LATE SUMMER* SCOTT/NG'r All "Lawn Care" Applications Easily and Accurately Made with a Scotts Spreader 4-XP WEED & FEED Apply one or the other to stop broad-leaved weeds — Dandelion, Plantain, Buckhorn, Chickweed. o^ If Crabgrass green and thriving, apply SCUTL to check prolific seeding. Delay SCUTL-ing at least until second day after application of 4-XD or Weed & Feed. If soil test indicates lime need, apply at least a week ahead of Turf Builder and soak into ground, or wait until ground frozen. After completion of Weed Control program, give a gen- erous feeding of Turf Builder at 10 lbs per 1,000 square feet or make two fall feedings of 5 lbs each. (Lawn Moths), Cutworms, or Grubs present If Webworms or invasion likely—apply Scotts Pest Control. Birds tear- ing up sod or moles working in lawn usually indicate presence of soil insects. Most lawns are benefited by some seeding after a tough summer. Good seed is scarce. Don't waste it. M O W I NG Continue summer mowing height but do not mow for day or two after application of weed control. Advisable to keep lawn moist, especially after feeding and seeding. Suspend watering for day or two after weed control applications. is LATE SUMMER - EARLY FALL t he j one best time to start a new lawn, to renovate a poor one or give a health- ful beauty treatment to any lawn. In most of the West from the last of Au- gust through September and into Oc- tober in the South is ideal for seed germination and seedling growth. In their natural state, grasses bloom in summer but Nature delays the after- ripening and germination of seeds un- til early fall. The seeds then fall on warm soil at a time when hot days are growing shorter, cool nights longer, dews heavier and soil moisture gen- erally more favorable. Usually growing conditions in this period give each seed a better chance to produce a mature plant. The cultural loss is less because of better natural conditions for seedling growth. Weed competition is reduced and there is less disease, the bane of spring-seeded grass. When the right seed is selected for fall planting, less seed is required to pro- duce outstanding turf. TALE OF TWO LAWNS On a recent tour of a nice home area in the West, we noticed two lawns in particular which stood out in sharp contrast. Side by side, exposed to the same weather, one was a joy to behold; the other was an eyesore. Because this situation is common, the case histories of these two lawns have been gathered into story form. Why the difference? Largely it was a matter of doing the right thing at the right time. The hours involved, or the expense had little bearing. First he spaded up his old Mr. Freeman is an army colonel—re- tired. Living on a pension during infla- tion induced the colonel to do his own lawn work. Late last summer he started on a planned improvement program. lawn using a spading fork and turning under the old sod for the valuable humus it would provide. He took it in slow easy stages, making pleasureable exer- cise out of what might be drudgery. This is all right on small lawns but now he says if he had it to do again he would rent a power tiller for a few hours be- cause it breaks up the sod easier. His soil was heavy clay and while his sleeves were rolled up, he wanted to improve it. So he broadcast two bags of agricultural gypsum and a bale of peat on each 1,000 square feet and raked them in deeply, making sure to mix thoroughly into the soil. Had he lived in the Northwest coastal areas where soil is acid, the same procedure would be used except 100 pounds of agricultural limestone per 1,000 square feet instead of the gypsum. Then Colonel Freeman set the sprinkler and gave the area a good soaking to settle the seedbed and insure a good supply of moisture in the top 5 inches of soil. When the surface dried, he spent some time cultivating further. He used his hoe and garden rake and also found that dragging helped to crumble the soil. His drag was a homemade one, con- sisting of a 5 foot plank which he weighted with bricks. Colonel Freeman wound up with a nice, crumbly seedbed. As he surveyed the job he had a certain sense of pride and confidence the new grass would thrive in such well prepared soil. His timing was good because the ground was ready for the seed in Sep- tember — days were growing shorter, nights cooler and dews heavier. that Friends told him the soil was rich enough and the size of his garden flowers seemed to confirm this, but he realized he would be raising hundreds of plants on each square foot of his lawn and that extra nourishment was needed. He rented a Scotts Spreader from his local Scotts dealer and in a few minutes put on 10 pounds of Turf Builder for each 1,000 square feet. He raked the Turf Builder into the top inch or two of the seedbed. This was in the morning. He was anxious to get the seed in before any wind came up. With safe Turf Builder he didn't have to delay, but planted the seed immediately afterwards with- out fear of burning it. At this point he was especially care- ful to read directions tucked in the top of his package of seed. He wanted a picture lawn to enhance his modest but attractive home. The soil was fairly good and there was no dense shade so he had wisely selected Scotts Lawn Seed. He was pleased to find the low seeding rate for this blend made it more economical to sow than the ordi- nary seeds he had investigated. He sowed the seed in two parts at right angles to each other, using the same Scotts Spreader that applied the Turf Builder. He sowed the first part lengthwise on his lawn, then raked it in lightly. The second part he sowed crosswise and left it on top of the ground. Cross-seeding even coverage. insures more A thin, even covering of peat moss was hand broadcast over the new plant- ing to help prevent the seedbed from drying out too rapidly. This step is not necessary if the seedbed can otherwise be kept moist by frequent light sprink- lings during the germination period. Before noon Colonel Freeman was giving his completed planting the first sprinkling with a fine misty spray so it wouldn't wash or float the peat or seed. The recently, proved his confidence in the program for the new lawn. results, viewed The Other Lawn The lawn next door continued to be an eyesore — looked even worse with the colonel's luxuriant carpet to offer the contrast. Charles Bowers is Colonel Freeman's neighbor. He works at the local bank and being on his feet all day, isn't inclined toward gardening except on weekends. He has been disgusted with the old lawn so it gets little attention outside of watering and mowing. He knows a homeowner can get an FHA loan on a new lawn but wants to swing it himself. He is open to sug- gestions and willing to be saved the costly errors the experience of others can help him avoid. that Instead of constructing a new lawn he is going to renew his old lawn this fall. With Colonel Freeman to help and a set of Scotts Lawn Care bulle- tins (25c) at his side, here is his lawn program for early fall: First step — he has some Dande- lions, Wild Morning Glory and what looks like Thistle or Mustard. The name doesn't matter because all of them will be killed with a quick easy application of 4-XD weed control. That disagreeable grass which has been "taking over" is Crabgrass. He found out by mailing a specimen in waxed paper to Scotts at Palo Alto, in Earlier for applying Sprayer Complications the summer, one of the important home and garden publications carried a warning about the use of 2, 4-D liquids in sprayers that might also be used insecticides or fungicides to garden plants. Rightly, they pointed out the danger of harm from the residue unless all parts of the sprayer were carefully rinsed with kerosene and then thoroughly washed with soap suds. is avoided when you use Scotts dry mate- rials the spreader and there is also less danger of drift than with pressure spraying. this danger and extra work (not dusts) applied with All California (or Salem, Oregon). So his second step is to check its heavy seed- ing with a Scutl treatment. About a week after the last Scutl application he will mow the lawn one inch high and catch the clippings. Next a thorough raking to remove the sum- mer's accumulation of grass clippings which he let fall. Then Bowers is going to put on a double application of Turf Builder which means 10 pounds per 1,000 square feet, to revive his summer weary grasses. This will be followed by a good watering to wash it off the foli- age and into the soil. two From Colonel Freeman he has learned it pays to sow quality and has set his mind on Scotts Seed. However, he is going to use the "Special" blend because it better fits the intended use of the lawn. The unimproved soil and the extra wear and tear the lawn will receive lively youngsters makes the "Special" choice a wise one. Essentially his plans coincide with the fall program outlined on Page 1 of this bulletin. from two neighbors have already gone together and purchased one of the new streamlined Scotts Spreaders so that weed controls, Turf Builder, and seed will always be put on evenly and easily — and at the right time. lawn bound to have a happy ending too. this second tale of The The is YOUR SCOTT LAWN IS NOW WORTH MORE the one is asking and $1,500 more than other. The price difference among the homes was the lawn. I firmly believe my house sold because of the Scott lawn." So treat your Scott lawn well. Re- spect its value to your family as well as to your property viewed by some poten- tial purchaser. If you haven't a Scott Lawn now, take note that getting one adds beauty to your home and dollars to its worth. • Fertilizers Help Earthworms U.S. Department of Agriculture has reported on tests with earthworms. They advise that earthworms thrive and do a better soil building job in well fertilized soil. Their tests show that worms are more effective where fertilizer is used and that more benefit is obtained from fertilizer when earthworms are present. A hint to gardeners is given- in the fact that earthworms did more good, crop-wise, where the ground was covered with a winter mulch. This protects the earthworm population against sudden temperature drops, and also keeps the soil more moist. Bugs in Your Lawn? Fall is a heavy feeding time for the lar- vae of some beetles. The grubs are busy storing away food to last them during their winter hibernation. the autumn months Grubs feed mainly on the roots of grass plants. During they may feed so heavily as to kill grass plants and cause patches of brown turf. Their presence is often disclosed by flocks of birds on the lawn, or the activity of moles. Whenever grubs are suspected, an appli- cation of Scotts Pest Control is recommen- ded. Water it in to take it down to their root-feeding zone. Pest Control also gives control of Sod Webworms larvae), Cut- worms, Skipper Butterfly larvae and Ants. (Lawn Moth When you list your assets, put that Scotts Lawn up in value about 50%. There are two ways to justify it. One is by the price of the seed which pro- duced it. Seed production has not kept pace with consumption. The millions of new homes, the movement of indus- try toward rural sites with large turf areas, the new school buildings with grass entering into every picture, all add up to a grass seed requirement 50% in excess of 1949. The harvest of seed has been sharply down, hence a steadily advancing price pattern. The current crop has turned out light and the most important lawn variety—Kentucky Bluegrass—will not exceed 9 million pounds. Less than half of a normal crop. To collect that quantity, the same number of men and acres, the same amount of machinery and hours are in- volved as a big harvest. So the cost per pound of seed is greater. You go over the same ground to harvest a thin stand as for a heavy one. Thus in a year when we had hoped for lower lawn seed prices, they have advanced. There is a second reason why your Scotts Lawn is worth more. It adds def- inite value to property as Mr. Maurice J. Hal writes: "Four years ago I bought a home in a new subdivision. The lawn was supposed to be in but it was a mess. I sent for your Lawn Care book. That fall I tore up my so-called lawn and planted Scotts Seed. I got a wonderful catch and since then with the minimum of effort have had a beautiful lawn; so much so that it stands out like an oasis for blocks around. the fact that "This spring because of sinus infection I decided to sell and move away. Regardless of the same block have been for sale for sixty days and still are, my house sold in eight days. "In view of the fact the three homes are very similar, I received $1,000 more than two other homes in O M SCOTT & SONS CO. 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