experience in this line dates back just
forty years. In 1858 the old family account-book shows the purchase by
my father of three dollars' worth of apple trees (the number not given).
This amount judiciously expended now would secure considerable nursery
stock; but the same record shows the purchase, the month previous, of
wheat at two dollars per bushel; sugar, six pounds for one dollar;
flour, five dollars per hundredweight; so the number of trees obtained
was probably not large. The following year, however (1859), seventy-one
apple trees and some cherry trees were purchased, at a cost of $17.75.
These efforts to start an orchard were successful. The location was on
the old homestead, about two and one-half miles east of what was at that
time a frontier village called Topeka. The trees bore the first fruit in
1867. Other and more profitable orchards have been planted since then on
the farm, but a few of the original plantation are still standing and
bearing occasional crops of fruit (so my brother informs me).

On locating at Manhattan in 1870, the sod was broken, and the following
year an orchard was planted; and we have planted trees more or less
every year since. It has proven a source of pleasure and profit. After
it commenced bearing I do not recall a year when the crop was an entire
failure, and though we cannot now command two dollars per bushel, as we
could for the apples from the Topeka orchard, yet they have paid well.
The number of varieties we have tried is no less than seventy-five, not
including seedlings. The following varieties I would unhesitatingly
recommend as having proved profitable and more or less hardy. For early
summer, Early Harvest and Red Astrachan; both are tender apples when
fully ripe and will then not bear shipping well. I have found it best
to gather the ripest at least every other day and find buyers in the
local market. The next to follow these, Chenango Strawberry, Maiden's
Blush, and Pennsylvania Red Streak; the two latter are good shippers.
The Pennsylvania Red Streaks are a decided success with me, and have
paid nearly as well as my best winter sorts; don't fail to plant some of
them. Next, I would recommend the following winter varieties in the
order named: Winesap, Missouri Pippin, Ben Davis, Jonathan, and if you
like a first-class sweet apple plant some Bentley Sweet, if you can
obtain them. I have been obliged to top-graft some seedlings in order to
perpetuate my own stock of