Daily Calendar for Friday, May 17, 2024
Question of the Day
If morning glories are such an invasive weed in some places, why can’t I get them to grow here in Maine?
Pure stubbornness on the part of the flower, no doubt. Here are some tips. First, if you’re starting from seed, try soaking the seeds for 24 hours in warm water. Another trick is to take a file and nick the end of each seed before you plant it. A layer of glass or clear plastic over the seed tray will help maintain the humidity. Keep the seeds warm (70 to 75 degrees F) until they germinate, which can take up to two weeks. Then keep them in a sunny location and make sure they don’t outgrow their pots before you get them outside. Morning glories are notorious weeds in places such as Bermuda (they are, after all, a tropical plant). Although they’ll grow in poor soil and low-moisture areas, they prefer moist, rich soil. They don’t like a lot of nitrogen. Lawn fertilizers, manure, fish meal, bonemeal, and composted peas and beans are all high in nitrogen, so avoid using them near your morning glory vines.
Advice of the Day
Fickle drops sprinkle crops.
Home Hint of the Day
When you lime and fertilize your lawn, apply half the dosage in one direction and the other half in the opposite direction. This greatly reduces the likelihood of missing any strips or corners.
Word of the Day
Ceilometer
A cloud yardstick. A ceilometer measures the height of clouds.
Puzzle of the Day
What kind of fish only swims at night?
A starfish!
Died
- Sandro Botticelli (artist; works include the painting Birth of Venus”“) –
- John Jay (first Chief Justice of the U.S.) –
- John Deere (American manufacturer) –
- Lawrence Welk (musician) –
- Joe Black (baseball player) –
- Tony Randall (actor; well known for his role as Felix Unger on the sitcom The Odd Couple) –
- Frank Gorshin (actor best known for role as the Riddler on the Batman television series) –
- Donna Summer (singer; Queen of Disco”“) –
Born
- Edward Jenner (physician) –
- Maureen O'Sullivan (actress) –
- Dennis Hopper (actor) –
- Bill Paxton (actor) –
- Sugar Ray Leonard (boxer) –
- Bob Saget (actor & comedian) –
- Enya (New Age singer) –
- Craig Ferguson (actor & television host) –
- Tony Parker (basketball player) –
Events
- Joliet-Marquette Mississippi River expedition began–
- The New York Stock Exchange established at Merchants Coffee House, New York City–
- Fire began that destroyed part of St. Louis, Missouri–
- First Kentucky Derby held–
- District of Alaska created–
- Clifton Fadiman hosted the NBC Blue network quiz show Information Please–
- First coin-operated mailbox, the Mailomat, installed–
- First U.S. cross-country helicopter flight ended–
- U.S. Supreme Court issued Brown v. Board of Education decision, ruling that segregated schools are unconstitutional–
- Senate Watergate Committee began public hearings–
- Massachusetts became the first state to process marriage licenses for gay and lesbian couples–
- A team of rocketeers led by a Bloomington, MN, man claimed success in their goal of launching the first amateur rocket into space, sending a 21-foot rocket named GoFast an estimated 70 miles above the Nevada desert–
- Peter Phillips, son of British Princess Anne, wed Canadian Autumn Kelly–
- Allan Ganz honored for 67-year career (and counting) as ice-cream man–
Weather
- A hard frost covered southern New England–
- Portland, Maine, had 4.12 inches of rain in 12 hours–
- The worst May blizzard in seven years hit Denver, Colorado–
- Temperatures dipped to a mere 12 degrees F at the Mauna Kea Observatory, Hawaii–