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

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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

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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

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Wise-Acres •♦♦a • — ■ ■ humus of the woods and the sand of the barrens all have their characteristic inhabitants. The proper amount of sun or shade is also important if plants are to do their best. It is desirable to test soil, not only to determine a plant’s preferences, but also in the effort to satisfy that preference under artificial conditions. Several methods have been developed for testing the soil, which are suitable for this work. The sample to be tested should be carefully selected. If the test is to cover more than one spot, a portion of soil should be taken from various parts of the area, and the samples thoroughly mixed together before the test is made. The simplest test is made by the use of litmus paper, but this method cannot be accurate. In Dr. Wherry’s pamphlet, mentioned above, a Single Indicator method made by the use of bromo-cresol purple is described, the outfit for which may be secured from the Wild Flower Preservation Society. From this has been evolved the more accurate Multiple Indicator method. Bulletin 312 of Wisconsin Experiment Station describes the Truog Test, which is especially arranged for field use. The test set put out by the LaMotte Chemical Company, of Baltimore, is one of the simplest, and only takes a few minutes to operate. They also furnish a booklet which gives a valuable list of plants with their preferences. Another test is called the Kenney Indicator Field Set; there are also other sets put out by the various State Colleges. Having determined the plant’s preference in soil, it is necessary to produce artificial conditions as near the natural ones as possible. Where acid conditions are desirable, avoid a situation which has been recently limed, or fertilized with bone meal, wood ashes or manure, and especially avoid regions of limestone rock. To be sure that the soil has the proper reaction, it is best to test it by one of the methods previously mentioned. If the ground proves to be neutral or alkaline, there are a number of methods which may be employed to acidify it. The addition of peat moss or upland peat, which is formed by the decomposition of organic matter under acid conditions, is an excellent material to dig into (he soil. (Avoid the light peat imported from Europe, as it contains very little humus.) Decayed oak leaves may be applied in large quantities if they are available. Spent tan-bark and hard wood sawdust are also used sometimes. Both should be used with caution until the value of the available type is ascertained. Sawdust from certain trees—as pines— may be injurious when fresh. Both of these are best applied as a surface mulch. All these materials have the added value of increasing the humus supply in the soil, which is so often deficient under artificial conditions. Aluminum sulphate is a white powder which has an irritating habit of finding its way into the nose and throat but it is most valuable where extremely acid soil is desired. This may be applied at rates varying