Club Minutes: Enterprise Farmers Club, 1873-1878

5th Shall I cut corn yet green or wait for it to ripen 10 would wait & 4 would cut now

6th How late will it do to sow Rye & Tmorthy, one Oct 20, 5 Dec 1st, most would sow late & try the Timothy

7th How late will it do to sow Wheat Oct 20 7, Oct 25 5, & 30 3

8th Shall I project the roof on my Barn only covering one side now. 13 would project, 2 would now

9 What shall I do with a rick of straw, that is in the middle of a wheat field Some would put it on the ground now, & others would not untill the wheat comes off.

10th Will it pay to sow a Corn field in CLover next spring & plow the following fall. six would sow clover, & 7 sow oats & clover

11th Shall I put a field in corn again in wheat this fall. ten would put in corn & two in oats.

12th Shall I put a piece of new ground Corn land in Rye, or clover. 14 would put in Rye, & 2 in clover.

Adjourned to R B Farquhar.

11 mo 1st next.

P T Stabler Sec

11 mo 1st 1873

Club met at R B Farquahars. Nine members present. It is thought by those present that absent members would have been benefited by attendance at the Club.

Edwd P Thomas appointed Foreman. Saml Hopkins was honored with the appointement to the office of Secretary, pro. tem. which is a step in the right direction, as the campaine for that very desireable office will now soon begin, & it is feared that there will be considerable trouble to decide upon whom the honores [mas?] rest, we trust they may rest lightly.

Took short walk, found fine Pen of Hogs being fed, & then walked up the hill, & several members built Barnes, & a fine site for a dwelling on top of the hill. Thence we passed over two fields set in grass this season, from Corn ground year previous. good set of grass; & the present crop of wheat seems to be well put in. Fences in good order, & good road through Farm, decided improvement in this respect. Cows & Sheep were inspected, & looked well, but noticed some feed being wasted by improper troughs. Returned to the House & partook of an elegant Supper, then took a few hasty puffs at Durham Tobacco, & talked the same old subjects over & adjourned in an elegant humor for a moonlight ride.

1st Question Whether to put Potato ground this date in wheat or Corn Ans 4 say wheat, 3. Rye, 2 oats.

2nd Shall I plow a field for Corn that is well set in grass. It is the general opinion that it is best to Plow the sod under before grass runs out. 3rd What is to be done with Asa Stablers dying lot of sheep. Unanimous ans Sell um.

4th Will it pay to save shucks. Thought best to inquire into it.

Politics was discussed, & we adjourned to Saml Hopkins on the 29th of 11 mo. 1873

for. Saml Hopkins sec pro. tem

11 mo 29th 1873

The Enterprise Club met at Saml Hopkins, the Sec. & several members being late, they started out to walk around near sundown. Examined a lot of Colts, some 8, or a dozen, several part blooded stock, they looked to be in good condition, & good pasture, all round the dwelling. Our host seemed to be trying which should outnumber the Colts, or the dogs.

We noticed the team with several fine Percheron Colts, found the Corn house well filled about 250 Bbls. of nice white Corn, the whole crop gathered. there was enough horses & Colts including a dozen boarders, to make the Corn pile very silm by the time another crop is ripened. The Barn yard seeemed to consist of about 25 acres, tho there was plenty of stone scatered around the Building to make a good fence where it was mising. The perpendicular elevation to get into the Barn, noticed at the last meeting here still exists, tho there was enough stone within 20 feet of the doors, to fix it up. May they find the way there, before we meet again. The members were much amused, thos not instructed by watching the runing of a blooded Stalion, kept by our host.

A fine lot of hogs were being fed near by in the orchard, it was too late

to walk any distance into the fields, the wheat was looking well.

We were obliged to enter the farm thro. the same old time gate that has been commented upon before. We saw four part Alderny Cows. The Cattle seemed scarce for so large a farm.

On returning to the house with Robt. M Stabler as foreman, we found that Wm S Bond, Wm S Brooke, & Granville Farquhar were absent, T J Lea coming in late. Gerard Hopkins the only guest.

Ques. 1st Is it best to neglect the present crop of Corn, to prepare the next crop. Ans. Most would try to save the crop first.

2nd Shall I buy corn @ $3.25 or mill feed at $18.00 per ton. 5 mill feed, I corn, 2 mixed.

3 What is the right month to plow for Corn to make the best crop. 1 April, 7 Feb., 1 March, 3 May.

4 Do Hogs fatten better in a pen, or a field. 2 field or lot, 4 pen, 4 no difference.

4 Who tried deep & shallow plowing for Corn. Several tried it, some saw no dif. One or two though the shallow plowing made the best, & one or two thought the deep plowing the best.