IRRIGATION FOR ORCHARD AND GARDEN. 225 



canal. Mr. Hershey at once planted a small orchard of two acres. 

 The trees were of a number of the different hardy varieties, and con- 

 sisted of apple, cherry, pear, and plum trees. With all these he has 

 had splendid success. The trees have borne fruit steadily since 1889. 

 His losses are very light. Mr. Hershey has had splendid success in 

 growing gra])es. These never fail to produce fruit every season. Mr. 

 Hershey waters his trees twice during growing season, once immedi- 

 ately after the trees have blossomed and the small fruit commences to 

 form; once when the fruit is increasing rapidly in size and give indi- 

 cations of ripening. Vegetables are grown between the rows, but 

 that will be discontinued owing to the large size that the trees have 

 now attained. With small fruits the yields of all varieties are enor- 

 mous. Mr. Hershey has now about five acres in orchard. 



H. Otter, whose farm is situated about six miles northwest of 

 North Platte, is another successful irrigation farmer and fruit- 

 grower. Mr. Otter has about ten acres now growing to fruit. His 

 oldest trees are six years of age, and they have borne already quite a 

 quantity of fruit. In 1895 he i)icked twenty bushels of apples from 

 five of the oldest trees. All varieties of apples do well. Grapes give 

 a very abundant yield, and Mr. Otter is demonstrating that with ir- 

 rigation, Nebraska can excel in producing this class of fruit and of 

 excellent quality. 



William Park, of North Platte, has now thirty acres of fruit trees 

 planted on his farm that is situated eight miles west of North Platte. 

 As Mr, Park's trees have been planted but two years, it is too early 

 to give any results. Irrigation is the method by which Mr. Park ex- 

 pects to raise fruit and compete with the Colorado and California fruit- 

 growers. His orchard is planted every year to vegetables, and the 

 water that is used to irrigate these crops also irrigates the trees. After 

 the trees have commenced bearing, this will be discontinued in order 

 to enable the trees to obtain all the subsistence possible from the soil. 

 Mr. Park's trees are set out and planted on the Parker Earl block 

 system. In his orchard he has the following varieties : Ben Davis, 

 Jefferies, York Imperial, Maiden Blush, Red Astrachan, Baldwin, 

 Stark, King, Shockley, Minkler, and all the standard varieties. In ir- 

 riMtino; fruit trees no water is allowed to come in contact with the 

 bark or trunk of the tree. On this farm the depth to water is ten 

 feet. Mr. Park's trees are all in a healthy growing condition, and if 



