The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-09-13

to n summer residence near his birth
place at 30, and began to do things.
His house is modest dwelling on a
side lane leading off Main street. His
orchards are several miles beyond, over
new bridges and roads which make their
way up four hills of 900-foot elevation
When Mr.. Dascomb first looked over
the hills he saw nothing to recommend
the spot but the view of the valley. &C
cording to native farmers. On each
hill was a farm, but they were having
a hard time TO hold on to the rocks, and
no neighbOrS were beyond. The best
land was only poor pasture.
Mr.. Dascomb started with dynamite
and he brought up the apple saplings
close behind the powder keg. From the
first planting the trees were laid out
under the surveyors eye. as regular as
a checkerboard. Between the rows there
was enough space to drive a motor truck
and the field was made smooth enough
to do this with comfort.
This summer the last of eight of the
100 acres were cleared. with w. III.
Vanderbilt of Peabody in charge. Mr..
Vanderbilt used ton of powder a week.
In one day he set off a half-ton of ex-
plosives. stripped off the growth from
a half acre with a fash. and then for
the benefit of Il crowd of men and wo-
men. who came by automobile and on
horseback from the valley for the spec
tacle, ran a 300 foot ditch down the
The four farms which Mr.. DaScomb
found on the tract he named Hillside,
BrookSide. Midway and Fairview. He
took the old buildings with their pegged
rooftrees. painted them, polished them.
installed electricity, telephones, city
fiintlock muskets, which still hang over
side ovens. Here live Mr.. Dascomb's
men.
His superintendent is J. W. Collins.
Mrs. Collins is listed on the payroll as
AN auditor. Stanley NJ. Fullam, the
foreman. is the grating expert Mrs.
Fullam assists him. With them is al
permanent staff of 30 others. all apple
men. who have no work except in con
nection with apples, equipment and
machinery.
no Apples Allowed TO FAN
The trees are watched like a patient
in a hospital and with each goes card
on which its history is noted. The
life of the present orchard will probably
reach 12J years. The first tree was
planted in 1912.
Some of the trees have been attacked
by rodents. and Mr.. Collins escorts Wis
itors first to one of the houriShing trees
delicate surgical operation known as
bridge graft.
Already this year Mr.. Collins has
sprayed the whole orchard five times.
and at the first appearance of a pest
the spraying brigade is manned and
rushed to the spot.
The only cultivation is a small area
around the trees which has been worked
with hoe. and the only fertilizer is the
hay between the trees. which is cut and
spread and left to rot.
As soon as the apples become nearly
ripe a watch is set. No apple is allowed
to fall from the tree if it can be caught.
When the seeds are black the apple rank
becomes a small-siZed cantOnment of APP
pie pickers.
Vehicles are run down between apple |
trees and men, equipped with hooked |
poles, reach up for the fruit and bring |
each apple down individually without |
bTuising the skin. They are then carried |
carefully to the sorting machines. where |
they are classified. wrapped in paper, |
placed in special cartons. and sent to |
customers. The fruit is high grade and |
the wrapper is monogrammed.
For Those Who Do the W0rk
This summer Mr. Dascomb began
stOrehouse for apples. 1t was planned /
for 1916, but it was delayed. until after
the war. The storehouSe. built according
to new plan, will keep apples through |
the winter.
During the winter Mr.. Dascomb leaves
his place in the hands of Mr.. Collins
and Mr.. Fullam and returns with Mrs
DascOmb to Chicago. The men put in
the winter trimming and pruning trees
and caring for the stored apples.
Mr.. Dascomb has made hardscrabble
farm into a showplace on the hillsides of
Vermont. He believes he can make it
success. In Westminster they say he
turns everything he handles into gold. but L
1t will be some years before he will be Il
able to make this proposition pay. Mrs, h
DaScomb is as interested in the orchard
as he is
When asked about the plans for the
orchard-for it will be many years yet
before the slender bare trees get into
their prime Mr.. Dascomb said he
thought of his orchard only as recrea-
ton.
Il am simply trying to build mp this
orchard so that those who live and work
here may own it themselves some day.
TO these men and women belong all the
crelit for what n-n1l horn >,