banish the thought. God grant, that these young trees may
grow up to furnish shade and fruit in proper season to thousands of
happy people, that they may always be useful and that they may not live
to see the time when disaster may come to this fair land.

In closing, gentlemen, I wish to compliment you on what seems to me to
be the excellence of your personnel and organization. I am strongly
impressed with the fact that your organization has a prime scientific
value as well as a profound practical significance. I congratulate you
on these excellent qualities and traits of your association, wish you
all success and thank you for the privilege you have given me.

DEAN R. L. WATTS: This seems to me almost like a sacred moment.
As I stand here in this circle, the ground upheaved there and that hole
in the ground, I think of something else that we stand around sometimes.
In a very large degree, especially in considering the remarks of
Professor Beck, it is a sacred occasion. What could be more sacred? What
could we regard with greater solemnity than the planting of trees that
will help all mankind.

Particularly in connection with the planting of young trees I think of
my own boyhood experiences. Whenever I think of the boys and girls in
the woods picking up nuts it is pretty hard for me to think of those
boys and girls going wrong. One of the biggest things we have to look at
in this country is the question of maintaining high standards of manhood
and womanhood. In that the safety of our country rests.

I wonder why I was asked to speak at this meeting of the Nut Growers'
Association. I do not know whether my friend Professor Fagan suggested
that I be placed on the program or not. Perhaps he had heard about what
happens in my own home. I have never gotten away from liking a little
manual labor. I do not want too much of it but I do like a little of it,
making garden and taking care of the furnace. Mrs. Watts sometimes
blames me for wanting to take care of the furnace in the cellar in the
winter time from the fact that I have always a bag of nuts down there.
When I go down she hears me cracking nuts. From my earliest boyhood days
I have been tremendously interested in the whole nut proposition. What I
have to say here today I have put in written form.

A NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR THE PROMOTION OF NUT CULTURE

_Dean Watts_

I am highly honored in being invited to present a paper before the
members of the Northern Nut Gr