128 THE KANSAS PEACH. 



R. H. Chandler, Bazaar, Chase county, has 125 peach trees, planted from 

 three to fifteen years. Ninety per cent, of them are seedUngs. Fifty per cent, of 

 these seedlings are fine in quality and size. They are on second bottom, but he 

 prefers first-bottom land, and demands a northeast slope in that county for any 

 fruit. He grows entirely Early and Late Crawfords, putting them out when one 

 year old, from fifteen to twenty feet apart, according to soil, pruning the top back 

 about one-third and the roots to balance. Has a seedling of extra-fine quality 

 that ripens in October. The hot wind often "cooks" his peaches on the windy 

 side, and is the worst scourge for peaches in his locality. He grows grapes and 

 small fruits among his trees, but allows no live stock among them, and does not 

 irrigate. Picks by hand and with pleasure, when he has any, giving them away 

 with pleasure to any one who will come after them, throwing the refuse in the 

 hog-pen. He says, further, that they would not pay planted largely in his locality, 

 and that the severe cold of last winter killed the peaches for 1899, but owing to 

 the snow and freezing weather he looks for a smaller crop of insects of all kinds. 

 He has planted peaches for home use only and as a protection for other and smaller 

 fruits, and when they get too old or thick cuts them down for fire-wood and lets 

 them sprout up again. 



J. Ellison, Chautauqua, Chautauqua county, has tried Kansas for thirty- 

 three years, and grows a few peaches for home market — all choice, large seed- 

 lings; all on light, sandy soil with clay subsoil, which he believes is excellent. 

 Says the best slope is ridge land, high and dry. He believes the best budded 

 peaches for all purposes are Stump, Elberta, Crawford's Late, and Heath Cling. 

 He would plant them two years from bud, twenty feet apart; trim the roots to 

 eight or ten inches, and the top, leaving a stick two and one-half feet high. At 

 ten years he would head them by cutting back severely, especially such trees as 

 overbear. In his neighborhood, Amsden and Hale ripen in June and Heath 

 Cling in October. His trees were not injured by cold in February, 1899. Has 

 few curculio, and only in early freestones. Has no other insects or diseases, but 

 leaves curl some, caused by wet, cloudy weather. Allows only poultry among 

 trees. Ships a few to Indian territory in third-bushel crates, pressed so they will 

 not jolt; gets from fifty cents to one dollar per bushel. Does not think it pays. 

 He grubbed up 500 elegant trees. Lets culls rot on the ground; says there are 

 no stills in his country, and it is too far to Missouri. Has not had a failure in 

 peaches in eighteen years. 



W. W. Smith, LeRoy, Coffey county: Mr. Smith is an old resident of 

 Kansas, and has a peach orchard of 200 trees, planted from four to twelve years, 

 on alluvial river bottom, which he thinks quite suitable. Of his trees twenty are 

 seedlings, and the others are Amsden, Chair's Choice, Rivers, Old Mixon, Hill's 

 Chili, Stump, Smock, Foster, Crosby, and Wonderful. He has discarded Hill's 

 Chili, because it is small and of poor quality. He recommends for market Ams- 

 den, Rivers, Amelia, Early York, Old Mixon, Stump, Smock, Heath, and Blood 

 Cling, which with him are very satisfactory. He prefers one-year-old trees, and 

 would plant them in good, deep, rich soil that would stand drought, on any slope 

 that he happened to have, from sixteen to twenty feet apart, trimmed to a whip 

 two feet high. He has headed back bearing peach trees, and thinks it the best 

 way. His earliest are Amsden and Alexander, coming July 1 ; his latest is Smock, 

 ripe September 25. The Hill's Chili and Wonderful "cook" on the sunny side 

 while on the trees. Curculio troubles his early freestones ; has never sprayed. 

 Is troubled with no other kind of insects but borers, and no diseases. He grows 



