REPORT OF SEED IMPROVEMENT WORK. 35 



Executive Committee, A. P. Howes, Palmyra; George W. 

 Moore, Presque Isle ; E. E. Additon, Leeds ; Frank Lowell, 

 Farmingdale; C. S. Mclntire, East Waterford. 



In charge of Field Work, A. S. Cook, Augusta. 



EIELD WORK. 



The purposes of this field work are to establish a closer rela- 

 tion of members and institutions co-operating with the associa- 

 tion ; to obtain definite information regarding the work done by 

 each member; to have each member visited by a representative 

 of the Department ; to see that the work is carried out in detail 

 and that all reports are properly kept in order that the agri- 

 culture of Maine may receive the benefit of this work. The 

 success of the association depends largely upon the thorough- 

 ness and carefulness exercised in doing the field work, and the 

 benefits to the State — financially and educationally — will be 

 measured by the character of this work. A thorough under- 

 standing of all plans will give the members more interest and, 

 consequently, more efficient work will be done. The Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture should be in close touch with all work of 

 the association, and this can only be done through efficient field 

 work. 



The plan that was adopted by the association for the year 

 1910 was the result of a careful investigation of similar work 

 that is being done in other states and countries, and has the 

 approval of expert agriculturists of Maine. Undoubtedly these 

 plans will be made more comprehensive each year as the work 

 progresses and develops. Detailed plans for the work with 

 corn and potatoes have been adopted by the association and 

 blanks, reporting all details regarding weather conditions, seed 

 used, soil, planting, cultivation, yields, etc., of each crop raised, 

 are filled out by the members and forwarded to the secretary 

 of the association at the end of the season. Superior strains 

 and varieties of these crops will be isolated, propagated and 

 distributed. 



After considering the matter of obtaining seed to start in 

 the first year's work with corn, it was decided that the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture should send out ten-ear lots to members 

 desiring to experiment. In order to insure as far as possible 

 that the corn sent out would mature, the State was divided into 



