d June, Maiden's Blush, Winesap, Rawle's Janet, and
Jonathan. I have discarded the Russets (the fruit is inferior), and
Bellflower (the trees are not hardy). I prefer north-slope upland with
deep limestone soil and clay subsoil. I plant thrifty three-year-old,
not overgrown trees with good heads, thirty feet east and west, twenty
feet north and south, to protect from the wind. I set in the spring, in
a rye-field or stubble ground, running out furrows and putting in with a
spade. I cultivate with a small stirring plow with one horse, for the
furrows next the tree. I grow corn until the trees should bear, and then
change to red clover, and mow to keep the weeds down. I believe
windbreaks are essential, but care should be taken not to have many
soft-wood trees near the orchard to breed insects. An elevation on the
south or southwest will be found beneficial. For rabbits, wrap in the
winter; for borers, wash with lime in the spring. Keep out all
watersprouts; thin the top of the tree, so that the sun may penetrate;
balance the top; cut out the center shoot--it pays. After trees begin to
bear I would fertilize with stable litter. Hogs are good in the orchard
in the spring to destroy insects, but should not be allowed to root
much. I spray with London purple and Paris green when in full bloom [how
about bees?], and again in ten days, and give a third spray a few days
after, if any insects are on the trees. We have a good home market. For
winter I find that Rawle's Janet and Romanite keep the best. Prices have
ranged from forty to seventy-five cents per bushel.

* * * * *

GEO. HILDRETH, Altamont, Labette county: Have lived in Kansas
twenty-nine years; have an orchard of 1225 trees, from ten to
twenty-seven years old. For commercial orchard prefer Ben Davis,
Missouri Pippin and Jonathan for winter, and Early Harvest and Red June
for summer; for family use I prefer Early Harvest, Maiden's Blush,
Rambo, Missouri Pippin, and Jonathan. Have tried and discarded Golden
Russet and many others. I prefer a porous or well-drained soil, north by
northeast slope; it is too hot in bottom, and too dry on hilltop. I
plant two-year-old trees in rows running north and south, trees twelve
to sixteen feet apart in the row; have grown very few seedlings. I
cultivate with corn while young, and rye or wheat and keep it pastured
down when bearing. I plow between rows once in fore part of July. I have
a tall hedge for