meets OSHA requirements 60 Rotary Broom (not available for diesel) Ł PTO-driven Ł Long-life Bristles 48" Snow Thrower (not available for diesel) Ł PTO-driven Ł Adjustable chute 60", 72" Mower Deck Ł 12-gauge carbon steel Ł Smooth-cutting LJP r v ' ... Vv. * . I . ' I 1 I rv is TV* art If you watch figures a lot, when it comes to the bottom line, Fylking keeps costs under control two ways. First, it's priced lower than most elite bluegrass seed. Second, it's an inexpensive beauty to maintain Š a diet delight compared to other bluegrass needs for water and fertilizer. It's low growing, can be mowed as low as one-half inch and has the great body you want for seed mixtures. "Fylking. A very nice spread with very appealing figures. Ask for Fylking Kentucky bluegrass at your local wholesale seed or sod SEED from pa fie 10 proprietary perennial ryegrasses were in average supply, and that prices would remain at the high level they are at now. It is still a little early at press time to gauge the Kentucky blue-grass crop, but it seemed a safe bet that the yields were going to be down. Robinson said that some fields were coming in at one-half original estimates, and the ergot problem in Washington was also cutting yields. Jay Glatt, of Turf-Seed, Inc., Hubbard, Ore., said that crops were coming in "spotty," and while some fields were down as much as 20 percent, there were indications that there would be enough Kentucky bluegrass seed to meet demand. Gene Mayer, of O. M. Scott & Sons, Marysville, Ohio agreed with Glatt, also saying that yields were down a bit, but that there would be ample supply. Bob Peterson, E. F. Burlingham & Sons, Forest Grove, Ore. said that most crops were lighter than expected, and that proprietary Kentucky bluegrasses were down an average of 15-20 percent. As for pricing of Kentucky blue-grass seed, even with a less-than-bumper crop, because there are so many varieties being offered by so many companies, it seems un-likely that prices will go up sub-stantially. As Rich Hurley, of Lofts Seed Inc., Bound Brook, N.J. told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY: "Grass seed is a true commodity. There is too much Kentucky bluegrass seed out there, and it is spread out, so it is unlikely that one company could drive up the price. The market adjusts itself accordingly." One seedsman indicated that some growers were "bailing out" Pickseed's Robinson (left) and Kent WiJey of seed because of the high cost of money, and said that there could be some "spot price wars" with Kentucky bluegrass. He said this means that Kentucky bluegrass prices could even go down a bit in some instances. Harry Stalford, of International Seeds, Inc., Albany, Ore., said: "There is a lot of competition in Kentucky bluegrass, and every-body wants to sell their seed. Prices might firm up, but they very well could be down." For all types of grasses Š but particularly for Kentucky blue-grass fields Š growers "burn" their fields after harvest to get rid of contamination and to ready the field for the next crop. After a burn, the growers can go right back into the field with the same crop they had the previous year; they don't have to rotate among other crops. There is some good news and some bad news here. The good news is that burning restrictions have been eased by the state of Oregon. As Turf-Seed's Glatt said: "This is the first state legislature in the past 10 or 12 years that has not had a burn issue on the docket for a vote. It has really been more of a compromise between the grass seed growers ond the legislature Š quotas on burning are now livable for both sides. Perhaps the down-turn in the economy Š un-employment is at nine percent Š had something to do with it." The reason for anti-burning legislation in the past has been because residents of many areas of the state objected to the smoke. That is the good news. The bad news is that because of the wet spring, there has been substantial regrowth of many of the fields. This makes the burn more dif-International Seeds' Stalford (left] and Jim Carnes ficult, and it could affect yields in next year's harvest. When grass seed prices went up substantially two years ago, it was because of the poor burn the previous fall that caused poor yields. This could be the case next year. For the most part, tall fescue will not be in major production until next year's harvest, and as Inter-national Seeds' Stalford says, "The demand is already there for us to get production going; people are screaming for it." The reason for the demand is simple. The new improved tall fescues have been performing extremely well in drought tolerance tests, low fertil- ity tests, disease tests, and the texture and color of the varieties are much-improved compared to the common K-31 variety that is now being used in most parts of the country. Suppliers are claim-ing that the leaf blade and color is closer to a Kentucky bluegrass than that of K-31. International Seeds' turf resear-chers Kevin McVeigh told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY: "The tall fes- cues are much darker than K-31 and this is important to home-owners with lawns. It is also a lot denser. And it needs less fertilizer, which is good because low maintenance is more important now than it was a few years ago. I think all of the seed companies who have a tall fescue are going to do pretty well. Everybody wants into the narket, it is like the small car market." McVeigh said that C. Reed Funk, the country's top turf seed breeder Any turfgrass seed works KENTUCKY IS DESIGNED TO WORK IN THE REALWORLD. Vetter Jacklin has been working on tall fescues for 15 to 18 years at the New Jersey Experiment Station. Interest step-ped up a few years ago, and now a number of companies have var-ieties on the market: Lofts has Rebel, which is in the largest supply now, and also Clemfine; E. F. Burlingham & Sons has Falcon; Turf-Seed has Olympic; Northrup King has Shannon; and Inter-national Seeds has Houndog and Brookston, a variety it picked up when it acquired North American Plant Breeders earlier this year. Other major companies will have tall fescues on the market in the near future also. Pickseed West is one of these companies, and Robinson says: "The tall fescue region is so vast and varied that the lawn care industry is going to need different varieties to meet all of the different needs." Most seed executives and researchers are pegging the trans-ition zone Š a belt roughly a few hundred miles wide from Virginia and Maryland to Oklahoma Š as the major market area for the new improved tall fescues. Areas such as Colorado and southern Califor-nia are also prime markets. Turf-Seed's plant breeder Bill Meyer says that the new tall fescues are definitely for home lawns, not golf courses where a lower height-of-cut is necessary. He says: "The tall fescues will be a very exciting thing for the lawn care industry. Homeowners have given up on bluegrasses in areas like St. Louis and Kansas City because of watering requirements. Word- of-mouth is building, and lawn care businessmen are serving as a communicative force to the home-owners to get the news about tall fescues out." In addition to the other qualities mentioned the new improved tall fescues offer good wear tolerance and do not have a major problem with thatch buildup. Tests have shown some brown patch disease Harvesting Oregon seed problems in summer but Meyer says that the tall fescues "pop right back." Tests have also shown the tall fescues to have some winter-hardiness problems. Northrup King's Vetter says that his com- pany's Shannon came out of the north, so it might offer more winter-hardiness. But he says that well with constant attention. RUGBY KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS. IT DOESNT NEED CODDLING TO LOOK GREAT. As a turf professional, you know all the tricks to making grass look terrific. You lavish water and fertilizer on it, overseed, apply herbicides, and take great care in mowing. But times are changing. Increasingly you're finding yourself pinched by escalating costs for materials and labor. And there's a growing movement among environmentalists to lessen depend-ence on fertilizers. Rugby Kentucky Bluegrass answers these problems. YEARS OF TESTING. Rugby is a new Kentucky bluegrass. But it's not unproven. Before it was ready to be introduced to you, years of extensive testing were performed under a broad range of climatic and soil conditions. Test sites were located not only in the United States, but Canada as well. The results? Our testing has shown Rugby to be unique. It's a truly different variety from anything else on the market, with superior performance. How is it superior? Read on. A TRUE LOW-MAINTENANCE TURF. The most singular advantage of Rugby is its ability to provide high-quality dark green turf when maintained at low nitrogen fertility and restricted moisture levels. Most improved Kentucky bluegrass varieties are not low-fertility types. You may be told they performed well in turf trials. Unfortunately, you're not told that those trials are often conducted using optimum nitrogen levels. So it's no wonder you have to fertilize the heck out of these varieties to get good results. Not so with Rugby. You can actually get better results with Rugby than with other Kentucky bluegrass varieties while using less nitrogen fertilizer And you'll also save on the labor it would take to apply that extra fertilizer and to do the extra mowing. A HIGH-QUALITY TURF. But no matter how much we tell you about the low-maintenance aspects of Rugby, ultimately you look for Š and demand Š superior turf. Your professional standards wouldn't settle for anything less. And we wouldn't want it any other way. Rugby has a rapid spring green-up rate and excellent fall color. And it also displays sustained growth during the mid-summer heat stress period, even under low nitrogen fertility and restricted moisture. Moreover; Rugby possesses a high level of resistance to most of the common and current turfgrass diseases. This is another factor which may well result in significant savings in turf management costs. THE ENVIRONMENTALIST'S GRASS. Using less water and fertilizer means potential dollar savings for you, of course. But you can also take satisfaction in the fact you'll be using fewer natural resources. By now you're well aware of the increasing social consciousness among the population in this regard. And by making available a Kentucky bluegrass that fits the world of the '80's, we believe we're fulfilling an important need. For more information on Rugby, write Rugby Kentucky Bluegrass, EO. Box 923, Minneapolis, MN 55440. KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS Far low maintenance turf Shannon will be positioned as a 13 low-maintenance grass for the transition zone. Some researchers wanted to £ hold back on production of tall ii fescue, but Lofts' Rich Hurley says: ^ "In 1977, we decided to go after > tall fescue in a big way, and we moved fast. It takes four years to g get a grass seed on the market. We ^ were the first to say iet's take a H gamble.' Our intuition told us the Ł< tall fescue market was going to be a good one." Hurley said that there will be seven or eight times as much Rebel available this year compared to n last year. Burlingham's Peterson H said that there will be eight to 10 g times as much Falcon this year ^ compared to last, although yields were less than expected. Hurley says that the tall fescues are going to be forced upon people because of their heat and drought-tolerant qualities. But he also says there might be some resistance from university people and extension agents. He says that tests have shown Rebel to be 30 percent finer than K-31, and also 170 to 180 percent more dense. He also says that the tall fescues have performed well in shade trials, part icularly in Texas and the deep South, where it has not done well in open sun. "The shade aspect opens up a total new market," he said. Meyer Glatt Hurley, Meyer and others are recommending that tall fescues be seeded at about 10 pounds per 1,000 square feet with 10 percent of a bluegrass by seed weight. Meyer recommends that the blue-grass be a relatively non-aggressive one, because tall fescue is not very aggressive. Hurley doesn't think that an overseeding approach will be a good one for the lawn care businessman, but recommends that they sell the homeowner on a "total transformation" approach on a renovation basis. As for height-of-cut, he says that five-year trials at a 3/4-inch-cut have done well in experimental condi-tions. But he recommends a cut of IV2 inches in areas such as New Jersey, IV2 to 1% inches in areas such as Washington, D.C., 2 to 2% inches in areas such as Atlanta. "The hotter it is, the higher the cut," he said. As the major seed companies are gearing up to supply the tall fescue needs with what they have to offer, they are still searching for even more improved tall fescues. Most agree that the second generation of tall fescues will offer substantial improvements, particularly in the fineness of leaf blades. Some in the industry question if the tall fescue market is being oversold, and that remains to be seen. But as International Seeds' researcher Kevin McVeigh says of the time period when seed com-panies will be moving from re- search to production and selling of the tall fescues: "It should be an interesting five years." 14 Ed CD b: H C/3 D Q Z ^ as < U z £ < DACTHAL from poge 1 Diamond Shamrock plant world-wide that manufactures Dacthal," the spokesman said. "As a result, Dacthal will not be available for the 1982 lawn care season." The cause of the plant explosion was not known at press time, but the company said that further information on the availability of Dacthal in the future will be forthcoming. When contacted by LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, Herb Day of Stauffer indicated that Betasan production will be increased over last year, but that the increases may not be great enough to fulfill the anticipated demand by lawn care businessmen for this spring's use period. He also indicated that prices for Betasan will be in-creased 10 to 15 percent. Other pre-emergence herbicide suppliers are Elanco Products Co., Indianapolis, which manufactures Balan and markets it itself and through other companies; Du Pont Co., Wilmington, Del., which manufactures and markets Tuper-san; and Rhone-Poulenc, Inc., which manufactures and markets Ronstar. RESEARCH Michigan dedication Dedication for Michigan State's Hancock Turfgrass Research Cen-ter will be September 10 at the university. For further informa-tion, contact: Dr. Paul Rieke, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences, Michi- gan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, 517-355-0266. To improve your lawn care business, justadd water. You've got a grow-ing business, we've got a growing business. Why not combine them? Installing under-ground automatic sprinkler systems is easy and profitable. And with quality controllers, heads and valves from Rain Bird, rainmakers to the world since 1933, your customer is assured the best system available. His lawn stays healthier and so do you. For more information on this money-making opportunity, contact your nearest Rain Bird distributor. Or write to us at the address below. We'll show you how easy it is to make more green while you make more green. Pain^Bird Bringing new ideas to life. 7045 N. Grand Avenue, Glendora, CA 91740 « Rain Bird « a registered trademark of Rain Bird Sprinkler Mfg Corp Glendora California c 1978 Ram Bird Sprinkler Mfg Corp Circle No. 119 on Reader Inquiry Card SAFE - EFFECTIVE NO DRIFT HERBICIDE APPLICATOR Roller flattens leaves to deposit chem-icals over greater leaf surface for better kill with no drift onto shrubs. For info write to: VANDERM0LEN CORP. 119 Dorsa Ave. Š Livingston, N.J. 07039 Circle No. 122 on Reader Inquiry Card ARE YOU A NO-NONSENSE PROFIT-MINDED PROFESSIONAL? ...Then you won't miss the Green Pro Executive FALL PROFIT WORKSHOPS OCT. 5 ROCHESTER, NY Sheraton Inn OCT. 7 PITTSBURGH, PA Ramada Inn OCT. 12 BOSTON, MA Newtown Holiday Inn OCT. 13 HARTFORD, CT Airport Ramada Inn OCT. 19 SPRING VALLEY, NY Holiday Inn OCT. 20 PHILADELPHIA, PA Valley Forge Sheraton THE PROGRAM 6:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M. - Overview & Introduction -What is Profit -THREE (3) PROFIT CENTERS you are not tapping now -The TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE you need to tap the profits - The ADVERTISING - PROMOTION methods and support literature - PRICING - SELLING - DOING - DOLLARS & CENTS - What you can expect based upon our third year of experience $35 Fee includes: Workshop Manual, Materials, Advertising Pieces, REFRESHMENTS TO REGISTER FAST CALL (516) 483-0100 OCT. 26 SCRANTON, PA Holiday Inn OCT. 27 HARRISBURG, PA Sheraton Inn NOV. 2 HEMPSTEAD, LI, NY Green Pro Facilities NOV. 3 EDISON, NJ Ramada Inn NOV. 9 BALTIMORE, MD Jessup Holiday Inn NOV. 10 RICHMOND, VA Ramada Inn OR FOR MORE INFORMATION 97% b Rated these WORKSHOPS - GOOD TO EXCELLENT Best of all, those who took advantage of the knowledge they received and followed the examples of others, added $1,000 - $25,000 extra dollars of gross last Fall . . . with only 25 - 300 customers! Robert Riley And you might be interested in: SPECIAL SEMINARS 9:40 A.M. - 6:00 P.M. SEPT. 28 Ł Introduction to Ornamental Care . .. and ... Ł The profitable 5th Season Ł Technical Knowledge Ł Advertising & Promotion Ł Selling - Pricing NOV. 30 Ł Introduction to Professional Quality Turf Care which SELLS, PERFORMS and makes you substantial PROFITS. $65 Fee for each Seminar Includes ... Seminar Manual, Seminar Materials, LUNCHEON & REFRESHMENTS ATTENDANCE LIMITED! cu k > mi&Oj'r.O,, ŁŁv UsS)Vertagreen 10% Concentrated Balar For Professional Use USS Agri-Chemicals offers a Major breakthrough in crabgrass control NEW FORMULATION SAVES $6.00 PER ACRE! Ł More economical than other pre-emergence herbicides. Ł Ideal for liquid spray systems. Ł 20 pounds of product per acre provides 2 pounds of Balan. Ł Compatible with most N-P-K base fertilizers. Ł Contains special wetting agent for proper tank mixing. Ł Extremely effective in 1980 and 1981 applications. Ł Now available in time for 1982 application period. Price delivered anywhere $ O 4 50 in the continental U.S. O Agri-Chemicals Division of United States Steel P.O. Box 1685, Atlanta, Georgia 30301 Phone: (404) 572-4132 PER BAG Balan, a product of the Elanco Products Division of Eli Lilly and Company, Clip and mail this coupon today to receive more information on USS Vertagreen 10% Concentrated Balan® For Professional Use. Name Address City PRODUCTS Mowers and tractors Toro Groundsmaster 72 for commercial cutters The Groundsmaster 72 rotary from The Toro Co. maneuvers up close for trimming too in addition to handling flat-out cutting. The cut-ting unit is offset 18 inches to the right to permit mowing under low limbs and other overhangs. It also trims close to fences, walls, buildings and trees. The standard 15-inch uncut circle can be re-duced to zero when trimming in tight areas by using the individu-ally controlled wheel brakes. Hydrostatic transmission with single, foot-operated traction pedal controls instant forward/ reverse to reduce maneuvering time. No gears to shift, no clutches to wear out. Because speed is infinitely variable from zero to 9.5 m.p.h., cutting rate can be pre-cisely controlled, depending on grass conditions. The powerful four-cylinder, water-cooled Continental engine has an output of 24.5 h.p. for climbing hills and 35 foot-pounds of torque for heavy cutting Š so there is power to spare for general mowing. Circle No. 130 on Reader Inquiry Card 1,100 dealers back up this 16.5-h.p. tractor Mitsubishi Agricultural Machin-ery Co., Ltd. (created in 1980 by the merger of Satoh Agricultural Machine Mfg. Co., Ltd., founded in 1914, and the Mitsubishi Ag-ricultural Machinery Corp., founded in 1954) has produced a line of tractors that today repre-sents the state-of-the-art in mid-size tractor efficiency, versatility and dependability, the company said. The line consists of: The Beaver Š a 15 h.p. compact; the Beaver III (pictured) Š a 16.5-h.p. compact that is flexible and fuel-efficient; the Buck Š a high-performance 18.5-h.p. utility tractor; the Bull Š a 25 h.p. tractor that combines peak operating efficiency with no-nonsense performance; the Bison Gas Š a 27-h.p. tractor for top performance at a variety of tasks; the Bison Diesel Š a 30-h.p. high-performance, multi-purpose tractor; and the Stallion Š a 38-h.p. tractor for maximum effectiveness. With more than 1,100 dealers, 17 key distribution and service centers and two strategically lo-cated parts depots, Mitsubishi is well-prepared to stand behind every tractor it produces. Further detailed information is available. Circle No. 131 on Reader Inquiry Card 72-inch deck, 18 h.p., cuts fine grass, tall weeds and clears curbs Cushman has developed a durable new 18-h.p. mower for the mowing/maintenance business-man who handles condomiums/ apartments and commercial/ industrial jobs. Frank J. McDonald, marketing director, told LAWN CARE IN- DUSTRY the three-wheel Front Line mower has the ability to cut fine grass or tall weeds. "Special attention was given to the mower's 72-inch cutting deck, which is constructed of 12-gauge carbon steel and reinforced and arc-welded to withstand difficult cutting assignments," he said. He said the mower is powered by the Cushman 18-h.p. twin, air-cooled, four-cycle engine. "It has enough power to keep blade speed up Š even through tall weeds and grass." Circle No. 132 on Reader Inquiry Card New, small Hustler from Excel Industries With the same basic essentials of its larger models, the new Hustler 275 from Excel Industries, Inc. provides economy with the flexi-bility to handle a wide variety of lawn care jobs. A selection of two engines gives the Hustler 275 optimum power to handle even the largest Excel Hustler attachments. "A choice of either a 20- or 23-h.p. Kohler air-cooled engine lets our customers pick the per-formance to fit their lawn care needs," product manager Dave Welfelt told LAWN CARE INDUS-TRY. The Hustler 275's dual-hydrostatic drive system and twin-lever steering provide the operator with independent control of each drive wheel. The drive system allows one-hand control of speed, forward, reverse, turning and braking. The capability of counter-rotating the drive wheels permits the Hustler 275 to perform zero-radius turns. This feature, plus one-hand steering control, cuts mowing time around obstacles or contours while reducing operator fatigue. Circle No. 133 on Reader Inquiry Card to paj?e 21 Circle No. 114 on Reader Inquiry Card Advances in Turfgrass Pathology published by HARCOURT BRACE JOVANOVICH PUBLICATIONS in cooperation with Dr. B. G. Joyner, Dr. P. O. Larsen and Chemlawn Corporation only $27.95* hardcover only $18.95* paperback Information available nowhere else in one handy volume! A compilation of more than 23 reports and discussions by the nation's leading pathology authorities. This one-of-a-kind volume extensively explores the diseases of turfgrasses and what the industry can do to combat these diseases. One of the most comprehensive, timely books available on turfgrass problemsŠsure to become an industry reference "standard." CHAPTERS INCLUDE ... Turfgrass Diseases: Past, Present, Future ... Cool Versus Warm Season Pythium Blight and Other Related Pythium Problems ... Snow Molds of Turfgrasses: Identification, Biology and Control... Fairy Rings: Biology, Antagonism and Possible New Control Methods ... Leaf Spot of Kentucky Bluegrass in Minnesota ... Initial and Field Fungicide Screening from a Chemical Company Viewpoint... Turfgrass Disease ResistanceŠSelection, Development and Use ... PLUS MUCH MORE! ADVANCES IN TURFGRASS PATHOLOGYŠ "Must" reading for anyone involved in the turfgrass field. COPIES LIMITED -DON'T DELAY! Return this coupon to: Book Sales Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publications One East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802 YES! Please send me . copy(ies) of ADVANCES IN TURFGRASS PATHOLOGY. My payment is enclosed. $27.95* hardcover Quantity rates available on request. $18.95* paperback * Please add $2.50 per order, plus 25$ per additional copy for postage and handling. Please charge to my Visa, Mastercard or American Express (circle one) Account Number Expiration Date Name. Address. City . State. .Zip. Signature. Phone . Date. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery LCI 9 Jake's Out Front 72 mows 30 acres a day This rugged 72-inch rotary mows up to 30 acres per eight-hour day, trims around trees and over-hanging branches and bushes and transports at a brisk 14 m.p.h. Available with a 25.5-h.p. water-cooled engine, or a 19.9-h.p. air-cooled engine, the Out Front 72 is a solid and dependable mower that gives a smooth finish to rough as well as more formal turf areas. Equipped with hydrostatic drive and automotive-type steering, this mower offers high maneuverabil-ity and easy, accurate operation. The large wheels and tires com-bine with a limited-slip different-ial to offer easier curb climbing, better traction on side slopes, and a smoother overall ride. The mower carrier wheels are in constant contact with the ground providing better stability during transport and the mower carrier is fully articulated for added stability on side slopes and a more even cut. The anti-scalp roller and casters are also important features that leave a smooth, even finish on different turfs. Circle No. 134 on Reader Inquiry Card 14-h.p. diesel with three live PTO outlets The unit features three live PTO outlets. These include the 540 and 850 revolution per minute rear PTO, the mid-PTO provision at 87.5 percent of engine speed, and the front PTO, which is equal to engine speed. The mid-PTO adapter is included with Kubota's mid-mount mower. The live PTO can operate even if the tractor is not moving. Circle No. 135 on Reader Inquiry Card MTD introduces three all-new lawn tractors The MTD Products Inc. line for 1982 will be highlighted by three all-new 8 and 11-h.p. lawn trac-tors. Designed from the wheels up for efficiency and operator com-fort, the new 600 Series tractors share these special features: Ł Telescoping steering column that adjusts easily to any of three heights to accomodate operators who are short, tall or in-between. Ł Spring-mounted, cushioned contour seat. . . adjustable to four positions. Ł Hill-holder brake that enables smooth uphill starts Š without rolling backward. Ł Five-position, light-touch cutting height adjustment lever with memory setting. Ł Easy-on/off mowing deck. . . removable without tools. Ł Extra-wide fenders and anti-slip running boards. Ł Reverse-gear cutout switch . . . prevents operation in reverse with blades engaged. Ł Segment-and-pinion steering and short turning radius for easy maneuverability and close-in trimming. Circle No. 136 on Reader Inquiry Card 84-inch reel that mows on 83% grade This 84-inch triplex mower from National Mower Co. operates effi-ciently and consistently on a 70 percent grade (35 degrees), out-performing any other unit made today, the company said. Its top limit is an 83 percent grade (40 degrees) which is almost the equal of a jeep. The power-driven reels cut higher and thicker grass more easily than is normally expected of a reel-type mower. The three floating reels follow ground con- tour and cut without scalping or tip bum. All cutting units can be disengaged and lifted into travel-ing position. Wings fold to an overall width of 62 inches for transport and storage. The unit features a tubular steel frame along with an angular steel, floating front axle and extra-heavy tie rods that are designed for professional use. Further detailed information is available. Circle No. 137 on Reader Inquiry Card Ford's lawn tractor handles 50-inch cut The 16-h.p. Ford 165 tractor offers hydrostatic drive, electric imple-ment clutch, hydarulic implement lift and handles rotary mowers up to 50 inches. Other features include: welded tubular, all-steel frame, Kohler engine, ease of servicing, heavy cast-iron front axle, sturdy rear axle and a convenient console- type control panel. Circle No. 138 on Reader Inquiry Card to pa%e 24 Roundup makes him a one man army to fight weeds. 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. Roundup11 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. 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 Nothing works like Roundup. FOR LITERATURE CALL TOLL-FREE 1-800-621-5800 In Illinois. 1-800-972-5858. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW THE LABEL FOR ROUNDUP. Roundup* is a registered trademark of Monsanto Co. RUP-SP1-114D © Monsanto Co. 1981 The second model in Kubota's easy-to-operate hydrostatic drive tractor line is being introduced at U.S. dealerships. The hydrostatic drive (HST) feature is now avail-able on Kubota's B6100HST 14-h.p. diesel-powered model. 22 Bookstore u C/5 > DC H CO D Q 2 i < u 2 £ Cost Doto for Loodscope Construction 010, 015 - ADVANCES IN TURFGRASS PATHOLOGY by Dr. B. G. Joyner & Dr. P. ing U.S. turf pathologists report on turfgrass diseases, pythium blight, snow molds, fairy rings, leaf spot of Kentucky Bluegrass in Minnesota, initial and filed fungicide screening, turfgrass disease resistance, etc. Contains new ideas on how to combat turfgrass problems. $27.95 hardcover, $18.95 paperback 110,120 - TURF MANAGER'S HANDBOOK by Drs. William Daniel and Ray Freeborg This specially designed manual by leading turf specialists is a comprehensive, organized approach to turfgrass science and care. An easy, on-the-job reference for planning, purchasing, hiring, construction and plant selection. $18.95 hardcover, $14.95 paperback 630 - TURFGRASS: SCIENCE & CULTURE by James Beard Comprehensive basic text and reference source used in many leading university turf programs. Includes findings of current research compiled from more than 12,000 sources. $23.95 340 - CONSTRUCTION DESIGN FOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS by Albe E. Munson Design specifications for layout, grading, drainage, structures and irrigation. Also explains mathematics of drafting. $24.50 345 - COST DATA FOR LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION 1981 - Kathleen W. Kerr, Editor An updated unit cost data reference for designers, and cost estimators. Developed to fill the tremendous need for detailed landscape construction cost data. Laid out in easy-to-use CSI format. Annual. $24.95 365 - PLAN GRAPHICS by Theodore D. Walker Focuses on plans, elevations, sections and lettering. Provides many different examples to be used as guidelines in personal skill experimentation. Includes graphic techniques for site analysis and design concepts. $21.00 355 - PERSPECTIVE SKETCHES by Theodore D. Walker A reference source of ideas, media use, styles and techniques. Grouped by subject matter. Illustrates technique for vegetation, vehicles, play equipment and recreation facilities, people, animals, etc. $19.50 375 Ł SITE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION DETAILING by Theodore D. Walker An introduction to the subject of site design and construction detailing. Focus is on design implementation. Discusses the nature of construction drawings. Presents the characteristics, origin and nature of construction materials. $24.00 370 - LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS: MANAGEMENT, METHODS & MATERIALS by Leroy Hannebaum An in-depth examination that combines technical training in landscape science with methods of accounting, business management, marketing and sales. Discusses effective methods for performing lawn installations, landscape planting and maintenance. Step-by-step accounting calculations are explained in simple terms. $17.95 360 - HOME LANDSCAPE by Garret Eckbo Provides designs, examples and current innovations and refinements to older traditional designs. Covers all aspects of residential landscape planning. $18.95 400 - WESTERN HOME LANDSCAPING by Ken Smith, LA Illustrations and description of western landscape plants and structures for your design idea file. Covers foolproof plants, irrigation, patios and decks, walls, pools, and shelters. $7.95 530 - INTERIOR PLANTSCAPING by Richard Gaines One of the first handbooks directed at the professional interior plantscaper. Includes design and maintenance clues for foliage. $28.50 360 - MANUAL OF WOODY LANDSCAPE PLANTS by Michael Dirr A teaching text and reference on ornamental decidiuous trees, shrubs, ground cover and vines. Provides identification characteristics with ornamental and cultural features all in one volume. $19.00 390,395 - PHOTOGRAPHIC MANUAL OF WOODY LANDSCAPE PLANTS by Michael Dirr Reference encompassing photographs of plant habit and ornamental characteristics. Brief descriptions of plants with major thrust on black-and-white photos selected to accurately represent growth habit and other ornamental characteristics such as bark, fruit and flower. $22.00 hardcover, $14.60 paperback 780 - PARK AND RECREATION MAINTENANCE by Sternoff & Warren Preventative maintenance through planning, personnel considerations, equipment maintenance and an examination of public safety, liability and vandalism are covered. Chapters on general outdoor maintenance focusing on outdoor lighting, solid waste sanitation and maintenance of roads, parking lots and trails. $18.95 790 - RECREATION PLANNING AND DESIGN by Seymour M. Gold A comprehensive look at recreation needs for parks and how they can design the park facility for the community. Book's content can help justify construction and maintenance needs. $27.50 THE SHRUB IDENTIFICATION BOOK i LANDSCAPE < ragpfc mrihudband mafcriik PARK AND RECREATION MAMTFNiANCE MANAGEMENT Recreation Planning and Design ŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁ , MORTIS TIIIRI) \< ittftei* IKu £ z D C H pa m "The program was excellent. It was right on track. Many of these topics could be repeated and never lose their appeal." "This convention was the best I've ever been to. The people who came wanted to learn and exchange ideas." Managing Your Resources . . . Money, People, Products and Time . . . A forward-looking program designed for your individual needs and interests, bringing these essentials to you. "Energy Ł Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow" Ralph L. Lewis, Jr. Vice President /Corporate Communications Coordinator Gulf Oil Corporation Our Keynote Address looks at a wide range of social, economic and political activities surrounding the worldwide search, development and use of energy resources. Ł Workshop topics on issues that vitally affect our business ... Ł Office Management Ł Personnel Management Ł Management Stress Ł P & L Analysis Ł Accounting Ł Advertising Ł Operating Lawn Care Equipment for Maximum Efficiency Ł The 2, 4-D Situation Ł Handling and Disposal of Pesticides Ł Turfgrass Herbicide Update Ł Toxic Waste Ł Turfgrass Pathology Update Ł Insects and Insecticide Update Ł Employee Health Programs Ł Ornamental Programs in the Lawn Care Industry Ł Hands-on display of products from leading industry suppliers. Ł Over 120 booths reserved . . . nearly 100% increase from last year. Ł Ideas exchanged with over 1,000 of your fellow lawn care professionals from all over the country. Plan now to attend. It's to your advantage to be in Louisville at the 2nd Annual Convention and Trade Show of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America. . .See you in Bluegrass Country! To: Professional Lawn Care Association of America 435 N. Michigan Avenue Suite 1717 Chicago, IL 60611 312/644-0828 I want to attend this important conference. Please send me information on: Registration Exhibiting Membership Name. . Company _ Address .City, State, Zip. . Phone #. COST CUTTINGS Thinking big when it comes to accounting If you're shopping around for an accounting firm and are thinking about retaining those guys working out of their mobile home, you may want to think again. Venture magazine reports that every one of the so-called Big Eight accounting firms has set up special units to solicit and serve small businesses. "The small business market has the highest growth potential," Ronald Cooper, a partner in charge of Ernst & Whinney's Privately Held Business Group told the magazine. Specifically, the Big Eight are going after businesses that tend to be privately held, with revenues of zero to $100 million and that require accounting services beyond the standard tax preparation and financial statements. Owner-managers, they report, may know their product and market, but often lack expertise in vital areas, such as capital formation, personnel and materials management, and computer systems. The Big Eight are: Ernst & Whinney; Arthur Young & Co.; Touche Ross & Co.; Coopers & Lybrand, Arthur Anderson & Co.; Peat, Marwick & Mitchell; Deloitte, Haskins & Sells; and Price Waterhouse. 87-inch reel cut The new features incorporated into the Mark-2 edition have made the MAXI II from Locke Mfg., Inc. an outstanding mower for fast, efficient, high-quality profes-sional lawn maintenance. A riding triplex with 87-inch mowing width, this model has a heavy-duty chassis featuring a fully welded frame, strong mounting bolts, control rods and linkages. The MAXI II features direct reel drive and all reels are equipped with lip-blade bed knives. The smoother running hydrostat of the Introducing Pel-Tech: Little bene!in pellets that solve big turf problems. The Andersons, the professional's partner, has done it again. After rigorous, on-the-job liquid spray testing, we proudly introduce Pel-Tech ... the state-of-the-art in pellet- ized benefin, an industry acclaimed top choice for effective pre-emergence crabgrass control. We're gonna stir up some excitement. Major lawn service companies that assisted us in proving Pel-Tech's high efficiencies and outstanding economies are already applying it confidently. And they're coming back for more. Cost savings are ranging from 20 to as high as 40 percent against leading competitive products. Exciting? You bet! Here's some more good news: Ł Pel-Tech disperses quickly with minimum mechanical agitation. Ł It's compatible with most commonly used fertilizers and pesticides. Ł Won't stick to plant foliage. Ł It's EPA approved. Ł Pel-Tech is conveniently packaged. Ł Urea carrier delivers 35 percent nitrogen. The Big Difference. The big difference that sets Pel-Tech way out in front of the competition is the result of our unique pellet forming process. Developed in The Andersons' research labora-tory, the technique has enabled us to combine a nutritional urea carrier with a performance proven bene-fin compound. What this means for you is that, with Pel-Tech, you're getting a stable herbicide product that's nearly 100 percent composed of active ingredients . . . throughout each pellet! Not just an out-side coating. Call us toll-free or write for the name of your nearest Pel-Tech distributor. He'll be able to tell you more good news about this exciting breakthrough for sprayable pre-emergence crabgrass control. You'll be glad you did. the professional's partner The Andersons Lawn Fertilizer Division P.O. Box 119 Maumee, Ohio 43537 Ohio: 800-472-3220 Outside Ohio: 800-537-3370 unit continues to provide highly reliable hydrostatic traction with fully variable ground speed and instant reverse. The side cutting units lift to a nearly vertical posi-tion for ease of transportation and compact storage. Circle No. 139 on Reader Inquiry Card 72-inch diesel mows 3.7 acres per hour The Turf Blazer 727 with its 27-h.p. Yanmar liquid-cooled di-esel engine and 72-inch cutting head combines diesel lugging power, durability and fuel effi-ciency with the trimming capabilities of an out-front offset deck. A foot-pedal controlled hydro-static transmission provides speed variation from 0-10 m.p.h. forward and 0-5 m.p.h. reverse Š a mow-ing capacity up to 3.7 acres per hour, depending on conditions. Height-of-cut is adjustable from IV2 to 5V2 inches, and mowing deck is offset for close trimming. Diesel is becoming more impor-tant to the lawn care industry, and further detailed information on this diesel unit is available from the manufacturer Š Howard Price Turf Equipment. Circle No. 140 on Reader Inquiry Card Gear-driven rearmounts cut up to 6-foot swaths Woods, Division of Hesston Corp., now offers three new gear-driven rearmount lawn mowers to pro-vide a choice of four-, five- and six-foot cutting swaths. The units have three blades and blade spindles with lubricated tapered roller bearings for longer, maintenance-free operation. They also feature a cast, heavy-duty gear box manufactured by Woods to assure rugged rotary mower use. Gears for the mowers are forged steel and heat-treated. The three high-speed, alloy-spring steel blades lift the grass for clean, even cutting. Circle No. 141 on Reader Inquiry Card Rider cuts big 88-inch swath The Heckendorn 88 handles both rough and finely groomed turf areas. It was created in 1954 for heavy-duty jobs requiring rugged durability. Featuring dual-hinged sidemounts that flex up and down to follow ground contour, the 88's foot-operated deck lift allows in-stant response to clear obstruc-tions or ground irregularities. It has 24 inches of offset trim, and will make a zero turn both left and right. Circle No. 142 on Reader Inquiry Card to page 28 Benefin Concentrate 10 patlnei Anclerson Circle No. 101 on Reader Inquiry Card DOUBLE Another fine quality-controlled product of Jacklin Seed Company. Circle No. 111 on Reader Inquiry Card Great in the sun, Glade also doubles in moderate shade. So sun-time or shadow, it has the get-up-and-grow you need for overall good-looks: Early riser for dark greening, fine color tone and texture, better stamina for disease resistance than other elite Kentucky bluegrass. An outstanding double-duty performer, Glade rates with the best, yet costs less. Let Glade's vitality work double time for you, guarding against bare areas in sun or 60% shade under trees and near buildings. Ask for Glade at your local wholesale seed distributor. BROADLEAF HERBICIDE LAWN CARE GORDON'S .jJfiOFES.SlONAL TURF PRODUCTS Kill*. OANDIUONS K«OTW ttO CHICK WEED PLANTAINS *ANV OTHER SPECIES OF ŁAOADLEAr Contain® 2.4-0. MCPP O**"*' ONE gallon covens ACRt ^^ KEEP FROM FREEZING Nor Of 2 *~C-- Š out OF REACH OF CHI ^danger 01 practtct troatmorrt TS FIVE U.S. Read how Trimec's unmatched fall weed-killing power can help your long-range profits Of course you know that many factors are involved in building a profitable lawn service business. But certainly one of the most important factors is reducing customer turn-over. And many lawn care operators have found that merchandising Trimec's fall weed-killing power is an excellent tool to use in reducing this turn-over. As you know, many homeowners start lawn service in the spring and, after the last treatment in the fall, decline to make a commitment for next year. During this limbo period, any number of things can happen that might cause you to lose him as a customer. So, ideally, you'd like to sign him up again for next year when you give his lawn the fall treatment Š or at least you'd like to immunize him against the temptation of succumbing to the sales pitch of one of your contemporaries Š or, even worse, deciding that now that his lawn is looking pretty good he can handle it himself from here on out. We can help you with this. Not only in the area of renewing your customers after the fall treatment, but also in the area of helping you get some new cus- tomers who will start with you this fall. We've prepared a door hanger that is designed to be left with your present GORDON S AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS ALABAMA Birmingham Ł Norala Company Ł Tieco. Inc. Gadsden Ł Markers of Clubview Montgomery Ł CASSCO Ł Tieco. Inc. ALASKA Palmer Ł Alamasu. Inc. ARIZONA Phoenix Ł Arizona Agrochemical Company Ł Capital Nursery Supply Ł Target Chemical Co Tucson Ł ACRE. Inc Ł Copper State Chemical Company ARKANSAS Alexander Ł Capitol Equipment Company North Little Rock Ł Turt Aid. Inc Searcy Ł Affilliated Growers & Retailers of Agriculture. Inc CALIFORNIA Anaheim Ł Robinson Fertilizer Company Bakersfield Ł Abate-A-Weed & Insect Control Cerritos Ł Target Chemical Company Chula Vista Ł Wilbur-Ellis Company Coachella Ł Foster-Gardner. Inc. Fillmore Ł Coastal Division Fremont Ł El Cammo Supply Company Fresno Ł Target Chemical Company Manteca Ł L & A Enterprises Oxnard Ł Coastal Division Sacramento Ł Orchard Supply Co. San Diego Ł Butler s Mill. Inc San Gabriel Ł J Harold Mitchell Co San Jacinto Ł Coastal Division San Jose Ł Moyer Chemical Company Ł Northern California Fertilizer Co Ł Plant Gro Corporation Ł Target Chemical Company San Leandro Ł Custom Chemilene Santa Ana Ł Moyer Chemical Co Santa Barbara Ł Agri Turf Supplies Inc. Santa Rosa Ł Purity Chemical Products Co South Gate Ł Los Angeles Chemical Company Stockton Ł Castle of Stockton COLORADO Colorado Springs Ł Gorby. Inc. Denver Ł Van Waters & Rogers Henderson Ł American Fertilizer Co Pueblo Ł Pueblo Chemical & Supply Westminister Ł S.A.J. Turf Products CONNECTICUT Devon Ł Somers Turf Supplies East Haven Ł East Haven Wholesale Landscape Supply Greenwich Ł Emanuel Shemin Horticulturist Hazzardville Ł Old Fox Chemical. Inc Wethersfield Ł Chas Hart Seed Company FLORIDA Homestead Ł Atlantic Fertilizer & Chemical Jacksonville Ł Bingham Seed Co Pensacola Ł Gulf Shore Turt Supply. Inc. Ł Tieco Gulf Coast. Inc. Princeton Ł Woodbury Chemical Co Sanlord Ł Southern Chemical Company Ł Sunniland Corporation Tampa Ł Southern Mill Creek Products Co . Inc Winterhaven Ł Estech. Inc GEORGIA Alpharetta Ł Regal Chemical Company College Park Ł Stephenson Chemical Company Conyers Ł Lawn & Turf. Inc Doraville Ł Georgia Golf & Garden Supply Fort Valley Ł Woolfolk Chemical Work. Inc. Madison Ł Pennington Seed. Inc Norcross Ł Managed Environments. Inc. Swainsboro Ł GA AG Chemical. Inc HAWAII Hilo Ł Occidental Chemical Company Honolulu Ł Occidental Chemical Company Ł Trade West Inc Kahului Ł Occidental Chemical Company Lihie Kauai Ł Occidental Chemical Company IDAHO Caldwell Ł Good Day Distributors Ł Steven Regan Company ILLINOIS Barrington Ł Olsen Distributing Co Ł Rowlands Equipment Chicago Ł George A Davis. Inc Crystal Lake Ł Country Gas Company Oanville Ł Bi-State Turf Decatur Ł Drake-Scruggs Equipment. Inc Evanston Ł Permalawn. Inc Geneseo Ł C D Ford & Sons Morton Grove Ł V-G Supply Company Normal Ł Professional Turf Specialty Peoria Ł Behm & Hagemann. Inc Rockton Ł Turf Management Supply South Holland Ł Paarlberg Chemical West Chicago Ł Turf Products Ltd Wheeling Ł Arthur Clesen. Inc INDIANA FL Wayne Ł Turt Specialties Indianapolis Ł Cory Orchard Supply Ł Desco Chemical Company Ł Indiana Turf Nappanee Ł Desco Chemical. Inc New Albany Ł W R Grace & Company IOWA Davenport Ł Big Bear Turf Equipment Ł Tri State Toro Elkader Ł Meyer Equipment Company Iowa City Ł Little Wheels. Inc Sioux City Ł W R Anderson Distributing Co Waterloo Ł Foster s. Inc Waukee Ł Baer Ag Supply W. Burlington Ł Brayton Chemical. Inc W Des Moines Ł Big Bear Turf Co Ł Rest Haven Turf Service customers after your fall treatment, as well as with prospective customers who you suspect have been doing their own work. On one side it explains that, because you use Trimec in your fall treatment, there will be no dandelions next spring in the lawns you service...and that consequently you can focus your first treatment next spring on preventing crabgrass. There's a place for your imprint, and hopefully these hangers will persuade your customers to renew your service for next year Š or at least make it easier for you to call them on the phone and ask them to renew. On the other side of the door hanger is a message which explains why fall is the ideal time to lay the foundation for next year's lawns. It points out the role that Trimec plays ... and that because you are able to use professional pro-ducts like Trimec, you can provide your customers with an immaculate lawn more economically than they could do it themselves. KANSAS Garden City Ł Pueblo Chemical Co Kansas City Ł Century Laboratories. Inc Ł Rhodes Chemical Company Salina Ł Landsco Corporation Wichita Ł Bartels & Shores Chemical Company Ł Champion Turf Equipment. Inc Ł Robert Wise Company KENTUCKY Florence Ł George W Hill Company Lexington Ł Kentucky Garden Company Louisville Ł Ky-lnna Turf Supply Company Ł Central South Turt Distributors Ł Tieco LOUISIANA Covington Ł Tammany Turf & Supply. Inc New Orleans Ł Southern Specialty Sales Co . Inc Plain Dealing Ł Wyche's Golf Course Specialties . MAINE South Portland Ł Yerxa's. Inc MARYLAND Baltimore Ł Pro-Lawn Products. Inc Landover Ł Loft Seed Company Ł Vaughan Seed Company Linthicum Heights Ł Cornell Chemical & Equipment MASSACHUSETTS Arlington Ł Lofts/New England Boston Ł Pro-Lawn Products. Inc. Burlington Ł Tom Irwin. Inc Natick Ł Richey & Clapper. Inc Newton Center Ł Grounds Equipment Company W Newton Ł The Clapper Company W Wareham Ł R F Morse & Son. In< MICHIGAN Birmingham Ł W F Miller Company Detroit Ł Terminal Sales Corporation Ł Turf Supplies. Inc Grand Rapids Ł Mollema & Son. Inc. Ł Parmenter & Andre Royal Oak Ł Lawn Equipment Company Saginaw Ł Burdick s Seed House Utica Ł Utica Distributors MINNESOTA Eagan Ł Tessman Seed & Chemical Hopkins Ł Potter & Manthei Enterprises Minneapolis Ł Howe Chemical Company Ł Minnesota Toro. Inc. SL Paul Ł R L Gould & Company Ł Turt Supply Company Savage Ł The Castle Chemical Company MISSISSIPPI Jackson Ł South Central Turf Equip & Supply Ł Specialty Oil Company. Inc Madison Ł MFC Services Only Trimec gives you all these benefits Ł Controls the widest range of broad-leaf weeds. Ł Gets hard-to-kill species with one treat-ment. Ł Wide safety margin for lawn grasses. Ł Minimum hazard from root absorption. Ł No vapor action after application. Ł Effective weed control in a wide tem-perature range. Ł Unique formula overcomes water hard-ness problems. Ł Treated areas may be reseeded within two weeks. Ł Non-flammable and non-corrosive in use. Ł Product stable several years above 32° F. Ł Biodegradeable; friendly to the environ-ment. Ł Bentgrass formula is also available. TRIMEC is a registered trademark of PBI/GORDON Corporation, U.S. patent No. 3,284,186. To get a generous supply of these door hangers, simply request them from your Trimec distributor. r > z n > z a c C/D H 33 C/5 m MISSOURI Chesterfield Ł Beckman Turf & Irrigation Grandview Ł Landsco Corporation Ł Robisons Lawn & Golf Course Supply Kansas City Ł Bartels & Shores Chemical Company Ł Champion Turf Equipment Ł Colon^ Chemicals Ł Pest Control Supply Ł Standard Seed Company Ł Tobin Seed Maryland Heights Ł Outdoor Equipment Company Springfield Ł Champion Turf Equipment. Inc St. Louis Ł Crown Chemical Company Ł AH Hummert Seed Company Ł Link's Nursery. Inc MONTANA Billings Ł Turf Aid Distributing Company Helena Ł Mr Turf NEBRASKA Kearney Ł Centra Chemical Services Morrill Ł Jirdon Agri Chemical. Inc McCook Ł Cornbelt Chemicals Omaha Ł Big Bear Equipment. Inc Ł Eagle Green Corporation Ł Midwest Toro NEVADA Las Vegas Ł Clark County Wholesale Merc. Co North Las Vegas Ł Las Vegas Fertilizer Company. Inc. NEW HAMPSHIRE Hooksett Ł Turt Specialty. Inc NEW JERSEY Boundbrook Ł Loft Seed Company Ł Vaughan Seed Companv Cranbury Ł Chamberlin & Barclay. Inc Clifton Ł The Terre Company Dayton Ł Lebanon Chemical Corporation Freehold Ł Green Hills Turf Supply Hillsdale Ł 1S T Industries Maplewood Ł Pierson Mill Company Mountainside Ł Andrew Wilson. Inc Paramus Ł Pro-Lawn Products. Inc Rahway Ł Fertl-Soil Company Riverside Ł Meskers. Inc Shrewsbury Ł Raycrott Distributors West Caldwell Ł Rockland Chemical Company Westfield Ł Storr Tractor Company Yardville Ł Jep Sales Company NEW MEXICO Albuquerque Ł Albuquerque Chemical Co . Inc Mesquite Ł Agricultural Products Company Roswell Ł Roswell Seed Company. Inc NEW YORK Bergen Ł Lawn Medic Brewster Ł Herbst Bros Cambridge Ł Lofts/New York Cohoes Ł S V Moffett Co Dix Hills Ł Island Golf & Turf Farmingdale Ł Wagner Seed Company. Inc Hamburg Ł Eaton Equipment Company Hauppauge Ł Maxwell Turf. Inc Hawthorne Ł Metro Miloraanite * J & L Adikes Inc Ł Grassland Irrigation & Equipment Portchester Ł Westchester Turf Supply Company Syracuse Ł Eaton Golf & Tractor Ł Pro-Lawn Products. Inc South Hampton Ł James H Lynch. Inc West Henrietta Ł S V Moffett. Inc. NORTH CAROLINA Charlotte Ł E. J Smith & Sons Ł Forshaw Chemicals Ł Seedmen. Inc. Fayetteville Ł Eastern Turf Goldsboro Ł Jeffreys Seed Company Shelby Ł Porter Brothers. Inc Winston-Salem Ł Goltra. Inc NORTH DAKOTA Fargo Ł Minnesota Toro Ł Tessman Chemical Northwest OHIO Canton Ł Letherman Seed Company Cleveland Ł Larry s Garden Center Ł U. S Garden Sales. Inc Cincinnati Ł Century Toro Dist., Inc. Ł Thornton Environmental Dayton Ł G & S Supply Company Elyria Ł Lakeshore Equipment & Supply Co Findlay Ł Desco Chemical Company Macedonia Ł Krigger & Company. Inc Mantua Ł John R. Skinner Company Maumee Ł The Anderson s Piqua Ł Midwest Burlap & Growers Supply Solon Ł Sidney L Dryfoos Company Tiffin Ł Earl J Crane. Inc Toledo Ł Century Toro Dist OKLAHOMA McAlester Ł Tony s Chemical House Oklahoma City Ł Paul Blakney Company Ł Estes Chemicals. Inc. Ł T-E Agri Supply. Inc Tulsa Ł All Best. Inc Ł Nick Knott Turf Equipment Ł South Central Vet Supply Ł Thompson-Hayward Chemical Company Ł Wait Mtg & Sales Company OREGON Portland Ł The Chas H Lilly Company Ł Van Waters & Rogers Ł Wilbur-Ellis Company PENNSYLVANIA Doylestown Ł Philadelphia Toro Forty Fort Ł Penn State Seed Company Hanover Ł Miller Chemical & Fertilizer Corp Harleysville Ł Geiger Corporation Horsham Ł Pocono Turf Supply Company Lebanon Ł Lebanon Chemical Corporation Malvern Ł Fisher & Sons Company. Inc Manheim Ł Pro-Lawn Products. Inc Philadelphia Ł Farm & Golf Course Supply Co.. Inc Ł Pro-Lawn Products. Inc Phoenixville Ł Lawn & Golf Supply Pittsburgh Ł E H Griffith. Inc Ł Krigger & Company Ł Pro-Lawn Products. Inc. Reading Ł Reading Bone Fertilizer Wycombe Ł Histand Supply RHODE ISLAND E. Providence Ł Old Fox Chemical. Inc SOUTH CAROLINA Inman Ł Woolfolk Chemical Works. Inc. Orangeburg Ł Ramar Laboratories. Inc SOUTH DAKOTA Sioux Falls Ł C & R Supply Ł Dakota Turf TENNESSEE Knoxville Ł Central South Turf Dist Memphis Ł The January Company Ł Turf Aid. Inc Nashville Ł Central South Turt Dist Ł Ernest Hardison Seed Co. Inc. ' Ł Tieco. Inc TEXAS Amarillo Ł T-E Agri Supply Dallas Ł Agricultural Chemicals of Dallas Ł Chemical & Turf Specialty Company Ł Nortex Wholesale Nursery Ł Van Waters & Rogers Ł Watson's Distributing Company El Paso Ł El Paso Turt Supply Houston Ł Watson s Distributing Company Katy Ł Sigma Chemicals Waco Ł Estes Chemicals. Inc Wichita Falls Ł Estes Chemicals. Inc. UTAH Salt Lake City Ł Morgro Chemical Company Ł Steve Regan Company VIRGINIA Chesapeake Ł Turf & Garden Division Harrisonburg Ł Wetsel Seed Company Richmond Ł Wilson Feed Company. Inc. Roanoke Ł Agri Turt Products Company. Inc. Ł Miller Chemical & Fertilizer Co. WASHINGTON Renton Ł Pacific Agro Company Seattle Ł The Chas H. Lilly Company Ł Western Farmers Association Ł Wilbur-Ellis Company Tacoma Ł NuLife Fertilizers WASHINGTON, D.C. Ł Lea's Green Meadow. Inc. WEST VIRGINIA Charleston Ł Young's. Inc WISCONSIN Chilton Ł Horst Distributing Company Elm Grove Ł Reinder Bros. Turf Equipment Janesville Ł Wisconsin Turf Milwaukee Ł Loft Kellogg Seed Company Sun Prairie Ł Turf Management Supply PROFESSIONAL TURF PRODUCTS G pbl / GDRclon coRponation 1217 WEST 12TH STREET P.O. BOX 4090 KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI 64101 816/421-4070 TOOLS,TIPS,TECHNIQUES Self-propelled flail mower has 'fingertip control' A new addition to the Vemco Corp. of America flail mower line is a 32-inch self-propelled model equipped with "fingertip control" turning brakes for ease of handling and "dead man" clutch for safety. Powered by a Briggs & Stratton 11 h.p. engine and five-speed gear-box, this machine can be used for any terrain or mowing condition. Circle No. 143 on Reader Inquiry Card Honda's heavy-duty 21-inch rotary mower American Honda has introduced the HR-21-5, its newest rotary mower designed to handle heavy-duty jobs for the mowing I maintenance lawn care business-man. This self-propelled mower features design innovations to meet heavy work demands for durable and dependable equip-ment. Honda's 5-h.p. GV-200 vertical engine delivers plenty of power to handle heavy-cutting jobs. Circle No. 144 on Reader Inquiry Card Trims on both sides, no sharp-turn streaks Gravely announces a new 40-inch rotary mower attachment for its two-wheel lawn tractors. The new mower attachments cut a smooth, even swath and has two staggered blades to help prevent streaking on sharp turns and trims on both sides. Other features are a 10-gauge steel deck, easy height adjustment and external points for lubrication and belt adjustment. Circle No. 145 on Reader Inquiry Card to page 29 Pruning: Some uses and abuses Those of you involved in ornamental maintenance would be gratified to hear Jack Bracken, company horticulturist for Milliken and Company describe pruning as "an art, a craft, a science of removing a portion of a plant to achieve a desired purpose." No slap-dash cut and paint quackery here. That desired purpose may be a number of things, says Bracken. Although many might think of pruning primarily as a means of obtaining the proper shape of a plant, pruning is in many cases vital to a plant's continued good health. Pruning for good plant health includes removal of dead wood, crossed branches, and infested areas to control disease and insects such as boxwood leaf miner, teas scale or Florida wax scale. Lawn care personnel who have this responsibility should be familiar with the characteristics of the particular plant and should know when to prune for best results. Proper timing of pruning depends on the type of plant and why it is being pruned. Many should be pruned only during colder months when sap is not running, especially if shaping is the purpose. However, says Bracken, when pruning for health purposes, a plant may be pruned when a dead limb or disease is discovered. The knowledge is necessary in order to avoid abusing certain plants, which, like a work of art, should be carefully tended. Ł -r-'^m 55 Gallon Drum 21/2 Gallon Container a true liquid suspension slow release nitrogen fertilizer. FLUF is a very stable flowable urea form suspension formulation that provides a continuously uniform and moderately slow release of nitrogen Ł which means pre-dictable performance and results. FLUF provides for an excellent summer time feeding program. When used in accordance with the label directions, it is non-burning and non-leaching. The clean, odorless and free flowing liquid FLUF provides for optimal ease in handling and application; utilizing any conventional spray method. FLUF is tank mix compatible/^=r\ with most fungicides and 0 ~uhkUEHRIV CHETTHCflL other fertilizer products. box 10,1049 somerset street Somerset, N J. 08873 (201)247-8000 rtodbrupKngturf squashed, and scutied 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 use, 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 Circle No. 117 on Reader Inquiry Card PRODUCTS from page 28 38-inch rear bagger This John Deere 111 lawn tractor features a 38-inch mower as stand-ard equipment. A four-bushel rear-mounted bagger is optional. This is the widest mower available that accomodates a rear bagger. Circle No. 146 on Reader Inquiry Card Match tractor speed to the lawn care job Two new models have been added to the Bolens line of lawn tractors Š the H16XT and the G16XT, manufactured by FMC Corp.'s Outdoor Power Equipment Divi-sion. Both models are powered by a 16-h.p., twin-cylinder Briggs & Stratton engine for powerful, extra-smooth operation. Other features include: PTO engaged electrically from switch on dash and wide rear flotation tires. Circle No. 147 on Reader Inquiry Card Turns on a dime, cuts mowing time 'Turns on a dimei mows in half the time," is the way owners of Dixon ZTR riding mowers summarize the benefits of the fast-growing Zero Turning Radius mower line. The mowers are available in several models with 42- and 30-inch cutting widths powered by 11-h.p. or 8-h.p. Briggs & Stratton engines. Circle No. 148 on Reader Inquiry Card Hydrostatic drive with a "memory" pedal The Snapper Lawn tractor 1855A from McDonough Power Equip-ment Co. features an 18-h.p. Onan twin-cylinder air-cooled engine, dealer- or factory-installed op-tional rear PTO, Category "O" three-point hitch, plus a hydro-static transmission with a "mem-ory." Circle No. 149 on Reader Inquiry Card 60-inch Sidewinder The Agricultural Machinery Divi-sion of FMC Corp. announces the introduction of the lightweight Sidewinder 60-inch lawn care cutter. The unit uses three over-lapping, horizontally rotating blades, housed in welded-steel plate. The cutting height can be adjusted to four positions to cut grass either one, two, three or four inches high. Circle No. 150 on Reader Inquiry Card Incline mowing with new tractor Originally developed for use on ski slopes in Austria, the new Ram Tractor, just introduced by Lehara Mfg. Co., Inc., offers a practical answer to the problem of mowing on sloped areas and uneven ter-rain. According to the company, the flail mower attachment's exc-lusive front hydraulic flotation design allows the cutting surface to follow rough ground contours, even in muddy conditions. Overall width of the mower cut is more than 74 inches. Cutting height is adjustable from one to four inches. High wheel mowers Sarlo Power Mowers, Inc. offers eight models of commercial- quality high wheel mowers. Sizes are 21-inch, 24-inch and 26-inch. Briggs & Stratton engines are used with four, five and eight h.p. Each size is available in push- and self-propelled types. Every model is capable of mowing tall weeds or fine lawns. Because of the high wheel, they roll easily over any kind of turf and are nicely ba-lanced for easy maneuverability. Circle No. 152 on Reader Inquiry Card One-pass mow, sweep The Lawn Genie from Mathews Co. if a versatile, work-saving machine that handles big mowing, leaf-sweeping, thatching and mulching jobs with vacuum action that sweeps them into a large-capacity hopper for simple, single-lever disposal . . . without ever leaving the tractor seat. Four cutting widths are avail-able. Floating links in the Genie's three-point hitch permit free verti- cal movement enabling the machine to follow the contour of the ground. Circle No. 153 on Reader Inquiry Card 61-inch riding mower The all new 1820 Grasshopper riding mower is powered by an 18-h.p. Briggs & Stratton twin-cylinder engine for smooth, de-pendable operation. All 12-, 16-and 18-h.p. Grasshoppers utilize dual hydrostatic drives that eliminate forward/reverse shifting and provide fingertip steering control. Circle No. 154 on Reader Inquiry Card 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 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. Hyr>ro A DIVISION OF LEAR SIEGLER INC 319 Fifth Ave NW. St. Paul. MN 55112 Ł (612) 633-9300 Circle No. 108 on Reader Inquiry 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 Circle No. 103 on Reader Inquiry Card the systems concept*** 21/2 Gallon Container in fertilizer* for your specific turf care needs* 10-1-4 utilizes FLUF to provide the slow release nitrogen necessary for good turf growth and, in addition, con-tains a balanced ration of phosphorous and nitrogen. Now the knowledgeable turfgrass manager can create his own fertilizer system by using 10-1-4 with other fertil-izer products. 10-1-4 is tank mix compatible with all of the Cleary fertilizers as well as many other fertilizer prod-ucts providing an infinite number of fertilizer mix com-binations. ~ CHEfTOCHL CORPORATION P.O. Box 10,1049 Somerset Street Somerset, N.J. 08873 (201)247^8000 Circle No. 124 on Reader Inquiry Card Hypro High Speed Centrifugal Pumps. Belt driven Models available for hydraulic, gear or engine drive, too j Capacities to 130 gpm ^ 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. 30 DIESEL from page 1 buy. You will save $3,000 to $5,200 over a diesel with the same power output. You may even save more, because diesels sometimes require stronger drivetrain com-ponents (axles, differential, transmission, clutch), larger brakes, higher-output alternators and multiple batteries. But that is only half the story. These heavy-duty components make diesel trucks stronger and able to take on more kinds of jobs Š as well as last longer. Diesels can run economically and safely for long periods at close to maximum output, while gas en- gines should operate most of the time below maximum, to avoid excessive fuel use and possible breakdown. Practically, this means switch-ing from gas to diesel may allow you to specify a less powerful engine to do the job. And gas u m > DC H C/3 D Q z w as: < U z £ < engines need more frequent, more expensive service than diesel. Then which costs less to run? Diesel Š for several reasons. First, it uses cheaper fuel Š from five to 10 cents per gallon cheaper than gasoline in most areas. Also, a diesel uses less fuel to do the same job. With its higher compression ratio, a diesel burns fuel more efficiently, more completely Š actually converts more fuel to horsepower. Finally, diesels cost less to run because, with their stronger design and fewer parts, they require less maintenance. Can a gas engine that uses more fuel ever save money? Sure, Inter-national Harvester says, if you just don't put in the kind of miles (or hours of operation) that can make a diesel pay off for you. But you may find that the break-even point is lower than you thought. When does a diesel that costs more to buy cost less to own? Over the long haul Š as any long-On the average a medium-duty diesel pays for itself after 32,000 miles of operation. distance trucker can tell you. But you don't have to go as far as they do to come out ahead with diesel power. Generally, if you drive 8,000 miles or more a year, you will save more on fuel and mainte-nance with a diesel than the extra you paid for it. How long does it actually take a diesel to pay for itself? That de-pends on how much use you give it. On the average, a medium-duty diesel pays for itself after 32,000 miles of operation. At 8,000 miles per year, that is four years; after that, the diesel owner is money ahead. If he drives more than 8,000 miles annually, the payback comes just that much sooner. How much higher is diesel re-sale value? Typically, after five works like millions of tiny hoes LOOSENS HEAVY CLAY SOIL Effective way to keep salt from browning parkway greenery! Spread Sof'n-SoilŽ Gypsum to counteract pos-sible harmful effects of winter salt on grass, shrubs and trees growing along streets and roads.This highly versatile product replaces toxic sodium ions, improves drainage and root development. Sof'n-Soil gypsum loosens heavy clay soils, helps fertilizers work more effectively, supplies a bonus of essential calcium and sulfate sulfur. Sof'n-Soil gypsum is a completely natural soil conditioner (CaS04. 2H2O) that's non-toxic, harm-less to people, pets and plants. Ł Write to us for more information on the multiple low cost benefits of Sof'n-Soil Gypsum: 101 S. Wacker Dr., Chicago, III. 60606, Dept. LCI981 CHEMICALS DIVISION UNITED STATES GYPSUM Circle No. 121 on Reader Inquiry Card BUILDING AMERICA years of use, a medium-duty diesel will sell for $1,900 to $2,300 more than its gas-powered equivalent. In most cases, this means a diesel returns half its initial cost pre-mium at trade-in time. It is also worth considering that a gas-powered truck may have to be traded sooner. That is because, with its faster-wearing engine, its trade-in value falls off sooner than a diesel's, according to figures printed in National Market Re- ports, Inc.'s Truck Blue Book. Are there other cost considera-tions, such as tax breaks and hidden benefits? Yes, Inter-national Harvester says. First, you may pay more for diesel, but you get more back when you claim your 10 percent federal investment tax credit. Check with your tax expert or accountant and ask him at the same time about accelerated depreciation schedules that may allow diesel owners to depreciate the higher-priced diesel over the same period as a shorter-lived, less expensive gas engine. Maintenance costs How do maintenance costs fig-ure in? A diesel engine has a stronger and simpler design than a gas engine. So, naturally a diesel calls for less maintenance and less frequent service. There's no car-buretor, no electrical ignition, no points, plugs, coil or condensor in a diesel. And that means fewer parts to replace or repair, fewer service man-hours used, and less downtime too. Exactly how much downtime is saved with a diesel? Industry figures show that a diesel saves an average of five days of downtime per year. This is due to the diesel's stronger, simpler design. Which is easier to get serviced? Gas medium-duty truck engines can usually be serviced anywhere. Diesel parts and service availabil- ity may be limited in some areas. An important point the lawn care businessman should remember is that although many dealers can order a diesel truck to sell you, they may not always be trained or equipped to service it, and may not stock the necessary parts. Make sure beforehand that the dealer who sells you a diesel can service it as well. Warranty differences What is the difference between gas and diesel engine warranties? Plenty, International Harvester says. Diesel warranties run longer. The typical gas-engine warranty is 12 months or 12,000 miles. The typical diesel warranty: The first year or first 50,000 miles Š 100 percent coverage on parts and labor; the second year or up to 100,000 miles Š 50 percent cover-age on labor, 100 percent on parts. To compare gas and diesel costs in a medium-duty truck, Interna-tional Harvester worked up a sam-ple payback analysis based on typical costs over 10,000 miles, 15,000 miles and 20,000 miles annually. Medium-duty trucks with diesel engines, as pointed out earlier, are generally priced from $3,000 to $5,200 higher than com-parable gas-engine models, de-pending on manufacturer, engine features, size, quality, etc. ANNUAL MILES: 10,000 Fuel Mileage Gas Diesel 10,000 10,000 miles/year -s- 4.78 -r 8.47 miles/gallon 2,092 1,181 gallons/year x $1.50 x $1.50 cost/gallon $3,138 $1,771 annual fuel cost Diesel yearly fuel savings: $1,367 Maintenance Gas Diesel 10,000 10,000 miles/year x $.0528 x $.0201 cost/mile $528 $201 annual cost Diesel yearly maintenance savings: $327 Man-Hour Productivity Maintenance Gas Diesel 20,000 20,000 miles/year x $.0528 x $.0201 costymile $1,056 $402 annual cost Diesel yearly maintenance savings: $654 Man-Hour Productivity Gas 250 T 1 250 XV4 Diesel 250 -r 2 125 xy4 62 31 x $6.07 X $6.07 $376 $188 Diesel yearly productivity savings: $188 Fuel savings: Maintenance savings: Productivity savings: $2,734 654 188 Gas 250 T 1 250 125 xy4 xy4 62 31 x $.07 x $6.07 Diesel 250 work days/year days/fuel stop Annual diesel savings: $3,576 Conclusion: Diesel price difference ($4,131) paid back in 1 year, 2 months $376 $188 annual labor cost Diesel yearly productivity savings: $188 number of working days per year, they do provide a relative basis for comparison. PLCAA from page 1 Commonwealth Convention Cen-ter in Louisville, Ky. This represents more than a 40 percent increase in attendance and almost an 80 percent increase in exhibit spaces over last year's show, also held in Louisville. For information about attending or exhibiting, contact: Jane Stecker, PLCAA, Suite 1717, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611, (312) 644-0828. Theme of the show is "Manag-ing Your Resources . . . Money, People, Products and Time." In response to last year's evaluations, the program this year is more balanced between business and technical sessions. There will also be ample time for exhibit visitation to view the latest developments in products, equipment and service. Headquarters hotel will be the Gait House overlooking the scenic Ohio River and just two blocks from the convention center. A special feature will be an Early Bird Reception Tuesday evening, Nov. 17. Keynote speaker is Ralph Lewis, vice president of Gulf Oil Corp., who will speak on "Energy Yes-terday, Today and Tomorrow." Topics on the Wednesday program include Ornamental Programs in the Lawn Care Industry, Toxic Waste, Operating Lawn Care Equipment for Maximum Effi-ciency and Advertising. Topics on the Thursday morn-ing program include Office Man-agement, Profit and Loss Analysis, Accounting and Personnel Man-agement, Liquid and Dry Lawn Care Programs, Insects and Insec-ticide Update, Pathology Update and Employe Health Programs. Topics on Friday's program in-clude The 2,4-D Situation, Han-dling and Disposal of Pesticides and Management Stress. There will be more than 16 hours of exhibit visitation time. 33 > Z n > w z a c C/3 H ?o M-C/5 m T3 H Fuel savings: Maintenance savings: Productivity savings: $1,367 327 188 Annual diesel savings: $1,882 Conclusion: Diesel price difference ($4,131) paid back in 2 years, 3 months Computations utilize cost and fuel-mileage figures established for International trucks, similarly equipped for choice of power. Gas figures are based on an Interna-tional 1724 with MV-404/4 bbl. V8. ANNUAL MILES: 15,000 Fuel Mileage Gas Diesel 15,000 15,000 miles/year 4.78 ^ 8,47 miles/gallon 3,138 1,771 gallons/year x$1.50 x$1.50 cost/gallon $4,707 $2,656 annual fuel cost Diesel yearly fuel savings: $2,051 Maintenance Gas Diesel 15,000 15,000 miles/year x $.0528 x $.0201 cost/mile $792 $302 annual cost Diesel yearly maintenance savings: $490 Man-Hour Productivity Gas Diesel 250 250 ^ 1 T 2 250 125 xy4 xy4 62 31 x $6.07 X $6.07 $376 $188 Diesel yearly productivity savings: $188 Fuel savings: Maintenance savings: Productivity savings: $2,051 490 188 Annual diesel savings: $2,729 Conclusion: Diesel price difference ($4,131) paid back in 1 year, 7 months Diesel figures are based on an International 1754 with 9.0-Liter/ 165 h.p. V8. Although specifications of the trucks chosen may differ from your own requirements, particularly on ANNUAL MILES: 20,000 Fuel Mileage Gas Diesel 20,000 20,000 miles/year -h 4.78 -r 8.47 miles/gallon 4,184 2,361 gallons/year x $1.50 x $1.50 cost/gallon $6,276 $3,542 annual fuel cost Diesel yearly fuel savings: $2,734 America - Fiesta 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. mm KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS PERENNIAL RYEGRASS Pickseed also produces Touchdown KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS Produced by mm PICKSEED WEST Inc. PO Box 888. Tangent. OR 97389 Ł (503) 926 8886 Distributed in Canada by Otto Pick and Sons Seeds Ltd Box 126. Richmond Hill. Ontario Ł (416) 884 1147 W cn > DC H CA) D Q Z i < u z £ What5 s in the warehouse? In a time when big business is taking it on the chin, the lawn care industry seems to be raising its fists. The industry is young, it's strong, and it's growing. But it's also changing in a vast number of ways. Franchising is just one of them. Is it a force to reckon with? Or is it a sputtering monster? Nobody knows for sure, but there are a number of dynamic young companies out there pump-ing new blood into what was an ailing system of lawn care development. The federal disclosure laws had a lot to do with making the system air-tight. But successful franchisors all know that the system has to be that way. If not, money, anger, and frustrations will seep through the cracks Š the center will not hold. There doesn't seem to be any reason why lawn care franchising can't succeed in the 1980's. The advantages to both the franchisee and the parent company are obvious. A small independent can join a successful team of working partners. But the system must be controlled. All good franchisors will tell you that. Growth must be based on the strength of the support capability Š it's the clutch of the entire system. If it's weak because of overextension, no power will be delivered to the organization. The danger lies in what the International Franchise Association calls "pyramiding," or selling franchises in order to sell more and more of them. It's a little like selling empty ware- houses. The buyer expects a house of furs, but all he sees are a lot of skylights and dangling cables. The guts have been ripped out. Today's lawn care franchisors seem to be avoiding that temptation. The clean operations are the ones that have no desire to sell an outlet until they're absolutely confident in it's long-term value. The front money buys the rights, the rights secure the profits. CLASSIFIED RATES: 50* per word (minimum charge, $20). Bold face words or words in all capital letters charged at 75* per word. Boxed or display ads charged at $50 per column inch (one inch minimum). Agency commissions will be given only when camera-ready art is provided by agency. For ads using blind box number, add $5 to total cost of ad. Send ad copy with payment to Dawn Anderson, LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, 1 East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802. BOX NUMBER REPLIES: Mail box number replies to: LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, Classified Ad De-partment, 120 W. 2nd St., Duluth, MN 55802. Please include box number in address. FOR SALE LAWN Š TREE Š SHRUB NUTRIENTS. Now you can get superior LAWN FOOD in bulk Š as little as 300 gallons Š at substantial savings. Delivered within 250 miles of Long Island, NY. Also 55 gallon drums. Delivery to other areas easily arranged. Root food for trees and shrubs in 5-gallon pails shipped continental U.S. Highest quality long- lasting, low, low, chlorides. Not using liquids? ... Phone or write for the reasons why the largest operations do. Bulk tanks available, sale or lease. For quick ordering Š GRASSROOTS, 380 S. Franklin St., Hempstead, NY 11550 (516) 538-6444. 10/81 FOR SALE Š Grounds maintenance business with excellent staff, modem equipment, and prestigious accounts. Plenty of opportunity to expand into a rapidly growing resort market. Located on the beautiful Grand Strand of the S.C. coast. $145,000. Yearly in contract work at present. Price of $50,000 buys 100% of corporate stock and assets of about $20,000. Owner will stay to train purchaser for up to 6 months if needed. Owner must sell due to personal considerations. Mail inquiries to U.P. Business Marketing, P.O. Box 842, Myrtle Beach, S.C. 29577. 9/81 For Sale Š Complete Landscape and Lawn Maintenance Co. located in beautiful Hudson Valley area in New York state. Excellent equipment and customers. A real beautiful business in a growing area. Call 914-469-9526. A GUIDE FOR EVALUATING LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION COSTS The 1981 edition for landscape architects" site development and land- scape contractors is ready for you! Send check for: $12.00 ($10.95 plus $1.05 postage) payable to: Louis DeVirgillo, Loualco Corp., 17 Berwick Place, Norwood, MA 02062. 9/81 Send all Blind Box Number Replies to LCI 120 West 2nd Street Duluth, MN 55802 Electric Auger. Excellent for loading spray trucks with dry material. $250. 216-357-8400. 9/81 1980 11/2 ton Chevy truck, (less than 3000 miles), 350 V8 Engine W/4 speed. 875 gallon tuflex tank w/heavy duty agitator. 10 G.P.M. Beam pump. All run off of Electric start Briggs & Stratton 8 hp engine. Plus electric Haney Hose Reel w/475 ft. of Vfr" hose. 850 gal. poly storage tank w/hoses and 3 hp transfer pump. Send replies to: Greenway Lawn Care, 42 W. 722 Meadowsweet Dr., Elburn, Illinois 60119. 312-365-9575. 9/81 Lawn company has 1979 C-30 1-ton trucks with spray units for sale. Call (513) 845-0517, Brenda Deering. 9/81 Grasshopper 60" front running mower 1 year old, electric start, hydrostatic drive. Excellent condition $2200. Yazoo 60" mower, good condition $2100. 216-357-8400. 9/81 FOR SALE: Equipment no longer needed in our operations: 1978 Toro 7-gang Parkmaster, spartan reels, $15,000.00; 1978 Toro 9-gang Parkmaster, spartan reels, $17,500.00; 1977 Howard mower, 60" deck w/vacuum attachment, completely rebuilt, primed & painted, $3,500.00; 1980 Bowie Windsor Hydro-mulcher, $12,600.00; Scriptomatic model 29-12 addressing machine w/stand, used less than 20 hours, $1,500.00; 1976 Ford 532 diesel tractor w/front end loader, 1,730 hours, turf and lug tires, Howard E60 rotovator, Gannon box scrapper w/ripper teeth, $10,000.00; Heston model 180 w/48" & 60" decks, vacuum attachment & snow blade, completely rebuilt, primed & painted, $3,000.00. Maintain, Inc., P.O. Box 1711, Beaver-ton, OR 97075, (503)642-2574. 9/81 1979 CHEVY LAWN SPRAY TRUCK 750 gallon compartmented tank (250 gallon and 500 gallon) Electric hose reel w/500 foot hose and gun. Ideal production or service sprayer. 25000 miles. Excel-lent condition. Call (216) 357-8400. 9/81 FOR SALE Mist Blower L-80 Hardie $700.00; Soil shredder 18 HP - THD engine on wheels 30/yds./hr. $1,200.00; 2-1961 Dodge 1 ton flatbed trucks - low mileage $1,500.00 each. 312-438-4770. 9/81 1200 gal. Tuflex fiberglass tank, mechanical agita-tion, brand newŠnever mounted. $2,950. (815) 436-8777. 10/81 For Sale. Long Island N.Y. Granular lawn service business. Established 18 years. Excellent trade name. Constant growth. 1981 gross $275,000. Terms to qualified buyer. Write LCI Box 56. 9/81 WANTED TO BUY Wanted: Used Stainless Steel Combines, that aerates, rolls, sprays liquid, as formerly used by Lawn-A-Mat dealers. Write: Conestogo Golf & Country Club, Ontario, Canada NOB 1NO or call 1-519-664-2234. 9/81 HELP WANTED BRANCH MANAGER Chemical Lawn Care firm is accepting applications for Managerial position. Must be experienced in route and service type business, responsible for sales personnel and administration. Must be willing to relocate in Ohio, Indiana or Kentucky areas. Write LCI Box 52. 11/81 CAREER OPPORTUNITY Š Landscape and Grounds Maintenance Foreperson. Year round employment with benefits. Must be a creative and innovative individual, experience in Agronomy and Horticulture. Send resume to: Shearon-Higham Landscaping Co., Inc., RD#1, Cooper Road, Marlton, NJ 08053, or call 609-424-1727. 9/81 CORPORATE FIELD REPRESENTATIVE Responsibilities center around servicing and advising our lawn and tree care fran-chises in Northern Illinois and Indiana. Within a year or two, there is a possibility of transferring to another city to manage the servicing of our franchises in that area. The ideal candidate will have at least As-sistant Branch Manager experience and a good working knowledge of lawn care. A personable manner and well developed communication skills are a must. This is an exceptional opportunity with a young, but prominent, lawn and tree care company which is expanding and growing tremen- dously. Competitive salary and benefits. Send resume and salary history/require-ments to: The Professionals in Total Lawn Care Spring-Green Lawn Care Corp. RO. Box 908 Naperville, IL 60566 Do you have 150 customers Š or maybe only 25 Š who are interested in quality service, and depend upon you to meet their lawn/tree/shrub needs? Then we'll show you how to make thousands! of extra dollars during October/ November/ December of THIS YEAR. This is what our FALL PROF1T WORKSHOPS are all about. . YOU making more money with less effort while performing and supplying services EVERY ONE OF YOUR CUS-TOMERS NEEDS! See our Green Pro Workshops ad on Page 14 for dates and places or call (516) 483-0100. 10/81 INTERESTED in expanding into SHRUB & TREE CARE (insect/disease control and feeding)? 1) Attend our Introductory All-Day Workshop/Seminar, Monday, Sept. 28, Hempstead, LI, NY ($65 fee) and/or 2) Attend our unique four-day ACADEMY Dec. 16-19, 1981. Prepares you Š just as if you bought into a franchise Š to take advantage of big profits waiting for you. Tuition $425, includes EVERYTHING YOU NEED to get started, including advertising, promotional pieces, specialized forms, and of course BASIC KNOWLEDGE from several teachers with specialized experience you'll find invaluable. Call Green Pro Executive Academies (516) 483-0100 or write to-380 S. Franklin Street, Hempstead, NY 11550. Remember, on-the-job tuition is the most expensive kind. Get it for a very small fee before you get on the job. We've already paid for the mistakes. 9/81 Experienced Lawn Technician. Excellent oppor-tunity for person experienced in chemical lawn care. New company with growing pains. Excellent prom-otion 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, Rl 02877. TF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY For those involved in Grounds Maintenance, Lawn/Tree/Shrub Care, or Landscaping. GARDEN TIPS: The proven BUSINESS BUILDER Š PRO-FIT MAKER for everyone serving the homeowner market ITS YOUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER TO YOUR CUSTOMERS. It says "Hello'* to your customers each month for you Š because you don't have the time! And it SELLS. It sells you as a PROFESSIONAL. It sells your service. "Garden Tips" is sent to you ready to mail. A first-class piece Š items of interest include lawn care, shrub and tree care, vegetable and flower planting, and houseplant care. Written for quick, entertaining and compact nuggets of information. Our present subscribers report back 95-98% readership (by their own surveys) and substantial sales and new business directly attributable to "Garden Tips." Best of all Š it's low in cost. Call or write (516) 483-0100 "Garden Tips", Box 117, Garden City, NY 11530 for more information. (See the Green Pro Workshops we sponsor to help you get more out of "GARDEN TIPS" and more profits out of your effort and time during October to December of each year. Filled with ideas. Challenging. Informative. See Page 14.) 10/81 DEALER/REPRESENTATIVES NEEDED for Specialized Horticultural Products and Marketing Programs for the following areas: Boston, Springfield, Ma.; Hartford; Rochester; Buffalo area; Scranton Š Binghamton area; Pittsburgh Š Erie area; Northern New Jersey; Long Island; Northern New England; Virginia; Washington, D.C. Š Mary- land Š Delaware. These new horticultural products and marketing techniques are supported by Na-tional and Local Advertising Š Mailings and Local Seminars. Call (516) 538-6444 or write GRAS- SROOTS, 380 S. Franklin St., Hempstead, New York 11550. PLEASE CALL if you are interested in other areas which we are opening up soon. 10/81 RATES: 50 cents per word (minimum charge, $20). Bold face words or words in all capital letters charged at 75 cents per word. Boxed or display ads charged at $50 per column inch (one inch minimum). For ads using blind box number, add $5 to total cost of ad. ADVERTISERS Andersons (Regional) 24 Cleary Chemical 28, 29 Clements Associates 29 Cushman Turf 10 Dow Chemical U.S.A 2-3 Gordon Corp., PBI 26-27 Grass Roots 14 Hypro 29 International Seeds 7 Jacklin Seed Co 11, 25 Jacobsen, Div. of Textron 35 Lawn Care Industry 16, 22 Lesco Products, Div. of Lakeshore Equipment 17-20, 36 Monsanto Co 21 Northrup King Co 28 Pickseed West 33 PLCAA 23 Rain Bird 14 Rugby Kentucky Bluegrass 12-13 United States Gypsum 30 USS Agri Chemicals 15 Vandermolen Corp 14 Velsicol Chemical Corp 7 This index is furnished for the reader s convenience. However, the publisher can not guarantee its accuracy due to circumstances beyond our control. r You just can't buy a better mowing tractor. >1 , . JAcOBSEN A It's been proven time and again, day after day, acre after acre. You just can't buy a better cutting mowing tractor. For a very convincing demonstration, call your Jacobsen Distributor. £ TEXTRON Jacobsen Division of Textron Inc Š Jacobsen: You just can't buy any better. Circle No. 112 on Reader Inquiry Card Art Wick Herb Cole Bill Tanner "I'm really proud of our Lescosan team* They're here to serve you with our early order and early delivery program* They'll take your orders for Lescosan, for Lescopar, Lescopex, Lesco A 4-D and other products in our complete turfline. Harry Podvia Glenn Lessig Ron Giffen LESCQ PRODUCTS Division of Lakeshore Equipment & Supply Co. 300 South Abbe Road, Elyria, Ohio 44035 (216)323-7544 Call Collect A Family off Fine Products Lescosan 12.5GŠLescoreneŠLesco 4ŠLescoborŠ Lescopar Š LescopexŠLesco Non-Selective HerbicideŠLesco MSMAŠLesco Thiram 75WŠLescozyme Š Lakeshore Chinch Bug & Sod Webworm Control. NATIONWIDE (800) 321-5325 IN OHIO (800) 362-7413 CALL BARB