h the demand kept coming for them from many states, so they were
distributed first to the district schools outside of the city of Saginaw
in the County of Saginaw and there planted by the school children with
appropriate ceremonies. Then our city schools asked for them and in
every school yard in the city of Saginaw are some Washington walnuts
growing today. Following this distribution to the schools we had still
several bushels of the nuts, and one bushel was presented to what is
known as Merlin Grotto, a branch or division of the Masonic Order. As
General Washington was a member of that organization it seemed fitting
that that society should have some of the nuts. So in the beautiful
grounds outside of our city that are owned and controlled by Merlin
Grotto there were also planted some of these Mount Vernon walnuts. Then
we still had about two dozen of them left, and they were planted in what
is known as the Ezra Rush Park in Saginaw, our largest city park. They
are there in rows to be transplanted this coming spring and will be
again distributed to the schools, or to public places desiring them, as
long as they may last. The four specimens that you have before you,
gentlemen, are from nuts from trees planted during President
Washington's time at his home. We trust that they may live in this
beautiful park in Lancaster and that they may go down in history showing
the source from whence they came.
PROF. HERBERT H. BECK: Gentlemen: It is a very great privilege
to represent Franklin and Marshall College in extending a word of
greeting as well as comradeship to the Northern Nut Growers'
Association. I use the word comradeship advisedly because we have
interests that are indubitably kindred. Our two institutions are both
concerned with the cultivation of something that will contribute to the
strength and happiness of each as Americans--your institution in the
cultivation of useful trees--our institution in the cultivation of
useful men. It may well be said, show me a man who loves and cultivates
trees and I will show you a man who loves his fellow men and puts that
love into practice. That cannot be said, unfortunately, of every man who
graduates from college. It is to be doubted whether the name of John
Harvey, considered abroad as worthy of a higher place in the annals of
American horticulture, is greater than the name of Johnny Appleseed, the
man who took apple trees out into the frontier of the open road. My only
regr
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