44 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



change the seed, but keep the quality up to standard by careful 

 selection. 



There are a few points to observe in the selection of some of 

 the crops. What will apply to one of the small grains will 

 serve for all. When it is time to harvest the crop, walk 

 through the field and select an armful of about 500 of the best 

 heads. Later on in the winter thresh them out and put them 

 through a fanning mill, being careful to keep them pure. The 

 next year plant them in a small plot and thresh the product of 

 that plot separately : clean it and plant it in a larger plot the 

 year following. By keeping up this method of selection every 

 year a high standard can be maintained and it is quite possible 

 that it can be increased. 



To get the best results with corn, select, while the crop is 

 yet in the field, those ears that are best filled out and show the 

 largest per cent of corn to the cob. This is indicated by the 

 depth of kernel, the lack of space between the kernels and the 

 rows, and a well and closely covered butt and tip. 



Potatoes should be selected by hand digging, before the 

 general crop is dug. Select those hills that have the largest 

 number of marketable potatoes, are free from diseases of all 

 kinds and are known to be of one variety. It is quite desir- 

 able, if possible, to select the potatoes so that one good tuber 

 is finally discovered, the product is increased and the final 

 result is that the whole field is from one potato. If that one 

 was a good one, the grower has something to sell and can get 

 a good price for it. 



The chief point in selection of any kind of seed stock is to 

 get an ideal fixed in the mind and then use one's head to select 

 the seed that is most likely to produce that ideal. 



The following paragraphs will show why better seed and 

 methods should be used. Note the low average yields of some 

 of the crops. Also observe the low average acreage. In some 

 cases there is not enough land in any one crop to make it worth 

 while. Machinery can not be employed and the cost of produc- 

 tion is increased. Raise enough of one crop so that it will be 

 necessary to take care of it to live. 



In November the Department sent out 850 post cards in an 

 endeavor to learn the amount of land cultivated, the vield of 



