AERIALS
This photo taken in the mid 40's,shows how the farm was planted in the spring. Tony, John and Frank had their own businesses and were farming their own parcels .Tony had the larger greenhouse in the middle of the farm and a smaller one at the top of the hill and double hotbeds on each side of his large greenhouse. By this time the hotbeds nearer the greenhouses were heated with steam pipes coming from the boiler rooms and through the greenhouses. John had a greenhouse and sash house forming an L in the center of the picture as well as hotbeds on either side. Frank had a sash house and hotbeds closest to the farmhouse and south of the barn which they all used to keep farm equipment ,horses sashes and sometimes chickens for family use . In the field closest to the Reservoir is probably a planting of celery for the early June market. The other fields look to be planted or ready to be planted with frost hardy plants such as lettuce , beets, or radishes. Inside the greenhouses were transplants of tomatoes, squash and cucumbers waiting to go out when the weather warmed up and probably a crop of greenhouse tomatoes or cucumbers .Workers, probably John and his sons ,can be seen in the center constructing cold frames and laying out sashes for a crop of celery .Monahan's farm can be seen across the street and Reeds dairy is to the left of the picture .Two unpaved roads lead to Bow Street and Rindge Ave. One through the back of the farm across Monroe Brook and the other circling the Arlington Reservoir .
This photograph taken about ten years later ,shows the farm in early summer around 1953.Most of the sashes have been put a way and hotbed crops are ready for harvest and soon to be replanted for summer and fall crops. Most of the fields are planted and some harvesting has been done. Some of the wetter areas have dried out and are being prepared to follow the early crops. Half-grown squash and tomatoes can be seen in the wider spaced rows on the lighter shaded soils. The darker soils with smaller row spacing is probably planted with celery in various stages of growth. The celery that was started under glass ,seen in the wider rows behind the truck at the bottom of the picture and in the L between the greenhouses on John's land, is in the process of being picked. The greenhouses are full of tomatoes and cucumbers probably ready for harvest. Reed's dairy barn can be seen at the top of the picture although they ceased operating years before. Tony bought some land from them and has a washroom and packing house on the dirt road that is to become Lillian road ten years later. Monahan's farm across Lowell street shows some activity although they sold some land on the newly named Haskell street and two new houses can be seen there.