Illegal methamphetamine laboratories by the hundreds have moved into rural areas of Missouri and Illinois, turning commonly used farm chemicals into grave hazards and making quiet neighborhoods and towns dangerous places to live.

In 1996, Illinois authorities closed down one methamphetamine laboratory. Last year, they shut 207. State and federal officials here say the laboratories seem to be moving in from Missouri, where the state police report that 615 were seized last year.

Demand for the drug, a stimulant more commonly known as speed, is up, authorities said, and it is cheap to make and lucrative to sell. An ounce of methamphetamine, which can be inhaled or injected, that is purchased for $1,500 can be made for $150.

Unlike manufacturing operations on the West Coast, which can be very large, these laboratories are small and crude, set up in sheds, trailers, hotel rooms or the backs of cars. They are moving to rural areas because the manufacturing process smells so bad it can give them away to neighbors. But too often, police say, the neighbors suffer the consequences.