A PATCH GREEN O fficial Publication of th e Michigan & Border Cities Golf Course Superintendents Association MAKE IT LET THE EXPERTS AT J. J. DILL HELP YOU BUY DIRECT • SAVE MONEY GET FAST DELIVERIES Your budget will buy more — in chemicals and equipment to apply them — when you deal direct with Dill. As manufacturer, formulator and/or distributor, Dill can save you Consistently. Dill is headquarters for complete lines of: • Fungicides • Herbicides • Algaecides • Insecticides • Fog- gers • Sprayers. Dill offers the most cor plete line of quality turf A chemicals in the midwest . . complete with appli- 5T DELIVERY throughout SdOtlYeTh Michigan and northwestern Ohio, including weekly shipment via our trucks covering the Detroit, Flint, Lansing and Toledo areas. DIAL TOLL-FREE (WATTS) 800-832-4057 cation instructions. ► TIP OF THE MONTH THIS SPRING . . . Don’t be caught this Spring without adequate chemical supplies! Order your 1976 supplies NOW and assure prompt delivery and favorable prices. VALUABLE CATALOG Latest edition, up-dated in all respects. Contains a wealth of in­ form ation. Lists and describes hundreds of chemicals, pesticides and equipment for maintenance of grounds and waters of golf courses, parks, recreation areas and resorts. 1. J. DILL COMPANY KALAMAZOO, Ml 49005 Gentlemen: Please send your latest Turf Care Catalog. Box 788 Dept. PG-4 NAME ------ ADDRESS CITY_____ . STATE. .Z IP 2 / / T V r m ¿MICHIGAN AND BORDER CIT,ES G0LF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION V M IC H IG A N 5 P R E S I D E N T GEORGE W. PRIESKORN BURROUGHS FARM GOLF CLUB 5341 Brighton Road Brighton, Michigan 48116 Off. 227-1381, R e s. 229-9437 V IC E P R E S I D E N T CLEM WOLFROM DETROIT GOLF CLUB 530 Kendry Bloomfield H ills, Michigan 48013 Off. 345-4589, R e s . 338-6375 "A PATCH OF GREEN” 31823 Utica Road, Fraser, Mich. 48026 (313) 293-3540 P ub lishe d monthly by the MICHIGAN AND BORDER CITIES GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOC. Circulation 1,250 Ted Woehrle, CGCS, Oakland Hills C.C. Clem Wolfrom, Detroit Golf Club C o-Ed ¡tors P rin ted At BLAKEMAN PRINTING COMPANY Fraser, Michigan S E C R E T A R Y -T R E A S U R E R MONTHLY A D V E R T ISIN G R A T E S ROBERT HOPE, CGCS THE LOCHMOOR CLUB 20740 Marter Road Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan 48236 Off. 881-8112, R e s . 884-8684 BO A R D OF D IR E C T O R S PINE LAKE COUNTRY CLUB ROGER GILL 1894 Alton Circle Walled Lake, Michigan 48088 Off. 681-1322, R e s . 264-6931 DON LA FOND BAY POINTE GOLF CLUB 3635 Union Lake Road Union Lake, Michigan 48085 Off. 363-0144, R e s. 363-1142 BRUCE WOLFROM, CGCS BARTON HILLS COUNTRY CLUB 639 Barber Street Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105 Off. 662-8359, R e s . 663-9213 JAMES TIMMERMAN ORCHARD LAKE COUNTRY CLUB 2474 Lafay Orchard Lake, Michigan 48033 Off. 682-2150, R e s. 682-7234 PLUM HOLLOW GOLF CLUB WARD SWANSON 29642 Westfield Livonia, Michigan 48150 Off. 352-2436, R e s. 421-8049 WALTER TROMBLEY, CGCS ARROWHEAD GOLF CLUB 3130 Orion Road Lake Orion, Michigan 48035 Off. 373-5240, R e s . 693-2924 P R E S I D E N T EM ERITUS TAM-O-SHANTER COUNTRY CLUB GERALD GILL, CGCS 3466 Walnut Lake Road Walnut Lake, Michigan 48033 Off. 626-8325, R e s . 851-7904 Double Page Spread............................................ $100.00 Back Outside P a g e . . . ..........................................85.00 Fu ll P a g e ........................................................................55.00 H a l f P a g e ........................................................................35.00 Quarter P a g e ................................................................ 25.00 Eighth P a g e ............................................................. 12.50 7.50 Sixteenth P a g e ........................................................ C la s sified Ad (per column in c h ) .................. 5.00 DISCOUNT RATES: One Year 10% THIS MONTH’S ADVERTISERS Alfco Inc. Century Supply Corporation Chemagro Chipman Division of Rhodia W.A. Cleary Corporation J.J. Dill Company FDS Fertilizers, Inc. Huggett Sod Farm, Inc. Lakeshore Equipment Corporation Lawn Equipment Corporation Lebanon/Agrico W.F. Miller Garden Company O.M. Scott & Sons Company Sprinkler Irrigation Supply (Sisco) Terminal Sales Corporation Turfgrass, Inc. Turf Supplies, Inc. USS Agri-Chemicals Wilkie Turf Equipment Company 3 Vertagreen f*W ith USS Vertagreen Tournament Plus you’re within easy reach of having the best fairways you’ve eler seen. This premium fertilizer is formulated especially for fairway turf and is" granulated and sized for uniform application with rotary and drop spreaders. Forty-eight percent of the nitrogen content is derived from synthetic nitrogen sources—mostly urea-formaldehyde. With an analysis formulated with su -9 it is potash contains guaranteed amounts of calcium, magnesium, sulfur, zinc, manganese, boron, copper, and chelated iron. Everything your fairways need to stay strong and healthy. USS Vertagreen Tournament Plus is just one of many products your USS Vertagreen distributor has for fairway turf. He’s also got the right product for your greens. See him today-he’ll show you how to put it on. See your Vertagreen distributor. UqS) Agri-Chemicals C J Division of United States Steel Atlanta, Ga. 30301 47th Annual Turfgrass Conference and Show in Minnesota Kicks Off Year Highlights of the Week I. Attendance Hits 4,000-Plus II. Dick Malpass Elected President III. Important Bylaw Changes Pass IV. Annual Dues Increased V. Educational Experiences Offer Vast Array of Choice Throughout Week While final counts are still being it is clear that more than 4,000 the Minneapolis Conference and Show of ; GCSAA. Although the total registra­ tion is down somewhat from previous years, everyone in attendance agreed : that it was the finest event yet staged participated ' tabulated, people in by the Association. Exhibiting firms were particularly pleased by the high level of individuals present in learning more about products and the profession. seriousness their and Other numeric highlights include the following: 71 speakers providing more than 45 hours of information. 155 firms displaying more than $8-million worth of equipment. 50 from Australia, England, Columbia, Germany, Mexico, registrants ► Japan, Spain and South Africa. s e m i n a r s attended by 157 4 people. 39 superintendents took Certifi­ cation Examination, 32 passed. RICHARD W. MALPASS, CGCS, Riverside G&CC S u p e r i n t e n d e n t , Portland, Ore., will lead GCSAA during this year as its 40th President. TED W. WOEHRLE, CGCS, Oakland Hills \ CC S u p e r i n t e n d e n t , Birmingham, Mich., was selected Vice President. DAVID C. HOLLER, CGCS, Gulph Mills GC Superintendent, King of Prussia, Penn., was elected Director while MELVIN B. LUCAS, JR., CGCS, Garden City GC Superintendent, Garden City, NY and CHARLES H. TADGE, CGCS, Mayfield CC Superin­ tendent, South Euclid, Ohio were re-elected as Directors. Michigan Ranks 5th in Number of Golf Courses Of all states, Michigan now ranks fifth in the number of Golf Courses in any state. Only California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio rank higher. We have one golf course for every 19,000 people. Let’s all make an effort to get one new member this year. Less than Vi of all Golf Course Superintendents belong to an Association whether local or national. For the good of the profes­ sion, they should all belong to one or the other. Pennsylvania 725 1. California 687 2. New York 607 3. 586 4. Ohio 560 5. Michigan 558 6. 549 7. 8. 499 9. North Carolina 357 10. 328 Texas Florida Illinois Indiana The trouble with the guy who talks too fast is that he often says something he hasn’t thought of yet. 5 Ice Storm Hits Southern Lower Michigan power for over a week. On Tuesday and Wednesday, March 2 and 3, a foggy, d r i z z l e began freezing and covering the trees and bushes throughout the Southeastern corner of Michigan. The sound of cracking and falling branches could be heard for the next two days as branches began to give way under the tremendous weight of the ice. Many power lines and poles snapped and caused electrical black­ outs in many areas. In many cases, people were without Now remove the cleanup begins. Several golf courses had members pitch in to help the b r a n c h e s . Many I thousands of dollars will be spent this j year into the trees to remove broken and damaged branches. It isn’t uncommon to hear figures of over $25,000 for tree repair. to climb up It will be several years before some trees will display their old the of shapes and beauty. A limber spruce that made it without damage. HUGGETT SOD FARM, Inc, y y u S T a R F v W Nuggett +11 Kentucky Blend Huggett's Shade Mix Warren's A-34 Warren's A-20 Bentgrass Sod 6 4114 E. M A R LE T TE M A R LE T TE , MICH. 48453 Phone (517) 635-7482 I GCSAA RESEARCH GRANTS TOTAL $22, 250 FOR 1976 At a special meeting in Minneapolis ** during the Conference and Show, the be projects special interest to the members should involving hyperodes, GCSAA and Research Ataenius spretulus and dung beetle. Fund Review Committee determined A $2,000 grant was presented to Dr. that 14 Joe Vargas of MSU for research on funding institutions would receive for different projects. Of Anthracnose. Scholarship 7 Decontamination of Spray Equipment from GREG PATCHAN Spray D e c o n t a m i n a t i o n of - Thorough cleaning of Equipment reduces the e q u i p m e n t not only p o s s i b i l i t y of crop injury from herbicides left in the tank but extends the life of the e q u i p m e n t . Since herbicides vary in their chemistry and the way they are formulated, there is no standard procedure for decontamina­ tion. The most important step is to use a rinse material which acts as a solvent for the herbicide. sprayer Repeated rinsing with water is usually sufficient for removing the wettable powder suspensions of com­ such as phenyl ureas and pounds triazines. The should be scrubbed and rinsed with water several times and the residue emptied on an area where is no danger of contaminating water or injuring crops. Operation of the pump for at least 3 minutes will remove contaminates from the boom, hoses, and nozzles. Addition of detergents will aid in the cleaning should be followed by a clean water rinse to remove any detergent which might reduce the next the selectivity of herbicide to be used. operation but there Salts of 2,4-D, banvel, and picioramt are relatively water-soluble, however, j the spray equipment should be rinsed l with water and filled with a strong! solution of synthetic detergent or 2 lbs. of washing soda per 100 gallons of water. The mixture should be left in the sprayer for at least 24 hours' and rinsed with a second detergent or j soda mixture before final rinsing with ? some of the i water. Always mixture through system before J mixture through the system at both the \ spray the and end of beginning the soaking 8 period. An effective and rapid but more! expensive method rinse the system for at least 5 minutes with a solution of activated charcoal. * 1% This should be f o l l o w e d with a thorough rinse of clean water. The use of activated charcoal. This should be followed with a thorough rinse of clean water. The use of activated charcoal \ such as i eliminates the need for a long soaking ^ period. Oil-soluble herbicides esters are usually 2,4-D the most f difficult remove. The preferred * choice is to have a separate sprayer ^ Continued on Page 10 j to to is ( S c o u s ) P r o T u r f H elping th e su p erintendent through tu rf research... ■ Controlled Release Fertilizers ■ Fertilizer/Pesticide Combinations SCOTTS • LELY • GANDY SPREADERS Finest quality turfgrass seed-Fairways • Greens • Tees • Roughs Scotts Windsor and Victa blends ■ Fungicides—Herbicides—Insecticides ■ Soil Testing—Weed & Disease Identification Ted Mulcahey T echnical Representative 7205 S. Jennings Road Swartz Creek, Mich. 48473 Telephone: 313/6 5 5 -4 7 0 2 8 Keep your turf in top playing condition. Trust it to Chemagro. ®NEMACUR 15% Granular is a fast-acting nematicide that provides months of residual control of all major turf nematodes. Requires no injection —apply with a granular applicator and water in. ®DYRENE fungicide controls dollar spot, plus all Helminthosporium diseases— melting out, leaf blight, leaf spot. Also controls copper spot, stem rust, brown patch and snow mold. Its small cost offsets the big cost of repairing after disease gets started. ®DEXON fungicide. Stops Pythium. This non-mercurial fungicide is also extremely effective in preventive programs to control cottony blight. It’s compatible with other turf pesticides. ® DASANIT nematicide/insecticide. Broadcast DASANIT 15% Granular for control of microscopic nematodes that destroy turf root systems, cause grass seedlings to wither and die. Requires no injection that makes turf unplayable for weeks during spring and summer. Easily applied with any conventional granular insecticide applicator. Thorough watering leaches nematicide into root zone for maximum control. ®DYLOX insecticide. This fast-acting selective insecticide gives quick clean up of sod webworms. Dissolves readily in water for application with any type of spray equipment. ®BAYGON insecticide. A carbamate insecticide that controls certain turf insects, including many species resistant to chlorinated hydrocarbon and organophosphate insecticides. Safe to Bermuda, zoysia, rye, clover, colonial bentgrass and other common varieties when used as directed. For great turf that gives your golfers great shooting, order these Chemagro turf pesticides from your chemical distributor. Chemagro Agricultural Division of Mobay Chemical Corporation. Box 4913, Kansas City, Missouri 64120. BAYG O N, DASANIT, DEXON, DYLOX and N E M A C U R are Reg. TMs of the Parent C om pany o f F arbenfabriken B ayer G m bH , Leverkusen. D Y R E N E is a Reg. TM of M obay C hem ical C orporation. RESPONSEability to you and nature 7659B 9 Green Sem inar held at Plum Hollow The Golf Association of Michigan in cooperation with the Michigan & Border Cities Golf Course Superin­ tendents Association held a Green Seminar on Wednesday, March 24, 1976. Subjects discussed were: “ Budget Comparison and Standardization” by James Dowaley and the “ Role of the Green Chairman” by H. Thomas Rex, Chairman of Green Committee for the Golf Association of Michigan. Mr. Rex Decontamination of Sprayers Cont. for these materials only. If this cannot be done, the system should be filled with water and household ammonia (1 qt/25 gal of water) and left to soak for 24 hours. Do not use ammonia if any part of the system is made of brass. herbicides, Kerosene and fuel oil can be used as an alternate means of removing oil-soluble however, enough of the oil has to be put into the tank to enable the pump to circu­ late the system (do not use oil on parts made of natural rubber.) After the tank has adequately throughout it is also Chairman of the Plum Hollow C.C. Green Committee. After a delicious meal, the meeting of over 100 attendees divided into two groups for one hour panel discussions on two subjects: 1. Poa Annua Control 2. Water Management A complete report on this important in the May meeting will be carried issue of “ A Patch of Green.” in the remove circulate Chemicals been scrubbed with oil and rinsed, a wetting agent the water will help the oil. Regardless of which method is used, it is important to cleaning material throughout the system and thoroughly flush with clean water. other than ammonia, charcoal, oil or wetting agents are not recommended spray equipment. Some chemicals may remove the odor of herbicides without affecting the active ingredients and be mis­ leading. The absence of odor cannot be taken as an indication of decon­ tamination. cleaning for - F A IR W A Y S - 12-4-8 . . . 4% W.I.N. 18-0-9 . . . 6% W.I.N. 18-5-9 . . . 6% W.I.N. 20-5-10 30-3-10. . 10% W.I.N. - G R E E N S - 16-0-8 . . 10% W.I.N. 18-3-12. . .6% W.I.N. with Iron Sulfate 45-0-0 Dutch Brand Urea rAII FREDD. SPEIER ^ ALL 681*9336 (313) “ Finest quality ingredients — economically priced.” 53 2 4 W. B L O O M F I E L D L A K E W. B L O O M F I E L D , M I C H . 4 8 0 3 3 10 TORO W ORKMASTER Here’ s the simple, rugged u tility vehicle you’ve been needing for dependable day-in, day-out hauling of people and equipment. It’ s the first u tility vehicle designed and engineered to TORO standards - starting with a reliable hydrostatic drive that outpulls higher horsepower engines. It’s backed by TORO people, by the TORO parts and service system, and by our new ONE YEAR W ARRANTY. The WORKMASTER from TORO: it’ s got what it takes! WILKIE TURF Equipment Company P.O. BOX 749 • PONTIAC, MICHIGAN 48056 1050 OPDYKE ROAD • PHONE (313) 373-8800 11 r FORE-PAR MANUFACTURING CHICOPEE MANUFACTURING CO. 3M ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCTS AGRICO FERTILIZERS FOX VALLEY MARKING SYSTEMS E. I. DUPONT ACTI-DIONE PRODUCTS VELSICOL CHEMICALS CONTAINER DEVELOPMENT CYCLONE SEEDER COMPANY MALLINCKRODT CHEMICALS O TURFGRASS, INC. Phone: Area 313 437-1427 ARE YOU INTERESTED IN JOINING THE MICHIGAN AND BORDER CITIES GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION? Fill in the questionaire below and mail to: BOB HOPE The Lochmoor Club 20740 Marter Road Grosse Pointe Woods, Mi. 48236 Off. 881-8112, Res. 884-8684 MICHIGAN NAME O F I N T E R E S T E D P E R SO N D A T E _________ MAILING A D D R E S S __________________________________________________ ______ C I T Y ___________________________ S T A T E ________________ Z I P _______________ Or you may contact the next g o lf course supplier who c a lls on you and give him the information needed for application. CHIPCO protects your turf from the world’s toughest critic... The golfer □ Chipco® Spot Kleen □ Chipco® Microgreen Liquid □ Chipco® Turf Herbicide “D □ Chipco® Spreader Activator □ Chipco® Thiram 75 □ Chipco® Crab Kleen □ Chipco® Turf Herbicide MCPP □ Chipco® Buctril® □ Chipco® Turf Kleen RHODIA INC. AGRICULTURAL DIVISION Monmouth Junction, New Jersey 08852 t > > UNITY AND INTERACTION STRENGTH PROVIDES IMPROVEMENT FOR ALL from FORE FRONT, March, 1976 GCSAA’s 47th Annual International Turf grass C o n f e r e n c e and Show recently concluded in Minneapolis and is an excellent example of the syner­ gistic effect. Gathering together more than 4,000 people from around the world, an educational program was conducted for the benefit of all. A great number of the e d u c a t i o n a l speakers were golf course superin­ tendents, intent upon assisting their fellow superintendents. The synergistic effect of such an event will continue to send out waves for years to come, improving each of the parts beyond the realization of most. Reason often makes mistakes, but conscience never does. 13 * effects. simultaneous action of separate agencies which, total effects the sum of their i n d i v i d u a l together, have greater than SYNERGISM - The golf course Individual superin­ tendents, local and national associa­ tions of golf course superintendents and the profession of golf course superintendency all enjoy the results of the synergistic effect they have combined to create. To really see the value each of these separate parts play in the result of the whole, just remove any one and see how shakey the remaining parts are. But when you strengthen any of the single parts, the whole becomes stronger still. TURFGRASS FOUNDATION C ITE D - At its 46th Annual Conference, the Michigan Turfgrass Foun­ dation received a citation for 25 years of educational programming in Michigan State’ s Kellogg Center for Continuing Education. Foundation President George Prieskorn of Brighton accepted the citation from Edward W. Farmer of the MSU Continuing Education Service January 21. Looking on were (from the left): Dr. P.E. Rieke, MSU Department of Crop and Soil Sciences; Dr. J.M. Vargas, Jr., MSU Department of Botany and Plant Pathology; and Dr. K .T. Payne, MSU Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. WANT THE FINEST TURF IRRIGATION SYSTEM? Use the complete J-M turf irrigation system. Some of our most beautiful and best cared for environ­ ments are golf courses. We can help make the good ones better and keep the great ones great. . . easily, in fact, automatically, with the complete Johns- Manville turf irrigation system. ,,v4 !/Si h ickn e r CALL YOUR SISCO MAN TODAY! Jim Vince - M//ce Byrnes — Tom Kennedy — Warren Gulick 313-398 -2233 - - SPRINKLER IRRIGATION SUPPLY COMPANY 1316 N. Campbell Rd., Royal Oak, Mich. 48067 14 t u c o E N G IN E E R E D R A IN from The Bullsheet, March, 1974 PART I Proper Use and M is-Use of Equipment by RAY GERBER that instruction manual is always available Most of the problems on equipment used for turfgrass maintenance, from time to time are usually the results of not having the proper information. This in information your is re­ ceived with each piece of equipment, but I dare say, in 90% of the cases, this manual is laid away and entirely , forgotten. This manual is very impor­ tant for the proper maintaining of this piece of equipment and should be read several times by all persons who are interested in equipment and then kept in a place where it can be easily found by any one. It should always be remembered that the manufacturer has spent thousands of dollars on research so as to give you a satisfactory piece of equipment. If for some reason you do not have a manual, ask him for qne, ; he will be more than glad to take care of your request. I would like to suggest that you keep a record sheet of each piece of equipment that you are using, whether it is a power mower, tractor, power ^sprayer or gang mowers, in order to maintain a check on your maintenance in the m a c h i n e comes procedures. Probably the best way, is to number each piece of equipment and refer to them hereafter, by num­ bers, such as tractor No. 2 Power Mower No. 5, etc. This chart should in a convenient place, so be hung when in the operator does not have to look for it. At this time, he should write down the number of hours the machines was used by him. This is the only way you will have of telling when it is time to change the crank case, lubricate the bearings or other moving parts, check the air filter, check the water in the battery, etc. As these operations are done on any one parti­ cular machine, they should be checked off and the date when they were done, so that you, who are responsible for this equipment can refer to these charts and check the person whose duty it is to perform these operations. the oil important maintenance Another procedure is keeping your equipment clean. Most all equipment is so pro­ tected that it can be cleaned without damage to the bearings or seals. Continued on Next Page No synthetically produced fertilizer can compare with MILORGANITE Golf Courses Use More MI LO RG AN ITE«mI Than Any Other Fertilizer TERMINAL SALES DORP. 12871 EATON AVE. DETR O IT, MICH. 48227 (313) 491 -0606 15 Use of Equipment Cont. Always keep motors clean. An accumulation of oil and dirt will cause a motor to overheat, cutting down on its efficiency and life. Never race a motor . . . its results, in time, will bring on costly repair bills. One of the more is using the wrong type of lubricant. Oil in motor crank cases, should be changed after the specified number of hours in use . . . recommended by the manufacturer. Refer to your manual for proper grade and quantity. serious things, to work lubricant Proper lubrication should be used in all gear cases. When using too heavy a grease, it is almost impossible for into the moving parts. Too heavy a grease, will usually cause channeling. What I mean by that, is . . . the gear that is supposed to pick up the grease, does no more than cut a channel. Should this occur, it will not give sufficient lubrication to other moving parts that Next Page the Fungicides 3 3 3 6 Turf F u n gicid e A broad spectrum systemic fungicide that prevents and controls all six major turf diseases. B r o m osan T u rf F u n gicid e The newest broad spectrum sys­ temic fungicide for those persistent trouble areas. • C addy •P M A S (10%) •C a d -T r e te • S p o tr e te •G ra n u la r T urf F u n g icid e • S p e c t r o Herbicides R ir n p MCPP P lu s 2,4-D M ethar 8 0 M ethar 3 0 AMA P lu s 2,4-D AMA (S u p er M ethar) Specialties All Wet C lear Spray Tru-Green G rass-G reen zit CORPORATION P.O. Box 10, Somerset, N.J. 08873 50 Lb. Net Weight LEBANON Cowtfiu/CM FERTILIZER TURF PRODUCTS A DIVISION OF LEBANON CHEMICAL CORPORATION THE BISHOP COMPANY LEBANON. PA. 17042 A New Outside Appearance - Same Dependable Quality Inside E Ô w iïu / ( M FERTILIZER • Good Names To Grow By Call your Country Club Distributor or James L. Camp, (219) 485-6828. 16 Use of Equipment Cont. were intended to be lubricated by the lubrication in the gear case. Too light an oil, will soon find its way out past the oil seals. The results are . . . it becomes the amount of lubrication more often. If this is not done, serious damage could occur. necessary check to . after On certain pieces of equipment, if the manual calls for a graphite grease for certain moving parts, by all means use it for best results. Power sprayers should be cleaned thoroughly, immediately after using and e s p e c i a l l y using caustic materials. Do not run a sprayer pump without water because certain moving parts are water lubricated. When we see a piece of equipment being misused by the operator, we hate to think it is being done intentionally. My belief is . . . in most cases the operator received proper instructions and training. has not One of the more serious problems is the speed in which the operator is operating a piece of mowing equip­ ment. The speed depends on the type of machine that you are operating. The power mower, due to the fact that it has an engine on it, has certainly been abused. Again I would like to call your attention to your maintenance manual in regard to the proper speed . . and I think that you will find that most power mowers are not de­ signed and built to run with the throttle wide open, but at a good walking speed. Whenever it becomes necessary to make any mechanical adjustments on a piece of equipment, it should be done by someone who has some mechanical ability. However, there are times when the operator must make his own. Should it become necessary to make an ad­ justment on a reel type mower, I am to give you my version on a going proper adjustment. First of all . . . great care should be taken. If not properly done, the reel and bed knife IRRIGATION SPRINKLER PRODUCTS EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISED DISTRIBUTOR for RAINBIRD - NELSON SAFE-T-LAWN / MOODY SUPPLIES PIPE & FITTINGS — PVC - Sewer & Drain (Corr) — Polyethylene - Galvanized — Copper - Aluminum — Controllers - Valves PUMPS & PUMPING STATIONS SYSTEMS WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS 3890 W. Eleven Mile Rd Berkley. Mi. 48072 (313) 543-7730 22159 Telegraph Rd Southfield. Mi. 48075 (313) 356-9137 17 Ob NOW YOU CAN PHONE US for Tast Order Service or M essages for our Sales R epresentative quality products for turt maintenance since 1939slfooP .0 BOX 267 MARIETTA. O H IO 45750 OHIO CUSTOMERS: 1-800-282-9714 ALL OTHER STATES: MICHIGAN REPR. 1-800-848-9740 RICHARD SINCERBEAU TURF SUPPLIES INC. 6900 Pardee Rd.,Taylor, Michigan (313)291-1200 DON’T EVEN THINK OF B U Y IN G .......................... GRASS SEED FERTILIZERS FUNGICIDES WITHOUT CALLING 2 9 T 1 2 0 0 TURF SUPPLIES INC. 6900 Pardee Rd.,Taylor, Michigan (313)291-1200 LAKESHORE EQ U IPM EN T & S U P P L Y CO . D I S T R I B U T O R & F O R M U L A T O R GRASS SEED - FE R T ILIZ E R S IN S E C T IC ID E S -F U N G IC ID E S -H E R B IC ID E S R E PLACEM ENT MOWER PARTS R EPLAC EM EN T TIRES LESCO Products P ric e Quotation On R equest C A L L O U R N E W O F F I C E 300 So. Abbe Rd., E lyria, Ohio 44035 (216) 323-7544 M I C H I G A N C U S T O M E R S C all T o ll Free: (800) 321-7423 job of * the reel and | will be out of alignment. Should this II occur, it may become necessary to I regrind the reel and bed knife before I it will give a satisfactory cutting. Never adjust bed knife too tight, just enough so the reel will barely touch the bottom knife all the way across. In fact, I would call it almost zero-zero. Should it be set too tight, it will cause premature wear, not only on the reel blades and I the bottom knife, but it follows through the gears and bearings and on down to the traction wheels of the mower, the motor, and the entire tractor, should it be a tractor-drawn unit. It will require more gasoline and oil, and also will result in an overheated motor. If the adjustment should become too loose, it will give an unsatisfactory cut, causing damage to the blades of grass. The blades will not be cutting, they will be pinching the grass. This loose adjustment will also cause the i mower to become dull. As the grass is I pinched off and drawn across the cutting edge of the fly knife and bottom blade, it will remove the sharp edge and will cause a rounding effect on these two surfaces. Should this occur, you will have to re-grind the mower either with emery and oil or on a grinder before it will cut satisfactorily. | One day as I was talking to a lawn mower dealer, whom most all of you know, I mentioned to him I was in­ cluding my version of proper adjust­ ment on reel type mowers. His reply was, “ Do not tell them how you do it because that is bad for our bed knife sales.” I imagine what he had in mind was the four and five years of wear or service I used to get from one edge of a fairway mower bottom knife. I feel if you are careful in making adjust- j ments and try not to cut up the debris before it is picked up, you can get the same results. Mr. Gerber's article, "Proper Use and Mis-Use of Equipment" will be con­ cluded in the May issue of A Patch of Green. 18 H E IG H T OF C U T V2" to 3'4" in any desired increment. 6" front caster wheels y2" to 2^"; 8" front caster wheels 1*4" to 3'4". Cutting height is gauged by ground reference to provide even cut over undulations. WIDTH OF C U T 30" per unit. Cutting swath varies for 3, 4.5 & 6 mowers with maximum of 15' for 7 gang. T R A N S P O R T A T IO N WIDTH From operator’s position all mowers are quickly raised and locked into 8' transport width. Overall length 12*. T R A N S P O R T C O N T R O L Five control levers raise or lower number 4, 5, 6 or 7 units individually and the three center units simultaneously. R E E L 1V2"diameter 4-blade or 6-blade. Heavy duty chrome-nickel alloy. r e e l p o w e r - Each reel mounted directly to individual hydraulic motors. p o w e r s h a r p e n i n g - Back lapping by reversal of control valve handle. b e a r i n g s - Anti-friction reel & roller, m o w e r f r a m e - All steel welded. a d j u s t m e n t - Hand, no tools needed. b e d k n i f e - Oil-hardened alloy steel. e & L LAWN EQUIPMENT CORPORATION 520 W. 11 M IL E ROAD T E L E P H O N E : 3 1 3-398-3636 R O YA L OAK, MICH. 48068 19 The all new JACOBSEN TR IPLEX TRIMMER is the answer to quality mowing in areas that require a lot of maneuverability. With a mowing speed of up to 4 mph and a transport speed of 7 mph, this 70 inch mower puts a professional finish to fine turf. Great for getting under overhanging branches and shrubs, it will ring trees and be on its way without a second look. Hydrostatic drive eliminates clutching and shifting in tight areas. Your right foot controls forward and reverse . . . no need to take your hands off the steering wheel while maneuvering in tight places. W.F. M iller K^nitZpany 1593 S. WOODWARD AVE. BIRMINGHAM, MICHIGAN 48011 TELEPHONE: (313) 647-7700 A PATCH OF GREEN 31823 UTICA ROAD FRASER, MICHIGAN 48026 MICHIGAN STATE UNIV2RSI T Y LIBRARY » SERIALS EAST LANSING, MICH. 48823