Theodore Olsen, Green, Clay county: I have lived in Kansas thirty years. Have an apple orchard of 200 trees, fifteen feet high, eighteen years old. I prefer for commercial purposes Ben Davis and Winesap, on second bottom, black soil, with a northeast slope. I plant three-year-old trees, not very deep, and cultivate my orchard to corn, using a cultivator run very shallow every year, and cease cropping when they begin to bear; then plant nothing. Windbreaks are essential here; I have trees planted around my orchard. I protect from rabbits by wrapping the trees with corn-stalks. I never prune, and do not thin the fruit on the trees. I fertilize my orchard with straw, and would advise its use on all soils. I do not pasture my orchard. My trees are troubled with flathead borers and leaf-crumplers, and my apples by gouger. I spray with Paris green in June; have not reduced the codling-moth. Pick my apples; sort into two classes, pack in bushel boxes, sell in the orchard, also retail; I make cider of culls. My best market is Green. I never dry any. I store some in boxes in a cellar, and am fairly successful; I find Ben Davis keeps best. We have to repack stored apples before marketing, losing about ten per cent. Do not irrigate. Prices have been from twenty-five cents to one dollar per bushel.
Harry L. Brown, Muscotah, Atchison county: I have lived in Kansas twenty-two years. Have an apple orchard of 150 trees, ten to twenty-five years old. For market I prefer Ben Davis, Winesap, Jonathan, Missouri Pippin, and Grimes's Golden Pippin; and for family orchard Maiden's Blush, Early Harvest, Red June, Smith's Cider, and Rambo. I prefer hilltop, with a deep, sandy loam, and a gravel subsoil, northeast slope. I prefer two-year-old, straight, thrifty trees, carefully set, 30×35 feet. I plant my orchard to corn, potatoes, beans and garden-truck for ten or twelve years, using a one-horse cultivator between the rows and around the trees, and cease cropping after twelve or fifteen years; plant strawberries or small fruits in a bearing orchard. Windbreaks are essential; would make them of two rows of evergreens planted around the orchard. I trap the rabbits, and wash and cut out the borers. I prune to thin and keep the tree in shape; think it beneficial, and that it pays. I do not thin the fruit while on the trees. My trees are in mixed plantings. I fertilize my orchard with horse- and cow-stable litter; think it beneficial, and would advise its use on all soils, unless very rich. I pasture my orchard with nothing but chickens; it is not advisable; does not pay. My trees are troubled with flathead and twig-borers, leaf-rollers and crumplers; and my apples with codling-moth and curculio. I do not spray. I pick my apples from ladders into baskets and sacks, and sort, as I gather them, into three classes: perfectly sound, second best, and culls. I pack in baskets and boxes. I retail and peddle my apples; feed the culls to stock. My best markets are near-by towns; never tried distant markets. We sun-dry some, and pack in sacks and boxes; we find a ready market for them; it pays. Am successful in storing apples for home use in boxes and bins in a cellar, and find Ben Davis, Winesap, Rawle's Janet and Smith's Cider keep the best. I have to repack stored apples before marketing. Do not irrigate. Prices have been from forty to fifty cents per bushel, and dried apples five cents per pound. I pay men eighteen to twenty dollars per month, or one dollar per day.
F. W. Wilcox, Corning, Nemaha county: I have resided in the state twenty-three years; have an apple orchard of seventy-five trees, all sizes and ages. For market I prefer Ben Davis, Winesap, and Wealthy. I prefer a dark, loose soil, on a hillside with a north and east slope. I prefer good, healthy three-year-old trees, set in holes dug two feet deep and three feet across. I plant my orchard to sweet corn, using a cultivator, and cease cropping when I think necessary and seed down to red clover. Windbreaks are essential—would make them of Osage orange. I prune my trees with a saw to give shape; I think it pays. I do not thin the fruit while on the trees. I fertilize my orchard with rotten stable litter, but would not advise its use on all soils. I pasture my orchard with horses, and think it advisable, and that it pays. My trees are troubled with canker-worms, tent-caterpillar and flathead borer. I do not spray. I pick my apples by hand in pails. Sort into three classes—first, second, and cast out. I do not dry any. I store a few for winter market. I do not irrigate.
James Anderson, Leonardville, Riley county. I have lived in Kansas seventeen years; have an apple orchard of 200 trees from one to sixteen years old, four to sixteen feet high. For market I prefer Winesap, Missouri Pippin, Jonathan, and Ben Davis, and for a family orchard Early Harvest, Missouri Pippin, Winesap, Jonathan, and Ben Davis. I prefer bottom land with black loam and clay subsoil, with a southern slope. When setting trees, I dig holes four feet in diameter and three feet deep; put black loam in the bottom for the roots. I plant my orchard to potatoes for three or four years, using a plow. I cease cropping at the end of this time, and mow, and leave everything on the ground. Sow red or white clover in a bearing orchard. Windbreaks are essential on the north and south sides of the orchard; would make them of maple, cottonwood, or Osage orange. I have Osage orange on the north and a creek with native timber on the south. For rabbits I wrap the trees. When I see a black spot on a tree I hunt for and dig borers out. I prune off all the interfering branches and watersprouts. I do this for fruit; it pays. I do not thin the fruit while on the trees. I keep the varieties together when planting. I fertilize my orchard by putting stable litter a foot thick on the north side, which is the highest, and when it rains the liquid from it runs all the way down and fertilizes the trees. I think it beneficial, and would advise its use on all soils. I do not pasture my orchard. It is not advisable, and does not pay. My trees are troubled with canker-worm, and my apples with codling-moth. I have sprayed with all the sprays recommended, and think I have reduced the codling-moth a little. I pick my apples by hand from a step-ladder, and sort into two classes—sound, wormy and windfalls. Put the sound ones in the cellar; make cider of the others. I sell apples in the orchard, mostly at retail. They sell the best in town in the winter. My best market is in towns west of here. I have tried distant markets, but it did not pay. I do not dry any. I store a few apples in boxes, barrels, and bulk, in a cellar. Those that keep best are Winesap, Missouri Pippin, Ben Davis, and Jonathan. Have to repack stored apples before marketing; lose about ten per cent. The average price has been fifty cents per bushel. I employ men at twenty dollars per month.
F. A. Schermerhorn, Ogden, Riley county: I have lived in the state thirty-eight years. Have an apple orchard of 4000 trees from twelve to thirty-seven years old. For market I prefer Ben Davis, Winesap, Missouri Pippin, and Jonathan; and for a family orchard Winesap, Rawle's Janet, Missouri Pippin, Maiden's Blush, and Early Harvest. I have tried and discarded Willow Twig and Smith's Cider on account of blight; and McAfee, Snow and Lawver on account of shy bearing. I prefer rolling land having a clay loam and clay subsoil. I prefer two-year-old trees, with heads twenty inches from the ground, set in the spring, about two rods apart. I cultivate all the time, even in bearing orchards, using an Acme harrow, planting corn; cease cropping after four years; put nothing in a bearing orchard. Windbreaks are not essential if the orchard is large. For rabbits I wrap the trees. I dig borers out with a knife. I prune my trees, and think it pays. I do not thin the fruit while on the trees. My trees are planted in blocks—800 Ben Davis in one and 700 Missouri Pippins in another; all bear well. I fertilize my orchard some, but not much. I think it would be beneficial on poor soil, but would not advise it on all soils. I pasture my orchard with horses after the fruit is gathered; can't see any harm. My trees are troubled with canker-worm and root aphis, and my apples with codling-moth. I spray as soon as the bloom falls, and two or three times afterward, with arsenic, for insects. Think I have reduced the codling-moth. I wash young trees twice during the summer season with diluted soft soap for borers. Pick my apples by hand, and sort into two classes. I pack in the standard apple barrel, fill with a head press, mark with variety and grade, and haul to depot on wagon. I sometimes sell apples in the orchard by the wagon-load. I ship my best apples, and sell the culls for what I can get. My best market is west. Have tried distant markets and found it paid. I do not dry any. I am successful in storing apples in barrels; Ben Davis and Missouri Pippin keep best. I do not irrigate. Prices last fall were two dollars per barrel or fifty cents per bushel to wagoners. I employ men at one dollar per day and board.