Chapter 17 – 1956

January 5, 1956 (French Village)
Thursday. Elspeth Giffin and I started at 10:3O am. It was raining very heavily, in fact just pouring. We went out to get some blueberry bushes, to keep in the lab and see if we could get smears of the sporogenous tissue in the others when the buds started to swell. This was suggested by Bishop.  The road was covered with small lakes. After going through one deep one just by the side of Hubley, Thomas^[1] passed out.  We had to be pushed by a truck from Low’s Garage. We got going again just past the Bar-BQ. This cost me $2. We got gas at French Village [coordinates 44.690833, -63.881675] and the blueberry bushes at the usual place. I was home by 12:45 pm.

April 18, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven)
Wednesday. Ralph Wheaton, the forest ranger for the western part of Halifax called at 53 Oakland Road about 1:45 p.m. and picked up Tony Bidwell and myself. Wheaton was in the Department truck. He took us to Bennie’s place at Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005] and went into the patch with us. He had a shoulder tank with him. On the road up, the snow was still three feet deep. Tony and Wheaton did all the work like getting water etc. We burnt the patch. It burnt OK except in low spots between the rocks. These places were full of water. Wheaton had us back at 53 Oakland Road by 4 p.m. Jimmie Bennet and a friend with two kids were at Bennie’s place.

May 2, 1956 (Glen Margaret)
Wednesday. Called Ann at 2 p.m. and picked up Ann’s friend Carol MacDonald at Glen Margaret [coordinates 44.578878, -63.912753]. Ann picked up a permit from the local forest ranger. We burnt the two patches at Ann’s place and got good burns. After that we made a collection of buds for reduction division.  Ann collected a bunch of Mayflowers. We were back in the lab by 5 p.m., examined the buds and [pumped] the preserved ones. Also, we showed Carol some things under the microscope and Ann took her up on the roof. I was home at 6 p.m.

May 4, 1956 (Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Friday. Audrey Holllibone and I started at 12:40 p.m. and went to Bennie’s by the lower road. First, we collected buds from plants that we tagged. Then we dug up the plants and there were no new rhizome tips, which was natural considering that stem growth in length had not started. These buds were discarded, and another collection made. Plants from which these buds were taken were marked with string so that rhizome tips could be obtained from the same plants later. The patch that we burned last year had been attacked by deer and the tops all eaten off. We were back in the lab shortly before 4 p.m. Audrey examined and finished the collection.

May 7, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Monday. Called for Audrey and Ann before 9 a.m. and went to Bennie’s by the lower road. Collected buds for reduction division. We selected buds that were well advanced. I tried to dig up a plant to put in my garden, but the mattock broke immediately. Audrey dug some up with her hands that we brought in. Audrey also brought in an old stump for her mother. Ann changed her clothes on the way back. It was a fine day, but cold.

May 11, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Friday. Called Audrey about 9 a.m. and went out to Bennie’s by the lower road. As it had rained heavily the day before the roads were muddy. We put bags on the plants and collected cuttings from the plants the deer had eaten. We were back in the lab by noon. It was a fine day.

May 15, 1956 (West Brook [coordinates 45.556847, -64.299251])
Tuesday. Called for Audrey at 7:30 a.m. I had lunch at roadside table on the other side of Parrsboro and arrived at Dickenson’s, shortly after 11:30. It had rained up to this time, but the weather cleared shortly after, and it was a beautiful clear day from then on. The breaker plough did not arrive until just after 2 p.m. so I filled in the time by transplanting some plants into the field surrounded by blueberries but not invaded by them.  We watched the beaker plough and “dozer” go around the flat twice, and then started for home at 3:20 p.m. We had a meal at the restaurant six miles outside of Truro and going through Truro we dropped in to see Gordon Kinsman. We were back at the lab by 8 p.m.

May 24, 1956 (Chester)
Thursday. Went to Chester [coordinates 44.541408, -64.242544] starting at 2 p.m. Marjorie Kraft and [her] mother-in-law went in my car. Her father-in-law and Ann went in the father-in-law’s car. At Chester, I found a good small patch that we can straw this Autumn I collected some Vaccinium myrtilloides buds for Palser and arranged to have some plants planted in the field. Nora gave us all tea and we came home as we went down. It had turned into a fine day. We were home by 7:00 p.m.

May 29, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Tuesday. Elspeth, Audrey and I started about 9:30 a.m. and went into Bennie’s by the lower road. The bags had come off the plants. We collected and put in killing fluid two racemes from which we got five flowers (unopened). I collected fifty slips from the plants burnt last year. These to be put down in auxin, vermiculite and peat moss. The blueberry blossoms showed no sign of coming open. The woods were very wet. I missed the path and got lost on the way out. Elspeth got me back on the path. On the way home I looked at the plants beside the tracks. They showed no sign of opening. We were back in the lab by 12 noon.

May 30, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Wednesday. Audrey and I left about 9:30 a.m. There was a bridge torn up on the lower road, so we had to go in by the back road and we did not have any trouble. Audrey stuck the bags on the plants with scotch tape and I located a plant of Vaccinium myrtilloides with lots of buds. We gave a woman a lift in from Glen Haven. We were back in the lab by 11:35 a.m.

June 4, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Monday. Elspeth, Audrey and I started at 9:30 a.m. It was raining but cleared up when we got there, but it was terribly muggy, the flies were bad, and we did not take the puff-puff. Audrey and Elspeth pollinated about thirty flowers, and I collected flowers from two bags, for study of [Anna]. On the way back we collected flowers for more pollen. We were back at the lab about 11:30 a.m. and I went to the bank.

June 6, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Wednesday. Elspeth, Audrey and I started about 9:30 a.m. and pollinated a number of plants. We cleared a bit of a path in from the back road.  We were back in the lab by 12:15 p.m. It was a fine warm day. The flowers pollinated on June 4 were numbered “1”. Those pollinated today were numbered “2”.

June 9, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Saturday. Audrey and I started about 9:30 a.m. and collected some of the bagged plants and also Vaccinium myrtilloides for Barbara Palser.  On the way back we gave a man a push to the garage near Beechville. We were back in the lab by 11:30 a.m. It was a very cold day.

June 11, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Monday. Both Audrey and Elspeth went with me. We started about 9:30 a.m. It was raining. Got gas out on the Bay Road. We went in by the back road and it was not too muddy. We made two collections. One from plants pollinated June 6 (B353) and another from plants pollinated June 4 (B354). We were back in the lab about 11:30 a.m.

June 13, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Wednesday. Rosemary Lane, Audrey and I started about 9:20 a.m. At Bennies we collected from the last of the bagged plants for [Annas] and flowers pollinated June 6 (after 7 days) and pollinated on June 4 (after 9 days). The flies were very bad. It was a warm humid day. Rosemary looked at flowers and birds. Audrey got some Lady slippers.

June 14, 1956 (Sheet Harbour and Pleasant Harbour)
Thursday. Marjorie went with me. We left at 9:35 a.m., went across the bridge and ate the lunch we took with us just before getting into Sheet Harbour [coordinates 44.923333, -62.537304].  There I saw Mr. Hussie and he told me that the field had been strawed, but he was not able to burn it on account of the weather. He promised to have more straw put on the field this autumn and burnt next spring. We saw Helen Balcom for a few minutes then called for Mrs. Hussie, who we drove to Conrod Settlement six miles on the Halifax side of Musquodoboit Harbour. On the way I inspected my patches. At Borgal’s the part burnt last year had lots of new growth and bloom (which was not quite out) but the growth was not luxuriant. On the part burnt two years ago the plants had grown quite large with many branches and quite a quantity of bloom. It will be very interesting to see how much fruit is produced. On Harvey’s patch, everywhere is dead or stunted including the blueberries. The ground looked poor and sterile. The Lambkill was coming back just about as much as the blueberry, and it all looked poor. We saw Florence and Bill for a few minutes. We did not go in to see Harvey and Mrs. Beaver, because we had Mrs. Hussie with us. After dropping Mrs. Hussie, we went back to Musquodobit Harbour and had tea at Rowling’s Tea Room. The tea was cold. We were back at the bridge just in time for the 5 O’clock rush. I bought some rubber cement at Handy Andy’s.

June 15, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Friday. Audrey and I started out about 9:20 a.m., and made the two usual collections of pollinated flowers. It was a hot sunny day. Audrey collected some flowers and we got male and female cones of spruce that we took to Rosemary Lane. Audrey broke the tree getting them but did not fall down.

June 18, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Monday. Audrey and I started about 9:15 a.m., and made the two usual collections. It was very cold. On the way back we looked at the old Hazelwood property where the city is leveling the upper field and then went down to Pine Hill and saw some ash trees.

June 20, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Wednesday. Audrey and I left about 9:20 a.m., and made the two regular collections. The No. 1’s were pretty well all used up. It was a warm day. On the way back Audrey got an ice cream cone.

June 23, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Saturday. Audrey and I left at 9:20 a.m., and made a collection of flowers pollinated on June 6 (labeled 2). It was a warm fine day.

June 25, 1956 (Bennie’s, Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Monday. Audrey and I left at 9:15 a.m., and made the last collection of this pollination series. It was raining and cold.

June 28, 1956 (Kentville and Mill Village)
Thursday. Elspeth and I left at 9:40 a.m., but stopped to try to get honey and to have coffee, so did not get to the Experimental Farm until just before noon.  There we saw Hockey and Ivan and arranged to meet them at 1:30 p.m. Elspeth and I had lunch at the Inn then went out to the farm where we met with Hockey, Ivan and Ernest Eaton. I went over the drawing and my lecture to be given at Tower Hill. They gave me a lot of valuable suggestions. Then they told me how to repopulate an area with rhizomes and we discussed a lot of other things. Ivan showed me the plants in the green house and the plot he was repopulating at the back of the farm. After this we went to Mill Village [coordinates 45.102759, -63.458434] to see where Ivan was slowing down the growth of Lambkill by adding fertilizer. Back in Kentville Elspeth went to see her uncle. We had a bite to eat at Babcock’s restaurant in Wolfville and were back in Halifax by 6:55 p.m. It was a hot muggy day.

July 10-13, 1956 (Tower Hill, NB, Conference)
Tuesday to Friday. Marjorie and I started about 9 a.m. on Tuesday [10th] and called for Elspeth. Had coffee at the Open Kitchen and arrived at Peggy’s about noon. Elspeth drove part of the way. I had procured and transported to Tony a water pump for his car. Lunch at Peggy’s. I had a sleep then left about 3:45 p.m. Elspeth took over the car outside Pictou and drove from then on. We went to Amherst via Springhill arriving about 6:30 p.m. Put up at Fort Cumberland where we had supper on Tuesday and breakfast on the 11th. On Wednesday morning we left about 9 a.m., and had coffee at Petitcodiac. I bought some “medicine” in Saint John and we had lunch at the White House Lounge, arriving at St. Stephen about 4:30 pm. We first went out to Tower Hill where we saw Ernest Eaton and Ivan Hall, and had supper. We went back to St. Stephen and put up at the Park Hotel. The trunk of my car would not open, and I had to get a garage man to tear out the back seat and open it from the inside. Thursday morning, we went out to Tower Hill. Ivan helped Elspeth put up the pictures and Ernest Eaton showed me some plots. The people from Fredericton and Maine arrived. I met Hylands for the first time and had quite a talk with him. George Wood made his speech, then I made mine. We had lunch at a church hall, inspected some plots, then went back to the station where Ivan Hall made his speech. Left about 4 p.m. and arrived at the Admiral Beatty about 6:30 p.m. where we put up and met an R.C.R. chap in the restaurant where we had our supper. On Friday morning we had breakfast at the restaurant, left about 9 a.m., had coffee at Petitcodiac and lunch at the Bus Terminals Restaurant in Amherst where we saw Hockey. We drove back via Parrsboro, had tea at the Palliser and got back to Halifax about 5 p.m. just after Marjorie, who had been driven down from Pictou by Muriel.

July 16, 1956 (Dingle)
Monday. Elspeth and I went out during the afternoon and collected some Gaylussacia dumosa back of the Church [coordinates 44.635918, -63.619743] for Polser and some Gaylussacia baccata at the Dingle [coordinates 44.626963, -63.606499] for seed development. This latter was a poor spot for very few flowers had set fruit and those which had, were too far advanced.

July 17, 1956 (Eagle Lake [coordinates 44.744956, -63.441597])
Tuesday. Called Elspeth about 9:15 a.m. her brother and Heidi came too. We left the car in the field and walked in. The bridge across the river at Hugh B’s place was torn down. Elspeth’s brother dug up some rhizomes for me and we made a collection of tips then took the tips and rhizomes back in a wet towel. We then went up to the usual point of land. We had trouble getting across the river because everything in the shape of a bridge was absent. I went across in my bare feet and hurt my toe. The woods were very wet from the rain the night before and I got wet in the river. We spent the rest of the morning on the rocks and started back at 2:15 p.m. On the way back we visited the beaver hut. It is almost gone.  The paths are all overgrown.  We got to the car at 3:25 p.m. and went home via Chezzetcook, Lawrencetown, etc. On the way through Cole Harbour we called in to see Barbara Bell and had a cup of tea. On the way through Porters Lake, we had some soft drinks. We were back home about 5:40 p.m. It was a warm day but not too warm. The flies were bad, but we had the puff-puff. I found the trip strenuous. We did not see much scenery because fog came in.

July 19, 1956 (Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Thursday. Marjorie came with me. First, we went to the bank to get a draft for Jimmie. Then at 2:15 p.m. we started collecting the huckleberries by the path from Bennie’s house and were back by 3:45 pm. The berries were in every stage, some with corollas still attached. Many not [setting] fruit.

July 20, 1956 (Chester)
Friday. Marjorie, Elspeth and Elspeth’s brother Bobby all started about 9:30 a.m. On arrival at Chester [coordinates 44.541408, -64.242544], Elspeth, Bobbie and I cut the bushes off the patch by the well. This I propose to straw this autumn and burn next spring. Then Bobby and I dug up some rhizomes in the woods and planted them in the field marking them with stakes. The remainder of the day was filled in various ways. We had all taken our lunch. Marjorie and I drove into town. The three young ones lay in the sun and got badly sunburnt. I had a sleep and contacted Ken Holloway over the phone. Sister Marjorie took Bobbie for a sail. We had tea and were back in Halifax by about 6 p.m. Nora sent some roses to Roberta Nichols. These were delivered by Elspeth. It was a fine day.

July 26, 1956 (Kentville Experimental Farm)
Thursday. Elspeth and I started at 9:30 a.m. It was thick fog. The fog cleared at Mt. Uniacke. We had coffee at Hantsport and arrived at the farm about noon. There we arranged to meet Hockey and Hall at 1:15 p.m. and had lunch at the Kent Lodge.  Then we met Hockey, Hall etc. and showed them the rhizomes. Hall then took us to the back of the farm and we dug up some more rhizomes. Then was a chap named R. A. Hamilton who was one of the [curatorial] staff at Ottawa. He gave a talk on preparation of scientific papers. We stayed for this till 4:15 p.m. We then went out to Coldbrook and bought some honey. Then I started for home. We had something to eat at Hantsport and were home about 7:15 p.m. It had been fine all day with us, but it had rained hard in Halifax.

July 27, 1956 (Glen Haven [coordinates 44.641999, -63.91005])
Friday. Elspeth and I went out to Bennie’s during the morning. The flies were bad so all we did was to dig up plants which had been tagged on May 4th. We took these back to 53 Oakland Rd. and put the hose on the clump, but due to the thick mat of hair cap moss we were unable to trace the stems through to the rhizomes. However, we did get a number of rhizome tips that we preserved. It was after 1 p.m. by this time, so we treated the rhizomes (air [pump]) during the afternoon.