Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the 41st Annual Meeting / Pleasant Valley, New York, August 28, 29 and 30, 1950

by Unknown

MONDAY MORNING SESSION

The meeting was called to order by the Vice-President, Dr. L. H.
MacDaniels, in the absence of the President.

DR. MacDANIELS: I have here the official gavel of The Northern Nut Growers Association, which was sent to me by Mildred Jones Langdoc, who unfortunately is not able to come to this meeting. She, of course, is our president. She expected to come until fairly recently but on her doctor's orders changed her plans and wrote to me a very short time ago asking me if I would preside at this meeting.

Does anyone present know the history of this gavel?

MR. GEORGE SLATE: It was presented to the Association by Mr. Littlepage, and was made from Indiana pecan wood.

DR. MacDANIELS: But anyway here it is, and we declare the Association in session.

This morning the meeting is quite brief. We will start the meeting with the report from the Secretary, Mr. McDaniel.

Secretary's Report

J. C. McDaniel

MR. J. C. McDANIEL: My report before the meeting will be very brief. It may be extended a little later for the publication.

The last count for this Association's membership made last week shows the Association has 575 paid members, plus 20 subscribers and one foreign exchange membership, totalling 596. There have been a few more members come in since then, so I might say we have in round figures about 600 members to date in 1950, a few less than last year.

I probably owe the members an explanation on the delay in the printing of the Fortieth Annual Report. That was finally taken up by the printing company and should be printed by now. It was ready to put on the press—in fact, some of it was on the press when I left Nashville two weeks ago, and we have every reason to believe that it will be ready for mailing in about another week. The Treasurer said he heard me say that six months ago. That's six months nearer to being the truth now.

I requested that the printer send up two copies, whether they are bound or not, so they may be in to show you later during the meeting.

I believe that's about all I will say at this time, Mr. President.

DR. MacDANIELS: This matter of the report not being here I know is the cause of considerable dissatisfaction, and it arises out of our attempt to get the report printed cheaply. We have had the same trouble before. The Corse Press did this at one time and did it cheaply, because they would work it in with the other business. The last time they did it, and other business was so heavy that it was delayed.

The printers who do it at Nashville also did the Legislative printing and other things cut in, so that it was not carried on. Now, I think that we have some ideas in mind for printers for the next issue, so that if we get the papers in on time, the report will be coming out fairly promptly.

Is the Treasurer ready with his report? Mr. Sterling Smith.

Treasurer's Report

Sept. 1, 1949 to Aug. 25, 1950

RECEIPTS:

Annual Membership Dues $1,689.55

(Contributing Members: Arp Nursery Co. and
Mr. Hjalmar W. Johnson
$10.00 each)
Life Membership (Herschel L. Boll) 75.00

Contributions
Mr. A. M. Huntington 50.00
Mr. Geo. L. Slate 2.00

Sale of Reports 186.00
Interest on U. S. Bonds 31.25
Worcester County (Mass.) Hort. Society 25.00
Advertisement 5.00
Miscellaneous 18.00
———-
Total Income $2,081.80

DISBURSEMENTS:

U. S. Bond "G" $ 500.00
American Fruit Grower Subscriptions 224.00
Supplies, Stationery, etc. for Secretary 96.75
Secretary's 50c per Member 275.00
Secretary's Expense 88.00
Treasurer's Expense 66.52
Reporting Beltsville Meeting 60.00
Mr. Reed's Memorial 10.00
Bank Service Charge 3.33
Miscellaneous 21.00
———-
Total Disbursements $1,344.60

Cash on deposit at Erie County United Bank $2,292.97
Petty Cash on Hand 12.70
Disbursements 1,344.60
————-
Total $3,650.27

On Hand Sept. 1, 1949 $1,568.47
Receipts Sept. 1. 1949, to Aug. 25, 1950 2,081.80
————-
Total $3,650.27

U. S. Bonds in Safety Deposit Box $3,000.00

DR. MacDANIELS: Thank you, Mr. Smith. I think it is usual to accept the report and then refer it, I believe, to an auditing committee.

A MEMBER: I so move.

DR. MacDANIELS: It is moved that the report be accepted and turned over to the auditing committee.

MR. SZEGO: Second.

DR. MacDANIELS: Seconded. Any remarks? (No response.)

(A vote was taken on the motion, and it was carried unanimously.)

DR. MacDANIELS: I'd like to appoint Mr. Royal Oakes and Mr. Weber as Auditing Committee, and I think they report at the final business session, which comes at the banquet.

I will say that matter of $25.00 I didn't know anything about, except now I recall the circumstances. At the convention I took over what was left of the exhibits—nobody wanted them—and took them back to Ithaca, thinking I would send them to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. I didn't have time to do that, but I did send them to Worcester (Mass.) Horticulture Society, and apparently I was out of the country and they sent the award to the Treasurer, and that accounts for the $25.00. It's the first I have heard of it, but anyway, we have it.

The treasurer's report indicates we have some little surplus in the treasury, but after our report is paid for, that will be reduced to the amount of about $800.00. That is the net surplus at the present time, and if we face the facts of the matter, it means that we are not living within our income, that is, with printing costs going up. The reports used to cost $600.00, instead of $1400.00, and what not.

The reason we have kept going has been the use of life memberships and the extra contribution of Mr. Archer Huntington.

The matter of deficit financing seems to be good for the Government, but I don't think it is any good for the society. I think, however, we can adjust our affairs so as to get along. It is proposed we make a change in the by-laws which will set up another type of membership. That is, at the present time we have an annual membership of $3.00 and a contributing membership of $10.00 and life membership for $75.00. Taking the pattern from some other societies, it at least was discussed that we put up a membership of $5.00, which was a sustaining membership, and anybody who felt that he could do that easily could do so, not receiving any additional benefits, except, perhaps, a star in front of his name,—just considering it a contribution to the society.

What we had in mind is that we know that there are some of the membership that find the $3.00 is plenty high enough. There are others to whom probably it means another dinner, or something of that kind, and it doesn't make so much difference. And what we propose to do is to make it easy for those who can to give that additional support.

That amendment will be proposed at the last business meeting in some form, and it will have to go over until the next meeting, according to our constitution, which provides for the amendment of the by-laws.

Mr. Secretary, do we have a report of the editor?

MR. J. C. McDANIEL: Yes, I have that here, a short report from Dr. Lewis
E. Theiss, who will be at the meeting in the morning.

Report of Publications and Publicity

DR. LEWIS E. THEISS, Chairman

The annual Report, which should be issued very soon, will speak for itself. Delay more than usual was occasioned by an effort to make the publication fully complete. To that end, printing was held up so that, for one thing, we could include Dr. J. Russell Smith's remarkable summary or survey of nut experimentation in the U. S. and Canada.

We cannot overemphasize the great services of our secretary, Mr. McDaniel, in the preparation of this work. He collected the material, forwarded it to me for editing, did much editing himself, secured the printing contract, and in general oversaw the production of the volume.

To edit the manuscripts for a book of this size is in itself quite a chore. Proof reading is a great burden. In the preparation of this Report, we have had the hearty cooperation and help of Mrs. Herbert Negus (Md.); Professor George Slate (New York); Dr. A. S. Colby (Ill.); Mr. Spencer Chase (Tenn.); and Mr. Alfred Barlow (Mich.). We are indebted to all of these members for their fine support. We hope that this present issue will be a worthy successor to the many fine ones that have preceded it.

LEWIS E. THEISS, Chairman Publications Committee Read at meeting 8/28/50.

MR. J. C. McDANIEL: I might say, by the way, it will be 8 pages larger than last year's, totalling 232 pages.

DR. MacDANIELS: Thank you, Mr. Secretary.

The question is going to arise as to the size of our report. That is, the reports up to the last two have been something less than 200 pages, I believe. This one is running over considerably, and the question comes up as to whether or not we should economize by reducing the size of the report. It was the general opinion of the Directors in discussing the matter that perhaps somewhat closer editing should be done, but we realize that for many members of the Association the report is the one tangible thing that they get out of the whole picture and that the reports should be kept, certainly, at a good length and high grade.

I think those are all of the officers' reports. Are there reports of the committees? Program Committee, Mr. Slate, do you have a brief report?

MR. GEORGE L. SLATE: The report of the Program Committee has been published, and the programs are on this table in the rear of the room.

DR. MacDANIELS: Brief and to the point. In other words, Mr. Slate has written around to the persons who are going to be on the program, sort of cranking them up. This society is in a situation where its members don't just flock to the call of requests for papers, and they have to be solicited. Well, Mr. Slate has done a very good job of soliciting papers, and the report speaks for itself in the program which has been prepared.

Reports of any special committees? Do we have a committee on contests?—of the Carpathian walnut contest?

MR. McDANIEL: I believe that will be taken up in the afternoon program.

DR. MacDANIELS: The matter of old business. Do we have any old business,
Mr. Secretary?

MR. McDANIEL: I don't know of any that's carried over now.

Discussion on Time and Place of Meeting

DR. MacDANIELS: Coming to new business. There is always the time and the place of the next convention. I think that that is usually in the hands of a committee, but in the open meeting the matter is discussed, and we are open for any suggestions.

I have heard that Dr. Colby of Illinois is going to have a suggestion that we come to Illinois.

MR. McDANIEL: That's my understanding, and he should be here a little later.

DR. MacDANIELS: Anybody else have any suggestions?

I think, with regard to our time and place of meeting, we have in mind alternating between the East, and the Middle West. The center of membership appears to be about Central Ohio, is that right? And I don't think we have gone any farther west than Center Point, Iowa.

MR. WEBER: That was back in 1930.

DR. MacDANIELS: That probably is about as far West as we are going to get, unless we get a lot of members out farther.

Now, suggestions that have been made have been that next year the meeting would be in Illinois—at the University of Illinois—and the year following somewhere in the East, possibly Pennsylvania, although we haven't been invited to Pennsylvania. I don't know whether we can get one or not. And the next year west again, possibly Michigan, and beyond that we haven't thought. But I think there is a real advantage in having time blocked out in advance for at least two years so that people can make their plans as to where they will go. That is, I think often in planning vacations and what not, it goes that far ahead.

MR. JAY SMITH: Mr. Chairman, the last week in August seems to be better than the first week in September, from the point of view of the school openings in early September.

MR. WELLMAN: I think we should wait a little while and see what kind of attendance we get at this meeting this time of the year.

MR. RICK: If we could arrange it, we'd like to appeal to the membership to have a meeting in Lancaster County. I think Mr. Hostetter has quite a number of things that could be shown and perhaps some others in the neighborhood that might make it quite interesting.

DR. MacDANIELS: We can refer that to the committee.

MR. ALLAMAN: Mr. President, I think that is a very fine suggestion. One of our nut growers in Pennsylvania lives in Lancaster County, and he has told me he has 29,000 nut trees, including filberts, and is still planting.

DR. MacDANIELS: That sounds almost like the Government debt, only not quite.

We will let that matter go until the committee reports when Dr. Colby arrives.

Is there any other business which we ought to transact at this time? If not, I think the next item is the president's address, which has just arrived. Mrs. Bernath just brought it in. It just came in under the wire, I guess.

DR. CRANE: Mr. Stoke has just come in.

DR. MacDANIELS: We will have the report of the nominating committee, Mr.
Stoke.

Report of Nominating Committee

MR. STOKE: We bore in mind when we were making nominations for the presidency that we will probably hold our next meeting in the West, so we have nominated Dr. William Rohrbacher of Iowa for president, and Dr. MacDaniels, our perennial vice-president be nominated again and hope that we get him across next year as president. He has served a pretty good apprenticeship. Our secretary, J. C. McDaniel, has been nominated for re-election and Sterling Smith as treasurer. The last two ex-presidents will be on the Board of Directors. Those, with the other officers named, constitute our entire Board of Directors.

DR. MacDANIELS: Thank you, Mr. Stoke.

You have heard the report of the nominating committee.

DR. CRANE: Move that they be accepted.

MR. ALLAMAN: Second.

DR. MacDANIELS: Are there remarks? (No response.) If not, we will take a vote.

(Whereupon, a vote was taken on the motion, and it was carried unanimously.)

DR. MacDANIELS: The election comes at the time of the banquet, and nominations may be made from the floor at the time of election.

Dr. Colby, I believe, came in. Do you want to say something about Illinois as a meeting place for next year. Dr. Colby of the University of Illinois.

DR. COLBY: I don't know whether there was any malice aforethought in that committee nomination! Before I left Urbana a few weeks ago, Dean H. P. Rusk of our College of Agriculture asked me to invite you people to come to Urbana, Illinois for your meeting next year. So that, Mr. President, is an official invitation. We hope that you can all come. I see some of our Illinois friends here, and we are all working together to provide an interesting meeting at that time.

Now, as to the date, that will have to be settled a little later.

DR. MacDANIELS: Thanks very much, Dr. Colby. That makes it official.

MR. WEBER: Mr. President, I move we accept the invitation.

MR. JAY SMITH: I second.

DR. MacDANIELS: Moved and seconded we go to Illinois, the time to be arranged by the committee. Any remarks? (No response.)

(Whereupon, a vote was taken on the motion, and it was carried unanimously.)

DR. MacDANIELS: That fixes that, and the time will depend somewhat on the availability of dormitories. If the meeting is held the last week in August, the dormitories would be available, would they not?

Mr. Weber: Get away from the Labor Day problem, too.

DR. MacDANIELS: Any other business? Has anyone else come in in the meantime who has a report?

If not, we will go ahead with the next item, which is the President's Address, and I will ask Mr. Weber of Cincinnati to read this. I am much pleased to do this because of Mr. Weber's friendship for the president.

President's Address

MILDRED JONES LANGDOC, Erie, Illinois

I have been a member of this organization for a good many years, and I have always had a deep interest in its success. Our members are in a position to encourage the planting of good varieties of nut trees which may some day be appreciated even more for food and other uses as our population increases than we as a nation appreciate them today. Tree crops are a means of conserving our soils, both from the point of erosion and moisture holding content. I like the opportunity we have to be far-sighted in encouraging the planting of nut trees which will play a large part in the future well-being of our country.

Our N.N.G.A., as it is today, has been built on the unselfish efforts of a number of far-sighted men who had an ideal and a will to see that ideal accomplished. I think I was fortunate to know a number of the early founders of the organization either through their visits to my home where my father and they would talk their favorite subject of nut varieties known, just found, or the ideal variety they hoped they'd locate—perhaps in the next nut contest. In lighter mood—usually around the dinner table—they would sometimes reminisce about this joke or that which some member played on another. Altogether our early founders and officers were really great men, bringing experiences from various walks of life. Today we have a still wider variety of occupations listed among our membership, and an even greater opportunity to make acquaintances and friends. I hope every member will make full use of his leisure time here at this convention to make new acquaintances and to renew old ones. Knowing the members as I do, I know you will treasure these acquaintances during your entire lifetime.

The Association can serve its members in a number of ways, but I would place special emphasis on our reports carrying from year to year a progressive report on varieties. In other words, I think our survey reports are one important part of our means of learning about the performance of varieties in various sections of the country where they are being tried. I would urge every member to make a definite effort to co-operate with the survey committee in sending the information they require, because these men making the survey are busy men, too, just like the rest of us, and they have to make a real effort to find time to tabulate the information they receive, and they want to receive more, so they are willing to do their part to tabulate the information which will help us as an organization to be more definite about encouraging or discouraging the planting of a certain variety.

There is a question in my mind whether the very best nut so far as cracking quality is concerned will be the best variety for the average home planter. I think we should consider whether the variety will bear good crops consistently, and if it doesn't bear well—why? Perhaps it is a matter of soil condition which can be corrected, a matter of a variety being planted in a climate where it cannot bear well, and perhaps elevation above sea level is another factor. We may even find with the hickories and walnuts that certain varieties will perform better with certain other varieties as pollinators. When we think of these things there is much to be done in the evaluation of varieties, although there has been a start in the right direction.

It seems to me that nut contests at regular intervals help to stimulate interest in better varieties of nuts and we do gain a certain amount of free advertising through newspapers and magazines. The results of the contest should state, in my opinion, the comparison of the varieties selected as the best of the contest with the ratings of varieties already named and now in propagation. This would mean using the same score card always. Remembering that the very best rated cracking nut is not always the best bearing variety, it would help to accompany this variety report with data as to the location of the tree—soil it is growing in—soil type—good drainage or a damp location—rainfall during the year—days between frost—whether the tree has had good care or not—whether it's a heavy bearer—and any other information which may have a bearing upon the health and vigor of the tree. If notes can be taken on the blooming and bearing habit of other trees of the same species close by which may influence this particular variety through cross-pollination, then we would have a good record immediately on each variety.

I realize in stating the above that we must rely on the human mind which colors and evaluates everything our senses perceive, so it's up to us as individuals to try constantly to train ourselves to evaluate a variety as it really is. I feel that much of the success of our organization in the gathering of nut tree varieties has been due to an honest effort towards reporting only facts and we will do well to enlist the aid of our college trained scientific minds to help us individuals in asking ourselves the necessary questions about our nut tree varieties.

According to the phrase "Life begins at 40," we are now just beginning to live as an organization. Let us then examine every means to set our course towards the definite goal of evaluating the worth of all the named varieties of northern grown nut trees, let us report our findings without prejudice, let us continue to make our annual reports so necessary as a clearing house for the year's progress in nut culture, so valuable, that anyone interested in nut culture can't afford not belonging to and being an active part of our group. I would especially like to see other active state groups as the Ohio group all bringing together their yearly information in one book form—our Annual Report. The Ohio group deserves special recognition on the wisdom of their officers to work towards a unified northern nut growers group, each helping the other where they can.

I want to express my appreciation to our Secretary, Mr. McDaniel, for his work this year which can be doubly appreciated by those who know the excellent job he has performed in spite of many adversities. I hope he will continue as Secretary.

Our Treasurer, Mr. Smith, has been right on the job, and we can all be of special help to him by sending or giving to him here and now our dues for the coming year. We would not waste any time by paying our dues promptly, but we would save a tremendous amount of time for him. We can in this way make his association and work for us most pleasant and in that way show him how much we appreciate his help. I express the hope that Mr. Smith will be our Treasurer for a long time.

I want to thank the Board of Directors and all of the committees who have labored so faithfully during the year. Our convention program for this year is evidence that our Program Committee has spent much time in thought, correspondence and work and we all appreciate and give them our hearty thanks.

Since I cannot be with you this year, Dr. MacDaniels has consented to occupy the Chair and the 41st annual meeting will now go forward under his able direction. I am with you in thought.

Sincerely,
MILDRED JONES LANGDOC

* * * * *

MR. WEBER: By the way, since I am on the floor and I am on my feet, I will pass this attendance record. Will you all please sign your names and addresses. It doesn't bind you to anything.

MR. CORSAN: You might tell the audience—there are some strangers here—who the president is whose address you just read.

MR. WEBER: I read her name, the former Mildred Jones, whose father was the late J. F. Jones who was one of the pioneers in the propagating of nut trees, and was formerly living in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, three miles south of Lancaster on U. S. 222. His daughter continued his work after his death, has since married and is now living out at Erie, Illinois, which is west of Chicago near the Mississippi River. Her name now is Langdoc.

DR. MacDANIELS: Our president brought out two points in which I most heartily concur. One is our search for new varieties and the evaluation of varieties, and the other, the more extensive rating of the varieties we already have. There will be this round-table this evening on evaluation of varieties, of which Dr. Crane will be the chairman.

Association Sends Greetings to Dr. Deming

DR. McKAY: I'd like to bring up this matter—I'd like to make this in the form of a motion, that in view of the long and active service of Dr. W. C. Deming to this organization, I think it would be appropriate for this organization to send him greetings. I would like to make that in the form of a motion.

MR. BERNATH: I second it.

DR. MacDANIELS: Moved and seconded to send Dr. Deming greetings from the meeting. We had hoped that he would be here. He may come yet, unless somebody knows definitely to the contrary. George Slate saw him a while ago and said he hopes to get here.[1]

[1] Dr. Deming was present at the lunch stop on the Wassaic State School grounds during the third day's tour.—Ed.

MR. WEBER: I have just been informed that Dr. Deming will be 89 years old on September first.

DR. MacDANIELS: That's something.

How old is Mr. Corsan?

MR. WEBER: The question arises: How old is Mr. Corsan? The gentleman is here, and he will speak for himself.

Talk by the Oldest Member

MR. CORSAN: I don't know how old I am. I know I was born near Rockport, New York, and my father brought me across the river to Hamilton, Ontario, when I was seven, and according to my aunts and uncles and people who told me, they say I was born June 11, 1857. So here I am kicking around, but I am not blowing how long I will live. I don't know, but I will try my best.

I have joined the Vegetarian Society many years ago, and I am still hanging onto that idea, and I hope that we have a vegetarian banquet some of these times, because nearly all vegetarian associations are very deeply interested in the Northern Nut Growers Association. That's what they all told me at the convention at Lake Geneva last August a year ago. And I just came back from visiting Rodale. I thought I'd see Rodale. He looks a good deal like this gentleman here (indicating Mr. Bernath), our friend here, about the size and appearance of him. But he is of the greatest ancestry in the world. He is Jewish, and he doesn't know exactly how to eat, because he has jowls and dewlaps and he is too fat, but he is a very fine man; beautiful, clear, honest eyes, he has, and I hope to have him consider the planting of nut trees on his place. He has a disgraceful looking place in comparison to mine.

This year my place is just loaded down with nuts, except filberts. Last year I had so many filberts that I have half a ton left over yet. And I want to see people beautify the country. I started off one day with a thought that came to my head. I heard that there were a half a million widows and orphans buried in the Hudson Hill Cemetery. And I thought: Why, those dead people can be working; they can be doing something. Let them feed the roots of the Japanese heartnut. And as a try, I sent them 1100 seeds just as a start. And the Japanese heartnut, a stranger to this country, isn't anywhere near any other nut, and it grows true to form, and a lot of the trees are much hardier up on Lake Ontario. It does not grow well on the north of the lake, but south of the lake it grows enormous crops every year, and the nuts come out whole. But there is a better shaped nut without that kind of groove in the center, and it's the father or the mother—father, probably—of the finest heartnuts in the world, and there is nothing that beats a heartnut for eating. Every time I sell heartnuts to eat I have ruined myself, because they won't eat any other nut. So that shows just exactly what the general public thinks of it. Even Italians. There I have a half a ton of filberts. I bring the heartnuts down to Florida, the Fairchild and my hybrid trees and butternuts and Japanese heartnuts, and I have a package of almonds and another package of brazil nuts, and I let them taste those. They are woody in comparison to our heartnuts and hybrids. They are not anything, they are just like so much wood in comparison.

Now, I have received from John W. Fowler, Secretary to Albert Williams of the Department of Corrections on 100 Center Street. New York, a beautiful letter accepting those nuts, and I had my housekeeper—I was down in Florida—send them to them early in February, and they are planted. And the breezes going up and down the Hudson are going to wave the two-foot-long leaves of the most beautiful deciduous trees in the world, the Japanese heartnut, healthiest, hardiest nut in the world, and these dead people will be feeding them. Just think! five thousand children without a name or number. Now, they have erected a monument just recently, but the real monuments are the living trees. I am going to send them a lot more, because I want to see them working. I might come back and eat some of these nuts myself.

* * * * *

DR. MacDANIELS: Thank you, Mr. Corsan.

(Applause.)

DR. MacDANIELS: Mr. Corsan is certainly well on his way to being a hundred, and I think if eating nuts and other vegetables will do that, more of us ought to pay attention.

I think we voted on that motion. I think it was unanimous that we send this greeting to Dr. Deming in his eighty-ninth year.

(The following telegram was sent to Dr. Deming:

"AT THIS FORTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NORTHERN NUT GROWERS ASSOCIATION IN CONVENTION ASSEMBLED AT PLEASANT VALLEY, NEW YORK, THE MEMBERS SEND YOU THEIR LOVE AND ALSO EXTEND THEIR BEST WISHES FOR YOUR CONTINUANCE OF GOOD HEALTH.")

Any other business?

MR. McDANIEL: There is one elective committee that probably will need to be acted on, which is always done at the meeting before, and that's the nominations committee for next year. That's elective.

DR. MacDANIELS: The Resolutions Committee. Mr. Allaman, will you take chairmanship for that? And Mr. Porter of Windsor, will you help Mr. Allaman on the Resolutions Committee?

MR. PORTER: Do I act now, in this meeting?

DR. MacDANIELS: Yes, during the time you are here work out with Mr.
Allaman the resolutions that pertain to this particular meeting.

Anything else? If not, this first session is adjourned. Meet again promptly this afternoon at one o'clock,

(Whereupon, at 10:40 o'clock, a.m., the meeting was recessed, to reconvene at 1:00 o'clock, p.m. of the same day.)