Club Minutes: The Home Interest Society, 1906-1910

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This cat question threatens to develope grave difficulties if a prevailing epidemic that grows tired of cats is not headed off soon.

The bush lima bean has few advocates.

Dr. Farquhar's question. How many will attend the Jamestown Exposition. shows less than a dozen present who fell certain of going.

While a large majority would like to go.

Mary E. Gilpin asks if castor beans realy drive moles away. Ellen Farquhar said they are no good. Why wouldn't it be a good idea to plant deadcats in the [runs] as material serves to be abundant?

After a prolonged discussion of Turkey hatches, chicken gaps and grandchildren The "H.I." adjourned to meet at Clifton when invited.

F. Thomas sec.

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401 Meeting Clifton 6.18.07

Edward P. Thomas was called to the chair and Rose Gilpin took charge of the pencil, but the sec. arriving in time to eat an overgrown supper the pencil was handed over to him for dessert and you shall suffer the consequences.

Your sec. having returned after many years absence to reside at this dear old house he will be excused for comparing the Clifton of to day with that known to him half a century ago. While I am a full believer in the general advance and improvement all about us and admire the modern ways and means of doing things. I still recognize that 50 yrs have carried with their very many delights we know not of at the present day.

Then we had in the garden and yard & orchord, even in the fence corners by the roadside a superabundance of the most delicious peaches, plums, apricots cherries & in some places nectarines, that cannot now be raised here at all

We had rambo, nash and Belleflower apples all of which decline to grow these strenuous days. The Stately [Lonebardy] Poplar that used to skirt the roadside and stand sentinal at front gates declines to live amid modern environments. But on the other hand the magnificent wide spread maples and ash trees that now

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arch across the beautiful lawn leading up to Clifton are surely another indication of the survival of the fittest

The perfectly sheared door yard serves another in favor of the era of lawn mowers-well do I remember being required to dig out [plantair] and snow drop from this yard when the mowing scythe was doing its annual clipping over the tops of every thing just before Quarterly Meeting. The pests seemed to increase in spite of my efforts and so did my laziness. Now the lawn mower applied every five days destroys every thing in its path except the beautiful lawn grasses. To be sure the spinning wheel that I have often seen my mother and aunts use in the room where I am now writing. (about two generations ago) have long since been supplanted by sewing machines and a piano, and even, the corn bread & herring and the proverbial hog and [hominy] of the forties have been succeeded by the fatted calf and fatted lamb this evening and any one who did not think the strawberries and ice cream on the table to night a mighty good substitute for the fruits now obselete was not as hungry as your sec. Taking all in all you young people may thank your lucky stars that you live now instead of us The sentimental good old times.

At this meeting Mr. & Mrs. [Morttai] Fus-

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sell were unanimously elected members of this society. Mary Bentley Thomas of the forethought committee read from a magazine many useful and pertinent forethoughts. Among the visitors present were Jordan and Eliza Stabler of Balt. Tarlton Stabler Mary, Edith, & Mildred Bentley, Samuel & Bentley Thomas, [?] Farquhar, R,Rowland Moore and wife. The names of Tarlton & Rebecca Stabler were proposed for membership. -Questions. John Thomas has nine poison vine around his fence posts than he realy needs. & his men are poisoned readily. how shall he get rid of it? Pull grub and use acid but when Fred Stabler said salt will kill anything we recorded that answer The hands are deathly afraid of poison vine

But as the [homeopaths] claim that Rus Tox not only cures but prevents poisoning by it. and as rus tox is brewed from this very vine, they could easily manufacture a bath tub full of the Tox from Johns supply and dip [?]. charlie & [?] so they could handle and destroy the pest with impurity. -Anna McFarland Stabler reported that a locust stump in the Harewood yard had been [bo?ed] & treated with salt after the advice of the "H. I." and has failed to throw out suckers, much to their delight -Miss Mary Gilpin is advised to cut out strawberry [summers] until after the first of Aug.

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if she desires fine berries for table. -Much discussion followed W. W. Moores question as to whether it is proper to manure asparagus at this season of the year. The prevailing opinion seems to be, and fortified by Peter Henderson as related by Miss Mary E. Gilpin, that late fall or more properly early spring is the best time to apply manure. salt is also recommended at that time -Carrie Brooke should have weeds pulled & grubbed out of bed & the asparagus worked until late in the summer. -The Chairman will not admit that any body but Sarah Miller manures asparagus heavier than he does yet his grow like goose quills. while Mary Bonds look like hoe handle (grubbing hoe handles of course) Edward was told it depends on the variety and the H. I. knows. -Emilie Massey seems to be authorized by a hidden hand to send magazines to the moonshiners of Kentucky. She asks for definite information as to route destination, etc and especially whether Jones of [?] [?] pays the freight. Within Emilies recollection people on this side of the Potomac got into a mess of trouble [?] Hinton [?] Helpers manifest [Destiny] & other magazines into southern