Horticultural Society

A photo of 21 people posing in a garden Backrow Harold Earp Edwina Earp Bette Hartge Nancy Chance Susan Fifer Canby Rudi Hanel Elie Rogers Lydia Haviland Leslie Rogers John Hartge Ellen Hartge Peter Austin Caroline Hussman Buzz Hussman Iduna Hanel Front Row Tom Farquhar Mary Grady Nancy Preuss Mo Chance Ari Preuss Elizabeth Thornton missing - Tom Canby, Bill Hartge, Jim + Beth Bullard, Peter + Polly Conlon and Harry + Flora Goff Incomplete SSHS July 5, 1988

May 7, 1991, Iris, page 2

years old - some will get to be 150 years. Once pollinated the plant gives off 60,000 seeds per plant then dies.

The Old Minutes were read and followed by an account from Bill Hartge about his experience watching a sea turtle lay her eggs on a beach in Culebra. He was part of a conversation group that monitors such turtle actibity and one night was called to witness an 800 lb. matron dig a 14 inch deep hole and lay 81 eggs. She then covered the clutvh up and retreat back to the briny deep. The last time we heard a personal report from Bill was when he and Bettes survived Huricane Hugo when there might have been turtles hurtling through the air rather than peacefully laying eggs to the awed attention of their human observers.

Harold Earp followed with the forethought. The meeting was running a little late so he paraphrased to plant, prune, weed, and water everything, all the time.

John Hartge followed with the Meteorologist Report. April was a dry month leaving us with less than 1/2 of what we had during April of last year (1.4 " in 1991, 3.2 " in 1990). The average low was 41.5 degrees and the average high was 65.6. The last frost was on the 22 and the last hard frost was on the 4th. Highest wind gust was 31 mpg on the 10.

The Bird Report mentioned that the purple martins arrived in Laytonville the week earlier.

The Committee on Microfilming announced progress in finding and organizing old minutes. Mo has agreed to continue championing the effort but needs help numbering pages prior to filming. Ellen Hartge volunteered. A fellow group, the Neighbors has artwork for the front of the proposed microfilmed volume.

Questions

Susan Canby planted daylillies last year but no blooms are in evidence. Suggested that either too much manure was applied or they were planted too deep.

Ted Fletcher brought in an odd oblong burred object which appeared more plantlike than mineral or vegetable. No one could identify it. Asked to report back and advised to keep it in a room separate from sleeping quarters.

The hour was late and the meeting was going at a fast clip. However, the Questions were interrupted to accommodate the Bee Report. Bees deemed in good shape and back to questions.

John Hartge asked if anyone has had any information on the Mantis brand of power cultivators. No opinions volunteered so John was asked to report back.

Nancy Chance asked about the tubes used in tree cultivation and seen on route 144 opposite the Howard Country Fairgrounds entrance. Supposedly protects young trees from frost, deer, mice, and rabbits.

H/8/1991-1-

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

6 AUGUST 1991

The interior of Riverton was elegant, the grounds a delight when the Society convened on August 6 for its first meeting at the home of Sally and Tim Eller. The ample dinner was enhanced by the hospitality of the hosts and their guests, who insured that each table maintained a generous supply of edibles and potables.

After President Nancy Preuss called the meeting to order, the Ellers introduced their guests: son Mark, Kate Windsor, Pavita McIntyre, and Sally's brother Barry Van Riper and his wife Chrissie. Absent were the Fletchers, Rogers, Mary Seiler, and Elizabeth Thornton and Peter Austin.

Tom Canby, the reader, excerpted passages from an article in New Scientist magazine about the surprising affects of natural aspirin on plants. Scientists have found that salicylic acid, the active component of aspirin, provides a natural defense for plants, and can be produced by them with the proper stimulus. The voodoo lily, for example, secretes the acid to generate heat when its blossoms are fertile, generating an odor that attracts flies that polinate it. Tobacco plants that are infected with viruses unleash a surge of salicylic acid that manufactures proteins that vanquish the invaders.

Volunteer reader Jim Bullard drew on a chapter from The Birders' Handbook to describe the versatility of the bird's bill, or, if one prefers, its beak. Because the bird must use its forelimbs for flight, the bill/beak assumes the role of hands or paws, for purposes such as grasping objects, scratching the body, or making courting gestures. In the case of the skimmer bird, which passes its beak through the water, a twice-normal growth rate constantly replaces the worn appendage.

The subject of Puerto Rican sea turtles received a welcome addendum from Bill Hartge, who recently returned from the island with fresh lore. A female leatherback, he said, may lumber ashore to nest six or eight times in a season, planting as many as a thousand large eggs. Bill's research expanded to green turtles, and involved the tricky business of keeping the reptiles alive once they are captured.

Susan Fifer Canby read the August 1891 minutes of the meeting at Avalon. They brought forth the observation that fruit trees thrive especially near smokehouses, leading Iduna Hanel to speculate that the smoking may inhibit insects.

In his presentation on Forethought, Harold Earp urged the weekly watering of roses, the testing of soil before liming in order to discover its needs, and giving a try to tilling your soil at night to discourage weeds on the theory that absence of sunlight inhibits germination.

341 H/6/1924 -3-

Mother read an article from "Current Opinion" regarding the ever interesting subject of the ofensive bill boards. It is gratifying to know that such extensive advertizers as The Standard Oil of New Jersey, Hood tires, Dodge Cars etc. are coöperating with the public to such an extent.

Cousin Ellen read us "The care of roses", and of a spray for black spot which she had sent for. We will be interested to hear teh result.

Our forethought was absent, but Mrs. Davis read from "The flower grower" some things which should be done. June is the time to use the hoe the cultivator and the weeder. If the weeds get ahead now, and go to seed, it not only means an unsigntly garden now, but trouble next year also. Do not wait until plants are too large before staking. Spray. Sow seeds of perennials to set out in early September. Clip off whithered [withered] flowers. Set out Dahlias and Gladioli.

Cousin Anne Farquhar, who was assistant Secretary, reported

H/9/1987-3-

match for our Lydia Haviland, she chose to abandon her tepid efforts to recover the bird and Lydia quite rightfully adopted the bird into her more able, worthy, and knowledgeable care.

Questions: Nancy Chance asked how to prune wisteria. Advised to go about it in a major way and September is a good month for it. Mo Chance asked if there was any good corn around. Lydia Haviland allowed as how her first batch was smallish but nice. Other reports were discouraging due to the lamentable shortage of rainfall. Flora Goff offered mysterious seeds for identification. They were tagged as from a luffa sponge plant which does well in these parts. Bill Hartge inquired about deer sightings. A herd of 11 were sighted on Haviland Mill Road and Priscilla Allen spotted a spotted fawn near Amersely. Tom Farquhar is finding it difficult to get his spinach to germinate. Aduna Hanel displayed peat pots with 4 or 5 seeds on top of potting soil with damp paper towel over top of them. Mary Grady wants to transplant lilac bushes. Advised to go ahead. Lydia Haviland's porgilaca has stopped blooming. Suggested she leave it alone. Betty Hartge asked if anyone uses milky spoor any more. Yes, the Extension Service still recommends it highly. Once applied it will maintain itself as long as there are japanese beetles around to prolong the life of the spoor. Does anyone around here use zoysia grass for ground cover? No mention of it - consensus is that it's too ugly most of the year for local tastes. Nancy Pruess pruned back her peonies to the ground. It was advised to just take off flowerhead next time. Consolation was offered that peonies are rugged plants and might come back. More on peonies came from Tom Farquhar whose plants have languished this summer while he's seen others do fine. It was suggested that water may be the problem. John Hartge wondered whether this venerable society could be dragged kicking and screaming into the computer age. Much of the wisdom repeatedly imparted over the decades could be catalogued onto computer disks so that maybe the 7 dozen most often asked questions could become an integral part of our records. The response was mixed and John was encouraged to spearhead the effort as cautiously as possible. Buzz Hussman asked about groundhog control. With gentleness and delicacy, Priscilla Allen suggested smoke bombs, car exhaust, traps, gasoline, lye, guns, waterhose treatment, and voodoo. Beth Bullard mentioned squash borers; while on vacation the bugs back home killed all the Bullard's squash. Advised next