il susceptible of good drainage, south
slope preferred. Cultivates always with plow, leaving a deep center
furrow. Tries to eradicate all growth between the trees in a bearing
orchard. Believes windbreaks are essential; uses maple. Prunes, to
stimulate trunk and fruit growth. Fertilizes with wood ashes, and says
they should be used on all soils that lack potash. Pastures his orchard
in spring with calves and hogs, and believes it pays. Sprays April 1,
April 30, and June 1, with London purple, copperas, Paris green, and
Bordeaux mixture. Not fully successful, but believes he reduces the
codling-moth. For borers he lixiviates the ground. This, he claims,
kills by contact under the ground. Plow in fall in time to let the rains
settle in, and too late to keep it from freezing; freeze them out. Sorts
into three classes: Middling [fair], bad, and worse. Hand packed in
barrels, stem down, best on top, and marked "First class." He sells at
wholesale, sometimes in orchard. Feeds culls to stock. Has found Kansas
City, Omaha and Denver to be the best markets. Dries apples on Fay
drier, made in Cincinnati, for home use only, and not satisfactory.
Stores apples for winter in bulk in cave, and finds Ben Davis the best
keeper. For help he uses boys at fifty cents per day, and men at one
dollar per day.

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A. J. SALTZMAN, Burrton, Harvey county: I have lived in Kansas
thirty-one years. Have an apple orchard of 500 trees from one to twelve
inches in diameter. For commercial orchard I would prefer Early Harvest,
Maiden's Blush, Ben Davis, Cooper's Early White, and Jonathan; and for
family orchard Early Harvest, Lawver, Jonathan, and Winesap. Have tried
and discarded Willow Twig and Large Romanite on account of blight, and
the fruit rots and specks. I prefer hilltop, with sandy loam and clay
subsoil, and a north or northwest aspect. Prefer two-year-old trees,
with good, thrifty roots, planted thirty feet apart each way. I
cultivate my orchard to corn, potatoes, Kafir-corn and cane for five or
six years, with plow and cultivator, and cease cropping when the orchard
begins to bear. I plant bearing orchard to rye, oats, and artichokes,
and then turn in hogs. Windbreaks are essential; would makes them of
evergreens or Russian mulberries, planted four feet apart. I prune with
a saw, pruning-hook, knife, and sometimes an ax, to give proper shape to
the tree, and to let in air and light; I think it pays.