Of course, the main business of the farm was apples. At one time they were the largest McIntosh apple grower in New England. They shipped quite a few boxes to England. I can remember the packing process, the boxes were different in those days--short and square. They started with two slats and a soft filler sheet then the first layer was put in with each apple in place a certain way. After the first layer, the rest were put in any way just to fill it solidly, then the bottom was nailed on and the box turned over. When it was opened, the top layer looked like perfection. I can remember the whole family in the apple barn packing apples. I can remember the flavor of those apples--there never was one to match it in the world. None of the apples we get today can come anywhere near to it.                        

To the right is a picture of the stencil used by

CT Wetherbee to ship his apples internationally.

     One of my favorite places on the farm was a spot in one of the fields--a rocky knoll really. There were a few trees, lots of rocks and plenty of places to curl up with a good book and read the afternoon away. In the summer the wild columbine grew there and it was fun to bite the bottom off and suck the nectar out. To me it was one of the prettiest places on the farm. I often go there now in my mind when I want to take my mind off pain or tiredness or just for the joy of going there again.

     I knew where all the things grew--in school I always won for having the most wild flowers that we had to press and bring to school. The white violets grew in the pine woods just over the wall on Mr. Barteau's land. The bird's foot violets grew on the pasture just below the Adams' house. The Concord grapes grew there too. Bluets grew all over the pastures and when I was small I picked them by the armful. Grandma would give me a basin and I'd fill it with flowers to take home. I wandered around the whole farm by myself when Junior wasn't there. I loved to be outdoors and there was plenty of room to wander at the farm.

     I remember riding in the back of the truck around the farm but especially to West Acton where we could coax whoever was driving to buy us an ice cream cone with jimmies on it at Roly Beach's Ice Cream Parlor. Kids today don't get that pleasure because it's against the law to ride in the back of a truck. But it was lots of fun in those days. I can remember hanging our feet off the back end and standing up at the back of the cab with the wind blowing our faces.

     One of the funny things I remember that happened at Walnut Farm was when electric fences first came in style. Uncle Ed had wired the fence all the men had installed and they were gathered together wondering who was going to touch it to see if it really worked. As they were talking, one of the barn cats walked up and with curiosity, put his nose on the bottom wire. He went straight up in the air with every hair on it's body standing up, turned around in the air and when he hit the ground, the tip of his tail touched the wire. He took off across the field running for all he was worth. He was back for his milk that night at milking time but whenever Uncle Leon or my father told the story they would say "and for all I know he is running yet."

     The two dogs they had when I was small were a pair of police dogs from the same liter although one was gray and one was brown. Their names were Jack and Boy Boy. Jack was kind of snippy and tended to snap so we children soon learned to leave him alone. But Boy Boy took all the loving, pulling and petting we could give him so it was with Boy we played and tumbled and ran. He was with us wherever we went on the farm. Jack stayed closer to home and he was always the watchdog.

     The farm was never locked, mostly because there was always someone there. The day Mary was married, the ceremony was at the church and the reception was back at the farm. So there was tons of food ready for such a festive occasion. When everyone wanted to go to the church they began to look for keys to lock the door. As no door had been locked for years - if ever - nobody knew where to look for one. Finally somebody found an old skeleton key that fit the door. Everyone was worried about someone getting in and stealing the food for the reception. Nobody even considered that the wedding presents were all there and they might be stolen. It was only the food they cared about.

Contact Diane Wetherbee at ddwbee@aol.com  for comments or information