Club Minutes: Enterprise Farmers Club, 1865-1872

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2nd Quest. Will it pay to build a wagon house? Six say yes, 5 No. 3rd Quest. Roger Farquhar asks what kind of wagon house to build for more vehicles than should be kept on one farm, and received more answers than he can follow, & nothing very definite. 4th Quest. What kind of apples shall I plant? The member was told to ask H C Hallowell to give him a list. 5th Quest. What is the best size for a wood house? 12 x 20 ft by 8 ft high. 6th Quest. What is proper rent for tenant house, with wood? Five say $2.50, 4 say $3.00, one $4.00, & one don't know. 7th Quest. What is the best way to rick fodder? The answer was very much like that to the cabbage question last month, but as a general answer, we might say, "Whichever way you think is best. 8th Quest. What is the value of an acre of fodder which makes ten bbls corn per acre? $2.00 (1), 2.25 (1), 2 50 (5), 3.00 (3), 4.00 (1) Don't know (1). 9th Quest. What is the most economical way to feed a horse? Ground all of his grain. 10th Quest. Who is a good judge of cider? Unanimously, all, & when our host passed round the pitcher we proved our faith by our works & pronounced his cider A No 1.

The supper, which should have been mentioned sooner, proved that though having deferred the step longer than we thought wise, our host has shown his usual good judgement in the selection of a wife.

After a very pleasant meeting we adjourned to meet at the house of Philip T Stabler on the 12th of 1st mo 1867 at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

1st Mo 12th 1867

We met at the house of Phillip T Stabler where all of our members were present except Saml Hopkins & R B Farquhar, & it is very pleasant to be able to say that we met "near the time adjourned to." W M Stabler was our only guest. R M Stabler was appointed foreman, & under his lead we took a look at our hosts out buildings but owing to the snow could not walk over the farm. The bees first at

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attracted the attention of those interested in the little insects, then we looked into the meethouse & some one remarked that our host's insurance was not good for much, as the brick ash-house was full up & the ashes were running over against the wooden side of the house; the wood house contained a small load of Green Hickory wood, hardly enough to last through the snow which some of our members predicted.

The corn house was founa well supplied with corn, & with the carpenter & blacksmith's shop contained a great many articles useful & other wise too numerous to mention. The stables were tolerably comfortable, but when we came to the cow yard, it was a subject of wonderment to many, how the cattle were kept looking so well, when there was no kind of shelter from the weather, but a few boards laid on top of the fence & projecting over into the yard; some one suggested that it was a patent article, the calves could be accommodated on one side of the fence & the cattle on the other side.

We then returned to the house, where the minutes of last meeting were read, after which the Secretary informed the meeting that the year for which he had been elected to fill that honorable position had expired & it was the proper time to elect his successor, whereupon Edw P Thomas was unanimously elected Sec for the ensuing year. The following questions were asked viz.--

1st Which is the best time to sell cattle Jan or March. Sell as soon as they are fat. 2nd. What is the price for cutting wood? 65 cts-Oak 75-Hickory 3rd. P T Stabler asks whether to sell his oxen now or feed longer? All but one in favor of feeding until they are prime beef. 4th. What is it worth per month to feed cattle fodder in the yard? $2.00 (9) $2.50 (3) $3.00 (1) 5th. A member has a well which has caved in about half way down & filled up the water & wants to know whether to clean it out or dig a new well? So many different opinions that he will have to follow his own. 6th. What is the price per perch for digging ditch? 25 cts (4), 30 cts (2) Don't know (6). 7th. How old ought a sow to be, before she is put with the boar? 6 mo (1), 7 mo (4) 8 mo (6) 8th. Shall I sow black or white oats? Black (2), white, (9) both (1)

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9th. Would you shoe a colt 3 1/2 yrs old to work? Yes (9) No (3) 10th. What is it worth to take down old post & rail fence & put up a new one in its place. 8 cts per panel (1), 1.25 per day (8), Don't know. (2) 11th. Should a cow be cleaned after calving, if she does not do it herself? Yes by all means. 12th. Shall I sell potatoes at 90 cts or hold on? Nine say sell; two hold on. 13th. Charles H Brooke asks what standing oak wood is worth, in his woods within 2 1/2 miles of Brookville where it sells at $4.50 per cord? 1.50 (5) 1.75 (1), 2.00 (4), 2.50 (2) an average of about $1.70 per cord 14th. What are we paying our hands the present year? $8.00 (1), 10.00 (1), 11.00 (1), 12.00 (3) 12.50 (1) 13.00 (3) 14.00 (2) 15.00 (2) an average of $12.46

We were then invited to a most bountiful supper to which we did full justice; and after a very pleasant chat we adjourned to meet at Robt M Stabler's on the 9th of next month.

Benjn H Miller Sec

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3d mo 16 1867

Club met at Edgewood. All the members were present except Thos. J. Lea and Roger Farquhar. The guests were Warwick P Miller, William Lea, and Walter H Brooke At about five o'clock B. H. Miller was chosen foreman and he having as yet possession of the Secretarys book, read the minutes of the preceding meeting and then handed over the Archives of the Society to the Secretary elect who received them in a most profound manner. Our foreman then called our attention to the duty of inspecting the premises, a most solemn undertaking considering the State of terra firma, which was indeed soft. We passed along by the wood shed, there found plenty of wood sewed & piled for rainy days. The hoes, snades, & picks &c. were nicely arranged along one side & upon examination it was found that even the dust was not allowed to rest on them. The corn house was next inspected & then the pigs; the latter showing one reason for the fulness of the former. The carriage house nicely built containing a new vehicle attracted a passing notice. The newly erected barn is built upon the combined plan of convenience & economy. Our host only needs a pump in the well & a more extended bridge way to make his barn & surroundings complete. It was too muddy to examine the orchards & fields and we were not reluctant in obeying our foremans summons to return to the house.

The following Questions were asked: Ques. 1st Robert M. Stabler asks whether to hang up his

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meat or let it stay longer in brine it having been 8 weeks in Salt & frozen most of the time. Ans hang it up immediately 2nd Will it pay to buy Plaster at $14.00 per ton, or use bone dust instead Ans. 9 Plaster 4 bone dust. 3rd What is the best manure for Potatoes Ans 9 Peruvian Guano & Bone, 5 Phosphates & Guano. 4th What-kind of Potatoes will you Plant Ans. Buckeyes & White Chilies mostly. After supper the questions were continued. 5th When is the right time to Sow plaster. Ans now. 6th When is the proper time to sell beef cattle. Ans "Let them slip to Georgetown now". 7th How many Potatoes lost by frost since last fall by those present. Ans 351 bu. 8th What is the best style of Potato cellar. Ans dig out, wall up and put a house over it. 9th How much mill feed & corn meal mixed 1/2 and 1/2 should be given a milk cow Ans. 1 gal & shelter. 10th How long to smoke meat & how to keep out skippers. Ans. Smoke till warm weather, black pepper or dark houses will keep out Skippers. 11th What do you think of soiling cattle Ans Some think it will pay, others say stock will not keep well, experiments recommended. 12th What would you do with a sick cow. Ans. bore her horns & split her tail. 13th What is the best shape for a barn. Ans. 15 different ideas. 14th I have 50 or 60 bu. rotten potatoes, will they composted with various kinds of dirt be fit for corn hills in the spring. Ans. Advised to feed them to hogs, or throw away. 15th would you ridge roads. Ans. 12 ayes, 3 nays. P. T. Stabler asked to consider the propriety of petitioning the Mayor