Orson Clark-11/23/81 - Pg 8

Orson Clark: Just for their own use. We used to have different kinds of fruit.

Interviewer: What about the gardens? Did your family have much of a kitchen garden?

Orson Clark: When I was just a youngster, I remember the Clarks had a man by the name of John Tuck, and Englishman. In those days they used to bring them over and guarantee their employment.

John Tuck was Ezra T. Clark's gardener. I remember him as a boy. He used to raise the garden. That was his job, to raise the garden.

Interviewer: It was a communal garden for all the Clarks?

Orson Clark: It would be for the Clarks.

Interviewer: After Ezra T.'s death, did your family have a kitchen garden garden that your family would take care of?

Orson Clark: Yes. Yes, there was always a family garden.

Interviewer: What would you grow besides squash?

Orson Clark: Well, you laugh at the squash.

Interviewer: No, I love squash. I grow four or five varieties of squash, we love squash.

Orson Clark: We raised them for the livestock, for the cows.

Interviewer: We used to raise pumpkins for cows when I was a boy. We always had a milk cow and my father would plant quite a few pumpkins and I would feed pumpkins to the cows during the winter.

Orson Clark: Oh, that was a job. Right where this house is was in pumpkins for years. There were these big squash. Great big things.

Interviewer: What color were they, green?

Orson Clark: No, kind of a grayish.

Interviewer: I'll bet I know what they were. They become great big ones didn't they.

Orson Clark: Oh, yes.

Interviewer: Did your family ever exhibit livestock or anything at the County Fair?

Orson Clark: No, I don't think so.