Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-12
Field Work Of the Association.

The field work of the Maine. Seed Inn
provement Association for 1910 and
'"11 was taken up in an able paper
10y Alfred S. Cook Of the Maine De-
lartmcnt of Agriculture, who is in
charge of the field work of the aSSo-
citation. He said in part:
To me, it seems that the most i'm
rortant factor in building up this as
>nciation Is the field work. 1t is
through the field work that we are go
ing to establish a closer relation be-
tween the farmers and the agricultural
institutions that are cooperating witt
them. Unless there is some means of
transmission by which each member
can receive the benefit of work done
by the other members. and Of the
thought put into the work by agricul
t!raliSts, how can we expect to get tbs
best results" Without question, this
has been one Of the greatest things
which has made a success of the dairy
te sting associations of the State. At
the monthly meetings the members
discuss their successes and failures
IN Get and become intimately acquaint-
With such men as Prof. Campbell OF
he University of Maine, and all this
; of the greatest value. Another i'm
nrtmant factor Of the Testing ASso-
alton work is the visits of the testers.
no have the experience Of 80 dairy
zen doing business under PRACTICAL!
We same conditions, besides q knowl
lge Of their own business.
More definite information regarding
ppn1pnf and Yields Of al
.ings related to farm crops must be
'tained. This has been ono of the
ost serious handicapS experienced by
re aSriculturalists OF our State: unit
is information is obtained, we can
.complish nothing. It is only through
ticient field work shat this can be OBJ
lined. and | believe sou will all real
e the Importance of this when YOU
ave seen some "f the data alread!
ELECTED. 70 gain this Information
hlch actually exists. without any OK
a. fxertion from the farmers, all that
necessary is to record it. The time
'quircd to do this is small and | am
ire that every member who realizes
lc possibilities uf the association viii
eep the records in detail. The benc-
9 measured by the thoroughness of
lii work.
Mr.. Cook described IN considerable
"tail D Visit made by him to the Wis
Dnsin Experiment Association and the
jork which he found carried on there.
a!luuing - the real value, which
he Wisconsin Association was prov
NJ TO the boys of the state he re-
,larkcd.
The majority of the membership is
made up Of young men and includes
"ys as young as l. or IA years of age.
Iany Of these boys have entered into
ON" kind of a business proposition
9th their father for raising seed corn
= seed grains. one in particular with
yhom talked while there, had clear
d $500 in the year of 1909 from sweet
orn selected from field raised by
is father. The Wisconsin Experiment
dissertation furnished the seed and
lie boy made the selection. The seed
vas then sold through the association
The details of The field work for the
,aSt Year in Maine were then taken up,
dr. Cook speaking as follows OH this
JGint:
The importance. Of keeping the re-
nain1er Of the seed ears after using
vha. was rc,tHired for seed, was not
made plain enough last spring. and as
| result only two members have these
eft. This corr is on exhibition in the
exhibit now, and with it. a
exhibit from each of the
10 rows. 1t is very interesting t0 note
the difference in the way individual
-ars have Reproduced themselves, both
II ear conformation and yield per
acre. The pedigree which we will have
If this corn in few years from now
will be much more comprehensive and
if we have the seed ears of
each years planting. In planting their
plots by hand. some of the members
made the mistake of planting too
deep. AS Q result, some plots planted
at the same time as the field crops cid
not appear above ground until long
after the field corn. This proved in
many case to be serious handicap
and it was thought by some members
10 be due to the quality of the corn In
stead of the fact that it was planted
too deep.
The Importance of keeping the expe-
rinlental plot at a sufficient distance
from other corn. to prevent it from
II III