1984-85 Michael Smith
It is with regret that I must report on another year of abysmal progress, a year of extreme frustration and disappointment.
Aside from the Gisborne East Coast Branch input recording chestnuts no other branch has shown any inclination to participate with the National Tree Registrar.
Complete dormancy could best describe the attitude and aside from the usual flurry of conscious stricken activity prior to conference and best intentions after conference, very little occurs.
The situation is critical and cannot be motivated by a single individual. The task of Tree Recording is enormous and potentially demands the efforts of a full-time person with secretarial support. Those of you who have read J. Russell Smith's book "Tree Crops, A Permanent Agriculture" would understand the enormity of the Tree Recording task.
Why bother to Record at all, why have a National Registrar?
We must have reliable, objective, well-documented, comparable information to evaluate the relative worth of selections. What is lacking is the systematic, annual accumulation of acceptable and practical points of reference from which to determine the relative merits.
In my 1982-83 Annual Report I presented a fundamental step by step progression of events for Tree Recording, culminating with Registration as the final event.
Ignoring the basic first step by groups that have established trial areas, e.g. Hazels, Chestnuts, Loquats, Feijoas, etc, they are apparently trying to demonstrate their ability to walk before crawling. These groups have shown a minimal inclination to commit even skeletal details such as size and shape to the National Registrar, making this facet of Tree Crop effort a farce.
How history views the effectiveness of our Association largely depends on our success or failure with Tree Recording.
I am encouraged by the publication in Growing Today of both the Chestnut and Pecan Recorder forms. Hopefully such publicity will encourage membership participation with Tree Recording. Possibly other land use orientated publications will take up our case and assist in communicating our goals.
Thank you Owen Long for presenting the Pecan Recorder form and also to Paul Dodgshun for his assistance with the form.
Congratulations to the Walnut Action Group for their progressive efforts to date. Progress can be achieved with this kind of positive effort.
The change away from a Nut Competition to Nut Evaluation at Conference is admirable. I am sure that the educational benefit for members participating in an evaluation format will be immense.
In previous reports I have appealed for commitment, dedication, team work, unified action, etc. It is disappointing to constantly repeat such pleas and gain such a pitiful response.
I wish to resign my position as National Tree Registrar and will assist my successor wherever possible.
M Smith