Horticultural Society

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The Bentley's front porch was so loaded with exhibits that it took the combined efforts of two able Assistants to name them, but between them Flora Goff and Grace Thomas compiled a list about a mile long, with roses predominating. Mary Moore Miller started things off with 8 different Rose specimens, including a climbing Peace, Helen Traubel, Golden Shower, White Knight, Dr. VanFleet, Paul Scarlet and some Thornless variety from Edgewood. All this was in addition to 3 Peonies, 3 Iris, Pansies, Sweet Rocket, Japanese Iris, Love-in-a-Mist, Veronica, Columbine, Gaillardia, Snapdragons, Mock Orange, together with individual Marigold and Zinnia plants to give out for the asking.

Claire and Mary Bea Hutton brought 15 varieties of assorted roses, while the Lawrences had Blaze Roses and Mountain Laurel, and Edward Iddings had a Silver Morn Rose. Rose Hutton brought Clove Pinks, Irish Broom, Purple Smoketree, Cinquefoil, Peonies, Azalea, Cornus Kousa and a Grape Holly. The Weskes had red roses and some Peonies, while the Goffs brought Red and Pink Peonies, Fox Gloves, Iris, Painted Daisy, Coral Bells, Oriental Iris and Poppies, Lemon Lily, Columbine and Snapdragons. Caroline Hussman had two kinds of Lettuce, Onions, Peas, Peonies, Pinks, Platycodon, Iris and Roses. Dale and Alan Thomas brought a bouquet of Salmon Oriental Poppies, Snapdragons, Siberian Iris, Mock Orange, Coral Bells,, Penstemon, Pinks, Batchellor Buttons and Kale. The Mannings had Azaleas, Mock Orange, Gaillardia, branches from 3 different Cornus Kousa trees and some wild French Strawberries. The Ligons brought Digitalis, 3 Iris, another Dorothy Kay Iris, Snapdragons, 3 kinds of Peonies, Mexican Primrose, an Oriental Poppy and 16 varieties of Roses, the names of which Betty knew all but one.

Helen Bentley rescued a wren that was stuck in its house, and it finally flew away. Betty Ligon saw and heard a wren scolding to get into a house with too small an opening, and several birds had died striking against her picture windows. Wendy Lawrence saw two male Scarlet Tanagers and had Carolina wrens around her house. Flora Goff is raising her second crop of Bluebirds now, and while in Bermuda recently, she saw the Bluebird houses painted just like the main house. Betty Ligon wants a Martin house for their Virginia home and Wendy Lawrence reported seeing them in Greencastle, Penna. John Weske reported seeing blackbirds chasing blacksnakes in his trees, and Grace Thomas asked John to please send her snakes back home, to her old house.

Our Host and Hostess had no questions for the moment, but Esther Murray wanted to know how to keep Helen from working so hard.

Clive Lawrence has had trouble with boring carpenter bees. He should spray them with DDT, 2% Chlordane, Realkill or stuff poison soaked rags into the holes. John Weske would calk them in shut up tight, or some would use a Badminton raquet to swat them for fun, but then Clive would need a scorekeeper.

Art Souder was told to cut his asparagus only half an inch below the ground surface instead of 3 inches. Bleached white asparagus, sometimes preferred, is made by hilling up earth around stalks and then cutting down below the mounds.

Rose Souder wanted to know about the worms on asparagus, and was told to spray with DDT, but don't eat from there very soon.

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Lucy Manning wanted to know if asparagus broke where it was tender, and should it be cut or broken from the bed? She was told it should be cut with a knife just below the ground, then it could be broken wherever it could be for use in cooking.

Betty Ligon: Can African violets be started by leaves? Some say yes, some say no. Is it worth while to build Martin houses? Definitely yes; they always become populated wherever used.

Harry Goff remarked on the beautiful holly trees in Jack's grove; how does he raise them so nice and thick and where could I get some? Jack says that pruning makes them thicken up right, and he sells cuttings for Christmas time. Harry says he wants the big ones fully grown, so our President says he has the big ones for sale but they would be very expensive.

Speaking of pruning, reminded Rose Souder of the effective and easy pruning done for us this year by the freezing weather on the Azaleas. She wondered if it didn't leave the remaining flowers much larger. Lucy Manning's white azaleas, the Snow variety, were not so good this year, but it may have been because there were too many lace bugs.

Harry Goff mentioned the collection of the Montgomery General Hospital's Building and likened it to a slow growing tree. Many people have spent much time and effort already in raising the amount of $582,000 pledged to date, but it may take several years to go over the neccessary million dollar mark just to get started.

Mary Moore Miller informed us that the new Sandy Spring Civic Group would be having its next meeting at the Community House on next Wednesday evening. The theme would be planning housing improvement and modernizing, while trying to maintain low density of housing units around Sandy Spring.

There being no further questions, the meeting adjourned at 9:30 pm, to meet in July with Dale and Alan Thomas at Rocky Ridge.

Alan F. Thomas, Secretary

H/7/1966-1-

July 5-1966 - In our 103rd Year At Rocky Ridge with Dale and Alan Thomas

To those of you who visited Rocky Ridge for the first time, we hope you liked what you saw, but we'd like to remind you that it was not always thus. During the very early years of this century, this Groomes' property was known as "Grape Valley Farm" and even as late as the Thirties and Forties, the productivity and beauty of the Groomes' fields and garden was the pride of Sunshine. However, the sun has a habit of setting once in awhile, so that during the Fifties while the property was owned by a "city" family, without the knowledge or proper care of "country" living, the place became dreary and forlorn. In fact, the front yard and beautiful gardens were fenced in and used for a barn yard for cattle, sheep and swine.

The place was so barren when we came here in 1960 that we began planting right away. Practically all the small trees, fruit trees, evergreens, bushes and flowers were planted by us, so that by the time you come around again, we hope we will have a much better showing. Maturally, we were very pleased to have you visit, and the food you brought for pot-luck was absolutely delicious and too much.

President Ulric Hutton managed to get us all together in one small room at 7:55 pm, and welcomed our guests, the two Mothers-in-Law, Mrs Sarah Mannakee and Mrs Ethel Thomas, and our daughter, Mrs Dale T. Trott from Baltimore. We were sorry that the President's little granddaughter had to leave too early to make everyone's acquaintance. The Farquhars are still away visiting the British Isles, but several cards have inquired about the Horticultural Society and they expect to return in time for the next meeting; also absent were the Hussman's, Claire Hutton and the Ligons.

The Secretary looked around in vain for a substitute to take minutes at his own meeting, but there seemed to be an emphatic negative response. The previous minutes were read and accepted.

The subject chosen for the evening by Bea Hutton was "Trees Do Grow Fast" and proved to be a very interesting account by Sam Hemming of the growth habits of various kinds of trees. The life span of most trees is about the same as man, 70 to 100 years, while going thru practically the same stages as Juvenile, Youthful, Maturity and Old Age. One of the exceptions would be our own Maryland Wye Oak, now estimated to be 450 years old. A wide variety of trees mature between 25 and 35 years old, maybe 3 to 4 feet in diameter and up to 75 feet high. Guessing the age of trees has proven very hard to do without an actual cut, as some are very erratic. The oaks seem to be the largest, the early chestnuts were good, but a Chinese Elm is very erratic and usually of very poor quality. A Carolina Popular can reach four feet thick in about 65 years, while the pines and the soft woods are generally the most rapid growers.

Bea Wilson's Forethought sounded like she meant for us to plant perennials, pick off all faded flowers, get rid of poisons but spray plenty of DDT around, trim and prune bushes and fruit, divide Oriental Poppies and Iris, enrich your soil with bonemeal and make your last planting of Glads.

There was no real weather report, except that everyone note that Summer has come in with a heat wave. It has been over 90° almost every day this summer. Many cities are having record highs.

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Between them Mary Reading Miller and Grace Thomas made quite a show of reading the exhibits. Besides the Golden Rain Tree, the Crimson Star Clematis, Gloriosa Pansies, many Glads and Lillies, when Raspberries and Cantaloupes left in the refrigerator. You must have known we couldn't raise them this year.

Someone mentioned that unspoiled National Park land, Assateague Island, where large flocks of many types of birds gather and the Snow Geese come in aroundNovember First. Mary Moore Miller has at least 3 pairs of goldfinch. Mrs Mannakee put out samples of red, white and blue yarn for the birds to choose in building a nest. She had hoped that one of them would come up with a flag draped nest, but so far only some red yarn has been used; could they be colorblind? Liz Canby reported that the White Albino Cardinal is still around the neighoborhood, but has/yet decided/ not whether to settle down with Edith Thomas or Stella Moore. Dale and Alan have many pairs of birds here, wrens, jays, mocking birds, cat birds, robins, doves, quail, pigeons, starlings and several kinds of sparrows.

Dale Thomas started the question period with "Will Foxgloves and Canterbury Belles bloom after cutting"? Yes. Can you spray the Roses in this 90° heat? Yes, if you get to them early enough.

Your Secretary wanted to know how to kill these pesky trees you see coming up everywhere here and taking over the place? No easy way was mentioned; one could use axes, horses or goats, or just wait until the trees were big enough to make furniture out of them.

Mary Reading Miller asked if she could plant her perennial seeds in flats or could they go directly into the bed? The answer was "yeas" for either place, provided thy were in a shady place. For much better winter protection, flats should be broutht into the greenhouse. The President remarked that he found that weeds also grew in flats much faster than any seeds over planted.

Lucy Manning wanted to know if one could transplant Laurel in the Fall. Wait until early Spring for better results.

Mother Mannakee asked if trees were impregnated with dye, would it change the color of the leaves? No one seemed to know for certain, but the President reminded us that wood itself could be treated for different colors.

Mother Thomas has some very large boxwood bushes for sale. She should contact Gustin Gardens, or other reliable nursery.

Flora Goff is interested in starting Azalea cuttings. She should plant them in sand, away from sunlight, annd keep them damp.

Liz Canby asked if Azaleas needed the sunshine or the shade? Most everyone felt that these plants are better off in at least 3/4 shade, with a little sunshine for good blooming. There will not be as heavy blooms in all shade.

Edward Iddings wants help from anyone who does not take poison to pull up his poison ivy vines. He was reminded to use Brush Killer, which will get rid of everything around. Or if he

H/8/1966-1-

August 2-1966 - In our 103rd Year At the Home of Ulric and Rose Hutton

As we returned once more to meet with our President and his charming lady, in a beautiful setting and home that seems to be nameless, we found that they had not had any more rain than the rest of us. In fact, the only greenery to be seen were the evergreens themselves and the two dozen or more experimental potted plants that Ulric was persuading to grow individually. The brown lawn and almost everything was showing the effects of the continued long draught.

The tables were again filled with many times their weight in calories for our gleeful consumption. There was a table on the porch and one out on the lawn, and those of us who were eating outside were very pleasantly surprised, while getting ready for dessert, with a five-minute shower that made us all scamper inside. There was hardly enough rain to settle the dust, so we were roaming outside again after dinner until the meeting convened at 7:45 pm.

President Ulric Hutton greeted their guests: Mrs Bernice Kendall, Mrs Catherine Adams, Dr and Mrs Lorne Garretson and little Elizabeth Brooke Garretson, just beginning her journeys on two feet. At this time we missed the Canbys, the Goffs, Helen Farquhar, Dale Thomas and John Weske. The Secretary's minutes of the previous meeting were read and accepted.

Our Reader, Francis Thomas, decided to present an article that had nothing to do with horticulture, but one which gave us a grave warning on "The Nightmare of Prescription Drugs" in the Science and Mechanics magazine.. Physicians are being brainwashed by such high pressure promotion advertising of new drugs, that it is almost impossible for them to prescribe correctly for each individual case. A new antibiotic called "Chloramphenicol" seems to cause "aplastic anemia", a blood disease from which half of the victims die. Doctors who claim such curative powers of these new drugs are warned to try less potent methods before playing Russian roulette with some innocent, unsuspecting patient.

All therapeutic accidents cannot be charged to the doctors or the drug houses. The patient himself will take too many pills, or take them at the wrong time, or even months after his disease has left him. Prescription directions must be followed exactly, or some medicines become lethal when taken in combination with other drugs. Sometimes the corner druggist is to blame for unfavorable reactions when mistakes are made in filling prescriptions. Many instances were cited where certain drugs produced unfortunate results. Manufacturers claim that high prices are due to cost of research, but a US Senate committee found out that the 22 largest companies spend four times as much on promotion as on research. We should commend Francis for choosing an article with such timely warning and advice.

When the President called for volunteer articles, Bea Wilson presented one on the "ALOE VERA", which was turned in by Flora Goff. This Aloe Vera is a house plant, member of the lily family found in dry, tropical parts of the world, particularly Africa, and will do wonders for burns, cuts and abrasions. Also called "Barbadoes" aloe, it is one of the plants from which "bitter aloes" are extracted.