THE GCS NEWS BULLETIN

3923 Northwest 15th Street

Gainesville, Florida 32605 - 1909

Gainesville Camellia Society News Bulletin is published nine times each year, September through May by GCS at the above address. It is mailed about one week prior to each meeting to inform members of upcoming meetings, camellia shows and other events. Timely and informative articles on camellia culture are in each issue. The items deadline is the first Sunday of each month of publication. Subscription is free with GCS membership. Dues are $15, single or $20, husband-wife. Monthly meetings are normally held 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. each third Sunday.

Reproduction is permitted provided:(1) that credit shall be given to the author and to The GCS News Bulletin, and(2) that a copy of the publication containing the article shall be sent to The GCS News Bulletin at the above address.

JERRY HOGSETTE PRESIDENT

LIONEL WORTHY and SANDRA WILLIAMS CO-EDITORS

Time: 3:00 p.m. - Until, Dinner at 6:00 p.m.

Place: The Home of Chuck and Bev Ritter (See sketch map)

Program: Annual Holiday Party & Show Schedule Discussion

Speaker: Jerry Hogsette, President and Jack Janes, Show Chair

Dear Friends:

It was great to see so many of you at the November meeting, and to see the variety and number of blooms that were 'entered' in the mock show. Too bad we did not have an official show because there were some excellent blooms on the tables. David Mikolaitis presented some useful and interesting information about entering blooms in shows, AND he said he would write a follow-up article for the News Bulletin so you can all have something in print to refer to.

The preparations for the show are moving right along. Jack Janes, our Show Chairman, said he was very much impressed with the positive enthusiasm of members he has asked to participate on various show committees. This speaks highly of our group and I am sure this kind of enthusiasm will continue. For a successful show, it is important to have people who are not only willing to work, but who know what they are doing as well. Right now, we have an abundance of people in these categories and hopefully this trend will continue. We now have 15 judges and a head judge, and additional judges have not yet indicated whether or not they can come. Fifteen judges are enough, but 20 would be better.

Speaking of the show, I encourage all of you to actively participate in our show. There are few jobs that cannot be explained and demonstrated in a short period of time. All jobs are important and we can use everyone who is available. By working at the show, you will become a part of the show and you will understand more about the operation of the show. What you will probably never understand is what possesses perfectly sane individuals to get up at 3:00 AM, tramp around their yards in the dark cutting flowers, and then drive through several states to enter them in a camellia show! Sounds crazy, but it sure is fun! So come to our show and participate. The camellias are great, but it's the people who make the difference. And that's where YOU come in!

BUT before the show date arrives, we will be having our annual Christmas party, as usual, instead of a formal December meeting. The party will be held on Saturday, December 14, at the home of Chuck and Bev Ritter in Melrose. Simply follow the map enclosed in this News Bulletin to arrive at the Ritter's house. Melrose is not that far, so plan to attend and join the fun. The party is 'covered dish', so bring along your favorite salad, vegetable dish, or dessert. Also bring a 'white elephant' gift for the Gag Gift Trade-Off. The white elephant gifts should of course be something completely ridiculous and cheap; possibly something you received last year! The meal will begin between 6:00 and 7:00 PM, but Chuck is opening his gates at 3:00 p.m. for anyone who wants to come early and see his collection of camellias before it gets dark. I do not know how many plants Chuck has, but he just ordered 2,000 plant identification (name) tags!

The show season is really getting cranked up and there will be three fine shows quite close to Gainesville during the month of December. On December 7, there will be shows in Jacksonville and Jacksonville Beach, and on December 14, there will be a show in Apopka. For information call Bob Reese (904-731-0689; Jacksonville), 'Jake' Jacobson (904-249-5021; Jacksonville Beach), or Patti Haney (407-889-1744; Apopka). The flowers displayed at these shows are usually outstanding (assuming the weather cooperates), and these are the last shows in our area in 1996. If you have blooms on your plants, plan to enter them in one of these shows (David already told you how to do it). Who knows what you might win?!? And, your blooms will always look better when you get them to the show than they did while they were on the plants in your yard.

Be sure and tell Lionel Worthy and Sandra Williams what a fine job they do with the News Bulletin. It is an excellent publication and assembling it each month requires their time, effort and dedication. Help them with their task by submitting something for publication. Everyone has a story to tell and we are all interested! Hopefully someone will write a short note about the November 30 work party at the Wilmot Gardens.

It's time to wrap this up. Hope your plants are doing well and that your flowers are beginning to open. There's still time to gib blooms for our show, but don't delay! If you have not experienced one of our Camellia Society parties, please come to the Ritter's home on December 14. You will get to know your fellow members a bit better, and the food is always great! SEE YOU THERE!!!

Mr & Mrs Michael & Candace McCaffery 371-2810
1841 NE 8th Street Business, Michael, 392-4711
Gainesville, FL 32609 Business, Candace, 392-6764

Dr. Robert Lauriault 475-2037
128 Mason Road Business, 475-1228
Melrose, FL 32666

Jerry Hogsette asked if there were any additions or corrections to the October Minutes, inasmuch as there were none, he said that they are accepted as printed.

Susan Mikolaitis said that the Treasurer's Report in the October Newsletter is the corrected version. Although all totals were correct in the September's Treasurer's Report one line was left out.

Jerry Hogsette said that we again had a very good newsletter this month and that a couple of people had responded to the request of sending in articles. Jerry asked members to contribute articles that they would like to have printed in our newsletter. He said that he had received quite a few compliments from the folks in Valdosta about our newsletter.

Chuck Carlson heard that red hot peppers can be made into an emulsion and put on plants which helps keep grasshoppers off of the plants. He wanted to know if anyone knows where he can obtain about 10 pounds of these. If you do, please contact him.

Jack Janes reported that he had reserved all the tables and coverings for the show, the committees heads have been assigned and he asked if anyone is willing to volunteer to contact businesses to see if we can get more donations for our Show Bulletin. Susan Mikolaitis reported that some businesses are not giving as much as they have in previous years; therefore, it is more important than ever that more businesses are contacted to see if they are willing to support our bulletin for our January Show. Susan asked that if you have a couple of hours a week to donate to contact businesses, please call her.

Chuck Ritter and his wife, Bev, are willing to have the Christmas Party at their house on either Saturday or Sunday. There is a show in Apoka on Saturday, December 14. A vote was taken to see which day most of the members would like to have the party on - Saturday or Sunday. The majority voted to have the party on Saturday, December 14. Chuck said that people could arrive as early as 3 o'clock so that they could see their place in the daylight. We won't be eating until around 6 o'clock so that those members who are attending the Apoka Show should be able to get back in time for the dinner. (Please see the note from Bev about everyone bringing a dish of food. Please call her to let her know what you plan on bringing so she can coordinate the meal.) We also talked about having another Elephant Swap this year. This means each person should bring a gift ($5+/-) so everyone can participate in the Swap. A map to their place will also be included in the newsletter.

Jack Janes asked that people volunteer to man the Information Booth at our Show for 1 1/2 hours to two hours. He said it would be nice if couples volunteer because one could watch the booth while the other would have the opportunity to do something else. You would be giving out information about our organization and the American Camellia Society. Lionel Worthy said he plans on passing around a sheet for those to sign up to be volunteers.

Jerry Hogsette said that a stumbling block for our show has been solved when Jerry signed up five more judges when he went to Valdosta. Now he has 15 judges lined up.

Jack signed up two new members. He said he thought it might be a good idea if members carried membership forms so they could sign up new members when the opportunity arose.

Sidney Marshall has volunteered to get the baby food jars for the Show. John Thrasher discussed getting clear plastic cups. Annabelle Fetterman offered to bring 2,000 baby food jars. John Thasher said he will work with Dr. Marshall in making sure that we have enough jars/cups for our Show.

The night before the Show those who are willing to set up the tables at the Mall will meet at Jerry Hogsette's where they can meet and socialize with the judges. Afterwards they will go to the mall for the set up which will take approximately one and one-half hours. People are also needed to take down the tables after the Show which will also take about one and one-half hours.

Jerry has been asked to be the Vice President of the Gulf Coast Camellia Society and they have a news letter that comes out four times a year. The dues are $10 for a single and $12 for a couple. He would like to ask that we as a society become a member of this group and he volunteered to pay the first year dues for our society. A day has finally been set up for us to work at Wilmot Gardens. It is on November 30 and those volunteering to work cleaning up the Gardens will meet in the parking lot at the brick building around 8:15 a.m. There are two forms that need to be completed before anyone can work there. One is a disability form just in case you are hurt during the clean up task. See Howard Smith so you can fill out these forms. Please bring some tools that you can work with such as clippers, loppers, saws, etc. Maybe Mr. Barnswell and his group will be able to help us clean up the Gardens. (Editor's note: Did anyone notice the two huge piles of vines, tree limbs, and other miscellaneous debris at the southeast corner of the intersection of Mowery Road and North South Drive after our cleanup effort?)

John Thrasher brought in a picture of Mildred Vyverberg that appeared in the Gainesville Sun. She was the former secretary to GCS for many years. John also mentioned that he planned on sending in an order to Nuccio's and asked that anyone who wanted to order plants contact him. He would be willing to send in an order up to fifty plants. The reason for the break-off point of 50 plants is because of the change in handling and shipping costs after fifty plants.

Afterwards a Mock Show was held.

This is being written Thanksgiving weekend. As we have paused to give thanks, I am reminded of so very many things for which I am thankful.

I am thankful that I was raised in a loving family which allowed me to experience much that life had to offer. Music lessons beginning in first grade gave me the opportunity to learn how to play songs which give pleasure not only to me but to others. 4-H Club activities allowed me to experience personal growth, the ability to sew and make beautiful things, to speak in front of a group, to lead my peers, and to compete with them as a poultry judge, in fashion shows, and other activities. My family's love of God and the church exposed me early to the teachings of the Christian faith which led me eventually to ten years of ministry in the Methodist Church. It provided the faith which has seen me through the problems of raising children, both mine and Laddie's; facing the loss of those I loved; illness and pain; and the satisfaction that such a faith brings.

When I think of those things for which I am thankful, I am brought to the awareness of how important the Camellia Society has been to me. I am thankful for the wonderful people I have come to know and love. I am afraid to start mentioning names, for I will surely leave someone out, but I rarely let being afraid stop me, so here goes.

I am thankful that God created such beautiful flowers as the Camellia and that people have worked to help develop such a great variety of beauty. I will be thankful when someone finds a way to beat petal blight.

I am thankful that my first contact with the Gainesville Camellia Society was through Lionel and Chris Worthy who welcomed us, gave us the "New Member's Gift" of a Ruby Matthews camellia, and who enriched our lives with their love, flowers, plants, and friendship.

I am thankful for those who helped us increase our collection of camellias. Howard and Mary Ruth Smith opened their garden to me for air-layering. Lionel and Chris Worthy have given us many plants. Jim Norman has directed me in the proper way of propagating camellias and has provided many, many scions for my experimenting with rooting and grafting. Jim and Margaret Gahan, Cecil Simmons, Chris and Jack Janes, Jerry and Debbie Hogsett, Ernie Faulk, Dan and Gladys McCloud, the Hardisons, Tom Adams, Bob Wines, Jim Randall, Hulyn Smith, George and Jane Griffin, the Leitners, and Col. Adkins have all given us scions for propagation.

I am thankful for the people we have met as we have traveled throughout the southeast in our quest for pictures and knowledge of Camellia varieties. They are a rich part of our lives. We have taken slides at Camellia shows in Gainesville, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Ocala, Orlando, Tampa, Lakeland, Edgewater, Pensacola, Mobile, Atlanta, Valdosta, and Charleston. When we visited most of these places for the first time, we were strangers. Yet because we shared their love of Camellias, we were allowed to take pictures of flowers at these shows and move flowers for a better shot. Marion Edwards in Jacksonville and Jim Oates in Mobile made arrangements with the building security people for us to take pictures after hours so that we could work undisturbed.

I am thankful for those who have opened their gardens to us for picture sessions. Bob Wines in Ocala, Mr. Aldrich in Georgia, George Gerbing in Georgia, Roscoe Dean in Lucedale, Mississippi, and Jim Smith in Weirsdale have let us have the run of their nurseries for picture sessions. Howard Smith, Lionel Worthy, Dan McCloud, Jim Norman, Ivan Mitchell, Mr. Hardison, Tom Adams from Jacksonville, Bob and Sally Hardwick in Georgia have all let us take pictures in their gardens.

I am thankful for our friends in the American Camellia Society. We have always, right from our first visit, been welcomed graciously in Ft. Valley by Ann Blair Brown, Betty Hotchkiss, and the Helens. I have spent hours studying Camellias in the garden and in the library and taking pictures in the garden and greenhouse.

I am thankful for my association with each of you. You are dear to me and your friendship has enriched my life. And here I stop listing names, each of you know the things we have shared, the joys, the sadness, the excitement, the frustrations, the lessons we have learned together, the good times we have had at meetings, shows, and picnics. For all this and all of you, I am extremely thankful.

Camellia Shows: All GCS members should try to attend one or more camellia shows, other than the Gainesville show, during the upcoming season. Select show locations are shown below. For a complete listing, consult the November 1996 issue of the Camellia Journal of the American Camellia Society. December 14-15: Apopka, FL, Fran Carlton Center; Pensacola, FL, Wright Place; January 11: Tampa, FL, Tampa Garden Center; January 11-12: Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Mall; January 18-19, Mobile, AL, Spring-dale Mall; Orlando, FL, Leu Gardens - Camellia Room; January 25: Thomas-ville, GA, Thomasville Garden Center; January 25-26: Ocala, FL, Appleton Culture Center; Lakeland, FL, Garden Club of Lakeland; February 1-2: White Springs, FL, Stephen Foster State Folk Cultural Center; February 8 (date change):: Tampa, FL, Florida State Fair; February 21-22: Atlanta, GA, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, and March 1: Warner Robins, GA, Houston Mall.

In December remove spent blooms from under the bushes. This will help prevent the spread of petal blight (a fungal disease that discolors camellia petals). If a sudden cold front threatens a hard freeze you should make sure that your plants are well watered; most cold damage of camellia plants is due to strong, cold winds drying the tissues. A well hydrated plant that is protected from north winds will fare much better. Bloom buds that are still tight will not normally be damaged by a typical Gainesville freeze but open (or nearly open) blooms can be severely damaged. Much of the damage can be avoided if the blooms are covered so that frost does not settle on them. (This paragraph was downloaded from the GCS Web Page.)

Fred Stone would like scions of these Japonicas: MAI-ZURU - (Flying Crane) - Greenish White. Large, single. VERSCHAFFELTIANA - Bright Pink striped White. Large, formal double. (Belgium - 1849 Verschaffelt). He would like scions also of the Sasanqua, SUNSHINE - Cream color. Single. Please call him at (352) 336-0110 or send E-mail to him at: afn17696@freenet.ufl.edu

Leonard and Diane Fisher at (352) 684-6403 are looking for a start of DIANNA LENNARD, a Hybrid With Other Than Reticulata Parentage - Deep Pink shaded to light Pink. Medium, formal double. Average, open, upright growth. M - L. (Seedling of Hybrid 'Elegant Beauty') (N.Z. 1982 - T. Lennard, Te Puke).

Sandra Williams is still interested in getting scions of any miniature camellia. She has a few and has received 20 scions from California as a result of this item having been on the internet but would like to have more. If you have scions of miniatures you will share, please call her at (352) 372-3116 or send E-mail to: laddie@gnv.fdt.net

Your help in keeping this column up-to-date will be greatly appreciated by your editor.

12:00-2:00 Alice Carlyle - Lionel Worthy

2:00-4:00 Cecil Simmons - Lionel Worthy

4:00-6:00 Frank White - Mary White

6:00-9:00 Lionel Worthy

12:00-2:00 Lionel Worthy

2:00-4:00 Ruth Milton - Peggy Schaub

4:00-6:00 Mary Sarver - Lionel Worthy

What can be simpler than entering a bloom in a camellia show? This seemingly simple task can be confusing to the first time exhibitor and there are many pitfalls to be avoided. In this article we will explain the "Do's and Don't's" for entering blooms.

Do get a copy of the show program. Every show is different with different color requirements for entry tags and different divisions and classes. Some early season shows make no distinction between treated (gibbed) and untreated blooms while shows later in the year usually have separate divisions for treated and untreated blooms. Some shows have a Novice Division for growers that have never won an award (winning ribbons does not count) at an American Camellia Society (ACS) cooperative show. You MUST specify the division or class in which your bloom will be entered. Sometimes you will have to make a choice. For example a novice might enter a bloom in the Novice Division or in another competitive division or you might have a Grace Albritton whose size is listed as "miniature to small" in the Southern California Camellia Society Camellia Nomenclature. In the later case you could enter the bloom in a miniature division or in a Japonica division depending on the size of the bloom. The ACS regulations set up a minimum standard and allow local shows a tremendous latitude in setting the rules of competition. Read your show program carefully!

Do know the names of the varieties that you will show. Only varieties registered with the ACS, seedlings, and mutants may be entered in competition. If you are a first time exhibitor it is extremely unlikely that you will have a seedling or mutant to enter so we will not explain the rules and regulations governing entry of such blooms. Blooms must be entered under their registered names. For example, Mathotiana has many synonyms including the locally popular one Rubra. While the Entries and Classification Committee is sure to correct the entry if you get this one wrong, they may miss less common ones like entering a Rosea Superba Variegated as a Margaret Sandusky. (Of course our show committee would never make a mistake like that!) If you don't know the name of your flower you should bring it to a meeting of your local camellia society where there is a good chance that someone there will be able to give you an identification. Please don't bring it to the show because nearly everybody there will be extremely busy and will not have enough time to give your question the attention it deserves.

Don't remove the flower from the stem. The Rules and Regulations Governing Procedures & Judging of American Camellia Society Cooperative Shows (Revised March 5, 1992) says NOTHING about stems, length of stems, or flowers being attached to stems in the rules governing acceptance of exhibits. However, most show programs exhibition rules give a required length of stem and some require that the flower be attached to the stem. For example, the Gainesville Camellia Society's show program states "All competitive entries shall be attached to their own stems. The stems should be 2 inches and not over 2 inches long and must have one or two leaves." while the Valdosta Camellia Society's show program has "Containers are furnished for blooms which have stems of no more than three inches and no more than two leaves. One bloom to a stem." Of course, if the flower is removed from the stem, it cannot "drink" while being exhibited and will show its distress before the judging starts.

Do have one or two leaves. The ACS Rules and Regulations Governing Procedures & Judging of American Camellia Society Cooperative Shows (Revised March 5, 1992) states "One or two leaves, not necessarily attached, with color and vigor characteristics of the variety must be exhibited with each bloom." While the leaves displayed need not be from the same bush as the bloom, it is usually not a good idea to use a leaf from another variety.

Don't be intimidated. It is very intimidating to see the Norman's or the Gordy's unpacking box after box of perfect blooms the size of a head of cabbage and all you have are a few plants that you bought at a local nursery. That doesn't mean that you don't stand a chance. After all, The Judges Have Spoken 1994-95 tells us that Pink Perfection won 27 prizes nationwide, Mathotiana won 6, Prof. Charles S. Sargent won 6, Debutante won 3, Rose Dawn won 2, Dr. Tinsley won 3, and Prince Eugene Napoleon won 3. Last year you may have left an award winning bloom in your yard!

Do get a copy of the Southern California Camellia Society Camellia Nomenclature and Camellia Nomenclature Supplement. On the entry card you must circle the size listed in the Camellia Nomenclature for that variety. Bloom are characterized as Miniature, Small, Medium, Large, and Very Large. Some blooms straddle a size range and have two sizes listed such as Medium to Large, for example. The reason why you have to do this is that within some divisions there are awards for the best bloom within designated size ranges. For example, at the Gainesville Camellia Society's show there are awards for Best unprotected untreated Japonica bloom 4" or larger and Best unprotected untreated Japonica bloom under 4" but over 2 " even though such blooms are both entered in Division I - Japonica blooms, unprotected, not chemically treated. The first prize is for blooms that are Large and Very Large while the second prize is for blooms that are Small and Medium. Miniature blooms have their own category regardless of species at the Gainesville Show. If you don't have a Camellia Nomenclature, don't worry. There will be a lot of well used copies floating around the show.

Don't have multiple entries of the same variety. Some people specialize in the Sweepstakes where a prize is given to the exhibitor that gets the most blue ribbons, with red and yellow ribbon totals as tie breakers. Such exhibitors try hard to get as many blue ribbons as possible and often will have multiple entries of a given variety in an attempt to maximize their chance for getting the blue ribbon. I personally believe that this practice hurts their chances of getting blooms on the contention table. Usually blooms are sent up to the contention table when they possess superior form, color, markings, size, texture and substance, freshness, and distinctiveness. Your superior bloom has a better chance of standing out to the judges better if it is not competing with your other beautiful and nearly identical blooms. If you do have three excellent blooms that are very similar you should consider entering them as a Plate of Three. Some shows restrict the number of entries and set a limit of two or three blooms of any variety per exhibitor.

Do learn more about camellias. The best way to learn about a lot of varieties is to work Placement at a camellia show. Contact Annabelle Leitner (352-466-0625) for this opportunity at our show. The best way to learn about what the judges look for is to work as a Clerk. Contact Dave Mikolaitis (352-377-1001) and he will put you to work as a Clerk at our show.

Do ask for advice. It is my experience that camellia exhibitors are the most generous competitors that I have had the pleasure to know. Everyone is so enthused with their avocation that they will freely dispense their wisdom and advice. It seems that every time I go to somebody's garden I leave with more scions than I can handle of their very best, show-winning varieties.

Now that the "mysteries" of entering a bloom have been dispelled, I expect ALL the members of the Gainesville Camellia Society to enter blooms in our show this year. Hope to see you on the Head Table!

DIV I Japonica, unprotected, untreated TAGS: Buff

(1, 2, & 3)**

DIV II Japonica, unprotected, treated White

(4, 5, & 6)

DIV III Japonica, protected Green

(7 & 8)

DIV IV Retic & retic hybrid, unprotected White

(9 & 10)

DIV V Retic & retic hybrid, protected Green

(11 & 12)

DIV VI Non-retic hybrid, unprotected White

(13 & 14)

DIV VII Non-retic hybrid, protected Green

(15 & 16)

DIV VIII Miniature, any species, unprotected White

(17)

DIV IX Miniature, any species, protected Green

(18) (Note: Entries in DIV VIII & IX MUST be listed as miniatures in the Camellia Nomenclature and must NOT exceed 2 1/2" in diameter)

DIV X Seedling, protected & unprotected,

(19) treated & untreated ACS Pink Seedling

(Open to professionals)

DIV XI Sasanquas & all other species Blue

(20) (Note: Species with tiny blooms, such

as Lutchuensis or Fraterna, may be

entered as sprays with more than

one bloom on a small branch)

DIV XII Novice - any species, treated or Blue

(21) untreated. (Restricted to exhibitors

who have never won an award in any

ACS cooperative show)

DIV XIII Multiple blooms, unprotected:

(22) Class A, 3 blooms, SAME variety White

(23) Class B, 5 blooms, DIFFERENT White

DIV XIV Multiple blooms, protected:

(24) Class A, 3 blooms, SAME variety Green

(25) Class B, 5 blooms, DIFFERENT Green

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL EXHIBITORS: If entry tags have been made up in advance, but in the wrong color, stamps are available to make corrective endorsements, such as GREEN TAG, WHITE TAG, BUFF TAG, AND BLUE TAG. However, Seedlings MUST be entered with ACS Pink Seedling Tags.

Optional Award: The Show Committee reserves the right to give an unscheduled award - with the concurrence of the Judges - for one additional outstanding bloom of its choice, such as a truly fine mutant bloom worthy of registration as a mutant, a fragrant bloom with outstanding beauty as well, or any other spectacular bloom for which no specific entry class has been provided.

**Numbers in parentheses are award numbers. See Show Schedule for full award schedule and descriptions.