Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-08-11

will not pass inspection. Where
this occurs, it generally makes the
grower more determined than ever
and he begins to look about for some
better seed for next year.
ION July ], 1923. there went into
effect a new law under which this
bureau is now operating, giving the
Commissioner of Agriculture certain
definite powers and authority to put
to work on q self supporting basis.
At the end Of the first year, we are
very glad to report that the work has
been self-supporting and the farmers
have paid the entire cost, paying the
fee which has been as low as we could
make it after allowing for the fact
that probably some of the fees would
not be collected. 1t would seem al
most necessary that an amendment De
made to our law at the next session
of the Legislature to the erect tnat
anyone who had not paid the fees on
the work previously done could not
, have the privilege of having work done
during the current year. or until such
time as the bill was paid. This would
euualize the burden and would not be
using the fees paid in by one farmer
To help pay for the work done for the
non-paying farmers. This recommen-
dation will be made and data furnished
to show why we believe it necessary.
| Our new law did not accomplish
all that we hoped for, but We expect
! to be able to discover most of the
weak spots before the Legislature
meets and correct them. 1t would be
very agreeable if the terms certified
| seed could be defined in the State
| law and have the seed inspected only
! by department officials. We are hav-
h. foo
! that private companies are putting out
personal certiication tags and while
| in some cases their work has been
| just as good as that of the State af-
| ficials, in others it has been so crude
| that the word certified" has been
more or less abused in the potato
! trade.
Beside the details incidental to
handling both the field inspection of
plants and the shipping inspection OF
potatoes, this bureau has tried to as
sist the growers in every way posi-
BILE both to get information on where
market stock could be obtained. and
also by investigating the marketing.
| Maine Seed Improvement Assn.
"Over a period of years. the person
in charge of the seed certification work
has always been elected secretary of
the Maine Seed Improvement Associa-
| ton and this requires that two weeks
/ out of each year be given over to ar
! ranging for and holding the annual
| Joint exhibition with the Maine Pomo-
logical Society and the Maine Dairy
mems Association. In 1922, this meet
ing was held in Lewiston, and the
following year in Portland. This is
the only exhibition held in the State
| where the crops go to make up the
entire exhibit. Meetings are held for
three days and programs arranged
dealing with live topics in crop pro-
duction."
In his report as chief of the bureau
of seed improvement, Mr.. Newdick
points out that there has been a con-
sistent increase every year in the num-
Der of acres of seed potatoes entered
for certiflcation and that this large
increase each succeeding year has been
due, no doubt, to the fact that the
seed buyers have at last realized that
there is no such thing as cheap seed
and they are now offering a premium
At the end Of the 1922 shipping season
we had moved practically 100. cars of
certified seed. This was substantial
increase from our earlier years, but
!. still left a lot to be desired. .
| "In the beginning of the 1923 sea-
son, the total entries We're 49,, 056 acres
OF these, 622S acres passed, 5940 were
disqualified, and 8SS acres were with.
drawn. At the end of the 1923 ship.
ping season it was shown that there
had been sold and moved under the
blue tag 277,Ss2 barrels having wide
distribution. This seasons shipments
of 1000 cars represent large increase
over the previous years.
Mr. Newdick points out that II 2
benefit had been derived simply from
those cars which We're sold at some
advance in price, we would not have
attained the objective which the de-
partment started for several years ago.
but that it is felt that the largest
4 gain has been made in an increased
yield in our entire crop.