Club Minutes: Horticultural Society, 1880-1891

H/5/1883 -2-

Sharon 43 chickens Olney 7 Hermon 64 White Hall 75 Avalon 44 Alloway 111 Brooke Grove 37 Edgewood 100

Of the readers, Annie Brooke read an instructive article, "The wonders of plant life" Mary Miller did not read and was reappointed for the next meeting. The sec -retary read a short article on the cultivation of Japan lillies handed in by Hallie Lea

Questions

1 Has bone dust a different affect on different soils? It is thought it has as some of our members find after preparing soil for pot plants with great care, that after a while it becomes very hard and solid; it is recommended to top-dress with the bone dust instead of mixing it through the soil.

2 Is it a suitable time to plant out currant bushes, started last year? Some think it rather late, tho' if moved with plenty of earth, they will not be injured. Our President once moved an apple tree which was in full bloom and it showed no ill affects from

H/5/1883 -3-

the transplanting

3 As nex year will be Locust year would the Society recommend the planting of a peach orchard to be delayed until the year follow -ing or planted now? It was put to vote and twenty would plant now and four would wait. The experience of some was that by trimming off the injured limbs after last locust visitation, the young trees did well

4 Is it the opinion of the Society that it will be best to plant potatoes in May or June? Two say wait until June, the rest say plant now

5 Should a pear orchard be plow -ed when four five years old? The general experience is that it is best not to plow

6 Should a Calla which has had several blossoms be kept growing or put by to rest? Keep it growing

7 How prepare soil for pot-plants The earth from old hot-beds or or any rich soil mixed with sand and wood's earth

8 Wanted a recipe for white wash which will not rub off? and should the lime be slaked with hot or cold water? Glue or flour paste are said to pre-

H/5/1883 -4-

vent rubbing off. Hot water is used to hasten the operation of slakening

9 What must you do if strange dogs break up your hens nests knock over your hen coops and slop barrels and attach you if you interfere? Various expe riences were related and it is thought justifiable to kill such marauders but no one wants to kill his neigh -bors dogs.

10 What have you done in your gar -dens? Most members have planted all that are usually planted early. in a few instances plants were up but in most case the seeds were just planted

11 How many canes allowed to grow in the row of Raspberries? 4 or 5 in a place and 4 feet apart.

Mary M. Miller told us of a plan used by the gardener at Warwick Castle to keep slugs off of rose-bushes; slices of raw potato were laid at the stems and the slugs collected on them and could be destroyed.

One of our members recommended a pinch of sulphur in the pots to keep lice of of pot plants.

H/5/1883 -5.

Robert Moore showed a letter on raising cucumbers for pickles. The hills were four feet by six apart, a large shovelful of barn-yard manure and a hand ful of super phosphate to each hill and six vines allowed to grow in each hill. He brought each family of our society a package of cucumber seed of the variety grown by his correspondent, for pickles.

In our walk, we found the garden in order, various plants up and doing well, Grape-vines trimmed and tied up, and the rose bushes making a splendid growth

After a delightful day we separated hoping to meet next month at Longwood

The readers appointed for next meeting Mary M. Miller and Mary E. Gilpin

H/6/1883 -1-

Longwood

June 5th

Noon tem. ranged from 81° to 91°

A full attendance of members and numerous guests assembled at the usual hour making a company of over sixty per -sons Our guests were Edith and Eliza Ben - tley. Captain and Mrs. Strain, Mrs. Zack Waters Margaret Hallowell and daughter Alice, Sarah Brooke and daughter Deborah, Mrs. Moores Patty Stabler, Walter and Carrie Brooke, Mrs Abert and daughter, Miss Nelson, Miss Joe Dell, Madgie Tyson Mary Janney and Miss Nelson.

The specimen tables were loaded with fine vegetables and the roses made a magnificent display. From Rockland were cabbage, beets, peas, onions, snap beans in bloom and flowers; from Norwood onions, peas and flowers; from Avalon onions, peas, potatoes size of a hickory nut strawberries and flowers, from Rock Spring beans in bloom, salsify, potato, size of wal -nuts, onions corn 2 feet high and flow -ers; from Alloway potato size of a walnut currants strawberries gooseberries, beets, peas, lettuce & flowers; from Riverside, aspar -agus strawberries and flowers.