Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-11-23
Treasurer,s Report.

Treasurer's Report.
c. NJ. White of Rowdolnham. treas
lurer of the association, then gave his
report. This was brief, owing to the
fact that no bills had been presented
for payment and as a result there was
a. balance OF cash on hand. His re-
port was as follows:
Cash on Hand, Dec. q, 1910 - 62.3b
Received frnm secretary ...... .s150
Cash on band, Nov. %, 1911 ...sfss,ss
II was Voted to refer that part OF
the seeretary's report which made
recommendations to the committee on
resolutions
The report of the committee on
small grains was given and referred
to the executive committee. Or. Ray
haond Pearl discussed this report and
recommended the cooperative test Of
loats IN conjunction with that being
done by the State Experiment stations
so that within few years the best
TYPE OF oats for the several localities
Iof the State may be arrived at. =
| sDr. Twitehell reported for the spe-
Icial committee on corn. He RECON-
fmended an increase in the premium,
Hist and also that the growers of en-
tries should be present so that he can
inspect his corn together with the
lother exhibitors. that prizes for corn
lshelling contest be Increased: that
I'the water contest should enter into
the judging of corn more than it does:
la more thorough inspection Of the con-
ditions under which corn is grown:
to agree following all suggestions for
growing CROP but not to the extent
that bat one type win be grown, Dr..
Twitchell wishing there to be individ-
|u1 crops. as
The report was accepted and 1t was
voted to refer the recommendations to
the executive committee.
The Work of the Association During
the Past Year, was, gone into quite
thoroughly, by c. w. Harber
Mr.. Barber said in part as follows:
Since the first of May, 1911. the
greater part of my time as field agent
In. charge of seed and plant improve
ment work in the department of agri-
culture has been taken up in. work
with members of the Maine Seed I'm
provement Association. In my visits
TO farmers my object has been to get
a general idea Of the man and sec
end of the farm which he operates. In
order to be successful seed grower
man must first be a good farmer.
/ believe that farmers and educa-
tlonalists in Maine must realize more
than ever. today, that in order to bet
ter our conditions as an agricultural
State we must work together and get
back to the soil as near as possible.
Every farmer whom one meets IN this
work has some experience which is
valuable to his neighbor. Let this as
ISOLATION become a clearing house Of
| the practical experiences of farmers
most successful in the productions of
various crops. Another purpose Of tlss
association is to carry on investiga-
| lions and experiments in growing new
and superior varieties Of farm seeds
and plants.
It Is no uncommon thing for farm
ers to send to Connecticut, Rhode Is
! land and Ma ssachusetts and expect to
mature a crop from such seed during
the first season that it Is grown IN
Maine. Everyone of US has experience
that corn taken from a Southern re-
gion and planted even SO miles farther
north fails to mature as we would de-
sire. Members of the Seed Improve
ment Association who are attempting
to grow corn for seed purposes ought
to carefully examine all of the corn
grown in their. own locality. watch 1t
grow during the season and II any
one OF them appears to, be good.
strong variety. select that corn as one
which you will improve. We ought to
select Is or 80 ears of corn each year
from our general field and try them
out in the breeding plat. Each mem
Der of the Maine Seed Improvement
Association should endeavorI to devel-
op some one particular kind of seed
so that he can be distributor Of good
seed in the locality in which he lives
Members of the Maine Seed I'm
provement Association who are alive
to the possibilities of growing sweet
corn in the State of Maine must GER
tainly realize that here is an oppor-
tunity to develop special line OF seed
production. Often the production OF
sweet corn has been greater where the
farmer uses q little fertilizer Those
farmers who are getting the highest
yield of cut corn per acre are using
about 500 pounds of a good, high-grade
fertilizer with II TO 16 loads OF dress
Z ing.
| In selecting grains our only method
/ of Improvement has been through the
use, of the tanning mill. Members or
the association WHO are growing grain
IN any quantity cannot afford to get
along without the use Of some metn-
cd of grading grain for seed.
do not believe that ills pract1-
cal proposition to expect that mem
bers of this association viii be abba
to carry on experiments in improving
oats and other grains by selecting In.
+ dividual heads and crossing different
types Farmers must begin 10 lock for
better types of seeds and inasmuch
as Yield is the great object in view
they ought to encourage anyone who
is capable of establishing such strains
in Maine.
( The production of edible beans in
I the state of Maine Is quito an impor-
/ tant industry. The experiment sta
| ton is doing some valuahle work in
| the, establishing Of the yelloA-ey ed
/ hea ayr