Horticultural Society

July 4th-1967

THE COTTAGE with Mary Moore Miller

The wather was promising- and Mary Moore had tables all ready on the lawn for supper- when as we were gathering the biggest, blackest cloud came rolling along, Stopped right over our tables and guests- set them up again in the living room which was all ready for the meeting- and went on with the usual delectable dinner. After which everyone helped to take down the tables and ready the room for the meeting, which was called to order at the usual time-8.00by the president, Ellis Manning.

We were glad to have with us former members, Jack and Helen Bentley and Helen's sister- Ruth and Raymond Havens and Sallie Brooke and Jean Coulter.

And we were sorry to not have with us :- Rust and Elizabeth Canby, Dick and Sylvia Woodward, Harry and Flora Goff, Walter and Bea Wilson, Alan and Dale Thomas and Claire Hutton.

The minutes were read and approved.

We voted on the names of WIlliam and Zela Hechendorn for membership- the membership committee having presented them at the last meeting. they were elected, and Ellis and Lucy Manning will call on them to invite them to become members.

Helen Farquhar read fromt he newest Edward Teale booka diary of the seasons. She read his July 4th notes- when he listened to and observed the insects around him- calling them by name- and made them sound so friendly and interesting one hesitates to spray! No volunteer articles and no Forethought.

Douglas Farquhar gave his weather report for Junea very dry month after a rather wet May- only three days when we had a measurable rainfall- totaling 2.1 inch with and average temperature of 81 degrees.

Elizabeth Ligon told them of watching a row of young robins patiently sitting waiting while the mother went back and forth into the strawberry bedd bringing them the fruit.

QUESTIONS;

Elizabeth Ligon wants to know why she lost an azelia, one of a group of the same kind and age in the same location- which just died very quickly. No good answer unless it was attacked by some bug - but why just that one.

John Weske asked about where there had been formal gardens in Sandy Spring. Theere were several- none of which survive, as the informal ones seem more in keeping with our lives- and help now. There was a lovely one at Norwood one at Alloway- Tanglewood, and other were mentioned.

The question was asked about cuttingover the strawberry bed after it stops bearing. After some discussion, mostly against- Robert Miller said he always do so- and found it very satisfactory.

There were not too many exhibits but what there was was very good- from Great Ease, The Cedars, The Highlands and The Mannings.

Adjourned to meet at Great Ease on August 1st- with Alan Thomas as the reader.

Mary Reading Miller, Sect'y

Alloway and The Cedars.

Birds: A lark's neat in a pasture produces four eggs for view; as a remedy for starlings, encourage the squirrels to take over a tree. Isabel Wesley and just returned from trip to the far west and she had noted slight but distinct variations in the vestern birds from those in the east.

The Membership comittee was/asked to consider a family to fill one vacancy in our ranks.

Questions: Mr. Ulrich is a native of France now living here. He spoke of the French only having to spray for the potato bug, - also they have relatively few birds. They are a/much older country than the U.S.A and he wonders why we have ro spary so much here. Claire Hutton wondered how one can take a two weeks vacation without the carbgrass and weeds taking over the garden. The only suggestion was to take it in winter!. Mulch to keep the weeds down. For lima beans with some curled leaves try Malathien. A blight on chrysanthemums may contamiate others so throw the affected ones away, -unless it is caused by mematodes, in which case a little table suger can be applied to the soil: also water,if very dry. Why do we say "Cool as a cucumber"? Maybe because it looks cool when iced the power of suggestion . Why did raspberry bushes die? Probably because too wet. They need well drained ground. Also, don't send too far from home when ordering plants. Irving Smith read a unique recipe for a salad which included such things as tablespoons of marigold blossems, 8 nastursiums, violet blossoms, etc. Ruth Havens said they sprayed chloradane last year. She asked if it would hurt the calk to walk on treated ground. It is not likely to do so. Are there many persimmon trees growing wild? The Wilsons, Isabel Wesley on the Ulrichs have seen some in the community. At least one kind ripens before frost. There were lots if moles in a yard last year. The castor oil plant was recommended but did not appeal artistically so castor oil was applied to wads of cotton and put in holes which seened to work. Chlordane will also help kill them. It was noted that there are also few insects in Nova Scotia, and the English do not have to spray roses. We used to have wild strawberries. Do we still? Yes, but they are past now. They are trying to tame down the scent of the Regal lily which is so pungent as to make people sick. Tulip bulbs may be dug now if new growth has not started. It is not necessary to let them dry before replanting them. To get rid of the big hornet's nest in a holly tree spray with DDT at night. For an expert landscape person, Mr. Duplan was rerecommended.

As readers for next time, Grace Thomas and Ellis Manning were apponited and we adjourned to meet with the Bentleys at "Oakley".

Mary Moore Miller

Mary Moore Miller

Secretary

-2- H/9/1961-2

cantaloupe vines with Bordeau mixture for spots. Loose soil such as around the Patuxent is more favorable to them. What is the name for a leaf made up of many small leaves such as the locust? Edward Iddings will look this up.

The Canby's had enjoyed a trip to the northwest recently. They were impressed by the handsome roses, the Boarchart Garden the the flower baskets in Victoria which are watered at midnight and have beautiful pink geraniums in them, - 500 all alike. It was noted that fox grapes have been "the best ever" in spite of beetles this year, that turned the leaves to lace. This fact may have been responsible for more sun getting to the grapes themselves. Those who have them now are fortunate as they have become scarce. The history of Franklinia could not be explained. Crab apples are ready to pick when their seeds are black.

The Meteorologist reported and average hight of 82°, highest 90°, ave. low 65°, lowest 52°; mean temp. 73°. 3.68 in. of rain fell with a trace of rain on 20 days. It rained for 30 days after St. Swithin's- not the 40 of history!

Birds: Blackbirds have damaged some sweet corner by going first after the Jap. beetle then discovery the corn.

The Planning Commission is working for a 150 foot right of way from Olney to Ashton with controlled access for the future.

Mention was made of the letter to the Sentinel by our friend E. B. Morris on the "Disease of Cutting Trees".

The Nominating Committee will be appointed at the next meeting to bring in the name of a secretary as the present on one wishes to be excused, having served out Ruth Havens second year, - left unfilled when she resigned last year.

Our next meeting will be at Bien Venu with the Wilsons, who were absent because of Walter's illness this date. The readers will be Jack Bentley and Francis Thomas.

Adjournment was then in order.

Mary Moore Miller

Mary Moore Miller, Secretary.

H/10/1961-2.

-2-

"leaves divided".

As a nominating committee to bring in the name|of a person to serve|as a Secretary in place of the present one who filled out the term after Ruth Havens resigned, the Canbys and Ligons were named. This comm. will see that cards go out/in the spring The places of meeting for 1962 werre read and approved. The April meeting will be with Ulric and Rose Hutton. There are fifteen (15) families and two honorary members active now.

Birds: A small pure yellow bird with black head and wimngs could have been a warbler eating sunflower seeds. a pink and gray bird that sang beautifully out west was a linnet. Mimosa and nicotiana drew hummingbirds. Wild geese were seen to-day.

Questions: Is it too late to put in a cover crop for the garden? Rye will grow too tall and wont disintegrate enough but it can be cut back with a mower. Rust planted soy beans earlier and plowed them in then put in barley which is green like a lawn now. Black spot on stems or leaves of roses should be sprayed with lime sulphur-1 part to 9 parts water. Apply once in winter and once later before growth starts. Have figs grown around here? The season is not long enough, usually. They stay green and freeze off before they ripen. Protected in the D. C. they bear some fruit. Try a shock of fodder around the tree for protection. Lavinia Henderson has had good results in Rockville in the southern exposure there. Chicken wire covered with leaves also has been used successfully. Freeze the figs if they bear fruit. There was no answer as to why wall-flowers had died off. Where crimson clover has not come up, plant barley. The color of trees is the result of a subsatnce similar to sugar that is eliminated by dry weather. Irving Smith will give further information on this at our April meeting. The weed that looks like chrysanthemums has been persistent. A flame thrower was needed to scorch it out in the fall; English ivy and pachysandra are crowding it out for others.

We adjnourned to meet in April with the Ulric Huttons.

Mary Moore Miller

Mary Moore Miller, Secretary

(End of The 98th Year)

H/5/1965-1-

May 4-1965 - In our 102nd Year At "The Cottage" with Mary Moore Miller

In the perfect weather, after a delightful stroll around a wellkept garden in prolific bloom, and having partaken of the usual wellbalanced "pot-luck" meal, of which there is always too much, our President, Ulric Hutton called the Horticultural Society to order at 7:50 p.m. We noted with regret the absence of our past President, Jack Bentley, altho his place was taken by his sister-in-law, Miss Esther Murray. Other absentees were Rust and Liz Canby, Herry and Flora Goff, Vernon and Caroline Hussman, Ellis and Lucy Manning and Francis and Grace Thomas, but we were glad to welcome as guests our friends and former members, Raymond and Ruth Havens.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved with a minor change. It was suggested that the Secretary use full names in the minutes for the future benefit of posterity.

Helen Bentley, our reader, presented an article written by her nephew, Charles B. Wilson of the Joseph Harris Seed Company, on the modern as well as ancient science of plant breeding. Almost every vergetable we grow began with primitive man's selection of a barely edible weed. As an example you may compare the wild carrot, or Queen Anne's Lace, with the carrots we grow and eat today, then you begin to realize the extent to which this accomplishment has grown. Selection and hybridization, or controlled crossing, are the basic tools of the modern plant breeder, and the hybridization is a technique that has been developed only within the past fifty years. Victor R. Boswell, Head of Vegetable Crops Research at the U.S. Dept of Agriculture, has said, "Man adds nothing to the hereditary makeup of the world of plants, but he does take advantage of the endless diversity nature provides."

The article goes on to state that selection is elimination with that extra sense of instinct the gifted plant breeder brings to his work. This is a never-ending process, and six or seven plant generations later, the breeder can pretty well determine whether his program will be successful. Fortunately, he can usually observe two generations of plants a year, by growing one in the North and one in the South. All of which led Ulric to remark that he had seen this evidence when he visited Western Colorado; one crop of a certain species was being raised in Paonia and another down in South America. Betty Ligon told of the radish farms in Florida ordering and using as much as five tons of radish seed a season.

Our Forethought reader, Bea Wilson, with gentle persuasion to continue this year, produced an article suggesting that we plant our "cool weather" corps now (can this be done in our present 90° heat?) and also pull weeds by hand. It is now time to use either a "sticker" or a "spreader" spray on the foliage. Another article told of the menace to evergreens by the Black Vine Weevil, which can practically defoliate rhododendrons and is also injurious to azaleas, false cypress, yews and others. These weevils do not fly but crawl from one plant to another, so control is best done in this stage by spraying foliage and ground very thoroughly in June and early July with chlordane; one teaspoon of 76% emulsion to one gallon of water is the best mixture. 5% chlordane dust, heptachlor, aldrin, malathion or dieldrin may be used to good advantage.