ave resided in Kansas
seventeen years; have an apple orchard of 2100 trees from two to
eighteen years old. For market I prefer Winesap, Missouri Pippin, and
Jonathan. I have tried and discarded Ben Davis; the tree is not hardy. I
prefer a porous, red-clay subsoil, and a northeast or east aspect. I
cultivate my orchard to corn six years from setting, and cease cropping
after twelve years. I seed the bearing orchard to clover. Windbreaks are
essential on the south and west sides of the orchard; when possible,
natural forest is best. I prune my trees sparingly to improve the grade
of fruit; I think it pays when properly done. I do not thin the fruit on
the trees. Can see no difference whether trees are in block [of one
kind] or mixed plantings. I fertilize my orchard when it needs it with
barn-yard litter and wood ashes; would not advise it on all soils. I do
not pasture my orchard. My trees are troubled with root aphis, and my
apples with codling-moth and curculio. I spray twice after the blossom
falls, with Paris green. I can get rid of borers only by persistent
effort. I sort my apples into four classes: No. 1, No. 2, drying, and
stock and cider. Pack in twelve-peck barrels, and market in apple racks.
I sometimes wholesale my apples in the orchard. Never tried distant
markets. I do not dry any.

Am successful in storing in barrels in a fruit house which is built near
the crest of a hill with a fall of 14 in 100 feet. Excavated
twenty-three by fifty-three feet; depth at extreme back end, fourteen
feet; at front seven feet. Tile ditch fourteen inches deeper than the
excavation next to bank, filled with broken rock. Stone wall ten feet
high; fine broken rock between wall and bank from ditch to top of wall
around the entire building. The front end of the building stands three
feet out of the ground, allowing two windows in the front with
refrigerator shutters, also a refrigerator door. Heavy timbers,
supported by posts covered with bridge lumber, constitute the framework,
upon which is seven feet of earth. Through the roof are five sewer-pipe
ventilators covered by thimble tops. In the front end are four small
ventilators. In the extreme back end is placed an elevator building
forming an opening six feet square; this extends eight feet above the
top of the earth covering. There are three windows and one door in the
elevator building. By means of small ventilators the house can be
ventilated very gradually, but by the elevat