Horticultural Society

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from Rockland attracted attention, + Tanglewood had the highest stalk of corn present.

Emma Stabler collected $1.95 dues from the numbers, so our treasury now stands $2.19 to the good.

A letter was rec'd from the Maryland Agricultural Society, telling us the annual meeting of the Affiliated Associations would be held in Balto. Dec. 9th to 12th inclusive.

"The regular Maryland Week Exhibit will not be held, but there will be held in Balto. at the Fifth Regiment Armory on the above dates, the Southern States Exposition + Apple Show.

Maryland will participate along with the other southern states in the exposition. Inasmuch as the Congress is coming to Maryland, it is encumbent (sic) upon us to put up a good State Exhibit."

The questions were next taken up. Hannah Stabler reported her holly tree was putting out fresh growth, so it proved it is not best to trim out early what seems like dead wood.

H/5/1919 - 2 - The minutes of the last meeting were adopted as read. As our 1st reader, Frank Hallowell, had a cold, his sister Mary H Stabler read his selected article taken from The Literary Digest, the subject of which being "Farming By Natural Signs." It said "The superstition of planting & harvesting crops by certain signs in nature has come to be 'phrenology,' it is & has always been one of the most accurate aids possible to the right kind of agriculture. The practice of planting a certain kind of seed when a certain kind of flower was in bloom has been regarded as something for well-meaning old fogies to putter around with & for well-informed people to smile at, but scientists have now discovered that, for every farm & garden operation, some tree or shrub or plant indicates the best time more accurately than all the scientific instruments can register it."

Emma Stabler, as 2nd reader, paid the society a compliment by saying it was a hard risk to to find anything

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wished a bulb bed for spring, this was the time to put them in the ground.

The assistant secretary could give reports of exhibits from only six of our members, but what they lacked in quantity was made up in quality, that from Cloverly being especially fine, a home where for the most of the summer there has been only one member to care for the gardens. This was not an afternoon for many questions.

Our leading hostess wanted to know what to do with her crab cactus; if it were "flabby," it was thought nothing could help it.

Emma Stabler was told that Thanksgiving day was about the time to put in sweet peas in the fall & to plant them three or four inches deep. She had, also, two varieties of apples to be named, but we failed to hear any given.

Cousin Ellen Farquhar asked if Lima beans were bearing abundantly, & the answers showed plenty now after the previous scarcity, but no one seemed to know why his watermelons were not bearing.

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with them, she sprayed two or three times a week. Emma Stabler has sprinkled sulphur on them & found it beneficial.

Alban Thomas has a fine lot of parsnip seed to give away.

How can you save onion seeds? Let them stand until dry & pick off.

Cornelia Bentley and Emma Stabler were appointed readers for next time.

Adjourned to Harwood.

It was indeed a great pleasure to the members of the Horticultural to meet at Della Brooke for their first meeting. In walking around we found the vegetable garden was in fine order - they had no reason to complain of lack of tomatoes - the vines were loaded, and everything in profusion.

The flower garden off the right of the house was a small beauty spot, and the grounds were immaculate. The view across the fields & meadows made one long to borrow it for keeps; it looked its best that glorious afternoon, perhaps just for us to feast

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he is missed - he will always be sadly missed from our gatherings, & we feel with the part "How fair that land must be, such he lingers there."

The minutes of the meeting at Della Brooke were read & approved. Our hostess suggested if Della Brooke did not belong to any body, she thought it would be a good plan for the Horticultural to own it!

Cornelia Bentley was the first reader for the day, she chose an appropriate article "Last Call for Fall Planting." The author recommended "fall planting of the great array of good shrubs & small trees that flower before July & for the enduring evergreens that keep the garden bright in winter."

Emma Stabler, the next reader, told us how trees link the centuries - many historical trees were spoken of - "Mass. is a wonderful state for old trees, its trees like the old houses, have a way of getting themselves assosciated with the Father of His Country." The article ended with "yet, after all, history is not the best part of historc trees. The best of them is their grandeur