the association elaborate on the worthy plan along the lines I have suggested. And with more members, and, thereby, more money, we can do it. Then The Northern Nut Growers' Association will be doing a real thing, something tangible, something that will attract new members in a way nothing else would, because people would then be able to see the living evidence of the practicability of our ideals. We could start in a small way, and grow. After long and earnest thought on the subject I came to the conclusion that it was worthy of our consideration.

From Mrs. Ellwanger's reference to "Johnny Appleseed" I believe that she found precedent for her nut tree nursery initiative in the work of inestimable value to posterity done by that same worthy. If the legend be true, he worked with much happiness of heart, but not more so than that of Mrs. Ellwanger, I am sure you will agree, when I tell you that many of her nursery trees are growing from nuts she garnered from roadside and field trees manifesting some exceptional trait, or indicating rare strain.

And I cannot refrain from urging action to the end of influencing our other states to pattern after good old Michigan in our effort to enact legislation, as she has done, providing for planting our roadsides with nut-bearing trees. It is something tangible, like this, that really counts. I believe that it is a fundamental of life, and living, that precedent, pro or con, is invaluable as governing subsequent action along similar lines. Here we have, in Michigan's action, a most worthy precedent, and I can think of no good reason why OUR other states should not do likewise. And I believe that this association, functioning efficiently, can exert the necessary influence to bring about a similar condition in OUR other states. My emphasis of the word OUR means The Northern Nut Growers' Association's states, you know.

I just wish to mention in passing that the author and collaborator, respectively, of the Michigan roadside planting of nut trees legislation are our esteemed members, Senator Harvey A. Penny and the Hon. William S. Linton, both of Saginaw, Mich.

In closing I desire to refer to our wealth, as an association, in scientific lore. The association is particularly well equipped in having a faculty, so to speak, than which there is none better in the country—yes, the world—in whose hands our recommendations, to the planter of nut trees, can be entrusted with absolute safety. For genuine scientific research in nut culture of the northern states this association stands singly and alone. This tribute is born of vivid remembrance of the really scientific work done by several of our worthy members, notably, Jones, Bixby, Morris, Deming and Vollertsen. Them, especially, I salute. (Applause.)

* * * * *

MR. OLCOTT: With reference to the suggestions in the President's address, why wouldn't it be desirable to refer them to a committee to report upon and take any action that may be desired?

THE PRESIDENT: I believe, Mr. Olcott, that is a good suggestion.

MR. OLCOTT: I move that the President's address be referred to a special committee to consider and report at a later meeting in respect to the suggestions made and the plans for carrying them out. Motion seconded by the Secretary and carried.

Committee appointed: The President, Mr. Olcott, Dr. Deming, Mr. Bixby and Mr. Jones, to report Friday evening.

THE PRESIDENT: The next feature of our proceeding is the report of our secretary, Dr. William C. Deming of Hartford, Conn.

THE SECRETARY: Mr. President, I beg to say that the secretary has no formal report; but I have a number of items that will be of interest to the association which we can take up at this time if you think best. I think first should be taken up the notices of two members who have died this year, both of whom were very prominently connected with nut growing, Dr. Walter Van Fleet and Col. C. K. Sober. I will read a notice of Dr. Van Fleet's death which has been especially prepared for us by Mr. Mulford of the United States Department of Agriculture.

DR. WALTER VAN FLEET

In the death of Dr. Walter Van Fleet on January 26, 1922, the United States has lost one of the greatest plant breeders in its history, and garden rose growers an ardent advocate and sincere friend. Since a lad he had been interested in these lines of work and the products of his unremitting and painstaking energy, combined with unlimited patience, are known by garden lovers all over the country, as well as in Europe.

Rosarians naturally know him best by his roses, of which there were many, among them that splendid variety that bears his name, as well as such others as Silver Moon, American Pillar, and Alida Lovett. Many more are still in the trial grounds of the United States Department of Agriculture at Bell Station, one of which, christened Miss Mary Wallace, will be available in two or three years.

The ideal rose for which he was striving, in all his later work at least, was a garden rose with foliage that would compare in healthfulness and disease resistance with the best of the rose species, that would be hardy under ordinary garden culture, and that would be a continuous bloomer. His experience taught him what would be likely to give the desired results, but often he could not come directly to the ends sought. For example, when he wanted to combine the characters of some newly found species with the Hybrid Tea roses, he would often find the two could not be crossed directly with one another. He would then seek some other rose that would combine with the new species, without changing the characteristics which he wished to preserve, after which he would grow the resulting hybrids and cross them with the hybrid tea. Sometimes he would need to make another cross before he could get the seedlings for which he was striving. When it is realized that each cross of this kind would take from three to five years before he could take the next step an idea is gained of the patience required. Sometimes the results of these crosses would be infertile, producing neither perfect pistil nor viable pollen, as in the case of a handsome scarlet rugosa growing in the National Rose Test Garden which he was unable to use for further breeding on this account.

His great love of his work is shown in his having given up a successful medical practice in 1891 to devote all his time to plant breeding. He did this, even though he had taken a post graduate course in medicine at the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in 1886-7, after having graduated at the Hahneman Medical College in the same city in 1880. His first work after this change was primarily with the gladiolus on a farm between Alexandria and Mount Vernon, Va. The soil was not adapted to his purpose so he abandoned it and went from there about 1892 to the Conard and Jones Company of West Grove, Pa., then to Little Silver, N. J., and in 1897 to the Ruskin Colony in western Tennessee as the colony physician.

In 1899 he became associated with the Rural New Yorker and lived at Little Silver, N. J., where he continued his breeding work on his own place. As associate editor for the following ten years and as writer of the column of "Ruralisms" in this paper he has left much valuable information on plant life and plant growing. From 1902 to 1910 he was also Vice-President of the Rural Publishing Company. While at Little Silver he was breeding fruits, roses, chesnuts, lilies, freesias, azaleas, and other ornamentals.

In 1909 he went to the Plant Introduction Gardens of the United States Department of Agriculture, at Chico, Cal. As the climate did not agree with his wife, he remained at Chico but a year and moved to Washington, D. C., where his official work was