Supervisory staff of the industrial research A. G. Oblad, D. R. Carmody, and J. R.
division: Clopton
Texas State Research Foundation Marks First Anniversary A STAFF REPORT ί HE Texas State Research Foundation, celebrating its first anniversary, has made public the annual report of its director, C. L. Lundell, covering the fir^t year of its operations a t the permanent location at Renner, Tex. From a nucleus of the di rector, two agronomists, one organic chem ist, three #field workers, and a laboratory assistant, the foundation has grown t o a total of 26 scientists and 14 administra tive, shop, and farm personnel. The foundation has enlarged the original plant at Renner, 8 miles north of Dallas, adding seven buildings and a greenhouse, and has modified five existing buildings. Total floor space when the program is completed will be 22,500 square feet. Under Η. Β. Sprague the program of the agricultural research division has been re vamped, now centering on the land and the principal crops considered basic for a sound agricultural program. The initial program, based on the radical difference between the blackland soils of Texas and the black prairie soils in the U. S. corn belt, recognizes.the high lime content and heavy clay texture of Texas blackland soils and the previous failure of commer cial fertilizers t o give satisfactory results. The foundation is therefore directing its efforts toward methods of restoring soil productivity and increasing the yield per acre of all crops. Soils research under way is of two types: that on supply of essen tial plant nutrients and that on improve ment of physical properties of soils. The corn breeding program includes the study of increasing the oil content of white hybrid grains without reducing the total yield per acre and some work on yellow hybrids; i t also includes a study of pop corn breeding, neglected in this country
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except in Kansas, Iowa, and Indiana, and the improvement of corn-breeding meth ods. The program on soybeans and other oil crops is continuing, and particular at tention is being paid to forage grasses and legumes. One hundred and fifty of the best strains of grass developed b y govern ment experiment stations are being grown to determine suitability for inclusion in crop rotation on blackland soils. Fifty of these warrant additional trial, four have been selected for study of response t o ni trogen fertilizer, and six are being grown for seed increase. A plant breeding nurs ery for alfalfa improvement has been set up; and in connection with root-rot, the agriculturists believe that rotation of cot ton with sod-crops will substantially re duce that problem. Work of the chemical research division, now headed by D o n R. Carmody, in cludes research on the optimum time for picking of avocados b y determination of the oil content. Work on okra seed i s be
Research
CHEMICAL
ing continued with emphasis on a detailed analysis of the fatly aeids in okra seed oil, concerning which tl jre is no reliable data in the literature. Research on hubarn clover seed indicates for it high promise as a source of protein-rich material, but the oil content is t o o low to make the seed a commercial oil crop. Work with jojoba wax indicates the presence of 0.04% sterols and a stability toward oxidation which points to the pres ence of a potent oxidation inhibitor. Es ter content is m o s t l y that of C20 and C » unsaturated alcohols and acids and future work will be directed toward isolation and identification of the oxidation inhibi tor and a search for uses for the alcohols and acids. Also, preliminary studies on the uses of papaya and papain have been completed. Fundamental research in the lubricating oil field and on chewing gum bases, and a study of the products of the modified Fischer-Tropsch process, arc being carried on as sponsored projects. A special hor mone was produced for the U. S. Standard Products Co. As future research projects the pyrolysfc of fats and fatty acids will be studied, something which has never been done sys tematically; very little research has been done on the hydrogénation of sugar, starches, celluloses, and other carbohydrates, and a preliminary study will be carried o u t to determine in detail the products of this reaction. A survey, which has never been attempted before, will be that of a systematic chemical analysis of plants of the Southwest, including protein content, carbohydrates, fats, fiber, alkaloids, sterols, essential oils, toxic substances, and saponins. This study i s being carried out under the supervision o f John R. Clopton. Of considerable importance is the program of providing graduate training, particularly in the agricultural field. A series of research fellowships has been established for advanced work in agronomy and related sciences, and the plan includes one semester each year at school and the remainder of the time in research at the foundation. Eight students are now involved in the program.
laboratory
AND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
