PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: Next year at Rochester we are going to have opportunity for putting on a considerable exhibit of nuts, and I think that it would be much to the advantage of the Association, if we could have an outstanding exhibit there where there is a good chance to have a large number of people see the exhibits and become interested. To that end I think that all of us who have nut trees bearing this fall, should save some samples with extra care; that is, clean them up, make them look attractive and have them on hand ready for the exhibit next fall. A good sample for exhibit should be about 10 or a dozen for black walnuts and the Persian walnuts and perhaps 20 to 25 for the hickories and the smaller nuts, the hazel, particularly. I think that we have a good chance next year to forward the cause of the Association, and certainly having these exhibits will be much to our advantage. At this time, towards the end of our session, it is our usual custom to elect our next year's officers. Before going on with that election, I would just like to say that I personally, as president of the Association during this year, wish to thank all of the other officers who have worked with me. It has been a pleasure to work with them and with the committee chairmen, and I think the meeting here at Rockport and the work during the year attest to their effective service. The Nominations Committee report. For president next year, Mr. R. B. Best; for vice-president, George Salzer of Rochester, New York; for Treasurer, Carl Prell of South Bend, Indiana, who continues in the office; and for Secretary Mr. Spencer Chase of Norris, Tennessee. The slate presented was elected unanimously. A nominating committee consisting of Max Hardy, Gilbert Becker, George Slate, Dr. William Rohrbacker, and Ford Wilkinson was unanimously elected for 1953. PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: I will now call upon our newly elected president to come forward. It is usual at these meetings for the retiring president to present the gavel to the incoming president, and here it is. This gavel is made of pecan wood presented to the Association by Mr. T. P. Littlepage, who was born in this locality. I hope you will have as much fun and pleasure as president of the Association as I have had. It's all yours. MR. WILKINSON: That gavel was made from the wood of a pecan tree. Mr. T. P. Littlepage planted the nut when he was 14 years old on a piece of land that he inherited as a boy. I cut the wood and sent it to him in Washington to have the gavel made of it. Chestnut Breeding Report for 1951-1952 ARTHUR H. GRAVES[18] and HANS NIENSTAEDT, _Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Conn._ Weather Conditions