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H/5/1943 -1-

May 1943
at The CEDARS

It was most enjoyable to find at the Cedars
almost all of our families well represented, with
a nice sprinkling of guests, making a full meeting
of the Horticultural.

The minutes were read. Then Margaret Bancroft
gave a further description of the New England
rhodora, an elusive member of the rhododendron
family, ending with Emerson's poem -
Rhodora! if the sages ask thee why
This charm is wasted on the earth and sky,
Tell them, dear, that if eyes were made
for seeing,
Then Beauty is its own excuse for being.
Her other article explained how few roses could
survive the wet fall weather of 1942, the December
cold spells, January sleet storms and temperature
above 70 once, February ups and downs, and, worst
of all these tribulations, the cold spell in March.
Flash: the Norwood big box is coming back!

Lena Stabler's pot pourri was fragrant with
interesting news bits about the carnations, rose
chrysanthemums, etc., named for Mayling Chiang Kai-shek,
about the edible soy bean, nutty in flavor,
about victory gardens developed by the industry of
children as well as grown-ups, about John McClaren
of Golden Gate fame, blight resistant chestnuts at
Sunnyridge Nursery, and the romantic sources of the
spices which we take for granted.

"I expect I'll be appointed to read again,"
commented Albert Stabler.

Forethought: - Dead fronds of ferns left in
place help protect the new growth. Climbing roses
repay best for cutting purposes if trained in a
horizontal position. Cut off all dead boxwood
branches. Burlap, or winter covers made of evergreen
serve as best protection. For a tall perennial in
a shady place plant phlox or hibiscus.

No one could identify Mary Stabler's specimen
of a wild hyacinth-star-of-Bethlehem, or what?

Assistant Secretary Elsa Thomas referred to the
many bird visitors at the feeding station outside.
She read a good exhibit list. Honorable mention was
accorded the Glen Lauder lilac.

The average date of last year's frost, said
Richard Iddings, was April 15th, in contrast to this
year's May 2nd, at 27; and the last two weeks have
been 10° colder (which explains our appreciation