1914 | Stalham Farmers' Club | Leading speakers from the agricultural industry.

Stalham Farmers 1914

FEBRUARY 17

Minutes of a meeting on February 17. A record attendance of 40 members was noted. Col Petre occupied the chair.

The hon secretary presented the balance sheet for 1913, showing a balance in hand of £2 15s 8d.

Proposed by Col Petre, seconded by the Rev Bird, that Mr EG Cubitt again be chairman.

Proposed by Mr W Cubitt, seconded by Mr Gibbs that Col Petre be vice-chairman.

Proposed by Mr Bygrave, seconded by Mr Newton, that Mr G Gibbs be secretary.

Proposed by Mr W Cubitt, seconded by Rev Bird that Mr F C Neave and Mr J Littlewood be again elected to represent the club on the Norfolk Chamber of Agriculture.

Mr Horace Howlett, Mr Curtis and Mr Davison were elected members.

Mr Charlton and Rev Castley were proposed as new members by Rev Bird, seconded by Mr H Barber.

It was proposed by Rev Bird, seconded by Mr Barber, that a reporter be admitted.

NOVEMBER 14

Minutes of a meeting on November 14, 1914.

A total of 24 members were present. A letter was read from Mr J Gaymer resigning his membership owing to his frequent inability to attend the meetings. Rev T P Castley and Mr W J Charlton were elected members.

The following new members were proposed –

Mr J Clements, proposed Mr Howlett, seconded M r Bunn.

Mr J Bussens, proposed Mr Howlett, seconded Mr Bunn.

Mr J Mobbs, proposed Mr G Durrell, seconded Mr C Gedge.

The president, Mr EG Cubitt, proposed and it was unanimously agreed that a letter of sympathy should be sent to the family of the late Mr A Gibbs, of Smallburgh. Rev Bird, acting on behalf of the hon secretary, reported that mangold grown on the flat and on baulks had been sent by Messrs Bygrave, of Sutton, and Mr Hudson Barber, of Catfield, for analysis as to their sugar contents. He read other correspondence that he had with the Cambridge University Laboratory on the subject.

In the absence of his co-judges, Mr Bird read a short report on the root competition and explained the difficulty that had arisen in consequence of the hon secretary’s absence on military duty, as to the lateness of inviting entries for the same.

Mr W P Cubitt was heartily congratulated on winning the Swede Cup for the third time and the president most generously again offered to provide another, for which he was unanimously thanked. The mangold cup was won Mr J Bygrave and the judges unanimously awarded the cup for the entire root crop to Mr W Faulke, on Dilham Hall Farm.

The estimated weight per acre of Mr Bygrave’s two acres of mangold was 51 tons, Mr H Barber coming second with 41 tons and Mr F Neave third with 37 tons.

Mr Cubitt’s swedes were reckoned at 33 tons per acre and Mr T Barcham ran him very closely with 32 tons, but his roots were not so ? or clean a crop.

The names of  nine members of the club – namely Col Petre, Capt Jickling, Capt Blofeld, Messrs ER Cubitt, M Faulke jnr, Mr G Gladden, jnr, and Mr B Bird were honourably mentioned as being absent from the meeting in consequence of their being on military service.

The president ably and interestingly described the risks to be provided against in the prospect of a raid or foreign invasion.

Mr W P Cubitt volunteered to open a discussion on the diamond-backed moth at the next meeting of the club.