Enterprise Farmers' Club Minutes

150 Jersey Red pigs were thought well of by those who have kept them. Price of chestnut posts. 10 cents . The railroad question developed a surprizsing lack of interest . Arthur Stabler will act as agent to insure horses . Adjourned to meet at Harenwood Grannille Farquhar Sec. Pro--tem .

The Enterprise Club met at Harwood 5 ^th mo. 19^th 1883. Although some of us were too early, There were 6 members quite late , some of the 6 very late, most too late for the all important supper. W^m S. Brooke and Grannville Farquhar did not make their appearance at all W^m Lea foreman. Our walk was rather [?]more extended than usual, a sow and pigs looked well , the corn plant -

151 ed some 2 weeks previous was coming up very prettily, the grass looked well ,also the wheat , we passed the pasture field where we saw a very fine 2 year old colt, on which there were several large offers but even $200.00 could not tempt our host to part with old Jules only daughter.. she having had 12 colts in 18 years Several very fine cows and heifers attracted more attention, we did not visit the farms , but were told the elevation of the door sill had much lessened by the

Ques 1^st Shall I breed the 2 year old colt you saw in the field ? Ans . 11 said yes .2 no. Ques2^[n?] I am going to put my manure on my pasture field for corn next year , shall I haul it now or next fall ? Ans. 10 now 1 next fall . Ques 3 ^rd How to raise Water-melons ? . Ans . About as many different ways spoken of as there were persons present. judgeing by opinions expressed that those who raise

152 something adopted to their soil and sell it to buy the melons have the best melons and the most of them. Ques 4^[?] Will it pay to paint the posts of a barbed wire fence ? Ans Except for the looks it will not pay as it will not make the posts last any longer. The cost of 4 wire barb wire fence , sawed posts, is 4 cts per. running - foot , exclusive of stretching wire. Ques 5^th What shall I do with horse manure? Ans . most would put it on potatoes Adjourned to meet at [?]. M. Stablers at 3.30 on 6 - 16 _ W^m W. Moore Sec.

The Enterprise Club met 6mo 16 ^th 83 - at Sunyside and organised at 3 .30 P. M by appointing [J?] . [T?] .Moore foreman . We had H. C. Hallowell & Charles Stabler from "The Club " some 12 or more of the Montgomery Club and several other guests amongst them W. E. Manakee of Burnt Mills all our members present except Samuel

153 Hopkins .

We started in vehicles and on horse back to visit the new farm some mile or more distant, after passing through a farm of a nieghborhood that is being cleared . we entered the the farm through a field that had been pastured and now contained some 20 or more dry cows and young cattle , halting at the tenant house where there is also a potato cellar , we were shown a wheat field in which there were experiments with South Carolina Rock & higher price fertilizer most present thought the Rock far behind the other fertilizer . We now started through the place containing about 350 acres nearly all of which that is cleared has been done within the last 10 years, so there are a great many stumps stones & snags to contend with the whole looked well : the clover growing luxurantly and seemed to be in exess of any other crop . We rode entirely through the place and were satisfied

154 that although it would require a great deal of energy and patience to bring this place up to the high state of cultivation to which our host has brought his home place , we are sure it will pay as it goes on the soil is kind and the most of it lays well. We returned in time to enjoy a bountiful supper , the home place as far as seen, is still improving, we were showed a fine 2 year old 3/4 Percheron Stallion colt. Ques . 1^st How shall I best use the [22?] acres of clover we saw on the [?] place ? Ans . Buy Cattle, pasture horses - keep the 20 steers we saw on it & get more Ques 2 ^nd Does it pay to sow rye to plough under for potatoes ? Ans . It may pay to plough under if done before the 10 of May , it does not pay to pasture and then plough , as the ground is apt to be much packed in wet weather Ques 3 Would you rub or roll potatoes at once or wait awhile Ans. [Rich?] soon after planting Ques 4 ^st Is lime particularly adopted

155 to the growth of clover ? Ans. Yes , but it mill thicken all sad . Ques 5. Would you have 2 or 3 stalks of corn in a hill 3 x 9 ? Ans. 30 say 2 - 1 for 3. W^m W. Moore Secty .

7^th mo ,14 ^th 1883. The Enterprise Club met at Oakwood Hill. The membe rs were [don?] gathering and it was nearly 5 O'clock P. M. when R. M Stabler was appointed foreman 3 members absent . [T?]. [J?] .Lea P. [J?] Stabler , W^m S. Brooke . We had as guests Walter H . Brooke W M. Stabler &, R M. Miller & Frank Thomas . J ust as we started on our walk we were favored with a shower , just enough to stop a man in an adjo[ ?]ining field from putting [?] hay, this was said to be the 9 ^th .consecutive day on which we have had more or less rain in some part of the neiborhood . [?] stopped

156 at the barn & discussed the merrits of various kinds of Hay Forks, and the best manner of hanging them . most thought the double harpoon the best Fork , but the best way of hanging them seems to be entirely unsettled. some said they liked the rod with car, others thought this very dangerous and said rope [?] so as to raise the hay up straight and all on it to roll in the mow was best Walking down the road to the back part of the place we passed the peach orchard a great many of the trees were far gone with the yellows and the crop must be a poor one this year . The potatoes looked well having come up nicely a great difference was noticed in the quality between W^m S. Bond & J . [A?] . Baker's Fertilizer . Bond's [being?] far ahead . The wheat was all secured the part threshed made about 28 bs. per acre, some hay yet to cut . The garden was clean and vegetables plenty . Ques.1^st Is it just and right toentirely control the labor of a tenant who lives

157 in your house ? Ans. Most think it right to control the labor , but think we ought to be [just?] in all things . Ques 2 How small a crop of wheat will it justify a farmer to own a [briardale?] . Ans. 1 - 40 Acres . 1 -- 35 A . 5 -30 A . 1 - 25 A . 7 -- 20 A . 2 -- 15 A . Average about 24 3/4 A . Ques 3 The best disposition to make of a rick of old straw Ans If you have no use for it next winter spread it on a sod . Ques 4 How has the grass sown on the wheat set . Ans mostly first rate . Clover not good as a rule Ques 5 How is Ice keeping Ans Better than usual . Roger B . Farquhar called the attention of the Club to the fact that there is a tract[ore?] Engine traveling a the roads without horse hitched to it The Club was unanimously of the opinion that the next legislature should pass a law prohibiting any Engine passing over any County road without horses attached to it. and J.[T?]. Moore was requested to endeavor to have such a law passed at the next

158

session of the Legislature of Adjourned to P. [T?]. Stabler's 8 - 18 - 1883 . W^mW Moore Secty .

8 -- 18 --- 1883

The Enterprise Club met at Edgewood , R.M .Stabler having changed with P. [T?]. Stabler . W^m S. Bond . W^m . S Brooke Arthur Stabler . P [T?]. Stabler & B H Miller absent . Samuel Hopkins Foreman . We first visited the garden which showed the effects of the dry weather ; the cantelope sines having dried up . The shoats in the pen looked fair some one remarked they had not had corn enough . The apple trees had some fruit in them . strange to say we did not see any peach trees where five years ago they [were?] numbered by hubdreds . The corn on last year potato ground looked pretty well , some thought it would make 10 or 12 lbs. [?] raw where ploughing

160 Ques 3 Would you sow corn land or clover sod in wheat first Ans , About equally divided would commence from 25 to 28 of Sept Although the questions were not so numerous as thougat sometimes are , I think we had a remarkably interesting meeting . Adjourned to E P. Thomas' 9 ^mo 16: 1883 . W ^m W . Moore Secty . Belmont 9/15/83 . The Club met at time appointed and organized by appointing Thos J Lea . foreman . We had as guests Abrahan Scott from Gunpowder Club of Baltimore Co; C F Kirk, C F Brooke RHMiller , B DPalmer, J L Massey , John Thomas, Dr Frank Thomas , & I am not sure I have not missed some 4 or 5 more of the Montgomery Club , who came in time to get supper , W^m SBrooke , RM Stabler & W^m were absent . very pleasant walk down past the corn field, which looked well, to the new Ice pond , which is large & well constructed : p assing up by what, a year or two ago, was a worthless marsh, but now a well drained meadow , with a good crop of corn growing on it, we came to the spring house , near which has recently been built , one of the most complete pig