MR. HERSHEY: If you notice in making the graft little pin points of black on the scions, you can almost bet on a failure. DR. ZIMMERMAN: Some of the worst looking scions at times grow the best. You put them on and they all grow. Another time you have beautiful scions and they all die. MR. HARRINGTON: There is injury you can't see with the naked eye. The wood was unripened when our winter set in. We had a very severe winter in our section here. My practice has been to store my scion wood in November. MR. FREY: The cold weather in January wouldn't affect that. I am inclined to think the scion wood injury was done before winter set in. MEMBER: When is the best time to gather scion wood? Mr. Harrington says in the fall. I have been getting mine in February. Is it better to cut the wood when entirely dormant, or would it grow better if cut when the sap starts in the spring? MR. HARRINGTON: I want my scions cut early. DR. SMITH: How early can you cut them? MR. HARRINGTON: When the scars from the leaves have dried up thoroughly. I have known them even in December to be still sappy. They didn't grow well that year. I often cut them the last week in November. MR. HERSHEY: I would advise Dr. Smith not to cut too early in the fall. DR. ZIMMERMAN: From my papaws I cut scions in the fall. THE PRESIDENT: From the comments made here this morning I have an opinion that the question certainly needs looking into. We could cut our scions earlier. DR. ZIMMERMAN: I wouldn't cut them at that time if I didn't have to. MR. HERSHEY: I think that is a good admission. Another thing, if you paraffin your scions you need cat's paws to hang on to them. Dr. Morris said last year, "Melt your paraffin off with hot water." We tried it, got paraffin all over ourselves and cooked the wood. So then we scraped the paraffin off. DR. DEMING: Dr. Neilson has said if there are any new members we would like to hear from them. If there are no new members there should be some. Our secretary sits at the table, ready and anxious to receive the dues and names of new members. I have always felt that we never treat new members with sufficient deference. I think we should ask them to talk about their experiences, to tell us what they have done, to tell us what they would like to do, to ask us questions, and that we should make them feel more at home. THE PRESIDENT: That is very much to the point. DR. DEMING: Why isn't the chestnut more appreciated in this country? Why aren't the farmers acquainted with the possibilities of growing chestnuts here in the middle west? Yesterday Dr. Zimmerman and I were at Mr. Harrington's and there we saw chestnut trees that would make your heart warm to look at. Why can't the people of the middle west, where the chestnut is not native, be awakened to the great possibilities of growing the chestnut commercially? It is easy to grow. It bears early, and abundantly. What can we do to make it better known? I would like to ask Dr. Zimmerman.