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H/6/1968-1-
The Horticultural Society Meeting
"The Highlands" with Bob and Mary Reading Miller
June 4-1968

What is so rare as another delightful gathering in June at
"The Highlands"? It was such excellent weather that we were reluc-
tant to come inside for the usual sumptious repast. Some of us did
enjoy our meal out on the porch, and almost everyone enjoyed another
inspection of the gardens before we were called to order at 8:05pm.

President Ellis Manning welcomed our guests, Mrs Brewster and
Mr Cannon, and then suggested that the Treasurer collect back dues.
The Secretary read the minutes of the previous meeting, which were
approved after a slight correction. She persuaded your former Sec-
retary to take the minutes of this meeting at her home. Unfinished
business produced no further report from William Heckendorn on the
clearance of roadside trash and rubbish.

Betty Ligon, our reader for the evening, gave us many thought
provoking hints to improve our gardening, from an article in the
Reader's Digest on "Six Steps to a Green Thumb". We should learn to
relax in our gardening; don't work too hard or spend too much money,
it is not an occult science, so learn to be a general practitioner,
instead of a specialist and you will have that much more fun. Do
the work before you see the need for it; in other words, hit first
in the Battle of the Bugs. Stick to a regular spray schedule and
keep cultivating to control weeds. Learn the correct fertilization
for each type of plant and also how to take care of the root system.
After all gardening is just learning a few "tricks of the trade" and
a "green thumb" is just a dirty thumb, plus a little common sense.

Betty also read us an excellent garden poem, which she wrote
herself back in 1931, about her own home and garden experiences.

As an extra volunteer article, Alan Thomas read Life's account
of Boston's TV Gardener, Thalassa Cruso, who conducts a gardening
TV show in the same manner as Julia Child does her French cooking.
The article gave many humorous hints on down-to-earth gardening.

Sylvia Woodward's forethought tells us to: spray iris with a
sticky spreader liquid; prune the camelias; divide primroses; clean
the blackspot from roses; help control weeds by applying a liquid
poison to the leaves and not the ground; use open and airy mulches
where needed; and start succession plantings and thinning of your
vegetables.

Many people have wondered how wet and cold May was this year
in comparison with last year. Douglas Farquhar's weather report
showed that while the lowest temperature this year was 35 degrees compared
with 38 degrees in 1967, the rest of the figures were higher this year. 84 degrees
was the highest this year, against 82 degrees in 1967, and last year's mean
temperature of 56 degrees increased to 62 degrees this year. Total rainfall on 15
different days this year measured 5.8" vs. 4.7" last year, but it
still leaves us about 12" below normal for the year, which seems to
be not so cold and wet after all.

Our Assistant Secretary for tonight, Mary Moore Miller, read a
tremendous list of exhibits, including flowers, fruits and vegetables.
Very fine specimens were received from both Hutton families, both
Miller families, the Goff's, the Farquhar's, the Ligon's, the Hecken-
dorn's and the Thomas's. We will not attempt to list everything, but
will mention a few of specific interest. The Ligons had 39 varieties
of flowers in one bouquet; Dale Thomas brought a tall spiked flower
from her mother, Mrs Mannakee, which could not be named by anyone here;
there was a robin's egg in the "Cedars" basket, and the Heckendorns