SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETING. 283 



enforcing the strictest discipline. The association cannot afford 

 tc have members who put inferior seed upon the market. The 

 Wisconsin Association has had some experience on this Hne, 

 and in their last annual report mention is made of complaints 

 that have come to the organization that inferior seed has been 

 sold. Another organization, doing similar work to this, has 

 sent seed into our own State containing weed seeds and much 

 foreign matter. These things can and must be avoided if the 

 possibilities that are open to us are ever realized. 



A great deal of credit is due the members of the Seed Im- 

 provement Association for the interest they have taken in the 

 work during the past season. The way in which they have con- 

 tributed to both the exhibit at the New England Corn Exposi- 

 tion and at the annual meeting, is certainly appreciated by the 

 men who are so vitally interested in the success of the Seed 

 Improvement Association. It proves that we are establishing 

 a foundation upon which the association will grow to mean as 

 much to the agriculture of the State of Maine as we desire it 

 to mean. 



FUTURE WORK FOR THE SEED IMPROVEMENT 



ASSOCIATION. 



By A. P. Howes, Palmyra. 



I want to say that I believe this Seed Improvement Associ- 

 ation is the most wonderful and the most helpful organization 

 tliat has been established in the State of Maine in the interests 

 of the farmer. Dr. Merrill has opened up to us a vision, or 

 rather he has given us ideals. He has given us certain stand- 

 ards which he thinks the association should live up to. One 

 of the duties of the association is to keep the boys and girls 

 upon the farms of Maine. It is the duty of this association to 

 a large extent to help to do that by giving them some of the 

 best seeds of corn and the various kinds of grain and getting 

 them interested in the growing of these crops. I believe we 

 should commence with our public schools. The boys who are 

 ten or twelve years old, who are going to our common schools, 



