8 THE KANSAS PEACH. 



the knife cut into it the peach opened, and an infant sprang forth, 

 who told the astonished beggars that he was the god Shin To, and 

 had accideutly fallen from the orchard of the Japanese heaven while 

 at play with some other gods and goddesses. For extricating him 

 from the peach Shin To gave the Japs its seed to plant, and told them 

 its i3roduct would make them wealthy. This is the origin of the 

 peach, according to the Japs. 



Kansas is the home of 4,058,762 bearing and 1,966,881 not yet bear- 

 ing peach trees (see maj)), and by the 1890 census stood sixth on the 

 list of peach-producing states, with 1,798,781 bushels reported, being 

 100,000 bushels more than California. Peach trees grow so quickly, 

 and produce so abundantly when healthy and the season is ajDpropri- 

 ate, that they become necessarily subject to many "ups and downs." 

 Growers go into ecstasies over a big crop of luscious, melting, beauti- 

 ful j)eaclies, and — if circumstances prevent the crop the second year 

 — many neglect the trees, and allow weeds and vermin to destroy 

 them. No tree fruit brings such pleasing returns so cheaply as the 

 peach. Even when neglected it often repays its owner with most aj)- 

 petizing returns. Young trees usually produce the best fruit, and as 

 they grow readily in almost all parts of our state, and adapt them- 

 selves to their environment, we should plant a few every spring, and 

 as the older ones become unsightly cut them out ; they make good 

 fire-wood. In this connection, I would describe the method of Frank 

 Barker, of Saline county. 



Mr. Barker discovered a peach — a persistent seedling; it is yel- 

 low, good size, sprightly, and of good quality, coming the same from 

 seed. He says: "I jjrepare my ground as for wheat, marking it off 

 in squares of ten feet each way; at each crossing of the marks I drop 

 three of the peach pits, and cover them. I cultivate them until six 

 or eight inches high, when I pull out all but one of the little plants 

 at each crossing, filling vacancies by transplanting the surplus. The 

 second year I often have laeaches, and thereafter I have an abundance." 



If on each farm such a plat of one or two acres was i^lanted each 

 year, our western citizens could have fruit and fire- wood, to their great 

 profit. 



