Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-10-05
HOW GIANT PUMPING ARE GROWN.

A. w. Roel, Whose Record Breaker This
Year Weighed s221a Pounds, Says That
to Feed Pumpkins MIIk lie an "Insane
idea"
Every year at Valley Fair time more
than 10000 people stand in amusement
before the exhibit of Big pumpkins grown
| by A. w. Roel, the gardener at the Brat
tleboro Retreat garden. They see nothing
like 1t at any Of the other New England
fairs and when they come to the Brat
ueboro fair they steer straight for the
building containing the exhibit Of agri-
cultural prouucts, knowing every time
that they will see something there bigger
and better than ever before There is no
other building on the grounds that is so
crowded all through the fair as is Agrf-
cultural hall. Mr.. Roels exhibit is not
wholly responsible for the crowd but IL
receives large share OF attention and IL
would be a blue ribbon winner IL IL were
entered in competition. Inasmuch as Mr.
Roel Is superintendent of the department
OF farm products, however, he feels that
the interests Of the fair can better be
served by allowing outsiders TO do the
competitive work, so he enters his ex-
hibit for exhibition only. At the fair last
week Mr.. Roel made the greatest display
OF big pumpkins ever seen on the grounds
New England. The largest one was of
the mammoth pToterion variety, and bal
anced at 322h pounds. Ten years ago
or even hve years ago, Mr.. Roel did not
think 1t possible for MIN to reach the
SVO-pound mark. The largest pumpkin
raised by him previous TO this year was
grown in 1904, and weighed 2SS% pounds
1t was of the Green Mountain yariety
He was not as successful last year, but
TINS year he established a new record
Not only was his biggest pumpkin a
record breaker, but his general exhibit
was the largest he or any one else ever
made in that department Of the fair. II
also was the most attractively arranged
exhibit, and was dressed up with traces
OF corn OF all colors 1t contained 20 or
more big pumpkins, and in addition some
800 varieties OF farm and garden produce.
Mr.. Roel mas raised 20 pumpkins ag-
gregaung upward OF $500 pounds In
pounds.
After the exhibits are all in place Mr..
Roel's face takes on "the smile that won't
come on until some one asks him what
he feeds the pumpkins to make them as
sumo such large proportions. II there is
anything that disgusts him IL is the idea
that pumpkins may be made to grow more
rapidly and to a larger size by feeding
them milk through the stems. In talking
on that subject this week Mr. Roel said.
1T Is an insane idea. People talk to me
about 1t every year and seem to think
there IS some trick in raising big pump
ktns / will give $25 to any man who will
show me how to increase the growth of
pumpkins by feeding them milk or any
thing else. 1 tried 1t once, but the milk
soured, as expected II would. The main
thing is to have good seed. The soil
must be right and plenty of water must
be provided. plant every year the seed
from my biggest pumpkins Of each variety.
and l am careful to plant the different
kinds far enough apart so that they will
not mix" Mr.. Roel began exhibiting
large pumpkins at the Valley Fair 81 years
ago. The first one weighed half a pound
more than 100 pounds and 1t excited the
admiration OF all who saw It. He washed
and dried the seed. as he does every year.
and put them away in a tin box for future
use. The next year he raised a larger
pumpkin, and he has set up new stand |
ard nearly every year since then On |
less than quarter-acre Of ground ne |
raises an average Of eight tons OF pump |
ikins each year. They are used principally |
In feeding stock, but pies have been made |
from them with good results.
The seeds are planted about May is |
ana the pumpkins are left in the field |
until after the frosts spoil the vines. The |
seeds are not much larger than the ordi-
nary pumpkin seeds, but there are more |
Of them In the varieties of mammoth |
pumpkins. Mr.. Roel sells a few large |
pumpkins every year. and he has no /
doubt that home Of them are bought solely !
for the seed. He usually requests that |
the seed be returned to him, but he ex- |
poets that some Of them will be kept back |
for experimental purposes He has had |
charge Of the Brattleboro retreat garden |
80 years, and his reputation as a pump |
kin-grower is so wide that requests have |
come to him from various places from |
Maine to California and as far south as |
the West Indies for pumpkins for ex- !
hibition purposes [Brattleboro letter in |
Springfield Sunday Republican