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existence excejjt during tlie war. in 1918. when no formal meeting 

 was held. An annual report has been published every year, except 

 that the report of the proceedings of the first meeting was incorporated 

 in the report of the second meeting, and the ninth report, that for 1918, 

 Jias not 3'et been issued. 



The present secretary has held the office every year except in 1918 

 •nnd 1919. during military service, when Mr. Bixby took his place. 



From an educational and scientific standpoint I think the associa- 

 tion may be said to have fulfilled creditably its original declaration of 

 purpose, "the promotion of interest in nut-bearing plants, their pro- 

 ducts and their culture." Many choice nuts have been brought to 

 notice and perpetuated. The establishment of nurseries where grafted 

 nut trees of choice varieties may be obtained has been encouraged. The 

 art of grafting and propagating nut trees has been brought to a high 

 degree of success by members of the association. F,xi)erin:ent:il orch- 

 •ards, both of transplanted nursery trees and of topworked native 

 trees, have been established in widely separated parts of the country. 



Acting on the suggestion and request of members of the association, 

 Mr. Olcott established the American Nut Journal, one of the most 

 important of our accomplishments. Finally, and perhaps best of all, 

 -a number of horticultural institutions have taken up seriously the study 

 «of nut culture and the planting of exjjerimental orchards. Testimony 

 to this will be found in letters to be read by the secretary and in the 

 presence on our progn-am today of representatives of several liorticul- 

 tural and other institutions of learning. I believe tliat tlie association 

 ■can take credit to itself for liaving. by its publications and other means 

 •of influence, in large degree brought about tliis interest and action. 



As for any commercial success in nut-growing, brought about by 

 T)ur activities, when we compare nut-growing in our field with j^ecan- 

 growing in the South, and with walnut, almond, and perhaps filbert- 

 -growing, on the Pacific Coast, our results are meagre indeed. Of 

 K-ourse commercial production, the building of a ncM' industry of food 

 supply for the people, is our ultimate goal. ^Vhy are our results in 

 this direction, after fourteen years of effort, so small .^ Is it because 

 we have devoted ourselves too exclusively to the scientific and educa- 

 tional aspects of our problems and neglected, either from over-cau- 

 tiousness or from inertia, to encourage commercial plantings .^ There 

 -are some of our members who think that we have. Ther sar that "we 



