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

Page 22 text:

Wise-Acres •♦«■■■ ■ - • —:gf- the soil Minimalkaline (pH 7.0—8.0). Circumneutral is the term generally applied to the two latter groups. Some of the loveliest flowers belong to group C. The moccasin flower (Cypripedium acaule) may be found either in hilly situations among dry pine needles, or in bogs among sphagnum moss. Linnaea borealis has fragile white flowers which are lined with pink. It is quite a hardy little plant, and forms a dainty contrast to its more robust looking neighbors. Iris verna, a dwarf species, is very attractive, and takes a sandy soil mixed with pine needles and oak leaves. Most wild flowers belong to group B., but only a few can be mentioned here. Viola pedata is a dainty little flower with its two upper petals lavender and three lower ones white in the bicolor form, while the type is solid lavender. Clintonia borealis has lovely blue berries, but unfortunately it is rather difficult to transplant. It likes moist places best. Most azaleas do well, and they always give a bright touch, enlivening the scene with their flowers in spring, while their foliage remains a glossy green until the fall. If by any chance a stream runs through the spot you are planting, the pink chelone (Chelone lyoni) or possibly the white one (Chelone r labra) would be an addition, as they bloom quite late, during August and September. And last, but far from least, if the Habenaria funbriata could be induced to grow you would have a treat. The flower spike varies from four to seven inches in length, and it is about two inches through. It is a lovely delicate purple which may vary from a very deep tone to a milky white. It is sweet scented, and on coming upon them suddenly one’s breath is fairly taken away, so perfect is their loveliness. One of the few wild flowers belonging to group A is Trillium (jrandiflorum. It is a lovely spring flower well worth cultivating. These are only a few of the plants which may brighten your garden if you have the patience and love to humor each one’s individual needs. € 20 B

Page 21 text:

School of Horticulture ♦+n —» ■ from one quarter of a pound to three pounds per square yard, according to the degree of acidity desired, and the directions you happen to be following. Scatter it evenly over the surface of the ground and allow it to leach in. Hemlock extract and commercial tannic acid are both recommended at the rate of one part to fifty parts of water. Also sulphur dug into the soil is reputed to acidify it gradually. Where peat moss or other organic agents are available they are preferred because of the beneficial effect on the texture of the soil. Where expensive hauling makes these prohibitive, or when the acid thus applied becomes spent, aluminum sulphate and the others are valuable. Where some kind of fertilizer is desirable for acid soil plants, as in the case of Rhododendrons and other Ericaceous shrubs, ammonium sulphate, skimmed milk or buttermilk may be used as nitrogen carriers. Acid phosphate and sulphate of potash may be used to supply the other plant food requirements necessary. Care should be taken to balance the elements properly: a mixture of ten pounds cottonseed meal, four pounds acid phosphate, and two pounds of sulphate of potash at the rate of one eighth to one quarter of a pound is suggested by Mr. Hottes. When watering Ericaceous plants, and others which like acid soil, avoid the use of hard water, as it contains lime. If no other kind is available, one-half pound of aluminum sulphate may be dissolved in forty gallons of water to counteract the effect. In dealing with wild flowers, we rarely have difficulty with too acid soil, but if such an occasion should arise, there is always our old friend lime. If use of this would be too radical, the slower acting bone meal might be applied. If it is to be a woodland garden, and the soil is not already rich in humus, peat moss or partially decayed leaves will improve it wonderfully. Where the soil is heavy clay, sand should be dug in for most plants. Try to give each plant its natural place—in sun or shade; high or low, well drained or boggy ground; acid or neutral soil. If you succeed in doing this, plants cannot help but thrive. A set of terms to apply to various degrees of soil acidity has been developed which make it easy to divide the plant material into groups which require about the same care. The most acid group is referred to as Superacid (pH3.1—4.0). Sphagnum moss is about the only thing that will grow in this type of soil. Arbutus (Epigaea repens) thrives in Mediacidsoil (pH4.0—5.0), which is sometimes more popularly referred to as C. Most of our upland woods, as well as much of our meadows and marshes are Subacid (pH 5.0—6.0). Azaleas and Rhododendrons like soil of this type which is often termed B. Minimacid (pH 6.0—7.0) or A. soil is found in meado vs and w oods of limestone regions, and in gardens under standard cultivation. Only on limestone ledges, piles of manure and woods wrhere there is an accumulation of black leaf-mold is 19 Us

Page 23 text:

Our Jersey Herd Martha Walter Bryant To the left of our gardens and down a little slope we find an old stone barn. Red sheds are attached to both sides, and there is one at the end. A quaint little house is built away to the right, which serves as a milk house. This little group of so-called barns, sheds and quaint house is enclosed by a yard most naturally called a barn yard. It is not the group of buildings that I am particularly interested in, but the Jersey cows that are housed, fed and cared for inside. First I want to give credit to Financial’s Fairy Pet Martha. Martha is the mother of four daughters in our herd. She is six years old, and can well boast of her record during the past nine months that she has been fresh. We owe the fact to Martha that her good qualities have been passed on to her daughters. Fauvic’s Fairy Fern, Martha’s eldest daughter, is now the mother of the future sire of our herd—Fauvic’s Gamboge Trinity—sired by Sibil’s Gamboge Trinity. Fern is making a record which assures us that we have been wise in choosing her son for the herd sire. Fauvic’s Fern Maid Marion, full sister of Fern, has been fresh since April 22, 1928. This being her first year, she has not scored as her mother and sister, but is giving credit to her age. Raleigh’s Good Queen Bess and Lady Jane Grey are two younger daughters of Martha. We hope to have them step into the same high place that their mother and sisters occupy. We have another individual—in our herd—Golden Maid’s Gala Primrose, whose record has caught our eye: