23rd Year No. 113 PS T.M. REO PUBLISHED FIVE TIMES YEARLY FOR LAWNTHUSIASTS A ND THEY STILL BITE THE BAIT is a bit different at times. But the racket is still the same as frequently described in LAWN CARE. A truck loaded with what looks like "rich, black dirt" pulls up in front of a nice looking home. Usually two men are aboard, one of the spokesman. Typically the trick is to put ten bas- kets of the "magic" stuff on the lawn but claim to use 50 or 100. By some pretext or other, they maneuver the owner so he is not in position to count. They make their price so high they can cut 20% or more from the bill and still walk away with several hundred dol- lars clear profit. A new quirk was reported recently. A couple of husky young men offered to apply "humus" at 7 cents per bushel. The owner said okay. He thought it was cheap. When the pair had finished, they demanded 70 cents per basket, claiming the owner had misunderstood their price quotation. Because they were big and threatening, they got the money. The papers of one town tell of the arrest and subsequent conviction of two men who were operating this racket in their town. Previously they them He spins a glib story that would outdo the best old time medicine men. For so much a basket they will really fix up the lawn because their stuff pro- vides humus, seed, weed killer, and even vitamins. Sometimes they promise permanent dampness. fertilizer, Actually all they have is worthless, tired old muck or other exhausted or- ganic material. Surprisingly those who should know better are the ones who so often fall—doctors, lawyers, busi- ness men, besides the nice widows and maiden ladies who are supposed to be the gullible ones. had mulcted several residents, includ- ing two doctors. The same operators are reported to have taken over $500 from several professional and business men. the In many instances of the black dirt racket, trucks bear out-of-state licenses. Instead of arousing suspicion, this seems to lend enchantment. The racket would be stopped if lawn own- ers followed the oft-repeated advice of LAWN CARE to "buy soil, humus, or lawn and nursery work and services from a local concern that can provide satisfactory references." Know landscape man or nurseryman. your There are qualified and legitimate operators in every community. local injured the grass to the extent that it would displease any home owner. is like Bluegrass, Fescue A further claim for M-H that Crabgrass is killed "by doses which do not seem to affect the good permanent grasses and Bent." Perhaps so under certain con- ditions but in a series of tests by Scotts Lawn Research all three of these vari- eties were killed at rates much lower for Crabgrass. In fact than needed applications below range for Bluegrass actually seemed to give Crabgrass a new lease on life. the critical "Used your new Crabgrass killer. It really swell."—L. M. R., Sebastopol, Calif. is "We have many Scott lawns here we are proud of."— H. D., Albuquerque, N. M. By the time of killing frost, untreated Crabgrass plants will have dropped thou- sands of seed to the soil. There is then no value in applying Crabgrass controls. The crop has been set for the next year so the only thing to do is start a control program next summer to stop the new crop before it can damage lawn. the Better Keep Your M o w e r! Several feature writers have excited many folks this year by optimistic re- ports on a chemical that is supposed to halt the growth of grass, but still keep it nice and green. Let no lawn mower manufacturer jump out of the office window in des- pair. The magic of chemistry isn't that good yet. Perhaps an important place in horticulture and agriculture will be found for Maleic Hydrazide. last However, Scotts Research tests year and again this year show little promise for its use on lawns. A rate of spray that stopped growth, did it by the death method. In re- peated tests it invariably discolored and lawn "Our is comparatively new—having been planted last fall. We have fertilized at intervals and the lawn is really beautiful."— C. H., Richmond, Calif. f or the most in t o w n. His success f o r m u la " Me a nd Scotts products done i t ," w as the joking comment of C. F. Farris took of Billings, M o n t a n a, a f t er he b e a u t i f ul top honors in- l a wn a nd cludes w a t e r. He cuts high, the clip- they are d ry he cross- pings but after mows over the them evenly to l a w n. scatter leaves plenty of grass f o od V e t e r an Reader Reminds Us H ow Late In The Fall The first issue of LAWN CARE, August 1928, was sent to not more than five thousand souls. At least one of these folks has a sharp memory and a valuable file of the early bulletins as witness this letter: Sirs: Many congratulations on the production of your new compound, SCUTL, for the con- for about trol of Crabgrass. I have known twenty-four years—since first reacted to the your advertisement on in you National Geographic Magazine — that vexacious have been wrestling with problem. 1928, to the "King of No. 2), which is devoted the Fall Pests," Crabgrass, is the following significant statement: (September, In "Vol. I lawn seed this 1" "The surest way to rid the ground the plants by is . . the fact to pull of Crabgrass hand during June and July Following in mind the above directions and keep- in your many ing L A WN CARE bulletins you have always ad- vised against bare spots by keeping the turf thick, I have been more than ordinarily suc- cessful lawn pests because mine is a small grass plot— and hand pulling of weeds for me has not been this worst of too arduous a in combating task. that May I take this occasion to thank you for the many, many L A WN CARE bulletins sent me from the beginning. Each one has its own particular and absorbing mes- had its sage and after studying and marking filed away significant passages, long- for time devotees who in better lawns, but who—at 68—still considers him- self an attentive amateur. future reference by one of your it has been interested is THOMAS J. FLYNN • "We have been using your lawn seed and lawn food with pleasing results. We live in a new tract which contains adobe soil. It is very dry and almost lifeless. Therefore lawns are very hard to develop, but with planting of your product it has done wonders."—E. H. M., Los Angeles, Calif. For one reason or another, folks find winter weather imminent before they can get their fall lawn work done. Par- ticularly is this true where a new home has been built and is such that the lawn can't be worked on until quite late. the schedule The question is put to the editors thousands of times, "Shall I seed at this late date or wait until spring?" Generally the answer is, "If you can get the ground ready, go ahead. There is a better than even chance of success. This is dependent, however, on the type of winter to be expected in the particular locality. Where winters are mild, characterized by rains and occa- sional frosts, the seed may germinate but the young grass may be discolored and temporarily retarded. Or the tem- peratures may be low enough that the seed does not germinate but is simply rotted by the moisture. is snow, In localities where winters are cold late seedings are and there is pre- more successful for the seed served as in a deep-freeze. It lies dor- mant season and then sprouts when the soil warms in the spring. the winter throughout So the decision to seed after mid- range October hinges on some weather guessing. long There are those who have, with reason, taken the road of compromise. They plant one-half the required rate whenever the lawn is ready in late fall or early winter, keeping the rest for over-seeding in the spring. Fall N EW L A WN HINTS is the preferred seeding time for new lawns. Careful soil preparation insures better results. See LAWN CARE Digest Chapters 1 through 4. After final grade but before last Cutaway drawing showing unique construction of the Scotts Spreader. raking, spread Lawn Food at 10 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. After raking or dragging, ground to receive seed. Seeding as first is ready soon as possible after September is advised. Divide seed; sow one-half direction, balance at right angles insure more even coverage. in one to Rake and roll per directions in seed package. L A WN FAILURES TURF TIPS published from time to time by the Rhode Island State Col- lege, under the able editorship of J. A. DeFrance, carried this cogent observa- tion in a recent issue under the heading "WHY SOME L A W NS FAIL." too lightly, and it . . . "Perhaps the seed was covered too deeply or is washed or blown away. Young seedlings may have dried out from lack of water, or drowned out from like damping-ofiF, too much water. Diseases seedling blight or brown patch may kill the tender young turf. If bare spots occur, reseed invasion of them weeds. Give to hasten their development and blending with the rest of these spots some extra care to help avoid immediately lawn." the Spreader Service Bulletin A v a i l a b le Conservation is again the order of the day. The life of a spreader can be lengthened appreciably by a little at- tention after each use such as a thor- ough washing and drying followed by oiling of the wheel bushings. is likely to occur, some parts unduly worn or damaged in use. So to be ready for lawn treatments next year, the owner of a Scotts Spreader is urged to service his machine before he puts it away for winter. then, some rusting Even Most any man who is handy with tools can fix up his own spreader. If the owner is not such a person, then a garage mechanic, lawn mower re- pairman or community handy man could take care of it. To aid in this job a new Scotts SPREADER SERVICE M A N U AL has been prepared. This is available without charge by addressing O M Scott & Sons Co, Palo Alto, Calif. O M S C O TT & S O NS C O. M A R Y S V I L LE - - O H IO EVERY PACKAGE OF SCOTTS LAWN CARE PRODUCTS BEARS THIS TRADE - MARK AND IS SEALED FOR YOUR PROTECTION