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THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
NUT NOTES. 
The seventh annual convention of the National Rut 
Growers’ Association held an interesting and profitable 
meeting at Chattanooga, Tenn., Oct. 27-29. Much interest 
was shown and the attendance, while not larger than usual, 
was representative, being made up of members from eigh¬ 
teen different states. 
The papers and discussions were able and practical, while 
reports by State Vice Presidents showed increasing interest 
in the industry and large additions to the orchard acreage, 
especially in the Gulf Coast states, where the pecan is assum¬ 
ing much commercial importance. 
A feature of this convention was the exhibits of nuts, 
nursery stock, etc. This embraced several very interesting 
collections, especially one from Indiana which indicated 
great possibilities for the pecan in territory 
farther north than it is supposed to thrive. 
Another exhibit from New York gives 
promise of the English (Persian) walnut 
rivalling the famous apple orchards of 
that state as a profitable resource. 
Among the prominent speakers present 
were: H. E. Van Deman and C. A. Reed, 
of Washington, D. C.; J. B. Wight and 
H. C. White, of Georgia; Sam H. James, 
of Louisiana; W. N. Roper, of Virginia; 
Prof. H. A. Gossard, of Ohio; Prof. C. G. 
Woodbury, of Indiana; W. F. Heikes, of 
Alabama. 
Many important papers were read by 
title and will appear in the Proceedings. 
Among the important business matters 
considered were several changes in the con¬ 
stitution, one of which provides for the 
election of a treasurer, the duties of that 
office having become burdensome to the 
Secretary. Several temporary committees were made per¬ 
manent. 
The financial condition of the Association proved to be 
encouraging, as resources for the present and next year will 
be ample for finishing the Proceedings of the Norfolk meet¬ 
ing and for issuing the Report of the recent meeting in the 
near future. 
The election of officers resulted as follows: 
President, J. B. Wight, Cairo, Ga. 
First Vice-President, J. B. Curtis, Orange Heights, Fla. 
Second Vice-President, H. C. White, DeWitt, Ga. 
Secretary, J. F. Wilson, Poulan, Ga. 
Treasurer, C. P. Close, College Park, Md. 
New members on the Executive committee are Dr. Robt. 
T. Morris, of New York, and C. P. Close, of Maryland. 
Albany, Ga., was selected as the place for next meeting. 
THE PRESIDENT. 
Twenty years ago Mr. Wight read from some one this piece 
* 
of advice: “Young man plant a pecan grove; when you 
are old it will support you.” He went out and did so and 
his faith in the truth of the saying has grown stronger as the 
years have passed. 
At first he planted only seedling trees, for such a thing as 
a budded or grafted pecan could not then be obtained. 
Later the great superiority of buds and grafts was learned, 
and he now sets these alone. While Mr. Wight has tried a 
number of other species of nuts, he has become thoroughly 
convinced that the pecan surpasses by far all others as a 
commercial nut; and he, therefore, makes a specialty of it, 
both in his nursery and orchard. He has 130 acres in 
groves. 
Mr. Wight is among the most active members of the 
National Nut Growers’ Association, having been connected 
with it since its organization. 
NUT GROWING IN THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC STATES. 
Experiment Stations are beginning to draw attention to 
the fact that nut culture has been neglected. In most parts 
of the United States some variety of nut can be grown with 
profit. In the northern regions the im¬ 
proved hickories and hardier chestnuts 
should be cultivated; in the southern 
states, the pecan reigns supreme; on the 
Pacific coast, the newer variations of .the 
Persian walnut are making money for the 
growers; while in the Middle Atlantic 
States the experiment station offices of 
that region are drawing attention to the fact 
that black walnut, butternut, hickory, 
chestnut, beech and hazel are native and 
worthy of improvement. 
The value of the nut as an economic 
and nutritious article of diet should be 
more generally exploited. It is stated in 
the Year-book of the United States De¬ 
partment of Agriculture for 1906, that 
“at twenty cents per pound for walnuts 
and twenty-five cents per pound for por¬ 
terhouse steak, an equal investment in each 
will produce about one fifth more in weight 
of food material and in energy in the walnuts than in the 
steak. Pecans rank higher than walnuts in a similar com¬ 
parison.” 
Prof. Close of the Maryland Experiment Station, writes 
as follows in regard to nut culture in that state: 
“Most of the state has produced excellent Persian wal¬ 
nuts and some pecans for more than a hundred years. Only 
a few named varieties of the improved sorts have thus far 
been tried. The improved varieties of chestnuts are not 
generally profitable, but may become so if the immense 
crop of native chestnuts is cut short, as is now threatened 
by a disease which is causing the death of hundreds of trees. 
The Japan walnut is not much grown and is not likely to be. 
The following are named as the varieties of Persian wal¬ 
nuts which are believed to be most likely to succeed under 
Maryland conditions: Chaberte, Franquette, Mayette 
Blanche, Parisienne, Proeparturiens, San Jose, Rush, Nor¬ 
man Pomeroy, Drew and Peerless Paper Shell.” 
ILLINOIS HORTICULTURISTS. 
Illinois State Horticultural Society, Fifty-third Annual Conven¬ 
tion will be held in the Agricultural Building, University of Illinois, 
Champaign, Illinois, December 8 to 18 , 1908 . R. O. Graham, Presi¬ 
dent, Bloomington, Illinois; W. B. Lloyd, Secretary, Kinmundy, Ill. 
