Club Minutes: Horticultural Society, 1891-1906

H/10/1982-2and flowers.

The minutes were read and accepted. The Readers

1st John Bentley had forgotten to bring anything, so told us of a pear tree only two years from the nursery which had 23 pears, a cross between the Le Compt and the Bartlet. He thinks it will be a valuable pear. He also informed us that trees of the Bentley seedling apple can be bought of, Mr Corse of Baltimore and is a remarkably good cooking apple.

2nd reader Pattie Hopkins, per Janie Smith read of the Home of Jean {Inglow?] and per Mr Rogers Fruit exports"

The readers for next meeting W. P. Miller and Ellen Farquhar.

Committee on Forethought

Eliza Brooke game a written listof work for this month and next: the storing of vegetables, care of house plants. Saving dahlia roots. Caladiums and other summer blooming bulbs and tubers. Sow lettuce in cold frames

The care of sweet potatoes she referred to our host who says

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"dig before they are injured by spot and after they have become dry pack in sand or chaff in such a way that the potatoes do not touch each other: those he had in chaff kept perfectly in the cellar.

She ends her report with, "Above all things plow your gardens in the fall." The plan of [willing?sp] these suggestions was highly approved.

Questions 1 How fix a cold frame for lettuce? Make a rich bed and cover with sash of glass or cotton. 2 If you plant fruit trees in the fall what time is best. Now and as long as the ground stays open. 3 Do grape vines planted in the spring need any attention now? No. 4 How much should a grape vine be cut back? To three eyes or buds 5 Should late Kale and spinach be covered? Yes cover lightly with straw and loosen it early in the spring 6 In building a henhouse is it necessary to have glass windows? Some say the more glass the better

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7 If you have but one winter apple, what shall it be? 4 members said, Ben Davis 2 said Lop sided Vandever. 3 said Wine Sap and others liked Smith Cider Spitzenberg etc.

A member complained that sweet potatoes were contrary; he had been planting on rich soil but this year had planted on light soil and had a better crop than ever before.

Several members said their pear trees were dying from some unknown cause and in some places chestnut trees are dying and in Virginia thousands of acres of pines are dying.

In our walk in the garden, we saw where the summer vegetables had grown and the winter roots and the flower garden was still lovely with roses, from which our generous host gave us many cuttings. This rose garden is the most luxuriant one belonging to the Society.

After a very delightful last meeting for the year, we went our several ways home, hoping all to meet in April.

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Stanmore Noon 75 degrees to 78 degrees April 4th, 1893

After a lapse of 26 years, we again met at this beautiful home the birth place of our Society. A preliminary meeting was held here on the 28th of February 1863, at which it was decided that "the Society should be organized and that it should meet from Feb. to Nov. once a month or oftener as may be hereafter concluded."

The absent were the members from White Hall Fair Hill and Alloway. Our guests were Mr & Mrs Harry Davis of Plainfield and Sadie Lea of Wilmington Del.

Our President in his opening remarks, spoke feelingly of the loss of two of our members, since our last meeting and read a letter from Pattie Hopkins to the Society saying she could not meet with us at present. The Secretary was requested to reply and to express our regret and also send her a copy of these opening remarks.

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The minutes of our last meeting were read and some corrections made. The minutes of the last meeting at this place June 28th, 1867, were read and listened to with much interest. The minutes of the corresponding month last year show that this season is later than last; the specimens from hot beds were fewer and flowers from house and garden not so abundant; the poultry report gives fewer chickens 129 and to 490 last April. The specimens from Riverton geraniums, pansies, violets, carnations, carrots from cellar, Kale from garden cabbage tomato and radish plants from hot bed and a lot of geranium cuttings for distribution from Rockland turnip potatoes carrots and salsify from cellar; from Longwood flowers and onion from garden, carrots parsnips and satisfy from cellar. Riverside flowers from garden, salsify and parsnips from cellar, from Herman flowers from the house and a lot of plum trees for distribution; these trees bear every other year good plums for general purpose