Horticultural Society

H/5/1966-1-

May 3-1966 - In our 103rd Year At The Windrush with Clive and Wendy Lawrence

Hidden away in what was once the jungle of southwest Burtonsville on the original Burton farm, the Lawrences are to be complimented on finding and preserving such a unique and charming place. A hidden country lane breaks away from a very modern street scene into a vista of natural beauty, an abundance of wild flowers, sturdy trees, cultivated bushes and plants, with plenty of evidence of our hosts' tender loving care. Once inside the quaint old house, the many changes of the past ten years admirably reflect the decorative skill and personality of the Lawrences.

After most of us consumed more than our minimum requirements at the sumptious tables, our President Ulric Hutton called the Society to order at 7:50 pm. He welcomed William and Corrine Hartshorne, who were family guests of the Ligons; and we noted the absences of the Bentleys, the Farquhars, the Goffs and the Hussmans.

The Secretary read the minutes of the previous meeting, which were approved as read. These minutes included a tabled motion to change the wording of our 5th Resolution as follows: "Members should notify the hostess if they cannot attend a meeting". The President called for a vote on the question and the members present approved the resolution without dissent. The Treasurer's report was given and the annual dues were collected from those present.

Caroline Hussman, unavoidably absent at the last minute due to sickness in her young family, prevailed upon her kind neighbor, Rose Hutton, to present her reading for the evening, It was an appropriate article on Wild Flowers from an issue of the Horticulture Magazine in 1963, telling us how to collect wild flower seeds almost anywhere. All collections should be labled and the localities noted. Hold the seeds over winter, and try to plant in as near native soil as possible. The four "S's" in the SucceSSful Soil preparation are to: Sift, Save and Scatter soil and Separate plants after one inch of growth to 5 or 6 inches apart in their permanent place. Sometimes this takes two or three years to achieve results, but keeping the proper records, makes this task much easier. Our President suggested that planting would be better made in straight rows, with all labels kept up to date. The use of cinders to keep out worms and planting on the North side of the woods would help increase production.

Rose also presented an article from the Baltimore Sun, which concerned a diabolical plot to damn up the Colorado River at both ends of the Grand Canyon. This would appear to be in violation of the U. S. Park preservation laws. This plan to erect two damns defacing the Grand Canyon, would flood and drown out four billion years of geology. The Maryland Committee to Save the Grand Canyon feels it is important enough to try to notify everyone in the United States to register protests. Individuals may write to our own Eastern Shore Representative R. C. B. Morton, and it was suggested that the Secretary write a letter of protest for the Society.

Bea Wilson's "forethought" reminded us to set out our annuals and mulch the dogwood trees. It is time to divide your Shasta Daisies and finish pruning your flower bushes. Don't forget the second feeding of roses and to plant your "special" seeds.

H/10/1949-1-

Hickory Ridge

October 1949

The Horticultural and Hickory Ridge! The two merged into each other as a vactation into summer. The Horticultural members flowed over the airy Hickory Ridge porch that is a porch, floated around the boxwood paths, and then came indoors and admired the lovely hall and stairway.

Our President, back from Vermont, called the meeting to order; the secretary, back from the West, read Floyd Nesbitt's excellent minutes. They were approved with an addenda minority report by Doug Farquhar that the locusts may be expected in 1953.

Lofton Wesley's general synopsis of his recent trip to the far Coast was dubbed but a "tenderfoot's impression" by our more Westerley-experienced President, although to the rest of us it sounded most authoritative. The great variety of weather treatment which nature can undergo is an open book in the great canyons and mountains of this country, to those who can read it. The rock layers in the Grand Canyon show geologic history. Wonderful especially, also, were all the tremendous trees, the giant Redwoods in Yosemite, the ponderosa pines there, the first and incense cedars, and along the Pacific the towering sequoia sempervirens.

Among her thorough Forethought Notes, Rebecca Small said in part, for fall rosebush planting, dig deeply and enrich the lower layer s of soil. Dig up dahlias. Make over the perennial bed. Divide and move peonies. Plant tulip bulbs up to late October. Clean the ground to eliminate pests. Cover many kinds of vegetables to protect from frost. Cover pepper plants with a barrel.

Outstanding exhibits were the delicious looking grapes from Homestone, the box of plums which has come from the Highlands for many years, in duplicate, golden delivious apples from Clermont, and basil from the Little House. and strawberries topping the bountiful basket from the Cedars.

Dorothy and Dick Janney were unanimously voted into membership. The secretary was asked to give them our cordial welcome.

September was cool, 55 1/2° on the average, with 3" of rain, according to meteorologist Iddings.

H/9/1960-1THE COTTAGE. Mary Moore Miller has long been a Horticultural member in conjunction with The Highlands family, but now that she makes her home at The Cottage, she forms a separate family unit. Thus, she received us in her attractive new home on Sept. sixth and proved herself to be a most gracious and cordial hostess. After admiring the interior of her well-planned house we went from a roomy screened porch, across close-clipped grass, to the flower-garden which lies within easy reach and sight of the house. There flowers were blooming brightly, and even a few vegetables were growing happily in the well-cared-for beds. When we had finished an especially delicious supper we gathered before a picture screen to see slides which the Ligons had brought back from their recent Western trip. Betty showed us beautiful shots of The Grand and Bryce Canyons, of Lake Louise and Banff, Crater Lake - which is 1,600 feet deep, the Redwood forest in which grows a tree that is 364 feet high- the tallest in the world, and many others. Yet no one of these seemed lovlier than a slide which Betty slipped in as a test for our memories, but which none of us recognized as a lake-view taken from the garden of our own members, the Walter Wilsons. Nor could all of us identify the varied and beautiful flowers she showed us; but we voiced our approval by