1/4 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



January 25th, 1910, about fifty farmers from all parts of ]\Iaine 

 gathered in the very room in which the present meeting was 

 being held for the purpose of organizing the Alaine Seed Im- 

 provement Association ; and that the membership had since then 

 increased to one hundred seventy-five. 



The ])r:ncipal address of the evening was delivered by Dr. 

 George AI. Twitchell, of Auburn, wl:o took for his subject: 



"the u. s. department of agriculture and what it has 



done for farmers." 



It is with no little regret that the Secretar}^ is obliged to omit 

 this very interesting and valuable address from the report of 

 the Association meeting, the manuscript not being available for 

 publication. 



Wednesday Forenoon, 9.30 A. ]\I. 



The Association convened promptly on the above hour wath 

 President Hunton in the chair, and the regular order of busi- 

 ness was at once taken up. 



ANNUAL ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT. 



The past year has not been favorable to the greatest ad- 

 vancement and best interest of this Association. Extremely dry 

 weather following seeding delayed germination and in many in- 

 stances made it impossible. Early frosts prevented a thorough 

 and natural maturing of some of our most important crops. But 

 the grand exhibit that has been brought here by our members 

 emphasizes the fact that they are ready to face nature in her 

 most erratic moods and win fair success. This is our third 

 meeting — ^our second annual exhibit, and at this meeting plans 

 must be discussed that shall insure advancement for the coming 

 year. In this age an individual or an organization cannot stand 

 still, it must move — either forward, backward, or to the wall. 

 That the field for advancement for this Association is so broad 

 that we can scarcely comprehend it is patent to all. If we select 

 any class of our products now on exhibition we fail to find a 

 reasonably perfect specimen, and if we found one should we 

 recognize it? Have we decided yet just what shall constitute 

 a perfect type of even a few of our products? Before 



