THE KANSAS PEACH. 135 



The extremities of the limbs are wholly unharmed, while the cambium layer is 

 blackest near the ground. The point beyond which the tree is uninjured marks 

 the point to which the sap had reached before the freeze. I shall saw all my 

 trees off near the ground and let them form new tops; these tops will he ready to 

 bear next year. Many of them will no doubt be seedlings, as the union between 

 root and scion is near the surface of the ground. All that send up seedling tops 

 I shall either top graft or dig out as soon as I have tested them. This suggests 

 the importance of securing nursery stock that has been budded very low down, 

 and setting the trees deep enough so they can send up sprouts from the budded 

 portion in case of injury from freezing. 



W. W. Gardner, Chanute, Neosho county, a resident of the state for four- 

 teen years, grows peaches in a small way, on a light, sandy land, and thinks it 

 just the thing; prefers a northern slope. He is growing Chinese Cling, and 

 Heath, Elberta, and others. He failed to make a plat and the tabs are lost. He 

 recommends, for all uses, the above named and Crosby. Likes to set two-year- 

 old trees, twenty feet apart, in rows thirty feet apart. Does not prune because "it 

 makes the trees fork, and then they are apt to split and break by wind." Does 

 not head in any. His trees had most of the tips killed and some were entirely 

 killed by the freeze in Feburary, 1899. He says: "I want to set out twenty or 

 thirty seedlings this spring, as they will stand more cold weather than the budded 

 trees. I have been told that twelve degrees below zero will kill budded peaches 

 and fifteen degrees below will kill seedlings, and it was twenty-four below on the 

 12th of February; but as to killing the trees I think it a mistake, but they are 

 badly damaged." Is not troubled by any insects or diseases. Grows small grain, 

 oats and grass among his trees, but allows no live stock among them. Has none 

 to sell. 



O. M. Record, Thayer, Neosho county, has resided in Kansas twenty-two 

 years; has grown lots of peaches, and now has seventy-five in bearing eight years 

 old, and fifty young trees three years old. He grows no seedling fruit. His 

 ground is a sandy loam, and the trees sometimes grow eight feet in one year on 

 his ground, which slopes eastward. His varieties are Briggs's Eed May, Tri- 

 umph, Red Rareripe, Crawford's Late, Smock, Elberta, Heath Free and Heath 

 Cling, Crosby, Alexander, Amsden, Beatrice, Morris's White, Crawford's Early, 

 and Hale's Early. He recommends for market, Crawford's Late, Elberta, Smock, 

 Heath Free, and Heath Cling; and for family would add, George the Fourth, 

 Stump, Old Mixon Free. Plants trees only one year from bud, twenty feet apart, 

 pruning the roots but little and the tops to a plain stick three feet high. Has 

 never tried heading in on large trees. His earliest is Briggs's Early May, in July ; 

 his latest, Smock, last of September. The cold of February, 1899, did not injure 

 his trees, but it destroyed the fruit-buds. Some of his fruit cooks in sun ; the 

 Smock the most. Curculio troubles his early freestones; has never tried to check 

 them by spraying; has no other insect enemies. For the last two years he has 

 been troubled with leaf-cvirl. Grows corn and potatoes among his trees while 

 small. Allows no stock to range among them. Picks carefully in baskets. 

 Markets in both peck and half-bushel baskets. Sorts into two grades, and leaves 

 the specked and inferior grade at home ; feeds the trash to the hogs. Sells in 

 near-by towns, and ships occasionally to Kansas City, Mo., receiving generally 

 about one dollar per bushel. Does not feel sure that peach growing on a large 

 scale would pay in his vicinity. 



