Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-04-08
Promotion of Seed Improvement.
abstract Of paper presented by Raymond
Pearl, Biologist Of Maine Agricultural Expert.
ment Station, In the Farmers Week Program OF
the University Of Maine.)

Promotion of Seed Improvement.
(Abstract of paper presented by Raymon
Pearl, Biologist Of Maine Agricultural Exper
ment Station, In the Farmers Week Program Q
the University Of Aaine.)
It has been repeatedly and abundant.
demonstrated that q primary factor Ii
profitable crop production is the use o
good seed. Practical plant breeding ha
shown that 1t Is possible by proper meth
DDS Of seed selection and breeding great
ly to increase the yield Of all the com
mon farm crops. 1t 10 from every stand
point desirable that the farmers oi
Maine should take advantage OF tn
J benefits that are to be derived from tn
use of pure seed of high grade and bret
for productive qualities.
There are three primary and funda
mental needs In connection with the seet
situation In this state. The first o
these is the need for the much wider de
velopment by the farmers of Maine O
the production of high grade seed of th'
common farm crops as business In ant
of itself At the present time very few
farmers in Maine, outside of the potato
growing districts of Aroostook, can b'
said to be engaged in seed production al
a business. This is condition o
} affairs which needs to be changed. Th'
production of pure, high-grade, i'm
proved seed is one of the most profit
able lines of business In which farmer
can engage. 1t requires no special abil
ity beyond sound common sense, gooc
farming methods, and willingness tt
give careful and painstaking attention to
small details which may seem unimpor
tant but which the seed grower receivei
excellent pay for looking after.
The second primary need Ia for the
more general use Of pnre and improved
seed by the farmers Of the state In ordi
nary cropping operations. The majority
of farmers give very little care OF
thought to the quality of seed which
they use. II it will sprout and grow, !,
is accepted as satisfactory. There must
be more general recognition of the fac'
that this is not enough. The progress
i've farmer is demanding that the seed
which he plants for the staple farm crops
shall fulfill at least the following re-
quiremeuts: 1t shall be pure, produce
true to type, be homegrown" (that ii
produced at least within the borders OF
the state where it is used) and shall
have come from strain which is known
to yield we'll and produce a product OF
high quality.
The third fundamental need is for q
more general recognition of the impor'
tance Of the use of locally adapted seed,
which means locally produced seed.
That is to say, not only should seed pro-
duction as business be encouraged In
Maine because of its profitableness as a
line of farming business to tho producer,
but also because of the value to the
agriculture of the state of having sup
ply of homegrown and locally adapted
seeds. The environment Is an impor.
tant factor in crop production, and it is
every day becoming more evident that
the best results can only be obtained
with seed which is adjusted or adapted
to local conditions. Such adjustment
can never be obtained except by the con-
tinued use of locally grown seed.
Unquestionably much can be done
towards the meeting OF these fundamen-
tai needs in regard to the seed situation
by the Maine Seed Improvement Asso-
citation. After careful analysis of the
conditions it seems probable that all of
the three needs may be most effectively
met by paying attention primarily to the
first Of those mentioned, that is the pro-
motion of the business of seed produc-
ton within the borders of our state.
The primary aim of the Seed Improve
ment Association should be the encour-
agement of the production OF high grade
improved seed by its members. But any
seed Improvement association can only
work effectively towards this end by
making itself directly valuable to those
in the state who are engaged in the seed
producing business. This has been very
we'll done by the Canadian Seed Grow
ers' Association and it seems likely that
by modelling its work somewhat after
that of the Canadian Association much
good can be accomplished by the Maine
Seed Improvement Association.
Specifically it would seem desirable to
develop the work of the Association
along the following lines:
l. To make il evident that the Seed
Improvement Association has for it's aim
the encouragement Of improved seed
production as business by restricting
active membership in the Association to
those who are actually engaged in the
production of seed as distinct and sep
arats element of their business of farm
ing.
3. To require, as does the Canadian
Seed Growers Association, that no per-
son can be admitted to active member
ship in the Association until he has
shown evidence of an honest intention
to engage In seed production as a busi-
ness by growing seed under inspection
by representatives of the Association
during a probationary period of two
years. With such qualification for
membership as this it would mean some
thing to be an active member of the
Maine Seed Improvement Association.
1t would mean among other things that
every active member was In the way OF
being u qualified expert seed grower.
8. To provide for thorough field in
spection and for grading of the crops
grown for seed by each active member OF
the Association.
4. To provide for the use of an Asso-
citation tag of purity and merit on all
seeds sold by the active members OF the
Association. This tag would be In
effect q guarantee on the part OF the
Association OF the quality Of the
seed sold under 1t. 1t would bear
statement that the seed sold under 1t
had been inspected while growing in the
field and after 1t had been harvested, and
that further any just grounds for com.
plant on the part of the buyer would be
satisfactorily adjusted by the Secretary
OF the Association.
s. To issue annually catalog in the
name OF the Association, which shall
list all seed for sale by members of the
Association, with statement as to the
amount and quality OF the seed, the
fiudipgs of the inspector as to field con-
ditions during its growing, the price,
etc.
These points to which attention has
been called are not impossible ideals.
They are practised in some form by the
most successful seed improvement asso-
Citations in the world. This would seem
to indicate that they constitute essential
elements for the successful operation of
such associations.
Something to Remember.
L.