ExpO N&C

Dear Friends.

The letter of this month is smaller than the last two, but you will understand that it is too costly to have always such large members. This tine the “Notes and Correspondence” are limited to the usual translation or the astronomical notes out of Dr. Vreede’s Calendar and the report about the contents of the German “Mitteilungen” of the experimental Circle.

I collected some remarks of Dr. Steiner’s and some articles together and tried to bring some light into the important and fundamental problem of the application of human excrements for manuring Purposes. I choose the subject too as a practical instance for the difference between the purely quantitative way to look at the things and a manner of thinking which in a living way tries to come to an understanding of the working forces. But of course, now we must try very hard to come to new methods of getting rid of this material.

Another reason for choosing this subject was that we must develop during the following months a plan for organising the small gardeners in and near the towns who are willing to treat their ground with our beneficial methods, and in gardener’s ciroles hasnan manure is often used. It would be wise to prepare a good start in spring 1930 by lectures etc. during this winter. Already now we have good number of applications and I am more that we easily could increase the demand for our methods just from small gardeners. But it is necessary to make a clear limitation between the work of the Experimental Circle and these gardeners. There is no reason why such gardeners should join the Experimental Circle as they do not have the right basis neither in their working conditions nor in their training to do experimental work. This co-operation with and between the gardeners has to be one of the chief points to be discussed at our Annual meeting.

I am very pleased indeed to be able to announce that Dr. Vreede, the head of the Mathematical Astronomical Section of the Goetheanum, has kindly consented to take part in the Annual Meeting of the Anthroposophical Agricultural Foundation to be held in the afternoon of Saturday, November 23rd 1929 at 46, Gloucester Place. You will hear in due time more particulars about this meeting as well as about Dr. Vreede’s visit to England. As far as we can see, she will also visit the North and lead our Third Study Circle, which will be hold at Sleights Farm, Huby nr Leeds, on Thursday and Friday, November 28th and 29th, being kindly invited by Mr. and Mrs, E.M. Wood. I mention these dates in order to enable you already now to keep these days free.

The Annual meeting will become an important event for our work and we may take it as a good omen that Dr. Vreede will be with us who was the only Member of the Vorstand present at our first meeting during the World Conference last year. On this occasion we shall review the first years work and on the basis of those experiences we must come to a programme for the future. We must enlarge our activity as well as the area we cover. Therefore it seems advisable to get still more members of the anthroposophical Society interested and also to come still moro into touch with non-members. Especially to this Annual meeting we ought to invite as many non-members as possible. Of course they must be prepared and, please, let me know all the possibilities, where it seems advisable that I come into touch with interested people. There are still three months which can be used with great benefit.

You may have observed the great efforts in the newspapers to get the public interested in the situation of Agriculture in Great Britain. Co-operation is wanted with other branches of life and just the same is necessary for our anthroposophical agricultural work. He must not keep our work isolated from other activities. As we never shall be successful if we lose the living connection with Anthroposophy, we must not forget, that out of the same Anthroposophy Dr. Steiner’s medical, educational, social etc. impulses have started. It is absolutely necessary and essential for us to link our work together with these activities. Please do bear this fact in mind, and if each of us devotes a little bit of time to thinking about those who may be interested in our work from such a point or view, we shall get a good gathering in November. Beside such personal suggestions I shall be only too pleased to receive any suggestions to the agenda.

up to now I received applications for visits to Yorkshire, Northumberland and Scotland and I shall leave  ….  September. It anybody else considers my visit as necessary please let me know as quickly as possible.

The gathering of young people, to be held at Bray, September 4th to 10th promises to become quite a good one. Neither with respect to this gathering nor to the laboratory much reply was heard here. And it is impossible to work alone, especially in the Laboratory. We are making quite nice experiments but being continually far too short of money it is not much compared with the posibilities of this place. In the present financial state we shall not be able to make that use of the laboratory during the youth gathering as we hoped to do. But I hope that the one received cheque will not be long alone.

Many of you will read this lottor after having returned from Domach and after having felt again the strength of all the impulses which Dr. Steiner still now sends us through the Goetheanum. Let us never forget that we owe all our work to Rudolf Steiner, that there would be without anthroposophy no such a thing as our work. As more we study Anthroposophy as better we shall be able to do our work thoughts I askod lirs. 2.c. llerry to translate properly. Out of such thoughts I asked Mrs E C Merry to translate for this Circular the twelve vorses which Dr. Steiner gave us for the twelve months. And you will find in future always one at the beginning of the “Notes and Correspondence. These poems will help come to a still better understanding of the course of the year, especially in connection with the verses out of the “Seelenkalender (soul lender) which are translated for the daily use in Bray by Mrs. Merry. We have to thank her very much for this help.

With anthroposophical greetings 

CA Mirbt

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Astronomical notes

Bee keeping

About the application of human manure