Mr. Grant is another good Cornellian coming along as Assistant Superintendent of Parks, and he is, again, looking after the maintenance and upkeep of the various plant materials that we have.
We have a very large organization here, the Parks Division includes the cemeteries, 90,000 street trees, 56 playgrounds, and about 2,000 acres of parks. Our peak employment is 756 people. All-in-all we have a tremendous amount of interest in our parks, and they are increasing. We are exchanging plants with about 25 foreign countries right now, and we expect to expand that now with the various facilities we are setting up at our new herbarium, which you visited last night.
We are proud of Rochester, and the park system. We are doing our best to continue the excellent work of Dunbar, Laney, and Slavin who built up the park collections. Our aim is to increase the collections, and make the park system better for the people to enjoy. We hope you have a fine time while you are here. Thank you.
PRESIDENT BEST: Dr. MacDaniels, ex-president of our Association will give our organization's response.
DR. MACDANIELS: Chairman Best, Director Thomas and Director Wright, I don't know whether I am particularly well qualified for this particular assignment, but I am certainly very happy to express the thanks of the Northern Nut Growers Association for the excellent cooperation in arranging the facilities which we have found here in Rochester. Few of us can recall any situation in which the Association has been helped all along the way, as they have been here, and we feel most welcome in this truly friendly city.
Before the meeting I thought I was going to be able to claim a sort of paternal interest in the training of Director Wright in that he studied just prior to the war in the Department of Floriculture and Ornamental Horticulture at Cornell University where I am stationed. Although we saw a good deal of him after the war, he came directly here, so I can't say that I knew him "way back when" he was an undergraduate student. Still we do have a proprietary interest in all Cornellians, and we like to see the home team make good as has certainly been the case here.
Fortunately, Ithaca is close enough to Rochester, so that our classes can come to the Rochester parks on field trips where we have always received the most friendly cooperation and help just as the Northern Nut Growers is receiving today. I assure you that we are most grateful.
PRESIDENT BEST: We will proceed with the business of the organization.
On the Resolutions Committee which will give us resolutions for adoption
at our final night session, I appoint Mr. Davidson, Mr. Allaman, Mr.
Oakes and Mr. Snyder.
The next item of business is the election of a Nominating Committee. This committee is to nominate the officers which will be elected at our next annual meeting. Nominations are now in order.
DR. MCKAY: I nominate Mr. Machovina.