Chapter 6

A very celebrated Canada fruit (probably an old French variety), which has its name from the snow-white color of its flesh, or, as some say, from the village from whence it was first taken to England. It is an excellent, productive, autumn apple, and is especially valuable in northern latitudes. Tree moderately vigorous, round-headed, hardy. Young shoots reddish brown. Fruit of medium size, roundish, somewhat flattened. Skin with a ground of pale, greenish yellow, mixed with faint streaks of pale red on the shady side, but marked with blotches and short stripes of darker red, and becoming a fine, deep red in the sun. Stalk quite slender, half an inch long, planted in a narrow, funnel-shaped cavity. Calyx small, and set in a shallow, rather narrow basin. Flesh remarkably white, very tender, juicy, and with a slight perfume. Very good. Ripe in October and November. A regular bearer and a handsome dessert fruit. There is a variety under the name Striped Fameuse, claimed to be distinct, the fruit being more striped and less highly colored.

AUTUMN STRAWBERRY.

_Synonym_: Late Strawberry.

Origin, Aurora, N. Y., on lands formerly owned by Judge Phelps. Tree vigorous, upright, spreading, hardy. Young wood smooth, reddish brown; a regular and early bearer. Fruit medium, roundish, inclined to conic, sometimes obscurely ribbed. Color whitish, striped and splashed with light and dark red, and often covered with a thin bloom. Stalk rather long, slender, curved. Cavity large, deep, slightly russeted. Basin abrupt, corrugated. Flesh yellowish white, tender, juicy, pleasant, vinous subacid. Very good. October to December.

GILPIN.

_Synonyms_: Carthouse, Small Romanite, Gray Romanite, Roman Knight, Romanite of the West, and Little Romanite.

A handsome cider fruit, from Virginia, which is also a good table fruit from February to May. A very hardy, vigorous and fruitful tree. Fruit of medium size, roundish, oblong. Skin very smooth and handsome, richly streaked with deep red and yellow. Stalk short, deeply inserted. Calyx in a round, rather deep basin. Flesh yellow, firm, juicy, and rich, becoming tender and sprightly in the spring. Good.

MILAM.

_Synonyms_: Harrigan, Winter Pearmain, Blair, and Thomas.

Origin uncertain; much grown in some sections of the West; very productive, and keeps well. Fruit medium or below, roundish, greenish, shaded and striped with red. Flesh rather firm, pleasant subacid, not rich. Good. December to March.

LIMBER TWIG.

_Synonym_: James River.

An apple much cultivated South and West. Origin, supposed North Carolina. Tree hardy and productive, roundish, spreading, somewhat drooping. Fruit medium or above, roundish oblate, inclining to conic, greenish yellow, shaded and striped with dull crimson, and sprinkled with light dots. Stalk of medium length, inserted in a broad, deep cavity, surrounded by thin, green russet. Calyx closed, set in a small, uneven basin. Flesh whitish, not very tender, juicy, with a brisk, subacid flavor. Good. January to April.

BENONI.

This excellent early apple is a native of Dedham, Mass. The tree is of vigorous, upright, spreading habit; hardy and productive; light, reddish brown. It is a valuable variety for market or table use. Fruit rather below medium size. Form roundish, oblate conical. Color pale yellow, shaded, striped and marbled with dark crimson, and thinly sprinkled with bright dots. Stalk short, slender. Cavity deep, russeted. Calyx closed. Segments persistent, sometimes a little recurved. Basin abrupt, quite deep, somewhat uneven. Flesh yellow, juicy, tender, pleasant subacid. Core small. Very good. August.

ORTLEY.

_Synonyms_: Ortley Pippin, Woolman's Long, Greasy Pippin, White Bell-flower, Van Dyne, Melting Pippin, Yellow Pippin, Woodward's Pippin, Davis White Bellflower, White Bellflower, White Detroit, Hollow-cored Pippin, Green Bellflower, Jersey Greening, Crane's Pippin, Inman, Tom Woodward's Pippin, Marrow Pippin, Ohio Favorite, Willow-leaf Pippin, White Pippin, Detroit, Davis, Warren Pippen, Golden Pippin, White Seek-no-further, and Tod's Golden Pippin.

Origin, orchard of Michael Ortley, South Jersey. It grows pretty strongly, with upright, slender shoots, and bears abundantly. Fruit medium to large, roundish, oblong conic, greenish yellow, becoming fine yellow at maturity, sometimes with a sunny cheek. Stalk slender, of medium length, inserted in a deep, acute cavity, surrounded by russet. Calyx closed, set in an abrupt, somewhat corrugated basin. Flesh white, fine grained, tender, juicy, subacid, very pleasant. Good to very good. Core large. November to February.

STAYMAN'S SUMMER.

Originated on the grounds of Dr. J. Stayman, Leavenworth, Kan. Tree hardy, vigorous, spreading, irregular, tough, wiry, droops like a weeping willow with ropes of fruit, never breaking a limb. An early bearer and very productive, very nearly equal to Benoni and Summer Pearmain, and handsomer. Fruit medium, round, regular, approaching conic; skin smooth, greenish yellow, splashed and striped with red and purple, covered with a white bloom; dots small, gray, scattered. Stem medium, rather slender. Cavity narrow, deep, irregular, russeted. Eye very small, closed. Basin narrow, shallow, furrowed. Core small, slightly open. Flesh greenish white, very juicy, brittle, sprightly, high flavored, mild acid. Very good. Use: Kitchen, table, and market. August and September. (_Western Pomologist._)

STAYMAN'S WINESAP.

A seedling of the Winesap, originated with Dr. J. Stayman, Leavenworth, Kan. We give his description: "Tree very vigorous, open, irregular, spreading. Wood very dark; dark heavy foliage. An early and very abundant bearer. Tree much in appearance like the Winesap. Fruit hangs well on the tree. Fruit medium to large, heavy, oblate conical, regular, greenish yellow, mostly covered and indistinctly splashed, mixed and striped with dark, dull red; dots medium, numerous, distinct gray. Stem of medium length, slender. Cavity wide, deep, much russeted, extending, regular. Calyx large, open, or half closed. Segments large, erect. Basin rather narrow, abrupt, deep, furrowed. Core medium. Flesh yellow, firm, tender, juicy, rich, mild subacid, aromatic. Quality best. Season January to May."

GARRETTSON'S EARLY.

_Synonyms_: Somerset Harvest.

Originated on the farm of John Garrettson, Somerset, N. J. Tree vigorous, upright, spreading, productive. Young wood brown, slightly downy. Fruit medium, roundish conic, yellowish, thickly covered with light specks. Stalk short. Cavity deep, acute. Calyx closed, in a small, abrupt, furrowed basin. Flesh white, tender, juicy, brisk subacid. Good; valuable for cooking. September.

EARLY SUMMER PEARMAIN.

_Synonym_: American Summer Pearmain.

A rich, highly flavored fruit, much esteemed where it is known. It appears to be quite different from the Summer Pearmain (of the English), and is probably a seedling raised from it. It ripens gradually from the 10th of August to the last of September. Tree moderately vigorous, with slender branches, round headed. Young shoots dull, reddish brown. Fruit of medium size, oblong, widest at the crown, and tapering slightly to the eye. Skin red, spotted with yellow in the shade, but streaked with livelier red and yellow on the sunny side. Stalk three-fourths of an inch long, and pretty deeply inserted. Eye deeply sunk. Calyx closed. Segments short, erect. Basin abrupt, slightly corrugated. Flesh yellow, remarkably tender, with a rich and pleasant flavor. It often bursts when falling from the tree. Quality best. Core medium.

EARLY JOE.

Origin, orchard of Herman Chapin, Ontario county, New York. Tree of slow growth, productive; requires high culture for fair fruit. Fruit below medium, oblate, very slightly conic, smooth, yellowish, shaded and striped with red, and thickly sprinkled with greenish spots. Stalk of medium length, inserted in a large cavity surrounded by russet. Calyx closed. Basin moderate. Flesh whitish, tender, juicy, with a very agreeable vinous flavor. Best. Ripe middle of August to middle of September.

JEFFERIS.

Origin, Chester county, Pennsylvania. Growth medium, very productive. A fair and handsome fruit, of excellent quality, in use all of September. Young wood light, reddish brown, smooth. Fruit medium, oblate, inclined to conic, yellow, shaded and splashed with crimson, and thickly covered with large whitish dots. Stalk very short, inserted in a rather large cavity. Calyx closed, set in a round, open basin. Flesh white, tender, juicy, with a rich, mild, subacid flavor. Very good. September.

WHITE PIPPIN.

_Synonym_: Canada Pippin.

This apple is much cultivated at the West, but of unknown origin. It is of the Newtown Pippin class, distinct from Canada Reinette. Tree thrifty, upright, a regular and good bearer. Young shoots dark, clear, reddish brown, downy. Fruit large, form variable, roundish, oblate, slightly oblique, greenish white, waxen, sprinkled with green dots, and becoming pale yellow at maturity, sometimes having a dull blush and a few brown dots. Stalk short, inserted in a large cavity, surrounded by green russet. Calyx small, nearly closed, set in an abrupt-furrowed basin. Flesh white, tender, crisp, juicy, fine, rich subacid. Very good to best. Core small. January to March.

DOMINIE.

_Synonyms_: English Rambo, Wells, Cheat, Hogan, Striped Rhode Island Greening, Cling Tight, English Red Streak, and English Beauty of Pennsylvania.

This apple, extensively planted in the orchards on the Hudson and west, so much resembles the Rambo externally that the two are often confounded, and the outline of the Rambo may be taken as nearly a _facsimile_ of this. The Dominie is, however, of a livelier color, and the flavor and season of the two fruits are very distinct, the Rambo being rather a high-flavored early winter apple, while the Dominie is a sprightly, juicy, long-keeping winter fruit. Fruit of medium size, flat. Skin lively greenish yellow in the shade, with stripes and splashes of bright red in the sun, and pretty large russet specks. Stalk long and slender, planted in a wide cavity, and inclined to one side. Calyx small, in a broad basin, moderately sunk. Flesh white, exceedingly tender and juicy, with a sprightly, pleasant, though not high flavor. Young wood of a shoot lively light brown, and the trees are very hardy, and the most rapid growers and prodigious early bearers that we know--the branches being literally weighted down by the rope-like clusters of fruit. The Dominie does not appear to be described by any foreign author. Coxe says that he received it from England, but the apple he describes and figures does not appear to be ours, and we have never met with it in any collection here. It is highly probable that the Dominie is a native fruit. It is excellent from December to April.

RHODE ISLAND GREENING.

_Synonyms_: Burlington Greening, Russine, Bell Dubois, and Jersey Greening.

The Rhode Island Greening is such a universal favorite, and so generally known, that it seems superfluous to describe it. It succeeds well in most of the northern sections of the United States, and on a great variety of soils. Where it succeeds it is one of the most esteemed and profitable among early winter fruits. [In Kansas it drops too early.] Tree a very vigorous, spreading grower. Young shoots reddish brown. Very productive. [Shy in Kansas.] Fruit large, roundish, a little flattened, pretty regular, but often obscurely ribbed, dark green, becoming greenish yellow when ripe, when it sometimes shows a dull blush near the stalk. Calyx small, woolly, closed, in a slightly sunken, scarcely plaited basin. Stalk three-fourths of an inch long, curved, thickest at the bottom. Flesh yellow, fine grained, tender, crisp, with an abundance of rich, sprightly, aromatic, lively, acid juice. Very good. November to February.

PENNOCK.

_Synonyms_: Pomme Roye, Large Romanite, Prolific Beauty, Roman Knight, Big Romanite, Neisley's Winter Penick, Pelican, Red Ox, Red Pennock, Pennock's Red Winter, and Gay's Romanite.

Origin, Pennsylvania. Tree a strong, vigorous, upright, spreading grower, and very productive. Fruit quite large, oblique, generally flat, but occasionally roundish oblong, fine, deep red, with faint, indistinct streaks of yellow. Flesh yellow, tender and juicy, with a pleasant, half-sweet flavor. Good. November to March.

KESWICK CODLIN.

A noted English cooking apple, which may be gathered for tarts as early as the month of August, and continues in use till November. It is an early and a great bearer and a vigorous tree, and is one of the most profitable of orchard sorts for cooking or market. Tree very hardy, forming a large, regular, upright, spreading, round head. Fruit a little above the middle size, rather conical, with a few obscure ribs. Stalk short and deeply set. Calyx rather large. Skin greenish yellow, washed with a faint blush on one side. Flesh yellowish white, juicy, with a pleasant acid flavor.

EMPEROR.

Described by Verry Aldrich in the _Prairie Farmer_ as follows: Fruit medium, roundish, one-sided, orange, striped and shaded with red on the sun side, covered with white specks. Stalk short and slender. Cavity deep. Flesh white, fine grained, tender, juicy, pleasant, almost sweet.

EARLY MARGARET.

_Synonyms_: Margaret or Striped Juneating, Early Red Juneating, Red Juneating, Striped June, Eve Apple of the Irish, and Margaretha Apfel of the Germans.

An excellent early apple, ripening about the middle of July, or directly after the Early Harvest. The tree while young is rather slender, with reddish brown, upright, woolly shoots. It is a moderate bearer. Fruit below medium size, roundish oblate, tapering towards the eye. Skin greenish yellow, pretty well covered by stripes of dark red. Flesh white, subacid, and, when freshly gathered from the tree, of a rich, agreeable flavor. Good.

MOTHER.

_Synonyms_: Queen Anne, Gardener's Apple.

Origin, Bolton, Mass. Tree moderately vigorous, upright, and productive. Young shoots grayish brown, downy. One of the best of apples for dessert; rather too tender for shipment. Fruit medium. Form roundish, slightly conical. Color yellow, almost entirely overspread with light, clear, rich red, splashed and marbled with many deeper shades, many minute little dots. Stalk short, small. Cavity acute, often a little russeted. Calyx closed. Basin small, corrugated. Flesh yellow, tender, juicy, rich, aromatic subacid. Best. November to February.

ARKANSAS BLACK.

Medium, slightly conical, regular, smooth, glossy; yellow, generally covered with deep crimson, small, light-colored dots. Basin shallow. Eye small, closed. Cavity shallow, russeted. Stem medium. Flesh very yellow, fine grained, firm, juicy, subacid, rich. Very good. Arkansas. (Thomas.)

WHITNEY.

Medium, handsome, rich, good. Very hardy. Illinois. (Thomas.)

NOTE.

All the descriptions of apples given here are taken from Downing's "Fruit and Fruit-trees of America," excepting otherwise noted.

THE STATE, BY DISTRICTS.

For convenience, Kansas was divided by the official board into four fruit districts, simply quartering the state. The first district is composed of the following twenty-seven counties, in the northeast quarter. Reports, or rather experiences, from each of these counties will be found immediately following. We give below the number of apple trees in the first district, compiled from the statistics of 1897. Many thousands were added during the spring of 1898.

DISTRICT No. 1--APPLE TREES, 1897.

_Bearing._ _Not bearing._ _Total._ Atchison county 150,024 70,691 220,715 Brown county 160,583 57,488 218,071 Clay county 89,725 26,087 115,812 Cloud county 68,832 24,451 93,283 Dickinson county 110,351 31,926 142,277 Doniphan county 156,661 163,701 320,362 Douglas county 159,706 120,375 280,081 Franklin county 126,906 70,831 197,737 Geary county 39,148 19,357 58,505 Jackson county 123,485 84,533 208,018 Jefferson county 120,509 86,837 207,346 Johnson county 88,395 69,709 158,104 Leavenworth county 199,212 216,015 415,227 Marshall county 157,279 66,556 223,835 Miami county 101,541 82,069 183,610 Morris county 93,182 45,555 138,737 Nemaha county 140,278 62,535 202,813 Osage county 246,265 56,478 302,743 Ottawa county 40,538 30,149 60,687 Pottawatomie county 117,234 50,079 167,313 Republic county 128,076 58,662 186,738 Riley county 103,053 44,640 147,693 Saline county 74,648 24,400 99,048 Shawnee county 207,779 130,720 338,499 Wabaunsee county 108,942 50,195 159,137 Washington county 152,768 80,194 232,962 Wyandotte county 112,541 79,903 192,444 --------- --------- --------- Total in district 3,377,661 1,894,136 5,271,797 Acreage, about 600,000 300,000 900,000

* * * * *

FRED WELLHOUSE & SON: Have been in Kansas since 1859, and grow no fruit but apples, having 117 acres in Leavenworth county, planted in 1876; 160 acres in Miami county, planted in 1878; 160 acres in Leavenworth county, planted in 1879; 800 acres in Osage county, planted in 1889, 1890, and 1891; 300 acres in Leavenworth county, planted in 1894; 140 acres in Leavenworth county, planted in 1896--total of about 100,000 trees, set out from two to twenty-two years. We prefer for commercial orchard, Jonathan, Missouri Pippin, Ben Davis, Winesap, and York Imperial, and for family orchard would add to these, Red June, Chenango, Maiden's Blush, Huntsman, and Rome Beauty. We tried sixteen acres of Cooper's Early White, but have discarded them as unprofitable, shy bearers. We consider upland the best if soil is of good quality. We have them on all slopes; can see no particular difference where soil is equal. We prefer rich, black soil (vegetable mold), clay subsoil. We plant in furrows, the rows thirty-two feet apart, the trees sixteen feet apart in the rows, running north and south.

The best trees to plant are two years old, the lowest limb or limbs not over two feet from the ground. We grow most of our trees from our own root grafts. Cultivation: We cultivate for the first five years, by throwing the soil first to and then from the trees, with a single or a double turning plow, and grow only corn. At five years from planting we sow the ground to clover, and this with other growths, such as weeds, is left on the ground as a mulch and fertilizer. We have never used any windbreaks at any of our orchards. Think they would be an advantage in some localities. We use traps for rabbits, knife and wire for borers. We prune very little, such as removing broken limbs. We have never fertilized any of our orchards. We do not believe it pays to pasture orchards, and do not allow it.

The insects that trouble us most are: Canker-worm, tent-caterpillar, fringed-wing bud moth, handmaid-moth or yellow-necked caterpillar, roundheaded borer and the tussock-moth caterpillar on our trees; and codling-moth, gouger and tree cricket on and in our fruit. We spray annually, using a horse-power machine, illustrated in former reports of the State Horticultural Society, for the leaf-eating insects named, using London purple and clear water, sometimes adding lime. We spray before the blossom opens, for bud moth, canker-worm and tent-caterpillar, and after the petals have fallen for codling-moth, tussock-moth, and fall web-worm. We have been successful except as to bud moth and fall web-worm. We believe we have greatly reduced the codling-moth by spraying, and we know we have destroyed the canker-worm. Have never successfully combated borers, excepting with knife and wire. Fall web-worms are burned in the tree with a gasoline torch, or the small limbs with webs are removed and burned. We have as yet found no particular method for fighting the bud moth successfully.

We gather our apples by hand in common two-bushel seamless sacks, used in the same manner as for sowing grain. A strap of heavy leather is attached, making it easy for the shoulder. A hook and ring are also put on to facilitate the removal of the sack when emptying. We prefer common straight ladders, with sides from sixteen to twenty inches apart at the bottom and six inches at the top, rounds fourteen inches apart. We use bushel boxes for hauling from the orchard to packing-house. We sort into three grades: No. 1, No. 2, and culls. No. 1's are all sound and firm apples, of about from two and one-fourth to two and one-half inches in diameter, the size of the smallest depending on the variety. We put in the No. 2 grade those that have any defects barring them from the first grade, yet they make a good second-class for immediate use; we also pack in this grade any sound apples that run uniformally small.

Of all packages tried, we prefer and use the three-bushel barrel, 17-1/8 inch head and 28-1/2 inch stave. When one head is removed, the barrel is turned over and a rap with the hand removes all trash. If we are packing a fine grade of fruit, we put a piece of white paper, cut a little less than the diameter of the barrel, in before facing. Barrels are double-faced or plated. We are careful to have the barrels rocked or shaken often while being filled. The name of variety and our trade-mark is put on the barrel with stencil or rubber stamp. No. 1's and 2's are hauled to shipping station in barrels; culls in bulk in ordinary farm wagon. We have never sold our crop in the orchard; always preferred to have it picked and packed under our own supervision. Our apples have been sold in car lots. Firsts and seconds have gone to wholesale dealers. Culls we have evaporated, sold to men who evaporate, to cider-mills, and to dealers who handle bulk apples.

For drying, we use the New York hop kiln, Rival No. 2 parers, and upright bleachers, all of which have been reasonably satisfactory. We believe them the best we can get, considering the class of evaporated fruit in demand. White stock is best handled in fifty-pound boxes; chops, peelings and cores in sacks. We always found a ready market for dried fruit. Some years it paid well.

We have wintered only in cold-storage plants, always in barrels, and it has been profitable. Ben Davis and Winesap have kept best, with Missouri Pippin a close second. Jonathan keeps well under proper conditions. If kept as late as March, it is generally necessary to repack, but not always. Our greatest loss has been on Jonathan, which in some instances, when kept late in the season, has reached ten per cent.

We have never irrigated or watered any part of our orchards.

Prices have ranged as follows with us: For No. 1, from $1.50 to $4; and No. 2, 90 cents to $2 per barrel. Culls have brought from 25 cents to 60 cents per 100 pounds; evaporated apples from 4 to 13 cents per pound; all these free on board.

* * * * *