Club Minutes: Horticultural Society, 1972

H/4r/1972-1-

Community House - Tuesday, April 4th, 1972

The first mesting of the 1972 season of the Horticultural Society wae held at the Community House with Grace and Francis Thomas as our hosts.

It was pleasant to meet together once again and shared some of our winter activities - but due to the unusually cold weather it was difficult to do much about gardening. We regretted the absence of the Canbys, Hussmans, Wilsons Zela Heckendorn, Richard Woodward and John Weske

After our usual delicious supper the meeting was called to order by the President. Minutes of tha October, 1971 meeting were read and accepted. Even though the order of business calls for the reading of the By-laws at the April meeting each year it was agreed that we could dispense with this formality at

this time.

Sylvia Woodward, serving as our perennial forethought committee, presented us with a long list of spring chores - reminders of what to do for our trees, lawns, shrubs, and flower borders. With such a cold wet April it will be difficult for us to maintain her rigorous schedule - but it's nice to have someone prod us along and we are grateful to Sylvia for her "helpful hints". ( Complete list filed with the minutes).

We continued with a selected reading by Mary Moore Miller, from National Wildlife Magazine, April 1972, en titled " This pesticide has polka dots". This is the story of the "increasing role being played by ladybugs as an efficient and relatively cheap natural pesticide". Since commercial pesticides many times destroy beneficial insects, many home gardeners are turning to the ladybug which is a ravenous destroyer of aphids. The article relates an interesting life-story of the ladybug and is

accompanied by fascinating photographs taken by the author, Eileen Janson.

Since there were no volunteer articles we proceeded to the weather report. Douglas tells us that in March the highest tempera ture was 75 on March 2nd, the lowest was 16 on March 9th, with a mean temperature for the month of 41°. 4.3 inches of rainfall, with 6 days of rain and 3 of snow. He also read from his grandfather's diary of March, 1872: "high temperature of 63°, low of 29° - mean temperature of 33.1° and 14 rainy days".

There was no report on exhibits but several loyal members had brought displays: Betty Ligon - a lovely pink bouquet from her greenhouse. Dorothy Weske - jonquils Dale and Alan Thomas - a bouquet of flowering shrubs Others I missed - sorry!

There was no great variety of bird stories this month - Alan Thomas reported large flocks of wild geese flying north last Saturday, Claire Hutton saw three great blue herons on a nearby pond, and Betty Ligon has seen a large hawk, possibly a red tail, nearby. Flora Goff told an interesting episode of the rescue of a sea gull which had gotten a claw stuck in a piling near where they were staying on the Island Water way in Florida. Sarah Mannakee recollects a nest she saw quite some time ago - lined with her brothers red hair - her father served as the family barber in those days. That story made me wonder how birds were making out these days - with all the long - hairs and wigs.

Robert Miller reported that the local Lion's Club and Boy Scouts were cleaning out and around the old Sandy Spring - What a nice community project!

The secretary read letters of resignation from Elizabeth Canby and Zela Heckendorn, and she was instructed

to write letters, accepting the resignations with regret. We shall greatly miss these two members and their many interesting and instructions contributions to our group. We will really find it hard to continue without them but hope they will meet with us whenever they can.

Questions, Comments, etc

Grace Thomas "We have 2 willow trees - close to the house and very messy - should we cut one or two, or leave them" ? The concensus seemed to be that "we all like willows, even if they are messy" -but the decision is a personal one and Grace and Francis will have to make it!

Flora Goff: With what and when should azealeas be sprayed? Ulric doesn't spray early - later for lacebug - he did suggest that advice could be obtained from the Horticultural Assistant in the County Agents Office.

Mary Moore Miller brought extra fine cantalope seeds for distribution - everyone was glad to accept some. She