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We also desire to express to Mr. J. F. Jones and family our appre- 

 ciation of" courtesies shown the association delegates while visiting the 

 nursery and nut tree plantations. Mr. Jones' plantation is a practical 

 example of what can be done in the culture of nut trees in the North 

 and should be an inspiration to greater effort to all who were privi- 

 leged to see this excellent plantation. 



We also desire to express our thanks to the officers of the Keystone 

 Pecan Co. for an interesting entertainment. Those of us who visited 

 their plant were much interested in what we saw and appreciate the 

 courtesy of the officers in giving us an opportunity to inspect their 

 plant and in providing entertainment for the evening. 



Mr. Littlepage: It has been said by some distinguished person 

 that "Any great institution is but the lengthened shadow of one man." 

 I doubt if many of us here today realize just exactly how much this 

 applies to the nut industry and how much we are indebted to men like 

 Mason J. Niblack of Vincennes, Indiana, and Mr. J. G. Rush of Lan- 

 caster, Pa. Mr. Niblack was the first, so far as I know, to take any 

 great interest in the pecans of the North. He was the first to take 

 an exhibit of these nuts to the National Nut Growers meeting. He 

 got the Agricultural College of Indiana interested, and offered a prize 

 for the best pecan at a meeting at Mt. Vernon, Indiana, many years 

 ago before the Northern Nut Growers Association was organized. 



Mr. Niblack grew up on the banks of the Wabash among the peean 

 trees. He was both a lawyer and farmer. I know from experience 

 that this makes a very absorbing combination. He was at one time 

 Speaker of the House of Representatives of Indiana, but in no position 

 and in no walk of life was he so busy that he could not take time to 

 mix with his many friends and enjoy the real things of life. 



Mr. J. G. Rush is the man to whom we are very much indebted 

 for our interest in the culture of the English walnut in the East. If 

 he never did anything more than get Mr. Jones to come up into this 

 country and show what can be done here lie would be entitled to a 

 place in our memory. But he was more than all this. He was a good, 

 lovable, fine character. 



These men have gone from us but it seems to me that it is most 

 appropriate that we should take a moment to pay onr respects to the 

 memory of these two pioneers in nut culture. 



