Club Minutes: The Home Interest Society, 1896-1899

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4 for Bryan, 11 for Levering, 2 for Palmer, 20 for McKinley.

After which we adjourned to meet at Leawood Mills next month.

Rebecca T. Miller Sec'y.

283 Meeting Leawood Mills 11-16-96

The Eleventh Month 16^th 1896 Home Interest met at Leawood Mills, the home of Merrit & Lydia Haviland. Our Sec. being absent, Patty T. Stabler was requested in fill that place for the evening.

The tardy arrival of assistant secretary made us late reading the minutes. they being followed by a few "chips" until tea was announced.

After tea the following questions were asked. Has anyone heard of kiln drying sweet potatoes as M. Mackael to make them keep?

Advised to investigate. Will Lydia Haviland be able to raise her angelic grand-daughter?

Great hopes that she may, as in many of the same kind are on the way to womanhood.

Must Albina Stabler take the small bulbs from her sacred lily? Some say Will bloom either way.

Must Dr. C. Farquhar poison English sparrows? Advised to shoot first.

E. N. Bentley opposed to shooting them as his sister has traced their descent from "English Sparrows" a number of generations back.

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Leawood Mills. 11.16.96.

What is the best way to keep roots for winter? Pack in boxes of damp earth in cellar & keep only damp.

A petition to get a liquor seller removed from near Muncaster's Mill, with a request for signatures. Not much response as it was thought those nearer at hand the right ones to sign.

A. G. Thomas wants to know best time for planting trees for shade? Spring advised.

B. H. Miller expects to make two hog killings. Can he lean the first in brine until the last killing? All say no, but one, & he that it would not hurt to let it stay in the brine three months.

Must Fred Stabler lift & lower his roses now, or wait until spring? It is thought by most that spring is the best time.

Helen B. Lea asks how to exterminate the army worm. Dont know.

How to prepare ducks for table or market? One member says "kill them first." Another says scald with boiling water, then wrap in a hot, wet cloth for a while. Also by the method of killing by bleeding in roof of mouth.

Insect powder will kill the brown chysanthemum bug.

The low condition of the wells discussed. & springs said to have freshened. The wells have not

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Leawood Mills 11.16.96

been as low as in Harford Co. where some of our friends have been visiting.

What kind of water must Sue Thomas give her gold fish Well water very important to keep vegetable growth in water. Add to the water as it evaporates.

What kind of sausage machine used? Enterprise & those made in their neighborhood.

Rebecca Miller sent a request to be released from the office of Sec. of this body an office she has most faithfully & efficiently filled for four years.

Much regret was expressed & her father requested to inform her of the same & present our thanks for the very able manner in which she has obliged us. also to extend the hope that she will not feel that she is released so entirely as not to meet with us as often as possible.

The election for new officers resulted in the choice of W. W. Moore, foreman , and Hallie J. Bentley, secretary she with permission given the latter to "copy from past minutes whom applicable." if "she see fit."

Then adjourned to meet at Mt. Airy

Pattie T. Stabler Sec. pro. tem.

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284 Meeting Mt. Airy. 12-13-96

The 284^th meeting of the Home Interest, at Mt. Airy, was called quite promptly to order by the new chairman W. W. Moore.

Eight members were absent but about an equal number of guests helped to fill the vacant places.

The minutes of the last meeting held at Mt. Airy Dec. 2^nd 1895 were read, and Pattie R. Stabler who had acted as Sec. pro. tem. at the last meeting at Leawood Mills read her report of the same and the books & pencil were passed on to the new Sec. who received them with sufficient awe & humility and who thinks it well to state now that quite early in the combat she abandoned at once & forever all hope of escaping work by "copying from past minutes" as was recorded against her at the last meeting. For by the time the domestic affairs of the United States & the hostile condition of Cuba & Spain had been thoroughly discussed she was kept sufficiently busy meeting with new ideas to think of imposing upon such an enlightened body anything which had been served to them in precisely the same form in the past.

The Chip box filled most of the time until we were invited to a tempting supperand all who visited the Conservatory enjoyed the geraniums & other flowers as well as the exquisite Chysanthemum which had been placed in other

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Mt. Airy. 12.13.96.

parts of the house.

Question were there in order. 1. Twenty five cts per bushel was considered fair price for good turnips.

2. In cutting in grain carpets for weaving it depends somewhat at whom the condition & texture of the carpet whether it should be cut lengthwise or crosswise but cut crosswise if possible to secure longest pieces. Cut about an inch wide. Rugs can be cleaned & steamed in Wash. and good second hand carpets & rugs can often be obtained at very moderate prices at T. F. Youngs 14th & Ave. Wash.

3. Strawberries should be covered slightly with straw when cold weather comes care being taken not to cover too heavily.

4. Have people generally been looking for a new insect which infects fruit trees? A Prof. from Expeiment Station inspected E. P. Thomas' young orchard and discovered the trees covered with white scales. The insect cannot be seen with the naked eye, but examined thro' a glass it appears to be a perfect little snail. All who have young orchards were earnestly advised to examine well for them.

Opinions differed whether the number produced from one female in one year is one millon as one billion but realizing the alarming results of such specis of animal life being formed among