LilacNewsletterVol. IV, No.1, January, 1978.

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INTERNATIONAL LILAC SOCIETY

INTERNA TIONAL LILAC SOCIETY is a non-profit corporationcomprised of individuals who share a particular interest, appre-ciation and fondness for lilacs. Through exchange of knowledge,experience and facts gained by members it is helping to promote,educate and broaden public understanding and awareness.

This publication, LILAC NEWSLETTER (for-merly THE PIPEUNE) is issued monthly. Backcopies are available by writing to the Inter-national Lilac Society, c/o Mr. Charles Holetich,Royal Botanical Gardens, Box 399, Hamilton,Ontario, Canada, L8N 3H8. Pleasesend 50 centsfor each copy requested.

President: Robert B. ClarkCattle landing Road, R.D~No.1, Box 288, Meredith, NH 03253

Secretary: Walter W. Oakes"Box 315, Rumford, Maine, 04276

Treasurer: Mrs. Marie Chaykowski4041 Winchell Road, Mantua, Ohio, 44255

Editor: Walter E. Eickhorst129West Franklin St., Napervilie, "Ii nois. 60540

MEMBERSHIP CLASSIFICA TION

Single annual ........•...........................................•..... $Family .•..................................................................Sustaining .Institutional/Commercial .Life ............•............................................................

5.007.5010.0015.00

100.00

*Mail membership duesto I,L.S. Secretary.

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NEW YEAR'S GREETINGS FROM THE PRESIDENTMidway in its seventh year the International

Lilac Society finds itself distributing to memberssome twenty hard-to-find cultivars and two speciesof lilacs. This is a remarkable achievement, in-dicative of a real demand for quality lilacs. Itreminds us that lilacs are very much "in", but ina discriminating market. With its soft coloursand its pervasive fragrance the lilac remains apopular favourite to usher in summer. We rejoice.

I.L.S. has further blessings to recount. Eachspringtime since 1972 as a Society we foregather toreceive inspiration and instruction. But, forthose unable to attend (as well as for those who do)we publish monthly bulletins and yearly reports ofour activities. To each member of the Board ofDirectors, who contributes his time and money toserve the Society's needs, we extend grateful thanks.Our financial position remains sound. I pledge con-tinued fiscal prudence. Finally, and perhaps mostimportantly, I see a growing confidence among ourmembers to speak out for the lilac and for theSociety in all seasons and wherever each finds him-self. This is good, and the impact of increasingbeauty in our gardens and in our lives is bound tobe felt in our separate communities and the worldaround us.

[Robert B. Clark.

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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM BIRCHWOOD -This holiday season we send you our warmest

greetings with the hope that all is well and thatyou also are greatly blessed. After living atBirchwood for five summers I find the wooded twoacres slightly less shaded. We rejotce in theabundance of wood which the thin soil produces -it also produces flowers and fruits in profusion.

We returned from Florida in late March - fromsummer to winter, having to shovel the long drive-way to get to it. It didn't take long, however,to get comfortable. We watched spring come to theNorth Country, and we've remained close by eversince. Trips to Amherst and Esperance in May, NewHaven in August, and Philadelphia in October werethe only excursions - aside from day trips to SouthHarpswell and to Palmer. Friends and family fromfar and near dropped by or stayed for a few days~Freedom and Weare, New Hampshire; Newton Center,Massachusetts; Cheshire, Connecticut; Clyde, NewYork; Newark, New Jersey; Upper Darby, Pennsylvania;Belleville, Illinois; and Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Gardening occupies most of our spare time. Weenjoy the springtime wildflowers, bulbs and flower-ing shrubs, the summertime daylilies, and the fallasters, goldenrod and foliage. At all seasons song-birds and waterfowl are companions. The lake exer~a profound influence on Birchwood. Ice covers thelake from early January to late April. We go intodeep freeze during January, but as the sun climbshigher each day after midwinter, we delight in eachsign of spring. Summer is all too short, but aprolonged growing season in the fall allows fortransplanting, and I've set out a modest lilac col-lection. Meanwhile the fir seedlings, set out fiveyears ago, are beginning to make a showing.

Joyous Christmas and Happy New YearBob and Mother (1977)

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Sir:In your lead article "Tribute to the Dooryard

Lilac" by Audrey O'Connor of Cornell Plantations,the celebrated Long Island lilac breeder's name isgiven as Mr. A.T. Havemyer (page 5). The mistakeis grievous because we all know the name for thewondrous large-flowered lilacs which came from"Cedar Hill" (later "Lilac-Land"), the 40-acre homeof Theodore Augustus Havemeyer (1869-1936), atBrookville, New York.

Mr. Havemeyer raised some 20,000 lilac seed-lings in the 1920's of which only twenty-one wereintroduced into commerce (all but one after hisdeath) by 1954. The residue of this collection wastransplanted to Bayard Cutting Arboretum, GreatRiver, New York, by our founder-president, OrvilleM. Steward, about 1971. The Havemeyer lilacs arenoted for their exceptionally large florets. Mr.Havemeyer is known to have carried in his pocket a$20 gold piece which he used to measure the size ofindividual florets. Incidentally, if you didn'tknow already, the size of the gold piece compareswith that of the "cartwheel" or silver dollar -the current standard for measuring the expandedfloret.

Although born to wealth Havemeyer lived simply.I am reminded of Baltimore's Mr. Sherwood, likewisean amateur horticulturist or gardener, and whosecity-block garden in a northern section of Baltimoreis opened during the first week of May with itsprofusion of Japanese-type azaleas. A visitor oncesuggested that Sherwood acquire a yacht. The rejoin-er was quick: Can flowers be grown on a yacht? Mr.Havemeyer served as president of the HorticulturalSociety of New York from 1913 to 1935, and as

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chairman of the exhibits committee of the Inter-national Flower Show from 1916 to 1934. He wasanhonorary member of the National Association ofGardeners. In 1924 he wrote "The development ofthe modern lilac" (International Flower Showbooklet) •

(Name withheld)

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Editor's Note:Wonderful! Somewhere, somehow, someone

dropped an "e" and what great feedback we got - awhole story evolves. I have no idea to whom I amindebted, but I'd surely like to know (please letme hear who you are).

Needless to say, I'm sorry for the omission,but the concern sent me a digg'n. Not having thewhole story on T.A. Havemeyer I shall only touchon what appears to me to be a little known bit ofmodern history. I've searched the I.L.S. checkList (1976) and find that Mr. Havemeyer apparentlyleft those of us who admire Lilacs a real legacyof beauty. Out of his efforts of the 1920's and30's have been selected not a mere 21, but rather47 cultivars thus far (see list appended). Un-doubtedly one or two persons close to and acquaint-ed with Mr. Havemeyer's work have continued toevaluate and introduce, quality items right up tothe mid 70's. Probably the one reason that ourcollections have not reflected more of this beauty'is the fact that to date only about 10 of thesefinds are listed as available in the trade by ourrecent I.L.S. Plant Source List, and most of these

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are only known by one or two growers. Thirty-oneof the Havemeyer materials were listed as growingin the Rochester Collection in 1972 according tothe report in the Convention Issue of I.L.S. pub-lished in 1972.

Here's a challenge - an in depth evaluationshould be made of this total effort and reportedout in a future issue of "LILAC NEWSLETTER". Isthere a volunteer out there that would like tomake a contribution to the Society input of Lilacdata ?

t

Allison GrayAnne ShiachBlue AngelCarleyCharmDazzleDawnDownfieldDuskEllie-MarieEthan AllenEthel DupontFred PayneGloryHallelujahHeather

Walter E. Eickhorst.

* * * *+ High Noon Nancy Frick +

*+ James Stuart + Night *++ Jane Day *+ Pink Mist *+

Lady Lindsay + Priscilla *++ Martha Kounze + Prof.E.H.Wilson+

Mauve Mist + Romance ++ Mister Big Sarah Sands *++ Moonlight + Serene +

Mrs.A.Belmont + Smokey-greyMrs.Elizabeth Peterson Snowflake +Mrs. Flanders "'Sonia ColfaxMrs.John S.Williams + Tit Tat Toe

+ Mrs.John W. Davis True Blue +*+ Mrs. Trapman' White Swan +*+ Mrs. Watson Webb + Zulu ++ Mrs. W.E.Marshall *+

* Available in the trade+ Rochester Collection - 1972

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I.L.S. MEMBER IN ACTION -

In April of 1977 Donald M. LupoId, R.D. # 2,Muncy, Pa. 17756 contributed no less than 30 plants(8-10 yr., 5-6 ft.) to the Horticulture effort ofWILLIAMSPORT AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGE. The Collegehas 300 acres devoted to their Earth Sciences andHorticulture Department - these sizable specimensshould provide an excellent floral display oncethe plants become established in their new environ-ment. I would like to take this opportunity tocompliment Don on his contribution, I'm sure thatWACC is most pleased with the valued addition totheir landscape as well as to their physicalteaching facility.

This is an excellent demonstration of an I.L.S.member in action and does much to strengthen theimage of our Society. Thanks Don.

Ed.

* * * *PUBLICATION NAME CHANGE -

As of this issue (under dateline January,1978, Vol. IV No.1) the International LilacSociety official publication published on the 10th.of each month for general circulation among itsmembership, Woody Plant Institutions, Librariesand others generally interested in the genus Syringa,will hereafter be known as LILAC NEWSLETTER(replacing PIPELINE). The format will continue asit has been in recent months with Vol./Issue numbersbeing consecutive.

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There has been a membership request for arevision of publication title and a cohsensus ofopinion among Society Officers, Publication Commit-tee and concerned members that such a change wasin order. The name LILAC NEWSLETTER thus seemsto more closely parallel and naturally direct areaders search toward the basic concept of theSociety. It is sincerely hoped that the moremeaningful title might serve with a greater degreeof ease whereby those who wish to catalog orotherwise retrieve printed information will morereadily accomplish this end. We feel that thistitle selection will be more meaningful in theI.L.S. effort to convey our message to the amateuras well as the professional and the scientist.

Ed.

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WANTED

Back issues of LILACS and THE PIPELINE arewanted for a Horticultural Library. If any mem-bers have spare copies of our publications here'san opportunity to put them in good ~ands. Agardening library is being developed and the personsinvolved in the undertaking are extremely interestedin featuring available materials on Lilacs.Contact: Miss Renee Jochens, R.R. No.1, Box 5-A,Hoskins, NE. 68740.

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IN MEMORIAM

MARCUS LESLIE HANCOCK1892 - 1977

Les Hancock, founder of Woodland Nurseries inMississauga, Ontario, and originator of Syringavulgaris 'Woodland Blue'(1967, introduced 1973),died on December 2nd, 1977.

J. HERBERT ALEXANDER

Jack Alexander's grandfather died on December 12after more than 60 years in the nursery business.At one time the Alexander Nursery specialized indahlias but their entire inventory was destroyedin a fire and did not continue with dahlias. Hewas probably best known for hi's hybridizing ofblueberries and had several acres under commercialproduction. He was an enthusiastic hybridizer ofmany other plants and produced many valuablevarieties particularly lilacs. He always was alertto rare and unusual plants to collect which wouldgive pleasure to his gardening customers and hismany friends. He has always been a faithful sup-porter of I.L.S. and encouraged a great many peopleto collect and plant more and better lilacs. Hewill be sadly missed by his family and friendseverywhere.