Club Minutes: Horticultural Society, 1987

ReadAboutContentsHelp

Pages

Page 1
Indexed

Page 1

H/5/1987-1-

May 5, 1987

The second meeting of our 184th year was held at Clifton, home of Jim and Beth Bullard. It had been a splendid spring day and the evening was graced with the elements of benign weather. The house and outbuildings were a pleasure to behold and both flora and fauna were at the threshold of full spring exuberance.

Missing from the meeting were Lydia Haviland and Mary Seiler. The guests were Henry and Esther Thornton, Jan Westervelt, Wayne and Melba Paris, and Steve Keach.

The minutes from the last meeting were read and the treasurer reported that the coffers veritably bulged with the sum of $64.10. Despite the greatness of our wealth the yearly dues of 50 cents per family were collected.

The reader for the evening was Buzz Hussman. Drawing his inspiration from the Roger's bat house, the report dealt with bats. It was a worthy defense of a widely maligned and deeply misunderstood creature. The bat is a friend and ally to the gardener. It eats perhaps 3,000 insects a night and in some parts of the world it is the sole pollinator for valuable cash crops.

Over the centuries bats' nocturnal habits and strange appearance has caused them to be vilified and wrongly treated as filthy, vicious, and often rabid vermin. Contrary to their reputation they are not dirty flying mice but mammals that closely resemble humans and possess intelligence and highly sophisticated systems for navigating, flying, and catching prey.

Among the many falsehoods long held as reasons to victimize bats is the belief that they occasionally get entangled in people's hair. A comment was made by Polly Conlon that in the days of outrageously expansive hairdos centuries ago even bats with their superb sonar were unable to avoid coiffure collisions and the poor little beast has been badmouthed ever since.

The article gave us all a greater appreciation for a truly fascinating and beneficial animal ...vampire bats of South America excluded.

The report from 100 years ago impressed us as usual with the industry and productivity of our predecessors. The temperature was reported as 100 degrees at noon and the poultry report was below that of the year before.

The forethought presented us with another useful but dizzying array of tasks to be undertaken. Evergreen candles should be pinched back for fuller growth. Bulbs should be

Last edit 6 months ago by mbrockway
Page 2
Indexed

Page 2

H/5/1987-2-

fertilized. One should be careful of tender tree bark when mowing. Flowers should be pinched off to prevent the production of seeds. Annuals should be set out. Seedlings indoors should be hardened off before being planted outdoors. Spring flowering shrubs should be shaped and pruned. Weed and mulch, weed and mulch, Plant, plant Plant.

There was no meteorology report but it was estimated that we received about 4" of rain and patchy frost a couple of times during the month.

Contributions were a pleasure to behold. Riverside brought tulips, red bud, caria angelica, english daisy, candytuff, narcissis, woodruff and tarragon. The Woodwards offered forget-me-nots, caria, lilies of the valley, and azalea blossoms. Jackpine brought flocks, sweet woodruff, hosta, lilac, and cowslip. Chances brought lily of the valley, tulips, basket of gold, flocks, and viturnum. Quailhill brought lilac, periwinkle, stock, tulips, lunaria, and lambia. Amersly offered french lilac, tulips, narcissis, candytuff and camassia. The Farquars brought a fine white radish and a head of lettuce. The Earps brought lilacs, azalea, lily of the valley, hyacinth, iris, bleeding heart, forget-me-not, grape hyacinth, viburnum, primrose, and jackin-the pulpit.

The bird report included the sighting of the first wood thrush on the day of the meeting. The cedar waxwings had been seen coming and going. The barn swallows were back on time. The first house wren was sighted on the 1st of May at Sylvia Woodward's. The 1st Baltimore Orioles had been sighted at Quailhill a day of so earlier. Jan Westervelt had attended the banding of some baby great horned owls. From inspecting the pellets it was deduced that they had been fed a coopers hawk, downy woodpeckers, frogs, snakes and rabbits.

There were no committee reports and Ellen Hartge was drafted onto the membership committee.

Questions: Will geranium bloom through summer even though they were resplendent during the winter. Yes Some daffodils that did well last summer did nothing but foliage this year. Perhaps they were missing a trace mineral or were planted too deep or, in the course of time worked their way deeper It was brought up that mexican marigolds repel nematodes. Are hyacinths worth saving. Yes but they'll never be as splendid as when they're fresh from the greenhouse. Thyme, marjoram and oregano ought to be cut way back in the spring. Rose Hill's mountain laurel is doing poorly. It was suggested that conditions thereabouts are not mountainous enough. Hollytone would not help.

Last edit 6 months ago by mbrockway
Page 3
Indexed

Page 3

H/5/1987-3.

Daffodils should be fertilized with 5 10 5. Tom Canby expressed a need for rocks. Do tree digging trucks work. Yes. It's too late presently but one could begin now by circling the prospective root bail with cuts from a transplanting shovel to concentrate the root growth more closely to the trunk. Plant basil now. Harvest rhubarb 'til there's nothing left, then stop and let it grow back. Divide and transplant in the fall. Tarragon is grown better in dry loose soil as opposed to wet clay soil. What about the locusts or 17 year cicadas as they're properly known? They don't eat and cause harm to plants and trees. Their desire is to sing, mate, and die.

The first meeting with Beth Bullard as president was brought to an efficient close with thanks to Clifton for hosting the gathering. We parted pleasurable anticipation of meeting on June 2 at Jack Pine, home of the Canbys

O. Peter Austin Sec.

Last edit 6 months ago by mbrockway
Page 4
Indexed

Page 4

H/6/1987-1-

June 2, 1987

The third meeting of our 184th year was held at Jack Pine, home of Susan and Tom Canby. It was a lovely spring evening and the Society was near fully represented. Jack Pine is a most enjoyable contradiction - the neatness and ambitiousness of the grounds and projects ranging from stone walls, irrigation systems and a volleyball court indicated the principals are an exhausted and harried pair living in a house constantly in a state of shortchange. Instead there is a welcome atmosphere of order and ease and the Canbys exude a relaxed elegance with an embracing hospitality.

The guests for the evening were Louise Canby and Lisa Ritter.

After the minutes from April were read, the voluteer article was announced forgotten. Susan Canby rescued the moment with an article on the virtues of workgloves from the Green Mountain Glove Company of Randolph, Vermont. They are alleged to be the best gardening gloves, indeed the finest work gloves available. They are made from only the best full grain goat hide and are more expensive than cloth, pig skin or cow hide gloves. However, because of the 100% nylon stitching, superior design, and supple yet rugged qualities of goatskin they are an investment worth making.

Following the goat glove treatise the minutes from 100 years ago were read. The meeting had been at Avelon and the temperature at noon had been 78 degrees. Once again our Society ancestors amazed us with reports of size and abundance of their vegetables. There were familiar questions concerning asparagus and strawberries. The report of the chicken flocks emphasized the importance of a fowl population as a fair source of protein.

The exhibits included; Columbine, campanula, peonies, heliotrope, and evening primrose from the Chances. coral bells, meadowsweet, primrose, irises, garden valerian, yellow and calico yarrow, a peony, 3 roses (thornless, Dr. Van Fleet, and sweetbrick), from Clifton. Tarragon mint, sweet woodruff, white iris, chive blossoms, honesty/money plant/lunaria, lovage and lemon balm from Lea House. Coreopsis, love in a mist, tritoma, gaillardia, veronica, and a Dr. Van Fleet rose from Riverside. A lovely assortment of lettuce and a peony from Rose Hill. Boston, iceberg, redleaf and romaine lettuce from the Cedars. Clematis, columbine, a rose, gardenia, iris, alpine rosy bells, sunny tivinkles, and heliotrope from the Earps.

The forethought advised us to plan moving strawberry plant every 3 years. Begin taking measures against apple maggots. Replant onions. Plant brussel sprouts. Use companion plantings to encourage growth and vigor. We were also advised to check the toxicity of insect and fungus sprays as substances once thought of as relatively benign are now found to be tenacious and harmful.

Peter Conlon, our meteorologist reporter, arrived 3/4 of the way through the meal but brought with him the report on both April and May. April had 3.8 inches of rain and had a high temperature of 80 on the 22nd and a low of

Last edit 6 months ago by mbrockway
Page 5
Indexed

Page 5

H/6/1987-2-

20 on the 1st. May had 3.24 inches of rain and a high of 90 on the 30th and a low of 36 on the 5th. No one was able to comment as to whether the rain fall was up or down but Polly Conlon mentioned that Sweetbriar's resident honeybee hive swarmed 4 time so far this year.

The bird report mentioned a scarlet tanager sighted in Pennsylvania. Caroline Hussman told of a friend who raised a robin from 2 days old to adolescence and freedom. Robins were mentioned to be good birds to foster parent. There was a part albino sparrow sighted at Friends House. The second brood of bluebirds has been started at Quailhill. The feistiness of housewrens was discussed - they were said to be vicious. Carolina wrens have disappeared at Quailhill but are doing well at Clifton and Jack Pine. Some had feared that last winter's copious snowfalls may have driven the Carolina wren population southward for a spell.

There were no committee reports and no new business.

Sylvia Woodward thanked Beth Bullard for making an effort to include her in the Society's activities. It was said that such gestures mean a lot to those members who have had to take on a semi-active role and can't contribute fully as they once did.

Questions; How to prune chrysanthemums - prune and pinch until July 4th. Pinch bud close to next set of leaves.. Caroline Hussman's friend wants the proper identity of a vine called Potato Vine which has big heart shaped leaves and pods. No luck - familiar sounding but a picture in a horticultural encyclopedia would be easier to identify - especially if it had a name under it. Priscilla Allen wanted to know about large scale poison ivy control. Advise is to use Roundup in a sprayer reserved exclusively for herbicides and be careful not to spray anything undeserving of a horrible death. Louise Canby wondered about the roses (Courier roses I think she called them) growing abundantly along the roadside - identified as multiflora roses ranked by some along with Priscilla's poison ivy. A question was raised about the old minutes. Did they bring plants that we sometimes assume to be the actual fruit or vegetable? Yes. However, our predecessors were a very competitive and ingenious bunch whose exhibition pieces were more like veritable swordplay compared to our relaxed and goodhearted offerings. Ellen Hartge brought a piece of diseased rhubarb - the brown bumps were attributed to snail damage. Nancy Preuss following up by askimg how to repel snails short of ringing the garden with French gourmands. Snail pellets, slug & snail bait, human hair and ashes was recommended. Cicada stories were requested. Recipes were being given out in Baltimore. Said to taste like asparagus. Also good for fish bait. Shells mentioned as principal ingredient of ancient Chinese cosmetic cream. Has anyone seen any cabbage looper? No and rejoice for their absence. Anyway to take cutting from rose bush. Yes right now. Take new growth, roll in rootone, and plant in peat. Do 10 cuttings of 6 eyes maybe 8 inches, 1/8 inch under leaf. Then take leaf off. Bury 1/2 way at an angle. Leave 3 leaves.

Last edit 6 months ago by mbrockway
Displaying pages 1 - 5 of 20 in total