Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29

urday-at the farm of one mem
Der. A foreman is elected to pre-
side at that meeting. Then the
club goes on "the Walk"-a ira
ditional inspection of the host
members farm.
After the walk, the farmers dis
cuss what they saw, compliment
ing their host on improvements
and offering suggestions for cor
rection of problems they noticed.
Informal Talks Held
Meeting sessions are informal,
consisting mainly of discussions
of problems faced by one or more
members in their farming activi-
ties.
Not the least important of a
meetings events is the traditional
dinner, served to the members by
the ladies of the household where
the club is meeting. Countryside
food is piled high on the boards
{ chicken, ham, homemade bis
cults.
The Sandy Spring Farmers
Club decided long, long ago
that politics had no place in an
organization such as theirs. So
politics are never discussed at
club meeting, and the club
has steered clear of cOntrOverS-
ial issues.
The club also avoids involve
ment i'm charitable or commune
ty-uplift projects, feeling that
its business of helping it's men,
berS to be better farmers ex-
cludes all other activities.
This was the aim of the men
who organized the Sandy Spring
Farmers Club in 1874. By that
year, primitive farming methods
and overuSe of land had taken
their toll in fertility on the farms
in the Sandy Spring area, and
local men searched for ways to
improve their agricultural meth
DDS. The men who saw the way
to learn these methods were Rich
ard T. Bentley and Benjamin Hal.
- lowell.
ATradition says that in Febru-
Gy, 1874 Bentley and Hallowell
met on the road-but there is a
record of this meeting written
by Richard T. Bentley in 1884,
and his own words are more con-
elusive than tradition.
He said, THE origin of the
Sandy Spring Agricultural Club
has been a matter of interest and
several leaves of history have
been brought forth for the bene-
fit of posterity. 1 have concluded
to throw in my mite for its en-
lightenment, believing at the
same time that the old lady was
right when she said she did not
know what posterity had ever
done for us, that we should be
doing so much for posterity, but
be that as it may, the formation
of the club was simply a need
or want felt by several about the
, same time.
= InduIgences Noted
Zone of the most active was
Edward Lea, who obtained,
through our friend Henry Tyson,
valuable information respecting
Agricultural Club that had
been in existence in Hartford
County but which, it was under
stood, had fallen through from
the fact that it was a dinner
club, which brought with it GER
tain indulgences not considered
beneficial to staid and worthy till
ers of the soil.
The writer of these remini-
sciences one morning concluded to
ride up and see our dear friend
Benjamin Hallowell on this sub
ject. Upon arriving at his house,
and receiving that cordial and
warm greeting so kindly extend
ed to me on all occasions, he said
after the first salutation, I was
just coming down to see thee
about forming an Agricultural
Club
"This was a singular coinci-
dence, but it tends to show that
it was in the minds of several
of our people at the same period
of time.
"William H. Farquhar, being
one of the most efficient, pre-
Jared an excellent paper for our
Edidance, which was the record
with the following signatures at
tached: Robert r. Moore, Edward
Lea, Benjamin Hallowell, w. II.
Farquhar, Caleb Stabler, Richard
T. Bentley at the first meeting
at my house on Feb. IL, 1874,
Attendance Recorded
"B. Hallowell did not attend the
first meeting, but George f.
Brooke and Samuel Ellicott were
present, and at the next meet.
ing at the house of George E.
Brooke held on April 6 the club
numbered ten members, the adj
ditions being Thomas Lea and