1-8 AGRICULTURli OF MAINE. 



the progress that we should? Now that is the question I would 

 like to have every farmer take home and think on : Have we 

 made the progress that we should ? 



Now, just a word in closing, in regard to the future. If you 

 think we have not made the progress that we should, shall we 

 be content to drift along and make just as little progress as we 

 can, or shall we knuckle down and face the realities of farm 

 life and make greater improvement? There are, I am glad to 

 say, many things connected with this that are encouraging. 

 There never was a time when the demand for pure bred live 

 stock was so good as at the present time ; live stock that not 

 only has a pedigree for purity of blood, but a pedigree for pro- 

 duction ; stock we can put into our herd and improve it ; stock 

 we can breed on and lift the standard of Maine dairy cattle. 



Now, I will say to the Maine Live Stock Breeders' Associa- 

 tion : Keep the fire burning and keep the pot boiling. There 

 never was a time when the farmers of Maine realized the impor- 

 tance of good seed as we do today. We want seed that has a 

 pedigree and a history ; seed that the farmers that raise them 

 can say : "I know that seed is free from foreign seeds and 

 weeds." Men of the Seed Improvement Association, keep that 

 fire burning so bright, it may be seen from the four corners of 

 the State of Maine. 



As for the Maine Dairymen's Association ; well, the time was 

 when we were perfectly willing to pay any sum that the dealer 

 might ask for any commodity that we bought ; on the other 

 hand, we accepted from the creameryman. the milk contractor 

 or the merchant, whatever he was willing to put into the thing. 

 I am thankful to say that conditions are changing; they have 

 got to change. We deplore the high cost of living just as much 

 as anybody possibly can, but the men in the big city today who 

 are paying from ten to twelve cents a quart for milk do not 

 want to think they are dropping that into the farmer's pocket, 

 lor they are not. 



Before the Interstate Commerce Commission last winter the 

 H. P. Hood Company testified, much against their will, but 

 nevertheless, they testified, that after they had paid all their 

 expenses, salaries, etc., a dividend of seven per cent was 

 declared on their preferred stock, they declaring a dividend of 



