Part 27

G. W. RHODES, Lowe, Chautauqua county: I have lived in Kansas twenty-two years. Have an orchard of 500 apple trees from five to twenty years old. For market I prefer Ben Davis and Jonathan, and for family orchard Ben Davis, Ortley, Maiden's Blush, and Grimes's Golden Pippin. Have tried and discarded Lawver, King and Baldwin on account of shy bearing. I prefer hilltop, with deep loam, limestone soil, and clay subsoil, with northeast slope. I prefer straight one-year-old trees, with plenty of roots, set in squares of twenty-five feet. I cultivate my orchard to corn or potatoes while the trees are small, using a plow and cultivator, and cease cropping after ten years; plant nothing in a bearing orchard. Windbreaks are not essential, but would be beneficial; would make them of evergreens. For borers I wash the trunks of small trees with carbolic acid and strong soap-suds. I prune to thin the tops, so I can get in to gather the apples; it pays. I have thinned the fruit while on the trees, but not lately; haven't time; but think it pays. My trees are planted in rows, each variety by itself. I fertilize my orchard with barn-yard litter while I am cultivating; when the trees get larger I mow the grass and weeds and let lay as a mulch, and afterwards as a manure; this is all needed. Never have pastured the orchard, but think hogs with rings in their noses would be a benefit. My apples are troubled with codling-moth. I spray after the blossom falls with arsenates, for all kinds of insects that come early, especially the codling-moth; think I have reduced them. I pick my apples by hand from a ladder, bench, or get into the tree. We sort into two grades, large and small; sell them in the orchard to people from the west and Oklahoma, who haul them off in wagons. We have a great many dried apples, dried by the neighbors on shares; we find a ready market for them. I am quite successful in storing apples in bulk in a cave arched over with stone. Ben Davis, Winesap and Missouri Pippin keep best. Prices have been from twenty-five to sixty cents per bushel in the fall, and from $1 to $1.50 in the winter.

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JASON HELMICK, Cloverdale, Chautauqua county: Has lived in Kansas twenty-seven years. For all commercial purposes he prefers Missouri Pippin and Winesap, and adds a few summer and fall varieties for family use. Has tried and discarded Bellflower, because the fruit drops off, and Ben Davis, because it cannot stand heat and drought--the trees decay early. He prefers north or northeast slope, bottom land, with a deep, porous soil, the more porous the better. He pastures his orchard with horses, cattle, and hogs, and thinks it advisable if done with care; it pays. His trees are troubled with tent-caterpillar, flat-headed borer, and leaf-roller, which do little damage. His greatest drawback is drought and heat. He does not spray, and cuts borers out in August or earlier, and kills the caterpillars. Picks his apples by hand. Never sells them in the orchard; raises mostly for home use. Stores some in boxes in a cellar. Does not irrigate. Marketable apples usually sell for twenty-five cents per bushel.

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J. W. GOODELL, Sedan, Chautauqua county: Have lived in Kansas fifteen years; have an orchard of 200 trees, which are nine years old. For a commercial orchard I would plant Ben Davis, Winesap, and Missouri Pippin; and for a family orchard would add Early Harvest. Have tried and discarded Lowell and Yellow Bellflower as too tender for the climate. I prefer bottom land having a black, sandy loam, and a northern slope, and plant one-year-old trees, thirty by thirty feet. I cultivate with a disc, and am still cultivating, growing corn in the orchard for nine or ten years. Windbreaks are essential. I would make them of natural oak if possible. For borers and rabbits I use concentrated lye and lath jackets. I prune my trees with a saw and shears, and think it pays and is beneficial. I never thin apples while on the trees, and have never fertilized. Do not pasture my orchard. My trees are troubled with canker-worm, tent-caterpillar, root aphis, fall web-worm, and leaf-roller, and my apples with codling-moth and gouger. I spray for canker-worm and all other insects before and after the foliage appears, and think I have reduced the codling-moth. I dig the borers out with a wire and wash the tree with lye. Pick my apples into baskets, and sort into firsts, seconds, and culls. I sell in the orchard, and make cider of the culls. Do not dry any. I store some for winter market in a cave. Do not irrigate. Prices have been from forty cents to one dollar per bushel.

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A. D. CHAMBERS, Hartford, Lyon county: Have been in Kansas thirty-two years. Have 3500 apple trees; 1500 of them have been planted twenty-five years; 2000 of them six years. I prefer for market Ben Davis, Missouri Pippin, and Winesap, and for family orchard would add Early Harvest, Red Astrachan, Maiden's Blush, and Rambo. Have discarded Yellow Bellflower because it won't bear; Milam, because it is too small; Rawle's Janet, off on color. Only a few varieties should be in a commercial orchard. I prefer bottom land; mine slopes to the north. Any soil is good, either clay or loam. I would set thrifty two-year-old trees in furrows. I have raised thousands of root grafts in the nursery, growing my own seedlings to graft on. I cultivate in corn until they begin to show fruit, then in millet twice; I have never cultivated the orchard without a crop. When the ground gets bad, break it up and put in millet to shade the ground. I have never used any windbreaks; plant my trees close, to protect each other from the wind. I use axle grease for rabbits, and have had very little trouble with borers. I prune in the early years to shape the tree; later, to remove surplus wood, and think it increases the size of the apple. I believe stable litter is beneficial; I have applied it only on heavy clay soil. I pasture my orchard to a slight extent with horses and cows. I do not gather the down apples, but let my stock gather them. I have sprayed with London purple for canker-worm and tent-caterpillar; I use a barrel and a wagon, from first of May on, and am only partially successful; I think I have reduced the codling-moth some. I pick with baskets and wagons, and pile the apples in the orchard. I sort into three classes--first, shipping; third, culls; second, betweens. As I sell to shippers at wholesale, I put in the first class as small ones as the contract will allow; the second class includes all that look salable, and I sell them in the home markets; I sell what culls I can, and make cider of the others. I do not ship any. My apples mostly go south. I tried shipping once, but it did not pay. I do not dry any, nor store any for winter. Have never irrigated. Prices vary from 20 cents to $1.25 per bushel, according to variety, time of year, etc. I use men and women for picking, and pay three cents per bushel.

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B. RONEY, Benedict, Wilson county: Have lived in Kansas since the fall of 1869; have 1400 apple trees, planted from six to twenty-seven years. For market I prefer Baldwin, Winesap, Missouri Pippin, Jonathan, Ben Davis; for family, Red June, Maiden's Blush, Winesap, Rawle's Janet, and Jonathan. I have discarded the Russets (the fruit is inferior), and Bellflower (the trees are not hardy). I prefer north-slope upland with deep limestone soil and clay subsoil. I plant thrifty three-year-old, not overgrown trees with good heads, thirty feet east and west, twenty feet north and south, to protect from the wind. I set in the spring, in a rye-field or stubble ground, running out furrows and putting in with a spade. I cultivate with a small stirring plow with one horse, for the furrows next the tree. I grow corn until the trees should bear, and then change to red clover, and mow to keep the weeds down. I believe windbreaks are essential, but care should be taken not to have many soft-wood trees near the orchard to breed insects. An elevation on the south or southwest will be found beneficial. For rabbits, wrap in the winter; for borers, wash with lime in the spring. Keep out all watersprouts; thin the top of the tree, so that the sun may penetrate; balance the top; cut out the center shoot--it pays. After trees begin to bear I would fertilize with stable litter. Hogs are good in the orchard in the spring to destroy insects, but should not be allowed to root much. I spray with London purple and Paris green when in full bloom [how about bees?], and again in ten days, and give a third spray a few days after, if any insects are on the trees. We have a good home market. For winter I find that Rawle's Janet and Romanite keep the best. Prices have ranged from forty to seventy-five cents per bushel.

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GEO. HILDRETH, Altamont, Labette county: Have lived in Kansas twenty-nine years; have an orchard of 1225 trees, from ten to twenty-seven years old. For commercial orchard prefer Ben Davis, Missouri Pippin and Jonathan for winter, and Early Harvest and Red June for summer; for family use I prefer Early Harvest, Maiden's Blush, Rambo, Missouri Pippin, and Jonathan. Have tried and discarded Golden Russet and many others. I prefer a porous or well-drained soil, north by northeast slope; it is too hot in bottom, and too dry on hilltop. I plant two-year-old trees in rows running north and south, trees twelve to sixteen feet apart in the row; have grown very few seedlings. I cultivate with corn while young, and rye or wheat and keep it pastured down when bearing. I plow between rows once in fore part of July. I have a tall hedge for windbreak. I prune to keep the top balanced, and do not allow it to get too thick; I think it has been beneficial. Have never thinned apples on the trees. My trees are in mixed plantings, the varieties are Missouri Pippin, Ben Davis, and others. I fertilize sometimes, I think it beneficial and would advise it on poor land. I pasture my orchard with hogs and sheep, and think it advisable; it pays. Have some insects but not in great quantity. I spray with London purple after the bloom falls off--one pound of London purple in from 50 to 100 gallons of water. Think I have reduced the number of codling-moth. In picking I use a sack swung over the shoulder, and a light ladder. I classify to suit the purchaser, doing the sorting in a cool place and usually packing the best in barrels, and sell at wholesale, often in the orchard; feed the culls to hogs; never tried distant markets. I sometimes store for winter market in barrels and keep in cave surrounded with hay; am not always successful. I find those that keep best are Little Romanite, Rawle's Janet, Ben Davis, and Missouri Pippin; never tried artificial cold-storage. Seldom have to repack stored apples before marketing; lose about one-fourth. The prevailing price this year has been fifty to seventy-five cents per bushel.

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A. S. DENNISON, Columbus, Cherokee county: Have lived in Kansas thirty-one years; have an apple orchard of 200 trees, fourteen years old. I prefer for commercial purpose Ben Davis, Winesap, and Missouri Pippin; and for family use Red June and Early Harvest. I prefer bottom land, with black loam, gravel subsoil, and northeast slope. I prefer one-year-old trees, set sixteen feet at first; thin to thirty-two feet. I cultivate my young orchard with potatoes and strawberries for ten years, then sow to clover, plowing again in two years; I never cease cropping; cultivate with plow, disc, and harrow. I wrap the trees for rabbits. I prune with a saw and knife, and think it beneficial. I never thin apples. I fertilize my orchard with stable litter, but would not advise it on all soils. I pasture my orchard with hogs and calves, and think it advisable, and that it pays. My trees are troubled with tent-caterpillar, and my apples with codling-moth. I spray for codling-moth with London purple and Paris green immediately after the blossoms fall, and again in ten days. I think I have reduced the codling-moth. I dig borers out. I pick my apples from a ladder in a basket. I sort into three classes--sound, medium, and small and unsound. I pack in barrels carefully, and haul to shipping point in spring wagon. I sell in orchard; also wholesale, retail, and peddle; market most of them at home; make vinegar of the culls. My best market is home. Never dry any. I store some for winter in barrels in cellar; am not always successful; Ben Davis keeps best. I have to repack stored apples before marketing, and lose about ten per cent. Do not irrigate. Prices have been from twenty-five cents to one dollar per bushel. I employ men at one dollar per day.

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D. C. SEIBERT, Columbus, Cherokee county: Has been in Kansas twenty-two years, and has an orchard from five to twenty years old. For commercial purposes he prefers Ben Davis and Limber Twig, and for the family adds Maiden's Blush. Prefers dark soil with a low southern slope, if not wet. Prefers two-year-old trees set about thirty feet apart. Cultivates with a disc harrow until four or five years old. Grows corn for five or six years. Thinks windbreaks essential; would make them of Osage orange all around the orchard. Prunes his trees, and thinks it beneficial, and that it pays. Does not thin apples on the trees; says the wind does that for him. Fertilizes his trees while young with stable litter, and would advise it on all soils. Pastures his orchard with calves and hogs, and thinks it advisable, and that with the hogs it pays. His trees are troubled with bark-louse and leaf-roller, and his apples with codling-moth. He sprays his trees with London purple, and thinks he has reduced the codling-moth; for borers, and other insects not affected by spraying, he throws salt over the roots of the trees. Picks his apples by hand. Wholesales, retails and peddles them. His best markets are in his county; has never tried distant markets. Does not dry any. Is successful in storing apples in bulk in a cave for winter markets, the Limber Twig and Rawle's Janet keeping best; has never tried artificial cold storage. Does not irrigate. Prices have been from forty to sixty-five cents per bushel.

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JOHNSON KELLER, Arkansas City, Cowley county: Have lived in Kansas for twenty-one years. Have 2000 apple trees fourteen years old. I grow for market Ben Davis, Missouri Pippin, and Smith's Cider. For family orchard I prefer Early Harvest, Maiden's Blush, Cooper's Early White, Ben Davis, and Missouri Pippin. I have discarded Gennetting, Winesap, Rambo, Red Astrachan, and many others that were worthless in this locality. I prefer second bottom, dark sandy loam, with north and east aspect. I plant two-year-old trees thirty feet apart, in holes four feet square, dug one foot too deep, and filled up with surface soil. I cultivate thoroughly as long as the orchard lives, with stirring plow and disc, and crop with corn as long as it will even make fodder, or until the trees shade the ground too much to raise anything. For small orchards I would recommend a windbreak of Osage orange set far enough apart on the south to grow in the shape of trees. For rabbits I use nothing but corn-stalks tied around the trees. I prune in moderation to keep the trees low; much pruning will kill trees in this locality. I thin apples some on the trees, at any time after they are the size of hickory-nuts. I find the best pollinators are a good apiary of bees. I believe in using plenty of stable litter well mixed with potash, but in moderation near the trees. Nothing except hogs should be allowed in an orchard. They destroy nearly all the insects. I spray for canker-worm as soon as they begin to hatch, and believe I reduced the codling-moth fifty per cent. last spring. For borers I wash the bodies of the trees early in spring and twice in May with soft soap and lime. For picking I use a long-handled device of my own invention, and sort into two classes: No. 1, best and largest; No. 2, medium. One week after they are put in the packing-house we pack in barrels, with hay or straw between the layers. We market our best apples and sell our second and third grades at home, and make all culls into cider and vinegar. Have tried distant markets, but did not generally pay. Never dried any. We store for winter in a fruit house and cave, in barrels, and are successful. Our best keepers have been Missouri Pippin and Winesap. Our loss on winter apples runs from three to five per cent. Prices in the fall, twenty-five to forty cents; in winter, 75 cents to $1.25 per bushel. For help we use common laborers at from seventy-five cents to one dollar per day.

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WM. N. SMITH, Brownsville, Chautauqua county: I have lived in Kansas twenty-eight years. I have an apple orchard of fifty trees twenty years old and twelve inches in diameter. For commercial purposes I prefer Ben Davis, Missouri Pippin, and Winesap, and for family orchard I would add Maiden's Blush and Bellflower. I prefer bottom land, black, sandy loam, with a clay bottom and a north slope. I plant my trees thirty-six feet each way. I plant my orchard to corn and potatoes, using a disc, and plant tame grass in a bearing orchard, and cease cropping when they begin to bear. Windbreaks are essential. I would make them of Osage orange, and would surround the orchard with a fence of the same. I prune to keep the limbs from rubbing, and I think it pays. I do not thin the fruit while on the trees. My trees are in mixed plantings. I do not fertilize my orchard; am on bottom land, which does not need it, but think it would be beneficial on some soils. I pasture my orchard with hogs, but do not think it advisable; it does not pay. My trees are troubled with canker-worm, tent-caterpillar, flathead borer, roundhead borer, twig-borer, and leaf-roller. I spray with Paris green and London purple when the worms are at work on the leaves. I dig borers out. I hand-pick my apples in baskets from ladders, and sort into two classes--large and perfect in number one, small and perfect in number two; the balance for cider. I pack in barrels filled full, and mark with the grade; then haul to market in a wagon. I make the culls into cider. Coffeyville is my best market. I dry some and find a ready market for them; it pays. I am successful in storing apples in bulk in a cellar, and find Ben Davis, Missouri Pippin and Winesap keep best. Prices have been about fifty cents per bushel; dried apples, five cents per pound.

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C. E. HILDRETH, secretary Altamont Horticultural Society, Altamont, Labette county: I have lived in Kansas twenty-seven years. I have an apple orchard of 15,000 trees eight years old, five inches in diameter, and prefer Ben Davis, Jonathan and Missouri Pippin for market; and for family use Early Harvest, Red June, Jonathan, Maiden's Blush, Winesap, and Missouri Pippin. I prefer gray or red soil, porous subsoil, with an eastern slope. I set first-class, two-year-old, well-branched trees, in large furrows, deeply plowed out, twenty feet north and south, and thirty-two feet east and west. For six years I grow corn in the orchard, cultivating well; after that nothing. I plow shallow, and disc or harrow until midsummer as often as the weeds start. I cultivate as long as the trees live. To protect from rabbits I use sixteen-inch lath woven with four strands of wire. I prune, to allow only three or four main branches. I believe in fertilizer, and would use it if I had it. I think pasturing in the orchard advisable, with young cattle or hogs, and that it pays. Am troubled some with canker-worm, tent-caterpillar, and codling-moth; for these I spray with London purple, using a tank, with a pump run by a sprocket and chain, from a wagon wheel. I believe I have reduced the codling-moth by spraying. We pick in a sack over the shoulder, as used in sowing oats. I sort only into first class and culls, as emptied by the pickers on canvas-covered tables. I use eleven-peck barrels, marking the name of variety and quality. Sell only at wholesale, making cider of the culls. Have shipped to distant markets, but it did not pay. Have never dried any, but think I ought to.

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J. S. HACKNEY, Walton, Harvey county: Have lived in Kansas twenty-seven years. Have an orchard of 325 apple trees twenty-four years old, eight to sixteen inches in diameter. For commercial orchard I prefer Ben Davis, Winesap, Snow, Maiden's Blush, Huntsman's Favorite, and Grimes's Golden Pippin, and would plant the same for family orchard. Have tried and discarded Winter Strawberry and Paradise Pippin for shy bearing. I prefer high land, rich subsoil, with north slope. I prefer two-year-old grafts, the more fibrous roots the better. I checked my land to corn and then dug out the hill of corn where tree was to stand. I raise my own root grafts. I cultivate my young orchard with corn, wheat, and oats, using disc and smoothing harrow. I plant a bearing orchard to clover, and cease cropping when the limbs interfere with work. I think windbreaks are essential, and would make them of rapid-growing forest-trees. To protect the trees from rabbits, I wash them with blood and liver and tie up. I prune while young to shape and balance the top, and think it beneficial. I never thin apples. I fertilize with barn-yard litter and wood ashes. I pasture my orchard with hogs and young cattle; think it advisable, and that it pays.

My trees are troubled with tent-caterpillar; my fruit with codling-moth, curculio, and gouger. I spray for the above-named insects after the blossom has fallen and until apples are as large as quail eggs. I think I have reduced the codling-moth. For the insects not affected by spraying I wash with soap and strong lye. I spray with London purple, Paris green, and kerosene emulsion. We pick apples by hand and are careful not to bruise them. I sort into two classes; the small and defective go to the chickens. I generally retail my apples toward spring; sell second and third grades wherever I can; make cider of culls. My best markets are home and Newton. Do not dry any for market. I store 300 or 400 bushels of apples in a cellar 32x32 feet, cemented sides and bottom, with plenty of windows and doors for ventilation; am fairly successful; Ben Davis and Winesap keep best. I have to repack them before marketing. I do not irrigate. Prices have been 40 cents to $1.75 per bushel. I employ ordinary farm hands at $200 per year.