Attention should be called to the work of Mr. Myron A. Cobb of the Department of Agriculture of the Central State Normal School, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, of which he sends the following outline. Mr. Cobb has consented to send out with the trees a leaflet, to be supplied by this Association, explaining the fundamental principles of nut growing.
It is interesting to note the cost of these seedling trees, one and one-half cents each, including postage.
The success of Mr. Cobb's work shows the readiness of the public for it. Our Association should encourage similar work in other states.
"About five years ago, I began the distribution of walnut seedlings by planting a few seeds in our orchard, and distributed them to the schools of Isabella County. I distributed about five hundred each year, making a total of two thousand five hundred seedlings. This year, the idea has been more widely advertised, and the demand for seedlings has been enormous. I have distributed this year five thousand seedlings and have received orders for about two thousand more which I could not fill because of lack of trees.
"This work was taken up primarily with the idea of distributing walnut seedlings on the farms and incidentally to teach how trees are raised and to correlate the work of the school to the home.
"The trees have been distributed largely by parcel post, in amounts from three to three hundred. The trees have been sold for one and one-half cents each. This covers the original cost of the trees and the postage on the same. Some of the trees have been grown upon our own grounds, but the most of them have been obtained from the D. Hill Nursery Company, of Dundee, Illinois. The distribution has been largely through the schools, but many organizations have interested themselves in the movement, as farmers' clubs, women's clubs, civic improvement leagues, etc. The Women's Club of Pontiac distributed two hundred and seventy-five. We prefer to distribute them through the schools.
"These trees have been distributed to nearly every portion of Michigan, Mr. Weidman, a prominent lumberman, sending one hundred to the Upper Peninsula. Several hundred have been sent to the burned over areas of Northeastern Michigan, some have been planted in the cities and along the roadside, but the most of them have been distributed to the farms. The demand this year exceeded our anticipation. Many farmers and organizations have been greatly interested in securing and distributing the seedlings, and some of the requests for seedlings have been very interesting, in that they show such a great desire on the part of the farmers to secure the trees, and it has been with extreme regret that we were obliged to return their money, because of lack of seedlings.
"This movement seems to be especially interesting in many ways and plans are being made to supply the demand the following season and to extend the work along other practical lines and apparent indications are that our slogan, 'A walnut tree for every farm,' will be a reality."