Part 23

Read Their Letters Below

Why Mr. Coddington, Vice President of the Keystone Pecan Company, Bought More Units

Murray Hill, N. J., Oct. 1st, 1919.

My Dear Mr. Hess:

After spending last Saturday and Monday inspecting the entire plantation, I am highly pleased with the progress made since my last inspection.

The trees of this year’s planting have taken hold in a remarkable fashion—the growth made since last March is so wonderful that it is hard to believe.

The trees of the preceding year’s plantings look well, but the greatest surprise of all was the earlier plantings. The trees in Block 1 A, for instance, prove the advantages of the Keystone Medium Height Pruning System. In many cases they have made five to six feet growth since they were pruned last Spring—and the thickening of the trunks and all the branches proves that those trees will be well able to carry heavy heads and bear large crops of pecans.

In the old bearing orchard the foliage was of the same healthy deep green color noted all over the plantation. But the best proof of their vigor was the fact that on many of these trees all the branches were loaded down with big nuts, nearly ripe.

After a lifetime contact with growing things, I am so well pleased with the conditions on the plantation that I have, as you know, purchased additional units.

L. B. CODDINGTON.

Why Mr. Miller, Our Sales Manager, Bought Seven Additional Units

968 Jackson St., Allentown, Pa., Dec. 29, 1919.

Dear Mr. Hess:

In May, 1915, I wrote you that my interest in this new industry and my ambition to some day own a pecan orchard dates back before the Keystone Pecan Co. was in existence. My study of this improved nut, its food value, the whole world to supply, its advantage over other tree crops, in harvesting, packing, shipping, not perishable, beside the long life of the trees and the small expense of up-keep after the fifth year, and the wonderful yield satisfied me that it was the safest and most profitable industry I know.

When you conceived and formed the Keystone Pecan Company with its co-operative plan, I saw my opportunity, and invested and purchased Units. Having been in business with you for so many years and knowing your capacity to plan big business and your ability to carry your plans to perfection, also the other members of the Company being known as clean, honest and progressive business men, gave me entire confidence. When you wanted me to become sales manager, I decided to visit the plantation. In company with some of my friends, I made my first visit. We were delighted, beyond expression, with everything. Competent management seemed to be working out a perfect system.

Now, after nearly five years of continual work with you in selling the Keystone Pecan Orchard units, I want to compliment you more strongly than ever on the way you have planned and are making good. The progress has been beyond our most sanguine expectations. Each year I have visited the plantation from one to three times accompanied in every case by Unit Owners. My friends have always been well pleased with what they saw on their orchards, but the marked progress the past year, under your expert plantation organization, is such as to fire every Unit Owner with the desire to own more units, fertilized, pruned, cultivated and cared for under your system.

A total of over 200 additional units have been purchased during the past year by unit owners who have visited the plantation with me. Many of these purchased their first units two, three, or four years ago, before visiting the orchards. This is the strongest evidence that the conditions on the plantation must be right. I was glad I could add seven more units to my own number during the past year, and hope to further increase my holdings. I can see now why Mr. William P. Bullard, your horticulturist, expressed surprise that the Company was selling these units at so low a figure.

THOS. F. MILLER.

WM. P. BULLARD, Executive Horticulturist Keystone Pecan Company. Former Secretary of the National Nut Growers’ Association. ]

William P. Bullard, Horticulturist on our Calhoun County Plantations

Of William P. Bullard, the American Nut Journal of Rochester, N. Y., said: “He is a grower of many years’ active practical experience, and is familiar with all the problems of production and selling from the growers’ standpoint.”

Mr. Bullard is widely known as a careful, conservative man, who emphasizes the importance of thorough cultivation and fertilizing during the first five years, in order to establish orchards that will produce beyond the average. The favorable reputation of this large company and its well known desire to produce superior orchards for its unit owners, naturally draws to it experts of big calibre and broad experience. (See letter of Rev. Lutz, page 50.)

Reference: Georgia National Bank, Albany, Ga.

On these Calhoun County Plantations, we have as resident horticulturists and orchard managers, W. J. Moran and G. W. West, practical pecan men of long experience, and with the proven ability to produce orchards up to the highest standards. Mr. Moran has been in pecan orcharding since boyhood, having been first associated with the Simpson Nursery Co. and later having developed one of the finest orchards in the district; Mr. West is an excellent manager of large bodies of farm labor, with long experience in pecan tree cultivation.

The pruning of the older trees and the budding of the seedling trees in the nursery is all done by O. C. Starks, pruning expert, or under his supervision.

Our Dougherty Co. Organization

R. C. SIMPSON, President of Simpson Nursery Company. ]

R. C. Simpson