SPorts fields, golf greens and parkturf, as simple as they may appear,are complex communities of plants

and organisms living in careful balance.While the vast majority of turf maintenanceis directed at the foliage and thatch aboveground, an equally important portion of theturfgrass community lies below the soil sur-face, completely out of sight. Failing to main-tain the subsurface portion of turf over aperiod of time disrupts the balance of theturfgrass community and leads to its steadydecline.

There are practical methods available to-day to maintain "the other half" of turf. Theynot only improve the overall quality of turfareas, they also increase the effectivenessof surface maintenance methods and pro-vide the sports turf manager with greatercontrol.

The most popular of these methods ismechanical aeration. This process makesa series of holes or slits in the soil. Theseopenings relieve compaction, improvedrainage, permit air and nutrients to pene-trate the root zone, and provide channelsthrough impermeable layers below thesurface.

In the darkness of the soil, turfgrassesdevelop extensive root systems. Roots stabi-lize the foliage, they explore the pore spacesbetween soil particles for water, air andnutrients, and they store carbohydratesmanufactured in the leaves above. Turfscientists have discovered turfgrass rootsextending more than four feet into the soil.If you consider all the plant functions car-ried out by roots, you quickly realize theyare every bit as important to the turfgrassplant as the leaves.

Leaves have one special task, to manufac-ture sugars and starches (carbohydrates)by a process called photosynthesis. Chlo-rophyll contained in the leaves captures theenergy of the sun to convert water and car-bon dioxide into sugars and starches. Thesecarbohydrates are then utilized by the plantto fuel its growth. Excess carbohydrates are The original West Point spoon-type aerifier being used in a park in 1953. Photo courtesy of Halsent to the roots for storage.

Aer~Take~

InSpoBy Dr. John

agronomist, Pen

Early golf course superintendents used forks to improve turf drainage.22 sportsTURF

The roots have the job of obtaining thewater, nutrients and gases for photosynthe-sis, respiration and growth. A turfgrass plantin full sun without a healthy root system willnot perform up to its potential. Thereforean equal amount of consideration shouldbe given to turfgrass roots.

By applying quality fertilizers sports turfmanagers provide most of the nutrientssought by the roots. Irrigation provides thenecessary moisture. Even so, poor drainage,poor soil, heavy thatch or other barrierspreventing nutrients and moisture from en-tering the root zone greatly reduce the ef-fectiveness of standard turf maintenancepractices.

These barriers preventing propersoil/atmosphere exchange are often causedby compaction of the surface soil. Thou-sands of impacts caused by foot and vehi-cle traffic tamp down the top inch or twoof soil so tightly that neither air or water canpass through.

The negatives associated with compac-tion have been listed by Dr. J. R. Hall, ex-tension agronomist at Virginia Tech, Black-sburg, VA. They include destruction of thesoil structure, reduced soil drainage and in-creased surface-eroding runoff, reduced pro-tection of the root zone to heat or cold, pes-ticides are unable to reach and control in-sects in the soil, and there is less storagespace within the soil for water, air andnutrients. Compacted soil is simply a poorgrowing medium for turfgrass roots, wastesvaluable water and nutrients, and resultsin higher maintenance costs. Root growthis.also stunted by compacted soil. Shorterand smaller root systems render turfgrassmore vulnerable to periods of stress.

Thatch, nondecomposed stems, leavesand roots on the surface of the soil, can beharmfu I to healthy tu rf if it becomes morethan one-half-inch thick. Heavy thatchreduces the effectiveness of some herbi-cides and insecticides, harbors insects anddiseases and can disrupt uniform infiltra-tion of irrigation or natural rainfall. Research

continued on page 24

~tionRootts Turf

Harper, extensionvania State University

The Night Crawler used large drill bits to make holes in the soil.March, 1987 23

Drum-type aerifiers can be pulled by nearly any type of turf vehicle.

Aeratorscontinued from page 23

has shown that periodic aeration helps mixsoil into the thatch layer to aid in its decom-position. Some thatch is considered advan-tageous for sports turf since it provides acushion that protects both the player andthe turfgrass from damage upon impact.

Another barrier to healthy turf growth issoil imcompatibility, a situation created whensod grown on highly-organic soil is installedover a sandy or clay soil. Heavy applica-tions of organic materials to a turf growingin sandy or clay soils can have the same

Heavy-duty park unit quickly aerifies a baseball outfield.

effect. The organic layer at the surface actslike a sponge, keeping the surface exces-sively damp and preventing surface waterfrom draining through the soil as it should.This environment is destructive to organ-isms living in the turf that assist in thedecomposition of thatch.

Compaction, thatch and soil incompati-bility are often the real causes of turf failureblamed on poor irrigation practices, dis-eases, insects or inadequate fertilization.There is enough evidence to support theuse of aerators by sports turf managers to

prevent and break up soil barriers,The earliest documentation of aeration

is in a book titled Making A Lawn, writtenin1912 by L.J. Doogue ofthe Boston ParksDepartment. Doogue recognized the needto work fertilizer into compacted soils. Hewrites, "Take a round stick about one inchin diameter and three feet long and shar-pen one end. At frequent intervals, drivethe stick to a depth of two feet about thegrounds. Make many such holes, and intothese ram a mixture of finely-powdered ma-nure, hardwood ashes and bone meal. In

3-Point Power

DedoesModel H3-Point Mount -For fast, easy hook-up,and rugged, dependable aerationl

From athletic fields, parks and golf 120tines per drum. Hecn.y-dutysolidsteelcourses to commercial use, the Dedoes construction utilizes low-eost cementModel H is the "bigjob'aerator that smart blocks for weight. So if )Uu're Ioolcing forsupervisors depend on. Patented, hinged power and dependability in a low-tines for clean plug removal are standard maintenance aerator ... look into aon 2-34 or 5 drum units with 36-60 or Dedoes aerator today.

Ask about our full line of Aerators and Groundskeeplng Equipment.

313-624-7710.800-521-7086 Grounds Maintenance Division1060 W. West Maple Rd .• P.O. Box 575. Walled lake, M148088

24 sportsTURF Circle 118 on Postage Free Card

IT'S VERSATILEUse it to keep all your football/soccer

fields, ball diamonds, cinder tracks, andall turf areas in top condition. A singlepass aerates, brings up thatch, crumbles and scatters cores without clogging.Prepares seedbeds without disrupting existing growth when overseedingworn areas. Revitalizes worn spots while it strengthens turt. Dries, dragsand floats basepaths and skinned infields. The only maintenance tool ap-proved by Linle League Baseball.

IT'S TROUBLE FREEAdjusts without tools for deep or light penetration or as a smoothing drag

mat. Unique tines hug the turf at 6-8mph. Never needs maintenance. Rollsup for easy storage. 4 to 42 ft. widths. We guarantee your satisfaction.

For FREEliterature, testimonials. prices call toll-free 1-800-432-9630 (In

<ti815-732-:':1 ~O::6' o~g:n,IL 61061Circle 114 on Postage Free Card

a short time the good effects of this treat-ment will manifest themselves and duringsubsequent seasons the treatment can beextended to parts not touched before. It prac-tically means that the land will be asthoroughly renovated as if it had beenplowed and harrowed."

However, in 1917, the need for aerationwas not recognized in the first comprehen-sive U.S. publication on golf course manage-ment, Turf For Golf Courses, by Piper andOakley. These early agronomists workedfor the United States Department of Agricul-ture (USDA) and assisted the United StatesGolf Association (USGA)in establishing turfmanagement practices for its members.

Dr. Fred V. Grau, the first extension turf-grass specialist for Pennsylvania StateUniversity, reports that he has no recollectionof any type of equipment being used to im-prove soil-air relationships or to reduce soilcompaction at the USDA's Arlington TurfGardens in the early 1930s. Grau doesremember golf course superintendents usingpotato forks and spading forks to loosen hardspots on putting greens that resisted waterpenetration.

The outcry for fasterequipment is theresult' of greatly

increased labor costs,downtime of the

turfgrass area andinconvenience to the

player.In the mid-30s, a Michigan concern offered

for sale a three-gang, pull-behind spike diskfairway cultivator, a spike disc greens cul-tivator and a ten-inch-wide home lawn spikedisc cultivator. In its advertising, the com-pany stated, "It is an accepted fact that turfrequires aeration and cultivation especial-ly upon turf that receives constant play."The tractor-drawn model is still on the markettoday essentially the same as the 1930version.

During the late '30s and early '40s ma-ny turfgrass managers developed their ownversions of aerating equipment, ranging fromdevices as simple as large spikes driventhrough planks to "Rube Goldberg-type"machines that required several men to pushor pull. Soil aeration was a major topic of"Lawn Schools" given by agricultural agentCharles K. Hallowell in Philadelphia, PA,during the period.

In 1945, Grau, then director of the US-GA Green Section, discussed developinga commercial aeration machine with Tomand Tony Mascaro, owners of West Point

Products in West Point, PA. The Mascarobrothers decided to expand their topdressingbusiness into equipment manufacturing anddesigned the West Point Aerifier. This-de-velopment truly became the beginning\ ofa new era for specialized turfgrass manage-ment equipment. Hahn purchased themanufacturing rights to the "West Point Aer-ifier" in 1970. '

The West Point aerifier had one drawback.Because the tines entered and exited thesoil at an angle, they would lift up a lip ofturf at the back of the core hole. Golf coursesuperintendents were concerned that theselips would disrupt putting on golf greens.To provide superintendents with a neatersurface following aeration, the Greensaire

Aerification Co., of Hopkins, MN, (purchasedby Ryan in 1950) invented an aerator thatdrove hollow, cylindrical tines vertically in-to the soil and pulled soil cores straight out.These machines were considerably slow-er than disc-type or West Point aerators.

The first walk-behind aerator for gener-allawn use was the Motoraire introducedin the '50s by Soilaire Industries (purchasedin 1960 by Ryan). Hollow tines pivoted onsolid metal wheels as they turned. The tinesentered and exited the soil in an almost ver-tical position providing a neat enough jobfor residential or commercial lawns. The unitwas also as fast as a West Point aerifier.

The Dedoes Co. manufactures a drumcontinued on page 26

For easy, fast andeconomical aerification ...and they're practicallymaintenance free.

Hahn has an Aerifier ®

to fit your Tractor ...and your Budget.

TM-140Aerifys a six feet swath using yourtractor's 3-point hitch.

I TM-60

TM-140 with KitAdd our conversion kit and theTM-140 becomes a tow-behindunit with it's own transportwheels and hydraulic lift.

'-onlY 34 inches wide, butthey aerify a full 32 inch swath.One model attaches to the3-point hitch of a category"0" or "1" tractor. The tow-typeunit can be used with any smalltractor with hydraulics to lift500 Ibs. A Pow-R-Pak is availableto provide self-containedhydraulic powered lift.

For more information, call

800/457-4246In Indiana, call 812/428-2027 collectHahn

1625 N. Garvin St., Evansville, IN 47711

Circle 115 on Postage Free Card March, 1987 25

The Ryan Greensaire II aerates up to 6,900 square feet per hour.

The Core Master 12 from GreenCare International.

The Toro greens aerator has been designed for speed.26 sportsTURF

Aeratorscontinued from page 25

aerator which traps the soil cores inside in-stead of depositing them on the turf. Screenson both ends of the drums trap the coresuntil they can be deposited in low spots ordiscarded. These are convenient for smallerjobs where cores could be a problem, butimpractical for large areas where the aer-ator may remove ten or more cubic yardsof cores per acre.

In recent years, several new conceptshave appeared in aerating equipment, in-cluding an oscillating or quaking tine effect.For the most part, the method of operation

.has basically been two-fold. The so-calledpunch-type aerators drive hollow or solidtines in and out of the soil vertically withvery little tearing or raising of the sod aroundthe hole. These machines were developedprimarily for golf course greens, grass tenniscourts, bowling greens or other closely-cutturf areas where minimum disruption of playis essential.

The second, OJ rolling-type, machines areequipped with solid spikes, hollow tines,open-spoon tines, or slitting-slicing tines ofvarying shapes and sizes. The tines aremounted on a drum, a series of discs, ordirectly on an axle that rolls forward withthe machine. The tines enter and exit the

. soil at an angle. For this reason, some tinestend to tear and raise the soil around thelip of the hole.

As previously indicated, there are manydifferent types of tines. Hollow tines andopen-spoon tines remove soil cores whilesolid-tines remove little or no soil. Most tinesvary from 1/4 to 3/4 inches in diameter. Slic-ing tines are available in a variety of shapes,sizes and thicknesses. An early aeratorknown as the Nightcrawler designed forgreens actually used augers (large drill bits)in place of tines.

The spacing of tines determines the num-ber of holes or slices made in a given area.A machine equipped with hollow tines ontwo-inch centers will provide approximately36,000 holes per 1,000 square feet. A ran-dom check of commercial literature revealstine spacing of 2, 2.5, 2.75, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5,5.5 and 6 inches is currently available.

Tine mounting also varies on rolling-typeaerators. Most rolling-type, core-removingmachines have hollow or open-spoon tinesmounted rigidly on the drum or axle. A fewmanufacturers of rolling-type machines havethe tines mounted on hinges. The theoryis the tine enters and leaves the soil in analmost straight vertical position causing lesstearing of the sod around the hole. Gener-ally spiking, slicing and slitting tines aremounted rigidly.

Speed of operation has been a major con-sideration in the development of aerationequipment. Unfortunately, there has beena direct correlation between speed and thequality of the aeration results. Generally,the faster rolling-type machines do not have'Close tine spacing, the clean entry and ex-it, or the depth of vertical-core machines.The outcry for faster equipment is the result

of greatly increased labor costs, down timeof the turfgrass area and inconvenience tothe player. Some golf courses, where costis not a limiting factor, have begun usingslow-moving punch-type greens aerators tocultivate their fairways.

Depth of penetration also has been a con-cern. Most machines on the market todaythat pull soil cores penetrate approximatelytwo to three inches. One U.S. manufacturerprovides six inch hollow tines. A Europe-an company has a tractor-driven unit thatcan be equipped with 12 inch hollow tinesor 18 inch solid tines. Slicing or slittingmachines may penetrate as deeply as sixinches whereas spikers normally used tobreak up surface crusts only penetrate oneto two inches.

Some manufacturers offer accessoriesfor their equipment line. Attachments to win-drow or pick up soil cores are on the mar-ket today. One manufacturer otters an at-tachment that picks up the plugs, shattersthem and returns them to the turf as top-dressing material. Weight trays and weightsfor maximum tine penetration are offeredby many suppliers.

A major concern of many turfgrassmanagers is the development of a compact-ed soil layer at the point of maximum tinepenetration following frequent aerification.It makes no difference whether the machineis punch-type or rolling-type.

One possible means of reducing this

problem may be the development of bet-ter depth control for existing machines sopenetration depth can be varied from oneaeration to the next. Unfortunately, the shal-low maximum depth of many machines limitsthis approach. A possible alternative wouldbe to follow a program using severalmachines having different depths of maxi-mum penetration.

During hot windyweather, dessicationaround the core or

slit opening can occurquite rapidly.

The development of the compacted lay-er is akin to the development of a fragipanor hard pan in a crops soil. Not only isdrainage impeded but roots fail to penetratethe compacted layer. This layer in turf soilsmay be more serious than in some crop soilsbecause it develops at such a shallow depth.The resulting shallow roots may lead to se-

vere stress of the plants during droughtperiods.

Deep aeration devices have been deve-loped in the past few years to break throughsubsurface compacted layers. Holland Co.of Ontario, Canada, has developed a spike-like tine that fractures the soil below the sur-face without damaging the turf above. TheVertigroove by Ransomes, Johnson Creek,WI, removes thin, deep slices of soil insteadof cores. The slices are removed or brokenup like cores would be.

Obviously, tines have the potential todamage irrigation heads and shallow lines.Heads should be marked before aerationand the depth of aeration should be set toprevent tlnesfrom hitting irrigation lines orwires.

Tines glazing the sides of core holes orsoil slits is also a concern. Glazed surfaceshave a very thin compacted layer whichreduces the movement of oxygen and waterinto the soil and carbon dioxide out of thesoil. Some manufacturers claim that the ac-tion of their tines shatters the wall of thehole or slit and thus avoids the problem.This may be true for relatively dry soils, butmoist soils do not shatter readily. Further-more, some aerators will not penetrate drysoils well.

Aerator manufacturers have addeddevices to their machines that counteractsome of the tearing and lifting of the sod.

continued on page 28

TURFCO EDGlE-R-RITEMULTI-PURPOSE

TURF EDGER

Just like a small sodcutter, the Blade doesnot spin, the oscillatingmotion does not throwdebris.

Self-propelled and pushmodels available.

Rugged design forcommercial use.

WALK·R·IDE BY TERRACARE

FEATURES• Turns Easily While Aerating• 3 Speeds Forward & Reverse• Excellent Hill Climbing Ability

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Circle 117 on Postage Free Card March, 1987 27

~,>~ Optional Blades:OJ ( ~toZo) .-', ~ ~ DISC BI~de for cutting straight edge

C" along Sidewalks and driveways, l-lllDisc Blade .

rnd Right Angle Blade for golf c.ourse ~ .sand traps; and flower beds..JL ...."V" Blade for removing a strip of turf Right "'gle B;.dealong a Sidewalk. .

V-Blade Write or callTurfco Mfg., I~c. for detailed3456 N. Washmgton Ave. •Minneapolis, MN 55412.2688 literaturePh. 612/588-0741 . . r1'I'/"!!'!!I'Telex 51.6.'3762 , , " ~

Circle 116 on Postage Free Card

Cushman Core Harvester can clear an average green in 15 to 20 minutes.

Cores removed by aerators are generally al-lowed to dry and then are broken up with adrag. Photo courtesy of GreenCare Interna-tional.

Aeratorscontinued from page 27

Springs attached to each tine compress thesurface as the tine enters the soil andreduces lifting of sod when it exits. Evenvertical core machines have spring-loadedguides that hold the soil around the pointsthe tines enter.

As indicated earlier, speed of aeration isimportant in some turf operations. In situ-ations where uninterrupted turf use is crit-ical, especially from a financial standpoint,sports turf managers are forced to sacrificesome quality for speed. Where time is a limit-ingfactor, slicing equipment can be oper-ated at higher speeds than coring equip-ment although quality may be less. A.J. Tur-geon gives a detailed discussion of therelative merits of coring as compared to slic-ing or spiking in his book TurfgrassManagement.

Rapid drying out of the turf can be aproblem if aeration timing is improper. Dur-ing hot weather, especially under windy con-

28 sportsTURF

ditions, desiccation around the core or slitopening can occur quite rapidly. Drying outpotential is greater with coring than slicingor spiking. During hot, windy weather, It isrecommended that a slicing or spikingmachine be used rather than a coring unitand that irrigation be available.

On the other hand, soils that are proneto remain wet for long periods benefit fromcoring just prior to expected periods ofprolonged rainfall. When hurricane Agnesstruck the Atlantic Coast in the spring of1972, golf greens that had been core aer-ated that spring withstood flood watersand/or prolonged rainfall much better thanthose that had not been cored. Wet soilscan also be dried out faster by coring provid-ed the equipment used is capable of pull-ing cores from wet soil.

Opening up the soil for air, moisture andnutrients, also opens it up for insects andweed seeds. Cutworms living in core holesand feeding near the surface will cause abrown, damaged ring of turf at the top ofthe hole. Aerated areas known to be infestedwith cutworms or insects of similar habit,should be treated with an insecticide at thefirst sign of insect damage.

Aeration can bring viable weed seeds tothe surface that would be too deep to ger-minate otherwise. Crabgrass seed has theability to lie dormant in the soil for manyyears and to germinate readily when broughtto the soil surface. Annual bluegrass seedgermination also can be increased byaeration.

It's important to note that aerators shouldnot be used during the effectiveperiod ofpreemergence herbicides. These herbicidesform a chemical barrier just below the sur-face of the soil which blocks germinatingweeds. Mechanical aeration breaks through

the chemical barrier and damages the ef-fectiveness of these herbicides.

The benefits of aeration far outweigh theproblems it creates. The most commonbenefits attributed to aeration are the im-provement of gaseous exchange betweenthe soil and the atmosphere and the reduc-tion of compaction. By removing the cores,the bulk density or hardness of the soildecreases. This softer soil cushions the im-pact of players falling on it and is a majorfactor in reducing sports injuries.

The effectiveness and efficiency of fer-tilizer and liming materials is increased whenthese materials are applied following aer-ation but prior to dragging to break up soilcores on the surface. Experimentally it hasbeen shown that the amount of phospho-rus at the two-and three-inch level is in-creased approximately 29 percent if aera-tion preceeds phosphate application. Thisis especially important in phosphorus-deficient soils since surface-applied phos-phate moves downward in the soil very slow-ly. The downward movement of lime is al-so slow and aeration offers a way to amendacid soils more quickly. Control of soil-inhabiting insects and other pests with pes-ticides is markedly improved throughaeration.

Aeration increases water infiltration if soilshave shallow layers of compacted or incom-patible soil within the depth penetrationrange of the equipment. These layers mayconsist of sand, organic matter or soils oftotally different composition. This problemmost frequently occurs on golf greens orhigh-maintenance fields where topdressingwith sand; sand and soil; or sand, soil andorganic matter is a standard practice. Theproblem arises when the type of topdress-ing material is changed.

Coring is more effective than slicing whenlayering is a problem. Coring reopens achannel between soil layers, removes partof the problem soil and permits topdress-ing and refilling with more compatiblematerial. .

Thatch layers that develop in sports turfalso impede water movement through thesoil profile, especially if the thatch has driedout. Dry thatch, like dry peat, is highlyhydrophobic (resists wetting). Thatch build-up also prevents lime, fertilizer and pesti-cides from moving downward in the soil.Many insecticides are readily bound bythatch, greatly reducing their efficacy in con-trolling insects such as white grubs.

Thatch that becomes satu rated tends toremain wet for long periods. This is as mucha problem as dry, hydrophobic thatch. Whenthatch remains soaked the oxygen supplyavailable to the plant is greatly reduced andlimits the activity of aerobic soil microorgan-isms necessary for nutrient conversion anddecomposition of organic material. Aera-tion can increase microbial activity in thesoil and assist in the breakdown of thatch.By improving oxygen relations in the thatchlayer, aerobic decomposition is increased.Most thatch layers are highly acidic. The

Aerator Manufacturers

Manufacturer Pull-Behind Drum Self-Powered Drum Vertical-Stroke

Classen Mfg. Co. 0 • 0Crane 0 • 0Dedoes • • 0Feldmann 0 • 0Green Care 0 0 •Hahn • • 0Holland • 0 0Jacobsen • 0 0John Deere • 0 0Lawn master 0 • 0Lesco 0 • 0Olathe • 0 0Ryan • • •Salsco 0 0 •Terracare • 0 0Toro • 0 0Worksaver • 0 0

movement of lime into the thatch throughaeration raises the pH of the thatch andstimulates bacterial activity.

Examinationof turf managedwith a regu-lar aeration program will show proliferationof new, white and healthy roots in the coreholes or slits. This is the response of theplants to improved environmental growthconditions, especially oxygen relationshipsin the soil adjacent to the core hole.

Aeration also provides a means of over-seeding into established turf without des-troying the existing vegetation. Overseed-ing with a turf-type disk seeder is the mosteffective method of overseeding. Butthorough aeration (6 to 10 passes) can bequite effective as a means of introducingseed to the soil when a disk-type seederis not available. Apply the seed after aera-tion but before dragging. Some sports turfmanagers prefer to apply one third to onehalf the seed prior to aeration and the re-mainderafter aerationbut prior to dragging.

It is impossible to properly maintain anysports turf facility, especially those withheavy use, without a regular aeration pro-gram in combinationwith other sound agro-nomic practices.

There is a noticabledifference in appear-ance between turf that has been aeratedand turf that hasn't. In some cases resod-ding can be replacedwith aerationandover-seeding. But, most importantly,-both halvesof the turfgrass community will be proper-ly maintained.

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Turfgrass Services Inc.643 N. Sharon ChapelW. lafayette, IN 47906317(743-9477, W.H. Daniel

~ Should You Support~ Your Professional Society?

Yes, and here are some of the reasons why!

• Annual Conference & Trade Show - The yearly forumbringing together grounds managers, top speakers andsuppliers for the sharing of knowledge and ideas.

• A monthly newsletter and publications such as our EstimatingGuidelines and our Management Guidelines. -

• Certification, Employment Services, Information Central,Awards & Workshops.

• Return of Dues Program - All renewal dues will be creditedto your return of dues account. Upon retirement all renewaldues paid by you will be refunded.

To find out more, call (301) 653-2742or fill in the coupon and mail it today!

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Clip and mail to: Professional Grounds Management Society3701 Old Court Road. Suite 15. Pikesville. MD 21208------------------~------~------~~

March, 1987 29