Mrs. W. B. Winfrey ofWoodville wrote this account of

Mrs. W. B. Winfrey ofWoodville wrote this account of a day in the life of a small orchardist’s wife in April, 1965. The retired school teacher and wife of the principal at Rappahannock County High School meant her account to be a cautionary note to anyone planning to enter the orchard business.

April 14, up at 5:45. Breakfast for husband and breakfast for hired man, Jim. Husband off at 7:00 to get part for sprayer from dealer in auto parts six miles away. Husband back at 7:40 with part.

Two more men arrived at 7:00 to help with spraying. Wind blowing too hard for sprayer. We mount a search through all the tools and junk on the back porch for tiny strainers to use in the ends of the spray guns. Husband makes a phone call to Winchester after wife goes through ¥.„last year’s checks to find name and number of dealer there. He promises to put strainer parts in the mail today.

Three men begin sowing fertilizer by hand around the apple trees while waiting for wind to cease.

We begin spraying at 10:30 a.m. The spray enginge gets too hot. After a 20 minute wait, spraying starts again. Wife calls husband about engine trouble. Husband leaves to see mechanic whom he could not-reach by telephone. Mechanic makes recommendation which husband then phones to wife who transfers directions to men in orchard. Spraying continues until lunch, served promptly at noon on kitchen table— beef stew, mashed potatoes, beans, pickles, bread, blackberry roll and drink of choice (coffee, milk or cola).

Men leave. Chairs have to be scrubbed because of residue left from greasy, stained clothes worn while spraying. Dishes must be washed.

Down the hill comes Jim, announcing that they have lost some sort of pin out of the sprayer and are having to solder a spout on a can in order to put oil into something. Pin is found and all is well.

In comes Newt to disc garden—if orchardist’s wife can borrow H. B. Wood’s disc. Wife telephones. It’s okay. Newt is here one hour and gone.