SEI;D IMPROVEMENT MEETING. I97 



about the following plan for the work of the Maine Seed Im- 

 provement Association. Would it not be possible for our Asso- 

 ciation to purchase seeds of grain from our state experimental 

 farm or from farms in the northern section of the country 

 where seed improvement has been carried on for years, and 

 could we not place this seed, say enough for one acre, in the 

 hands of each member of the Seed Improvement Association 

 who can and will give it good care and make it the foundation 

 of his business as a producer of grain seed. It can be done. 

 This will give the farmer one acre of a superior strain of grain, 

 provided the testing out of two or three years on his farm 

 proves this grain to be superior. He need not sell any seed the 

 first or second year but can sow all of it on his own farm the 

 second or third, or enough for five or six acres we will say; 

 and in two or three years more the Association will have some- 

 thing to sell. It will have seed of improved quality. This is of 

 course dependent upon the production of the seed as grown in 

 the State during the first year or two. You will see that by this 

 method the farmer will be able to get a return from the sale of 

 seed during the first year, antl a far greater one during the sec- 

 ond year. 



In regard to potatoes, we might be able to do work of a simi- 

 lar nature. We ought to advertise in southern markets, com- 

 municate with southern farmers and potato seed dealers and 

 learn of the type and varieties of seed stock which they desire. 

 We could make a proposition somewhat like this : I am a mem- 

 ber of the Alaine Seed Improvement Association and will agree 

 to ])lant seed of any variety that you desire, the number of acres 

 that you wish, and at a stated i)rice. xAll the seed of this stock 

 which I i)lant I will guarantee to disinfect with formaldehyde 

 for the purpose of killing scab. I will guarantee to lise a high 

 grade fertilizer, give my land good cultivation, and will keep 

 the potato plants free from disease by spraying. I will also dig 

 the potatoes not earher than ten days after the tops die, in order 

 that the potatoes will have had a chance to harden up. In 

 addition I will guarantee to ship a uniform grade of crop and it 

 shall be free from disease. The officers of the Association will 

 have the power and authority to inspect all of my crop and will 

 guarantee my statements as made in the contract. Something 

 of the ideas outlined above would help to bring seed potato 

 business to us. Only this fall we have had in the Department 



