SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETING. 187 



serve the people, of the State in this respect by continuing and 

 extending the variety tests with oats which it already has under 

 way. I wish to endorse the report of the special committee on 

 small grains, and to invite the members of the Elaine Seed 

 Improvement Association to co-operate in a state wide variety 

 test of oats now being inaugurated by the Experiment Station. 

 We can put in the hands of a few farmers in different sections 

 of the State enough seed oats for each to plant 1-4 acre of each 

 of four varieties. The seeds will be recleaned and formalde- 

 hyde treated, and will be pure and true to variety name. A 

 Station representative will visit the plats during the season and 

 full and accurate reports of the results will be made from time 

 to time. After continuing such state wide tests as these for a 

 period of years it will be possible to advise a farmer in any 

 section of the State just what will be the most desirable variety 

 of oats for him to grow. 



On motion of Dr. G. M. Twitchell the report and proposi- 

 tion made by Dr. Pearl were referred to the Executive Com- 

 mittee. 



Following this discussion the program was resumed and Mr. 

 C. W. Barber, Field Agent of the State, presented the following; 

 paper : — 



THE WORK OF THE ASSOCIATION DURING THE 



PAST YEAR. 



To Members Maine Seed Improvement Association: 



Since the first of May, 191 1, the greater part of my time as- 

 Field Agent in charge of seed and plant improvement work in 

 the Department of Agriculture has been taken up in work with 

 members of the Maine Seed Improvement Association. Dur- 

 ing this time I have been to the farms of 143 members and of 

 these 25 were called upon twice. This organization was formed 

 in 1910 for the purpose of promoting the agricultural interests 

 of the State by establishing more cordial relations between the 

 farmers ; thus enabling them to act unitedly for the betterment 



