SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETING. 209 



as the present field agent, Mr. Jones, has had opportunity to get 

 it together. 



Owing to the bad year for corn the Association was unable 

 to send as large an exhibit to the New England Corn Exposition 

 as in previous years, but a few members sent a very excellent 

 exhibit of sweet, flint and pop com. The same is on exhibition 

 at this meeting. With a few suggestions the secretary will con- 

 clude his report. 



First. That the executive committee be authorized to draw 

 up plans for next year; and that immediate steps be taken for 

 procuring the best varieties of grains and possibly corn, to be 

 put into the hands of members of the Association who can and 

 will guarantee to take care of the crop produced therefrom. 



Second. Limit the distribution of seed to only one or two 

 members in each county in the State. Have the field agent 

 visit and inspect the farms of each of these members. Also 

 have him on the ground to see that the ground is properly pre- 

 pared, the seed properly planted, and the crop cared for and 

 harvested. By limiting the scope of our work to only a few, 

 and making the work as thorough as possible with the aim of 

 getting quality and at the same time an increased remuneration 

 to the seed grower, we can soon build an association that will 

 be as solid as the one in Canada. 



As a seed association we have got to have something to selK 

 For, say as much as you will, the success of this organization 

 depends fundamentally on the profitableness to the seed grower. 



If we adhere to the plan of membership which states that a 

 Class A member shall be a breeder of seed, the work will not 

 progress as rapidly as it should, because the average farmer 

 cannot afford the time or the money to develop strains of eco- 

 nomic plants. Such work requires the painstaking care of the 

 scientist. Why not begin a campaign immediately by signing 

 up one or two members in each county as outlined above, to 

 plant next spring so many acres of oats or other grains, pota- 

 toes or corn, as the executive committee might deem advisable, 

 and in the furtherance of this work we will begin with the 

 highest type of the variety of plants it is possible to procure. 

 In this way the Association will have some crops next fall in 

 a limited way, for seed. 



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