Club Minutes: Enterprise Farmers Club, 1873-1878

Examine the premises. We found plenty of ice in the ice-house, but our host complains of it's melting very much next to the dumb waiter, and indeed several of us have had the same experience.

The horse power & circular saw near the wood pile gave evidence that their owner does not intend his hands to kill time in the future chopping wood in the old fashioned way. We found about thirty barrels of corn in the cornhouse including a very fine lot of white. It must be a great satisfaction to a farmer to have a large stock of that great staple on hand at this season of the year, and it certainly is a good sign of thrift.

A meeting of the Club in the month of April would be incomplete without the exhibition of a stud horse, this occasion did not lack that part of the programme. We had before us a stallion bought by Arthur Stabler early in the Spring in one of the Counties of Penn. This horse is a very fine looking blood bay about 16 1/2 hands high & weighing 1350 lbs, most of his points are unexceptionally good, and he is the only horse, I believe, that has ever been exhibited at our club, which, though not receiving its full measure of praise, did not draw forth a volume of criticism & condemnation. It is to be hoped our members will encourage our

Fellow member in this enterprise to the extend of their abilities We next- examined the cattle. A few more nublins out- of that - cornhouse would in no wise have injured the stock if they had been administered judiciously through the winter months. An old Gov, wagon-body, that probably during the war, held beef for food, was now- doing service in our hosts cattle yard, holding food for beef.

A Scotch Harrow on a new plan was seing near the shop; where it was built- ready for survied in the Corn-field as soon as the weather permits. The teeth have a backward slant after the fashion of the Thomas Harrow. It will no doubt, do excellent work. A very fine letter of pigs and some shoats were to be seen in the sty. On returning into the house, which We did after an extremely short pamble we had the customers annual distribution of garden seeds from the Agri. Dep. This seeds are always distributed, and it is believed sometimes planted, but seldom of ever heard from after. The good accomplished may be very great but it is hard to percieve with the marked eye. After being again seated in the comfortable Sofas and chairs provided by our host, which we all take to kindly

After a week of hard labor, the minutes of last meeting were read & the subject of the Rockville Fair was taken up & discussed. On motion of Arthur Stabler it was decided to appoint a committee to confer with similar committees of the other Clubs and report at a future meeting. The Foreman appointed Joseph T. Moore, Frederic Stabler, and Thomas J. Lea on that committee.

Questions

Quest. Will it pay to sow corn strips in Oats? Ans. 8 favor sowing, [?] against

Quest. Should a Farmer insure his life? Ans. Yeas 5, Nays 7

Quest. What shall I do with oats ground, oats sowed and shoveled in, rain came before the ground could be made level? Ans. Nearly all were in faver of using the roller as soon as the ground dried off

Quest. What is it worth to pasture an eighteen months old colt? Ans. 1 says 4.00, 1 - 3.50 & 12 say $3.00

Quest. Would you continue feeding cows on ground food after turning them to pasture? Ans. Yes.

Quest. Is there any remedy for a horse that has a habit of kicking in the stall at night? Ans. A short chain attached to the ankle

Ques. How to trim fruit trees? when set out Ans. Peach trees, trim close & top about 3 ft. from the ground. Apple trees should be trimed so that the lower limbs be about 5 1/2 ft from the ground

Ques. How to set W. S. Bond's lawn in grass? Ans. Several plans were suggested, the one receiving most favor, was to put it in Sugar corn this year, for stock, & work it in Potatoes next, then in wheat & grass.

Frederic Stabler, here gave a description of a new fangled roller he has just made for pulverizing the soil, it is a hollow cylinder, made of boards, & 3 ft in diameter

Ques. How much Fertilizer should a tenant apply to a Potato crop when he receives all the returns? Ans. From 300 to 600 lbs. per. acre.

Ques. Is ridge Culture, or level, best for Potatoes Ans. Medium.

Ques. Who has selected seed corn? and do you reject the corn from both ends? Ans. Most have selected some seed; nearly all reject the small grains at the little end, only.

Ques. What is it worth to get chestnut rails after the trees have been cut down? Ans. About 6o cts. Adjourned to R, M. Sablers the 10th of next mo. E. P. Thomas Sec, pro. tem.

5 mo 10th 1873

We met at Robt M. Stablers & were called to order at 5.15 Oclk by appointing Asa M Stabler as foreman. Wm S Brooke.. R B Farquhar & B H Miller were absent. William Lea Henry Lea & Dr. F Thomas & W. P. Miller were our guests.

The Minuters of the last meeting here were read. Noticeable in them was the reference to the very warm stock yard, & comfortable appearance of its occupants, & a very fine 3 year old Colt, which was afterwards snaged & died.

On starting out to walk around we were met at the door by a basket of very sound Carthouse Apples, which our host had succeeded in keeping for more than six months.

The Garden was backward like all of his neighbours; The Pigs were very comfortable.

A large kiln of shells was standing ready to be burned. A lot of ditching was shown us, in which it seems that in some cases cuting thro, the lowest parts will drain, as well or nearly as well as cuting around the outer edge of the low ground, & there tap the spouts.