THE KANSAS PEACH. 91 



had a tree that last fall was full of peaches when the first snow fell, October 1(5. 

 [A valuable trait; call them Snowball.] He ordered early peaches, and his earli- 

 est came middle of x\ugust. He says, when he sets out a big peach orchard, the 

 nurseryman who sells him the trees must give a bond that they shall be true to 

 name. Why not? If a man contracts to build a house he gives a bond to do 

 just as he agrees to. If a man buys 1000 peach trees, paying good money for 

 them, and cultivates them three or four years, his orchard should be worth at 

 least SIOOO, but finds when they bear that the nurseryman has unloaded on to 

 him a lot of "odds and ends." Why not make him give a bond? An honest 

 nurseryman would not object. If he is not honest, the more reason why he should 

 be bound for damages. [There is certainly some good hard sense in this propo- 

 sition. — Sec] 



B. F. Oxley, Morrill, Brown county, has 200 peach trees; 150 of these are 

 seedlings: "all of medium, some of fair, quality." They are on ordinary black 

 loam. Says it is not good, as it causes too much wood growth. He would prefer 

 light clay, with an east or northeast slope. His budded fruit is Elberta, Cham- 

 pion, Crosby, Alexander, Amsden, and Crawford's Late; but he would discard 

 the Crosby. For market he would advise Elberta, Champion, Stump, Crawford's 

 L/ate, Amsden, Alexander, Hill's Chili, and Wonderful. Sets one-year-old trees, 

 12x16 feet apart, pruned to a "stick" twenty inches high, and roots trimmed 

 when too long, bruised, or broken. His earliest are Alexander and Amsden — 

 last of June. Latest is Crawford- 1st to 10th of October. Cold of February, 

 1899, killed most all the trees to the ground ; no particular variety escaped. Some 

 Elberta on south side of orchard "cooked" on sunny side while on the tree. Has 

 some curculio on early freestones. Never sprayed any. Has noticed no other 

 insects. Some of his trees had leaf-curl bad last spring [1898], with consequent 

 loss of fruit. Cultivates in sweet corn, beans or potatoes the first year. Never 

 allows live stock near them. Thinks irrigation would pay. Sold best fruit at 

 $1.50 to $2 per bushel. Says they would pay well with a crop once in three years. 



Geo. A. AVise, Reserve, Brown county, has lived in Kansas twenty-nine 

 years: has over 300 bearing peach trees, 250 of which are seedlings. All of his 

 seedlings are of fine quality. He selected his seed, planted it, and is pleased 

 with the results. Hi^ trees were set out in the spring of 1893, in black loam soil, 

 on south slope. His budded trees are all Elberta. He proposes to set this spring 

 [1899] some Alexander and Champion. He is an enthusiast on Elberta and rec- 

 ommends only the above three varieties for all purposes. He would set out two- 

 year-old trees, and never any older than three years. His trees are planted north 

 and south, two rods apart, between the rows in his apple orchard. At planting 

 time he cuts back some and trims broken limbs or roots. The extreme cold of 

 February, 1899, injured all his seedlings much more than Elberta: not a seedling 

 escaped. The curculio troubles his freestones mostly : has no other insects or dis- 

 eases. He grows corn among the trees until they begin to bear: then seeds to 

 clover. He allows all kinds of slock among the trees at certain times but not for 

 permanent pasture. Picks in baskets and buckets, and sells to neighbors in the 

 orchard, who help to pick them. Sold last year at fifty cents to one dollar per 

 bushel. Never has any refuse: "everything goes." 



John Ret'd, Longford, Clay county, has been in Kansas twenty-one years, 

 and now has '200 peach trees : 100 of them are seedlings : twenty of these seedlings 

 bear choice fruit. His other trees have been planted from four to eight years: 



