Club Minutes: Horticultural Society, 1949

H/9/1949-2-

in readying a number of popular plants for their transition from out-door to in-door living, and is thus not subject to synopsis. Those interested in improving this technique are urged to secure this magazine for guidance.

Rebecca Small presented carefully prepared Forethought: Root prune wistarias which have refused to bloom; plant croci, etc., now; bring strawflowers in now; bring in and cure gladiolus bulbs; separate lily of the valley, 3 inches between plants; ripen pumpkins and winter squash before harvesting; re-seed bare lawn spots in fall; the fight with weeds and bugs is either won or lost now, but keep cultivating, and burn old vegerable plants; visit other people's gardens at this season, and take notes on their methods.

Exhibits included grapes (many varieties) tuberous begonias, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, broccoli, acorn squash, lima beans, cucumbers, snap beans, okra, raspberries, yellow squash, cymling, sweet peppers, and many of the specimens were of unusual perfection.

The Membership Committee proposed the names of Richard and Dorothy Janney, of Brooke Meadow, and amid many expressions of pleasure at this anticipated addition fo our group Acting President Miller laid the application over to our next meeting, in accordance with our custom.

Meteorologist Edward Iddings reported average morning temperature of 71 1/2° and rainfall of 4.50 inches for August.

Questions:-

Q. Did hardy amaryllis bloom well this year? A. Some good, some bad; dividing needed for good bloom.

Q. When are 17 year locusts due? A. best forecast seems to be 1954.

Q. Necessary to plow garden every year? A. No.

Q. How make young lilacs bloom? A. It takes time, 6 to 8 years, frequently

Q. Will trumpet vine kill a walnut tree? A. No.

Q. Do honey locusts have a blight or pest? A. Yes, a newly numerous worm, affecting only honey locusts.

Q. Will Mrs. Hill's jacot (?) rose layer? It appears to have done so. A. Most think it will, and has.

Q. Coleus is doing well in a pot, but is tall; break it off? A. Yes, and plant the cuttings.

Q. Anyone have parsley plants for winter use? A. Yes, Helen Farquhar.

Q. Has the tomato blight plassed away? A. No, but past dry season was unfavorable to it.

Q. When was the houe at Fairfield built? A. 1856.

As readers for the next meeting, Lofton and Isabel Wesley were selected, with their recent Western trip as a suggested subject.

Adjournment was made, via what seemed to be an unusually bountiful (even for Sandy Spring, and even for the Horticultural Society) covered dish supper, to Hickory Ridge in October.

GFN Sec Pro Tem Finis.

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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/10/1949-2 Is it a hopelss task to get our meetings alphabetically in order? If there is desirable, some will be entertaining in successive summers. The followings advice was given regarding box: to strengthen is against the raid of the red spider, apply bonemeal, and hose the box and keep the ground wet. Elizabeth Ligon told us about the beautiful kerria. After adjournment came the usual soul-satisfying covered dish supper. Goodbyes were said till Alloway in April. J.W. Sec.