Smyrna times., 1923-05-30
HIGH SCHOOL "AGGIES" ON TRIP
Prof. ]. H. Mendenhall, Agricultural
Teacher, Takes Twelve Boys of
Smyrna School to BridgetOn, Nj.

Prof. j. H. Mendenhall, in charge |
of the Agricultural Course of the !
Smyrna Special District Schools, af-
fOrded a class of twelve boys a trip
Wednesday last they will not soon
/ forget. In Walter Nowlands truck,
they motored by way of Wilmington
and Pennsgrove to BridgetOn, N. J.
In the party were: William Robinson,
Alvin Stillwell, Allen MOfitt, John
Dick, George Smith, Theodore Hyn-
son, Ralph Deakyne, Carl Prettyman.
Fletcher Truax and Raymond Pusey.
They visited the famous SeabrOOk
Farms of Bridgeton, N. j., a type of
farm that many people dream about,
but very seldom see. Mr.. SeabrOOk, a
man with a broad vision, started some
10 or II years ago with three acres.
There is now 3440 acres, 900 of which
is under (Skinner Irrigation) that is
the land can be watered at any time
from overhead pipes, which are sup
ported by stakes about z feet from
the ground. We made arrangements
before hand and the company very
kindly gave US one of their statistians
to conduct US about the place. The
first place visited was a large battery
of 60 300 unit green houses which
were devoted to cucumbers and the
boys were surprised to find cucumbers
20 inches long and of a uniform
thickness. These sell at zoe apiece
on the New York market. In each
house two hives of bees did all the
work of pollenizing the flowers and
they are the only workers on the
place that do not get paid.
Complete Ice and Cold Storage Plant
Our next point of interest was the
ice and cold storage plant, where all
the ice was made to ice the cars and
space for many car loads of fruit and
+. vegetables while being held for ship
1 ment. The pumping station came next
the supply of water coming from a
e large pond on the place and they had
enormous pumps to keep the supply
5 for the 900 acres under irrigation.
Then came the shops, implement sheds
5 and stables, for IS head of horses,
these being the only animals kept on
2 the place. We found five blacksmiths
!, at work with. electric bellows and
Il electric hammer to help during rush
{ hours. The saw mill was the next
z point of interest and here we found a
. complete saving and planeing mill all
n machines being operated by electric
7 motors. The wood, oak and pine was
: brought in from the farm wood lot.
/ and worked up into building lumber
a and material for crates. This furn
II ished continual work when weathe
: conditions made working outside i'm
IL possible. We next visited the canning
e house where we found spinach beinl
st packed in glass jars. This canning
IL operation. goes on throughout the en-
$ tire season while things are growing
The gravel pit, with its steam shove
re and large shed, were next visited
a Here the men found employment i
a making cement blocks on wet day
is and these were utalized in buildin
IL packing sheds of a permanent nature
- Young Orchards Promise Big Result
in The orchards consisted of som
lg $500 acres of peach and apple tree
at only a small portion of this have com
he to bearing age. All the young tree
he were interplanted with strawberrit
ad and many of these were stored by th
ge cold pack process and sold to the il
or cream manufacturers in winter. Tt
ut equipment about such a place fairl
ed staggers the inauguration of the a,
Ia, erage man. Forty tractors, most
on caterpillar type, so trucks, rangir
e from one to five ton capacity; stea
ed shovels and every type of sprayir
en- and cultivating apparatus known. v
ad travelled all over the farm and 0,
dy guide explaining the details as v
,er stopped at the various points of i
ize terest. The place being five mil
an long and one and one-half miles
rs. width, it took the entire afternoo
ull The boys all agreed that they hi
he seen something really worth while al
or that the same thing could be work
gill out here in Delaware with it's supt
a ior advantages of soil and climate.
At certainly took their minds off whe
ad, and corn for they didn't see any
1ut the place. Landlord and tenant ali
he will continue to be unhappy as lol
rg as the wheat and corn program CO
Jon tinues in Kent county. Let's get I
m gether this winter and plan a diff
ay. ent rotation.
wv
)ull w n IITTpT nCK TAKEC UpTT