Dr. Knapp: I know very little about pecans but I was interested in Mr. Lockwood's trees because he had a magnificent pecan orchard, possibly five hundred trees, and they were contemplating having the trees cut down because they thought they were in the way of the cultivation of the land for corn. This is not the case because the pecan tree goes away down deep for water and is not like the surface root trees. I have seen large wheat fields in the same location with large pecan trees in them, and men have told me that they produce just as much per acre on the land where the pecan trees are as where there are no pecan trees. I went to see Mr. Lockwood and took him what little literature I had on the pecan industry and promised to send him some more, and insisted that he read it before he destroyed his trees. He kept his promise and I am glad to see that he has taken an interest in the pecan industry.
The Chairman: You are a real benefactor, Dr. Knapp, and entitled to great praise.
Professor Smith: While we are distributing things gratis I want to make a little statement in the same vein as a previous speaker. He points out the work that a few enthusiasts are doing. Most of the things worth while are done by the people who never get any credit in a financial way. You will find the things that count are started and done by that live force of men that work for the fun of working with no promise of reward. Why should Mr. McCoy or Mr. Reed come down here and tell us how to bud trees, and what varieties to use? It is plainly a labor of enthusiasm and love. I want to express my particular appreciation of the work done by Mr. Thomas P. Littlepage. We hear from Indiana through Mr. Littlepage. On every occasion when we get in trouble and want bud wood, along he comes and helps us out. He seems to have all kinds of equipment for keeping it or he can always go to a pecan tree and get it. We never hear of the trouble or expense. He spends money as if he had a barrel of it. He has spent lots of money trying to get the people to know there was an Indiana pecan. We also know that Mr. McCoy and Mr. Wilkinson and others too numerous to mention have lost thousands of dollars and have worked long and hard to get this industry started. The industry needs enthusiasm and no end of work. It means work to get out and hunt trees and bud wood and these men are entitled to lots of credit for their efforts.
The President: The chair appreciates that compliment but he is hardly entitled to so much praise. However, all the efforts we have made to create interest in the pecan have been well spent. We have had lots of trouble in getting bud wood and if it had not been for Ford Wilkinson we never would have gotten anywhere. He is the best climber in the country. He has gone at all times and under all conditions and has done more real hard work than all the rest of us put together. He always climbs the trees. The Major tree is about fifty feet to the first limb. We couldn't have gotten along without him. And Mr. McCoy is entitled to great credit. The first time I ever saw the Posey nut Mr. McCoy brought some to my home in Boonville. That was a number of years ago. He first stimulated Mr. Brown to put the Warrick pecan on exhibition. As I grew up I knew where these pecan trees were and who kept a dog and what time he got up and there were not many pecan trees then I would not attempt to climb, but I wasn't as large as I am now. Of late years Mr. Wilkinson has done more than I have along that line.
Mr Wilkinson: I appreciate what you say of me but it takes all kinds of people to make a world and to grow pecan trees. I have tried to do my part but without the others I couldn't have done anything. We expect to continue at the work as long as there is any success in sight at all and hope soon that some of the hard part will be over.
The President: Before we leave that subject I want to say that a few years ago some of us who had begun to think we knew something about the pecan and were quite sure of our ground, induced Mr. C. A. Reed of the Department of Agriculture to come down here and make some trips through these woods and tell us what he knew, or what he thought of these pecans. We gave him all the facts we could, and the suggestions he made started us on the right track as to the varieties to propagate.
The President: The boat is ready, but before we go I want the report on nominations. I want the officers elected in Enterprise.
Dr. Deming: I would like to say this before we proceed to the election of officers. There has been some talk among us that it would stimulate interest in our work and meetings, and would enable us to confer honors on more people, and more members who deserve such honors, if the term of the presidency were limited to one year. There has been no rule about it but our first two presidents have each held office two years. They have been re-elected to office as a matter of courtesy and appreciation of their efforts. If from now on we limit the term of the presidency to one year I think it would be better. We think it would be desirable to make the rule that the President shall not be eligible for immediate re-election, that is, he shall not follow himself. I mention it so that if this rule is adopted in the revision of our constitution and by-laws the person who is about to be elected President, and the members of the association, will understand that there will be nothing personal about such action.
The President: In connection with that I should like to say that the present President has at different times heard suggestions of that kind made, and I am glad you mentioned it. I wasn't fortunate enough last year to be at the meeting, as I had to be in St. Louis to help try a case before the interstate commerce commission, or I should have brought that up then.
Dr. Morris is absent and Professor Close is the next on the committee on nominations. Professor Close, will you report?