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.
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.
Early apples require a specific amount of heat to bring them to maturity from the time the fruit forms. If brought from a colder climate to a warmer one, you hasten its growth and accelerate its maturity just in proportion to the difference in mean temperature of the two localities, and consequently it ripens in the fall here. I prefer hilltop for quality, keeping, and color, and bottom for size. Hilltop and steep bluffs are the best for all kinds of winter apples, as they produce the richest fruit, with the finest color, and they keep the best and are not so subject to injurious pests. Fifty feet of abrupt elevation is equal in its effect to fifty miles of latitude south on frosty nights. It retards spring growth as much as forty miles north. An elevation of 400 feet makes a difference of from ten to twenty-five per cent. in the amount of saccharine matter in fruit, to which rich quality, fine flavor and aroma are due. Bottom land produces the largest apples, more murky in color and more irregular in bearing. Rolling, intermediate Kansas land will prove satisfactory. East and south slopes hasten the maturity of fruit, and are the best for early varieties; a northern slope retards the ripening of fruit and is the best for winter apples. The best specimens of apples we ever saw in Kansas grew on a northern bench about thirty feet below the top of an elevation of 400 feet, on good, rich, well-drained soil. They were large in size, clear in color, and perfect in form. We prefer any good soil that will produce a good corn crop, with a well-drained clay subsoil; mucky, wet or hard-pan soils are not fit for fruit. Land that produces a good crop of wheat is rich enough. We have seen a very heavy crop of York Imperial at its native home on quite thin freestone land. Almost any of the land in Leavenworth county is naturally rich enough if we only keep it so.
I prefer two-year-old untrimmed trees, set in furrows made with a two-horse plow, no deeper than we plant the trees, but wide enough to take in the roots. We set them about two inches deeper than they stood in the nursery, on the solid subsoil, and pack the dirt firmly amongst the roots; lean or set the heaviest top to the southwest. The largest and heaviest roots, if convenient, should be in the same direction. After filling the hole, bank up a steep mound of earth around the tree. If this is properly done no ordinary wind will ever move it. We prefer two-year-old or strong one-year-old trees, because they can be set more rapidly, cost less labor, less money, live better, and grow more stocky. We want them taken up with care, give no pruning whatever, neither "cut their tops in to balance the roots," when planting in orchard. Trees that are taken up when young and set out in an open orchard without pruning grow stronger and more stocky, bear sooner, and are less subject to blight, sun-scald, and the attack of flathead and roundhead borers. We have root-grafted as many as 500,000 in one season on sections of roots from two to six inches long with scions from three to twenty inches long, to see which were the best. Two-inch sections from one-year roots, grafted with scions about six inches long, set deep enough to form roots on the stock, are best. This "whole-root graft" is simply a humbug. It is the strength and vigor of seedling roots, not the length of them, that make the best-rooted trees. No sensible man will pretend to graft whole seedlings [roots] and set them out in a nursery. It cannot be done with success. We must cut off a portion of the root to do it. The question arises, how much? It is then not a whole root, and it becomes a question what length of root is best. It is not advisable to bud or graft seedling trees in the nursery, for all seedlings are not of the same vigor and hardiness; consequently the trees would differ similarly.
I plant my orchard to corn, potatoes, garden-truck, and small fruits, and keep this up, with clean cultivation, using a Planet jr. horse hoe, until they begin to bear, and cease cropping after ten years, planting nothing unless the above-mentioned crops or clover in a bearing orchard. Windbreaks are injurious unless planted at least 200 feet from the orchard. The best protection is to plant the two outer rows of fruit-trees close together; they can be cut out, if desired, when they become too thick. This is better than high-growing shelter trees or evergreens. We want a free circulation of air to pass among the trees. A high and heavy protection produces an eddy which blights and sun-scalds the trees, as well as hastens the ripening and dropping of apples. We have had no occasion to use any protection from rabbits and borers since we quit pruning off the lower limbs. Pruning is not thoroughly understood. Trees are pruned to make them live, grow fast and stocky, and also slender; to make them bear young, give form, light and air, and to make them look alike; to bear heavy crops and fine specimens. It is claimed all this can be done by pruning; it can be accomplished without pruning in a much shorter time and without extra labor. We do not recommend pruning apple trees at any times excepting after the trees are well established in the orchard; then the lower limbs may be gradually removed to form the head, about two feet from the ground; but the longer we allow them to remain the heavier and stockier they become; for the body of the tree increases in size just in proportion to the amount of foliage on the lower limbs. We prune off dead, broken and sucker limbs, and have no objections to taking off limbs that chafe each other (if this should happen from neglect). We have lost more trees from pruning than from all other causes together. We have seen large orchards just in their prime that have been so injured from pruning that they never recovered. On the other hand, I have seen orchards that were so neglected, dilapidated and crowded that I thought a thorough pruning would make them more productive. I never thin the fruit on the trees; it is not necessary.