114 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



more per bushel. We learn that most of the seed sold in Maine 

 is distributed from Chicago and goes through a screening pro- 

 cess to get the weed seeds out. It is by no means thoroughly 

 cleaned. That the seed offered for sale could be farther 

 improved and the percentage of weed seeds reduced to a min- 

 imum we have no doubt. All farmers have to do is to demand a 

 clean seed and it will be grown. The price would be higher, but 

 it would be much cheaper in the end. We do not believe that a 

 uniformly absolutely pure seed can be grown. Scattering weed 

 seeds must be expected and farmers must be alive to destroy- 

 ing the scattering weeds that appear in their fields the year they 

 seed and the year following. The remedy would be to demand 

 a purer seed and then carefully destroy the scattering weeds 

 that spring up before they spread. 



We believe farmers have overlooked grain brought on the 

 farm for feed, as a source of weeds. We believe more bad zveeds 

 are introduced this zvay than by seeds. The seed sold in Maine 

 is screened, while that imported for feed is not screened. The 

 latter would naturally harbor more weed seeds, as the cleaner 

 grain is always selected for seed. Grain is scattered where the 

 cars are unloaded and along highways from the centres of distri- 

 bution to the farm. In feeding on the farm it gets into manure 

 and thence into the fields. We learn from good authority that 

 grain brought in by the carload for feed is sometimes retailed for 

 seed, and that farmers knowingly, to save(?)a few cents, sow such 

 inferior seed. To determine how far grain imported for feed is a 

 source of weed distribution in Maine we addressed a letter to 

 the Maine Central Railroad and received the following reply : 



Professor F. L. Harvey, 



Maine State College, Orono, Me.: 



Dear Sir, — I have your communication of the 3rd inst., and 

 beg to give you the information that the delivery of cars loaded 

 with western grain is not confined to any one or to a few prin- 

 cipal points along our line, but I am sorry to say, for your pur- 

 pose, that such cars are regularly delivered at every station, 

 though some may receive a larger proportion than others, and 

 such stations I should say would be Portland, Brunswick, Bath, 



