Club Minutes: Horticultural Society, 1968

HORTICULTURAL WEATHER REPORT JUNE 1968

Average High 77 degrees Average Low 60 degrees

Highest 86 degrees Lowest 52 degrees

Measurable rain on 11 days Total 4.4 in.

from A. D. Farquhar

MRB Since 1921 45th Year Mutual Reinsurance Bureau Reinsurance for Mutuals...Mutiple Line Belvidere, Illinois

H/6/1968-1The Horticultural Society Meeting "The Highlands" with Bob and Mary Reading Miller June 4-1968

What is so rare as another delightful gathering in June at "The Highlands"? It was such excellent weather that we were reluctant to come inside for the usual sumptious repast. Some of us did enjoy our meal out on the porch, and almost everyone enjoyed another inspection of the gardens before we were called to order at 8:05pm.

President Ellis Manning welcomed our guests, Mrs Brewster and Mr Cannon, and then suggested that the Treasurer collect back dues. The Secretary read the minutes of the previous meeting, which were approved after a slight correction. She persuaded your former Secretary to take the minutes of this meeting at her home. Unfinished business produced no further report from William Heckendorn on the clearance of roadside trash and rubbish.

Betty Ligon, our reader for the evening, gave us many thought provoking hints to improve our gardening, from an article in the Reader's Digest on "Six Steps to a Green Thumb". We should learn to relax in our gardening; don't work too hard or spend too much money, it is not an occult science, so learn to be a general practitioner, instead of a specialist and you will have that much more fun. Do the work before you see the need for it; in other words, hit first in the Battle of the Bugs. Stick to a regular spray schedule and keep cultivating to control weeds. Learn the correct fertilization for each type of plant and also how to take care of the root system. After all gardening is just learning a few "tricks of the trade" and a "green thumb" is just a dirty thumb, plus a little common sense.

Betty also read us an excellent garden poem, which she wrote herself back in 1931, about her own home and garden experiences.

As an extra volunteer article, Alan Thomas read Life's account of Boston's TV Gardener, Thalassa Cruso, who conducts a gardening TV show in the same manner as Julia Child does her French cooking. The article gave many humorous hints on down-to-earth gardening.

Sylvia Woodward's forethought tells us to: spray iris with a sticky spreader liquid; prune the camelias; divide primroses; clean the blackspot from roses; help control weeds by applying a liquid poison to the leaves and not the ground; use open and airy mulches where needed; and start succession plantings and thinning of your vegetables.

Many people have wondered how wet and cold May was this year in comparison with last year. Douglas Farquhar's weather report showed that while the lowest temperature this year was 35 degrees compared with 38 degrees in 1967, the rest of the figures were higher this year. 84 degrees was the highest this year, against 82 degrees in 1967, and last year's mean temperature of 56 degrees increased to 62 degrees this year. Total rainfall on 15 different days this year measured 5.8" vs. 4.7" last year, but it still leaves us about 12" below normal for the year, which seems to be not so cold and wet after all.

Our Assistant Secretary for tonight, Mary Moore Miller, read a tremendous list of exhibits, including flowers, fruits and vegetables. Very fine specimens were received from both Hutton families, both Miller families, the Goff's, the Farquhar's, the Ligon's, the Heckendorn's and the Thomas's. We will not attempt to list everything, but will mention a few of specific interest. The Ligons had 39 varieties of flowers in one bouquet; Dale Thomas brought a tall spiked flower from her mother, Mrs Mannakee, which could not be named by anyone here; there was a robin's egg in the "Cedars" basket, and the Heckendorns

H/6/1968-2. 6-4-1968 Page 2

brought enough new F-1 Hybrid Marigolds in gift containers for each family present. It was an appreciated treat to receive these plants, for they will not be available on the market until 1970.

Young robins, mocking birds and wrens took up most of the "Bird" conversation tonight. It seems that several wrens are building in mail boxes, ignoring interruptions by the daily papers, probably being much better off by not being able to read of this world's troubles. It was reported that one such wren came right in the car with the paper to perch on rider's knee!

There were no special Committee reports, except that the new "Roadside Cleanup" committee, composed of William Heckendorn, Walter and Bea Wilson, will try to get some action going again.

Questions: Flora Goff found out that the cherry tree sap or cherry gum, as we kids called it, is really not harmfull and is sometimes really flavorfull to chew.

Zela Heckendorn passed around some copper leaves which were given various names; such as, beech-nut leaves, flowering crab and plum --- no one was exactly sure which they were.

Grace Thomas reported seeing a deer running down her lane and across the yard; which prompted a few other memories of same experience.

Dale Thomas was unable again to find the name of her mother's plant, altho most everyone took a second look.

Betty Ligon asked if strawberries were going to hurt anything by overrunning the asparagus bed. Probably not, but new runners could be planted to start a bed elsewhere.

She also has a young chestnut tree with seven stalks; should it be pruned down to one, or left alone? Many various opinions here, but most said to prune and stake up the remainder. Rust Canby has one like this which may now be large enough to make a whistle. It seems that new shoots from the old roots are virus-free for 10 to 15 years only before they finally succumb to the blight.

Rust Canby wanted to know the name of the plant that was left with them at the last meeting. Lucy Manning sai d it was a "CornusKousa".

Harry Goff mentioned that chestnut tree logs were collected to make fences that were still standing in Parsons, West Virginia.

Pete Hutton spoke of the fact that at one time house walls were filled with chestnut burrs for insulation purposes.

There being no further questions, the meeting adjourned at 9:35pm to meet next month at Rosslyn with the Hussmans', with Zela Heckendorn to be the reader.

Alan F Thomas, Secretary (Under Protest)

H/7/1968-1.

Seem after the June Meeting of The Horticultural our beloved, long time member- Garland- was taken from us. He and his Betty have been valuable members, and we shall miss him.

Out of respect to him- and to Betty- the July 1968 meeting of the club was cancelled.

HORTICULTURAL WEATHER JULY 1968

Average High 80 degrees Av. low 67 degrees

Highest 90 degrees Lowest 58 degrees

Measuravle rain on only three days total rainfall 1.3 inches

from [A. D. Farquhar|A. Farquhar]]

MRB Since 1921 45th Year

Mutual Reinsurance Bureau Reinsurance for Mutuals...Multiple Line Belvidere, Illinois