26 



home had the privilege of hearing him, although until within the last 

 two or three years he often played the violin. 



In 1918 he was awarded the George Robert White Medal of 

 Honor for eminent services in horticulture by the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society, probably the greatest honor that can come to a 

 horticulturist in this country. He had also been awarded three med- 

 als for the rose Miss Mary Wallace, a gold medal by the American 

 Rose Society, a gold medal by the City of Portland, Oregon, and a 

 silver trophy by the Portland (Oregon) Rose Society. He was asso- 

 ciate editor of the magazine "Genetics" at the time of his death. 



Although he was an honorary member of the association I think 

 very few of us knew that he had such varied activities in his life as 

 this little biography tells us he had. The death of Dr. Van Fleet has 

 been a great loss to American horticulture and nut growing. 



Also during the year Colonel Sober has died. Colonel Sober, as 

 you know, was a man who had made a very great success of growing 

 the Paragon chestnut. His was the first commercial success in nut 

 growing in the North. Then the blight came along and wiped out 

 his industry. The Colonel was loath to admit for a long time that 

 he had the blight or that his trees were not immune and that his nut 

 growing was going to be a failure on account of the blight. I have 

 no biography of Colonel Sober to read but one was published in the 

 American Nut Journal for August. 



The PliESiDENT : I feel that we ought to make some record 

 here of our feeling for these two men. I knew them both personally. 

 I met Dr. Van Fleet at Washington two years ago and Colonel Sober 

 seven years ago when the convention was held here. I had a great 

 deal of correspondence with Colonel Sober. I think that we should 

 adopt a resolution now and send copies of it to the families of these 

 two deceased gentlemen to let them know the high regard in which 

 this association held them as members and men. 



Mr. O'Connor: I make that motion. 



The Secretary : I second that motion and ask that the Presi- 

 dent appoint a committee on resolutions, which will also cover any 

 other resolutions that may be necessary during the course of the 

 meeting. 



(See Appendix for Report of Committee on Resolutions.) 



The President: I will appoint on that committee Dr. Morris, 

 Mr. Patterson, Dr. Deming, Mr. Jones and Mr. Rick. 



The Secretary : I have still a number of things here that will 

 take up a good deal of time. I don't know that it is particularly in- 

 teresting to any one outside of the association but I have a letter that 

 I think is interesting to the members, especially those who have at- 

 tempted chestnut culture, from Mr. G. F. Gravatt, assistant pathol- 

 ogist, United States Department of Agriculture, in which he says 

 as follows : 



