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tural institutions, pilgrimages of horticultural societies, farmers, 

 county agents and garden clubs to Mr. Jones's, Mr. Bixby's and other 

 of our members' places. That would spread our gospel farther, per- 

 haps, than anything else we can do. 



Mr. Snyder believes that most can be accomplished by getting 

 our state and county fairs to put a nut list in their fair catalogues 

 and offer special prizes to bring out new varieties. I commend this as 

 a matter for discussion. 



The old problem of funds with which to do more and better work 

 is still unsolved. I have no solution to offer. Until some "angel" 

 comes to back us I see no way except to go down into our own pockets. 

 I should be glad to be one of several to pledge $25 annually for the 

 promotion of our work. Any salary that we might at present offer 

 our secretary would of necessity be trifling. But we should at least 

 make it a rule to pay the expenses of the secretary in attending the 

 conventions, and should provide him with a fund sufficient for liberal 

 clerical expenses. I shall ask the association to act on such a reso- 

 lution through the finance committee. 



It has been customary to re-elect the president for a second term. 

 I do not see any good reason for this. It is not the custom of similar 

 organizations. One term should be enough for a president to show what 

 he can do. A second term is a sort of anti-climax. We have done 

 this largely because it saved the trouble of thinking up a new president. 

 It conduces to laziness and procrastination in office (I say this with- 

 out aspersion on any president of the past). If a president has but 

 one term he will do his best at once. I wish to set a precedent and 

 to have the honor of being the first one-term president of the associa- 

 tion. I shall therefore decline to be a candidate for renomination. 



It will probably be thought best to hold the next convention in the 

 West. A president and a secretary from the West will then be de- 

 sirable. It might be possible to hold' such a western oonvention in 

 conjunction with the Mid- West Horticultural Exposition at which Mr. 

 Snyder has for several years had a noteworthy exhibition of nuis. 



We are fortunate in meeting again for the third time in this 

 pleasant city, the home until his death last month of Mr. J. G. Rush, 

 pioneer in nut growing, and of Mr. Jones, master and teacher of all 

 the arts of the craft. To see the maturing of tlie nut orchards of 

 these men I feel is going to give us inspiration. 



