THE KANSAS PEACH. 123 



but killed fruit-buds. Says the peaches "cook" on the trees when the season is 

 excessively hot and dry. Has a few curculio ; borers are bad. Knows of no peach- 

 tree disease. Grows corn, sorghum and potatoes between trees. Does not irri- 

 gate. Picks when nice to eat out of hand. Markets by the Vjushel in home town, 

 La Crosse; sells from wagon to suit purchaser, at from SI to 81-50 per bushel. 

 Feeds culls to hogs. Says to plant largely would overstock the market, and would 

 not pay. 



Frank Jerj^iiis, Scott, Scott county : Mr. Jergins has 450 peach trees, from 

 four to eleven years planted in light black soil, which he believes the most suit- 

 able for peach growing; 300 of his trees are seedlings, ten per cent, of them being 

 of fine quality and size. His varieties are Crawford's Early and Late, Champion, 

 Stump, and Old Mixon Free. For market he would recommend Champion, 

 Crawford's Early, and a big yellow seedling of his own. He j)lants trees one 

 year old, ten feet apart, in rows fifteen feet apart, trimming the top very closely 

 and cutting off all bruised and damaged roots. He sometimes heads back bear- 

 ing trees, and thinks it the best way. His earliest is Crawford's Early, and the 

 latest is a big yellow seedling, coming in the latter part of October. Curculio 

 troubles his late cling peaches, but he has never tried spraying; other insects 

 and diseases do not trouble him. He grows rice corn, potatoes and garden-truck 

 among his trees ; never allows live stock among them. He irrigates some from a 

 reservoir. Markets mostly in one-third-bushel crates, packing them point end 

 downward, rejecting all damaged specimens. He retails, and sells them through 

 commission men at Scott, Leoti, and at home, receiving from 50 cents to $2.25 

 per bushel. The refuse he uses largely at home, and gives some away. He be- 

 lieves they would pay if planted largely in his vicinity. He says, further, "as far 

 as I know the trees are all in good condition, but many buds were killed." Scott 

 county is on the middle line of the state, the third county from the west. 



D. J. McNeal, Scott, Scott county, has tried Kansas ten years, and seven 

 years ago planted 300 seedling peach trees, all of which bear fine, large fruit; 

 also has 200 younger ones jjlanted. They are all in sandy loam, which he pre- 

 fers. There are no slopes where he is. He prefers a two-year-old tree, planted 

 8 X 12 feet, cutting oflf one-third of the top, and using all of the root. Never prunes 

 nor heads in — just lets them go. Has white and yellow varieties by September 10 

 — none earlier — and a large cling that never gets rif,e. The extreme cold did not 

 hurt his trees or his prospect of peaches this year. He further says: "My trees 

 are planted more for windbreaks than for fruit, but the last two years has dem- 

 onsti-ated that fruit will do well here. There is some danger from late spring 

 frosts." He believes they would pay if planted largely for market. [We are 

 glad to hear this from a western county.— Sec] 



Sam. O. Willard, Springfield, Seward county, has sixty-five bearing peach 

 trees of budded varieties and 1000 seedlings; twenty-five of the seedlings are of 

 choice quality, none of them large. His trees have been out from six to fourteen 

 years. They are in level, buffalo prairie, which he considers as good as any up- 

 land, but he would prefer sandy bottom. Says that in his county low, level land 

 on which water can be run, and high, level land are the best. He has lost the rec- 

 ord of his named varieties, and knows the names of none of them. He would 

 advise planting fruits that bloom late, so as to avoid late spring frosts. He would 

 plant trees one year old, twelve feet apart, trimming off everything l)ut the main 

 stem. He does not believe in heading back bearing trees in his climate.' Does 



