Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-08-30
Somerset Farmers |mprov-
ing Their Crops
Maine Seed Improvement Assn
Behind Good Movement.
Those Making the Tests This Tear
And Their Varieties.

ing the Maine Depart Of Agriculture,
ty members Of the Maine Seed I'M
provenent Assn, finishing Saturday at
S,lioy.hega These visits are for the
purpose Of getting close acquaintance
i with the work done 10y each indlVldual
member, and seeing that the proper
records arc carefully kert.
This association was organized at
! Water,i!le last January for the pur-
| pose of improving the farm crops OF
Maine through the Introduction ana
4 propagation of superior seeds. The plan
4 hes been popular from the very start.
| There was a large attendance at the
! first meeting. and paid membership or
j nearly POO was secured without any
4 solicitation. W. q. HuntOn of Read
field is president, and l.. 5. Merrill OF
| S0lCn. secretary.
II The work this year is confined to
| ora ctical field tests. which when com
plcted, viii identify those particular
st aims and varieties Of seed that are
i especially adapted 10 Maine condi-
tons. ana possess genuine merit The
plots under observation vary in size
all the way from q few rods up to seV-
crai acres. but on every one the record
will show: Preparation and fertility o.
soil: date of planting: time and per
cent. Of termination; rate of growth;
time Of maturity; amount and quality
Of yield. These records taken with the
knowledge Of the source of the seed
vii give g sure foundation for next
years plans Inferior sorts will be dis
Haas,
plant breeders art will be devoted 10
An effort to make the best still better
No pronounced results are anticpat-
ed short of three years, but from that
time on. there should be marked gains
from year to year. High yields, early
maturity. and superior quality, each in
proper proportion VIII add thousa no
: upon thousands of dollars to the value
of Maine crops, without calling for any
addition Of either human or animal
n lsbCr.
There are nine members in Somer-
set county, distributed as follows:
Bingham. Ingraham c. Pierce and Fl.
3. Wkipple: Solon. stephen and l.. 5.
Merrill. Madison, F. L. Davis: Skowhe-
gan, r. T Fatten: Fairfield. A. H. Ellis
and f. l.. Grant: Palmyra. A p.
IIoWcs.
The Bneham members, Mcssrs
Pierce and Whipple are doing practical
" IDENTICAL work. Each has plante,!
about seven acres Of Delaware pota-
1oeS. and six acres of Oderbrucker bar
'eE. The seed for the latter was in
ported from the Seed Improvement As
cation OF Wisconsin, The members
here had bred it up to the point where
IL hnSheiS per acre is an average yield
= ana tne prospects are excellent for an
h equally good showing here in Maine
n Stephen and l.. S Merrill of Scion are
t working with oats, potatoes and corn
y The oats are Of the Swedish variety the
7, seed having been secured through the de-
e oartment of agriculture at Washington
: he SlX-acre field is beautiful sight
All the weeds have been carefully pulled
It tut by hand and the prospects are excel
: lent for an exceptional yield. In the five
:. acre held of potatoes six rows through
;he center stand up in striking contrast
Il me seed Tor these was raised by Frank
o Lowell OF Farmingdale, who by careful
8 selection year after year has developed
= blight resistant strain. The variety is
rather late but very productive. Three
: Icres of flint corn We're planted with seed
n rom Massachusetts grower who won
$ .irst prize at the National Corn Exposi-
ton last year. This also is very promis.
V ing.
!. F. E. Davis of Madison is specializing
with potatoes. He has been working
t With the tubers several years and ha
: actually developed several varieties from
d HE seed balls. At the time of Mr. Cooks
;. visit aug. 20 the early variety was act
naliy matured He also has a medium
g early, an early late and late variety of
n his own development all of which show
desirable characters.
A. II. Ellis of Fairfield is keeping q
performance record on his fve-acre field
OF oats. This seed is some of his own
= raising and has given him good returns
Tor number of years. At the end of
he season he will know exactly how it
compares with other varieties in Maine
r. l.. Grant has a test plot of flint corn
10 rows. each row planted from differ
mt ear. This seed was procured from
The department at Augusta and the test
IS one Of the many by which it is hoped
f to locate the best variety for Maine.
a. p. Howes of Palmyra, who is chair
man or the executive committee of the
. association. has two test plots of flint
, corn and some old-fashioned yellow-eyed
2 beans. Seed for the former came
through the department at Augusta and
: for the latter through President Hunton.
who procured it from a neighbor in Read
field
Other kinds of crops are under observ-
alton in the other counties. so that the
work of the association will cover every
thing adapted to Maine. In November
the association will take the best speci-
mems from members all over the State
and make a display at the New England
Corn Show in Worcester. From there
the collection will be returned to Angus
ia for the State Dairymen's convention
the ASSOCIATIONS ANNUAL meeting, and tn
session of the State Grange. In this way
the work of the association will be-
brought to the notice of a tremendous
number of progressive farmers, and
wide distribution of the superior seed will
rapidly follow.
! Resides oil