THE KANSAS PEACH. 105 



ing free from pits. His trees are from four to twenty-five years of age, on sandy 

 loam; some on heavy loam. He prefers sand, with a clay subsoil and a north 

 slope. He is growing Hale, Amsden, White Imperial, Dean's Orange, Ward's 

 Free, and Smock. Has discarded Hale, Salway, Red Melocoton, Early and Late 

 Crosby, Lemon Cling, Yellow Rareripe, and Early Barnard. He plants one-year- 

 old trees, sixteen feet apart, pruned to a stick two and one-half feet high, with 

 roots trimmed. His Hale bears by June 15; Smock, September. Says the cold 

 injured all trees that have borne four successive crops. Dean's Orange that has 

 borne one or two crops will bear some fruit in 1899. Curculio troubles his early 

 peaches. For borers he plants deeply and mounds up eight or ten inches around 

 them. No peach disease. Grows corn among young trees. Allows no loose stock 

 near them. Picks and markets in half-bushel baskets, rejecting undersized and 

 defective specimens; sells at Salina at forty cents to one dollar per bushel. 

 He uses some culls, sells some, and feeds balance to hogs. 



A. C. Moore, Wanamaker, Shawnee county, has resided in Kansas thirty- 

 four years, and has 200 peach trees, planted from three to fifteen years. Of these 

 100 are budded fruit and sixty are seedlings: twenty of the seedlings bear choice 

 fruit. They are on a clay soil, which he believes is detrimental, and he would 

 prefer a sandy soil with clay subsoil, and an extreme north slope. He is growing 

 the Coaster, St. John, Mountain Rose, Mrs. Brett, Gold Dust, Bonanza, Colum- 

 bia, Salway, and the Hughs IXL. He has discarded the Hughs IXL, as it is 

 too tender of cold, and Mrs. Brett is a shy bearer. For market he would plant 

 Gold Dust, St. John, and Olden, and for family use Mountain Rose, Wilkins, and 

 Lucia. He prefers two-year-old trees, planted fifteen feet apart each way, not 

 trimmed or pruned at planting or any other time. His St. John fruits August 1; 

 Olden last of September. The Coaster stood the extreme cold of February, 1899, 

 the best, while all others were hurt badly; one-fourth are killed. Some of his 

 seedlings cook in hot sunshine. Curculio in early peaches, but not bad. Thinks 

 spraying would do no good. Grows corn among trees while young; allows no live 

 stock among them. Picks and sells in half-bushel baskets to local trade, reject- 

 ing all inferior specimens. Sells mostly in Topeka, receiving fifty cents per 

 bushel; feeds culls to swine. Feels sure that it would pay to plant them largely 

 for market. 



C. H. Taylor, Eskridge, Wabaunsee county, has resided in Kansas thirty- 

 eight years, and has a peach orchard of 600 bearing trees and 200 not yet bearing. 

 Grows no seedlings. His trees have been set from four to ten years, on clay 

 bottom land, and he thinks that the best peach land is clay bottom, good and 

 rich, preferring north and east slope. Is growing Crawford's Early and Late, Old 

 Mixon Free and Cling, Cooledge, Early York, Smock, Elberta, Stump, and others. 

 Has discarded Hale's Early, Amsden, Alexander, Beatrice, Rivers — all too small 

 and subject to rot. For market and family, choose the first nine varieties. Sets 

 one-year-old trees, 12x20 feet; cuts to two feet from ground, and all mutilated 

 roots trimmed. Says the cold of February, 1899, killed all fruit-buds and injured 

 the trees some. Is not troubled with insects or diseases. Grows corn among 

 the trees for first two years, and allows hogs to run among them. Picks care- 

 fully by hand, and markets in both peck and half-bushel baskets and crates, dis- 

 carding all small or blemished, canning and drying such refuse. His best 

 market is Topeka, and they usually average one dollar per bushel. He is sure 

 they would pay if planted largely in Wabaunsee county for market. 



