The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-10-21

Ruth Gates, whose home is in
Vermont, not many miles from
Dimock orchards, has always lived
Oh farm. For six years, she and
a sister have been developing a
small poultry farm but she always
spends part of the fall at Dimock
orchard helping with the apple
picking.
Helen Robinson, who is the SEN
ioi' member OF the group in point
OF service, acts as correspondence
secretary to Mr.. Dimock and be-
tween times helps with the picking
and sorting of apples.
Marjorie Howes, whose father is
professor of Greek at Williams
.oIIe re, is one of those who gives
special help during the picking
and hacking season. This girl can
read a modern Greek newspaper as
easily IS she can read one printed
in English.
Last summer, Mara Nakolitch, u
little Serbian girl, who had been
brought to America by Doctor
Resale Morton to be educated,
was member of the Dimock fam
ny. she is receiving her education
n a girls school but ut the spec
ial request of Dr.. Morton, who
wished her to get some idea of
American agriculture, Mr.. and Mrs.
Dmock permitted her 20 become
o member of then. staff during the
summer.
When the personnel of this
group is considered, it is easy to
understand why one finds the spirit
Of comradeship which is the most
delightful feature of the whole
enterprise. 1t is also easy to UNI
derStand the collection Of reading
matter in the girls rooms, where
books on potato diseases rub ell
bows with field book Of the stars
and where Dunsany and Barrie are
found cheek by jowl with scienti-
| tic agricultural works.
The Dimock ordchards apple
business is we'll established The
proprietors have far more orders
than they can fill. Most of the
ron is sold in carload lots, much
Of it going to Long Island. AS
ms Is me only commercial orchard
i'll that part of the state, there IS
such a great local demand for
apples that it has been necessary
to put up signs that Il les are
not sold at the orchards on Sun
day. Before that was done, they
we're ovel7un with Sunday auto
parties wanting to buy apples. One
Sunday not long before my visit,
fifty-four people ate Sunday dinner
on the place.
Many people have asked Mr..
l)imock how he expects 10 dispose
OF the crop when all the present
orchards are producing and the
our thousand new trees they eX-
1cct to add, have also come into
bearing. They have no fear on
this score for they feel assured
from past experience that there
VIII be good market so long as
their product maintains its present
standard of quality both in itself
ana the package.
Ten hives of bees are part of
the apple-orchard business. The
bees do the vital work Of polleniz-
ling during blossom time In win
| ter. the Dimocks eat honey!
| n nf fn oil hni
apples "in one basket" the Dimock
| 'entured some three years ago in
to the certified seed potato field.
her potato acreage increased in
1920 from IL TO 80 acres. They
have FIVE fields, only one of which
. on the nome place. In this
'pecialty they are doing something
that very few growers are doing.
for they make five complete inspec
tons themselves in addition TO
hose made by the official state
spectorS.
elizabeth Clark has charge of
this inspection work, Two people
work together, one on each side Of
he row. In this way, each plant
is inspected from both sides so
that there is little chance of leaf
oil, mosaic aphids olAany other
enemy, escaping detection. Each
Aspection means two hundred and
'orty miles of walking and the
certifcation tag which is attached
to every package of seed potatoes
from fields which have successfully
passed all tests, assures the pur-
,haser that the potatoes he is Sc
,uring are "from a high yielding
strain of established-progeny per-
'ormance, grown in field showing
previous growth, heavy yields, en-
tire freedom from weak and dwarf
ed hills and a minimum of disease.
Last summer, after the official
inspection was over, Miss Clark
was sent to visit producers who
rave an established reputation for
he production of certified seed
potatoes, to see what new and con-
jtructive ideas she could bring
back with her.
Underneath and behind all the
activity at Dimock orchards is an
deal which Mr.. and Mrs. Dimock
IRE striving to realize and with
which they have imbued all their
helpers. They feel with them,
that one of the most important
contributions a worker can make
o the life Of the world is to help
o feed the people of the world.
They are also proud to show