SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETING. I79 



by each member of the Federation shall be $2.00 for each rep- 

 resentative it has in the Federation; and said dues shall be 

 payable in advance on or before the annual meeting each year. 



Your Secretary would suggest that a place be reserved at 

 some business meeting of this Association for the reading of 

 the report of the organization meeting and the by-laws of the 

 Federation; also that the Association take definite action in 

 relation to the Association and if thought favorable elect a 

 representative, or representatives, to its annual meeting. 



2 — Applications for Class A membership. The Secretary has 

 received applications from 40 of our members for Class A 

 membership. The large number of members applying for this 

 form of membership indicates the wide interest felt in seed 

 improvement work and the ultimate success of our Association. 

 This whole matter has been in the hands of the seed breeding 

 committee and the Field Agent of the Association during the 

 year. 



6 — Future Work of the Association. Our perception of the 

 importance of the work we have undertaken is developing far 

 beyond our anticipation. It is now evident that we have been 

 none too particular in laying the foundation. It is also equally 

 evident that we must broaden out in the scope of our work so 

 as to include a very much larger number of farm crops than 

 has been engaging our attention during the past two years. The 

 difficulties attending any attempt at improvement of many of 

 the common farm crops leads your Secretary to suggest that 

 perhaps the very best thing that can be done by a large portion 

 of our membership is to secure pure seed of good type and 

 possessing ability to reproduce itself in large quantities and 

 with this seed to grow a supply for general distribution, rather 

 than to attempt any specific form of seed improvement them- 

 selves. Of course, this suggestion will not apply to the mem- 

 bers of our Association who are so deeply Interested in the 

 problems confronting the farmers of our State that they are 

 willing to spend time in careful and thoughtful study and 

 experimentation for the purpose of improving the seed they 

 now have. In this connection it is well to remember that the 

 Maine Experiment Station is now engaged in some rather ex- 

 tensive seed breeding work, and from them we may expect in 

 the near future to secure information that will be of the utmost 

 importance in its relation to our immediate work. In view of 



