Club Minutes: Horticultural Society, 1966

A. D. FARQUHAR

Weather Report for Horticultural Society Sep 1966

Highest Temp For month 87 degrees Sep. 4 Average High 71 degrees

Lowest Temp for month 44 degrees Sep 16 Average low 57 degrees

Mean Temp for September 64 degrees

Total rainfall for the month 6 1/2 in. altho many guages showed more than that in 24 hours!

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For an extra added treat, Harry also read an article on the Passion Flower from a recent Sunday Star. Although a victim of cold weather, the Passion Flower has many admirers among gardeners, in spite of its prolific growth. There are over 300 species, differing not only is flower color but size and taste offruit and habit of growth. Characteristics change according to the native habitat.

Usually the fruit is the size of a hen's egg, but it may be smaller or larger, and there is one variety that has gourdlike fruit which may weigh seven or eight pounds. Most of these fruits, properly called "berries", are supposed to be pleasantly edible, and some Southerners make a superior tasting jelly from them. The Indians used this fruit in cultivation and their medicinal usage of the plant made interesting reading.

There being no forethought reader available for this meeting, we turned our attention to Douglas Farquhar's weather report, for September. With the drought finally broken, Douglas claimed that his rain guage must be broken too, or else it leaked badly, for it only registered 6 1/2 inches for the month, whereas many other guages showed that much in a 24-hour period. After a lively discussion on the possibility of obtaining a new guage, the members gave him a vote of confidence, realizing that he would be able to remedy the situation in the future. September's high of 87 degrees occurred on the 4th and there was an average high of 71 degrees. September 16th showed the lowest reading of 44 degrees, making an average low of 57 degrees during the month and a mean temperature of 64 degrees.

Grace Thomas recorded a list of exhibits as follows: from the Bentley came spinach, tomatoes, onions, lima beans, parsley, beets and crab apples; the Ligons brought Glexinias and a watermelon; the Goffs had a Jacobs Coat; the Thomas' brought a praying Mantis; but the Huttons brought the biggest Squash ever seen which measured 36" around one way and 66" around the other, and nobody dare lift it to find out what it would weigh.

Flora Goff still has her Bluebirds around, as well as some Titmouses? The Bentleys are still watching the Souder's robins. John Weske is trying to raise some grapes, but had none last year. This year they were almost ripe one day, and gone the next, to the noisy chattering of some Bluejays in a Mocking tone. Our President suggested feeding the birds popcorn, and putting up plastic owls or winding imitation snakes among the grapes, whenever his narrow-minded neighbors objected to cannon shot for the pesky birds.

Questions: Dorothy Weske wanted to know the name of a particular flower, which turned out to be a variety of sedum.

John Weske asked what kind of pears will grow in this area? Kiefer and Seckle pears do well except for the Fire Blight. The Canbys have some Bartletts and your Secretary hopes to have a crop of Devoe pears later on as well as Seckles. The Beltsville scientists say that the old pear trees are no good now, but that sand pears and seckles are immune to the blight. There are some isolated good trees here and there, but it may take 25 or 30 years before anything more successful comes out.

Pete Ligon wants to know how much fruit is in the Goff's

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orchards? There are plums, peaches, cherries and 3 kinds of apples. How do they attract the Bluebirds? By making and setting out the proper kinds of nests.

Harry Goff - Is the grass around my fruit trees harmful? No, and some commercial sod cultures help keep out the mice. Our President still has some Strychnine to get rid of anything, but Flora said there'll be no poison around her bluebirds. She even missed seeing the last exodus from the nest while she was on a short trip to Wheaton and back.

Lucy Manning asked what is the water table level? Dig a hole and you'll find it anywhere from 20' to 60 feet. Betty Ligon reminded us that William Moore used to find and predict the depth of well water with remarkable accuracy.

Mary Moore Miller - Can you look at the leaves for blight or drought on Myrtle? Evidently too much sun and not enough rain, but she can help it by using peat moss.

Edward Iddings would like to have some perennial sunflowers, the smaller all yellow variety. The Cedars has some to give away.

Betty Ligon asked if artichoke tubers are edible? Peel them, dice, them, cook them, and then throw them away. She wanted to know the name of Flora's plant, and was told "Jacobs Coat".

Clive Lawrence wants a good lawn fertilizer recommended. Douglas' club has lost confidence in tests, because many from the same place can be different. Just put some lime on it every five years or so. See Bolgiano for some white pellets that are carriers for potent new fertilizers and for better distribution.

Wendy Lawrence ran over her bird feeder; where can she get another one like it? She must have been "flying high" to run over it, but Wendy cannot tell the tale in front of Clive.

Helen Farquhar - Why is there mildew in such a dry summer? The fungus disease collects any moisture in the air, and crepe myrtle, zinnias and phlox are affected. Rust Canby's experience with liquid lime-sulphur solution was found to be very potent and effective on fungus; not very dangerous but it might discolor the paint on your house.

Mary Reading Miller asked if she should put bonemeal on Iris and Day Lillies new? and how much? Yes, and very little is needed. Steamed bonemeal will not bring mice, but its better to wait for a snowfall before using it.

Harry Goff's peach tree leaves are falling. Evidently they are bare because of the drought. What is the average life of a Willow tree? From 50 to 60 years and they become brittle with age. Just like people over 40, having broken limbs, etc., trees become knotty and people become naughty.

How soon should Liz Canby take up her Glad bulbs? After the first frost, and then develop small bulbs in a nursery bed.

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Rust Canby wants to know if he can leave Geraniums out all winter in one inch of leaf mold. He was told to try it, and please let us know at the next meeting, as part of the unfinished business.

Rose Hutton has some of Flora's Aloe Vera, all coming up nicely. Can she replant or pot it? The answer was yes and no. She should pick off and throw away the excess, or make that lotion for sunburn with it, which is excellent.

President Ulric Hutton wanted to know what to do with his big Squash? He was a little disappointed in it, as his seed catalog said it was a dwarf variety not weighing over five pounds!

On this note of hilarity, he adjourned the Meeting at 9 : 10pm, thus ending our 103rd year, and we planned to meet again in April 1967 with Francis and Grace Thomas.

Alan F. Thomas, Secretary