Club Minutes: Enterprise Farmers Club, 1911-1918

14 Bloomfield, 3-30-12. 565

he won a case in court last year; he is advised to give the man plenty of road and to hire somebody else to do any necessary cussing for him. It was thought universe to employ a third party to see or to bind him over to keep the peace.

In answer to Asa M. Stabler's question, cow peas and sorgum hay was priced at an average of $16.50 per ton.

Adjourned to meet at C. E. Bond's at the regular time.

S. P. Thomas, Sec'y

Altonwood, 5-2-1912 566 15

The Club met at Charles E. Bond's 5-2-12. M. J. Stabler, T. S. Jackson, Newton Stabler, G. A. Wilson, & B. H. Miller were absent. Lewis Steer, R. H. Miller, Samuel Bond, Joe Bond, Dr, Thomas. W^m J. Thomas, Albert Stabler, & M. O. Stabler were guests.

On our walk we saw first some early chickens which were doing well in some brooders provided with large runs; our host furnishes them meat meal in a fresh conditon by turning over the soil with a shovel & [?]etting the chicks get the worms. Passing a well advanced garden & some young fruit trees resently planted we walked out into the grass field where we noticed that nature has not slighted this farm in her generous & free distribution of yellow cress; it is one of our most abnoxious weeds, and about the only jurastical remedy is to [conscioncially] pull all of it up; beyond his field we came to one of crimson clover which was by for the handsomest set any one had seen this year; this is surely a great clover year for all varieties, even the poorest know[e]s & hills of the hay field adjoining the crimson clover were covered with a magnifisent growth of volunteer early clover. The wheay field which was so[urce] lake in cow

16 Altonwood, 5-2-1912 566 -pea and sorgum stubble did not have quite the color most desired, but otherwise was in good condition. Our host informed us that he intended to get into the harness of active farming again. In lieu of an essay or other article Chas. E. Bond gave us an interesting talk on the [benefits] [th]at at being derived by farmers in certain places where they have organized buying & selling exchanges; the principal objection to the establishment of one in our midst was each of production in any one sta[p]ole; a committee consisting of Chas. E. Bond, E. P. Thomas, T. B. Stabler & C. L. Gilpin was appointed to look into the advisability & the possibility of maintaining such an exchange here. It was suggested that this com. bring this subject to the attention of the farmer's convention. Our host also spoke of the fact that farmer's as a class are unnecessarily unreasonably burdened [with] are excessive rates of interest where borrowing money; he told of the association system employed in [germaning] by which farmers can procure money readily, & at a low rate; believing most desirable and adaptable to our condtious. As it is now, a farmer can give the very best and most substantial security that can be had and yet, besides being obliged to pay the highest

Altonwood 5-2-1912 566 17 rate of interest allowed by law, all of the [lawees] fees for recuring the loan comes out of the farmers pocket.

Questions C. E. Bond wants a pair of good mules at low price

S. P. T. is told that little pigs are worth 2 1/2 to 3 dollars a piece.

E. P. J. has had trouble with black bugs in his bacon.

It was thought that Arthur Stabler would not profit by rolling his mowing field this late.

Asa. M. S. was advised to cut his clover field for hay and pasture rater than to plow it now for corn, it being understood that the improvement of the land was more to be considered [illegible] the crop.

Mr. T displayed a portion of a board from the heart of a black oak which was nearly three feet in diameter, wherein was lodged a small stone which was thrown by an early Maryland settler at a flying indian apparently it did not bag its game but sank into the bark of this tree to do its real damage many years later by completely striping the teeth

M. L. B. is advised to plant asparagus in rows six feet apart and about two feet apart in the row.

M. F. is told that as a [illegible], May is a very unseasonalbe time to plant potatoes

Adjourned to meet at W^m Camby's

S P Thomas Secy

18 Rosehill 5-31-1912 567

GW.A. Wilson, Arthur Stabler and M.L. Bentley were the absent members of the lub at WM [Dr?] 5-31-1912. The guests were W.M. Stabler, Frederic Stabler, B.IO. Palmer, Mr Rlamford, Mr Jackson + Bro., C.G. Wilson, R.B. Thomas and Albert Stabler. On the walk we went up across the pasture fild to the right of the house towards the old orchard. There was lots of cloves to be seen and it was very evenly distributed over the field. The old fruit trees looked as tho a fair erop of fruit had been set. The large corn field beyond, we found to be greatly damaged by cutworms and it were evident that the "Early bird had got the worm" this year. Our host asked the club what was best to do with it. Some were in favor of harrowing the worst and planting again while others brought [Dr?] careful replanting would do. A large fild of early potatoes looked promising as a did a field fory hay. The stock were in fine shape and an early garden furnished peas for a bountiful supper. Questions Mr Conley was told that the judicious was the best method of farming without manure. B.H. Miller is told that our soil is not suited to sweet potatoes. E.P.J. is advised to plant his young orchard which is quite stumpy and which was in potatoes in strawberries