112 THE KANSAS PEACH. 



best market is in the orchard; retails them, and gets from 25 cents to $1.25 per 

 bushel. He thinks it would pay to plant jjeaches largely in his vicinity. He 

 dries the refuse. 



W. G. Short, Twin Creek, Osborne county, has ninety trees; fifty of them 

 are seedlings, and says none are good. His bearing trees are twelve years old. 

 His land is low, black bottom, which he believes unsuitable, and would prefer 

 light, sandy land, part gravel. He is growing, besides the seedlings, Early and 

 Late Crawford, Stump, Cro.sby, Elberta, and Triumph. For money he would 

 put out Arkansas Traveler, Stump, Early Crawford, and other early varieties, and 

 for family add for succession. He plants fifteen feet apart, pruning away only 

 the injured parts. Borers are troublesome. He grows no crops among the trees. 

 Thinks hogs would be beneficial occasionally. Prices with him are good; early 

 $1.50, late 40 to 50 cents per bushel. Fifty per cent, of buds are all right. 



F. T. M. Dntclier, Phillipsburg, Phillips county, has been a Kansan 

 twenty-six years, and has about fifty peach trees in bearing. They have been 

 planted three and four years, and are on high prairie, in a sandy loam with north- 

 east slope, all of which he believes are the best. The varieties are Alexander, 

 Amsden, Foster, Crawford's Early and Late. He recommends for market only 

 Crawfords. Prefers to plant two-year-old trees, trimmed closely, and all injured 

 roots trimmed off, set twenty feet east and west and twelve feet north and south. 

 He heads back bearing trees slightly. His earliest are Amsden and Crawford's 

 Early: latest, Crawford's Late. Thinks the extreme cold of February, 1899, did 

 some injury to his trees and killed buds. Has no curculio or other insects or 

 diseases on tree or fruit. Grows potatoes among the trees; Lets no live stock in 

 if he knows it. Irrigates about ten trees with good results. Home market takes 

 the crop. Feeds culls to hogs. Believes it would pay to plant largely in his 

 locality. 



Thomas Cellars, Bunker Hill, Russell county, has 200 peach trees, 150 of 

 them seedlings, "all fine fruit, if the land is cultivated in fine style." They are 

 on a black prairie soil, which apjjears to suit them. He has lost his record of 

 varieties, but would plant "any kind if they are fine peaches." Plants two-year- 

 old trees, twelve to sixteen feet apart, pruned only to balance well; never prunes 

 afterward. Cold killed all of last year's growth; no variety escaped. Curculio 

 troubles all varieties some. Sprayed in spring of 1896, but " it fogged or rained" 

 always about the time he was done, and did little good. Does not allow any 

 crop, "not even a weed," to grow near his trees. Says his live stock break 

 and injure his trees; he allows none near them. His best market is at Bunker 

 Hill and Russell. He "piles them into a lot of old baskets and boxes and gets 

 two dollars a bushel for them." No one has tried them largely there. He rakes 

 up the refuse and feeds to the hogs. He further says : " On June .3, 1897, a hail- 

 storm struck my trees, but left a few peaches on the under side of all limbs ; in 

 1898, had a fine and large crop." Trees grow as good here as in any other state 

 I ever worked in, with as fine a quality of fruit, but the orchard must be culti- 

 vated and kept clean. If weeds are allowed to grow, the trees all seem to dry up 

 and die in a few years and before any benefit is received from them. I take great 

 pride in showing my orchard and explaining to visitors my mode of cultivation. 

 A stirring plow spoils an orchard in any state. Bunker Hill is near the geograph- 

 ical center of the state. 



