The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-09-16
TURNING ROUGH HILL
.''n FARMS INTO ORCHARD
Accomplishment Of George A. Dao-
comb In Westminster, His
4 Native Town.

thousand pounds OF dynamite week
for two months just ending have
put the finishing touches on Rocky
Hill, and now "a plan projected lc
years ago is completed with 1900
tree orchara-all apples.
Not the orange nor the banana nor
the peach but the big red apple-the
markings of the famous New England
apple pie with the brown faky crust
IL king; and to- the list of orchards
those at Bennifigtpn, Castletom iAnHI
M!haletown and at Ftchharg, Macs. Y
will be added this one projected by
George A. Dascomb made out of hard !
scrabble farms and built up to the |
latest scientific bulletin. ,f}d
Mr. Dascowb has placed all his fruit
into one basket and his immense mar
vest--when ii cOmes-wil be almost
entirely OF one variety of apple. All
| farmer knows what il means. A white;
! frost in blossom time may kill Ms
chances Of meeting the note at the
| bank in the fall This year the frost
came on May 9. In New England OF.
| chards where there should be 10000
barrels this fall there will not be
more than 1000.
Only Poor Pasture
The STORY of Mr.. Dascomb is the
story Of a minister's son who left the
town for the West, became pros.
lperuu lumberman, returned with his
millions to a summer residence near
his birthplace at 80, and began to do
things.
His house is modest dwelling on q
eide lane leading off Main street Hid
orchard are several miles beyond,
oler new bridges and roads which
MI their way up four hills Of 900
foot eieyftion. N
When Mr. Dascomb first looked over
/ tha hills. he Jaw rcthi1g to recon.
kuiead che spot but the view Of the val
icy according to native farmers On
each h.ll was farm, but they were
kaying hard time to hold on to the
rocks and no neighbois We're beyond.
sThe best land was only poog pasture.
y Mr.. DascOmb started wifi dynamite
and he brought up the apple sapings
close behind the powder keg. From
the first planting the trees were laid
out under the surveyors eye, as regu.
lar 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 $50 acres were cleared with w
H.. Vanderbilt of Peabody in charge
, Mr. Vanderbilt used a ton OF powder
week. In one day he set OFF a half
ton OF exp osiyes, stripped on the
:. growth from B. half aerd with a fash
and then for the benefit OF a Grove
: of men ard women who game by
autoinqbils aid,bh horseback from TIT
valley for the spectacle ran 200
foot ditch down the fed by the press
, ing of a button.
; The four farms which Mr.. Dasooml
found on the tract he named Hillside
Brookside, Midway and Fairview. Ht
took the old buildings with their pega
I'd roo.trees, painted them polisbe,
them, installed electricity telephones
! city undisturbed the colonial line,
and he tintlock muskets. which still
hang over side ovens. Here live Mr.
Dascombs men rn
4 His superintendent is, J. w. Collins
Mrs. Collins iS hated on the payroll a
Y an auditor. Stanley NJ. Fullam, Tn
foreman, is the grating expert. Mrs
Fuliam assists him with them Is
permanent staff Of 30 others. all appl
men, who have no work except !
connection with apples, equipment an
machinery.
No Apples Allowed to Fall
I've trees axe watched like y:
tient in a hospital and with each goe
card on which. It's history is note,
The life of the present orchard wi
- probably reach 1876 years. The liz.
tree was planted in 1912.
Some of the trees have been n
taxed by rodents, and Mr.. ColHr
escorts visitors first to one OF III
iourishing trees of the orchard whlc
was saved by delicate surgical o.
eraton known as bridge graft.
% Already this year Mir Collins hf
40 sprayed the whole orchard five time
q and ut the first appearance Of a ne
= the spraying brigade is named an
"a rushed to the spot.
- around the trees which has bee
% The only cultivation is small are
q t.n oil ttrft