Horticultural Society

H/4/1988-4-

There was no new business. The question was raised as to whether there should a specific meeting marked to celebrate our 125th season. The notion was avoided and in place, we agreed to meet at 7:00 at the next meeting to take a group picture.

QUESTIONS

Ari Preuss mentioned that during a trip to South Carolina he stayed 1/2 mile from the Angel Oak ( located on St. John's Island near Charleston) - a 1,400 to 1,600 year old tree reputed to be the oldest living thing east of the Mississippi.

Nancy Preuss needs a pet cage for their eventually large dog that they will be voyaging with.

Caroline Hussman has seen metal strips around trees in town. They were identified as sticky tape devise for battling gypay moth caterpillars.

Buzz Hussman has wood chips for the taking.

John Hartge questioned the identity of a beetle 1/2 the size of a ladybug with one black spot on each wing.

Mary Seiler asked about Polonia trees. One camp discounted the species as a big weed and another expounded on the value, aesthetics, and delicacy of raising the tree for fun and profit

Priscilla Allen asked how far back to cut pussy willows - 6 inches will do. Also plant blueberries high or low. High is preferable - Maine is a good state to start.

Flora Goff brought on a discussion of vermiliads or air plants. The gist was that they do very well with minimal care and feeding .

Tom Farquhar brought a stunted tomato seedling - 1 of 60 that he had planted in cardboard egg cartons. He also had many pepper seedlings in a similar lamentable state. Chemicals in the cardboard were blamed and it was recommended that plastic egg cartons work better because they can be disinfected with bleach solution and used over and over again.

WHat to do about the vole holes? Just a few of the approaches included noise makers cats, moth balls and placing plants within hardware cloth.

Peter Conlon inquired after locally available pines. Recommended was Meadows Farms, formerly Cheap Eddie's, across from the Red Door Country Store on Norwood Road.

Forethought started the advice to trim evergreen candles to make the growth thicker...to block out the visual scourge of encroaching housing developments, for instance. We were told that nothing is dormant and that when transplanting, prune to balance root system and foliage. Don't cut bulb greens. Divide and replant spring blooming perennials. Spray peonies if necessary. Prune spiria drastically after blooming and prune magnolia sparingly. May is a good time to layer plants. Rhododendrons need a shot of holytone and need pruning after blossoming. Sendyour house plants out and cut your grass high. Be on the lookout for the Holly leaf miner - apply sevin or diazanon now and orthene in June. All veggies should be seeded or otherwise ensconced in the garden in May.

The forethought was followed by Peter Conlon's meteorological report. It was mentioned that on the Sweetbriar compound in Ashton the high for the Month was 79 degrees - 63 being the average high. The low was 30 degrees - 39 being the average low. April's rainfall was 3.04 inches. Peter also brought graphs detailing rain and snow fall as well as temperatures throughout the 1987-88 season. These will be entered with the minutes.

The exhibits came next: The Lawrences brough bellwort, juge, sweer woodruff, white and yellow violets, phlox, lunaria, sweetbria, dog wood, lilac, red bud, and apple blossoms. From Clifton came 2 kinds of forgetmenots (snowflake and lucage), columbine, lilac, pulmonaria (lungwort), lillies of the valley, bishop's cap, armeria, phlox dicaricata, and an unkown bulb flower. The Earps brought lilac, jack in the pulpit, primrose, scilla, wisteria, jacob's ladder, azalia, wood hyacinth, iris, daffodil, and lungwort. From Amersley came lilacs, tulips and azalea. The Chance's brought lilacs, tulips, bleeding hearts, clematis, daffodils, viburnum, dog-toothed violet, and virginia bluebells. Rose Hill offered wisteria, lilac (white and purple), redbud, bleeding heart (white and pink), columbine, and iris. Jackpine brought azaleas, bleeding heart, tulip, and a mysterious array of flora called "et al" The Cedars brought azaleas, dogwood, candytuft, tulips, mint, strawberry blossoms, bleeding hearts, and pansies. Riverside brought lilacs, tulips, wisteria, candy tuft, azalea, kerria, columbine, springwort, and chhives.

The questions opened with an inquiry on gypsy moth control. For the month of May a band of sticky tape (brand name Repel-3) around afflicted tree trunks was recommended. Caterpillars get hung up on the band where they can be killed and their progress thus arrested. Tent caterpillars were also inquired after. Their harmfulness was downplayed and if the colonies are out of reach they should be abandoned to the appetites of coocoos. Mary Seller asked after the least offensive and economical weed killer for lawns. Since the problem weedes included everything, some of the suggestion were to plow, pave, or turn the lawn over to an effortless meadow-in-a-can. On the other hand, Weed-be-gone or 2-4-D was mentioned.

H/6/1988-3-

While relaxing in the calm before the evening's meal, a group of us sighted a piliated woodpecker flying across the Hussman's field. Lydia Haviland reported hearing an owl late one night unusually close to her house. Harking back to the minutes of a century ago, Caroline Hussman drew attention to the doom & gloom regarding the overwhelming threat that english sparrows represented in regards to our more valuable birds. One hundred years later we still have plenty of lovely and virtuous avian friends despite the profusion of vile, pushy, prolific, feathered vermin such as starlings and English sparrows. Ellen Hartge reports a Baltimore Oriole nest near her house. Also mentioned was the ballpark orioles going a full 14 innings the night before thus setting some sort of endurance record as well as accomplishing a rare win.

The redundancy committee reports 27 complete years of Society minutes coded into the participants computers.

QUESTIONS Edwina Earp has 2 patches of Dutch iris. Both are 2 years old but one patch has flowered nicely but the other with normal foliage had flowers that rotted and otherwise failed. No impassioned advice was forthcoming but it was suggested that she sprinkle the patches with lime and sulfa dust. In the dormant season maybe dig up the patch and roll the roots in the same powder before replanting. Harold Earp has asparagus beetles in his asparagus patch. Two solutions were offered: chickens and sevin. Tom Farguhar needs blue bird houses. Advised to call Francis Eylers. He also lamented his strawberries who have problems with birds, beetles, and mold. Advised to put in more plants and hope for good weather. On an iris question he was advised to trim the flowers but not too far back. Mary Seller complains that house finches have taken over feeders meant for goldfinches. What to do short of armed defense. Recommended that she tape up the holes above the perches - house finches wouldn't like the arrangement but goldfinshes can eat upside-down and thuse would be undeterred. Lydia Haviland drew our attention to a Christmas cactus she has that blooms year round. Other Society members mentioned Christmas cactuses the've know that behave in similar fashion. Buzz mentioned the Sheep and Wool Festival and the success it was. He drew attention to Peter Hagerty of the Peace Fleece endeavor. Your humble secretary met this individual and found him to be personable, bright, on the idealistic side but with unimpeachable motivations regarding relations between the Soviet Union and the United States.. Caroline Hussman has tiny mites in her herb patch. Advised to cut and burn afflicted plants in hopes that new growth with spring forth free of mites.

H/4/1991-1-

April 2, 1991, Eastlawn, page 1

It had been a clear windy day preceding our first 1991 meeting. The temperatures had been in the 50's and there was a frost and freeze warning on for the night. Despite those chilling auguries we met at the Mannings' for their first hosting of the Society. We shivered on their deck and shared visions for the oncoming gardening season then retreated to the house and a bountiful meal typical of what we had missed during preceding months.

Absent from the gathering were the Rogers, Caroline Hussman, Mary Seiler, and Tom Canby who was in the Middle East surveying the ecological ravages of our recent (murderous) involvement there. Our only guest for the evening was Mary Manning's mother, Bonny Sillers.

We started off the meeting with the October 1990 minutes and moved on to the reading of the By-Laws and realization that elections of Society officialdom was due. Since the standing president was absent, sick and supine we agreed to leave that chore for the next meeting.

Priscilla Allen was the assigned reader and shared passages from a personal anthology entitiled "My Garden in Baghdad". Among the charming vignettes and useful tidbits was an Islamic piece that said that God had put Man in the garden to dress and keep what grows there....one wonders who gets to do the other 90% of the workload involved with weeding, harvesting, peeling and canning. Later with a more occidental flavor we learned that pigeon manure is good while that of geese is pernicious. Also a haha is named such because in Britain one would take recognition of it and say a-ha! One wonders if lower class hahas were ever called blimeys. In the Arctic regions maybe they'd be called whoops! (because you seldom saw them until it was too late). In America they'd be called lawsuits.

Beth Bullard followed with an article by Barbara Cheney entitled "Garden Blights". It dealt with the frustrations of exhibiting one's garden to associates who avoid proper respect and awe in a creative myriad of infuriating and dispiriting ways.

Elizabeth Thornton followed with the minutes from a century ago. We were reminded that the best way to keep chickens from thieves is to lock both up separately.

Forethought involved the perennial situation of too much to do and too wet outside to do anything anyway. All the same it's a good time to plant trees and be sure to water new plantings if the weekly rainfall is under 1 inch. Plant

H/6/1991-2-

June 4, 1991, Rose Hill, page 2

lamentable shortfall of rain. We had a 9 day heatwave and usually May's average over 90 degree days number 2. We had 1 1/2" rain and last year we had 5.2. In addition to the heat and aridity, we also had a tornado watch during which green clouds were sighted. Our high temperatures fell on the 25th and 26th when it was 92 degrees. The cool spot was on the 8th when it was 39. Fears of global warming were allayed a bit when it was brought up that other regions were experiencing lower temperatures. The Mid-Atlantic region and Siberia were reporting high temperatures and low rainfalls.

Exhibits

Outstanding amongst the exhibits were an adobe brick that Lydia Haviland brought back from a visit to New Mexico. In light of the brick and Lydia's equally weighty explanation, all other offerings were overshadowed.

The Bird Report included a piliated woodpecker nest at Quailhill. Ted Fletcher has a robin's nest near a window at Pi Acres. He asked how long it was between hatching time and when the fledglings were kicked out of the nest. No one knew so Ted was asked to report back. A postscript notes that Ted watched the nest for 2 weeks at which time a cat concluded the observation. It was added that nestling survival rates is less than 25%. The Bullards are at Dolly Sods on an analytical field trip during which they study and chart bird populations by listing and studying bird songs as opposed to actual sightings.

The Bee Report indicated the continuation of a good season.

Committee Reports focussed on the microfilming effort which aims to get under full swing during the 3rd week in June. Need for prepatory work requires 5 people who volunteered without too much cajolling and threats.

There was no New Business so we went on to Questions. Sherry Fletcher has a 15 foot stewardia and it's the plant's 1st year for blossoms which stay on one day and drop off. Acknowledged as a slow grower perhaps the heat and dryness is to be blamed for the blossom's short tenure.

A report back report came up regarding the Mantis brand of mini cultivator. Although small and cheap looking it is said to work well and yield satisfying results.

Mary Seiler referred to Tom Canby's article on deer overpopulation and was thus inclined to rethink her