122 THE KANSAS PEACH. 



corn in young orchard, and allows no live stock V)ut fowls among them. In pick- 

 ing, he goes over his trees every other day and picks the ripest. Handles entirely 

 in half-bushel baskets, rejecting windfalls, which he sells cheaply. His best 

 market is Hutchinson, selling to grocers and produce dealers, getting, in 1898, 

 from 70 cents to SI. 50 per bushel. Says cold of February, 1899, killed all fruit- 

 buds, many trees killed to the ground, bark of twigs turned reddish and nearly 

 black, older wood is brown: thinks they will leave out. Says further: "Cannot 

 give much information on varieties owing to 'mistakes' of the nurseryman. 

 Do not think I got any seedlings, but received some worthless kinds which I 

 did not order, which I dug up. Many farmers about here have yjlanted many 

 seedlings received and paid for as budded fruit, so that while many trees have 

 been set out, yet there will not be an oversupply of choice peaches." 



Clav Hodgson, Little River, Rice county, with twenty-seven years of ex- 

 perience in Kansas, says he has 2500 peach trees: 500 in bearing, of which 

 one-third are seedlings: very few of these are valuable. His trees are from three 

 to ten years old, growing on upland mulatto soil, and they are of fine growth. 

 His budded varieties are Amsden, Alexander, Bokara, Champion, Early Craw- 

 ford, Elberta, Rivers, Crosby, Old Mixon, Globe, Lemon Cling, Greensboro, 

 Triumph, Stump, HilTs Chili, Wager, and Foster. He puts out one-year-olds, 

 ten by twenty feet, pruning tops about one-third and roots to smooth the ends. 

 Has never prvined bearmg trees. His first are Amsden, July 1. Curculio 

 troubles his early free varieties. Has some curl: no diseases. Grows corn and 

 potatoes among the trees and allows no live stock among them. Markets prin- 

 cipally at home, feeding culls and inferior ones to hogs. Says the "buds are all 

 killed, trees much damaged, especially the older ones," by cold of past winter. 



B. E. Mirick, Linndale, Rush county, has 150 peach trees, from five to ten 

 years of age, all seedlings but five or six. Thinks budded trees are earlier, but 

 not as hardy as seedlings. Likes northeast slope. Recommends only seedlings 

 for all purposes, planting ten feet apart. They ripen from July to September. 

 Trees sheltered were not hurt by the cold of February, 1899. Borers trouble his 

 trees some. No diseased trees, and no crops or stock among them. Does not 

 irrigate. Picks by hand and sells in immediate neighborhood, and gives many 

 away. 



Amos Heiidriok, Linndale, Rush county, cultivates a few peaches for 

 home use: trees from three to fourteen years old. His trees are all on a west 

 slope, high prairie. All seedlings, excepting some Crosbys. He plants among 

 his apple trees both ways, trimming away damaged roots. Mulches his trees and 

 fertilizes with ashes: says it improves the size and quality: says his peaches are 

 larger than those he finds in the markets. He sells none, but thinks they would 

 pay well if planted in large orchards. "Last fall a big flock of blackbirds spoiled 

 a lot of my peaches by yjicking holes in the upper side of them." 



C. P. Hart, Rush Center, Rush county, has about 240 peach trees, all seed- 

 lings, from one to twenty years of age, on limestone upland, which he prefers. 

 He would choose a north slope. He has tried Crawford's Early and Late, Old 

 Mixon, and some other budded varieties, and discarded them as too tender for 

 this climate. Says all peaches are nice for family use, but they should comprise 

 both free- and clingstones. Plants one-year-old trees, ten feet apart, in rows 

 twenty feet apart, without pruning above or below. Says cold did not hurt trees 



