Save the Trees in Portugal
Travellers in Portugal report that in many places where timber trees are to be found, in woods, parks and gardens, one sees the following inscription headed, "To the Wayfarer":
"Ye who pass by and would raise your hand against me, hearken ere you harm me.
"I am the heat of your hearth on the cold winter night, the friendly shade screening you from the summer sun, and my fruits are refreshing draughts, quenching your thirst as you journey on.
"I am the beam that holds your house, the board of your table, the bed on which you lie, and the timber that builds your boat.
"I am the handle of your hoe, the door of your homestead, the wood of your cradle, and the shell of your coffin.
"I am the bread of kindness and the flower of beauty.
"Ye who pass by, listen to my prayer; harm me not."
A practical application of this beautiful message would add to the beauty and productive capacity of this country and would give pleasure and profit to its people.
Dr. J. Russell Smith was here called upon and gave entertaining and amusing accounts of his early struggles with nut culture and of some of his travels in foreign lands.
The President: I would just like to add to what I have said that the Rev. Paul Krath of the United Church of Canada is now about to leave for a five year absence in central Europe. He tells me he would like to sell the balance of those hardy Carpathian walnuts. I have faith in them. I think they are worth the price he asks for them for an experimental purpose alone.
Dr. Smith: Do you know where the seed was procured?
The President: On the high slopes of the Carpathian mountains. The winter temperatures go down rather low. In fact lower than in Toronto.
Mr. Hershey: Juglan regia?
The President: Yes. In early September the buds were quite matured, wood was ripened up and favorable for enduring the winter temperatures of Toronto. I have an impression that it gets 15 to 18 below zero. The trees have come through the winter at Montreal where they have even lower temperatures.
Member: How would we get them in? Get a permit from Washington?
The President: It can be done.
Dr. Smith: An application for the lot can be made.
The President then asked for the report of the Secretary.
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY
The year 1929-30 has been one of growing interest on the part of the public, laying the foundation for a more rapidly increasing membership and wider influence on the part of the association.
Following the untimely death of Secretary H. D. Spencer, of Decatur, Illinois, we were asked by your president, Professor Neilson, to carry on the work of the office for the remainder of the year, in view of our previous experience. This we were glad to do because of our interest in the work. The great loss of the association in the death of Mr. Spencer should be here recorded. Mr. Spencer was keenly interested in nut growing in the North. He believed in its future and because of his retirement from active professional work could give his attention to the many details connected with the development of our program. His loss is keenly felt among the membership.
Your secretary has attempted to make the public, only more or less awake to the possibilities of our work so far, more nut culture minded. The burden of correspondence has become increasingly heavy. Hundreds of inquiries have been received, many from those mildly curious, but a large share from people anxious to learn of the possibilities of northern nut culture both for pleasure and profit. We have noted an increasing interest among those able to take up our new enterprise and have done what we could to make it an intelligent interest through radio, newspaper, and magazine publicity, speaking engagements at horticultural society and farmers' institute meetings and classroom instruction. The enthusiastic support of officials of these and similar organizations should be noted here. Space has been freely offered for use in fruit growing magazines and state horticultural society publications to supplement the columns of our official organ to spread the information regarding our activities, thus reaching a wider circle of potential members. We are glad to report some membership gains the past season.
In these activities we are handicapped by lack of funds. We have been particularly fortunate these past few months in having the co-operation of the University of Illinois in that your secretary has been able to handle hundreds of letters through the Department of Horticulture channels free of cost to the association except for the stationery and postage.
One outstanding event of the season in the line of publicity sponsored by the association was the exhibit at the Central States Garden and Flower Show held in the Chicago Stadium April 5-13, 1930. Preliminary arrangements had been made by Mr. Spencer with the manager, Mr. John Servas, insuring us free space. Mr. Servas cooperated with us to the fullest extent and the appreciation of the association was expressed to him by your secretary at the close of the show. We spent considerable time both in the preliminary arrangements and on the ground, being in attendance throughout the week except when President Neilson, Mr. Wilkinson, and Mr. Frey were in charge. To these gentlemen, as well as to Dr. Robert T. Morris, Dr. J. R. Smith, and Mr. S. W. Snyder, who with President Neilson contributed the $30.00 necessary for rental of the glass show case, and to many of our members in the Middle West who sent samples of nuts, we owe a debt of gratitude. Our exhibit also included books and magazines on nut culture, nut-cracking machinery, grafting tools and waxes, and other material of interest to the prospective grower, all contributed by members or others interested in our work. The exhibit attracted much interest as a part of the magnificent show. We were busy from morning until night answering questions, most of them intelligent, and made many friends among a group of people whose intelligence level is high. Two hundred people asked for further information relative to some particular subject and a mimeographed sheet was prepared in the secretary's office after our return which went out to them.
We have had the cooperation of the Illinois State Department of Agriculture more than ever this past year, as evidenced by their support of our exhibit at Chicago, through providing funds for the preparation of a case of nut varieties suitable for planting in Illinois and, secondly, through the cooperation of the State Forestry Department. An immense tract of land has been acquired for reforestation in southern Illinois and money was available this past spring for the purchase of nut trees for planting there. Your secretary has been working with R. B. Miller, of the state department, in the selection and planting of the better named varieties of nuts. Additional plantings will be made there and it is believed that a fine beginning has been made toward the establishment of a nut arboretum in that section.
There are many new things of interest developing in our field and those relating to it which need further study as a means of developing our usefulness.
The plant patent law, new methods of propagation, the variety question, the disease factor, new methods of harvesting, grading and marketing, to mention a few problems, are bringing about a new era in northern nut growing and need our combined efforts in their solution. We believe that the time is fast approaching for the appointment of a paid secretary who can devote more time to the development of our work. We will leave to you the working out of the details.
Dr. Colby supplemented his report with a talk about his trip to Europe during the summer where he went primarily to attend the World Horticultural conference in London. After some further informal discussion the meeting adjourned.