DAIRY AND SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETINGS. 211 



progress made along the lines of better stock and cheaper foods. 



Better stock has perhaps taken more of the dairyman's 

 attention than any other question in recent years. The pure 

 bred sire as a means of improving herds is coming to be 

 regarded a*s the ordinary and proper method for every 

 progressive dairyman to employ toward getting a better 

 milk production from his feed. My experience the last 

 year shows that we are beginning now to get the benefit of 

 the years of teaching that have preceded, and that farmers 

 very generally throughout the state are buying pure bred sires. 

 I also find a greatly increased number of thoroughbred herds. 

 Men are continually writing in to get advice about starting a 

 thoroughbred herd and are looking around to secure good 

 foundation stock, and I feel that our state is now well on its 

 way toward the time when there will be thoroughbred herds 

 in every community, and that we will soon take place among 

 the great thoroughbred breeding states of our country. 



I want to recommend to this association that every effort be 

 made by our membership to increase the number of pure bred 

 sires being used in the state, and to increase the number of 

 pure bred herds. It is we organized dairymen who, by our 

 example, should lead the way for our neighbors. 



The other problem before the dairymen which I will touch on 

 briefly is the matter of cheap feeding of our cattle. Much has 

 been said about the growing of alfalfa and home-grown grains, 

 and I judge from my personal experience that alfalfa in par- 

 ticular is receiving a very large amount of attention from our 

 Maine dairymen. Now I believe alfalfa is destined to be an 

 important crop with us. Seed breeding will progress and cer- 

 tain strains of alfalfa will be developed which will be of great 

 use to us in Maine ; but, at the present time, alfalfa is experi- 

 mental in our state. There have been only a few successful 

 plots. On my farms we have been in the habit for some years 

 of seeding down a trace of alfalfa in all our grass aeedings, 

 three pounds per acre being the amount used. In general I 

 find it somewhat more persistent than red clover, but not much 

 more so ; and we have tried five different strains of hardy seed. 



I should like to see more attention put on the ensilage and 

 hay crops grown, because I believe that in our climate the 

 farmer can do more toward the economical raising of dairv 



