dbreaks in his section. Traps and
shoots rabbits. Takes borers out with knife. Prunes very little; cuts
out dead or broken limbs, as they are no good, and take up room. Never
has thinned apples on the trees, but believes it would be all right.
Sees no difference in fruitfulness if trees are in blocks of a kind or
mixed up. Would use barn-yard litter, but not close to the trees;
believes in it on all soils. Does not pasture, and thinks it would not
pay. Is troubled with borers, tent-caterpillars, leaf-rollers,
leaf-crumblers, and codling-moths. Never sprays. Picks in sacks. Packs
in orchard, in twelve-peck barrels well pressed. Uses table for sorting
(described elsewhere) and makes Nos. 1, 2 and 3 grades. Marks name of
variety and own name on barrel head. Sells his best in car lots at
wholesale, the culls to peddlers. Generally markets at Kansas City. Has
tried distant markets and made it pay. Never dried any. Stores for
winter in barrels in cold store; not always satisfactory; thinks the
cold-storage business not yet fully understood; says Ben Davis and
Jonathan keep best. Sometimes repacks, at a loss of one-tenth to
one-sixth. Does not irrigate. Prices have ranged from two to five
dollars per barrel. Paid last year one dollar per day to men who could
do a good day's work.

* * * * *

E. M. GRAY, Perry, Jefferson county: I have lived in Kansas forty years;
my orchard of twenty acres has been planted twenty years. For market, I
prefer Ben Davis and Jonathan on poor land; and Missouri Pippin and
Winesap on rich land. For family orchard, Early Harvest, Red June,
Winesap, Grimes's Golden Pippin, Missouri Pippin, and Huntsman's
Favorite. Have tried and discarded Grimes's Golden Pippin, Lawver,
Winesap, Missouri Pippin, and Huntsman's Favorite; they are not
profitable, are too small when grown on poor land. I prefer yellow clay
bottom, with an east, south or northern aspect. I prefer large, healthy,
two-year-old trees, planted with a lister, subsoil plow, and spade. I
cultivate my orchard to corn, small fruit, potatoes and nursery stock
seven years, with a cutaway disc harrow, and cease cropping after eight
years; I plant nothing in a bearing orchard. Windbreaks are essential;
would make them of Russian mulberry, Osage orange, or cedars, by
planting two rows of them on the south and west sides of the orchard.
For rabbits I keep a shot-gun and dogs. I do not prune; don't think it
beneficial. I