While the kingdom of the pecan stretches from Charleston to the Rio Grande, the seat of government the capital city is Albany, Georgia, for in the charmed circle known as the Albany district is to be found a greater number of cultivated paper shell pecan trees than in all the world besides. Here it is that abundant northern capital applied to southern soil and sunshine has made the desert to blossom like the rose. Here it is that abandoned farms scarred with gullies and over grown with briar have been touched as with a magic wand and transformed into a veritable fairyland of flower gardens and fertile fields dotted with hundreds of thousands of beautiful pecan trees that lift their majestic heads towards the sky as though proud of their royal lineage. Here it is that the Mexican boll weevil before whose blighting breath our snowy fields of cotton melted over night brought no terror for King Cotton no longer reigns supreme. The king is dead but the people rejoice as the scepter falls from his nerveless hand and a new monarch ascends the throne. Millions of royal banners flutter in the breeze glistening green with promise for the future and hope is high, and the hearts of the people light as they gather to pay homage to the new monarch, Her Imperial Majesty the Paper Shell Pecan.
The President: We now have arrived at the time when we should go ahead with some of our business work and probably the first thing we should take up is the report of the committee on nominations.
Mr. Olcott: Your nominating committee regards it as especially fortunate that the association has a board of officers so well equipped as is the one under which the organization has just completed another year. For that reason and also because in a single year officers can scarcely put into effect plans they may have in view, the president especially being of necessity engaged largely in becoming acquainted with the field and the membership; your committee recommends the re-election of the present officers: President, Wm. S. Linton, Michigan; Vice-President, James S. McGlennon, New York; Treasurer, Willard G. Bixby, N. Y.; Secretary, Dr. W. C. Deming, Connecticut, and the executive committee as at present composed.
The Northern Nut Growers Association has reached the stage of advocating strongly the planting of nut trees of the kinds the Association has investigated. Roadside planting appears to offer an immediate field for activity and President Linton's leadership by reason of his special interest and activity in this field is particularly needed during the coming year when through the urging of this and other societies it is expected many states will follow Michigan in the matter of roadside tree planting.
We believe it would be a matter of particular satisfaction to any nominating committee of this association (as it is of this committee) to recommend continuation in office of Treasurer Bixby and Secretary Deming.
(Signed)
Ralph T. Olcott
T. P. Littlepage
Robert T. Morris
C. A. Reed
C. P. Close
Mr. Littlepage: I move the adoption of the report and that the secretary be instructed to cast the entire vote of the association in support of the report of the committee.
Mr. Jones: I second the motion.
The motion was carried.