IMPROVEMENT OF SEEDS AND SEED GRAINS. 23 
» shall safeguard the certificates from being used fraudulently or in any manner con- 
trary to the. regulations or to the interests of the members of the association or those 
engaged in the production of pure-bred registered seed. 
X. In the production of registered seed it is recommended that the hand-selected 
seed plots and the improved seed plots be sown much thinner than has been the com- 
mon. practice. in the locality. The thin sowing will to a great extent give individual 
plants an opportunity to stool or tiller. The aim should be to obtain a maximum of 
oie and of yield per plant rather than a maximum of bushels per acre on the seed 
plots. bg Fs 
XI. Where a grain drill is used for the hand-selected seed plot, it is recom- 
mended that.at least one tube in every four be plugged or stopped up. That will leave 
space between every three rows of grain convenient for the operator to pass along to 
gather the large heads from the most vigorous plants. There will be also some other 
advantages from that practice. ~— , ? 
XII. Farmers who are not in possession of seed from a hand-selected seed plot 
and who wish to join the association as operating members for 1903, should secure 
good, sound, plump seed of a variety of good market quality, known to be suitable to. 
the locality, and, if possible, from a crop which gave a heavy yield: From the crop 
produced from such seed, on a specially prepared plot sown thin as recommended, the 
heads from the largest and most vigorous plants would be selected by hand this season 
for the hand selected seed plot of the first year, to be grown in 1904. 
XIII. The members of the: Macdonald-Robertson Seed Growers’ Association are 
not required to pay any fees, or to undertake any obligations to contribute to the 
expenses necessary for managing the work connected with the organization. 
XIV. It is desirable that the membership of the association be not too large at 
first. It is to be borne in mind that at the present time most farmers do not ap- 
preciate the value of selected seeds; and as seed grain improved by a system of hand 
selection cannot be produced at the same cost as grain grown and sold for food pur- 
poses, it will be prudent to push the growth of the association only in keeping with the 
growth of demand for registered seed. However, a limited number of operating mem- 
bers from every county is desired. 
Applications for membership should be addressed. to the Commissioner of Agricul- 
ture and Dairying, Department of Agriculture, Ottawa. 
