DAIRY AND SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETINGS. I59 



BUSINESS MEETING MAINE SEED IMPROVEMENT 



ASSOCIATION. 



ANNUAL ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT. 



Ralph L. Copeland. 



As we are assembled for this seventh annual meeting of the 

 Maine Seed Improvement Association it gives me great pleasure 

 to note the interest manifest and the progress made siftce the 

 first organized movement was started in Maine for seed im- 

 provement. 



Although seven years seems a long time, it takes time to 

 establish a movement that has to do with the general public, 

 especially when that movement is connected with the State 

 Department, the head of which, in the infinite wisdom of our 

 law makers, it has been thought best to change three times since 

 our organization. We have issued, for two seasons, tags of 

 merit to be attached to certified seed, but a trade-mark of itself 

 carries no value unless the goods to which it is attached have an 

 established reputation. The first season we were surprised to 

 find that certified seed brought but little more than common 

 stock. We can now be glad to notice that there is a change ; 

 that certified seed is in good demand over the ordinary. We arc 

 aware that some inferior seed got by, but is this surprising when 

 you consider we are in the formation period and as you all know 

 our Commissioner of Agriculture^ under whom, in a way, we 

 have to work in order to draw our state stipend, has been 

 changed every two years ? 



I wish not to be understood as criticising any present or past 

 official, but experience is a valuable teacher and it would seem 

 that some other method of choosing our Commissioner of Agri- 

 culture, one that would have a tendency to take it out of politics 

 and establish a longer term of office, is much to be desired. 



One of the objects of our association is to stimulate an 

 interest in the growing of pure and productive seed and to 



