h;
have never shipped any away. Have never dried any, and do not store any
for winter. Prices have ranged from 50 cents to $1.75 per barrel. I use
men only, and pay $1.50 per day.

* * * * *

D. N. BARNS, Leavenworth, Leavenworth county: I have lived in Kansas
thirty-seven years; have 2000 apple trees twenty years old. The best for
commercial purposes is New York Pippin [Ben Davis]. For family orchard I
prefer Jonathan, Winesap, Minkler, Huntsman's Favorite, and Lowell. I
have tried and discarded Nonesuch. I prefer bottom land, with black loam
soil and clay subsoil, with south slope, in my locality. I plant good,
stout, thrifty trees, two to three years old, sixteen and one-half by
thirty-three feet apart. I cultivate until the trees are large enough to
shade the ground. In the young orchard, for the first seven or eight
years, I usually grow corn, wheat, or oats; in a bearing orchard I grow
orchard-grass and timothy and clover, separate or together. I have not
yet ceased cropping. I believe windbreaks are essential, made of hills,
trees, or hedge fence. For this purpose I would advise to first find the
hills; then plant the orchard and trees or hedge. I dig out the borers,
and trap or shoot the rabbits. I believe it pays to prune some to get
rid of surplus wood. I believe it pays to thin apples and I do it in
July. I fertilize by pasturing with cows, and believe it pays. Am
troubled with some insects, but have never sprayed. We pick from a
ladder, each man carrying two baskets; we sort into two classes on a
table. In the first class we put apples not damaged too much and large
enough, and in the other we place the small ones.

* * * * *

J. F. RUHLIN, Wetmore, Nemaha county: Has been in Kansas seventeen
years. Owns an apple orchard of 1150 trees, set out from one to three
years. Set Ben Davis, Jonathan, Winesap, Missouri Pippin, and for family
orchard would add the Maiden's Blush, Rambo, Rome Beauty, and Grimes's
Golden Pippin. Has discarded Early Harvest, Red June, and Red Astrachan.
Wants upland always, north or northeast slope if possible, and a loose,
friable soil, with gravelly subsoil. On planting, he says he uses
two-year-old, short, stocky trees with bushy tops and lots of roots,
which he prunes back at setting. Sets trees deeper than they grew at the
nursery, 20x30 feet. Puts a barrel half full of soil and water on a
sled, and puts ten to twenty