Irises Blooming Inside
Now Common Sight
Irises blooming in the house may seem strange, but the house
iris or Neomarica, which is blooming now through around mid
April, was a popular house plant during the Victorian period,
say staff members at the N. C. Botanical Garden at the Univer
sity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The plant has many names, including walking iris and the 12
apostles plant. The latter name reflects the 12 leaves in each
fan, or what might be considered a stem. A single plant or fan
may bear as many as seven successive blooms in as many as
20 days.
Much of the interest in apostles plants is in watching the buds
develop and open. The blooms develop on a single leaf. The
flower bud starts as a swelling about three inches from the leaf
tip. A pointed sheath stands up from the leaf tip and the flower
stalk develops a small, white tube, composed of the tightly
wound white sepals. The bud unfurls suddenly and the bloom
seems to almost pop open. Each flower lasts only one day.
The fragrance is pleasant, and the bloom is a dainty iris
shape, with white sepals and purple standards. Six more flowers
will emerge individually, as the first fades at the leaf tip.
The plant is easy to grow in the Carolinas and surrounding
states Although the house iris is not as hardy outdoors in North
Carolina as it is in Florida, Texas and California, it does well
inside. As much sun as possible is optimal, although the plants
have been successfully grown in a west window with a curtain.
The house iris grows naturally in water or at the water's edge
and thrives in moist, but not soggy, soil with an average fer
tilization schedule. It also seems to do better in a pot.
Giving house iris plants to friends does not necessarily involve
separating the fans that have grown in the pot, although the pro
cess can be done when the container gets too crowded. After
blooming, a plantlet will develop at the site of blooming on the
leaf tip. If the Neomarica is kept outside in the summer, the
plantlets will develop roots in the soil, where the leaf has
tipped over and touched the ground. Even if roots have not
developed yet, it is possible to remove the plantlet and root it
in water.
Wish The People
111 Macon
Their Very
Best Wishes
for a
Happy 100th
Birthday
When You're
Macon Whoopie,
Remember Us
For Macon Loans
Macon Woman's Club Is Oldest
Civic Club In Warren County
Members of the Macon Woman's Club and their
guests are shown at this 19S6 meeting held in the
home of Mrs. Clara Shaw. Shown, left to right,
front row, are Mrs. Anna Thompson, Mrs. Eunice
Hilliard, Mrs. Sallie Harris, Mrs. Mamie King. On
second row are Mrs. Clara Shaw, Mrs. Hope
Williams, Mrs. Margery Drake, Mrs. Mamie
Russell, Miss Ellie Nicholson. On third row are
Mrs. Jessie Harris, Mrs. Val Alston Bell, Miss
Carrie Brame, Mrs. Ida Drake, Mrs. Ixiuise
Kuwai., Miss Helen Thompson, Miss Margaret
Alston. On fourth row are Mrs. Janie Shearin and
Mrs. I>ena Loyd.
The Macon Woman's Club
[ known orignially as the Macon
Community Club) was organized
in April of 1915 and has been in
continuous operation since that
time, making it the oldest civic
club in Warren County.
The charter president of the
organization was Mrs. Cora
Phelps, whose matchless leader
ship and unfailing interest helped
to make the club a successful one.
The Macon Woman's Club did
much to beautify the Macon
School, including the purchase of
drapes for the rostrum in the
auditorium there. The Macon
Woman's Club also placed a
marker at Nathaniel Macon's
Grave, and has done much to
beautify and make the Macon
community a better place in
which to live.
In 1940, the club purchased
Greenwood Cemetery, a non
denominational community cem
etery. For 40 years, it has been
the main? though certainly not
the only? project of the club in its
continuing effort to be of service
to the community.
The Macon Woman's Club also
owns the Rodwell Tract in the
center of Macon, an area which
contains many beautiful shrubs.
The club has also planted a
number of crepe myrtle trees
along the town's streets.
In May of 1966, the Macon
Woman's Club celebrated its 50th
anniversary. A highlight of the
event was the presentation of a
pin to Mrs. E. H. Russell, the
only surviving charter member
of the club.
In 1967, the Macon Woman's
Club initiated a new project that
continues today: the awarding of
the Ellie Nicholson Scholarsliip in
memory of a respected local
educator and club member. The
$100 scholarship has been pre
sented annually to a graduate of
Warren County High School or
Warren Academy in recognition
of scholastic achievement and
personal attributes, as well as
those goals which reflect the
bright new future the youth of
today will make tomorrow for the
community and for the country.
In 1976? the bicentennial year
?the Macon Woman's Club
placed a marker in the town of
Macon to commemorate its 60th
year as a federated club and the
beginning of the town. Also
saluted was Nathaniel Macon, for
whom the town was napied.
The Macon Woman's Club par
ticipates in most dis*rict and
state projects of local interest.
Each of the six departments in
the club conducts a program dur
ing the year.
Guided by its theme? "Work
ing for a Better Community"?
the Macon Woman's Club strives
to continue its record of service.
Protein Hesrarrh
Proteins are the staff of life, nur
turing animal tissues to grow and, if
necessary, heal .
In seminal research being carried
out by a Los Alamcs National Lab
oratory scientist, the mystery of what
makes these complex compounds
perform their functions may be
solved.
New Pastor
Begins Duties
( Continued from page 2B )
Today, the congregation of
Macon Baptist Church continues
to thrive with a comprehensive
program which includes: the
Macon Youth for Christ, the Bap
tist Men's Group, the Woman's
Missionary Union, the Royal Am
bassadors, the Girls In Action, a
strong Sunday School and three
choirs. Worship services and Sun
day School are conducted each
Sunday.
During the two-and-one-half
year pastorate of the Rev. Steve
King, who left Macon Baptist
Church in 1988 to ready himself
for a life of missionary work in
Argentina, interest in an
outreach program, which
supersedes the local bounds of
the town, was begun. For eight
days in the summer of 1988, four
teenagers and 18 adult members
visited the Island of Trinidad as
participants in a Baptist Mission
trip. But back on the home front,
the outreach continues as the con
gregation alternates with the
newly-formed I^ake Gaston Bap
tist Church in coordinating a
devotional service each Sunday
at Warren Plaza Rest Home. At
Christmas, carols are sung in the
community and, on each Tuesday
and Thursday evening, a witness
ing program, aimed at visiting
the "lost," sick and bereaved is
conducted.
In this, the centennial month
and year of the birth of the Town
of Macon, the Rev. Larry Horn
buckle will begin his pastorate,
after being called to serve on
Feb. 26. From that nucleus begun
in 1891, the tradition of faith, wor
ship and outreach will continue
for many years to come.
r
David Proctor, district supervisor and staking engineer, is shown at left
in front of the Macon Office of Halifax EMC. With him are Warren County
directors Richard H. Greene and I .eon Williams (right).
Halifax Electric Membership Corporation is a cooperative. . .a locally-owned
electric co-op which has been providing reliable electric service for over 50
years to communities in Halifax, Martin, Nash, and Warren Counties.
In each community the cooperative members elect leaders to direct their
co-op. Together, with the community, the cooperative forms a network of
hands, hearts, and minds working for the people.
As Macon celebrates its centennial, so Halifax EMC celebrates its 50
years of service to the people in the surrounding community.
Together, we're building cooperation... a power in the land.
Congratulations Macon on Your Centennial!
From a grateful community participant