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H/4/1990-1-

April 3, 1990, Lydia Haviland's, page 1

The dormant season ended with our April 3rd meeting at the
home of Lydia Haviland. With her grounds poised for growth
and her parrot poised to raise the hairs on everyone's
scalp, the familiarity and atnosphere of Lydia's house was a
fitting spot to open our season.

In addition to Lydia's family we welcomed Sheri Fletcher's
mother Twyla Mader. With insufficient fanfare we also
welcomed the newest member of the Society, Sarah Janney
Hartge, tipping the calendar at 3 weeks, 2 days.

The gathering was called to order and we got under way with
a request from Jim Bullard to sign a petition requesting
that the Sandy Spring Corridor remain unique and apart from
Olney when the area's master plan is revised. Murmurs of
assent accompanied Jim's presentation.

The minutes from the previous meeting were read, corrected
and nodded into perpetuity.

There was no unfinished business.

As is the custom during the first meeting of the season,
the by-laws were read to all.

Mo Chance followed with the volunteer article from the July
1978 issue of Organic Gardening entitled Surgery for Squash
Borers. It was a helpful description on how to spot vines
afflicted with the borer before it's too late and excise the
pest without losing the vine.

Mo followed with an article detailing the many uses of
vinegar in the garden. Among its many applications viinegar
can lower the ph of the soil, it can prolong the life of cut
flowers and if sprayed repeatedly [and probably eternally]
on bindweed will kill the plant.

In closing Mo reminded us that the average chicken has 8,143
feathers and beef scraps are good to add to chicken feed.

Beth Bullard volunteered an article titled Salsify: Maryland
Oyster from Your Own Garden. Following the article it was
admitted that salsify has been grown by Society members but
not eaten.

Elizabeth Thornton read the minutes from 100 years ago in
which fishberries soaked in vinegar were mentioned as
helpful in repelling lice but not nits from the heads of
chickens. The nature and specifics of fishberries was
queried and Ted Fletcher volunteered to research and report
back.