DAIRY MEETING. 69 



throughout the season is but to repeat what is urged from every 

 platform, yet the average crop yield of the State, both of yellow 

 and sweet corn, is greatly reduced because these homely lessons 

 will not be observed. No man gives too much cultivation, and 

 the great majority far too little. Until thorough work marks 

 every step there is no justice in a criticism against any seemingly 

 extravagant claim. We know not the value of the corn crop 

 to the State of Maine. The corn shock is not the best place to 

 mature seed. Those marked stalks should be topped when the 

 ears begin to glaze and left until well hardened, then the ears 

 plucked and spread in single layers where the air can circulate 

 all about them, and not traced until the cobs are well dried. A 

 damp, mouldy cob will injure the seed value of the kernels. 

 Everywhere it is the same, success hinges upon seemingly trivial 

 details. Trifles make perfection but perfection is no trifle. 



Corn breeding like stock breeding offers returns not to be 

 obtained in any other way and if the demands are exacting the 

 results will surely be satisfactory to the critical grower. "Corn 

 bred for several years for increased production will produce, 

 with exactly the same treatment, 10, 20, or even 40 bushels 

 more per acre than unselected seed. Counting the increase at 

 but 10 bushels per acre, when corn is selling at 80 cents per 

 bushel well-bred seed bears a money value of $48 per bushel 

 and the profit on the corn crop is increased $8 for every acre 

 grown." This estimation is very conservative, the profit being 

 often four times as great. The law of reversion holds as tena- 

 ciously in corn culture as in stock breeding and the slightest 

 neglect opens the door to failure. Seed runs out through neg- 

 lect; it runs up in proportion as skill is manifested in its growth 

 and care. 



This association came into existence because of the conscious 

 need of strengthening our dairy interests. Today that need is 

 greater than ten years ago, but it is specifically along the line of 

 encouraging increased production of less expensive food prod- 

 ucts, and chief among these is the corn plant. Profitable dairy- 

 ing hinges on the feeding of silage and to meet conditions 

 certain to arise during every year, and prevent shrinkage of the 

 milk yield, the dairymen are coming to feel that they can find 

 profit only by a full year's supply of ensilage. If the experi- 



