Atop the apex of today's modern pyramid of life, man's scientific thought probes ever further, seeking always additional knowledge of matter and life. Among the keenest intelligences at work are those that quest not just upward and outward from the apex, but back down into the very fundamentals of the broad and complex base of the pyramid itself, the support of all life - the plant world. Without the delicate mechanics of plants, earthly life would not exist, the planet would lay barren beyond human belief. It is in this sphere that the Canada Department of Agriculture's Plant Research Institute is constantly engaged on a varied program of research into all the multitudinous aspects of plant growth. Their work ranges from the artificial mutation of new chrysanthemums and roses to the design of special chambers in which controlled and standardized plants can be grown for experimental work. The institute's world-renowned laboratories, which attract scientists from around the world, have evolved several scientific techniques now adopted by other countries, have built up a widely-used information and advice service for professional and amateur horticulturists, and have seen their work help development of the many new wheat varieties that enable Canadian farmers keep that one vital step ahead of constantly-emerging, treatment-immune grain diseases. For the nation's immediate and future benefit, Canada's plant research institute is increasingly busy on its vigorous studies in the field of pure and applied scientific research.