Z 2024.000
BAYON (PHILIP J.) HORTICULTURAL JOURNALS


Biography/History:

Philip J. Bayon worked as a physician in Natchez, Adams County, Mississippi, from the 1940s to 1980s. He married Ormonde Butler, and they had at least one daughter. Dr. Bayon lived at Ormonde Plantation, named after his wife and located on Lower Kingston Road near Natchez. He planted many flowers, shrubs, trees, fruits, and vegetables in his gardens from 1947 to 1985. Some of the flowers he raised were daffodils, gladiolas, irises, lilies, and violets. Dr. Bayon was still living in Natchez in 1988.

Scope and Content:

These two journals record Dr. Philip J. Bayons horticultural activities in his gardens on Ormonde Plantation. Dr. Bayon headed each page of the journals with the month and year, and he made handwritten entries usually about four or five times per month. Occasional months or years are skipped toward the end of the second journal, but there are consistent entries for most of the 1947-1985 period. The first journal covers 1947 through 1953, while the second journal covers 1954 through 1985.

Both journals record the purchase, planting, fertilization, maintenance, and growth of a large variety of flowers, shrubs, trees, fruits, and vegetables. Dr. Bayon kept regular notes on meteorological events, including precipitation, temperature, and unusual occurrences such as tornadoes or the hurricanes, Hilda (1964), Betsy (1965), and Camille (1969). Even though the hurricanes had little effect upon Dr. Bayons gardens, other inclement weather often did. He notes droughts, a grassfire in September of 1950, and an ice storm in January and February of 1951. In the last half of the first journal, the entries are organized by each particular plant, summarizing the best and worst growing seasons, and evaluating the various horticultural techniques that were employed. There are also sporadic hand-drawn diagrams of the gardens, especially in the last pages of the first journal.

In addition to recording the condition of his gardens, Dr. Bayon made brief personal references about once every four years. For example, he noted that Ormonde Butler Bayon was hospitalized throughout much of the fall of 1977. Dr. Bayon occasionally mentioned a few friends and neighbors. Scattered newsclippings are included in the journals.

Series Identification:

  1. Horticultural Journals. 1947-1985. 2 items.