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The Highlander, April 1954
The 1954 season of the horticultural Society got off to a good start at the Highlander, where the jonquile seemed to be blooming everywhere, inside and out.
The meeting was called to order by the president, Jack Bentley and the October 1953 minutes were read and approved. After that came the election of officers for the usual two year period. All those incumbent were unanimously elected.
Helen Farquhar read for Eliza Thomas who was unable to be present because of illness, from the book by Royall Dixon, "The Human side of Plants" on plants that predict the weather. One of these Arbus Precatorius, or Indian licorice predicts weather as much as two days in advance. Plants that are able to do this are a great help in fruit growing countries where temperatures can
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make or break a fruit crop.
Isabel Wesley read on Organic gardening. The article stressed the fact that human health is more important than a huge yield and pest free plants. Soil is an organism that must be fed and all suitable organic material goes back to the land. Harsh chemicals, year after year cause deficiencies in food. Isabel then offered a stack of organic mag azines to any one who was in terested in them.
Rebecca Small gave her Forethought report: Set out new roses, transplant magnolias; salt asparagus bed, mulch garden and reset rock plants. She closed her report by reading "April Adoration" from a book given to her by Ruth Havens.
Edward Iddings gave the March temperature as 36 with 2" rain.
Alloway was chosen as the next palce of meeting with Colonel Kricker and Ulric Hutton as
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readers.
The meeting was then adjourned to look at the garden and indulge in the usual varied menu supper.
Respectfully, Sylvia Woodward, Secr
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May 4, 1954
On a cool but bright fourth of May the Horticultural Society met with the Wesleys at Alloway.
The meeting was called to order by the President and the minutes of the April meeting were read and approved.
Ulric Hutton read from the "American Nursuryman" - "control Insect Pests". Low amounts of rain fall for the past two summers will carry it's influence over into the summer of '64 with the accompanying rise of insects. The Black beetle weevil which attacks yew and rhododentron should have a spray application. Oyster shell scale on lilac and poplar should have DDT spray.
Colonel Kricker read next about John Rutchy, a former watchmaker of Holland, who started raising tuberous rooted begonias after receiving 5000 of them as a gift from grateful Dutch relatives to whom he had sent food packages during the war. Mr Rutchy has formed the Dutch Import Co. at Tannersville pa. and has flowers, tulips and begon ias, by the thousand. Purchasers come to his gardens and see the bulbs and tubers in bloom and order the variety that they want. Mr Rutchy gave several suggestions in buying and caring for tulip bulbs, order early - always unpack as soon as they arrive and plant before ground is hardened by frost. Bulbs should have plenty of water, as tulips thrive in moist conditions. After blooming, lift bulbs in June, clean and store in an airy place until fall. Begonias are surface tubers and like shade. The article left us with a desire to go to Tannersville to feast our eyes on all Mr Rutchy's beauty.
Rebecca Small gave us the following forethought: pinch off side blooms of peonies, divide rhubarb, tie narcissis plants, make succesive plantings of corn every two weeks; start sowing perrenial flower seeds and put out house plants May 10. She closed by reading "May" by Henry Sylvester Cornwell.
The meteorologist reported a rainfall of 2 1/2 inches with a temperature of 58.
May is the month for collecting the yearly dues so that was done.
It was moved and seconded to donate $10. for planting around the Library at the discretion of a committee head ed by Ulric and Grace Thomas.