Club Minutes: The Home Interest Society, 1899-1902

15 Aug. 21^st 1899

of the last meeting held with our friends Dr. & Louisa Brooke were read. As we viewed this commanding house with its convenient fixtures, we felt that the good wishes expressed two years ago at our last meeting in the old home, Glenwood, were coming to pass at Woodbrooke. The minutes of the last meeting was read and accepted.

L.T. Brooke asked for a list of trees suitable to take the place of such forest trees as it seems best to remove. The maples, spruce and elm were named and hardy shrubs could be safely planted in the more open spaces on the edge of the lawn.

The phaze of the servant question discussed this time related to the proper amount of time that should be allowed for the laundering of personal finerys. This should not interfere with routine work for which a girl is employed.

Sweet corn for seed should become quite hard before it is gathered. Anna Stabler was advised to transplant peony roots in the spring. Yeast should be made as often as once a week in hot weather. W^m Moore has found that transplanting young celery is no advantage to the later growth and development of that appetizing vegetable.

As the clouds thickened and lighning became frequent many of the company left. The others gathered in the house and listened to the contents of the chip box with intervals of pleasant talk and anecdote until the usual time for adjournment.

16 316^th Meeting Willow Heights

The threatning clouds passed with but little rain and leaving the air much cooler as the Home Interest dispersed in the bright moonlight to meet Sept. 19^th at Willow Heights. L.W. Haviland Secty.

At Willow Heights Sept. 19^th 1899 the 316^th meeting of the Home Interest was called to order at an earlier hour than has been possible for some months. After reading the minutes of last year our hostess asked as a personal favor that the garden and hen house should not be inspected this time as the full conditions were not attractive.

Some well filled pear trees showed their yellow crop in the distance and later nice fried chicken in abundance on the supper table proved that the poultry yard was not unproductive. Very fine rose buds from Harewood attracted much admiring comment and a boquet of lovely verbenas from Mt. Airy was a thing of beauty, rarely equalled.

The minutes of the last meeting were read and followed by a historical account of the famous mad stone of London Co. Va. Its history is traced for a hundred years or more. Tales of its eficiencey in a number of cases were related. The first question was in regard to the now notorious case of Dryfus and some time

17 Sept. 19^th 1899

was given to discussion of him and the polital situation in connection with the situation. Unanimous expression of sympathy was given for him and his family but no one would boycott the exhibition to be held next year because of the injustice that has been heaped upon him by France. Dismissing politics the familiar features of form and garden claimed the usual attention. P.T. Stabler has a crop of apples which are wasting very much and he wished advice.

It was said that good fall apples are bringing enough to pay for hauling; Good ones bringing from 1.00 to 1.50 per bbl. Of winter apples Ben Davis and York Imperial may be stored in as cool a situation as possible but Winesaps and some others should be left on the trees until next month. An instance was given where apples simply heaped and covered with straw had sold for a good price late in the season. Drayton, Bloomfield Tanglewood, Wrenwood, Willow Heights, Mt Olney, Plainfield & Mt Airy reported ice enough to carry them through the season. Imperfect drainage or insects upon the roots may cause potted begonias to blight. If not too far gone - washing the roots and planting in fresh soil may revive the plants affected.

Cotton saturated with bi sulphide of carbon and placed in mole runs will exterminate the pest.

A question in regard to the propriety of buying obedience from children led to a lively interchange of ideas upon family government in which

18 317^th Mtg. Drayton

rewards as a means of helpfulness to self control, or or as a special stimulant in specific cases may be used, but never to secure obedience.

The roses at Tanglewood have flourished under the mulch applied in midsummer, but it is still a question whether it would have proved advantageous in a dry season. Fred Stabler has gathered most of his sweet potatoes to save them from mice. He showed fine specimens fairly mature.

Then adjourned to Drayton for Oct 16^th L.W. Haviland.

The Home Interest assembled at Drayton Oct 16^th 1899. The weather was foggy with an unpleasant chill A fire on the hearth and brilliant cosmos on everyside gave a cheerful aspect to the room in which our cordial hostess heartily welcomed the Society. Mrs. Parsons and several other visitors were present Some very fine pears from Sunnyside were exhibited and bountiful roses from Harewood seem to have missed the sharp frosts of the first days of this month. The minutes of the meeting held here on this month last year gave a picture of mild conditions in great contrast to the present. Today the fog seems to shorten the day though it is two weeks earlier in the month and no one accepted the privilege of inspecting the premises.

The last minutes were passed wihtout comment though they reminded some one that the

19 Oct. 16^th 1899

celebrated mad-stone has been taken to Washington to be used in treating some cases of dog bites . While this and other subjects were talked over deft hands swiftly arranged small tables among the guests who could not be seated in the dining room and supper was in order for the next hour seasoned with merry talk and some badinage of our candidater for the Legislature.

Later in answer to questions the advice to cut lawn grass where it is overgrown was reitereated as it has been found that late cutting does not injure a vigorous sod. Leaves are carefully removed from most lawns. Tanglewood and some other places are sufficiently cleared by the winds. It is the judgment of this meeting that it will not pay to compost leaves, though some have found them thus treated, convenient and valuable. Carrie Brooke was informed that Carroll mill remake a hair mattress nicely and at much less cost than if sent to town. Advised to turn in a heavy growth of clover in readiness for planting strawberry in the spring.

Straw should be put in a strawberry bed as soon as the fround freezes- about the first of Dec. usually.

Most of those present would not hesitate to dig a well within twenty feet of an ice house but would prefer to have them further apart. Vinegar, kerosene and ammonia water were recomended to clean badly mildewed paint. Very full expression was had upon the subject of a neighborhood laundry which