and, is probably as great in
area as the level land, and between the two is the hilly land that we
are now cultivating to its great detriment, visibly reducing the earth's
resources by bringing about rapidly that condition which has led to the
saying in the Old World: "After man, the desert." The Roman Empire,
where men have had possession for two thousand years, proves, "After
man, the desert." It is equally proven in much of China, but it can be
prevented if these hill lands are put to trees. But we cannot afford to
put those lands into trees unless the trees yield.

I move that this Association memorialize those persons who are in
position to promote the breeding of fruit and nut-yielding trees, that
we may bring nearer the day of tree-crop agriculture. I want a letter to
go from this Association with the authority of the Association and its
sanction, to the Secretary of Agriculture at Washington and to all the
men in authority in the Bureau of Plant Industry at Washington, to the
Presidents of the State Agricultural Colleges, the Directors of
Experiment Stations and professors who are interested in plant breeding.
That will make a list of three or four hundred persons and involve an
expenditure of a few dollars but I believe it will be productive of
good. I hope that the Association will see fit to lend its name and a
little cash to that proposition, because if we can get the authority of
the state and the money of the state, the results will come much more
rapidly than if there are just a few of us doing it independently.
(Applause.)

* * * * *

The Chairman: Will someone put Prof. Smith's suggestion in the form of a
motion?

A Member: I move that it be referred to the Committee on Resolutions.

(Motion carried.)

Mr. Corsan: Undoubtedly we all agree with Prof. Smith. He spoke of the
persimmon. When I speak of the persimmon in my country nobody knows what
I am talking about. I found two trees in Battle Creek, Michigan, in a
front yard. The person who owned them was an old lady. I said, "Will you
give me these persimmons?" She said, "Yes, take them all; the neighbors
come here and while they are getting the persimmons they bother me a
lot. Everybody seems to like them." They were delicious persimmons that
were quite edible before frost, they are probably the two furthest north
persimmon trees in the world. I went a little way around Devil Lake, and
found pawpaws. They are a very