Club Minutes: Horticultural Society, 1880-1891

The Horticultural No. 3 [Aug?] 5, 1880 [Aug?] 4, 1891

The Curculio. Mr. Winn Gunn, of Shelbyville, Kentucky, sends us the following interesting statement in reference to the destruction of this pest to fruit:

In the spring of 1860, I noticed some of my plums punctured. Having succeeded in catching the [several lines illegible due to paper fold] it around my plum trees. I removed the grass about a foot around the tree, placed trashwool on the cleared ground, and wrapt it around the forks of the tree. On looking the next day, I found my trap had caught "a number of the enemy," they having become entangled in the wool. This tree produced a bountiful crop, while the fruit on others in twenty feet of it "came to naught." 1861 I treated part of the others the same way -- with like result. Also in 1862. In 1863 I treated all my trees the same way. A more healthy and abundant crop of plums I never saw. I have eight varieties -- I have a free-stone damson that deserves a place in every fruit yard, being hardy, and very prolific, a superior fruit for canning or drying.

Avalon H/8/1880 -1Aug 5th 1880 The Society met at Avalon Aug. 3rd The Secretary being absent, Annie Brooke was appointed to fill the place The only absent members were those from Rock Spring, Riverside and Norwood. As guests, there were Mrs. Edward Stabler, Mrs. Bailey, Mrs. Vedder, Eliza Bentley, Ms. Kate Stabler, The Misses Tyson, Miss Herris and Miss Smith. The Specimen table was well filled with flowers, fruits, and vegetables from Rockland cabbages, cucumbers, beets, potatoes, sweet and white, tomatoes, cymblings, okra carrots peppers & apples. From Longwood, cymblings eggplant tomatoes sweet potatoes, lima beans corn & pears. From Olney tomatoes, corn lima beans & cabbage. Hermon egg-plant & sweet potatoes. From Brooke Grove, corse lima beans, crab apples & grapes and our guests from Harewood brought grapes There were flowers from Falling Greene Sharon Brooke Grove Longwood, Rockland, Fulford Olney & Hermon. After the reading of the minutes Sarah B. Largnhar, the first-reader, read an article on hugs. Mary Mrs. Miller, the second reader being not prepared, was appointed with H. B. Brooke to read at our next meeting.

4/8/1880 -2-

The question as to whether we should have an Exhibition then came up. All but one here in favor of having it, and after a discussion it was voted that we should hold it Sept 2nd. It was then decided by a vote of 12 to 9 that the September meeting should be dropped because it would conflict with the Exhibition and the Rockville Fair.

The president requested that the meeting to be held at Rockland in October should be on Saturday. There was no objection.

Questions

1.st Is it too early to sow Kale? Sowe the middle of August.

2nd Has any one found a way to make the seckel pear stay on the tree? Shake [or? unclear] pick part off.

3rd What has been the experience with Crescent seedling straw berries? No experience

4th Is it too late to plant Celery? no.

5th Is it too soon to plant Pansy seed for spring blooming? It is too soon

6th Will it do to cut off the ends of limbs of young pear trees instead of pulling? They will be Trimmed in the Spring any how

7th When is the proper time to transplant Rose bushes? Early in the Spring.

H/8/1880 - 3

8th It is right to pick pears before fully ripe for home use? Yes and keep in a dark closet.

We then proceeded to walk through the gardens and admire the flowers of which some splendid Sapano roses were particularly noticable, the sec retary, pro. tem. did not suceed in reaching the vegetable garden and consequently cannot describe it. In spite of inclement weather the meeting was a very pleasant one. Adjourned to meet at Rockland in October.

Annie Brooke Sec