Gourds
Tin* ii ninspir in“ jiimI
drab looking join’d has
born developed into a
lliin» of real eharm anil
beaut y by I he **(>«»urd
Village* Garden Club."
By
Mrs. Max Abernetlifi
GOl'KD fanciers ibroiiglioiil llii-
scctioii arc most enthusiastic
over I In- gourd exhibition that
was hold in Cary last week under the
sponsorship of the Gourd Village
Garden Club.
This unique organization, believed
by its members to be the only one of
its kind in North Carolina, was start¬
ed by a small group of Cary women,
who raised gourds for fun and who
liked to meet and discuss their gourd
problems. Last
Л
a unary the group
was regularly organized and now has
members not only in other sections of
the state but in Virginia as well. Mrs.
T. F. Wilkinson, of Cary, is presi¬
dent of the association and Mrs. |{ S
Dunham, also of Cary, is secretary
The exhibition which attracted sev¬
eral hundred visitors was one of the
most artistic and interesting displays
ever held in the state.
It certainly upset all my ideas almnt
gourds. I'ntil I saw the exhibition a
gourd to my mind was just an unin¬
spired looking brown affair that von
saw hanging by a well in the country
to serve ns a dipper, or on duty as
л
darning egg in a work basket. But
the gourds that the Gourd Garden¬
ers had on display were simply amaz¬
ing. There were gourds of the finest
varieties that are grown anywhere.
Many Different Shades
Gourds of all sizes and shapes in
the softest shades of cream, yellow,
red. orange, and green, big gourds,
tiny gourds, old gourds, young
gourds, pretty gourds and the only
ugly species I saw. the snake gourd,
were all on parade. In the ornamental
class I saw the apple, the pear, the
bi-color, the warted, the crown of
thorns, the Turk’s turban, the Turk ’s
cap. the egg and the spoon. The hard
shell species included the bottle, the
maranka. the dipper, the powder
The above picture gives you some idea of the many varieties of gourds
at the Garden Club’s display last week.
Imrn, the kettle and tlm sugar trough.
To show you that gourds may he
useful as well as ornamental, the
growers had used them to make many
useful articles. Match containers,
cigarette holders, ash trays, baskets,
serving travs. lamps, dolls, candle¬
sticks. salt boxes, cookie jars, and dog
houses all started life as a gourd.
The single exhibit that interested
me most, however, was the one show¬
ing the use of gourds us table deco¬
rations. You eammt imagine anything
more pleasing to the eye than the del-
ieate colors of the gourds combined in
arrangements with fruits, persim¬
mons. honesty plant, plume crass,
magnolia burrs and |»eppcr plant.
Hard to Raise
According to Mrs. T. F. Wilkinson,
the life of the gourd grower is not
an easy one for gourds are just as
temperamental as they are becoming
fashionable. Today you may have
gourds and tomorrow you may not
since there are many
|м*ч|.ч
that also
find them attractive. They must be
watched and tended every day since
the sun is apt to fade them if they
stay on the vines too long The most
important thing of all. Mrs. Wilkin¬
son thinks, is picking your gourds at
exactly the right time. They are fully
ripe and ready to harvest when the
stems begin to turn brown.
After the gourds are picked they
must be first washed in a strong soap
solution and then hung up in a dry
airy place for six weeks. One of the
problems that all gourd gardeners are
interested in now is to find some way
of preserving the original colors of
their product since they tend to lose
color as t hex dry out. Some growers
think that wax and shellac helps to
retard this loss of color, but it lias
not been definitely proven so far.
Mrs. |;. S. Dunham, with more than
1ХЮ
gourde in her crop this rear
should certainly qualify as the
"Gourd Queen" of the «‘arv section.
She started growing them as a hobby
but expects to continue it as a com¬
mercial enterprise, having already
sold quite a number of her gourds
this year.
"The Gourd Village”
Mrs. R. L. McMillan, of Raleigh,
president of the North Carolina Gar¬
den Club, and well known authority
on flower arrangement, thinks that
the exhibition put on by Gourd Vil¬
lage ( iard. mi ( 'lub was “nothing short
of remnrkahle." She sees no reason
why Cary should not become na¬
tionally known as the "Gourd Vil¬
lage.” through the activities of the
association. Min. McMillan forecasts,
too, that the Cary women will build
up a good business tli rough the sale
of gourd seed.
The exhibitors in this 'ear’s show
were Mrs. T. F. Wilkinson. Mrs.
It. S. Dunham. Mrs. S. M ('rocker.
Miss Ksther Ivey, and Mr*. II W.
Rood, all of C’ary: Mrs. Graham Me-
Lean, of Liuuberton : Mrs. A. C. May¬
nard. of Highland Springs. Virginia :
Mrs.
«I.
F. Brower, of Clemmons, ami
Miss Margaret Lane, of Raleigh.
The exhibition attracted so much
attention and received such favorable
comment that the members hope to
make it an annual affair.
Ill case you are interested in the
(Continued on page eighteen)
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