rank, marked his every contact through his long years of service. He was
indeed, a truly great Chief.

His family and close associates in the two departments he headed for so
many years will miss him most of all, but life for them and for
countless others who called him friend has been made richer, fuller and
deeper because he passed this way.

Teacher, scientist, Christian gentleman, friend and chief, we salute
you."

* * * * *

MRS. I. E. BIXBY

Mrs. Ida Elise Bixby, wife of the late Willard G. Bixby, died at her
home at Baldwin, New York, April 29, 1945.

Mrs. Bixby was a life member of the Northern Nut Growers Association, of
which her late husband was a past president. Following Mr. Bixby's death
in August, 1933, Mrs. Bixby interested the United States Department of
Agriculture in taking over much of their large experimental planting of
nut trees. Many specimens were moved to experiment stations under
Government control, while other institutions as well as individuals
benefitted by their collection.

Mrs. Bixby is survived by three children: Willard F., of Cleveland,
Ohio; and Katherine Elise and Ida Tielke, of Baldwin.

Letters to the Secretary; Notes; Extracts

EXCERPT FROM LETTER TO SECRETARY FROM G. S. JONES

July 4, 1946. From G. S. Jones, R 1, Box 140, Phenix City, Lee County,
Alabama.

My trees (Chinese chestnuts) appear to be healthy and grow vigorously.
(They were given me by the Bureau of Plant Industry in 1934.) They began
bearing in 5 or 6 years and have now been bearing quite large crops for
3 or 4 years. There are 22 trees in the orchard, and the approximate
yields have been: 1943--550 pounds; 1944--450 pounds, and 1945--950
pounds. The enormous increase in 1945 was due partly, I am quite sure,
to mineralized fertilizer (Es Min. El.) which I began using in 1944.

As my trees are seedlings they vary considerably in productivity and in
size of nuts. Most of the nuts are of good size and quality when first
gathered. This is where the trouble begins. The keeping quality is very
poor, sometimes half of them spoil during the first month after being
harvested. Since this is the case, you can see that germination may be
very poor, unless they are handled in a special way. Refrigeration helps
for a short while only. During the last two years, I have had good
results in germination by stratifying the nuts under the trees, just as
soon as they fall. In this way