370 AGRICULTURE 0P> MAINE. 



on giving his name to the buyers after the seed is sold. It 

 would be necessary to have a contract of some kind drawn up 

 in which there should be some restrictions, that the manager 

 should know at all times how much seed there is for sale. This 

 plan is something which will be a little difficult to work out, but 

 something which we must meet to bring the greatest success to 

 our work. 



We have many inquiries for certified seed. Mr. Clark tellb 

 me inquiries come to his office. I had a letter the other day 

 from Dr. Orton, who is vice-president of the Federal Horticul- 

 tural Board, stating that he had inquiries which he would 

 refer to us. I have inquiries from the experiment stations of 

 several southern states. They are interested in what we are 

 doing. This certification plan has already been adopted and is 

 in operation in one state, — I believe in Wisconsin, and it will 

 be put in operation next year in Montana, Michigan, New York, 

 and Vermont, I think. 



We should make our plan uniform, that each state may have 

 potatoes to sell which are standard, which are free from disease, 

 which are true to type and which are of high yielding quality. 

 And on the last point of excellence is where the State of Maine 

 seed will give results comparable to all and superior to most, 

 because the average yield of potatoes in Maine is already supe- 

 rior to the yield of any other state. I believe a ten or fifteen 

 per cent increase in average yield may be easily secured, along 

 with more uniformity in type and a greater freedom from 

 disease, following a general adoption of methods as I have tried 

 to outline to you. 



Gentlemen, I thank you for the attention and interest you have 

 shown. 



Mr. Lowell : It seems to me there ought to be some stand- 

 ard of value upon certification. 



Mr. Leland: If the seed was all sold by one man, that man 

 would know what price to put upon it. At the present time the 

 value to Mr. Porter, for instance, is what he can get in addition 

 to the regular market price. Perhaps the other fellow can get a 

 little more or not so much. 



Mr. Lowell: If a man comes to me and wants to buy a lot 

 of certified potatoes, I am going to sell the potatoes ; I know 

 that there is somebody else who has certified potatoes and I am 

 afraid if I do not put down the price pretty well he will go over 

 to the other fellow, and that man would sell a little cheaper. I 



