REPORT OF THE SECRETARY-TREASURER

Deficit, date of last report$105.05

Expenses:

Washington meeting10.46

Reporting convention45.00

Printing report217.58

Miscellaneous printing23.25

Postage and stationery42.84

Membership A. P. S.2.00

Stenographer and multigraphing7.20

Express, carting, freight3.36

Exchange on checks.90

Telephone.25

———$457.89

Receipts:

Dues$273.00

Postage5.07

Advertisements69.05

Contributions104.00

Sale of report4.00

Bills receivable10.00

———$465.12

Balance on hand$7.23

It was necessary to take out a membership in the American Pomological Society in order to be eligible to receive the bronze Wilder medal awarded for meritorious exhibit of nuts at the Washington convention.

In response to an appeal sent out by the secretary for assistance in defraying the expenses of publishing the report, thirteen members contributed. There was one contribution of fifty dollars, one of twenty-five dollars, several of five dollars and others of lesser sums.

Two advertisements are still not paid for.

It is evident that the income of the association from regular sources is not at present sufficient to pay the expense of printing the annual report, in addition to the necessary expenses of maintenance. It may be possible to reduce the expense of printing the report by omitting cuts and by printing a smaller number of reports, though the saving from the latter expedient would be small.

It seems to be the opinion of some of our members, and it is certainly a good business principle, that we should not undertake the issuing of an annual report until the funds for paying for it are in hand. I would renew my suggestion of last year that a proper committee be authorized to take measures for collecting the funds necessary for this purpose. During the past year a few of the members voluntarily constituted themselves a committee and succeeded in collecting a considerable sum from advertisements which appeared in the report.

It would certainly be a pity to interrupt the regular appearance of the report of our annual meeting.

Seventy-five new members were added during the year, or rather during the nine months elapsed since the meeting at Washington. Since the organisation of the Association 212 persons have become members. We have now 132 paid-up members. I feel certain that some of those who have not paid up do not desire to sever their connection with the Association. There have been but three resignations, one of whom gave as his reason "persistent knocking by members of the Association of pecan promotions in the South." No death among our members have come to the secretary's knowledge.

Many new members came in at the Washington meeting. A number of others joined as a result of the publicity given the Association by several articles from the pen of one of the members which appeared in various publications. A still larger number appeared to be attracted by the offer which the secretary took upon himself to make, of the two first reports as a premium for new members on the payment simply of the postage for forwarding them. This action of the secretary was generally approved by the members of the executive committee, though there was some criticism from one or two members of the Association. But it seemed to the secretary better to make this attraction for new members, and to get out the reports where they might do some good, rather than to have so many of them sagging the beams in his attic. The secretary would suggest that in the future he be authorized to offer a complete set of the reports to all new life members, and to other new members the opportunity to buy the back reports at a reduced sum, say 50 cents, or even 25 cents each. This would give a little income toward the expenses of the Association. The copies of our reports are assets and should be realized on.

The field meeting held at the farm of Dr. Robert T. Morris at Stamford, Connecticut, on August 4 was well attended and was instructive and enjoyable. A full account of the meeting will appear in the American Nut Journal.

The recent establishment of this journal, partly through the efforts of members of the Association, is a cause for congratulation. We have once more a high class and attractive monthly periodical in which to exchange experiences and by which the public may be reached. Every member of the Association should feel a personal interest in making this journal a success and should seek the opportunity to send to the editor any items of interest to nut growers. Anything relating to this subject is of interest to the enthusiast. The more personal such a journal is made the better. It should not be monopolized by the so-called experts. Everyone interested in nut growing ought to feel it a duty, and consider it a privilege, to communicate scraps of information, little suggestions and, above all, questions and requests for information and advice. Even a little controversy would add spice. Too much harmony becomes insipid. This journal is as much for scrappers as for the men of peace. And, let me quickly add, the women too, suffragists, suffragettes, and antis and those who don't care. Twelve women are members of the Association and women are going to take a large share in nut growing and find in it a profitable and interesting occupation.

Arrangements are being made with the publishers of the American Nut Journal whereby membership in our Association may include subscription to the Journal at a very small increase in the cost of membership. If we can offer membership and the Journal for $2.50 in advance and the back reports for 50 cents apiece, or the three reports for $1, and send notice of this to our list of about a thousand correspondents, we ought to increase considerably our membership and do good to the world.

Our rule that membership shall begin with the calendar year always gives rise to some misunderstanding. Those who come in at the time of the annual meeting, or between it and the end of the year, do not like to pay another fee along in January. If there is no objection the secretary will hereafter inform each applicant for membership that membership expires with the calendar year, that membership may be taken out for the present or the coming year, and that membership entitles necessarily only to the publications issued during the year for which membership is taken out. In other words the proceedings of this meeting will be published in 1915 and members for 1914 will not be entitled to it unless paid up for 1915.

The investigation of the Persian walnut trees in the East is still going on but the results have not been collated.

I suggest the appointment of a committee to revise our constitution and rules. These have so far served our purpose fairly well but, in the opinion of the secretary, they now need modification and amplification.

I would recall to the attention of the members our present rule that all papers read before it are the property of the Association.

In conclusion the secretary would like to ask each member to help increase the prosperity and the usefulness of the Association by getting new members, by getting advertisements for the annual report, and by paying his annual dues promptly. It is a waste of any nut grower's time to have to dun a lot of careless people.

The President: The chair will now entertain a motion to approve the secretary's report.

Professor Smith: The Northern Nut Growers Association has been very fortunate in many things and especially in its selection of a secretary. The services he has so faithfully rendered are very much appreciated by the Association, and I move the report be accepted.

[Seconded and carried. Also moved, seconded and carried that the secretary be authorized to sell back numbers of the reports at a reduced price.]

Dr. Van Duzee: I would like to say that a most important thing has been overlooked, and that is that the chair should appoint a committee to lift the load of financing the work of the Association from the secretary's shoulders.

The President: It is very flattering to suggest that the chair is competent to appoint that committee. Do you make it in the form of a motion, Dr. Van Duzee?

Dr. Van Duzee: Yes sir, I make that as a motion.

[Seconded and carried.]

Professor Close read the following report on score cards prepared by Prof. E. R. Lake of the committee.