The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-06-01
wilma Farmers Club.

The Wilma Farmers Club met at the home OF
| Mr.. S. S. Bevard, on Wednesday, May 16. The
committee appointed to inspect the home sur
| roundings presented the. following report
| The neat appearance of the farm buildings is
| noticed, all having recently received Il thor
| ough covering of brown paint, adding both
| comeliness and durability. The canning house
has been renewed and enlarged, and will be
one of the most complete i'll the neighborhood.
| 1t has been raised story and is now Il capa-
| cious building. The horses and mules, some
dozen head of the latter were found in fine con-
| dition. A field of wheat OF % acres was fully
up to the average. A field OF clover was re-
| ported clear of weeds, and very heavy. An
! additional four acres of old forest has been
cleared and is now being prepared for toma-
| toes. A young orchard of 80 peach trees was
| noted. Generally the condition OF the farm
shows careful and intelligent husbandry.
| After parta:ling of IL bountiful repast, the
members applied themselves to the discussion
| of the subject chosen at the previous meeting,
viz: "How best to reduce the labor and in
crease the comforts of farmers wives" The
boarding of farm hands, which greatly in
creaSes the labor i'll the house, was length
lily discussed. Many interesting points were
made and by members of much experience, a
full report of which would far exceed possible
limits but concenSuS of opinion seemed to be,
that it was better for all reasons and more
economical at present prices to allow the farm
hands to board themselves.
Wood and water should be convenient. A
wood house, stored with seasoned wood, well
split, like the well, should be near the kitchen
door these are necessities. reservoir under
the roof over the kitchen, supplied with pure
rain water from the roof, with pipes conduct
ing it through the house for summer use and
especially into the kitchen for all seasons, is
worth dozen times the necessary expenditure
in labor saving, comfort and convenience. A
wellcan now be bored, Just at the point you want
| it, at 81 per foot, and to any depth that suits
your purse. This price includes the tubing,
which is driven down through the solid rock,
and so excludes ali possibility OF yltlatlon from
well is pit for all possible contamination the
new bored rock wells will prove a blessing to all
but the Coctors, and to them, if they will put
them down mt their own doors.
1t was suggested that in building, no expense
should be spared to have the floors on each
story on the same level, as Il very wasting toll
is thus avoided.
The home should be comfortably warmed.
The most complete of al methods Is doubtless
the cellar furnace and the steam pipes. Hot
air registers are governed by the winds With
hot air, IL northwest winter wind will drive the
entire family into the south room. Oil stoves
were suggested as cheap means Tor bedroom
warmth. Elegant oil stoves are to be had at Il
moderate price, but the objection to oil stoves
is this and powerful dissuayive too, that
there is no chimney to convey out OF the room,
the products of combustion. The stove may
be SmokeleSS, but the carbon of the gallon OF
oil burned into the air of a small sleeping
room, closely shut up, to utilize the warmth,
differs but little from the French method OF
committing suicide with small charcoal fur
mace Carbon dioXide is invisible, but very
poisonous. To make the oil stove complete, 1t
should have small metal pipe conducting the
products of combustion into the home chimney.
The life OF the farmers wl1e Is TOO mOnoto-
nous. The farmer rides to the poStoifice, to
mill to the blacksmith shop He is constantly
out beneath The skies with all the charms of ma
ture about him. Even if unobseryant, he
profits by an unseen influence which cheers
and nvigorates. On the contrary the wife is
shut in cave. She should ride somewhere
every pleasant day. More sociabillty among
farmers is desirable Railroad excursions,
fishing and boating days. harvest homes and
farmers conventions where the ladies partci-
pate offer abundant chances for recreation.
lf.liI
should abound in the farmers home. A bache-
lor member of the club was too modest to
speak of Il beautiful conservatory he has made
where tropical flowers bloom ut all seasons
BY enclosing south side porch with Il few feet
of sash, and adding small coal stove, windows
open into it from the parlor or sitting room. As
sist to beautify and enlarge the flower garden :;
no other labor will be more appreciated by the
wife. Let the farmer wor% on leisure hour in
the flower garden 1t should be known to an
interested community, that the two bachelor
members of our club took most active and ap-
preciative parts in this discussion and seemed
fully alive to the momentous nature OF the sub
ipct