GROWING APPLES COMMERCIALLY IX NEBRASKA 173 



When a crop of apples from fifty acres will bring in over $9,000 in 

 one year the methods employed by the owner of the orchard are worthy 

 of study. Read Mr. H. R. Howe's article on how he cares for his 

 orchard. 



Perhaps the largest orchard in Nebraska lying in one body belongs 

 to Mr. E. M. Pollard of Nehawka, president of the Eastern 

 Nebraska Fruit Growers' Association. Mr. Pollard from 160 acres of 

 orchard harvested some 4 0,00 bushels of apples. Mr. Pollard believes 

 in thorough care being given an orchard for best results. Mr. Pollard 

 handled his entire crop of apples this year through the Eastern 

 Nebraska Fruit Growers' Association with excellent results. Mr. Pol- 

 lard gives a brief outline of his methods in which he says: 



"We have 160 acres of apple orchard. We cultivate the whole 

 orchard, giving it about the same cultivation you would give a crop of 

 corn. We try to keep the whole orchard trimmed, going over it every 

 second year. We pick the apples in a sack, place them carefully in a 

 bushel and a half basket. The basket is placed on a low wheel wagon 

 with a flat rack over springs to prevent bruising of the fruit. The 

 wagons carry forty-five baskets, The apples are hauled to our packing 

 house which is built along side a spur of the railroad. Here the apples 

 are run over a slanting table. We have one man at the head of the 

 table and one on each side. We also have a man to face the barrels 

 putting in a double face and tale the bottom of the barrel. It usually 

 takes two men to face and tale. One man will head for three tables. We 

 run over these tables about 22 5 barrels per day. As the barrels are 

 headed they are loaded right into a car and shipped out as fast as a car 

 is filled. Our culls or apples that are not saleable are ground into cider. 

 Our cider is in great favor in the markets of the state as well as in Iowa 

 and Minnesota and the Dakotas. This year we made sixteen cars of cider 

 that was sold as sweet juice. We never sell any sour or hard cider." 



Among the pioneers in growing apples, according to the best up-to- 

 date methods, is Mr. G. A. Marshall, of Arlington, a description of 

 whose methods of handling his crop was printed in the November Hor- 

 ticulture. He believes in thorough cultivation, spraying and pruning 

 of his orchard and packing of his crop in the best manner possible. 

 He has made orcharding pay and demonstrated that up-to-date 

 methods pay. 



Leaving the eastern part of the state and going west of North 

 Platte we find a small orchard of twenty-six acres belonging to David 

 Hunter of Sutherland which produced 15,000 bushels of apples this 

 year. Mr. Hunter practices clean cultivation and sprays four times. 

 This orchard was set out in 189 7 and has produced in the last four 

 years over 50,000 bushels. 



