Show ra 1 r r P 9 k a ar 1 t r p N I I k- k i 4 1 i S A There is one farm in inthe inthe the United States States States-an an as as- as acres in California's rich San Joaquin Valley Valley where the red carpet is rolled out and bugs worms fungi and blight are invited to come comein in end and destroy the crops It is a Shell Oils Oil's laboratory to experiment with pest extermination and c crop r o p growth chemicals and eon con controls troll derived from petro petro- leum The modern laboratory labora labora- tory above is the nerve center of this agricultural experiment m d 1 4 h. h I r Y 9 4 Not only new chemicals chemi cals cols but also new methods meth meth- of application are ex ex- At right a new soil fumigant is being in injected injected injected in- in into irrigation water to fa treat a young peach peachtree tree free infected with root rot i or 1 1 a S r r s f 3 I q s Y t t 44 s. s Y t rr a as s S b 1 Not all agricultural al research deals directly with plants and pest control Many hours of careful laboratory work above in fundamental biochemistry lie behind each successful field test As new chemical uses come from the test tubes constantly constantly constantly con- con experiment with new application methods Devices like huge hypodermic needles left inject soil fumigants directly into the soil qI pesus S S m t lw n 4 I f J J Jw s w w. w Th The fie health healthy tobacco stalk right will be deliberately to e with tobacco mosaic virus and then treated with chemicals successes ucc ses and failures of hundreds of such tests may ulti- ulti t tely be be translated into the savings of thousands of dollars for fort practical Poetical tobacco farmer in many parts of the world r rZ Z o w k m I A technician left I examines plants grown I in a large lath house to protect them from the dry hot valley winds Such carefully grown plants can be depended on to give uniform re results re suits in testing programs This is one of the few laboratories farm-laboratories of its kind in the world Scientists Scientists Scientists report numerous successes successes suc suc- in their experiments experiments ments 9 1 si a. a r e The laboratory's scientists work hard to raise roise bugs and insects in in- sects then sects then work harder to destroy de stroy them with sprays and ond fumigants Dr L U C C. Glover Gloyer left examines a crop of plant lice which thrive under 16 hours of light a day in the bug nur- nur sery His experiments eventually eventual eventual- ly may lead to a new spray or fumigant that will make moke farming farming farm farm- ing easier and more profitable |