Part 9

A. OBERNDORF, Centralia, Nemaha county: Have lived in Kansas nineteen years. Have an apple orchard of 4200 trees, from three to twenty years planted. I am told Ben Davis and Gano are the best apples for commercial purposes; for family use I would prefer Early Harvest, Red Astrachan, Duchess of Oldenburg, Maiden's Blush, Ben Davis, Winesap, and Rawle's Janet. I prefer hilltop with northern slope. I prefer one-year-old, switch-like trees, set 16x30 feet. I plant young orchards to corn, using double-shovel and diamond plow, and harrow; plant the bearing orchard to clover and cease cropping at five years. For rabbits I use paint during summer and wrap during winter. I also use paint for borers. I prune with shears and knife to secure an open center; do not think it beneficial. Never thin apples. I fertilize with barn-yard litter; it seems to benefit the trees and prolong their fruitfulness. Do not pasture my orchard. My old trees are affected with flathead borer and leaf-roller. The codling-moth trouble my apples. I sprayed three seasons; saw no benefit, so quit. I pick by hand, in a basket. I sort into three classes: First class, for market; second class, for immediate sale, and small ones, for cider. I usually sell at the nearest market. Best market is at home. Never dry any. I store for winter markets in cellar, in barrels, boxes, and in bulk, and am successful; find that the Winesap and Rawle's Janet keep best. We have to repack stored apples before marketing; sometimes lose more than at other times. Do not irrigate. Price has been fifty cents per bushel. I hire help at one dollar per day, or twenty dollars per month and board.

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P. M. HOWARD, Clyde, Cloud county: I have lived in Kansas twenty-six years; have an apple orchard of 450 trees. For market purposes I prefer Ben Davis, Winesap, Missouri Pippin, Rawle's Janet, and Jonathan; and for family orchard Ben Davis, Winesap, Early Harvest, Maiden's Blush, Jonathan, and Wealthy. Would prefer a deep loam soil, clay subsoil, if not too close to the top, and almost level. I prefer two-year-old, low-head trees with no forks, planted in furrows. I cultivate my orchard to corn planted east and west as long as I can, using the plow and cultivator shallow; and cease cropping when the trees so shade the crop that there is no profit; I grow clover or weeds in a bearing orchard, and mow and leave on the ground for a mulch. Windbreaks are essential; I would make them of Osage orange planted in rows 2x4 or 2x6 feet. For rabbits I wrap the trees with corn-stalks, and for borers I mulch and keep the trees growing. I prune my trees when planted; I think it beneficial. I never thin the fruit on the trees. I fertilize my orchard with anything of a coarse nature that is not easily disturbed; I would advise its use on all soils, unless very rich, deep clay soil; in such soil perhaps clean cultivation would be all that is necessary. I would add that my observations and experiences have taught me that the people of Kansas have lost millions of dollars from and through lack of knowing what we should have known. I think that the State Horticultural Society is doing a great and good work with _limited_ appropriations. I have never seen any one yet who read the reports from the horticultural department but what was in full sympathy with your labors, but wondered why more reports were not sent out. I think our legislators should be more wise; consequently, more liberal in their appropriations for the work and distribution of the same, not only to the farmers, but to people in towns and cities; their needs are in proportion as great as the farmers'.

As to the fruit business: On the southeast quarter of section 26, township 4, range 1, is one of the _best_ orchards I know of in Republic county (not the largest). It consists of about 450 apple trees, also peaches, cherries, pears, and grapes. Myself, little girls and wife planted it. I wish to tell you how every one of the different fruits have abundantly paid for labor and all cost, and left their owners a fair profit. The soil of this successful orchard is a black loam, upland prairie, clay subsoil; loam eighteen inches to two feet deep, previously cultivated in corn and potatoes, plowed, not listed. Lay of land: Two slight ridges; a wide draw; slope east and west. Trees more vigorous and bear as well in draw as on upland. Varieties: Ben Davis, Missouri Pippin, Jonathan, Winesap, Rawle's Janet, Maiden's Blush, mostly the first four. Planting: Distance, thirty by thirty feet, furrowed out with a fourteen-inch plow, running two furrows across each way. Cleaned out all loose dirt to make room for all roots to spread without turning up. The little girls held the trees, tops leaning to the southwest about five degrees. I covered the roots well, tramped firmly, and filled with loose earth. Leave furrows so as to hold water on upper side of tree. After all trees were out I gave each one a slight mulch of sorghum refuse. Cultivation: Crop always corn; rows running east and west. Rows far enough from trees so horses or singletrees would not touch them. Cultivate shallow, with one horse, and light plow with very short singletree. Pruned some. All limbs where cut off were painted. Cut close and smooth; wounds healed readily. Tried to prune so that air and sun would go through and not against the trees. Pinch off all water or tender sprouts.

To protect from rabbits and borers I stand corn-stalks running clear up to branches around body; tie at top and bottom; keep trees low, a little heavier on southwest side. I believe with thorough cultivation and stalk protection we would hear of less borers. All mulch was kept away from bodies of trees. I believe it all nonsense not to prune, but it should be done while they are young. My observation has been all my life that a well-balanced tree is longer lived, has more bushels of fruit, of better quality, smoother limbs and trunks. So I would say if you do not intend to protect the bodies of your young trees and prune do not buy or plant them; it does not do to sow oats, wheat, rye, millet or any grain crops in your orchard. It is an easy way to keep weeds down and a sure way to kill your orchard. It does not pay to pasture even with calves; chickens are at all times beneficial; hogs after your orchard has matured so the trees can resist the hog, when he rubs against them, which the hog is sure to do, and perhaps he will pull some of the lower limbs. I have never sprayed, but firmly believe it profitable. Next year I expect to plant out a new orchard and cultivate along the line of the one I have told about, with such help as I can get from the horticultural department.

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D. S. HAINES, Edwardsville, Wyandotte county: Has been in Kansas twenty-six years; has 3000 apple trees from two to twenty-five years old. Commercial varieties, Ben Davis, Missouri Pippin, Jonathan, and Willow Twig; and for family use, Early Harvest, Red Astrachan, Maiden's Blush, Jonathan, Grimes's Golden Pippin, Rawle's Janet, Celestia, and Winesap. Has tried and discarded Bellflower, Pennock, Baldwin, McAfee's Nonesuch and others for barrenness. Best location, hilltop, sandy loam with clay subsoil--any slope will do. Plants either in fall or spring, two-year-old thrifty trees, fifteen by thirty feet apart, a little deeper than they stood in the nursery. Grows corn, potatoes, cabbage, etc., well cultivated, among the trees, but not to crowd them, for five or six years. Uses a spading harrow where no crop is grown. After six years sows to clover. Needs no windbreaks in his section. Traps and shoots rabbits. Takes borers out with knife. Prunes very little; cuts out dead or broken limbs, as they are no good, and take up room. Never has thinned apples on the trees, but believes it would be all right. Sees no difference in fruitfulness if trees are in blocks of a kind or mixed up. Would use barn-yard litter, but not close to the trees; believes in it on all soils. Does not pasture, and thinks it would not pay. Is troubled with borers, tent-caterpillars, leaf-rollers, leaf-crumblers, and codling-moths. Never sprays. Picks in sacks. Packs in orchard, in twelve-peck barrels well pressed. Uses table for sorting (described elsewhere) and makes Nos. 1, 2 and 3 grades. Marks name of variety and own name on barrel head. Sells his best in car lots at wholesale, the culls to peddlers. Generally markets at Kansas City. Has tried distant markets and made it pay. Never dried any. Stores for winter in barrels in cold store; not always satisfactory; thinks the cold-storage business not yet fully understood; says Ben Davis and Jonathan keep best. Sometimes repacks, at a loss of one-tenth to one-sixth. Does not irrigate. Prices have ranged from two to five dollars per barrel. Paid last year one dollar per day to men who could do a good day's work.

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E. M. GRAY, Perry, Jefferson county: I have lived in Kansas forty years; my orchard of twenty acres has been planted twenty years. For market, I prefer Ben Davis and Jonathan on poor land; and Missouri Pippin and Winesap on rich land. For family orchard, Early Harvest, Red June, Winesap, Grimes's Golden Pippin, Missouri Pippin, and Huntsman's Favorite. Have tried and discarded Grimes's Golden Pippin, Lawver, Winesap, Missouri Pippin, and Huntsman's Favorite; they are not profitable, are too small when grown on poor land. I prefer yellow clay bottom, with an east, south or northern aspect. I prefer large, healthy, two-year-old trees, planted with a lister, subsoil plow, and spade. I cultivate my orchard to corn, small fruit, potatoes and nursery stock seven years, with a cutaway disc harrow, and cease cropping after eight years; I plant nothing in a bearing orchard. Windbreaks are essential; would make them of Russian mulberry, Osage orange, or cedars, by planting two rows of them on the south and west sides of the orchard. For rabbits I keep a shot-gun and dogs. I do not prune; don't think it beneficial. I do not thin my apples while on the tree, but think it would pay. My trees are in mixed plantings; my Ben Davis are fuller and redder planted close by Jonathan and Winesap. I do not fertilize my orchard, but think it would be beneficial, and would advise its use on all exhausted soils in old orchards. Do not pasture my orchard; would not advise it, don't think it would pay. My trees are troubled with flathead borers, and my apples with curculio. I do not spray. I dig borers out with a knife.

Pick my apples by hand; have light-weight men climb the trees and pick in meal sacks, then lay on tables. Sort into two classes: First, perfect, well colored, smooth, and good size; second, wormy, fair, and small size. Pack in three-bushel barrels, well rounded up; mark the variety of apples on the barrel with a stencil; haul to market on a hay-frame wagon. I sell in the orchard, wholesale, retail, and peddle; sell the best to highest bidder; sell the culls to driers or ship South or West. My best markets are where apples are scarcest. Do not dry any; it does not pay. Don't store any; I have to repack stored apples before marketing, losing about one-twelfth of them. Do not irrigate. Prices have been from $2 to $2.75 per barrel; dried apples, five cents per pound. I employ men at seventy-five cents per day. Apple-growing in Kansas, on high prairie land, is not very profitable to the grower, unless he has a good windbreak on south and west sides of his orchard. In 1880 I planted twenty acres of apples trees of many varieties; Ben Davis and Jonathan were the only ones that paid me on high land. In 1895 I planted thirty acres to apples; fifteen acres on upland and fifteen acres on second bottom, sloping east and north. On the upland I put nothing but Ben Davis and Jonathan; on the bottom I planted Ben Davis, Missouri Pippin, Mammoth Black Twig, Gano, Winesap, and Jonathan--cross-fertilizing the Ben Davis every fifth row with the Mammoth Black Twig, Jonathan, and Winesap. I believe that cross-fertilization is beneficial to an orchard in making fruit more plentiful, larger, smoother, better color and quality. It is believed by many that Ben Davis, Jonathan and Winesap are self-fertilizers, and don't require crossing; that being the case, they should have the cross near by, in order to not decrease the species or run it out. Professor Darwin says self-fertilization is abhorrent to nature, and the same rule that applies to small fruits is equally applicable to apples. Why not?

Fruits and premium awards are my best advertisers. I have succeeded in carrying off most of the awards in every show I exhibited at, and have premiums on file to show for some. All my fruits are set for cross-fertilization, and I shall continue to set that way. Many have said and will say they see no difference; perhaps they are not close observers, and have given the subject little study. I have given the subject twenty-five years' study and experience, and think I am not mistaken. I think there is more money to be made on our high upland in pears, small fruits, and stone fruits. They pay me better than apples. The Grimes's Golden Pippin would be a good apple to grow if the trees did not die after two or three crops. The Lawver apples fail to hang on the trees. The Missouri Pippin will not stand up on our high land unless surrounded by windbreaks; they look here like a Kansas cyclone had passed through them--the limbs all blew off last fall. Winesaps fall off badly, and are affected with bitter rot. For trial purposes, I recommend Mammoth Black Twig, Gano, and York Imperial.

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Dr. J. STAYMAN, Leavenworth, Leavenworth county: We came to Kansas thirty-nine years ago, and traveling over the eastern portion of the state selected Leavenworth as the most desirable point to commence tree and fruit-growing. We were then engaged in that business in Illinois, and had collected over 1000 varieties of apples, which we brought to Kansas; among them were nearly all the leading varieties then grown and many new and rare kinds of local reputation. Our object in making this collection was to grow them side by side, under the same conditions, to ascertain their value. In 1860 we set an orchard of a few hundred trees, consisting of about seventy varieties, two years old. Among them were Ben Davis, Winesap, York Imperial, Willow Twig, Rambo, Rawle's Janet, White Pippin, and Jonathan, and the leading apples generally grown, including summer and fall varieties. At the same time we set out about 1000 root grafts in a nursery. We then collected over 1000 more [scions] and top-grafted them [into standard trees], to get the fruit sooner. Over 1000 of these were received from the late Charles Downing. From this collection, and from specimens of fruit received, we have been able to accurately describe over 2200 varieties, with an outline cut of each, with seeds and core and all other characteristics. And to ascertain what effect climate had upon each variety, we kept an accurate meteorological record of the weather. This we furnished to the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C., for ten years. We also grew the leading varieties on an elevation 400 feet higher, and on various aspects not over two miles apart, and learned what effect elevation and aspect had upon the bearing quality of different varieties.

For commercial orchard I prefer Stayman, Winesap, York Imperial, Jonathan, and White Pippin. It will be noticed that in the commercial list we omitted Ben Davis, Missouri Pippin, Gano, and Willow Twig. These varieties are all productive and profitable, but we believe the time has come (or soon will be) that the public will demand something better, and to meet this demand we have made the change; but to those who do not believe in progress the above varieties will prove at least productive, if not so profitable as in the past. In making out the list of apples we have hesitated somewhat in heading the list with Stayman, not from any doubt about the apple, but from the fact that it is not generally known; but this objection can be made against any apple when first introduced. The following is the description we gave twenty-one years ago in our fruit notes: "Fruit large, heavy, form oblate conic, regular; color greenish yellow; mostly covered, splashed and striped with dark red; flesh yellow, firm, fine, tender, juicy, rich, mild, aromatic, subacid; quality good to best; season January to May. Seedling of Winesap; bore the ninth year from the seed." After fruiting this apple over twenty years we can add the following: It is a strong grower, has a darker leaf, is a better bearer, hangs on the tree better, is of larger size, is of much better quality, and will keep better than Winesap. Charles Downing gave a similar description of this apple in his appendix. [Stayman Winesap.] R. J. Black, of Ohio, one of the best-posted pomologists, who has fruited it for years, puts it at the head of both the commercial and family lists, and says: "It has all the qualities of the Winesap without any of its faults." Prof. H. E. Van Deman, who has fruited it and seen it fruited in Delaware, puts it at the head of the list, and writes in respect to the change of name: "Stayman (apple) is worth almost a lifetime to produce." "Now, I have been so impressed with its coming value and popularity, that I have thought it ought to be shortened in name to _Stayman_." J. W. Kerr, of Delaware, says: "It is superior to its parent, the Winesap, in size, color, flavor, and keeping quality. The tree is more vigorous in growth. After several years' fruiting, I have no hesitation in saying it is the finest all-round winter apple that has come under my notice." Professor Heiges writes us about the same in substance. Prof G. H. Powell, of the Delaware Experiment Station, says: "In quality it equals the Northern Spy, and is in season from October to May." We could give many quotations of equal value from _Rural New Yorker_, _Green's Fruit Grower_, and _National Stockman and Farmer_.

Since writing the above we find the following in the last-named paper of May 26: "One variety, Stayman, mentioned frequently in these columns, a seedling raised by our correspondent, Dr. J. Stayman, of Kansas, from the old Winesap, receives special commendation. It is remarkable that, in the wide section of country between Kansas and Delaware, in Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Missouri, wherever this variety has been tried, it has developed the same excellences of size, quality, and keeping, as well as of vigor and productiveness. Lovers of choice apples will not fail to make a note of this." Winesap we place second on the list, after a fair trial of over thirty-five years side by side with Ben Davis. Give it good soil and high cultivation and but few apples will excel it. York Imperial we place third. It is not of the highest quality, but it is better than Ben Davis, and will keep in a common cellar, and command a high price. It is very productive in alternate years, and a hardy tree. Although we introduced this apple into the state thirty-eight years ago, yet its commercial value is scarcely known. Jonathan, perhaps, should stand at the head of the list for its great beauty, fine quality, and productiveness; but it matures so early, drops so badly, keeps so poorly, and requires so much care in handling, that we hesitate doing so. It is, however, a very profitable apple when well handled, and cannot be omitted, as no other in its season equals it. White Pippin: This apple of unknown origin and seldom mentioned should be better known, as it is far superior to the famous Newtown or Albemarle Pippin of the same type. We have had it in bearing on high and low land as long as any other apple, and find it very productive in alternate years, of the best quality, and bringing the best price. It keeps better, drops less, is of larger size, equal in quality, and will bring as high a price, where known, as the Jonathan. In a commercial orchard there should be few, if any, fall or summer varieties, unless favorably located; they should be of the best shipping and market varieties, as Early Ripe, Duchess of Oldenburg, Orange Pippin, Cooper's Early White, Jefferis, Muster, and Dr. Watson. These are all early bearers, very productive and salable, and of fine quality for table or kitchen. Those best for a family orchard are Stayman, Winesap, Jonathan, White Pippin, Mason's Orange, Summer Extra, Garretson's Early, Summer Pearmain, Early Joe, Jefferis, Early Ripe, Duchess of Oldenburg, Dr. Watson, Muster, and Wagener; and for sweet apples there are none better than Broadwell, Ramsdell, Superb, Baltzby, and Mountaineer.

All these apples are early bearers, productive, and fine for family use, and we cannot well discard any; but eight or ten trees, of summer and fall varieties together, are enough to supply the largest family. It is better, however, to plant one of each variety, that we may have a succession of fruit throughout the season; also, if one variety should fail, others might not. It would require a very long list to name all we have tried and discarded, but we will name some: Rawle's Janet we reject, as it runs too small and cracks badly; Ben Davis, Missouri Pippin, Willow Twig, Gano, Arkansas Black and Mammoth Black Twig are all productive, but of poor quality; Maiden's Blush, Lowell, Porter, Rome Beauty, Western Beauty, Fulton, Trenton Early, Cole's Quince, and many others, because they ripen too irregularly and drop too badly. The White Winter Pearmain, Lawver, McAfee and Kansas Keeper blight badly and are not sure bearers; Early Harvest and Red Astrachan are not hardy; Summer Rose, Early Strawberry and Benoni are fine, but too small; Primate, Chenango and Gulley of Pennsylvania are too tender to handle; Smith's Cider, Hay's Wine, Fallawater, Scott's Best and Nonpareil Russet are productive, but ripen early and are not profitable. Many Southern winter varieties are too small, such as Haley, Gully, Kittageskee, and Harris. Few if any Eastern winter apples are of any value here, as Northern Spy, Baldwin, Canada Red, Swaar, Sutton Beauty and Melon all ripen too early, and become poor, dry, fall apples. It is the same with all Northern apples, from whatever source or locality. It is a mistake to think we can find a winter apple adapted to Kansas that originated north of Kansas, under a lower mean temperature. This we have fully demonstrated beyond the possibility of a doubt.