Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women - Wise Acres Yearbook (Ambler, PA)

Page 18 text:

Wise-Acres •♦+a ■■ ■ ■ worked zealously on in order to reach the desired goal, and those of us at the School watched with increasing interest the progress of the construction. The excavation of the cellar was begun on August the third and by the first of November the walls of the building were up and the shingling of the roof completed. Then came the exciting evening when the room charts were spread out on the big table in the class room and everyone drew for choice, Seniors drawing first and Juniors next. The contractors had promised that all workmen would be out of the building by Friday, March the first, and it was announced that on the following day students were to move their personal possessions to their new rooms. And such a day as it turned out to be! Cold and cheerless with a bleak drizzle turning into a wet, sloppy snow—one of the most utterly unpleasant days of the whole winter over-head and under-foot. The terrible condition of the road made it impossible to get anywhere near the building with a car and consequently the farm wagon and the two grays were pressed into service, along with old Jackson and the dump cart. It is, indeed, a pity that no one had time to take a snap-shot or two of the procession which passed back and forth that morning between the old dormitory and the new, but the scene is indelibly impressed upon the minds of those who witnessed it. The farm wagon piled high with bureaus, tables and chairs, the dump cart filled with everything from victrolas to typewriters, laundry baskets laden with the contents of closet shelves— such an orgy of moving as we had! By the middle of the afternoon, however, the old dormitory had been practically cleared and the students departed for the spring holidays. But for those who remained at School the process of moving continued for most of the following week and it seemed as if we would never come to the last pot and pan in the kitchen, the last bunch of catalogues in the office. By the time School opened after the holidays, however, we had begun to bring order out of chaos, and at length we were really settled. When one pauses to consider how much thought and effort have gone into the raising of the funds and the building and furnishing of the new dormitory, one cannot but feel a great debt of gratitude to those who have had such unfailing faith and have worked so earnestly for the benefit of the School. And surely we who are privileged to enjoy the results of their labors must do our utmost to justify their faith in Ambler. m i6 n

Page 17 text:

The New Dormitory Louise Bush-Brown The new dormitory which has been so long a dream of the future has become a reality. During the autumn of 1927 a committee was organized for the purpose of raising funds for the new building. An extensive survey of the School was made by the John Price Jones Corporation in order to determine, to some extent, the policy of future expansion, and after several months of preliminary work the active campaign was launched in the spring of 1928, under the able leadership of Mrs. John Hampton Barnes and Mrs. George L. Harrison, Jr. The members of the various Garden Clubs in the vicinity of Philadelphia and the many friends of the School responded most generously to the appeal for funds. Individual contributions ranged from one dollar to ten thousand dollars and by the first of July the sum of about seventy thousand was in hand. It was therefore decided to let the contract for the building, and on Commencement Day, July the 20th, 1928, ground was broken. At the close of the Commencement exercises everyone gathered upon the hill above the garden and after a few brief words Miss Haines, the President of the Board of Directors, turned the first spade-ful of earth. It was, indeed, a memorable occasion in the history of the School. During the months that followed, the Committee for Raising Funds

Page 19 text:

School of Horticulture — — Making Our Wild Flowers Feel at Home Helen I lebard and Elizabeth Kid gw ay How often when roaming in the woods do you see a delicate flower and think how delightful it would be if it would only grow at home; and how often do you uproot this poor foundling and carry it home, only to have to die in unfamiliar surroundings? Most wildings are even more particular about their conditions than are garden flowers, and every care should be taken to supply their exact needs if you attempt to grow them. There is little material available on this subject, since interest in it is comparatively new. Mr. Durand is the only one I know of who treats it extensively. His books, “Wild Flowers and Ferns in Their Homes and in Our Gardens” (formerly published under the title, “Taming the Wild-lings”) and “My Wild Flower Garden” are both full of valuable material for those interested in this work. Dr. Wherry, of the United States Department of Agriculture, has made an extensive survey of soil reaction and has published an excellent bulletin on the subject (Soil Reaction in Relation to Horticulture—Bulletin Four of the American Horticultural Society, published May, 1926), which may still be available. This pamphlet contains a list of plants with their soil preferences, as well as much information on soil reaction. “The Book of Shrubs,” by Alfred Hottes, contains many facts which might be applied to wild flowers as well as shrubs. Some pointers might be gleaned also from the current books on rock gardening and from Gray and other botanical books. Then there are always the catalogues, whose enchanted pages can arouse the frenzy of the most languid gardener. Firms which deal especially in native plants, as Robbins, and Purdy, give some cultural directions in their catalogues, which may be followed. Aside from these sources, you have your own observation to guide you. A careful study of a plant’s natural surroundings may reveal its secret to you. Probably the most important things to notice are the neighboring trees. Oaks, hemlocks and others create an acid soil by the decay of their foliage. Other plants, as Azaleas, Rhododendrons and Kalmias may be accepted as an indicator of acid soil, as they will not thrive in any other type. Peaty bogs are essentially acid in reaction, and the familiar red cedar (Juniperus viryiniana) is another indication of acidity. Wherever more accurate knowledge is desirable soil should be taken from near the roots of a thriving specimen and tested by one of the methods described below. After soil reaction, probably the most important thing is soil texture; the shale of an outcropping ledge, the deep