Club Minutes: Horticultural Society, 1987

H/8/1987-1

August 4, 1987

The year's 5th gathering of the Society met at Sweetbriar, home of Peter and Polly Conlon. The day had again been dreadfully hot but everyone seemed to shed the afternoon's torpor to enjoy the Conlon's hospitality and handsome, well-behaved children. The dramatic and seldom flattering development of the Ashton crossroads is a manifestation of the area's direction and we should be grateful that households like Sweetbriar can maintain the essence of an earlier time with such equanimity.

The guest were Polly Conlon's mother and cousin, Dorothy and John Janney, Mary Reading Miller, Hellen Farquar, Jan Westervelt, Nicolas Chavand, and Martha Nesbit. Noticeably missing at the helm was our president who was off travelling however, the gavel was in the equally able hand of Susan Canby.

The minutes from the last meeting were read. Since there was no unfinished business we proceeded to the volunteer article.

In lieu of an article Harold Earp talked about the county extension service's Master Gardener program. This program was modeled after a system started in Canada in 1968. The purpose is firstly to educate those interested in increasing their horticultural knowledge and secondly to have those people help share what they've learned. For $40 one gets classwork, tours, and intensive training in the gardening arts. As a culmination to the program the participants use and augment what they've learned by volunteering to answer related questions that are phoned into the Extension Service. Questions that the volunteers are not able to answer can be referred to higher authorities and the answers passed on to the inquirers. Harold Earp portrayed the program as a worthy and effective way to increase one's horticultural expertise and serve the county's gardeners at the same time.

The minutes from 100 years ago were read. That meeting was held at Rockland and it had been 88 degrees at noon that day.

Betty Hartge read an article by Russell Baker that described the adversarial relationship he has with his garden. Accompanied by the spirits of Walter Mitty and the Man From LaMancha, Mr. Baker with imagination and vigor sallies forth into the garden to bend plants to his will in ways he could not control human equivalents. The best metaphor identified bindweed as the lawyer of the garden - a plant that entwines all with delicate tendrils until nothing breathes and nothings grows. He recommends a ruthless approach in dealing with this litigator of the legumes, this attorney of the asparagus, this barrister of the broccoli, this lawyer of the lettuce.

The forethought advised us to stop pinching the chrythansemums and if the dirt is willing, divide primrose, daylillies, and other perrenials. Feed young rooted cuttings weekly. Remove mulch from around fruit and berry plants. Plant spinach, beets, ,corn salad, lettuce, cabbage and endives. Harvest, harvest. Get thee to the kitchen and settle in. During the furor and overabundance of August we were reminded not to forget to reseed in September.

The meteorological report listed 88 degrees the average high for July (the high being 95 on the 21st). The average low was 69 degrees (the low was 55

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on the 15th). We got 6 rains totalling 2.33 inches - most everybody agreed that their lawns and gardens needed more. It's said that we are 3.04 inches deficient in rain.

The offerings included; A splendid harvest of tomatoes, peppers, and zuccinis from Sweetbriar. From Roslyn a tapestry rose, sage, and blue salvia. From Riverside a San Marzano Tomato, a big boy tomato, tomatillos, cayenne pepper, pickling cucumber and spineless zucchini. From Amersley vitex, salvia, Japanese anemone, Heliotrope, lisianthus, nicotiana, corn flower, wisteria, saponaria. From Quailhill; yellow pear, roma, and hytop tomatoes, a straight 8 cucumber, an aristocratic bush Zucchini and some flowers. From Rose Hill some fine blackberries whose numbers diminished as the exhibit made its rounds. From the Earps; begonias, salvia, crepe myrtle, zinnias, phlox, and basil. From Lydia Haviland a fine Burpees melon.

The bird report mentioned a screech owl at the Cedars. A ruby throated hummingbird at Sweetbriar. Three chimney swifts dropped into the fireplace at Rose Hill.

There were no committee reports and no new business.

QUESTIONS

Buzz Hussman mentioned a newspaper report which said that the increasing amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere contributes to overall higher temperatures for earthlings. The news was received without enthusiasm. Lydia Haviland pointed out that castor beans are deadly enough to kill if ingested improperly. However, there's speculation that studying the bean may reveal a cure for cancer. Carolyne Hussman asked where to find broccoli seedlings. Advised that the County Nursery on 198 just before Burtonsville is a good bet. Cloverly Southern States will order them for you. Mo Chance reported that Dr. Martin lima beans are hard to pick. Tom Canby mentioned that his green peppers won't stand up. Suggested that they may be getting too much water. Aduna Hanel reported that one pepper of an otherwise benign crop was hot to the point of causticity. The firey rogue was attributed to a narrow and singularly different growing condition. If one bites a hot pepper, it is suggested to chew on a banana to alleviate the pain. Priscilla Allen wondered if one should mulch this month to increase soil temperature. No, Mother Nature's merciless mid-summer heat is enough. Tom Farquar in reference to Aduna's pepper subject said that the condition of growing is equal to the influence that genetics plays. Mary Seiler has fire damage on a white pine. Advised to have wound pruned out in fall but not now. John Hartge wanted to know if earwigs are good for anything but low regard. No virtue known except that they are harmless albeit unesthetic. Effective control measures include ground burning. Bettes Hartge wanted to know how many beekeepers are in the society. 3 real, 3 marginal.

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Peter Conlon returned to Buzz's first comment about global temperature saying that true increase in levels would be reflected in the oceans' level not localized temperature readings.

To take advantage of the evening's coolness, we had had our meeting on the Conlon's lovely porch. With nature's nighttime orchestra in the background (punctuated by the occasional passing automobile), we thanked our hosts for their hospitality and agreed to next meet at Iris, home of Rudi and Aduna Hanel on September 1st.

H/9/1987-1-

September 1, 1987

The Society met at Iris for its 6th meeting of the year. The day had been imbued with the virtues of a perfect late summer day. The evening was lovely. Neatness, productivity, and a sense of order prevailed as usual over the grounds and interior of the Hanel residence. Those of us fortunate enough to attend were just that. Missing from the meeting were the Conlons, Ari Pruess, the Rogers, Mary Seiler, and the Canbys. Also in absence were any guests, much to one's surprise.

Jim Bullard began the meeting with an article listed under technology from the August 28 Wall Street Journal titled "Bug-Eating Nematodes Hold Promise as Natural Pesticide". The report mentioned that scientists have long known that apart from the preponderance of microscopic nematodes harmful to plants there are a portion that instead attack insect pests. A few companies have recently been able to produce these strains economically and in abundance.

One company, Biosis from Palo Alto, uses a stinking broth of enzymes and ground-up pig kidneys to grow the nematodes. It then runs the mix through detergent in a Whirlpool washing machine that kill all but the relevant juveniles. To ease packaging and transportation the swill is then dehydrated so all the farmer has to do before application is add water to bring the little bug-eating buggers out of suspended animation. The nematodes are said to afflict about 200 types of insects.

Beth Bullard in lieu of a volunteer article resurrected some comments that yours truly had submitted to a meeting of the Sandy Spring Neighbors. The short talk that I gave dealt with raising sheep in suburbia; pros, cons, pitfalls, and rewards. In retrospect it seems the best thing such an endeavor is good for is weak wit and worse doggerel. However, sheep manure is held by some to be excellent for growing things and the whole ball of wax is characterbuilding. Above all, I am flattered to have such attention paid to my efforts. It's fun to talk and have people actually listen.

Elizabeth Thornton brought to our notice that our first meeting of 1988 will mark the Society's 125th anniversary. We were encouraged to spend the dormant season pondering appropriate ways to herald such an auspicious occasion.

The minutes of March 26, 1888 were read. It was 36 degrees at noon at Brooke Grove. Notable points are that paper bags were used that even then to protect grape clusters, March was said to be too early to prune raspberries, feed chickens as much milk as they want, and to keep plantain from lawn apply ashes throughout summer.

H/9/1987-2-

Items of forethought emphasized drought-related watering of all plants but hold off on fertilizing. Reseed lawns and order bulbs. One can plant minor bulbs but not tulips until just before freeze. Towards the end of the month bring in houseplants. Divide and transplant lily of the valley. Transplant peonies. Deadhead perennials but not to the ground. Cut back wisteria one half. Plant garlic and spinach. Pick off small peppers to give their larger siblings a better chance to mature. Top off tomato plants. Plant cover crops on ground tilled for winter.

There was no meteorological report.

Exhibits included: From the Cedars - long season beets, sweet potatoes, and a "Sheer Bliss" rose. From Clifton - New England asters, marigolds, cosmos, butterfly bush, zinnias, lavender, and artemesia. From Lea House - cleome, globe amaranth, and a white marigold. From Riverside - cosmos, love lies bleeding, zinnias, clematis (bridal veil), cinnamon basil, nasturtiums, and basella malabar. From the Chances - Dr. Martin lima beans, San Marzano Paste, Early Thickset Pepper, and an asparagus bean. From the Earps - zinnias, marigolds, garlic chive, purple pepper, and a cubanelle pepper.

The bird report included an account from Lydia Haviland about a cockateil that flew into an acquaintance's yard. This person knew Lydia to a person familiar with the value and habits of parrot-like exotic birds. Inquires were made and a sharp eye was pealed for notices concerning lost or misplaced cockateils.

The phone number of a candidate was found. Lydia called and interrogated a lady who claimed to have lost a cockateil. Questions concerning the character and appearance of the bird were answered with minimal sufficiency and no enthusiasm. Now, please understand the lost bird was a fine fowl indeed who could talk and liked women. It was an aristocrat of the feathered world valued at an easy $50 or $75. As unsound and ill-advised as it is to let a cockateil outdoors in this climate zone, it was likely that this woman was the owner of the bird. However, when the matter of a reward came up (a paltry $25 was being offered) it was an easy conclusion that to return the animal to such hands would be like casing pearls before swine. The exchanged entered a new level of intensity when negotiations were broached concerning compensations for Lydia's efforts and expenditures. Well, a faint heart never won a fair feather. The purported owner of the mystery cockateil lacked strength of purpose and bird-sense. No