226 ' ^NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the success attained on smaller farms is any criterion, Mr. Park's or- 

 chard will in a few years return him a large income. 



Another fruit-grower who expects to successfully raise fruit by irri- 

 gation in Lincoln county is William Conners. In 1895 Mr. Conners 

 planted 11,000 fruit trees. Immediately after planting, the ground 

 was well irrigated. As a result only twelve trees were lost from the 

 whole number planted, a fraction over one per thousand ; but lew 

 fruit-growers can show this result. Until the trees reach a bearing 

 age, the land will be cultivated to crops that can be tilled. 



N. B. Spurrier is another successful fruit-grower. On this farm 

 five acres are uow planted in orchard. 



On the farm of Samuel Hostettor a fine orchard is now to be found 

 with all the trees in a healthy growing condition, Mr. "Hostettor 's 

 trees are as yet not of an age sufficient to show what the result will 

 be for the larger varieties of fruit. During the past season of 1895 

 he sold two hundred dollars worth of grapes that were picked from 

 his vines. His small fruits produce wonderfully under irrigation. 



William White is another farmer who has now ten acres planted to 

 fruit trees. Mr. Jenkins and David Hunter are also successfully 

 growing fruit. All these farms lay west of North Platte, and they 

 are irrigated by the North Platte canal. 



One great difficulty the ])eople of central and western Nebraska 

 have met are the fallacies that have been current in relation to the 

 proper method of growing fruit trees. The rules that were generally 

 accepted as correct in Ohio and Indiana have been transplanted to 

 Nebraska, witii the result that failure has followed failure, and disas- 

 tar succeded disaster. 



Tlie Nebraska statutes contain a law that encourages the planting 

 of rows of trees on the north and west of each quarter section. 

 Actual experience has shown that we should protect ourselves from the. 

 hot winds of the south and west. The north winds do us but little 

 damage. We have discovered that in planting fruit trees a slope 

 facing the north and east is bringing the most successful return to the 

 fruit-grower. We have also discovered that we should trim our trees 

 at the top so as to prevent the tree attaining any great height, the 

 nearer we can make the tree grow in shape of an open umbrella the 

 better the tree produces and thrives. We have also discovered that 

 planting thickly is beneticial, and that where we can protect the soil 



