Rare books on the block

The Dec. 11 Boston Globe had another sad story about the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, which is in financial trouble. Last month we wrote about the society canceling its New England Spring Flower Show, after 137 years of that outstanding annual exhibit. Now it plans to auction its rare books collection of botanical prints.

The Sotheby’s auction of 27 books, in 25 lots, is expected to bring between $700,000 and $1 million.

The books are on different types of flowers and fruits, and were published in several countries. The values range from $4,000 per lot to $150,000. One of the more modern works includes 351 photographs of the wildflowers of New England. Another includes 84 photos of the orchids that bloom in the northeastern United States. The two together are valued at up to $80,000.

This latest auction of books is part of a state-sanctioned plan to right the society’s finances.

The article tells us that copies of all but three of the books are owned by Harvard University. The society still will hold more than 500 rare books in its collection of more than 12,000 volumes, stored in the society’s library in Wellesley, Mass.

Geese and jellyfish

From the September-October newsletter of the Sorrento Scientific Society, Bar Harbor – the Guillemot:

Humpback whales were regularly seen from all whale-watching trips this fall. A very large, 2-foot-wide arctic jellyfish was seen in Bar Harbor Oct. 12.

Harlequin ducks were off Bar Harbor, and three were seen in Ogunquit and two in Cape Elizabeth Nov. 2.

Buffleheads were seen in Falmouth in October.

Cackling geese were noted at North Yarmouth Nov. 4, and barnacle geese and snow geese at North Yarmouth. The first brant of the season was seen at Biddeford Pool Nov. 1. Snowy egrets were reported from Falmouth Oct. 16.

We thank Joan Ashley for getting the Guillemot copies to us.

Paper cutbacks

A Dec. 13 New York Times headline read, “Detroit newspapers may sharply cut home delivery.” The article said that the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News are planning to stop home delivery most days of the week and print a pared-down version of their papers for newsstands only on these days. They will be the first major dailies in the country to take such drastic steps.

They will deliver to subscribers on the most profitable days of the week – Sundays and either Thursdays or Fridays, or both.

Newspapers across the country are besieged by falling revenue, but the papers in Detroit, home of the struggling auto industry, face particularly grim prospects in the next year.

Across the country, a handful of papers have dropped print entirely, including the Christian Science Monitor and the Kentucky Post. Some other papers will go from seven to four days.

Oh dear, this recession is hurting many areas. We hate to read of all these difficulties, nationwise.

Undeck the halls

The Nov. 28 Boston Globe tells us that a Milford, Mass., resident of an elderly housing complex who has put up Christmas decorations for three years now has been ordered to remove them completely.

Several tenants helped him each year. His decorations included music that played in coordination with flashing lights. It took him three weeks to erect the display. But some residents were bothered by light and noise, so the executive director of the complex asked that the decorations be removed. One lady resident who enjoyed the decorations said, “I’m just kind of disappointed with what happened. It won’t be as glittery and fun as it was before.”

Why did they let him start decorating this third year? I wonder how many complained.

The man, Douglas Bruce, 69, was taken to the hospital with chest pains the day after receiving the notice – which was a note under his door from the Housing Authority giving him only 24 hours to remove the display. Bruce complained of “the way this was done,” and said he would not have been upset if he had been spoken to in person.

“It was handled all wrong,” he said.

Pretty, by gum

I’ve received a second recipe from Rhoda Leroux of Westbrook; it is also from the Culligan family. But I wonder where I can buy gumdrops, in order to try this.

Gumdrop Cake

1 cup butter

11?2 cups white sugar

8 oz. cream cheese

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1?2 tsp. lemon extract

1?2 tsp. almond extract

2 cups flour (use 1?2 cup to coat gumdrops)

11?2 tsp. baking powder

1?2 tsp. salt

2 cups gumdrops (cut in half, then coat well with flour)

Cream butter. Add cream cheese, then sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each addition. Add extracts. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add to mixture. Add gumdrops. Mix by hand. Pour into tube pan. Bake at 300 to 325 degrees for two hours. Place foil over top of cake for 11?2 hours. Then remove for the last half-hour.

Rhoda wrote that this is a great birthday or holiday cake. It’s good and really pretty when sliced. She says that it is nice and moist and freezes well.