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H/10/1988 - 1 -

October 4, 1988; page 1

We had the season's closing meeting at Riverside where the
Society had met from time to time for over a hundred years.
Fall's first frost was a few days ahead of us but the
forests were already tinged with the color of autumn's glory
and winter's chill. We were sorry to be missing the Canby's,
Hanel's, Goffs, and Jim Bullard. We solaced ourselves over a
small and excellent sampling of Eli Roger's grapes in their
vinous incarnation.

Guests included David and Linda Hartge and Peter and Anita
Ligon.

The meal was splendid and we relished each other's company
in consideration of the long months ahead when the Society
would be dispersed until the promise of spring brings us
together again like returning wayfarers.

Unfinished business dealt with the Nominating Committee
(John Hartge, Nancy Preuss, and Beth Bullard) and their task
of filling vacancies expected to happen within a year
ahead.

Nancy Preuss was the evening's reader. She read from an
article by John Thorndike entitled "Gardening by the Moon
and Stars". The article was about "biodynamic" gardening as
developed and promoted by the English horticulturist Alan
Chadwick. Biodynamic gardening was inspired by the
teachings (specifically the 1924 agricultural lectures) of
the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner who lived from 1861
to 1925.

Bio-dynamic gardening could be said to go above and beyond
organic gardening. Many esoteric methods are used to enrich
the soil with a mix of science, alchemy, perhaps astrology
but no chemicals. Emphasis is put on methods to process
compost so that it will address specific plants and soil
needs. Steiner thought of the ideal farm as an ecological
unit - its activities and philosophy being based on the
cycles of nature. Biodynamic gardeners questioned in the
article admitted that the rules they follow are not chiseled
in stone and the theories are complicated and not likely to
take the gardening world by storm. However, in these times
of chemical dependence and slow crimes against nature
biodynamic gardening offeres us sane alternatives - even if
some of the processes seem a bit insane or mildly kooky.

There was no volunteer article.

John Hartge read from the October 2, 1888 meeting which was
held at the Cedars. On that day at noon it had been 56
degrees. Th specimens on that day had been chiefly floral
- said to be good as much had been recently damaged by rain.