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Beginning a two-part article based on an analysis of the growth potential of the commercial cut flower industry.

Significantly longer flower stalks, increased flower spray diameters, and the elimination of clustering of pompon chrysanthemum – varieties Shibuya White and Schneeberg's Yellow Daisy– were obtained in experiments with potassium gibberellate.

Annual losses as high as 30% –caused by aster yellows virus–have been cut to 5% by growers of the Arroyo Grande Valley of San Luis Obispo County who annually produce about 1,200 acres of celery valued at approximately $2.-500,000.

Fruit of the new Solana variety strawberry–released in January, 1958–is of high quality, but yields the first production year following winter planting in southern California were much less than yields of the Lassen variety. However, Solana yields the second harvest year compared more favorably with Lassen.

Excessive competition from resident annual grasses and forbs–for moisture and nutrients–is one of the primary problems in establishing improved forage species on annual ranges.

Designed to observe the tolerance of white potatoes for herbicides applied for weed control, a series of trials was conducted in commercial fields.

The attack on walnuts by the first brood of codling moth in 1958 was light but favorable environmental conditions during the development of the second brood resulted in a marked upward surge in the number of nuts infested by harvest time.

Resistance of European red mite– Panonychus ulmi(Koch)–to phosphate compounds is becoming widespread in the pear and apple growing districts of California.

A self-propelled machine–capable of picking up 0.5 cubic yard of poultry manure in 3-4 minutes–has been developed for use in poultry houses where individual and colony cages confine laying chickens. The cages have wire tops, walls, and floors. The wire floor–usually of welded wire of l"x2" mesh spacing– is about 3' above ground level. Eggs are caught on the wire floor and roll to the egg tray at the front of the cage. Defecation passes through the wire mesh and accumulates in a windrow on the ground. This accumulated manure is a serious sanitation problem, as it is a good breeding medium for the common housefly.