Club Minutes: The Home Interest Society, 1902-1906

and raspberries. Three feet is the height cut back to. Grape vines should be trimmed back to 1 or 3 buds.

Hallock was spoken of as a good weeder.

Left hand iron beam Syracuse plow is much in use, although Dr. Thomas says it needs a cross-eyed man to set it going. The definition of a chilled plow was given. 1st the metal is run into an iron mould instead of sand to harden. 2nd one that stands out all winter in the cold.

An interesting letter was read from Rebecca L. Miller, giving some idea of Bermuda, a flower was also shown by name Yogenvilla?

The majority thought ventilators should be used on John Thomas' barn for utility and beauty. The H.I. boasts of 3 hens setting. The general complaint has been that hens have not laid well this winter althought receiving unusual attention. Some think too much care is given them. Mr. Converse is

quoted as saying that the hen house should not have too much glass and if hens are fed similar food in winter to that fed in summer, they will do equally as well.

An election of officers followed resulting in Alban G. Thomas being re-elected Pres. and Dr. Thomas Sec. Our body like its head can boast of a republican election. This year our officers taking their seats in March, preceding the U.S. by 2 years and 1 week. Then adjourned to Amersley March 11, 1903 C.H. Farquhar, sec.

354 Meeting Amersley 3.11.1903

The 2nd meeting of the Home Interest at Amersley was held on the above date with A. G. Thomas presiding and Francis Thomas, Sec. The members were read in order but the walk was omitted owing to the weather. The sec. however made a note of a lot of cabbage which have kept so far perfectly in the inverted position covered lightly with earth. He also examined critically a horse cart recently built complete by our oldest active member Frederick Stabler in his 72nd year. Woodwork, wheels, ironwork and painting being of his handiwork and fully equal to the best. This cart, if protected from sun and storm, will remain a monument to his skill for a full generation after his spirit has passed over the Great Divide. The chip basket though smaller than usual was interesting, and the graphic account of Bermuda by Rebecca Miller was doubly so. The small size of the

main island was rather a surprise to most of us. There are no running streams or springs. Rain water is caught from the roof and retained in tanks and cisterns. A very small percentage of area is tillable, and the plots cultivated are too diminuative to allow the use of plows or horses, all the work being done by hand labor. While there is a summer temperature during the day, the nights are always cool enough to induce sleep. The description of a casava pie was about as repulsive to the average American taste as a Mexican tamale. But Rebecca insists that it is palatable in spite of the combinations.

And here I have to mark that your new sec. took voluminous notes at the Amersely meeting intending to make you sorry you elected him. But by good fortune an accident and a great conflagration sent his notes up in smoke and you may congratulate yourselves that the minutes will not be prolonged into hours if the few questions he can recall

get twisted you will have the fun of untwisting them.

Why does a sassafrass stirring stick make soft soup jell? For the same reason the full of the moon makes hog meat grow and the dark of the moon make a worm fence flop.

What to do with red spiders on roses? Paris green changes their color. They get green enough to fall off and die.

What is the best hatch of the season? The one reported by Fred Stabler where one hen with 10 eggs came off with eleven chickens.

Who wants to join and send for asparagus? In all 1700 plants were wanted and Frederick Stabler and Lou Brooke were named to have charge of the orders.

Dr. Brooke wanted to know what could be done to protect the forests, which aroused considerable discussion and the whole subject was referred to Herbert Stabler (Forester)

John Thomas desired to have our opinion on the heating of Sherwood. Steam or hot water is advised if new shares can be solicited to do the work.