se;e;d improvement meeting. 277 



SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10. 



FIELD WORK OF THE MAINE SEED IMPROVEMENT 



ASSOCIATION. 



By A. S. Cook, IMaine Department of Agriculture. 



One of the greatest things upon which the success of the 

 Maine Seed Improvement Association depends is the thorough- 

 ness and carefulness which is exercised in doing the field work. 

 At the present time, we have planned a great, future for this 

 organization. We want it to mean more to the agriculture of 

 the State, to the people of the State and to ourselves than any 

 other association could mean. If we are to accomplish this, 

 it is necessary to exercise the most thoughtful deliberation in 

 building the foundation upon which we are to grow. It gives 

 me a great feeling of satisfaction to be able to say, after study- 

 ing the organization that would mean the greatest success for 

 the farmers of America, that I believe we are started right. 

 Now, if we are ever to realize our hopes and ambitions, it will 

 be necessary to grow slowly. We must carefully plan our 

 work and try to determine what the result is going to be before 

 any steps are taken. Many other organizations of this nature 

 have failed to do the work which they were organized to do. 

 If by making a study of these we will be able to avoid such 

 mistakes, it is certainly of advantage to do so. If every mem- 

 ber will try to feel his share of the responsibility and govern 

 his work accordingly, our association will be where we want 

 it — at the head of all other such work. 



To me, it seems that the most important factor in building 

 up this association is the field work. Its purposes are many. 

 It is through the field work that we are going to establish a 

 closer relation between the farmers and the agricultural insti- 

 tutions that are co-operating with them. Unless there is some 

 means of transmission by which each member can receive the 

 benefit of work done by the other members, and of the thought 

 put into the work by agriculturists, how can we expect to get 



