  pi-N and pi-pi interactions near threshold are uniquely sensitive to the
chiral symmetry breaking part of the strong interaction. The pi-N sigma-term
value with its implications for nucleon quark structure and the recent
controversy concerning the size of the scalar quark condensate have renewed the
experimental interest in these two fundamental systems. We report new
differential cross sections for the reaction $pi^-p \to \pi^0n$ at 27.5 MeV
pion incident kinetic energy, measured between $\theta_{CM} = 0^\circ$ and
$55^\circ$. Our results are in excellent agreement with the existing
comprehensive pi-N phase shift analysis. We also report on a Chew-Low analysis
of exclusive $\pi^+ p \to \pi^+\pi^0p$ data at 260 MeV pion incident energy.
