e Ozark country, near Olden, exclusively
for market purposes (the same can be done in Kansas), but takes longer
to come to maturity. Taxes are low in Missouri. The orchardist should
not be assessed on his fruit-trees and pay the penalty for being
energetic and a pusher in horticulture. In Kansas, thanks to the life
work of the members of the State Horticultural Society, we have reached
a point where the culture of fruit is an assured success; and there is
more money in it than in hog or corn raising. The trouble has been, too
many worthless varieties have been planted, and now that they are
bearing are profitless; and the worst of it is they are repeating the
same mistake each year. I have saved some valuable trees from the borers
by taking a quarter-inch bit and boring a hole and putting in strychnine
or sulphur, and the tree lived on while all others died; even in the
black locust it was successful. I then plug the outside portion of the
hole. Let some one explain the reason who understands the circulation of
the sap.

* * * * *

ERNST FAIRCHILD, Hiawatha, Brown county: I have lived in Kansas thirty
years; have an apple orchard of fifteen acres, twelve years old. For
market I prefer Jonathan, Ben Davis, and Rawle's Janet; and for a
family orchard Snow, Winesap, and some sweet varieties. I prefer an east
slope. I cultivate my orchard to corn or oats for eight or nine years,
using a disc and harrow, and cease cropping at the end of this time and
seed down to clover. Windbreaks are essential; would make them of
forest-trees set in rows, on the north and west sides. I prune my trees
to give shape. I pick my apples in square tin pails which have false
bottoms; slide the fruit out at the bottom. I make vinegar of the cull
apples. Prices have been from sixty cents to one dollar per barrel. I
employ men and boys--men at one dollar per day and boys seventy-five
cents per day.

* * * * *

NEILS HANSON, Willis, Brown county: I have resided in the state
thirty-two years; have an orchard of 200 apple trees twenty years old.
For all purposes, I prefer Ben Davis, Jonathan, Willow Twig, and
Strawberry. Have tried and would discard Willow Twig and Lawver. I
prefer bottom land having a clay soil and a north or east slope. When
planting trees, I dig a hole two feet deep and four feet square. I
cultivate my orchard eight or ten years, using a plow, and spade around
the tr