COMMERCIAL ORCHARDING IN NEBRASKA 199 



the state. As Governor Furnas had long been located on the bluffs of the 

 Missouri river at Brownville he naturally appreciated the importance 

 •of elevated locations for orchards with contiguous lower levels into 

 which the cold air of frosty nights could settle. Under the inspiration of 

 this suggestion, 240 acres were purchased near Crete, located on the edge 

 of the Blue river valley, mostly reaching up onto the divide between the 

 Blue river and Salt creek. By special arrangement with the land depart- 

 ment of the Burlington railroad it was agreed that 100 acres should be 

 planted in orchard and timber, a concession in terms of payment being 

 made by the Burlington favoring an enterprise of that character. Ground 

 was broken the first season and twenty acres of orchard "was planted the 

 next spring. The 1,100 trees of this orchard were purchased of the late 

 Samuel Barnard of Table Rock, then a prominent nurseryman of the state. 

 Of these 1,100 apple trees planted on ground broken the preceding sum- 

 mer only five trees failed to grow. 



From year to year additions were made to the orchard until eighty 

 acres were planted, and about 120 acres, or half the tract, is now in 

 orchard and timber. 



Mr. Stephens has found his best markets in western and northwestern 

 Nebraska and northwestern Kansas and eastern Wyoming. The summer 

 froiits are shipped in barrel lots, the winter fruits usually in car lots. 



There are four vineyards connected with the orchards. These have 

 been very productive, the crop has never failed for a long period of 

 years. The crop for this season is estimated at seventeen tons. The 

 grape usually commences to ripen about August 20 to 25 and markets 

 until about September 10. The grape is a hot weather plant and extreme 

 lieat of the present month is favorable to the vineyards. 



