286 AGRICUIvTURE OF MAINE). 



the market and stand behind it and have it backed by the Seed 

 Improvement Association. Then we should not be ashamed 

 of the seed and should have something worthy of the State of 

 Maine. Her motto is "Dirigo," I lead, and let us live up to 

 that. 



John Pease — In regard to the future work of the associa- 

 tion, my idea is that we should do a few things and do them 

 well, and that we ought to concentrate our efforts, in a certain 

 measure, upon the staple crops because the improvement in 

 them will benefit the largest number of people. These should 

 be corn, potatoes and oats, also beans and perhaps barley or 

 some of the crops that are grown in the northern part of the 

 State and not here. We might also take up some experimental 

 work in the different parts of the State with some of the newer 

 forage crops, like alfalfa and the legumes, because of their 

 great value as fertilizers, enriching the soil by means of their 

 nitrogen-gathering properties. We might also take up some 

 experimental work with wheat. There was a time when we 

 could grow wheat here in Maine. I can remember a time when 

 all of our neighbors grew at least their own bread stuffs — that 

 is, wheat enough to supply them for the year. And I find that 

 there are many poultrymen who, since the price of wheat has 

 been high, have been turning their attention to the growing of 

 this crop for poultry. So far as I know, we have not any 

 standard variety that would be suitable for this part of the 

 State. It seems to me there is a chance for the association to 

 take up a little demonstration work along that line. So we 

 might go on and take up a number of things, but in general it 

 seems to me that the work of the association ought to be con- 

 centrated upon staple crops because that will bring the greatest 

 good to the greatest number. 



Dr. Peare — I would like to say just a few words about some 

 of the work that the Experiment Station is doing along lines 

 connected with the work of this association. As you know, we 

 have been working for some time with sweet corn. That work 

 was taken up because of a demand from a special class, the 

 sweet corn packers. We have also been carrying on some work 

 with yellow corn but are not ready to say anything about that. 

 We began this year, as many of you know, to experiment with 

 oats. This work consists merely in a variety of testing experi- 



