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H/8/1942-1-

Picnic at The Cedars, August, 1942

The Horticultural Society accepted with
alacrity Helen Farquhar's generous invitation
to hold its August picnic at "The Cedars". So
August 4th we gathered there on the cool porch.

The first reader was Elsa Thomas, who read
from the Field and Stream Magazine. We can assume
the Master Painter painted the fish to adorn the
streams and the flowers to adorn the fields. We
all feel the need at times to go off where they are
and commune with nature.

Because the second reader, Mary Magruder, was
still in quarantine, Lofton Wesley read an article
on Trees for the Back Yard. Most yards benefit by
a tree for shade and trees for background. Trees
may be selected because of their height, shape,
rate of growth, disease-resistence, and now, whether
or not they are popular with the Japanese beetle.
Cousin Allen Farquhar called our attention to the
100 year old seckle pear tree in the back yard here,
and the 27 varieties on the extensive lawn of The
Cedars.

Mary Stabler's Forethought began with helpful
suggestions: plant endive at once for autumn and
winter use. Phlox needs copius watering. The
same for roses now, but no more feeding for the
latter. Then she passed around 1/2 dozen samples of
less well-known perennials and shrubs which lend
color to the autumn garden. Of the shrubs, blue
spirea has blossoms which appear in September and
October. Plumbago, abelia, and other perennials
were described.

As Assistant Secretary, Mary Reading Miller
read the marvelous Tanglewood exhibit list of 18
vegetables and 4 kinds of fruits. Yardley and The
Highlands raised their heads with 8 vegetables each,
and Mt. Airy took a prize with its unusual rhubarb
chard, mammoth butter-vine and potato pumpkin.

The Stanton family was unanimously voted into
membership, and the secretary was asked to write
them to that effect.

Richard Iddings reported on the95-53 1/2 variation
of heat at Riverside, the rainfall there coming up
almost to the average.