QBARS - v5n3 Minutes of Meeting of American Rhododendron Society, Portland, Oregon, April 19, 1951

Minutes of Meeting of A.R.S., Portland, Oregon, April 19, 1951
by Mrs. Ruth M. Hansen, Secretary

The meeting was called to order by President, Mr. C. I. Sersanous, in the Auditorium of the Journal Building at 8:00 P.M. The minutes of the March meeting were read and approved.
New Members of the Portland Area were then introduced; those present were Mrs. Lawrence Selling, Mr. Milton Kahn and Mr. R. A. Schaad. Guests were introduced and Mrs. Ruth T. Brooks and Mrs. Carl Rose of Seattle were given the honor of members coming from the greatest distance.
Announcements were made of the Seattle Spring Flower Show, the Tacoma Rhododendron Show and our own Annual Show which is to be held on the 5th and 6th of May.
The Triflorum planting in the triangle at S.W. Broadway and Lincoln Streets is now in full bloom. Everyone is urged to see this fine collection of Triflorums.
Mr. Sersanous complimented Mrs. Bovee on the excellent work she has been doing in soliciting ads for our Bulletin.
It was reported that Mr. and Mrs. Del James of Eugene, Ore., members of the Society, left last night to spend two months touring England gardens.
Report of Committee chairman: Mr. S. W. Williams, Show Chairman, again announced the dates of the Show and requested all on the Classification and Arrangements Committees to be present at the designated hours. He further told of having some Auto Bumper cardboard banners made to advertise the Show. Everyone was requested to take one home and put it on his car.
Mr. Bacher, Chairman of the Test Garden Committee, then said a few words on the progress of the Test Garden and told of the many plants now in bloom.
The Chairman of the Nomenclature and Awards, Dr. J. Harold Clarke, announced that the Committee on Awards had met earlier in the evening and had decided to grant a P. A. Award to seedling cross of griersonianum x 'Cornubia'. This plant is owned by Rudolph Henny of Brooks and a truss was brought to the informal flower show the night of the meeting.
Dr. Clarke also mentioned the Registration Cards or Index Cards for rhododendrons. These may be purchased for $1.00 a hundred. He further told of a Monograph of Azaleas which will soon be published in the National Horticulture Magazine. Another article entitled "A Great Day Coming With Rhododendrons" will be printed in The Home Garden magazine.
Mr. John Henny, Chairman of the Exhibition Committee, gave the names of those who had brought in exhibits for the evening. Wales Wood, H. H. Harms, George Grace, John Henny, Rudolph Henny and Ben F. Lancaster were the contributors.
Mr. P. H. Brydon introduced the guest speaker, Mr. Muirhead, whose subject was "Trees Associated With Rhododendrons."
Mr. Muirhead first divided the trees into two groups: 1, the shelter and shade trees and 2, the undergrowth, i.e., those growing with rhododendrons.
He brought out that the open woodland presented the ideal location for the growing of rhododendrons as it offered protection from the sun and also provided ideal mulch for their roots. Small trees such as the Vine maples and Magnolias could be used right in the planting among the rhododendrons. Mr. Muirhead's lecture was illustrated with slides showing plantings of trees which would make good cover for rhododendrons, other pictures showing heavy plantings which would need thinning before suitable conditions could be attained for rhododendrons.
Following this lecture, a group of slides were shown. These slides had been sent by Mr. Elsworth Brown of Chattanooga, Tenn., and were on the calendulaceum azalea. The slides accompanied the article, "Rhododendron in Primeval Culture," which was printed in the April Bulletin, Vol. 5, No. 2.
Mr. Bacher showed slides of some of the early blooming rhododendrons as they flowered in our Test Garden on March 27th of this year.
An auction of 11 plants followed, which netted the Society $39.25. These plants were donated by The Holgate Nursery, Bob Walker, Nick Radovich and Dr. Clarke.
Meeting adjourned.