Club Minutes: Enterprise Farmers Club, 1865-1872

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11th How many expect to thresh & sell their wheat immediately? All 12 What is good grass that would average 1.5 tons per acre worth Standing? 3 Day $ 8.00 (3) 10.00 (4) 12.00 (1) 15.00

Then adjourned to meet 7th mo [strike]14th[/strike] [19th?] at Granville Farquhar's. E. P. Thomasses. 7th mo. 13th 1867 The Club met at the house of Granville Farquhar. All of our members were present--except--Samuel Hopkins & Edward P. Thomas. P. [T?]. Stabler was chosen foreman, and the Secretary being absent William S. Brooke was appointed to the position. A member to whom the minutes had been entrusted informed the club that he had left them at home, and we had to start upon our round of observation without hearing the minutes of the last meeting at this place. The first object to which our attention was drawn (as usual) was the garden, which was like most gardens we had seen this season containing a small growth of vegetables and an abundant one of weeds & grass. Passing the Corn house our attention was directed to a ventilator in the floor which our host said answered a

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good purpose, bring no corn there at this time, we could not judge for our selves, arriving never at the pigpen the secratary felt that he could not do justice to that inevitable subject, especially as he had not heard the minutes of the last meeting of the last meeting, so we will pass the pigs and simply say they were very numerous very fine. We walked on to the wheat field where we found a very heavy growth of straw (for Bowghton) and a good show for wheat, but unfortunantly we feared one fifth of the crop was rye, which must inquire the lack of it considerably, the next passed over a clover Suitible that gave every appearance of having produced a heavy crop of hay after taking a distant view of our returned to the house field from this point we where we found two of our late members intertaining themselves and the Ladies with a game of broquit, after some persuasion of the club, and she follow Questions were asked & answered. It was Suggested that each member make a report of all his crops, the number of acres planted the amount raised

The Suggestion was approved. Will it do to sow orchard grafs for pasture at the last working of corn?

to experience, but approve trying

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Would you bind oats after the Cradle? yes Plow soon will it do to plow for Wheat ? The sooner the better, Some say plow twice if you can.

Would you plow corn more than four times?

Most say no, some say more if you can

How can I get a set of grass soonest in hollows where there is a danger of washing? Sow Oats with the grapeseed & apply plenty of manure.

Must I keep a cow fat that will calve in a month or two? most are in favor of reducing her flesh.

Should I plow potatoes that are in bloom? Run a large shovel once between the rows.

I have corn in new land that has not been worked at all, is it worth while to do it now ? Ive think it is

After a bountiful supper, we sold a Calf, and adjourned to meet at the house of Roger B. Farquhar at the usual time next month.

Wm. S. Brooke Sec.

pro tem

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Aug 10-67

Club met at Roger B. Fanquhar's house The afternoon being rainy it was late before members arrived. At about five o'clock Asa M Stabler was chosen foreman and Robert M Stabler Thos G. Lea, Philip Thomas Stabler & Benjamin H Miller were counted absent. Walter H Brooke was the only visitor.

It being too wet at this time to walk out the minutes of last meeting were read and the questions proceeded with.

Roger Farquhar inquired whether in the present state of his farm it would pay to cut 50 or 75 perches of ditch to drain a small piece of land just for looks. no.

Will it pay to blind ditches with poles? yes.

Would you thresh wheat and sell at present prices? Majority-are in favor of holding unless the money is especially needed.

What kind of wheat will you sow? 5 will sow Boughton and 6 will sow part-Boughton and the remainder some variety of red.

What would you do with bacon having a probability of being injured by skippers? Sun and black pepper are recommended.

Would you dig a well on a small piece of level land to drain it where there is not sufficient fall to make another outlet? Yes.

Will it pay to thresh oats now while they are damp and sell them? Most members think not.

The old question of how to make an ice house was again asked and the answer reduced down to the same as of old, namely: to line inside with boards.

We were now invited out to supper after which the rain having subsided we walked out upon the premises.

The garden was quite presentable for this season having rather more vegetables than weeds which is not the case every where this year. Our host looked to see his new dairy and water works which he is pushing forward to completion. They may well be [?] the Foumiount of Sandy Spring. He will undoubtedly succeed in the undertaking of rendering the house [?] of gravitation and philosophy conducive to the convenience of his new housekeeper.

The stock were on fine pasture and looked well. Some members thought the grain stacks would take water others amused themselves conjecturing the amount of grain they contained.

We walked across the orchard but it was too dark to see much. We smelt a large crop of very fine [?] which will probably pay out the owner this winter quite handsomely. After returning to the house we spent several minutes in interesting conversation when we adjourned to meet at white hall at the usual time next month. E.R.Jhonny Lee.