THE KANSAS PEACH. 103 



Gust Hansen, Olsburg, Pottawatomie county, has resided in Kansas thirty- 

 six years. He grows only a few peaches, for home use. He has some choice 

 seedUngs fifteen years old, on black highland loam, but he believes good, rich 

 bottom the best, and he would choose a southeast or eastern slope. He also has, 

 growing, some Alexander and Crosby. He would recommend, for his market, 

 Alexander, Amsden, Crosby, Stewart, Blood Cling, Chinese Cling; and, for 

 family, would add Champion, Globe, Crawford's Early, and Mountain Rose. He 

 plants two-year-old trees, twenty feet asunder, pruning well. He heads in bear- 

 ing trees. His Alexanders ripen in June and his Blood Clings in October. Says 

 his trees were not injured by cold of February, 1899. Says some of his late 

 peaches cook or sun-scald on sunny side of the tree. Curculio troubles his early 

 freestones. No other insects or diseases trouble his peaches on the trees. He 

 grows small fruits among the trees; never allows live stock among them. He 

 retails a few in the home market at Olsburg, at one dollar per bushel. He 

 further says: "The peach tree requires a moderately rich, well-drained soil, and 

 in order to preserve the continued healthy growth of the tree, and thus cause it 

 to produce well-matured fruit, its branches should be headed in each year. Each 

 tree when planted should be set twenty feet from its fellow, or they may 

 be planted between apple trees. Plant them deep enough that the crook in the 

 tree where they were budded is covered over with earth. In Kansas we cannot 

 expect a full crop of peaches each year, owing to our cold winters which kill the 

 fruit-buds; but if you can only get a full crop once in three years they will pay 

 you better than any fruit crop that can be raised in the state." 



James Andrews, Leonardville, Riley county, has lived in Kansas seven- 

 teen years; has thirty bearing and twelve young peach trees. He set out five 

 years ago Red Roman (?), Alexander, Amsden, Hale's Early, but only four trees 

 — one of each kind — were true to name: all the others were worthless. From 

 his experience he is unable to say what varieties should be planted, but he would 

 plant two-year-old trees, sixteen feet apart each way, in black loam with " gumbo " 

 underneath. Does not believe in heading in. His first bear late in August; his 

 latest in October. The cold of February, 1899, killed every fruit-bud. His 

 Amsdens cook badly on sunny side. Has no trouble with any insects or diseases 

 whatever on any of his trees. Has never marketed any. 



J. S. Williams, Manhattan, Riley county, has a peach orchard of 700 bear- 

 ing and 600 young trees, all choice budded fruit. They run from three to twenty- 

 iive years of age, and are on drift soil, which he. does not believe is best; he 

 would prefer black loam, with clay subsoil (limestone formation) and an eastern, 

 slope. He has Hale's, Troth's Early and Late, Old Mixon, Stump, and about fif- 

 teen others, to continue the season until the second week in October. He has 

 discarded Alexander, Amsden and a few others that were not a success in his lo- 

 cality or satisfactory to the trade. He advises planting only varieties that are of 

 ^'fine size, good quality, and ripening in succession until frost." Elberta and 

 Crosby have failed with him. He plants trees one year from bud, twenty feet 

 apart; he grows and buds his own trees, and trims them while in the nursery 

 row; heads back bearing trees when they get too long and heavy; cuts off the 

 roots to six or ten inches at planting. His earliest is Hale, middle of August; 

 latest is Lagrange, middle of October. Cuts back severely all trees hurt by cold 

 weather. Curculio troubles all ripening before Early Crawford; sprayed with 

 splendid effect. Borers are troublesome. Says he has noticed a small, brown 

 worm a half inch long eating out the tender bud of growing shoots — a recent in- 



