DAIRY AND SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETINGS. I9I 



PLACING IMPROVED SEED ON THE MARKET. 



By R. P. Mitchell, Freedom. 



The placing of improved seed on the market is a question of 

 great importance to the farmers of the state, and particularly 

 to the members of this association. The purpose of this asso- 

 ciation is primarily to improve the crops by the selection 

 of good seed and to place this seed on the mar- 

 ket. Up to the present time, after three years of eminent 

 success, the work of this association has in a very 

 large degree been confined to the improvement of our crops. 

 The disposition of seed, in excess of what has been required 

 for the production of their own crops, has been done almost 

 entirely by the individual members of the association, occasion- 

 ally assisted by the agent of the association, or some other 

 person familiar with the work. So it is quite safe to say that 

 up to this year, for several reasons, no organized efifort has 

 been made to market the seed produced by the members of this 

 association. Perhaps the most important reason is that very 

 little good seed has been available. 



There have been, however, in the minds of the men who have 

 been active in the management of the Maine Seed Improvement 

 Association, certain definite plans that have advanced the work 

 of the association very markedly. For instance, the classifica- 

 tion of members according to the quality of the work they 

 are doing. 



There are three great essentials that must exist in order thrjt 

 the work of the marketing of improved seed may be suc- 

 cessfully and effectively carried on. 



First : The seed must be pure and free from all foul and 

 light seed and disease in order to maintain the high standard 

 of excellence already established. 



In making inspections this summer, I found a great majority 

 of crops, especially the oats and other small grains, containing 



