Apple Orcharding in the United States. 101 



zero. This compels selection of hardy varieties. Until recent years 

 the planting of orchards in western Nebraska has been seriously handi- 

 capped by the fact that early plantings wei'e made with varieties better 

 suited to eastern Nebraska, Missouri or Arkansas. Frequently the 

 planter, purchasing trees, has been inHuenced by the agent's plate book 

 rather than guided by safe experience and sound judgment. Even 

 Japan plums have been freely planted and varieties of apples which 

 could not endure the elevation, bright sun and rapid winter evapora- 

 tion with its attendant sun, scald of limbs and trunks. 



We should study the experience of orchardists in Montana, the 

 Dakotas and Minnesota. In selecting varieties to be planted in far 

 western Nebraska it is well to be guided by the successful work of other 

 localities under similar conditions. 



In one of the most successful orchards of my acquaintance, twenty 

 miles from the Wyoming line in the Platte valley, Ben Davis, Winesap, 

 and Jonathan, have suffered seriously from sun scald. Yellow Trans- 

 parent, Whitney No. 20, Duchess, Wealthy, Iowa Blush and North- 

 western Gi-eening, succeed. To this list add Florence and Hyslop Crabs, 

 Patton's Greening, Longfield, Hibernal, McMahan's White and Wolf 

 River, as varieties likely to do well. 



Near Rushville, Mr. Jules Sandoz has been planting trees for 

 many years and is quite successful in growing trees and fruit without 

 irrigation, depending entirely on cultivation. This gentleman has ex- 

 perimented with more varieties of fruit than any other party in north- 

 western Nebraska. 



Fruit trees in western and northwestern Nebraska commence 

 bearing at an earlier age than in the eastern portion of the state. 

 Prof. G. D. Sw^ezey of the State University states that the annual 

 evaporation of water from given surface in eastern Nebraska is thirty 

 inches in one year. Evaporation rapidly increases westward, until at 

 the higher elevation and in the dryer atmosphere of western Nebraska 

 evaporation from a water surface is sixty inches annually. Elevation 

 and rapid evaporation act as a check on excessive growth and lead to 

 early formation of fruit buds. 



Irrigation gives an abundant water supply. This enables the apple 

 tree to bear a crop of fruit and also to set fruit buds for the coming 

 season. Under such conditions the orchards of western Nebraska come 

 into bearing earlier than those located in the eastern portion of our 

 state. Supported by irrigation, they can bear each and every year, 

 instead of every other year, as we expect them to do where we are 

 depending on the annual rainfall. 



In far western Nebraska the elevation is such that trees bloom 

 much later than in the eastern portion of our state. During the last 



