PESTICIDES PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENT 



This publication reports research involving pesticides. It does 

 not contain recommendations for their use, nor does it imply that the 

 uses discussed here have been registered. All uses of pesticides 

 must be registered by appropriate State and/or Federal agencies be- 

 fore they can be recommended. 



CAUTION: Pesticides can be injurious to humans, domestic animals, 

 desirable plants, and fish or other wildlife — if they are not handled 

 or applied properly. Use all pesticides selectively and carefully. 

 Follow recommended practices for the disposal of surplus pesticides 

 and pesticide containers. 



INTRODUCTION 



Research personnel of the Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station have 

 been experimenting since 1961 with soil fumigation as a means of improving conifer 

 nursery stock and reducing production costs. These experiments have been in coopera- 

 tion with nursery personnel of the Northern Region of the USDA Forest Service, the Dow 

 Chemical Company, and Stauffer Chemical Company^ and were conducted at the Forest 

 Service's Coeur d'Alene nursery, near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and at the Savenac nursery, 

 located at Haugen, Montana. 



Until 1964 soil fumigation was conducted at the above nurseries on an experimental 

 basis only. By then it was obvious that, in spite of the high cost of fumigation, the 

 benefits generally exceeded the cost by a wide margin. Since 1964, most of the Coeur 

 d'Alene seedbeds have been fumigated on an operational basis prior to the sowing of 

 each conifer crop. 



•^The assistance of the following personnel is gratefully acknowledged: Nurserymen 

 James W. Augenstein (retired) and Lee L. Mason; Assistant Nurserymen David A. Gibney, 

 Frank Salomonsen, and Steven McDonald; Nursery Technicians Mrs. Bea Fisher and John 

 Isaacson; Mr. Jack Fisher, Dow Chemical Co.; and Mr. Graham Randall, Stauffer Chemical 

 Company. 



