Club Minutes: Horticultural Society, 1871-1880

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4 What is the promise from the Trophy tomatoe? Seems with Eliza Brooke to be likely to turn out all it claims for itself. Others thought Keys and Early York, the variety with curled leaves would still excels it in being earlier. Annie Miller excpets to have ripe to mates in a few days which is more than any of the rest of use hope for from ours. we must find out how she treat ed them and when and where they were raised. Albina Stabler wished to hear what to do with a grape vine where the fruit was blighting. It was brought to light by the question, that our Society is in its infancy regarding grape culture - if it is to be hoped [none?] atttention will be paid to the fruitt R.R. Moore was wished for being the most successful grape-grow er in our community. We visited the display table and found lovely flowers from Brooke Grove, Rachel [Gilpins?] and Hermon. Supper closed the questions on Horticulture for the time. It was too wet for an extensive walk, but we were much interested by the dumb-wait er in the [?} house for milk and butter. The results being perfectly satisfactory.

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The small garden was in perfect order and in addition to the Tomatoes nicely framed and remarkably early corn and other vegetables our hostess had flower beds near the gate in beautiful bloom. Every one remarked the improvement in yard and garden since our last meeting at Edgewood. A very neat double paling fence between yard and garden was noticed and the style approved.

Next meeting left an open question between Brooke Grove and Hermon.

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The Society met and was well attended tho' not a full meeting. The specimens of vegetables what there were of them were very fine but we continually hear at our meetings such exclamations as "Oh! there are beans or beets or corn. Why I could have brought some as large but I did not think of it or I was too busy," or some such thing. If we would only remember that nearly all our vegetables could be gathered the evening before and look just as well next day we could often have a larger exhibition of them. Rockland had several handsome varieties of apples, Springdale Tropht tomatoes and Lima beans, Olney a large cucumber, Hermon beets Lima beans and a beautiful basket of peaches, Sharon and R.R. Moore fresh ripe figs grown out of doors. A large handsome pyramid and a bouquet from Longwood, from Avalon a bouquet. Hermon three bouquets splendid roses fuschias and mixed flowers. Springdale a bouquet and a dish of verbenas Rockland a handsome dish. Riverside and Sharon each a bouquet, a brilliant and much admired collection.

11/7/1871 - 2 Questions 1. Who had tried Carbolic Soap and found it successful in killing slugs on roses? Rachel Gilpin 2. In hilling groundnuts is it right to cover the blossom? No. 3. What has been the habit of the members with regard to the treatment of Sweet potatoes, should they be allowed to root or twisted around the hill? Twisted around the hill by all means & allow-ing them to root makes a great quanti-ty of very small potatoes which our season is not long enough to ma-ture 4. In a large growth of foliage on grape vines, should any of the leaves be taken off to hasten the ripening of the fruit and at what time? It was thought it would be well to thin the foliage moderately in June. 5. How do you treat tomatoes, stake them up or leave them down? Most mem-bers left them down but disapproved of it.

It was put to vote what we should have our exhibition this fall and the 7th of September decided upon, and Rachel Filpin and E.S.Addings were appointed to assist the President in arranging com-mittees.

11/7/1871 - 3. Our walk thro' the grounds was delightful. The groups of pot plants add much to the leavity of the lawn which had been very much improved since our last meeting here and the luxuriant garden excited hopes of a handsome display of vegetables, fruits and flowers, on the 7th of Sept. Adjourned to meet at Henslow next month