Although our plans are not yet firm, we plan to construct an addition to the present laboratory wing at New Orleans to provide approximately 25 additional chemical laboratory units and space for the wet processing of cotton textiles. The vacated area will be available for expansion of research on cotton in the existing building.

NEW STORAGE FACILITY, ALBANY, CALIF.

At Albany, Calif., we plan to construct a new storage facility to accommodate the mechanical shops, certain gross processing operations, and animal quarters necessary for our pharmacological work. This will permit us to convert the areas vacated into approximately 20 laboratory units.

PILOT SANITARY FOOD-PROCESSING FACILITY, PHILADELPHIA

At Philadelphia, our plans are to convert a major portion of the present pilot plant into a modern, sanitary food-processing facility. Another portion will be converted into approximately six chemical laboratory units. We also plan to build a separate structure for the mechanical shops, constant-temperature and refrigeration rooms, and storage space. These changes will give us a total of 26 new laboratory units in the main building.

FUNDS FOR TEXAS, FLORIDA AND MISSISSIPPI LABORATORIES

The amount of $750,000 was provided for use, in equal amounts of $250,000, at the Weslaco (Tex.) Fruit and Vegetable Laboratory, the Olustee (Fla.) Naval Stores Laboratory, and the Stoneville (Miss.) Cotton Ginning Laboratory.

WESLACO, TEX., VEGETABLE AND FRUIT LABORATORY

At Weslaco, we plan to use the $250,000 to build at the site of the Texas A. & M. Substation No. 15, on the outskirts of town-rather than to modernize the present building in the business section. Much Department research is already located at this substation. We plan to add a utilization research laboratory and pilot-plant wing to the existing ARS building that houses the fruit and vegetable laboratory and the soil and water conservation research laboratory, thus gaining the advantages of scientific association and the economies of common use of supporting facilities.

OLUSTEE, FLA., LABORATORY

At Olustee, we plan to remodel and enlarge the main laboratory to obtain the space needed for modern chemical research on naval stores. Senator HOLLAND. As far as the Olustee situation is concerned, does this mean that you do not propose to build a new building there? Dr. CLARKSON. May I ask Dr. Irving to comment on that?

Dr. IRVING. The major structure will be new, Senator Holland. We will make maximum use of the present brick structure that fronts on the main highway. All of the present space will be utilized to the full and we will build onto and around that building.

Senator HOLLAND. Now this particular improvement has to do with that one of the two stations at Olustee that deals with utilization of naval stores; am I correct?

Dr. IRVING. Yes, sir.

CHEMICAL RESEARCH ON NAVAL STORES

Senator HOLLAND. And I notice you say that this is to be devoted to chemical research on naval stores?

Dr. IRVING. Yes, sir.

Senator HOLLAND. I have a very urgent request from the naval stores industry to step up the work on chemical research of production of the gum from the trees by the development of a new, and what is thought to be more helpful, chemical treatment of the boxed phase of the trees, which would make the sap production extend over a longer period, and cut the cost of the application of the chemical which they are now using in half by making the need for such applications to come only about half as often. Do you know about that situation?

Dr. IRVING. I have just heard about it, Senator, but, of course, that is the Forest Services' responsibility in the production area, and we would not be doing that type of work at the site under consideration. Senator HOLLAND. Would there be someone, Dr. Clarkson, later in the testimony, who can give some light on this particular subject?

Dr. CLARKSON. The research on the trees themselves, is the responsibility of the Forest Service. I understand they will not be before this subcommittee, but we will be very glad to consult with the Forest Service research people on the subject and report back to the chairman. Senator HOLLAND. I will be glad if you will do that. If it will be possible to cut the labor costs, substantially in two, as it is hoped by the production of this new and thought to be very useful chemical, of course that would very greatly help the naval stores industry. They are already competing with synthetics, as you know, and with other industries, which have a smaller cost of production.

Dr. CLARKSON. This would seem to afford an excellent opportunity for our two agencies to work together on the problem and we would be very happy to take it up with them and report.

NEED FOR SINGLE INSTITUTION AT OLUSTEE

Senator HOLLAND. I have felt for sometime, instead of having two institutions at Olustee as we now have, it might be well to have one, because their functions are so nearly the same, they are so closely allied, that I hope we are not in a position that the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing and vice versa.

Dr. CLARKSON. No, sir. The two units do work closely together and we will see that this problem is considered. (The information requested follows:)

NAVAL STORES AND TIMBER PRODUCTION LABORATORY

The Forest Service at its Naval Stores and Timber Production Laboratory at Olustee, Fla., has a program of research underway on the production of gum naval stores, including chemical stimulation of the gum flow from turpentined trees. Their earlier studies showed that sulfuric acid sprayed on the

freshly cut naval stores chipping wound prolonged the flow of gum from a 1-week chipping interval to a 2-week interval and thus reduced labor costs of chipping. More recently, the Forest Service has developed a paste carrier for highly concentrated sulfuric acid to facilitate ease of application and safety purposes as well as still further increased yields of gum. The new method shows promise of prolonging gum flow from a turpentine chipping from 2 to 3 weeks longer than when applied as a spray. Other chemical stimulation methods are also under study by the Forest Service, including 2, 4-D and related compounds which show much promise of doing as well as sulfuric acid with the added advantage of being safer to use and less corrosive to metal equipment such as turpentine cups and gutters. The use of these compounds opens new possibilities for reduced labor and equipment costs, the development of dispossible cups and gutters, and the upgrading of the gum from an improved collection system. It also opens up new possibilities of integrating naval stores production with wood production under improved timber management practices.

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE, OLUSTEE

The Agricultural Research Service at its Naval Stores Station, also located at Olustee adjacent to the Forest Service facilities, does research on the utilization of gum naval stores and cooperates with the Forest Service by determining the effects of new naval stores production methods on the quality of gum from a processing and utilization standpoint. ARS has shown, for example, that with steam distillation the mineral acid sprayed on the face in the turpentining operation is completely washed out in the processing of the gum and hence has no effect on the quality of the gum and its products. Also, it has been shown from studies of gum samples that the chemical composition of the important components of the gum is not altered by the newer turpentining techniques.

STONEVILLE, MISS., LABORATORIES

Senator HOLLAND. I thank you. Go right ahead.

Dr. CLARKSON. At Stoneville, we plan to build a new structure to house the full-size experimental and commercial cotton ginning equipment used in conducting final performance tests. The space vacated in the present building will be converted to a laboratory-shop for exploratory research and testing of experimental ginning equipment.

AMOUNT FOR REGIONAL WEED RESEARCH, STONEVILLE

The sum of $1.5 million was provided for constructing a Regional Weed Research Laboratory in the delta area. Secretary Freeman has determined that we need this Laboratory and has selected Stoneville as the site.

Here again, the selection was based on Stoneville's central position with respect to other State and Federal research and on the mutual benefits to be gained in the close working relationships and the sharing of supporting facilities.

We are working closely with officials at Mississippi State University and the branch experiment station at Stoneville. Together we are arranging for a site to be donated by the State and in coordinating our plans with their own plans for new facilities so that we will have a mutually productive research program.

Because of earlier studies on the need for strengthened research in utilization and weed control, made at the request of Congress, the $250,000 provided for studies and planning will all be used in planning the two new laboratories at Athens and Stoneville. It will be prorated on the basis of the expected costs of construction.

SOUTHEASTERN UTILIZATION RESEARCH LABORATORY

Senator HOLLAND. Dr. Clarkson, will you insert in the record pertinent pages from Senate Document No. 34 dealing with research to be undertaken at the new southeastern utilization laboratory which you say is to be located at Athens?

Dr. CLARKSON. Yes, sir.

(The pages requested follow :)

[Excerpt from S. Doc. No. 34, pp. 1, 29-31]

A PLAN FOR STRENGTHENING UTILIZATION RESEARCH AND DEVEL OPMENT A REPORT TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES

SUMMARY

Farmers, processors, consumers--all gain from a vigorous utilization research effort. In fact, benefits to the Nation's economy in recent years have amounted to $25 for each dollar spent on this work.

Utilization research has made lasting impressions on our economy and the way we live. For example, improved processing technology made soybeans a major source of vegetable oil for food and industrial uses. Wash-and-wear cotttons halted the inroads by synthetic fibers on cotton markets. Tallow and greases that lost their traditional markets in soap were made into plastics and feeds. Frozen orange juice concentrate and instant potatoes revolutionized the processing and distribution of these foods.

There are also many less tangible benefits. What value can be placed on a development like the large-scale commercialization of penicillin? Or the development of dextran as a blood plasma extender? Or a method-if we ever need it of removing radioactive strontium 90 from milk?

Considering achievements of the past and the promise for the future, an expanded program of utilization research can be counted on to serve the national interest.

EXPANSION OF UTILIZATION RESEARCH PROPOSED

In response to a request from the Senate of the United States, this report proposes to expand the utilization research effort by $35 million annually-the ceiling set by the Senate. This would increase the total program from $24 to $59 million a year.

Nearly half of the increase in the first 2 years would be used to construct urgently needed facilities. This would include, in the first year, a new utilization laboratory in the Southeast ($9.5 million) and an addition to the northern laboratory at Peoria, Ill. ($8 million).

The new facility in the Southeast would provide modern laboratories and pilot plants for a concerted research attack on new and improved uses of poultry and eggs, fruits and vegetables, and other commodities of that region. Such work is now divided among the four existing laboratories. Research on screening and evaluating new crops would also be consolidated in the southeastern laboratory. The addition to the northern laboratory would include space needed to expand research on industrial uses for major cereal and oilseed crops.

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DETAIL OF CONSTRUCTION PLANS FOR FIRST YEAR

SOUTHEASTERN LABORATORY

Size and type

A building similar in design and construction to the northern laboratory is proposed. The structure would consist of a square U, approximately 65 feet by 260 feet on the legs and 200 feet across the front, three stories plus basement, and would provide approximately 71,000 square feet of net usable laboratory, office, library, and conference room space and approximately 33,000 square feet of net usable pilot plant space.

The laboratory space would provide for analytical, organic, physical, an biological chemical laboratories, instrument rooms, bacteriological laboratories

and culture chambers, and for study and office rooms for professional and administrative personnel.

The pilot plant space would provide for commercial and semicommercial-scale food processing and oilseed processing equipment, and for tanks, presses, pumps, evaporators, driers, and other engineering equipment for chemical conversion and product preparation, testing, and evaluation.

Location

A suitable site would be selected in the Southeastern United States.

Cost of construction

Estimated cost, including architect fees, supervision, contingencies, and basic laboratory furnishings (e.g., laboratory benches, cabinets, hood), $9,500,000. Land

Adequate land would be obtained (federally owned, federally purchased, or donated) after a site is selected. A minimum of 10 acres of land would be needed for the laboratory and pilot plant facility, powerplant, service buildings, parking space, and access areas.

Design and plans

Building design and detailed construction plans are available.

Time for completion

Construction would require less than 3 years following authorization to proceed.

Needs and program

There is no Federal facility in the southeastern region for conducting utilization research on the important crops of the area. Utilization research on these crops is now being conducted as part of the programs of the four existing utilization research and development laboratories at New Orleans, La., Wyndmoor, Pa., Peoria, Ill., and Albany, Calif., all of which are operating at near full capacity. Space is inadequate in these laboratories to permit needed strengthening and expansion of research on the commodities assigned to them, including those of primary importance to the southeastern region.

Existing programs on important southeastern commodities would be transferred from the four existing laboratories to the new facility proposed. The new facility would provide the modern laboratory and pilot plant space and equipment needed to permit a more concerted basic and applied research attack upon the problems associated with the development of new, improved, and expanded uses for such commodities as poultry and eggs, fruits and vegetables, and other crops of the Southeast including peanuts, tung, and naval stores.

The entire utilization research program for screening and evaluating new crops as possible replacements for presently grown crops, would also be transferred to the southeastern laboratory from the other four utilization research divisions.

The availability of a facility for devoting exclusive attention to utilization research on southeastern crops would make it possible to use the space vacated by these programs in the present utilization research laboratories for needed strengthening of research on the commodities that would remain with them, including cotton, cottonseed, and sugarcane at New Orleans; cereals, soybeans, flaxseed, and other oilseeds at Peoria: dairy meat, animal fats, hides, and leathers, potatoes, and honey and maple products at Wyndmoor; and cereals, forages and feeds, fruits, vegetables, wool and mohair, and castor beans, at Albany.

Research in the new facility would emphasize:

Poultry and eggs.-Development of dehydrated poultry meat; prevention of off-flavor development in precooked frozen poultry products; prevention of toughness in frozen poultry; development of canned poultry products for export and special uses; improvement of the flavor, dispersibility, stability. and microbiological properties of dehydrated whole egg and egg yolk; development of expanded uses for egg white.

Peanuts. Exploitation of the unique physical, chemical, and nutritive properties of peanut products such as peanut flour in convenience foods such as baked goods, confections, sauces, and in the fortification of other types of flour in baked goods.