Title: The Green Thumb, Nov.-Dec. 1959, Vol. 16, No. 10
Creator: Colorado Forestry and Horticultural Association
Release date: July 19, 2019 [eBook #59948]
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Lisa Corcoran and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Magazine for Rocky Mountain Gardeners
NOV.-DEC., 1959
25 Cents
Season’s Greetings
We appreciate the patience of our friends and customers in the delays resulting from the unseasonable snowstorm in September.
SWINGLE TREE SURGERY COMPANY
620 So. Dahlia FR 7-8123
ILIFF GARDEN NURSERY
SK 6-5656
4750 E. Iliff
Shade, fruit, and ornamental trees, flowering shrubs, hardy vines, small fruits, and evergreens, nursery and container grown.
40,000 perennial plants in containers. Over 400 varieties, including specimen plants and ground covers.
House plants. Green and flowering plants for all occasions. Let us repot your plants.
Fertilizers, insecticides, trellises, large flower pots, peat, and potting soil.
COME AND SEE US
The most complete stock.
Visitors are always welcome.
Colorado Forestry and Horticulture Association
Organized in 1884
“To preserve the natural beauty of Colorado; to protect the forests; to encourage proper maintenance and additional planting of trees, shrubs and gardens; to make available correct information regarding forestry, horticultural practices and plants best suited to the climate; and to coordinate the knowledge and experience of foresters, horticulturists and gardeners for their mutual benefit.”
NOV.-DEC.
Vol. 16
No. 10
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
M. Walter Pesman, Chairman
Mrs. Alexander Barbour
Mrs. William Crisp
Herbert C. Gundell
Dr. A. C. Hildreth
Fred R. Johnson
Mrs. J. V. Peterson
Moras Shubert
Julia Jane Silverstein
Mrs. James P. Steele
Mrs. Ray Turnure
Mrs. Edmund Wallace
Stanley White
Mrs. Helen Marsh Zeiner
Patrick Gallavan, Editor
LaVica Bonar, Assistant Editor
Members
Published Monthly. Sent free to all members of the Association. Supporting membership, $3.00; Active, $5.00; Contributing, $10.00; Patron, $25.00; Donor, $100.00. Copyright 1959 by:
The Colorado Forestry and Horticulture Association
A non-profit, privately financed Association
EA 2-9656
909 YORK ST. DENVER 6, COLORADO
Calendar of Events
The Green Thumb Program—Every Saturday morning on KLZ at 10: 15 a.m.
Floral Art Course: Opportunity School. Every Thursday 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m., 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m.-9:15 p.m. There is no charge except for materials.
BOTANIC GARDENS’ HOUSE MEETINGS
909 York Street
December 9—Organic Gardeners, 8 p.m.
December 11—Colorado Forestry and Horticulture Finance Committee, 10:30 a.m. Colorado Forestry and Horticulture Board Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. Colorado Cactophiles, 8 p.m.
December 24—Civic Garden Club, 1 p.m.
January 5—Mountain View Garden Club, 1 p.m.
January 6—Botany Club, 7:30 p.m.
January 8—Colorado Forestry and Horticulture Finance Committee, 10:30 a.m. Colorado Forestry and Horticulture Board Luncheon, 11:30 am.
January 11—Judges Council, 10 a.m.
January 12—Evergreen Garden Club, 7:30 p.m.
January 13—Organic Gardeners, 8 p.m.
January 14—Denver Rose Society, 7 p.m.
“Fun With Flowers”—A lecture and demonstration is followed by the making of arrangements. Each person brings containers, mechanics, and material. The workshops are open to everyone. Due to popular demand the workshops will be held each month at the following times and places:
Workshop No. 1—Botanic Gardens House, 909 York St., Denver. Third Wednesday of each month, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Workshop No. 2—Lakeside Denver Dry Goods, 44th and Harlan, Denver. First Friday of each month, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Workshop No. 3—Arapahoe County Fair Grounds, W. Belleview and Windemere, Littleton. Third Tuesday of each month, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
REMEMBER THE SALVATION ARMY
Best Wishes for the Christmas Season
ALVIN L. (LEE) CHAMBERS
COMPLETE SHRUBBERY, EVERGREEN AND TREE SERVICE
Fully Licensed—Insured
FRemont 7-0036 850 Kearney Street
By Pat Gallavan
Chances are that the effect of the tranquilizer bulletin in the last Green Thumb has worn off. We can now carefully appraise the damage done to our trees. On streets where brush removal has been completed, it is easy to see that many trees, though battered and misshapen, are not a total loss. Now that the leaves have fallen, split crotches and stubs left in emergency removals are much in evidence. Our previous bulletin mentioned that there was no rush in doing this type of repair work, as long as it is completed by the time growth starts in the spring.
This final repair work, for the most part, should be done by a professional tree surgeon. Sawing off a limb isn’t quite as easy as falling off a log. First of all, in large trees the danger of falling is a major hazard for the amateur. Secondly, improper pruning can be quite detrimental to the future growth of the tree.
Under normal conditions we have enough good tree men to adequately take care of our trees. This storm, however, has put a great burden on the existing tree companies and has opened a tempting field to a lot of unqualified and unscrupulous people. These persons, armed with a pick-up, a ladder and a saw, can ruin a good tree in an hour’s time. Don’t be afraid to ask for credentials; a legitimate operator will gladly produce them, and recommendations if necessary. Above all, if you are not sure of his qualifications, watch his work for the mistakes explained and illustrated in this article.
To know a good pruning job from a bad one it is necessary to understand a few principles of tree growth. First of all, a tree, like all plants, is a living organism. We know that it manufactures its own food in the leaves. Raw materials, water and minerals, taken in by the roots are transported up to the leaves and there, in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll (green matter), are converted to simple food. These in turn flow back through the tree, nourishing growing cells throughout the plant. This intricate transportation system and a layer of active growth cells lie just beneath the bark. There are a number of theories on the forces that put this system into motion. However, for our purposes it is evident that the foliage of the tree is essential to this process. It stands to reason then that we can’t just lop off all the major branches of a large tree and expect it to survive.
Methods of properly pointing up a wound.
Trees with weak crotches, heavy limbs or storm damage may be saved with proper bracing and cabling.
Careful Maintenance of Shade Trees
SCHULHOFF ARBORIST SERVICE
Specialists in Tree Care
HArrison 4-6112
MEMBER
NATIONAL ARBORIST ASSOCIATION
Granted that in some cases pruning will have to be severe, but if it is done properly the tree will have a chance to live. When a large branch is cut off and a stub is left, the growth processes stop in the projected stub, but continue their natural course of flow at its base in the parent branch. Each year as the tree grows it builds up a new growth ring around the stub. This is noted as a swelling, and will continue to grow in size each succeeding year. In the meantime, the dead stub is exposed to the elements and begins to rot away. In time it will decay back to the stem or trunk and be sloughed off and the original wound may close over with new growth rings. Usually before this happens, the organisms causing decay of the stub enter the main stem and begin their slow but deadly work there, so that in time the entire tree may become decadent.
If, on the other hand, the limb is cut back flush to the parent limb or stem, we find that the sap flow and growth ring still occur around the wound, but that each succeeding year the ring occurs inside the cut area. In time this growth will completely enclose the wound. On a small wound of an inch diameter this sealing may take place in several years’ time. Larger cuts will, of course, take more time and to prevent decay while they are healing a good tree paint should be applied to seal the wound until natural growth heals it over.
In addition to eliminating the stubs, other repairs might have to be made. In some cases the branches broke at their point of attachment on the parent limb and have peeled back the bark, leaving a jagged and irregular shaped wound. As indicated above, the new growth follows the easiest and smoothest path so that in such cases the wound needs to be shaped to allow for the quickest possible healing. From experience it has been found that a vertical elongated oval is the quickest to heal over, as it follows, as close as possible, the natural flow of material in a plant. This method is illustrated in the accompanying sketches.
Another repair that may be necessary is the cabling and bolting of split or weakened crotches. This is based on engineering principles and should be attempted only by an experienced arborist. The sketch on page 331 shows one application of this method.
As mentioned in our tranquilizer bulletin, our trees have had a good growing year, and with proper care this winter, can come back quickly in the spring.
These things we think of when we say: “We wish you joy on Christmas Day.”
Peace that fills your life and heart, gladness that will not depart; hope to constantly abide; Faith that God will safely guide—these things we think of, pray for, too, when wishing Christmas joy for you.
ANTHONY KEESEN & SONS
Landscaping and Contracting
4201 East Iliff
SK 6-4040
SP 7-7873
From The Shade Tree Digest
Were any of your fine shade trees wrecked by the September snowstorm? If so, a bit of foresight and effort on your part now may result in considerable savings to you when the time comes to pay your 1959 Federal income tax. For, usually, residential property is more valuable with trees than without, and if the value of that property is lessened as a result of storms the amount of the tangible loss is deductible in computing income tax returns.
Any loss claimed must be based upon material value. A tree may become “almost like a member of the family” in your esteem—but don’t use that approach if you have occasion to evaluate it as “deductible loss!” However much Government tax officials might agree with you in sentiment, they are permitted to measure the worth of a tree only by its effect upon the market price of the “real estate”—including land, buildings and other trees—of which it is an integral part.
Relative to computing the amount of deductible loss, the Bureau of Internal Revenue advises as follows: (1) The “apparent loss” of property is the difference between the fair market values of the property immediately before and immediately after the casualty. (2) Compare the “apparent loss” with the adjusted basis of the property. (3) The “loss sustained” is the apparent loss, or the adjusted basis, whichever is the lesser. (4) From the loss sustained subtract the amount, if any, of insurance or other recovery. (5) The balance remaining is the “loss recognized” for income tax purposes.
Thus, computing the amount of the “loss” hinges upon determination of “fair market values,” and, unfortunately, there is no exact mathematical formula by which this can be ascertained. Clearly, any “loss” claims should be supported by positive evidence. Such evidence might include photographs, and certainly reports from experts in the particular fields involved in the loss.
Shade trees certainly add to the value of a property. If one is destroyed by a storm, measuring the extent of loss to the property is a matter requiring technical knowledge and good judgment. The value of a tree is affected by species, age, condition, location and other factors, and to arrive at an estimate which will survive close scrutiny by tax officials all pertinent factors must be considered. Data intended for use in support of a loss claim should be gathered, of course, as soon as possible after the casualty.
Further tree damage can be expected from ice storms in the months ahead. If any of your trees have been, or are, lost from such “natural physical forces” it will pay you to remember that their value—at least, for tax purposes—can be measured in dollars-and-cents.
KROH BROS. NURSERIES
Preferred Nursery Stock for the
Rocky Mountain and Plains Regions
ONE MILE NORTH OF LOVELAND HIGHWAY 287
P. O. Box 536 Loveland, Colorado
Drop Card for Our Current Catalog
Photos Courtesy Dennison Mfg. Co.
1. Shop early enough so that you’ll be able to choose a variety of both traditional and brightly colored foil and printed foil wraps. Don’t neglect to select some of the convenient cutter box papers and the king size fold holiday papers that make wrapping a large gift so simple.
2. Give each package a character of its own by selecting a paper to suit its size or to complement the personality of the recipient.
3. Select ribbon or additional package decorations to complement your package. Small boxes require a more subtle patterned paper than a larger size package.
4. To make the job a little more organized keep all wrapping supplies including scissors and cellophane tape together in a large box. After these preliminary preparations select a large enough work area, assemble your materials and start wrapping.
By Lilygayle Fleischer
Mrs. Provinzano with her display of dolls and curios at the Colorado State Fair.
Shiny red apples on the grocer’s shelves beam their way into the shopper’s basket as a focal point in an autumn table arrangement before they become the ingredients of a festive mealtime table delicacy, or so I thought until I met the “apple doll lady” at the recent Colorado State Fair.
Standing beneath the traditional emblem of the Red Cross, and clad in the costume of a Gray Lady, Mrs. Attie (Nick) Provinzano, radiated good cheer as she greeted the visitors that paused to view her display of curio-oddities within the glass showcase.
She extended her hand in welcome as I approached and we were soon oblivious to those about us as we renewed and reviewed old acquaintanceship and activities.
I remembered her as a Corona Park Garden Club member, when we returned to Pueblo during the depression days, for I had been fascinated by her verve and stamina. Though mother of five children, she was an active P.T.A. worker (for 19 years) and the dynamo that sparked the enthusiasm of her chosen garden club, organizing and directing a Hill Billy Band with great gusto. They presented programs in the city and surrounding areas, and derived greatest pleasure from entertaining shut-ins.
Unable to read a musical note she developed her own system of teaching others to play the harmonica (she played in the band) and the accordion; thus revealing the rugged individualism, natural instincts, quick thinking, determination and consideration for others that was so pronounced in both Kit Carson and Tom Tobin, her great-grandfathers.
These intervening years hadn’t dimmed her enthusiasm for meeting and helping people, it seemed, and I listened intently as she shared her knowledge of fashioning doll heads from various fruits; apples, peaches or pears.
“What started you on this hobby?” I asked.
“My grandmother in Germany sent me an 100 year old apple doll and I planned to keep it clean, so I placed a glass jar over it. It soon disintegrated and I was heartsick about it.”
“How old were you then?”
“Oh, about 10. My mother dried my tears when she suggested we go into the orchard to find an apple and 336 thought I might be able to reproduce another.”
“How do you begin?”
“By peeling the apple and setting it aside to dry, but pinching the features in during this drying process.”
“What do you use for teeth?” a bystander asked.
Mrs. Provinzano smiled as she said, “Lima beans, and see what I make of the skins of the lima beans, small artificial rose buds.”
The conversation became more animated as others questioned her. She explained that apples shrink to one half or one third their original size during the drying period and this gives the appearance of wrinkled skin. She devised a scheme to overcome the wrinkles and gently massaged cold cream into the apple doll. “It takes three weeks for it to dry into wrinkled features and it takes three weeks to massage those wrinkles out, for all time.” The apple heads retain the soft texture indefinitely, for they pick up enough moisture from the air to retain the texture, but not enough to rot. These heads are mounted on sticks, i.e., clothespins, and inserted into bottles. These are draped with a dress or tunic suitable for the subject, thus eliminating the need for making a body or wire base.
A mask fashioned from half a grapefruit and one of an orange were pointed out. She cautioned would-be hobbyists against using a knife to define the features, as the acid in the fruit rots the knife (metal) incisions. Toothpicks should be used for this procedure. Wall paper cleaner is used for the clay to fill the scooped out citrus fruit, pinching in the nose, punching out the eyes and mouth with toothpicks.
Mrs. Provinzano and her exhibit at the International Hobby Show in California.
“What about this Nun doll’s head? It’s very pale compared to the apple doll’s head.”
“Oh, they’re fashioned of hard and dry marshmallows.”
“But how do you fashion the features?”
“I use an emery board to hollow out the depressions. I save all the powder that falls during this process and mix it with rouge and gently rub it into the cheeks for a bit of color.”
“Do they need a protective coating to keep them?”
“Yes, I learned by trial and error, for one doll was sent to India and the ants got at it, so I instructed them to send the head back to me and I’d make up another in exchange. The coating of shellac preserved it, even from the ants.”
“What’s this jewelry made of?”
“Some of it’s made of bubble gum. I neglected to coat it with a preservative when I first learned to fashion flowers from it, and one day in summer I could feel the earring lengthen, so I removed it to experiment with a coating of shellac, and it worked.”
“This Indian head looks like a wall plaque.”
“Yes, and it’s made of old bread.”
“Old bread? I usually feed mine to the birds.”
“Heavens, at my house everything is used to fashion some sort of plaque, or doll head or picture. I soak the old bread in a very little water then squeeze it dry, and add about ¼ cup salt to 1 cup of the bread dough and knead it. It will rise after salt has been added, but it will eventually stop rising and you will have a good clay to fashion your figurines with. Take this cowboy plaque. The plaque itself is papier-mache, the figure of the horseman of various materials; the upper body of gum, the chaps of dried banana peelings that are fashioned over rolls of clay, the seams laced with thread, and they dry resembling leather.”
“And this picture of apple blossoms?”
“Oh, that’s made of wall paper cleaner. I dye portions of it and use it for earrings and children’s dishes as well as for wall plaques or framed pictures. I dilute the mixture used as background.”
“Dilute it? With what?”
“Water, but only to the consistency of cream, then I cover the backing, usually a piece of cardboard. When that is dry I use a thicker mixture and press a bit, about the size of my thumb, on the prepared surface and add more petals until I have the desired picture. That one was made up so that you could hang it from any side and it would show flowering branches.”
Her most famous doll is the Kit Carson doll, patented and registered with the Doll Guild of America. The buckskin suits are made from old leather jackets. She carves the wooden guns and uses the spurs from chicken legs for the powder horns. A coon-skin cap and a cowboy hat complete each outfit. Although they sell for twelve dollars, these dolls are in great demand and there is a great backlog of orders.
She believes that everyone should have two hobbies, because a single hobby can become monotonous. As one alternate, she exhibits Indian belts made from pounded out soda pop bottle tops laced with colored yarn. She also works down gnarled tree roots for use as lamp stands.
Mrs. Provinzano has traveled thru-out the west exhibiting her dolls, which range from pioneer scouts to Indians and Mexicans, at various fairs. At the International Hobby Show in California, some years ago, she won a first place ribbon for “Ingenuity”.
She possesses the abiding faith in Divine guidance and protection that 338 was her grandfather’s, believing that she is on this earth to help others. She believes sharing brings its rewards, for often a remark dropped by another will open up a door to new achievements, and she has an illustrious record of achievements to her credit.
Records reveal that she taught swimming for the Young Women’s Christian Association, hobbies and handcrafts for the Steel Works Young Men’s Christian Association and devoted many years to showing crippled children at the St. Mary’s Hospital pediatric ward how to generate their own sunshine by making things with their hands, often deformed hands that responded slowly to determined little minds. She also taught harmonica and handicraft at Sacred Heart Orphanage.
The Provinzano home is called the Kit Carson Rancho, part dream and part reality, because Attie hoped some day to acquire a mountain ranch, destined to become a summer camp for boys, that they may know some of the wonders of nature, and the pleasure of living under the stars among the pines.
Whether this dream becomes a reality remains to be seen. Though she conquered serious injuries, she is familiar with the shadow of bereavement; a daughter, some years back, and most recently, last March, the husband who had planned to work beside her to enjoy her worthwhile hobbies that she now teaches to boys at Fort Carson.
As for me, and her close friends, the sight of polished apples and citrus fruits will always be a bright reminder of the vivacious, courageous sunshine lady who now operates a Hobby Shop at Beulah, Colorado.
Photo Courtesy Florist Telegraph FLORAL DESIGNS POPULAR AT CHRISTMAS
This table arrangement of carnations, holly and candles (above) forms an unusual background for a display of holiday greeting cards, and ranks high with all members of the family as a Christmas gift. This Christmas more Americans than ever before in history will give “Flowers for Christmas.”
Photos Credit Cleanliness Bureau
What better way to keep the small fry occupied on a holiday afternoon than painting a Christmas mural on the living room mirror with easily removable “suds-snow.” An outline drawn on the mirror with a soap sliver or a grease pencil can be an easy guide for the young artists to follow. After the holidays, the suds painting can be washed away with a damp cloth, leaving the mirror shining clean.
It’s Christmas ... visions of sugar plums dance in children’s heads, What do you see—too much to do in a short time?
Those last-minute decorative chores, for example. Will they send you scurrying? You can end such anxieties—swiftly, and easily—with soapsuds.
That’s right—soapsuds! It’s a novel way to complete holiday projects; glistening suds whipped up like snow will decorate your Christmas tree and gift boxes ... adorn your creche ... bring three-dimensional artwork to your mirrors and windows ... provide an effective safety valve for your youngsters’ excitement.
“Suds-snow” not only works like magic, it’s as simple to produce as rubbing Aladdin’s lamp. All you do is pour several cups of packaged soap (or detergent) and a minimum of water into a bowl. Beat with an electric or hand mixer until suds have the consistency of whipped cream—and you’re ready to decorate!
Start with your Christmas tree. Realistic suds-snow will bring that white Christmas to your evergreen—no matter what the weather outside. Using a spoon, drift some “snow” artistically on the boughs of your tree.
If the tree is white, add vegetable coloring while mixing your suds to achieve a beautiful color contrast. (A similar “snowfall” provides just the right decor for the roof of your creche and on holly and evergreen sprigs that surround it.)
Invitation to the family to gather round for Christmas carols—the piano topped with a creche and holiday greens. Snow suds on the creche and branches add beauty to the scene. That big tree-background is red paper, decorated with homemade snowflakes made by squeezing a thick soap-and-water mixture through a cookie press. When dry, glue them to the paper with rubber cement.
This little Christmas tree never saw a forest—or real snow either for that matter! But here it stands, proudly laden with lacy golden cones, made of gold paper doilies, and filled with toothsome sweets. A delightful young decorator is heaping the life-like plastic boughs with suds-snow as beautiful as any in the great outdoors—only not so perishable.
This youngster is just bubbling over with enthusiasm for her artwork. She feels just like one of Santa’s helpers at the North Pole—because she’s able, with a bowl of suds-snow and tempera paint, to make almost all the Christmas presents for her gift list. Shown here are a stationery holder and a pencil holder for her dad; the picture above is for mother to hang in the playroom; and the Christmas card holder is a gift for the house!
After “frosting” your tree, complete your decoration with distinctive ornaments made from the same basic soap—but mixed to a stiff, dough-like consistency. For example, fill a cookie press with these thick suds. Then press snowflake circles or diamonds—with holes in the middle—onto a cookie sheet, and add glitter for a sparkling touch. Let them dry for 24 hours and they’re ready to be tied to the boughs of your tree with colorful ribbons or strings. You can also glue them to any flat surface.
Versatile suds-snow comes in handy for decorating gift packages, too. Just wrap your presents with attractive paper ... fill a pastry tube with medium dense suds ... and you’re ready to “draw” any appropriate design for the occasion—initials, messages, snowflakes, candy cane, or what have you. Place these on the broadest surface of your box and accent them with holly sprigs or miniature balls. You’ll find you’ve created the most distinctive packages under your tree!
There’s one more happy side to the advent of snow-suds for the Yule season. They provide a constructive medium for your children—a happy outlet during your flurry of Yuletide activity. Let them have fun decorating the mirrors and windows of their rooms with Christmas pictures. Armed with no more than paint brushes and a bowlful of thick suds, they can create striking 3-D effects—that wash off after the holidays easily as any soap does, leaving your mirrors and windows cleaner than ever!
Youngsters can also make Christmas gifts from suds! One idea: a pencil holder made from an empty frozen juice can. First, the top has to be removed. Then your child colors the can, using a mixture of one teaspoon of soap or detergent to two or three teaspoons of tempera. This is an important recipe because tempera paints adhere to shiny, waxed, or metal surfaces only when soap or detergent is added.
After the paint dries, Junior or Sis can design a suds-snow picture over it to provide an eye-catching decoration—and an attractive gift for any member of the family.
No matter which of these refreshing soap-suds decorations you use, remember to let it dry for 24 hours. It will remain bright as frost in the moonlight for a Christmas-through-New Year’s decoration that brings cheer to your holiday guests.
A Viking legend has it that the Lord sent his three messengers, Faith, Hope, and Love to aid a missionary by seeking out a tree for lighting that was as high as faith, as eternal as hope, as wide spread as love, and which bore the sign of the cross on every branch. After due consideration, they selected the balsam fir as the tree most nearly meeting these specifications.
L. D. “LEW” HAMMER
Landscape Contractor Tel. WE 5-5938
Photos by Jack Fason
The Alpine Unit—This natural area is located on Mt. Goliath above Echo Lake. Here foot trails lead through timberline trees, rock formations and carpets of alpine flowers. The first of our zonal units, it will serve as a testing ground for high altitude and Arctic plants.
City Park Unit—This area of approximately 100 acres now contains the major collection of roses, lilacs, evergreens, iris, crabapples, tulips and chrysanthemums.
Botanic Gardens House—This unit, acquired in March, has become the center of horticultural activity for the metropolitan area. Over 6000 persons have made use of its facilities for meetings, lectures, and information.
The Herbaceous Unit—Also newly acquired, but showing considerable progress. Major construction items such as the fence, sprinkler system, walks and parking lot are completed. In addition there are plantings of roses, iris, hemerocallis, annuals, peonies, tulips and some lawn area.
The Bible says that when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, “behold, there came wise men from the east”. It does not say how many but tradition has it that they were three magi or, perhaps, three kings. “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary its mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”
At the end of His life on earth, after the crucifixion, we are told that Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, “about an hundred pound weight”, which they placed in the linen shroud, “as the manner of the Jews is to bury.”
Throughout the Bible, including the 37th chapter of Genesis and the 18th of Revelations, those two exotic spices—frankincense and myrrh—are mentioned again and again. When Jehovah spake unto Moses on Mount Sinai, specifying how the tabernacle, the ark and the altar must be built, He also commanded that the holy ointment should contain prescribed quantities of pure myrrh and three other spices mixed with olive oil; further, the sacred perfume or incense should contain equal quantities of pure frankincense and three “sweet spices”.
These and other ordinances in the Mosaic Law were probably influenced by customs and observances in Egypt where the Children of Israel had lived for 430 years and Moses had grown up as a prince in Pharaoh’s court. For thousands of years, spices had been brought to Egypt by camel caravans from India, Arabia and eastern Africa. From them, by secret formulas, the priests prepared several perfumes and ointments for religious rites and domestic use. At the feast of Isis the burnt offering was an ox, its body filled with frankincense and myrrh. When embalming their dead, the body was filled with myrrh, cassia and other fragrant materials, dried, wrapped in fine linen, and placed in a painted wooden case.
Frankincense is a fragrant gum resin obtained from three or more of five species of trees—the Boswellias—that grow in Abyssinia and Somaliland in Africa, southern Arabia, India and the East Indies. Usually of small or medium size, they are related to the terebinth or turpentine tree and their compound leaves, with 7 to 9 glossy leaflets, are similar to those of a mountain ash.
The gum, obtained by making deep gashes in the trunk and branches, and peeling back a few inches of bark below each cut, oozes in large white or amber “tears”. After 3 or 4 months exposure they become hard and brittle, and are collected. During handling and shipping they become covered with white dust from rubbing against one another. They ignite readily, burn with a clear white flame, and give off a fragrant balsam-like odor because, in addition to resin and gum, they contain a volatile inflammable oil. The incense burned in a censer or thurible during rituals of Roman and Greek Catholic churches is a mixture of frankincense imported from India, Egypt and Somalia.
Myrrh, also a fragrant gum resin, is obtained by similar methods from two species of shrubs or small trees that grow on rocky places in Abyssinia, Somaliland and Arabia. Their bark and wood have a strong fragrance. The gum, as it oozes from the stems and branches naturally or from the incisions made, is at first a soft sticky, somewhat oily, white or yellowish brown resin very bitter to the taste. It soon hardens into reddish-brown beads.
—From Nature Bulletin Forest Preserve District of Cook County, Ill.
By J. Harrison Belknap
Our Association membership is indeed interested in the highway system within our city, and we are also interested in the beauty of Denver and our parks and their usefulness. The widening and relocation of Colorado Boulevard has been watched with interest and we are convinced that that important thoroughfare has been improved greatly. But we are concerned that in this improvement our fair city has lost valuable park area and that a beautiful planting of American Elms has been destroyed. Our concern is greatest because we fear that other contemplated highway changes may cut further into our dedicated park lands.
In the light of the very definite interest of the Colorado Forestry and Horticulture Association in the welfare of our people, and the usefulness and beauty of the dedicated park lands, I have been asked by the Editorial Committee of “The Green Thumb” to study and report on the Colorado Boulevard situation and to provide a layman’s analysis of the legal aspects as presented in the “Brief of the Plaintiff in Error”. That brief was presented by Mr. I. H. Kaiser, attorney for the “Plaintiff in Error”, Mrs. Madaline M. Welch.
First of all, as I see it, I should provide some background for the Colorado Boulevard project. This I will do. It is known that the State Department of Highways has had a right-of-way through the city for Colorado Boulevard. That right-of-way embraces land that has been a part of City Park and land that, to all intents and purposes, has been a part of the private properties abutting on the boulevard. It was decided by the State Department of Highways to realign the boulevard and in the widening to cut largely from the park area on the west, or park, side of the thoroughfare, and to use only a small portion of the right-of-way on the east side of the boulevard, opposite City Park. On the basis of that decision all of the right-of-way land on the City Park side would be used for the realigned and widened highway, and an additional 17 feet of dedicated park land would also be used. This means that a total width of 35 feet would be taken from City Park. On the other hand, the right-of-way strip on the east and private property side to the street edge of the then existing sidewalk only would be required for the proposed realigned and widened street. Our City Council agreed to this decision and set up two enabling ordinances. In addition it was agreed, in a somewhat inconclusive interpolation, that the city would be given eight thousand dollars for the dedicated park land taken, or to provide new trees to compensate for those that would be destroyed as a result of the widening of the boulevard. Now, we are all aware that the realignment and widening of the boulevard has been accomplished, and we know that dedicated park land has been taken from City Park.
In the initial court action the plaintiff asked for temporary and permanent restraint to prevent the use of dedicated park land for other than park purposes. But at the suggestion of the court, she agreed to refrain from pressing her motion for a preliminary injunction, with the understanding that the issues raised by her motion could be dealt with at once at the trial. The defendant agreed not to permit construction on the dedicated park land 346 until after trial, or without giving the plaintiff sufficient advance notice to enable her to call the motion for a preliminary injunction for hearing.
The trial was in open court. After due deliberation, the court decided the ordinances of the City Council of the City and County of Denver to be consistent with the trust empowered upon the Council to preserve dedicated park land within the borders of Denver. The defendants were then authorized to proceed with the widening of Colorado Boulevard utilizing dedicated park land as proposed.
Suit was appealed to the Supreme Court of the State of Colorado by Mrs. Madaline M. Welch, “Plaintiff in Error”, against the City and County of Denver and the State Highway Commission of the State of Colorado to have the ordinances declared null and void on the grounds that City Council did not have the authority to take dedicated park land for other than park purposes under existing statutes and common law.
The further allegations of the plaintiff were that the greatest good for the greatest number of people as well as the public health, welfare and safety were not being served by the ordinances, and that the ordinances violated:
a. The basic City Planning concept of the preservation of dedicated park land;
b. the inviolability of dedicated park land; and
c. the consideration of available and reasonable alternates which should have been investigated before consideration was given to the encroachment upon dedicated park land.
The plaintiff has contended in the Supreme Court that error was committed in the Lower Court, and that the judgment given by that court should be reversed. It was stated in the brief that ordinances by City Council under the present charter did not have legal standing and that work should have been delayed until there had been a decision by the electorate of the City and County of Denver.
A point made by the plaintiff is that the City Council may not, according to the City Charter, sell or lease land dedicated to park purposes. And it was then contended that the action by City Council was, to all intents and purposes, a sale or lease. On the other hand, the defendant claimed that an easement only had been granted. It is understood that the City bargained with the State Highway Department and was to receive eight thousand dollars, which sum was a consideration in return for the City granting the additional land, or an interest in the land, to the State Highway Department for use as a thoroughfare. It appears also, as mentioned in the foregoing, that this amount may be used to purchase nursery stock to compensate for the loss of the two rows of American Elms.
As said before, we, as citizens of Denver, are vitally interested in our city and its services, including the thoroughfares, and we hope that the beauty of our parks and their usefulness can be maintained, and even bettered. We do not want to stand in the way of progress, but we are concerned that the action on Colorado Boulevard at City Park may constitute a precedent for similar violations of dedicated park land. We fear that our lovely Berkeley Park area and its lake will be reduced to but a small segment of its present size if presently considered plans are carried out. We respectfully appeal to the people of our fair city to be on guard against actions which do not consider all alternatives and which emphasize improvement in the arterial highway scheme, and which may tend to disregard the usefulness and beauty of our dedicated park lands.
Question: I recently received a potted azalea plant as a gift; can you give me some pointers on how to care for it?
Answer: Azaleas prefer a cool place, but must have some sun. They like to be kept moist, and the leaves should be sprayed occasionally with clear water. They are subject to red spider, so watch for this pest. Spraying the leaves is a preventive measure. Since azaleas like acid soil, they seem to benefit from an occasional watering with a solution of a teaspoon of vinegar to a quart of water. In the summer the pot may be sunk in the soil in the shade and returned to the house in the autumn. With good care, your azalea should bloom again and can be maintained for a long time.
Question: My neighbor uses the branches from her Christmas tree as a mulch on her tulip bed. Is this a good idea?
Answer: Yes, branches from the Christmas tree make a good mulch for the tulip bed. They keep the soil from warming up too early, resulting in too quick growth and loss of bloom. They are useful for mulching perennial beds, too.
Question: Could you give me the names of persons to contact about joining a garden club or plant society in our area?
Answer: The following is a list of persons to contact for the major garden groups:
MARSHALL NURSERIES
Better Built Trees—Landscaping with Personality
5825 W. 16th Avenue BElmont 7-0446
Mrs. Edmund Wallace, Federated Garden Clubs
The Regional Meeting of the National Council of Garden Clubs was held in Denver, October 16th, at the Shirley-Savoy Hotel. All seven states were represented. These included Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Nebraska, Kansas and South Dakota. Mrs. George Card, Chairman of the event, was ably assisted by Mrs. F. S. Mattocks, Co-Chairman. One of the honors for Colorado was the election of Mrs. C. C. Buckbee as Auditor for the Region, a new post created at this meeting. Mrs. Daniel Mooney, past president of the National Council of State Garden Clubs, is now working on the support and endowment of the permanent home of the National Council of State Garden Clubs, in St. Louis, Missouri. She suggested, at this Annual Meeting, that each Garden Club donate one dollar ($1.00) a year to the home, so that in four, or five years, the interest from this fund would completely cover the maintenance costs of this worthy project. Let’s do some serious thinking regarding this suggestion.
We are all delighted that Mrs. John Nickels was able to take a “few books” and go off to the northwest on a much deserved vacation at the conclusion of the Convention at Idaho Springs. The fact that she was elected president of Judges Council for the following year, means that she will soon be back on the job again with her own special brand of enthusiastic dedication to whatever task she undertakes. Mrs. Jeanette G. George of Boulder, is to be Secretary-Treasurer for the group.
The Columbine Garden Club members of Idaho Springs, under the handicap of an unseasonal snow storm, were ideal hostesses for the Annual State Convention of Garden Clubs held in their city September 29, 30, and October 1. The many thoughtful services, recognition of those who have long given of their time and ability without reward or favor, beautifully planned decorations and souvenirs, as well as the Convention planning itself, was done in such a fine way that those who were forced to cancel their reservations felt deprived of a special experience in Garden Club Conventions. Please take a bow, all you wonderful Idaho Springs Garden Clubbers.
MOUNTAIN PEAT FERTILIZERS
Nursery Stock and Evergreens
McCoy & Jensen
Nursery located 1 mi. west of South Wadsworth on the Morrison Road
Morrison, Colorado
WAlnut 2-1176 and WAlnut 2-1177
The Denver Forestry & Landscape Company
Call us for your Tree Spraying, Trimming and Removal
In Denver Since 1918
1677 S. Clarkson PEarl 3-1929
AFRICAN VIOLETS
House Plants, Bowls, Planters, Plant Stands, Supplies. The New Book, “African Violet Variety List,” Over 4000 Names and Descriptions, $2.50
CORYELL’S GREEN HOUSES
14,005 W. 64th (Hwy. 72) Arvada, Colo.
Mrs. F. C. Vetting has announced the following new Life Members to Membership in the Colorado State Federation of Garden Clubs:—
Mrs. E. R. Abbott, Littleton
Mrs. C. C. Buckbee, Denver
Mrs. Glenn Clayton, Englewood
Mrs. W. A. Crabtree, Denver
Mrs. J. B. Delano, Denver
Mrs. H. D. Duston, (deceased), Lakewood
Mrs. Owen Goodspeed, Aurora
Mrs. C. A. Hedburg, Denver
Mrs. E. F. Hennessy, Arvada
Mrs. T. L. Lewis, Arvada
Mrs. L. T. Mickle, Denver
Mrs. John Nickels, Littleton
Mrs. Albert Petrick, Englewood
Mrs. W. Ed Searle, Aurora
Mrs. G. A. Seastone, Englewood
Mrs. John Scott, Englewood
Mrs. S. A. Turner, Denver
Mrs. Peter Van Uithoven, Denver
Mrs. R. C. Wilson, Englewood
Mrs. J. L. Woodman, Englewood
It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you your new “Garden Briefs” correspondent, the former Editor of Colorado Composters, Mrs. John Scott of Englewood. May she enjoy the association with the Editorial Committee of The Green Thumb as much as I have.
★
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By M. Walter Pesman
You could always depend on Ray Miller! We hear a great deal these days of “featherbedding”, and we have seen some of it ourselves. I could only wish that those who are suspicious,—and the guilty ones as well, could have known Ray in his work, and in his attitude. He would always do his job well and conscientiously. Many of his horticultural accomplishments bear witness to his thorough way of doing things.
I first knew him as superintendent of Berkeley Park, at that time one of the outlying parks. He carried out many of the improvements planned by the newly appointed Parks landscape architect, S. R. DeBoer. Both worked together for at least thirty years on the Denver Park System. Ray became superintendent of City Park, later he was in charge of the western division of all city parks. Whatever job was given him to do, everybody knew it was going to be done promptly and properly, and with full knowledge of our unusual conditions of Rocky Mountain horticulture.
He became an expert on transplanting and on collecting native plant material. He’d always do just a little more than might be reasonably expected of him.
Born in Springfield, Kansas, he moved to Denver in 1905 at the age of twenty-six. His was a happy family. The two sons soon made a place for themselves, even if they did not remain with horticulture. His wife was active in many civic affairs.
When the Roadside Development program was initiated in Colorado, both Mr. Vail, the Highway engineer, and I, as landscape engineer, wanted Ray to take an active part as foreman and supervisor on the new jobs; a man was needed here who was familiar with nursery stock, including native plants, who could read blueprints with full understanding of what was planned, and who could deal with the public in many ways. Highway engineers are not always familiar with plants and their requirements. People adjoining roadside projects could not always see why they should cooperate in giving easements. Nursery contractors needed to be shown that the State Highways wanted to be fair and live up to specifications.
The new landscape supervisor soon showed that he could make friends with all, and gain their respect and understanding.
At times he had to carry out certain plans and specifications with his own crew. I remember one particular job in which he superintended the collecting, balling and burlapping of over a hundred rather large ponderosa pines in the midst of winter. They were planted just north of the Blakeland 352 underpass: only one or two failed to survive the difficult ordeal. To this day they bear witness to his skill and know-how.
After the roadside program was discontinued, due to the war, Mr. Miller was wanted at various jobs where his skills, horticultural knowledge, and his enormous capacity for work were needed.
Not until recently was he willing to concede that a man approaching eighty ought not to attempt the physical labors of a younger man. Even then, he went on an arduous fishing trip after being an octogenarian!
To many of us, interested in horticulture, Ray Miller represents a symbol. If only we could train a hundred men in his attitude and pass on to them his knowledge of practical plant methods, we’d feel safer about the future of horticulture in the Rocky Mountain region. He has made a place in Denver and Colorado for himself, that will survive, and that will serve as an inspiration for all of us who strive for the best in horticulture.
Preliminary plans and drawings for the Spring Garden Show have been accepted by the Show committee. From the preview of these plans it is easy to see that the residents of this area are in for a garden extravaganza second to none. The committee has accomplished the basic ground work for this spectacular show and is now ready to proceed with the additional planning and staging necessary to make it a reality in April.
Mrs. Nickels and Mrs. Honnen discuss plans on how the Garden Show will be arranged in the scale model of the Denver Coliseum.
The entire show will be planned and staged in the scale model so that everything will be in readiness for the actual show in April.
Featuring today’s outdoor living, this show promises to be a great boon to gardening in the Rocky Mountains. Its success depends on the enthusiasm and cooperation of all the various gardening groups in the area. Your Association, confident of its success and recognizing its great educational value, is co-sponsoring this show with the Botanic Gardens. We urge you, as a member, to give it your enthusiastic approval and to pass the word on to your friends.
FERTOSAN
compost accelerator
This bacteria concentrate will rot down leaves, garden waste, straw, etc., into valuable compost quickly. Free instructions.
1-ton unit $1; 4-ton unit $3
From Western Seed Co., and all good seedsmen.
“Fertosan,” West Jordan, Utah
JOHN VAN WYK
LANDSCAPING
Lawn and Garden Maintenance
SK 6-0789 2101 So. Adams
This is the month of Evergreens. Their color and place in the landscape bridge the winter gap between summer and spring. At this season they are not only the dominant feature in the garden, but in the home as well, when they stand bedecked with tinsel and lights at Christmas. This is their shining hour. Theirs is the symbol of Christmas.
It is also a time for gardeners to relax, that is if you haven’t forgotten to hill up your roses or haven’t had time to plant your spring flowering bulbs. Of course, Christmas preparations will take up some of the slack time, but a good gardener should find some time for reading, now and in the wintery months ahead. This is a gentle reminder that, as a member of the Association, you have lending privileges at the Helen Fowler Library at 909 York Street. This excellent library contains a great many books on all phases of gardening, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Whether you are interested in roses or iris, bugs or plant diseases, landscaping or rock gardens, you will find an appropriate book in our library.
To make your Christmas shopping easier, here are a few suggestions for your gardening friends. “The Green Thumb,” itself, makes an excellent gift for the new home owner or novice gardener. Just use the gift blank on page 350 in this magazine. Good books on gardening, such as George Kelly’s “Good Gardens in the Sunshine States”, are welcome gifts. Your local garden shop is well stocked with tools and gimmicks that will make a hit with the weekend gardener. For the hard-to-please you will find gift certificates available at most of the nurseries and garden centers.
House plants become more noticeable and attractive now that outdoor plants have faded from the limelight. Like the plants in our gardens, they need some attention if they are to perform well. The addition, about once a month, of a soluble fertilizer to their water will take care of their mineral requirements. Check them occasionally for aphids and mealy bugs. If only a few are present, they can be removed with a cotton swab and alcohol. However if there is a heavy infestation, take them outside on a warm day (60-70°) and spray with malathion. Frequent syringing or spraying of the foliage is beneficial to most house plants. Take care not to overwater plants in ceramic or plastic 354 containers without drainage. Small quantities of charcoal in the bottom of such containers helps keep the soil sweet.
While many of our birds have gone south for the winter, we find that many have taken up winter quarters here. When the weather is good, they seem to forage pretty well for themselves, but when snow covers the ground they are often hard pressed for food. Set up a bird feeding station in your yard and enjoy the antics of the different feathered personalities who come to take advantage of your winter hospitality. Some of the foods recommended for such a feeding station are: suet and fatty trimmings from meat; seeds of sunflower, pumpkin, millet, rye, barley, wheat, and numerous weed seeds. Most of the garden shops now carry mixed seeds for wild birds. In addition bread crumbs, popcorn, and nuts are welcome tidbits for the birds. Once you start a feeding station keep it filled. Birds learn to rely on finding food there and will suffer when you neglect it.
One word in regard to the weather, if it should stay dry for any long period of time, 3 to 4 weeks, get out the hose and give everything, particularly the evergreens, a good soaking.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year—
—Pat.
Can you think of a better gift for a new gardener or old than George Kelly’s book, HOW TO HAVE GOOD GARDENS IN THE SUNSHINE STATES? It will be used and appreciated for many years.
Available at Botanic Gardens House, at book stores, or from the author at the COTTONWOOD GARDEN SHOP, 4849 South Santa Fe Drive, Littleton.
GEORGE and SUE
Cottonwood Garden Shop 4849 South Santa Fe Drive
PYramid 4-0430
Christmas Lighting and Decorating—Outdoors and Indoors, Theodore Saros. Van Nostrand.
“Here is a store house of ideas and suggestions the whole family can enjoy in preparing home Christmas decorations both outdoors and indoors.”
“Tips for competing in Christmas lighting display contests are given and helpful hints on photographing decorations are included.”
“Decorating projects utilize traditional materials but also emphasize the unusual.” Publisher.
Christmas Idea Book, Dorothy Biddle and Dorothea Blom.
Interesting use of traditional Christmas materials and some other plant materials in arrangements and decorations for tables, mantels, doorways, and Christmas wreaths and trees.
Decorating with Pods and Cones, Eleanor Van Rensselaer. Van Nostrand.
Selection, preparation and use of pods, seeds, cones, berries, nuts, the dried bough, bark, lichen, and burr in original and interesting home decorations.
Old Roses for Modern Gardens, Richard Thomson. Van Nostrand.
An interesting and scholarly history and description of the old roses of Europe and the Orient with an evaluation of the old varieties the author has grown. Appendices list roses for special purposes; the top 30 old roses from Will Tillotson’s collection of 150 and growers of old roses in the United States.
The Complete Book of Gardening and Lawn Care, Will Peigelbeck. Random House.
This book is arranged so that “you start with the site itself, learn about soils and plant foods, then go on to lawns, different flowers, shrubs and trees, and fruits and vegetables. After this comes discussion of special points, such as controlling insects and growing your own plants from seeds and cuttings.” Author’s Foreword.
—E.T.L.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
from
W. W. Wilmore Nurseries
38th and Wadsworth Wheatridge
HA 4-5584
Visit Our Garden Shop and Select Your Christmas Presents from Our Large Selection of Unusual Gifts
Shop the Easy Way—Phone or Send in for Your Gift Certificates
Merry Christmas
and the Best
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1960
ALAMEDA NURSERY, Inc.
Denver’s Garden Center
2645 W. Alameda Ave.
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