356 Fruit Growing in Kansas. 



FRUIT GROWING IN KANSAS. 



By A. M. Burns, Manhattan, Riley Co., Kansas. 



I SEE very little in Tilton's Journal of Horticulture from the Banner 

 Fruit State, the State that owns the eighty-dollar gold medal eai-ned by 

 some of our Kansas horticulturists. I have therefore concluded to give 

 my experience with the " humbug" Missouri Mammoth Blackberry. I 

 long ago learned to touch new fruits lightly, especially when they sell at 

 two dollars per single plant, and only sent for two plants, one of which, 

 on account of accidents, has given no fruit yet. The other did not 

 ripen last season on account of dry weather in this locality, but this year, 

 in addition to nine large suckers, gave a good crop, which commenced 

 to ripen June 27th, and continued its fruit for three weeks. It is not of 

 " mammoth proportions," but of fair size, and, to my taste, as well as 

 others, of better quality than the Lawton, which, with its earliness, will 

 induce me to increase the stock for home use ; but it would be folly to 

 attempt to sell the plants here of any fruit that has for its name " Mis- 

 souri Mammoth," the prejudice is so great against it. I have seen it 

 stated that the plants were taken from the forest where " all kinds" of 

 seedlings were growing promiscuously. If this is so, I may have ob- 

 tained a wild seedling of some merit. I have seen only a single com- 

 mendation of this fruit, which was in the catalogue of a nurseryman, 

 who stated that with him it was better than reports in other places made 

 it. I would like to have the editor's experience, or that of any other 

 person with this fruit, and particularly as to the time of ripening. 



I must confess that I have a mania for testing new fruits ; but I want 

 to see them well tested in different places before they are distributed for 

 fruiting. I have made it a specialty for fifteen years to plant seeds for 

 the purpose of originating new fruits, but all my labor has been of little 

 use, so far as fruited in exposed places ; but this should not discourage 

 others from trying. The novice may obtain a fruit in a few years that 

 would make him wealthy ; there is no harm in trying. I have no doubt 

 that more desirable small fruits could be obtained in the forests or old 

 fields, if noted when in fruit, and removed to favorable spots, than are 

 cultivated. There were no wild blackberries in this region when I 

 came here in 1856. I procured seed and scattered it in the woods. 

 There are some among its produce that I intend to remove and culti- 

 vate. It is true they never can do me much good at my age, but oth- 



