R. E. Lawrence, Wichita, Sedgwick county: I have resided in the state twenty-eight years; have an apple orchard of 300 trees from twenty to twenty-four years old. For market I prefer Missouri Pippin and Ben Davis, and for family orchard would add Winesap, Early June, and Grimes's Golden Pippin. I prefer bottom land with a sandy loam soil and porous subsoil. I prefer two-year-old trees set thirty feet apart each way. I cultivate my orchard to corn or potatoes for several years, using a common cultivator; cease cropping when they begin to bear, and sow to orchard-grass. Windbreaks are essential; would make them of forest-trees. I prune to thin the branches; think it beneficial. Do not thin the fruit while on the trees. My trees are in mixed plantings. I do not fertilize my orchard. I do not pasture my orchard. Codling-moth troubles my apples; have not sprayed. Pick my apples by hand; sort into two classes—marketable and cider. I sell some apples while in the orchard at retail. Sell my best apples in home market, and make cider of culls. Never tried distant markets. Do not dry any. Don't store any. Do not irrigate. Prices have been from twenty-five cents to one dollar per bushel.
S. S. Weatherby, Le Roy, Coffey county: Have lived in Kansas twenty-seven years. Have 500 apple trees, twelve years planted, six inches in diameter. Grow only Ben Davis, Winesap, and Missouri Pippin. Have discarded Willow Twig on account of blight. My location is in the bottom, with rich loam and sandy subsoil. I have planted in rows thirty-two feet distant; cultivate in corn for four years after planting, and use the disc harrow as much as possible. In a bearing orchard I would put clover. Believe windbreaks are essential, made of any kind of forest-trees, planted thickly, in two or three rows around the orchard, and cultivated while small. Protect from rabbits with a dog and gun, and also by wrapping the trees. Prune very little; simply keep down sprouts and remove crossed limbs. Have never thinned on the tree, and believe barn-yard litter useful as a fertilizer. I pasture with a few calves, but think it does not pay. Am troubled with some insect, and spray moderately in May with London purple, for web-worm and leaf-crumpler. Pick from the wagon, driving under the trees. Sell at both wholesale and retail, and my best market is the commercial buyer. Feed my culls mostly to the pigs. Never have dried any, nor stored any for winter. Have a pipe running from my water-tank, by which means have watered a few trees for a number of years, and these trees are very large and yield very fine fruit. If I were to start again, instead of planting 500 apple trees I would plant sixty, and dig a well and put a windmill in the midst of them; and I am confident I would get more satisfactory returns.
J. A. Mullineaux, Cherryvale, Montgomery county: I have been in Kansas twenty-nine years. Have 350 apple trees of various ages and sizes, mainly Ben Davis and Missouri Pippin. Have tried and discarded the Romanite as too small. I prefer bottom or second-bottom land, red soil, with sandy subsoil, and a south slope. I plant two-year-old trees in the spring, 32×32 feet; cultivate for four years, growing oats as a crop; also grow oats in a bearing orchard. Believe windbreaks or an Osage-orange hedge are beneficial. I tie corn-stalks around my trees to keep off the rabbits. I never prune at all. Do not thin fruit on the trees. I fertilize with stable litter while trees are young. Believe it pays to pasture orchards with hogs, as they destroy worms. I am troubled some with borers, web-worms, and codling-moth, but have never practiced spraying. I pick by hand, and sort into first and second classes, and pack in bushel boxes, selling at wholesale; haul to market on a rack; make my culls into cider. My best market is Cherryvale. Never have dried any. Do not irrigate. I store for winter in bulk in the cellar, and am successful in keeping Missouri Pippin and Ben Davis. Price here is $1.50 per bushel.
O. M. Record, Thayer, Neosho county: Have lived in Kansas twenty-one years; have 400 apple trees eight years old. My land is eastern slope, clay subsoil; I plant 20×28, first subsoiling the row. Cultivate to corn and potatoes with a plow, common cultivator, and five-tooth cultivator, until eight years old; then sow to clover. I believe a windbreak is essential, and like Russian mulberry planted on the south and west. To protect from rabbits and borers I use a wash made of soap, lime, and crude coal-oil. I prune with the shears to balance the top properly, and think it pays. I think varieties that grow in clusters like Rawle's Janet should be thinned to a single specimen. I use stable litter, as my land is a light, sandy loam and needs it. I pasture my orchard with hogs, but not too many; if they run short of feed they will sometimes bark the trees. I am troubled some with canker-worm, tent-caterpillar, leaf-roller, and codling-moth. I spray as soon as the bloom is off and twice afterwards with lime and crude oil, to kill the leaf eaters and fungus, and have probably reduced the codling-moth. I look for borers in the fall and dig them out with a knife. My orchard is yet too young to describe picking, sorting, etc. I intend to build a pond and try wetting the ground when the trees need it.
Chas. Diemurt, Murdock, Butler county: I have been in Kansas thirty years; have 400 apple trees eight years old. I have Ben Davis, Winesap, Missouri Pippin, Dominie, Grimes's Golden Pippen, Rome Beauty, Rambo, Early Harvest, Bellflower, Rawle's Janet, Willow Twig, Red June, Maiden's Blush, and Duchess of Oldenburg. I prefer hilltop, with sandy soil, and a red, sandy subsoil, with western slope. I plant two-year-old, low, stocky trees, two rods apart each way. I cultivate with plow and cultivator. I whitewash with lime and blood to keep the rabbits off, and lime to keep off borers and other insects. I prune, taking off only surplus limbs, and think it beneficial. I never thin apples. I fertilize to improve the tree; I think it advisable. Am troubled with canker-worm, leaf-crumplers, and codling-moth. I spray when the leaves are just out with London purple for canker-worm, and think I have reduced the codling-moth. For insects that are not affected by spraying, I wash the trees with lime during the fall, and in the spring with strong soap suds. I pick my apples by hand, and sort into two classes—best for eating, second for cider. For packing I prefer boxes made of slats [lath?], two feet wide by four feet long, and one foot deep. I sell some in the orchard, make cider of the culls, and store some in boxes, and am successful. I find the Missouri Pippin and Winesap keep best. Prices have been from fifty cents to one dollar per bushel.