The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-08-13

program IS always important to
 the grower. In times when labor is
 expensive and scarce, and when
 materials are likely to be diverted
 to defense purposes, 1t becomes a vital problem. Dr. GaTman be-
 lieves thath theh outlook is hope full. He works partly on the lnowl- edge that most insect pests in Con- necticut have enemies provided by nature. Sprays frequently kill the enemies as well as the pests. There fore fewer sprays kill fewer enemies, which then have 8 chance to work for the grower.
 Another phase of this work is a search for better stickers, materials that make the insecticides cling to foliage. Fewer sprays, adhering bet- ter, do the same work as more sprays with less adhesive ability, Dr. Garman explains.
 Exhibits of the insect pests, their parasites and predators, as well as orchard experiments and dernonstra- tions are on the Field Day pro- gram.
 Eln01n& SWD8bASUVSS
 In an entirely different feild, the control of vegetable diseases, Dr. J. G. Horsfall has been searching for new and better fungicides to urotect plans. Fundamental research with promising organic chemicals is done in the laboratory and greenhouse at New Haven. If a chemical passes the tests, it Is tried on crops out doors. The method saves years of time.
 pr. Horsfall plans to have on dis play at Mount Carmel the various spray and dust materials that are likely to become scarce because of defense priority. For example, cop per is needed in the war industries. It is also one of the basic materials in many fungicides that farmers depend upon. Protection with Bor- deaux mixture, copper and lime, is insurance to potato crop. Dr. Horsfan will have his precision rna- chinary in the barn and will put one chemical through the tests to demonstrate the method. Visitors may go from barn to field where the materials that have made the | grade indoors have been tried for top blight on celery, mildew on rael- 1 ons and scab and cedar rust on apples. Some of these materials may do a better job than those that are commonly used, and may also for products tha are be- coming scarce.
 Making Charcoal
 Among oher fields of interest, the Station is constantly on the alert for new outlets for ra- tive resources. There is a good market for charcoal in Connecti- cut. Tobacco growers use approxi- mately 3OO,000 bushels a year and at least that amount Is sold for other This need was formerly met with by-product charcoal from Pennsylvania, but that material Is now required in defense industries. During the past six months the price has gone up from eighteen to twet1ty-eight cents a bushel. Meanwhile the supply may come through another channel.
 At the Experiment Station, Henry | Hicock and A. R. Olson have de- | signed, after the swedish chimney type, metal portable charcoal film that can be set up on Connecticut farms. Its great advantage is that it is movable, so that 1t may be | used in one place where there Is a supply of low grade wood, and then | moved to another. The kiln has been used in the State Forest at | Portland successfully for more than a year. It will have it's first public | at Field day when MT. Hi- 1 cock will explain the construction, and demonstrate how the kiln works.
 Substitutes for Imports
 Another material that Is scarce because of the war is imported peat moss. This is used largely for horticultural purposes but Is a means of increasing the moisture holding capacity of any sandy soil. Large quantities were formerly irn- ported from Europe.
 For several years pr. M. F. Nor gan of the Station has been work ing on the value of native swamp muck and peat in comparison with peat moss. His experiments show that the native products can be Sub- sttiuted for the imports and the in- dustry has been developing in this country during the past year. Types of materials from various sources will be exhibited at Field Day and their relative values indicated. Loans, commonly purchased to im- prove lawns and gardens, will also be shown.
 These are a few of the immediate that experimental farm research has to make to 11a- tional defense. Others may be seen