southern Illinois is a natural nut country. Pecans,
persimmons, chinkapins, grow wild all over there, and there is no reason
why that land, which can be bought for from ten and fifteen dollars an
acre up to twenty-five, according to the improvements, if the oil rights
are eliminated, can't be made to produce a hundred to five hundred
dollars an acre. If that is so, why not do it?

Today, Illinois has over 11,000,000 bearing apple trees, and they raise
just as good apples there as any where, but they haven't got the
organization, they don't advertise, and we don't know it generally. If
we can organize and distribute our information, get these vice
presidents from two or three cities to join with the chambers of
commerce and have a meeting down at Evansville, among the nut growers,
for instance, the growers of Indiana pecans, and see what they grow, and
what they are worth, why then you can get the people interested. You
must have somebody that is interested in the propagation of a new idea.
Don't get somebody who just comes here for a good time without any
desire particularly of learning anything. If he doesn't want to learn we
don't want him.

THE SECRETARY: I understand that, in view of the very generous offer of
the president to get a hundred new members in the ensuing year, and of
the pledge of ten other men to get ten more members, or turn in the
necessary amount to the treasury, each of us goes forth from the meeting
tonight with the understanding that he is morally under obligations to
do what the other members have promised to do.

THE PRESIDENT: It would be a nice thing to give a Christmas gift of a
membership in this association and a subscription to the American Nut
Journal. A great many of us receive Christmas gifts which are
appreciated when received, and maybe for a week or ten days, two weeks
or a month, and then they're forgotten; but this membership and the
American Nut Journal that one would receive every month, would be a
constant reminder of the giver. What do you think of that, ladies and
gentlemen?

THE SECRETARY: It is a fine idea, Mr. President, and I will see that it
is also incorporated in the letters to the state vice president that
each vice president give to at least one friend a subscription and
membership in the association. I suggest also that those who can write
for the magazines and the journals get up little articles for the
horticultural papers about nut culture. There can't be too