Chapter 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

R. C. Simpson, President of the Simpson Nursery Company of Monticello, Florida, and C. A. Simpson, Secretary and Treasurer of that Company, are both horticulturists of the highest reputation. They are pecan growers of recognized ability, and this plantation shows the advantages of their thorough skilled supervision.

R. C. Simpson, President of the Simpson Nursery Co., is now 38 years old. Born at Vincennes, Indiana, where both his grandfather and father were leading nurserymen. Graduated from Vincennes University in 1901 and from Cornell University in 1905. While in college he pursued the study of Agriculture, specializing in horticulture, and in 1905 was granted the degree of Bachelor of Science in Horticulture by Cornell University, one of the most advanced agricultural institutions in America.

Went South in 1906 to pursue his practical work in pecan culture and established the nurseries of which he is now the head. His fourteen years of practical experience in pecan growing in the South, backed by his long preliminary training have made him one of the most successful men in America in his line.

Bank Reference: Bank of Monticello, Monticello, Florida.

C. A. SIMPSON, Secretary and Treasurer of Simpson Nursery Company,
First Vice President National Nut Growers’ Association.
]