^ ^y] State Horticultural Society. 



fruit land on the plateali about 3 miles south of Versailles. The writer 

 and his brother, in connection with friends, secured a tract of 320 acres 

 of this land and now have more than half of it in orcharding. Where 

 the wild turkey roosted three years ago there is a thrifty orchard con- 

 taining about eight thousand apple trees of commercial varieties. Some 

 of these trees made a growth of 34 inches the first year and 43 the 

 second. The thrifty condition of the trees leads us to conclude that no 

 mistake was made in selecting site and soil for our fruit ranch. As 

 there are several years of cultivation and waiting before we can ex- 

 pect returns from our enterprise we must depend upon older trees to 

 demonstrate what this soil is capable of doing in the production of fruit. 



While we have taken excellent care of the trees much of our success 

 is due to the splendid soil and good water and air drainage. 



While this plateau is comparatively level, it is rolling enough to 

 give perfect drainage for both water and air. We have seen this dem- 

 onstrated repeatedly. Each spring for three years has been cold and 

 fruit buds were badly injured in many localities, but on this elevation 

 little or no damage was sustained as the cold air settled down into the 

 lower levels and did its destructive work in orchards not so well located. 

 There are a few old apple trees on our ranch that have been loaded 

 each year. The farm adjoining us on the east, and similarly located, has 

 a small orchard that escaped the late frosts and has borne fruit each 

 year, while one of the best orchards in the county just in its prime, 

 half mile away, but on a low level where the air drainage was bad, has 

 had no apples for three years. This last orchard has good soil condi- 

 tions and is well cared for but the cold air from the higher lands settled 

 down on it and ruined the tender fruit buds. Very little attention was 

 paid to orcharding by the early settlers, as there was no shipping fa- 

 cilities, but there were some enterprising men who planted small or- 

 chards for family use. Many of these old trees are still standing and 

 still give their yearly contributions of choice fruit. Mr. W. P. Ross, 

 father of A. L. Ross, President of the Bank of Versailles, sent to New 

 York in 1856 for 100 trees for a family orchard. The selection of 

 varieties was good and included the old standard favorites. Some of 

 these trees are still in bearing. In this orchard were ten Roxbury rus- 

 sets that used to yield 100 bushels of choice apples, and some years 

 exceeded that amount. These apples found ready sale in Versailles 

 at one dollar per bushel. Mr. Ross planted his , trees thirty feet apart, 

 setting 49 trees to the acre. Had there been an acre of russets the 

 5'-ield might easily be reckoned at 490 bushels, worth approximately 

 $500.' 



