■294 KANKAKEE COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 



level, but rolling enough to carry off most of the surface water. 

 But as the subsoil is mostly clay, of a yellowish color, it holds 

 water pretty well, so that during an open Winter or wet 

 Summer, we are not entire strangers to muddy roads and 

 water-soaked fields. 



APPLES. 



I first planted four hundred apple trees on the highest 

 land I could find near ray house, planting them twenty feet 

 apart each way ; then for a few years I plowed the land up to 

 the trees, leaving dead furrows in the center between the rows 

 to carry off the water. 



At the time of planting the orchard, I also planted a row 

 of red cedar on the west and north, and white pine on the east, 

 twenty feet from the apple trees, and back of this, belts of 

 deciduous trees from four to eight rods wide. I kept the 

 ground clean and mellow by cultivation, and the trees all made 

 rapid growth. Some of the apple trees came into bearing in 

 four to five years. Right here I should mention mistake 

 nuHiber one. It was the old story of Eastern varieties, such as 

 Newtown Pippin, Fall Pippin, Rhode Island Greening, etc., 

 unsuited to our soil and locality. Some of these trees (though 

 twenty years planted) have never borne enough to pay the 

 first cost of the trees, while Early Trenton, Keswick Codlin, 

 Lowell, Fall Winesap of the West, Domine, Rawls Janet, 

 Jonathan, Ben Davis, Fulton, Golden Sweeting, Roman Stem, 

 Golden Russet and many others have done well, though not 

 planted until a subsequent period. This second planting is 

 quite common here, after experience has opened our eyes and 

 sharpened our wits. 



There are other mistakes that should be mentioned in this 

 connection. Twenty feet is too close to plant apple trees, 

 thirt}' feet is nearer right, and some kinds should be even 

 farther apart than this. 



The shelter belt should be forty or fifty feet from the apple 

 trees, and black walnut or butternut should not come nearer 

 than one hundred or one hundred and fifty feet, as they are 

 sure death to fruit trees when planted close. 



