108 THE KANSAS PEACH. 



Maj. Frank HoLsiiig'er, treasurer of State Horticultural Society, Rose- 

 dale, Wyandotte county, has had thirty years of experience in Kansas, most of it 

 as an active horticulturist. He has 4000 peach trees in bearing and 2000 younger 

 ones set out. Of these 250 are seedlings, 100 of which bear fruit of good size and 

 fine quality. His bearing trees have been out from three to twenty years, on 

 mulatto soil, formerly in native timber. He likes his soil, and says all slopes are 

 equally good. He is growing Sneed, Alexander, Reeves, Family Favorite, Tillot- 

 son, Henrietta, Mamie Ross, Mountain Rose, Old Mixon Free and Cling, Thur- 

 ber, Gold Drop, Susquehanna, Stump, Picquet's Late, Snow, Hill's Chili, Heath, 

 Greensboro, Elberta, and Sal way. Has discarded all the early sorts, such as the 

 Amsden, Waterloo, Governor Garland, etc., because they do not ripen up evenly, 

 have faults in color, Are not good bearers, and seem to possess general "cussed- 

 ness." He recommends for market — from experience — Early Rivers, Reeves's 

 Favorite, Crawford's Late, Family Favorite, Elberta, Chair's Choice, Old Mixon 

 Free, Stephenson's Rareripe, Picquet's Late, and Salway. For family, he would 

 add a few clings and Champion, Stump, and a few Columbia. Plants one-year- 

 old trees of small size, either 12x16 or 16x16. At planting he prunes only to 

 make top uniform and shapely ; does not prune roots, unless broken or mutilated ; 

 says life is too short to do many things for fun. Heads in or shears in one- third 

 to one-half of growth on bearing trees; says it is the easiest method of thinning- 

 and to have the fruit as compact as possiVjle, which also prevents the limbs from 

 breaking down when loaded. The earliest come about June 25, and are Sneed,. 

 Triumph, Alexander, etc. The latest is Bilyer's Late October; never knew a 

 season long enough to ripen them. Says the injury by cold of February, 1899, 

 was so great that buds are all killed; trees so badly injured that young ones 

 may fail to grow. Older ones are not much better. The only ones not injured 

 were those kept in cellar. He says the curculio, also the gouger, are fond of his 

 peaches; says they commence on the earliest ones and keep it up throughout the 

 season; they know a good thing. As both feed inside the fruit, to spray 

 would be a joke for them. Says he is somewhat troubled with wasps, but 

 this year he will have the laugh on the curculio and gouger, as there will 

 be no peaches; these insects will be very lonesome. Mr. Holsinger has just re- 

 turned from the East, where yellows and San Jos*'- scale are destroying thousands 

 of peach orchards. He saw acres and acres being dug up, and thinks our growers 

 should make strenuous efforts to prevent the introduction of the above two 

 greatest of all misfortunes to the peach. It seems to him that there cannot be 

 too great care taken to prevent the spread of scale and other insect pests. [At- 

 tention is called to a copy of a bill introduced into the house and passed by a 

 vote of 76 to 2. It was not reached in the senate. See page 88.] As yet the yel- 

 lows have not affected trees west of the Mississippi river. There is no known 

 remedy for yellow^s. He has also had some rosette, leaf-curl, and insects innu- 

 merable. He grows corn only among the trees the first few years. He allows 

 horses and mules to pasture or run among the trees, but details a man to watch 

 them. Picks very carefully by hand ; places one at a time — the best on top {sic) — 

 in peach baskets for market, rejecting all that are blemished or unsightly. His; 

 best market is Kansas City, Mo. ; generally sells " to the trade," or any way that 

 opportunity offers. Works over culls, allowing useless ones to lie and rot. Prices, 

 and demands vary with season, quality, and quantity. He believes there are 

 enough now growing around Kansas City to admit of fair remuneration to grow- 

 ers. Says regarding results of freeze, there could be no worse condition than is 

 now manifested; he does not believe a single fruit-bud of peach is alive. He further 

 advises that all small peach trees be cut back to snow line, or nearly so; older or 



