Club Minutes: Enterprise Farmers Club, 1873-1878

137 The Enterprise Club met at Thomas J Lea 11th mo 17th 1877, 13 members present and we had Edward Gilpin, [Chas?] F Kirk, & William Lea as guests. William W Moore was chosen foreman, Sec read communication from Henry [?] Hallowell relative to holding convention in January, and [Chas?] H Brooke [Benj?] [H?] Miller, and [Arthur?] Stabler were appointed a committee to confer with similar committees of the other clubs to make arrangments for the same

In our walk of inspection we found the hog pens in good condition, and well stocked with [Beskshines?] of almost any age, and weight The flock of [cotswood?] sheep were admired, at anyrate by those of us that can get up any admiration for a sheep. The cornhouse was nearly filled with rather an indifferent quality of corn . we didnot enter the barn as we should have done, that is if we continue to carry out part of our proposed object of these annual visits.

Two Durham heifers showed their blood & gord tratment . our host caled our attention to the excellent sod of orchard grass on lot by the house which looked as though it would be difficult for a potatoe thistle to get through it either up or down

On reassembling at the house the thistle was furthur discussed without much additional light being shed on the subject

138

but the feeling that hard pasturing, or keeping cut close with the surface of ground would eventually kill it was stronger than it was at our last meeting.

Chas H Brooke told us how he tried to keep oyster shell lime from acting by plowing it in 7 or 8 inches deep two years ago, also the good set of clover after bringing it to the surface again.

1st Question Is it profitable to replant corn, taking the acreage of fields for example ? Yes it will generally pay 2nd Question What is the best plan for a pig pen ? Nearly all present prefer to have the entire pen under cover, with end where the manure is collected open to the south. 3rd Q Shall I pasture my rye this fall ? All opposed to it but one. 4th Q Shall I sell wheat or hold it for higher prices ? 7 would sell, 7 would hold, 2 not prepared to answer 5th Q What shall I do with wheat straw in my Barnyard ? This question was answered by a member agreeing to take it out & pay $5 pr ton for it 6th Q What is best to do with unsaleable pork ? Cure into Bacon, & sell next summer 7th Q Will those that plantedGaither corn, plant it again ? Yes 8th Q Is straw a cheap fertilizer at $5. pr ton ? Yes if properly used.

then adyd to B H Millers 12mo 15th 1877

139

12th month 15th 1877

The Enterprise Club met at the house of B H Miller 16 members present, a circumstamce we can only secure about once a year. There were also 5 members of the S^r Club and 4 of the Montgomery members present.

R B Farquhar was elected foreman, and Arther Stabler Sec. but was releived from this onerous task by the arrival of the regular incumbent: The cows were looking well, 13 giving milk, all but one grade Alderney. The pigs were sadly in mud of litter of some description, but a new house was being built on the most approved plan, which will no doubt give them better quarters in future.

The permanent pasture field as though it would make almost anything grow and give milk when warm weather returns.

The ice house is to be improved with a fodder roof, (this is not [thing?], but seems to an established fact that fodder is the best covering for an ice house , The barn and cow house were well filled with grain and [provendie?], After discussing without coming to a conclusion the best way to rpair the barn wall, we returned to the house, the minutes of the last meeting at T J Lea's were read and brought up the subject of appointing a suitable person to make out our report for the Farmers Convention, E P Thomas was unanimously chosen to preform this service. Arthur Stabler having lost a cow from being hoven, caused some

140 discussion & elicited some information which is well worth remembering, to use the knife on left-side about four inches in front of hip

1st Question. Will you get the greatest benefit from fodder fed in field or in barnyard 17 say field 6 say barnyard. 22 of those present were in favor of applying manure of sod in the spring. Now many prefer to plow corn ground in the fall. A - 15 advocate spring and one or two late spring or early summer. Would you hesitate to buy corn now on account of disease in the neighbourhood no Our host wishes to know how to keep the surface water out of his barnyard, A ditch and entrenchment of sufficient size was throught to be all that was necassary, From 35 to 50 bushels of Oyster shell lime per acre is the proper & most profitable quanity to use what proportion of our farms should we lease in timber. From 1/10 to 1/25 What to do with hogs with delicate appetites, Frind the feed Are the cob crushers giving satisfacation Yes by 3/4 of those that have them in use. After spending an unusually pleasant evening we adjourned to J T Morris 1 mo 12 1878 AM Stabler Sec

141

1st month 12 th 1878

The Enterprise Club met at the house J T [Moore?] with a large attendance and several guests. John M Smith B D Palmer G W C Beall & J T Massey being present. The members of the club who had at a former meeting volunteered to act in rotation as Secretary having each served a year, W S Bond was requested to take the office for the present year, this being the commencement of the second round. Having been kindly assisted by one of our younger members, in reading the minutes of the last meeting here, we proceed to xamine the stock and surroundings under the guidance of our foreman Arthur Stabler The attention of the members was called to the settling or shrinkage of wheat in a bin in the granary , which was more than we would have looked for. It would be interesting if our hoset can tell us at a future time what the real loss is. The hog pens, though numerous were occupied and comfortable, the stock in the barn and yard was looking well & well protected, the yard order and comfortable appearance of this place show the advantages of good management and the means to manage with. The bad walking prevented going over the Farm. Asa M Stabler was kind enough to read his own Minutes of our last meeting, No report was made by the stock committee C H Brooke was appointed to prepare a report