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                           _The Green Thumb_


                _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.




                           _The Green Thumb_


             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_

    [Illustration: ICIE · WIPA]




                                 INDEX


                                                                   TITLE PAGE
  Calendar of Events                                                 328
  Operation Tree Salvage, by Pat Gallavan                            329
  Tax Deductions for Trees lost in Storms, The Shade Tree Digest     333
  Handy Hints for Holiday Packaging, Dennison Mfg. Co.               334
  The Extraordinary Apple Doll Lady, by Lilygayle Fleischer          335
  Double Life of a Soap Sud, Cleanliness Bureau                      339
  Denver Botanic Gardens                                             342
  Frankincense and Myrrh, Nature Bulletin Forest Preserve District
          of Cook County, Ill.                                       344
  The Widening of Colorado Boulevard at City Park, by J. Harrison
          Belknap                                                    345
  Dig These Questions                                                347
  Garden Club Briefs, by Mrs. Edmund Wallace                         348
  In Appreciation of Ray T. Miller, by M. Walter Pesman              351
  Colorado Garden Show                                               352
  Seasonal Suggestions, by Pat                                       353
  1959 Index                                                         355
  In Our Library!                                                    358


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




                                  MEMO


    [Illustration: _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




                         Operation Tree Salvage


                            By Pat Gallavan

    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]

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.

    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]

  _Dead stub cannot heal._
  _Rotten section inside tree_
  _Decay enters stub and continues into heart of living tree._

  _Decay enters thru stub_
  _Rotten  interior weakens limb_

  _Living tissue_
  _Cut made flush will heal over. Decay is thus prevented._

  _Cut made flush to sap flow line can heal over_
  _Live tissues_

  _Living wound callous rapidly covers exposed wood thus preventing
          decay_
  _Tree sound no rot_

  _Living wound callous rapidly covers exposed cut protecting it from
          decay_
  _Tree sound no rot_

    [Illustration: _Methods of properly pointing up a wound._]

    [Illustration: _Trees with weak crotches, heavy limbs or storm
    damage may be saved with proper bracing and cabling._]

  TRIANGULAR CABLING & BRACING SYSTEMS AS INSTALLED BY SWINGLE TREE
          SURGEONS USED & APPROVED BY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
    STRONG U CROTCH
    CABLES HIGH ENOUGH FOR LEVERAGE AND NOT CONSPICUOUS
    THIMBLE
    DANGEROUS V CROTCH
    PARALLEL BRACE RODS
  LAG HOOK
  CADMIUM STEEL BRACE ROD ½" TO 1"
  S.T.S-CO. 12-31-47




                                   _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




                 Tax Deduction for Trees Lost in Storms


                      _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_




                   HANDY HINTS FOR HOLIDAY PACKAGING


    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]

    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]

    [Illustration: _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.




                   The Extraordinary Apple Doll Lady


                         By Lilygayle Fleischer

    [Illustration: _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 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.

    [Illustration: 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
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.

    [Illustration:                    _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."]




                       DOUBLE LIFE OF A SOAP SUD


    [Illustration:                    _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.)

    [Illustration: 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.]

    [Illustration: 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.]

    [Illustration: 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.

    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]




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




                         DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS


                         _Photos by Jack Fason_

    [Illustration: 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.]

    [Illustration: City Park Unit--This area of approximately 100 acres
    now contains the major collection of roses, lilacs, evergreens,
    iris, crabapples, tulips and chrysanthemums.]

    [Illustration: 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.]

    [Illustration: 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.]




                         FRANKINCENSE AND MYRRH


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._




            The Widening of Colorado Boulevard at City Park


                         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 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.




                          DIG THESE QUESTIONS


    [Illustration: DIG THESE QUESTIONS]

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:

  Colorado Federation of Garden Clubs--Mrs. D. W. Viles, Durango; Mrs.
          C. C. Buckbee, 4190 Depew, Denver
  Men's Garden Club of Colorado--Arnold Perreten, 821 Adams, Denver
  Rose Society--Herbert C. Gundell, Westside Court Building, Denver
  Iris Society--Charles P. Gordon, 414 Eudora, Denver
  Gladiolus Society--W. H. Yarger, 12,500 Morrison Road, Denver
  Cactus Society--Mrs. A. L. Chambers, 850 Kearney, Denver
  Orchid Society--Gilman C. Daggett, 1260 Holly, Denver




                           MARSHALL NURSERIES
           _Better Built Trees--Landscaping with Personality_
                 5825 W. 16th Avenue    BElmont 7-0446




                           Garden Club Briefs


             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.




                                   *
                               CHRISTMAS
                              SHOPPING FOR
                          A GARDENING FRIEND,
                         A NATURE LOVER, A NEW
                    HOME OWNER. GIVE A LASTING GIFT,
                     GIVE THE GREEN THUMB MAGAZINE

  Let a Membership to the
  COLORADO FORESTRY AND HORTICULTURE ASSOCIATION

                                  SAY
                           _Merry Christmas_
                                FOR YOU

      Do Your Christmas Shopping the Easy Way. Use the Convenient
          Subscription Blank on the Reverse Side of This Page

    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]




                              Please Print

  My Name_________________________________
  Street____________________________________
  City_______________ Zone____ State____________

  [_] Enter My Membership    [_] Renew My Membership

      Classes of Membership: Supporting, $3.00; Sustaining, $5.00;
         Contributing, $10.00; Patron, $25.00; Donor, $100.00.

  Gift Membership
  Send to Name__________________________________
  Street____________________________________
  City_______________ Zone____ State____________

  Gift Membership
  Send to Name__________________________________
  Street____________________________________
  City_______________ Zone____ State____________

       _Make Checks Payable to Colorado Forestry and Horticulture
                              Association_




                    IN APPRECIATION OF RAY T. MILLER


                          By M. Walter Pesman

    [Illustration: Ray T. Miller]

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 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.




                          COLORADO GARDEN SHOW
                             APRIL 1-10-14
                            DENVER COLISEUM


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.

    [Illustration: 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




                         _Seasonal Suggestions_


    [Illustration: MERRY CHRISTMAS · CHRISTMAS GIFTS · WINTER READING ·
    FOR THE BIRDS]

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 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.

    [Illustration: (uncaptioned)]




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




                               1959 Index


                                ANNUALS

  1959 All-America Selection, W. R. Hastings, Jan.-Feb., P. 21


                              BIOGRAPHIES

  Passing of an Outdoorsman--Dr. R. Lanier, George Kelly, Jan.-Feb., P.
          27
  New Director Appointed for Denver's Botanic Garden, Fred Johnson,
          August, P. 221
  Melanie B. Brown in Retrospect and Prospect, M. Walter Pesman, August,
          P. 238
  Introducing a New Member of the Green Thumb Staff, Sept., P. 258.
  L. D. Hammer Employs Turf Expert, Sept., P. 264
  Personal Item About Mrs. Sue McLane (Mrs. George), M. Walter Pesman,
          Oct., P. 302
  The Extraordinary Apple Doll Lady, Lilygayle Fleischer, Nov.-Dec., P.
          335
  In Appreciation of Ray T. Miller, M. Walter Pesman, Nov.-Dec., P. 351


                                 BIRDS

  There's Something About a Waxwing, James B. Stewart, June, P. 174


                              BOOK REVIEWS

  August, P. 243
  In Our Library! Oct., P. 317
  In Our Library! Nov.-Dec., P. 358


                            BOTANIC GARDENS

  Denver Botanic Gardens, April, P. 78
  Denver Botanic Gardens, May, P. 113
  The Voice of a Layman, Mrs. Garrey, June, P. 166
  The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, M. Walter Pesman, July, P. 196
  New Director Appointed for Denver's Botanic Gardens, Fred Johnson,
          August, P. 221
  Iris Planting in the Botanic Garden, Mrs. Howard Housley, Sept., P.
          268
  Denver Botanic Gardens, Frances Novitt, Sept., P. 269
  Progress at Botanic Gardens, Photos by Pat, Sept., P. 270
  Denver Botanic Gardens Dedication, Dr. A. C. Hildreth, Oct., P. 293
  Iris Planting at Botanical Gardens, Mrs. Howard Housley, Oct., P. 295
  Denver Botanic Gardens, Nov.-Dec., P. 342


                                 BULBS

  Experts Recommend Locations for Dutch Bulb Planting, Sept., P. 259
  Look Ahead to Next Spring--Plant Bulbs Now, Sept., P. 261


                               CENTENNIAL

  The Ghost of a Past, Loay Winifred Boggess, June, P. 156
  Centennial Musings on Agriculture, Lilygayle Fleischer, Sept., P. 272
  Hail the Lowly Rhubarb, Helen Marsh Zeiner, Sept., P. 281
  Those Colorado Spuds, Helen Marsh Zeiner, Oct., P. 316


                COLORADO FORESTRY AND HORTICULTURE ASS'N

  Operation 5000, Jan.-Feb., P. 5
  Through the Garden Gate, S. R. DeBoer, Jan.-Feb., P. 20
  Auld Lang Syne, March, P. 41
  Historic Association Gavel Changes Hands, March, P. 42
  President's Report, March, P. 43
  Plant Auction, April, P. 77
  Centennial Garden Tour, June, P. 149
  Centennial Garden Tour, July, P. 185
  Winners of Door Prizes on Look and Learn Tour, Aug., P. 250
  Chuck Wagon Roundup, Vella Hood Conrad, Sept., P. 257
  Board of Trustees, Oct., P. 304


                              CONSERVATION

  Flowers Around the World, Olaus J. Murie, Jan.-Feb., P. 28
  What Value Air Rights, Julia Jane Silverstein, March, P. 49
  Wasteland, from "More in Anger," Marya Mannes, July, P. 187
  Penstemons in Cultivation, Sue McLane, Aug., P. 223
  Concerning Trees, Aug., P. 246
  Mission 66 and Mesa Verde National Park, Mrs. Jean Pinkley, Oct., P.
          296


                           CULTURAL PRACTICES

  Plant Propagation Practices--Hardwood Cuttings, Bill Lucking,
          Jan.-Feb., P. 17
  Living with Roses, Clyde Learned, March, P. 45
  Seed Propagation, Bill Lucking, March, P. 53
  Living Screens, Robin Long, April, P. 83
  How to Start Your Own Plants from Softwood Cuttings, Bill Lucking,
          April, P. 89
  Our Garden Lilacs, John Wister, May, P. 114
  Propagation by Division, Bill Lucking, May, P. 121
  Pruning Time for Roses, Clyde Learned, May, P. 134
  A New Lawn-Patching Method, Robert Schery, June, P. 169
  Timely Tips, June, P. 176
  How to Make a Good Rock Garden, George Kelly, July, P. 188
  Experts Recommend Locations for Dutch Bulb Planting, Sept., P. 259
  Look Ahead to Next Spring--Plant Bulbs Now, Sept., P. 261
  Dig In and See, George Kelly (Seasonal Suggestions), Sept., P. 285
  "Mums" The Word, Mrs. J. R. Travis, Oct., P. 318
  Operation Tree Salvage, Pat Gallavan, Nov.-Dec., P. 329


                             DO-IT-YOURSELF

  Native Plant Material for Dried Arrangements, Sept., P. 267
  Double Life of a Soap Sud, Cleanliness Bureau, Nov.-Dec., P. 339


                          FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS

  Flower Arranging for the Beginner, Mrs. J. A. Seastone, Sept., P. 278


                                FORESTRY

  The Colorado State Forest Service, Dale Shaw, April, P. 101
  Diamond Jubilee of the Colorado State Forest Service, Fred Johnson,
          July, P. 207


                              GARDEN CLUBS

  Garden Club Briefs, Mrs. E. Wallace, Jan.-Feb., P. 16
  Garden Club Briefs, Mrs. E. Wallace, March, P. 67
  Garden Club Briefs, Mrs. E. Wallace, April, P. 100
  Garden Club Briefs, Mrs. E. Wallace, May, P. 136
  Garden Club Briefs, Mrs. E. Wallace, June, P. 165
  Garden Club Briefs, Mrs. E. Wallace, July, P. 212
  Durango Garden Club Beautifies Town, Pat Gallavan, Aug., P. 230
  Garden Club Briefs, Mrs. E. Wallace, Aug., P. 242
  Garden Club Briefs, Mrs. E. Wallace, Sept., P. 266
  Garden Club Briefs, Mrs. John Nickels, Oct., P. 311
  Burlington Garden Club Landscapes Hospital Grounds, Bessie M. Wilson,
          Oct., P. 313
  Garden Club Briefs, Mrs. E. Wallace, Nov.-Dec., P. 348


                      GARDEN SUPPLIES AND PRODUCTS

  What's New? Pauline Steele, Jan.-Feb., P. 30
  Easier Gardening This Summer, April, P. 87
  What's New? April, P. 104
  What's New? May, P. 136
  What's New? June, P. 171


                                 HERBS

  Herbs and Barbecuing are Gourmet Partners, Mrs. Hayes W. Neil, July,
          P. 202


                       HORTICULTURE ORGANIZATIONS

  Swingle Memorial Fund, George W. Kelly, Jan.-Feb., P. 32
  Fifteenth International Horticulture Congress, March, P. 64
  Rocky Mountain Chapter of Landscape Architects Joins National Group,
          Aug., P. 240
  Spring Garden Show, Nov.-Dec., P. 352


                              HOUSE PLANTS

  Orchids as House Plants, Rebecca Northern, Jan.-Feb., P. 7
  Tropical Plants Add Interest Indoors, Jan.-Feb., P. 12
  How to Care for Indoor Plants, Jan.-Feb., P. 14


                            LANDSCAPE DESIGN

  How I Landscaped My Backyard, Clayton Greenleaf, Jan.-Feb., P. 24
  What Value Air Rights, Julia Jane Silverstein, March, P. 49
  Use Sense and Save Dollars, Julia Andrews, March, P. 58
  Improve the Personality of Your House, March, P. 60
  Tackle Your Garden Problems Systematically, April, P. 80
  Living Screens, Robin Long, April, P. 83
  Design in Flower Beds, M. Walter Pesman, May, P. 125
  Garden Accents, Photos by Pat Gallavan, May, P. 130
  A Game Court in the Garden, E. A. Johnson, June, P. 161
  How to Make a Good Rock Garden, George Kelly, July, P. 188
  Downtown's Barren "Wall Street" Green With Trees, Vivian C. Anderson,
          July, P. 204
  Durango Garden Club Beautifies Town, Pat Gallavan, Aug., P. 230
  Bathe Your Home With Light, Aug., P. 232
  Scorecard for Judging Home Grounds, M. Walter Pesman, Aug., P. 244
  Burlington Garden Club Landscapes Hospital Grounds, Bessie M. Wilson,
          Oct., P. 313


                                 LAWNS

  Lawn Grass Research, Jan.-Feb., P. 31
  A New Lawn-Patching Method, Robert Schery, June, P. 169


                         LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

  August, P. 248
  September, P. 284


                                LIBRARY

  In Our Library! Oct., P. 317
  In Our Library! Nov.-Dec., P. 358


                          MEETINGS AND REPORTS

  President's Report, March, P. 43
  Fifteenth International Horticultural Congress, March, P. 64
  Centennial Garden Tour, June, P. 149
  Centennial Garden Tour, July, P. 185
  Rocky Mountain Chapter of Landscape Architects Joins National Group,
          Aug., P. 240
  Winners of Door Prizes on Look and Learn Tour, Aug., P. 250
  Colorado Forestry and Horticulture Association Board of Trustees,
          Oct., P. 304


                              NATURE TRIPS

  You Can't Miss Them in August, M. Walter Pesman, Aug., P. 226
  A Flower Trip and Contest for August, Moras Shubert, Aug., P. 228


                                ORCHIDS

  Orchids as House Plants, Rebecca Northern, Jan.-Feb., P. 7


                                 PARKS

  Good Progress Has Been Made in Providing Better Roadside Parks, April,
          P. 97
  The Tiger Is Through the Gate, Grady Clay, June, P. 172
  Park Invasion Worries Group, June, P. 173
  Mission 66 and Mesa Verde National Park, Mrs. Jean Pinkley, Oct., P.
          296
  Regional Parks Plan, Arnold Perretin, Oct., P. 303
  A History of the Denver Parks, S. R. De-Boer, Oct., P. 305
  The Widening of Colorado Boulevard at City Park, Dr. J. H. Belknap,
          Nov.-Dec., P. 345


                        PERENNIALS AND BIENNIALS

  Iris Puts on a New Face, Ann Long, June, P. 152
  Penstemons in Cultivation, Aug., P. 223
  Hail the Lowly Rhubarb! Helen Zeiner, Sept., P. 281
  New Bird Mums, Sept., P. 282
  "Mums" The Word, Mrs. Jay R. Travis, Oct., P. 318


                           PLANT PROPAGATION

  Plant Propagation Practices--Hardwood Cuttings, Bill Lucking,
          Jan.-Feb., P. 17
  Seed Propagation, Bill Lucking, March, P. 53
  How to Start Your Own Plants From Softwood Cuttings, Bill Lucking,
          April, P. 89
  Propagation by Division, Bill Lucking, May, P. 121


                                 POEMS

  Anonymous, April, P. 106
  Who Tends a Garden, Elizabeth Demaria, Sept., P. 280
  Cedar Waxwing, L. Young Correthers, Oct., P. 315


                     ROCK GARDENS, POOLS, FOUNTAINS

  How to Make a Good Rock Garden, George Kelly, July, P. 188
  Water in the Garden, Julia Jane Silverstein, July, P. 198


                         QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

  Dig These Questions, Helen Zeiner, Oct., P. 320
  Dig These Questions, Helen Zeiner, Nov.-Dec., P. 347


                                RECIPES

  Herbs and Barbecuing are Gourmet Partners, Mrs. Hayes W. Neil, July,
          P. 202


                                 ROSES

  Living With Roses, Clyde Learned, March, P. 45
  So You Think the Price You Pay for a Rose Bush is too High? March, P.
          50
  Pruning Time for Roses, Clyde Learned, May, P. 134


                          SEASONAL SUGGESTIONS

  January-February, P. 33
  March, P. 69
  April, P. 105
  May, P. 141
  June, P. 177
  July, P. 213
  August, P. 249
  September, P. 285
  October, P. 321
  November-December, P. 353


                                 SHRUBS

  Living Screens, Robin Long, April, P. 83


                            SPECIFIC PLANTS

  The Bug-Killing Daisies, May, P. 137
  Voters Can Help Congress Pick National Floral Emblem, Oct., P. 300
  Frankincense and Myrrh, Nature Bulletin, Cook County Forest Preserve,
          Nov.-Dec., P. 344


                                 TREES

  Dwarf Fruit Trees, Frederic Adams, April, P. 93
  Wetwood, Charles Drage, May, P. 133
  Concerning Trees, Aug., P. 246
  Native Son, J. A. Bixby, Sept., P. 276
  Why City Trees Die, Dorothy E. Hansell, Oct., P. 299
  Operation Tree Salvage, Pat Gallavan, Nov.-Dec., P. 329
  Tax Deductions for Trees Lost in Storms, Shade Tree Digest, Nov.-Dec.,
          P. 333


                            TROPICAL PLANTS

  Tropical Plants Add Interest Indoors, Jan.-Feb., P. 12
  How to Care for Indoor Plants, Jan.-Feb., P. 14


                               VEGETABLES

  1959 All-America Selections, W. Ray Hastings, Jan.-Feb., P. 21
  Back to the Cabbage Patch, Herbert Gundell, April, P. 95


                              WILDFLOWERS

  Penstemons in Cultivation, Sue McLane, Aug., P. 223
  You Can't Miss Them in August, M. Walter Pesman, Aug., P. 226
  A Flower Trip and Contest for August, Moras Shubert, Aug., P. 228
  Mother Nature's Fancy Work, Marjorie Shepherd, Aug., P. 229
  Wild Flowers from Seed, Helen Zeiner, Sept., P. 265




                            In Our Library!


_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
                                   of
                               Gardening
                                  for
                                  1960

                         ALAMEDA NURSERY, Inc.

                        _Denver's Garden Center_
                          2645 W. Alameda Ave.

                    Write or call for free catalogue
                               WE 5-3528




  SERVICE . . .
    QUALITY . . .
      DEPENDABILITY . . .

                        _Peerless Printing Co._
                             1989 BROADWAY
                               TA 5-3368




                          Transcriber's Notes


--Silently corrected a few typos.

--Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook
  is public-domain in the country of publication.

--In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by
  _underscores_.

--Included advertisements within boxes to clarify text flow.

--Transcribed text within advertisements, but omitted images and ignored
  some font changes.