On Being a
Farm Wife
(and other
hazards) ,
Joyce Bupp
Tiny things they were, in the
whole scheme of life.
Yet compared to other seeds,
the pumpkin ones that came in the
mail one morning in March were
impressive. I’d anteed up a buck,
plus tax, for about a dozen of the
one-by-half-inch, flat, cream-col
ored seeds of a super-giant varie
ty. Within their hard shell was
everything needed for life, with a
little hand from Mother Nature.
Since Mother wasn’t quite up to
snuff with warm weather then, the
seeds were tucked into starter pots
in the greenhouse. Cultivating
humongous pumpkins has become
something of a cottage industry
hereabouts. York Fair’s Giant
Pumpkin Contest, underwritten at
one-dollar-per-pound for the three
largest by Brown’s Orchard and
Farm Market, has probably helped
stimulate the friendly competition.
Our intent was not a prizewin
ner, just a “for fun” planting for
some of our favorite kids. Be
tween the old and new dairy barns
is a gentle slope of about IS feet,
its soil highly enriched with well
aged cow manure. Because it’s
surrounded by buildings and cattle
lots, the small area is unaccessible
to mowing equipment and grows
UnCLdIiTIED FREIGHT CO. AND UQUiMTiOH SdlES!^
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Clip Thk VafaaUt Couponl
GLIDER ROCKER |
. Available In |
I Bkia Of Balga / —y .
I Rafl. Rot ( "j I
I $540 05 I fjll |
I ou« i
I CAtM I
MICE
| 5 129.88 |
I With Coupon** J 19,04 j
I 5 PC. TRADITIONAL
{ BEDROOM
Oak Finish
Chest,
Dresser,
Mirror,
Headboard
& Nightstand
ft-
I 1), *
Reg Ret
$599 95
OUR CASH PRICE
$ 229.88
r CANOPY BED
I Whit* Murad flnMi
Oman Baddlng not Includad
I
■ Rag Rat $3BB 95 I
CLOSE-OUT PRICEI |
I $ 89.95 g||||s
. Othar atyla avallada In doubia or
I quaan tar asms pttaa Baddlng
| and rails add aaparoMy.
COUCH AND
LOVESEAT
CLOSEOUT
Reg. Ret $1789.95
OUR CASH PRICE $549.95
WITH COUPON
*529.95
I
awesome weeds.
Pumpkins, we’ve discovered,
spread thickly and rapidly enough
in the damp, rich soil to shade out
most other competition. Last
year’s harvest of neck pumpkins
was far more than we, relatives,
friends and a few strangers we
pawned them off onto could figure
out what to do with.
After having visited the site
where last year’s fair winner was
produced and seeing other giant
pumpkins scattered around like so
many huge, orange boulders, I
was hooked. It would be interest
ing to see what our little comer
could do with this challenge.
With the cool, damp of spring,
it got pretty late until the pumpkin
seedlings, already poking vines
out of their pots, went into the
ground. The Farmer thought we
should nip the ends of the vines
and allow only one fruit to set per
vine. But by the time they began
setting infant pumpkins, the
tangled growth was knee-high,
thick as a jungle and impossible to
walk through without injuring
them. Those baby pumpkins were
on their own. Besides, the con
stant rain kept the slope downright
| TWIN/DOUBLE BUNK BED 1
■ 200 Mtt tvailabto • Dmlbt FWTumI i
I -UnS 1
| Bedding h; |( |
i ib~=- -'L / |
I I
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I SPECIAL SALE 1| I
W'TH COUPON I
15169.95l $ 169.95 $ 149.951
I EARLY AMERICAN ]I 5 PC. DINETTE SET | f TABLE WITH
I SLEEPER SOFA i | aSSS Liquid 1 1 COLLAPSABLE LEAVES
j Full Sized msmmßaui 1 Through Usl j j Natural or Black 52’/. "x 36"
! $1349*95 j ! Reg. Rat. f^l
j °^| 8 Pr,c * I |*&995 1 OurPri* LUgg ||
j $429.95 - I j our^| h PRICE [ |sonne blllSilKi 1
| s*liprki s 3s9.9s ] [sag. _ 8 _279.95_1
[wSSSSS&]
I Trallar Load I SET | CURIO
I Dealar Rafuaal I Rag Ret A j Chany Finlah
I w/B" Futon maltrssa | I $799 99 On 9w u -»' jail ■ 5 glaaa ahahiaa
I u _jv I MW - Two doora
2*l, - _/ r? ' I Chany |\\\ f\ H I - Llghtad inlartor
I iSfr£j~ssSbl I finished top f (p\ I V• -' fl > | - Mirrored Back
■* hit * * Cr I I w/Hunter /ll\|/ f V I Volume Buy"
Rag Rat. f T | Grean base ' I M I ' Hag Hat. $559 95
* $B9O 05 1 j «nd 4 chairs COUPON PRICE I oua special price i
SIT 5209.88l $ 159.88
SALE PRICED TO SELL AT ( lIZZIZZZZ" ZZZZZZZZZZZ
i $ 279.95 i i RECLINER "If* drawer chest
SECTIONAL _V~ | R#g Rel $38 " 5 M Rn. Finlah
\ ~ SLEEPER ’ ll OU p R „,ce SH II ~
I Reg. Ret Price $2339.95 | $128.95 j ( gSg'Ss
. ! OUR CASH PRICE I j 11^39.04
-J $1,049.95
BIG SELECTION OF I 1 1 3 Jp. oak [ FULL SIZE
VVOOD & METAL BUNK BEDS |
P WITH 1 1 ! ! RECLINER !
r ““V If 1 *889.88 1 1 m J IOSEOVT || s *_ (7T?\
If ’= ===== = = = = = dutiful || R«9 Rat IZTttS
IPffld, I ll BEDROOM CLOSEOBI | I JjUtl l I
iSSb ii : rPi r~p£3u
(SO 1 1 i nn -V 11 *139.95
Hyp cnal| ll 139.95 " CIZ#
ll l| r HUNDREDS OF OTHER ITEMS!
1 1 Dealer Refusal I
Oak Finlah I I Reg. Ret $899.95 I. Dresser, Mirror, Nighstand, i
Reg. Ret $499.95 I | Se __ AB I H«dtx»d,
I, U.PHC. “599.95 || a.™™™™™ I
W» c0up0n«98.9511 .uurcurnuo.*229.9sl| SS 001 *369.88 I
CLAIM YOUR BARGAIN
With Basaett Or Sena bedding purchase only.
We Absolutely Here The Beet Prices On Bedding
BASSETT MATTRESS ft BOX SPRING
Tha »lop o( the Ina padding and onao( In baaldaala dial an avar made 1 Tnaae an aJ mamma,
cancadabona and doaaou Urea Thlaia one hack ol apnea on bedding
complete wilh a wffanfrof one** eaarnoleceiiiant a,‘ no chama.
1
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Queen
Double
DESK
WITH HUTCH
Reg. Rat
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5729 95
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Single
Double
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King
SERTA MATTRESS ft BOX SPRING
Wa Hava The New 19*6 Covara
SINGLE Reg Ret $60995
DOUBLE Reg Ret $749 95
QUEEN Reg Ret $689.95.
KING Reg Ret $1129 95
Prices include both pieces!
DELCO MATTRESS AND FOUNDATION
Reg Ret $649 95 Sole Price ‘lB9 88
Reg Ret $599 95 Sole Price ‘129 88
Reg Ret $319 95 Sole Price ‘99 88
slippery.
Finally, in mid-August, I waded
in and began peeking under the
thick canopy of leaves. And came
out jubilant, having uncovered
about a half dozen of the biggest
pumpkins we’d ever grown.
(None, however, would come
close to a friend’s 464-pounder
that set a new York Fair record).
Periodic forays through the tan
gled mess of growth uncovered a
few more. Eight ... 10 ... 14.
The count kept inching higher.
Several of the largest I couldn’t
begin to lift.
While visiting a few weeks ago.
my cousin’s oldest son gleefully
spied the pumpkin patch. He re
turned a few evenings later, his
two little brothers in tow, to help
The Farmer harvest them. They
rolled them one at a time in
to a garden cart. I returned from a
meeting to stumble my way
through the pumpkin patch on the
porch.
We nixed suggestions to sell the
giants in favor of the greater fun of
sharing them. The harvesting trio
claimed several. A niece has a
couple more. My mother-in-law’s
porch sports one of the giants, as
do the homes of employees and
friends.
We kept just one. It’s a near
perfect “pumpkin” shape, some 20
inches high, two feet-plus across
the middle, with a circumference
of more than six feet. In an earlier
life, it may have been Cinderella’s
coach. In this life, it will be our
Halloween pumpkin, perhaps with
glued-on facial features, and then
be converted into yet another life
as pies, cake and bread.
And in the spring it will live
again.
This baby should yield enough
seeds to cover the whole neigh
borhood in orange.
FREE with purchase of
Bassott or Sorts bodding
SPECIAL
$129.95
$159.95
$219.95
$279.95
CSJR C*S“ P°TE
$259 95
$309 95
$399 95
$519 95
OUR CASH PRICE $149.95
OUR CASH PRICE $lB9 95
OUR CASH PRICE $249.95
OUR CASH PRICE $299.95
'H* wrh ♦.'P •*
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 28, 1996-B3
Hershey Museum
Offers Children’s Classes
HERSHEY (Dauphin Co.)
The Hershey Museum is offering
seven fun-filled and educational
classes fo children throughout the
fall season. All classes will be
held at the museum and do require
advance registration. Registration
fees are listed with each class.
“MR. BOTTLE—BONES”
(Ages 9-10) Saturday, Oct. 26,
10-11:30 a.m. Make a life-size
skeleton just in time for Hallo
ween! Learn more about skeletons
and bones in this bone-shaking
class. Participants need to bring
nine clean 1-gallon plastic milk or
water jugs. $6 members, $9
nonmembers.
“KID POWERED” (Ages 5-7)
Saturday, Nov. 9, 10-11:30 a.m.
You don’t need batteries, just Kid
Power, for these games and toys
which have delighted and fasci
nated youngsters for centuries.
Learn games like clay marbles and
jacks, try your hand at other skill
games, and explore some special
old-time toys! $5 members, $8
nonmembers.
“MADE FROM MILK” (Ages
7-9) Saturday, Nov. 16. 10-11:30
a.m. Today, getting butter is easy
go to the grocery store and buy
it. But less than 100 years ago, that
rich spread for pancakes and bread
took much more time and energy.
This class explores butter making
using a variety of methods from
old to new. Of course, the tasting
is an important element also! $6
member. $9 nonmembers.
Storos in LANCASTER, YORK. CARLISLE • PA. MILFORD DEL. & ELKTON MD
[■■■l UflMfc} Cal Sloroa For Hour*
Imm BS N° Rotunda FINANCING AVAILABLE
mm No Exchangaa To purchaso by chock you must havo
HB Cash A Corry a phono numbor and drlvors boons*
v Not rwponSUs hr orofi W> rstarve to rtghtto subrttuts gift lions
“RAVEN’S WINGS AND
WHALES’ TALES” (Ages 4-6)
Saturday, Nov. 16, 10-11:00 a.m.
Bet you never thought the Her
shey Museum was a place to see
all types of critters! Explore the
Hershey Museum and all of the
different animals we have here.
This interactive class will feature
music and a make-and-take pro
ject that will delight the younger
children. $5 members, $8
nonmembers.
“SUGAR AND SPICES”
(Ages 4-6) Saturday, Dec. 14,
10-11:30 a.m. Just in time for the
holidays! Have fun creating batch
es of traditional cookies to take
home and share with friends and
family. Along the way you’ll learn
about measuring, mixing, cutting,
baking, cooperating and having
fun. $6 members, $9 nonmem
bers.
“COOKIE COTTAGES” (Ages
7 and up) Sunday, Dec. 15,1-2:15
p.m. Budding architects and build
ers will delight in constructing
their “one-of-a-kind” cottages
decorated with a bounty of color
ful candies and dusted with a coat
ing of powdered sugar snow. $ll
members, $l3 nonmembers.
Call (717) 534-3439 for more
information on any of these prog
rams. The Hershey Museum is a
non-profit, educational and cultur
al institution administered by the
M. S. Hershey Foundation and is
located at the west end of the Her
sheypark Arena.
3010 Hompltnd Road • Lancaster • 367-5241
Moa-Frt, 9AM - 9PM. SoL OAM • SPM 4 Sun 12Noon - SPM
Wo aro a ftvo chain rtoro not affiUatad with any othar stores
■n
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