THE GARDENER'S ALMANAC

In the midst of all our pondering and scurrying and pausing to reflect here in the Bullis Room this past week, Spring arrived and turned our attention to the horticulture books in this collection. There are so many good ones to choose from that it's a challenge to focus on just one, but we thought we'd start with The Gardener's Almanac, first published in 1939 by the Massachusetts Horticulture Society. Edward L. Farrington wrote this book to "serve as a valuable reminder, making it less likely that the garden maker who uses it will leave undone the things which he ought to have done or perhaps to have done the things which he ought not to have done."

To accomplish this goal, Mr. Farrington composed a calendar with information on garden work for all twelve months of the year. He offers good advice to those of us who live in the north as well as gardeners in the south. So what should we northern gardeners be doing now, as March comes to a close? Here are a few of his suggestions:

1. The Winter coverings of boxwood and evergreen plants can be taken off by the end of the month. It is better to do this work on a cloudy day.

2. Do not be hasty in uncovering protected shrubs, or perennials and bulb beds.

3. Give the asparagus bed an early dressing of complete commercial fertilizer.

4. Keep an eye out for insect cocoons, caterpillar nests, and insect eggs and destroy them.

5. Charcoal placed in the water in the jars where Spring blossoms are being forced will help to keep the water sweet.

There are lots more hints for those of us who like to get our hands in the dirt. We'll share more of them in a future posting.

HONORING MISS NETTIE BULLIS

Jeannette Aurelia Bullis

March 23, 1893 - October 1, 1979

This week we are again honoring Miss Nettie Bullis on her birthday. Miss Bullis was a very caring, private person. Through her generosity money that she left has provided periodicals, large-print books, audiobooks, and matching funds for construction of the library; scholarships for in-college students of the Pal-Mac School District; and financial help for those becoming physicians.

We invite you to visit the Bullis Room this coming week as we recognize her contributions to our community.

IRISH STRUGGLE, IRISH ELOQUENCE, AND THE IRISH BAR

With St. Patrick's Day in mind, this week we browsed the shelves for books with green covers. We found lots of them; too many, in fact, to include in a weekly posting. So then we browsed for books with Irish in the title and found three that we recommend for your reading as you celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

If you're into Ireland's struggle for home rule, The Honorable T.P. O'Connor's Gladstone-Parnell, and the Great Irish Struggle (Chicago, G. L. Howe, c 1886) will give you a complete and thrilling history of Ireland's 19th century political/governmental issues and of the two influential men in that struggle: Charles Stewart Parnell and William Ewart Gladstone.

Or, perhaps you would prefer to read facts and anecdotes about Irish trials. Then Richard Lalor Sheil's two volume set, Sketches of the Irish Bar (New York: W. J. Widdleton, 1861), may be your Irish cup of tea.

But if it's Irish oration that you're after, we suggest you read Irish Eloquence: The Speeches of the Celebrated Irish Orators Philips, Curran, and Grattan: to which is added the powerful appeal of Robert Emmett, at the close of this trial for high treason (Boston: Patrick Donahoe, 1857). The book ends with the latter appeal which was delivered at the Session House, Dublin. (Sadly, in spite of Robert Emmett's eloquence, he was found guilty by the Crown and the execution sentence carried out the following day, September 20, 1803.)

If we haven't convinced you to try one of these works, then we invite you to stop by the Bullis Room next week and let us show you all of the collection's green-covered books. And plan to stay a while and enjoy one of them.

SUSAN B. ANTHONY

This week Women's History Month arrived and reminded us to look thorough our data base for books on local women of great achievement. Ida Husted Harper's work, The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony: including public addresses, her own letters, and many from her contemporaries during fifty years (Indianapois: Bowen-Merrill, 1899, c.1898) immediately came to our attention.

Harper's dedication states: "To woman, for whose freedom Susan B. Anthony has given fifty years of noble endeavor this book is dedicated." In her introduction, she also states that "...in preparing these volumes over 20,000 letters have been read and, whenever possible, some of them used to tell the story, especially those written by Miss Anthony...." (Vol. 1, p. viii) This is a work of art by a woman, about a woman, and at times in the latter's own words.

There are over a thousand pages and 24 plates in these two volumes. Harper added a third volume to this set, but the Bullis Room has only the first two. All three volumes are available for loan to patrons in the PLS system. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to study the life of this great woman.

Harper's dedication states: "To woman, for whose freedom Susan B. Anthony has given fifty years of noble endeavor this book is dedicated." One hundred years later, we are grateful to Susan B. Anthony for her noble endeavors and to Ida Husted Harper for leaving us this comprehensive record of Miss Anthony's accomplishments.