Club Minutes: Horticultural Society, 1961

A. D. FARQUHAR Horticultural Society

Meterological Report for JULY 1961

Average High Temp. 84^o Highest 93^o JULY 23

Average Low Temp. 66^o Lowest 55^o JULY 9 & 10

Mean Temp. 75^o for the month

Total Rainfall 5.14 inches for the month

Rain fell on 15 days also trace on 6 days

Since St. Swithins Day (July 15) there were only 5 days entirely without rain

FIELDHEAD July 4, 1961

Fieldheld could not have been lovelier when we met there July 4th. The big magolia was in bloom; the roses, in their deep protective mulch, were blooming very well indeed for July; and the border around the rose garden was full of color and beauty, We were over-awed with the vegetables that Rust raises. What a display he had in his garden!

Our President wasabsent, -being in the play at Olney Theater so Douglas Farquhar presided. He welcomed our new members, Mary B. and Claire Hutton.

The average high temperature was 79½°, ave. low 60°; highest was June 12-88°; lowest June 16 - 47°; ave. 69.7°. 76 is normal for June. 7.9 in. of rain fell,- almost twice the usual fall.

Grace Thomas read the list of exhibits. (no record here).

The membership committe read a letter from Rebecca Small saying that they regretted that they would have to resign from the Horticultural. We realized that they would not have taken the step if they had not decided that they must do itso it was accepted with regret. The Sec'y was asked to write them. (she did)

Rose Hutton as a reader, read an account of their trip to the west coast in the spring. They left the end of April on the turnpike past Chicago, thru central Iowa's green and prosperous farms, thru Nebraska, southern Wyoming, lovely Herber Valley, to Utah, & Idaho. They took trips to Sun Valley and the Sawtooth Mts. and to new dams near Hells Canyon then went west to Oregon, and the Colombia River. In wash. they visited the Olympic Park, the the Holi(?) Rain Forest and Pacific coast. They returned by Canadian Rockies, Lake Louise, Banff, Waterton Lakes; then to Glazier Park in the U.S. and home. Things of special interest were seagulls in Nebraska following farmers plowing; snow topped mts.; lakes covered with ice; snow storms on mt.passes; and evergreens covered with it; sunset on the Pacific; snow covered peaks pink with the setting sun; a fresh salmon bought from two lady fishmongers with elaborately curled hair does, then the same salmon grilled out of doors; Indians still using hand hewn canoes; Canadian wild animals- moose, elk, deer, bear, and wolf, In Alberta the rolling green wheat fields, yellow dandelions, with snow covered Rockies as a back drop; big lavender lilacs singly and in hedges from Canada to Wisconsin; some of the 10,000 lakes thru Minn.one so large they could not see the farther shore; beautiful elms from Minn. to Ind.;and large patches of trilium along roadsides in Wisconsin; yellow headed, white winged, and red winged blackbirds and their song from the fence posts or reeds all along the roads thru the middle west. After adjourment, Ulrich Hutton showed pictures of this trip.

Questions: Chimpmunks have riddled the lawn at GrestEase. Do they eat daffodil bulbs? dahlia roots, etc? Some thot that they do. The Smiths know that they ate some holly cuttings. They put gas from the exhuast (car) in the holes and got rid of them. Rust Canby plants soy beans for quail and turns it

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under later. Everything that is not eaten is turned into the soi soil and a cover crop is turned under in the spring. Ping Kricker knows a man who puts rat poison in the chipmunks holes. Jack Bentley wanted|to know when you stop cutting rhubard. Rust pulls everything off, works and fertilizes it and has another crop crop then a third in the fall. Jack has hay 2 feet feep for cante cantelopes and tomatoes. Chicken Kricker in packing away winter winter things and wants to use herbs to fight silver fish and moths. Use whole cloves for moths. Irving Smith uses chips from elm trees that hacve died with Dutch Elm disease. Will they spread the disease to other things? No one knew. Mr. Edgar Erqin burns the whole business when he takes out a tree. Tree trimmers are supposed to have a tree warden along. Ping has four pin oaks with lower limbs apparently dead. Irving Smith planted one below the former level and roots came toward the surface and choked|it. Plant trees a little shallow because they sink. Walter Wilson's blackberyy fines have gone to fine,- no berries. Grace Thomas's father trimmed the vines way back every year. The Cedars' vines that have gone to the top of trees still have lots ofberries. We advised Walter to dig his up and take his ladder to Tthe Ceders! Caroline Kricker said they have a new asparagus bed with nothing done to it. She was|advised to fertilize in summer, manure Thanksgiving Day. Fill the trench first. Only plant good roots. Poor roots never catch up. Jack B. would not mulch the first year but cultivate. Lucy Manning's Kousa (Chinese or Korean) Dogwood did not bloom this year. Why not? The Huttons' bloomed as usual. Dont fertilize box bushes or other trees and shrubs until the second year. John Bryan and Highland knows something that will kill wiregrass. You can't plant anything else for a while.

Bea Wilson and Mary Reading N. Miller were asked to read next time, at Concord. Adjourned

Elizabeth Ligon, Sec'y Pro Tem

A.D FARQUHAR

Horticultural Society

Meteorological Report for AUGUST 1961 Average High Temp. 82° Highest 90° Aug. 9 " Low " 65° Lowest 52° Aug. 14 Mean " 73° for the month

Total Rainfall 3.68 inches for the month At least a trace of rain on 20 days. In the 40 days after St. Swithins Day there was rain on 30 days.

THE COMMUNITY HOUSE August 1, 1961

It was the gnats that prevented our meeting at Concord but the Woodwards made us feel thoroughly "at home" by way of the lovely flower arrangements on each table and mantle and in other "vital"spots. They had grown all at Concord so we knew we were missing |much by not seeing their original settings in the home garden. We were impressed by the effects produced by balsom in pale pinks, and rich reds, by the spray of blackberries in with purple and lavender petunias and ivy, to mention a few highlights.

Our president welcomed Flora and Harry Goff who, we hope, will continue to meet with us; and welcomed the guests- Mr. and Mrs. Ulrich.

The minutes|of last month were read and accepted.

Bea Wilson read an article on shade trees, setting forth the advantages of many varieties and reminding us that patterns of bare branches in winter serve to decorate as well as the tree in full leaf in other seasons. The beauty of the natural form can show up if trees are not too crowded. To mentuon a few,- the English maple grows low35 ft. , gives color and is good for climbing; the Katsua is nearly free of insects and has pleasantly spreading branches; the Chinese scholar tree also has no pests and has cream colored blossoms like the locust; the Japanese tree-lilac has white blossoms in June; the native Bourwood grows to 75 ft. and the flowers in late summer.

Mary Reading N. Miller read extracts from the book, "Cooking by the Garden Calendar". There are gardiners who like to cook and cooks who like to garden so the results are many ways to grow and prepre foods. If we will plant cucumber seeds with flower pots surrounding them, water can be kept in the pots for good results in|plants and fruit. Corn-on-the-cob put on the tables in 20 min. from the garden tastes best. Try fresh tomato juice for delicacy,- no canning- just extracted,- with a little salt, basil and lemon juice added. Freeze cubes of tomato or raspberry juice for variety.

Sylvia Woodward's forethought stirred us tto plan for action on many fronts.- such as cutting back annuals for more second bloom, ordering bulbs for fall planting, lifting what daffodil bulbs as are to be donelifted, potting herbs for winter, dividing iris, pinching chrysanthemums for the last time, fertilizing, planting corn salad (by Mary Reading's book defined as a substitute for lettuce in the spring, known also as fetticus) and planting also marvel peas for fall.

The meteorlogist reported the ave. high for July as 84°(little below normal), highest 39°; ave. low 66°. lowest 55°; mean temp 75°- little cooler than normal; 5.14 in. of rain fell; measurable rain fell on 15 days- a lttle on 6 other days.

Exhibits: the flowers grown by the Woodwards and arranged by Carol W. Arnatt, also the hanging basket from there with [tuberose rooted?] in it,- very attractive; tuberous begonias by Bea and Claire Hutton; vegetables|by the Wilsons,and from hanging begonias