Ben Davis is the leading market apple, followed closely by Missouri
Pippin. These two lead all others, and are followed by Winesap and
Jonathan. Rawle's Janet, York Imperial, Huntsman's Favorite, Grimes's
Golden Pippin and Maiden's Blush are also favorites. We find the Yellow
Bellflower, Newtown Pippin, Lawver and a few others are condemned all
over the state.
In the eastern third of the state hilltop or slope is preferred to
bottom land, but in the central and western portions bottom land is
preferred. The reason for this is obvious. Any good soil is
satisfactory, if subsoil is porous.
The favorite distance seems to be thirty-two feet east and west and
sixteen to twenty feet north and south, some putting peach or
early-bearing apples between, the wide way, to be cut out when they
crowd. This undoubtedly brings the quickest returns, but many believe it
robs the permanent trees of their future sustenance.
Twenty-four prefer one-year-old trees; 7 one to two years old; 153
two-year-old; 10 two- to three-year-old; 21 three-year-old; 3 want
four-year-old, and 59 give no age. It is only a matter of cost and
convenience. A one-year-old tree costs less and allows the would-be
orchardist to set more trees for a given amount of cash. The one- and
two-year-old trees require the removal of less earth, and are more
readily handled and planted. There is no reason why an apple tree three
inches in diameter cannot be transplanted as easily as an elm or maple.
A man is willing to set a few large shade-trees at a cost of one dollar
to five dollars per tree, but cannot feel that it is economy to set
orchard trees at as great individual expense.
"Whole-root grafts" is a misleading appellation, as it will be found to
be only a crown graft. Its advocates make great claims that are at
variance with the facts. There can scarcely be such a thing unless
grafted on a seedling without removal of such seedling from the earth.
Our best nurserymen prefer the second cut, about one and one-half to
three inches taken from the seedling root a couple of inches below the
crown. In any case the piece of root taken has little influence on the
future tree. All our ordinary varieties make roots from the scion, and
the original seedling root may be found--like the piece of potato we
plant--shriveled and useless in the midst of the new roots. The nature
of the root growth shows this plainly, as all its peculiarities will be
found to be a counterpart of the roots of the variety from which the
scion was cut. It is folly to pay any added price for so-called
"whole-root grafts."
A very great majority believe in thorough cultivation, at least for from
six to ten years; some during the life of the tree. Nearly all agree
that Indian corn is the best crop to grow in a young orchard; it shades
the ground, and protects from wind. The corn in a young orchard should
not be cut in the fall, neither should the stalks be pastured; let them
stand till spring as a partial protection; it pays.
Many parts of the state, especially the western half, believe windbreaks
on the south and west very valuable, if not quite necessary.
Forest-trees with the outside row or rows of Russian mulberries, and
perhaps an Osage orange hedge, seem to meet the general opinion.
As a protection from rabbits, the ever-present corn-stalks seem most
economical, and the favorite. The cost is little, and the boys and
girls, or the farmer and his wife, at odd times can put them on. It is
an open question as to the benefit or harm of leaving them on
permanently for the first five years. It looks slovenly, but certainly
has many arguments in its favor.
The serio-comic idea of boring into an apple tree and placing therein
sulphur, asafetida or other drugs does not really deserve a serious
thought. It is impossible for the tree to assimilate these substances,
especially sulphur, and carry them to the foliage or fruit for
preventive or any other purpose. Boring and plugging--like any other
threatened death to the tree--may cause temporary fruitfulness, as also
will girdling.
While several washes are claimed to prevent or destroy borers, the large
majority of extensive orchardists believe the knife and a hooked wire in
the hands of a thoroughgoing employee the best and surest way of knowing
that you destroy the larva of this persistent and destructive insect.
Smearing trees with any undiluted grease, especially axle grease made
from petroleum refuse, is hazardous, and the man who advises it is an
enemy to your orchard. If you have applied it, the sooner you wash it
off the longer will your orchard thrive.
Pruning has its advocates, but the Eastern style of a long stem has
scarcely a follower in our state; a great majority simply cut out
"watersprouts" and limbs that cross or rub, or are wind-broken.
Thinning on the trees has many advocates, but few followers. All admit
it would often improve the size and quality, yet most growers believe
the difference would not be sufficient to pay for the labor, and it
would require skilled labor to do it without injury.
A large number, perhaps a majority, believe it pays to apply
fertilizers, more especially barn-yard litter, to the orchard; but cases
are known where it has done much harm. All agree that it should be kept
away from the body of the tree.
As to pasturing the orchard, some think it pays; others that it does no
harm; others still--and they are many--condemn it. The larger proportion
of those who pasture confine the stock to calves, colts, and pigs. Some
would allow only poultry in the orchard, and the poultry must not roost
in the trees. This latter point is an excellent one.
We find we have plenty of insects; this is natural. Insects settle in a
country that provides proper food for them and their larva. As apple
trees are planted in new localities the insects that delight in
apple-tree wood, apple-tree roots, apple-tree foliage and apple-tree
fruits immigrate, grow, and multiply.
Spraying or using some preventive or destroyer has become necessary, and
the man who believes it unnecessary and intends to trust to nature or
providence or God will find no truer saying than "God helps those who
help themselves." Sit down calmly and watch the worms eat your trees,
trust to the woodpecker and the sparrows, and you will in time buy
apples from your more active, thoroughgoing neighbor, or go without.
Methods of picking do not vary much, yet all agree that it should be
done carefully. If shaken from the tree, poured out carelessly, or
jolted about in a lumber wagon, it simply increases the culls and
decreases the cash returns.
Sorting is done in various ways (a sorting table or device is explained
elsewhere), but a majority seem to make three classes: First class, the
unblemished best of each variety; culls, which are the unmarketable,
specked, bruised and gnarled fruit; second class, which are between the
other two, and really valuable for immediate use. In some cases the
"second best" have been put in cold storage, and they sold well after
the usual fall glut.
Packing: While there are many who handle in a small way in boxes--and
the time is near when all fancy apples will be marketed in boxes--yet
all the larger growers use barrels, and it is encouraging to find they
use full twelve-peck barrels. The eleven-peck barrels should be
boycotted out of existence.
Marketing: In our large apple-growing districts the crop is generally
wholesaled, either in the orchard or subject to delivery at the
railroad, generally in barrels. In the western half of the state the
apples are largely taken in bulk, in wagons, hauled farther west and
south, and sold at a good profit to the wagoner. Thousands of
wagon-loads are thus disposed of every year. The same wagons often
appear in the same neighborhood year after year, to the mutual advantage
of all. Shipping to distant markets by the growers, especially when
consigned, has been generally unsatisfactory. I need not give reasons;
my own experience along similar lines makes me "hot under the hat" when
I think over it.
Drying is not practiced to the extent that it ought to be. It seems
almost a sin to allow so many thousands of bushels of apples to rot on
the ground every year simply because the owner lacks faith in his
ability to turn them into a product that will keep while he looks up a
market. Dried apples are in demand--hundreds of tons of them--and Kansas
dried apples stand as good chances to bring as remunerative prices to
the manufacturer as those from other states. If the work is economically
done a profit is sure. Storing for winter is described elsewhere.
Cold storage, cave storage, and cellar storage: All know that, after the
perishable and inferior apples are gone, good winter apples bring sure
and large returns. How best to preserve them is a vital question. The
art of keeping apples by the artificial cold-storage process is yet
imperfect and unsatisfactory, and the losses have been so great that,
unless the owner of the plant will take part of the risk, at least to
the extent of his fee, he will find the average grower standing back. To
lose your apples, and then pay fifty cents per barrel to the man whose
ignorance or carelessness may have caused the loss, is a burden too
heavy to be borne. The hillside cave is described elsewhere, and the
orchardist who has such a cave well built, and gives it careful
attention, will save a large portion of the fee, and have his apples
always under his own supervision, besides saving in hauling, and perhaps
railroad freight to and from a distant cold-storage plant. House
cellars, small caves and buried heaps each and all have their advocates,
mostly for family use or among the small growers.
It seems to be determined that the Winesap is the better keeper,
followed closely by the Missouri Pippin and Ben Davis. Of less
marketable varieties, Rawle's Janet and Rambo seem to keep best. The per
cent. of loss, excepting in a few cases, does not seem great considering
the (usually) greatly increased value of the sound apples.
The reports from those who irrigate are not as full as we could wish. It
is claimed that with irrigation every apple becomes a perfect specimen
of its kind; that there are no culls. If this is so, and we hope it is,
what a grand opening for those rightly situated.
Our Lakin correspondent sells his apples at top prices at the tree for
cash, to men who could but do not heed the injunction, "Go thou and do
likewise." Prices, like wages, vary greatly. Apples put on board cars in
a northeastern county at twenty cents per bushel often retail in western
groceries at one dollar per bushel. The railroad and grocer get the
"lion's share."
On the whole, a close study of all that is in this book ought to give an
impetus to the planting of proper varieties, the careful and complete
destruction of insects, the growing, picking, packing and marketing of
more profitable apples, all to the glory of the Kansas grower and
incidentally swelling his bank account. This means better dwellings,
better furniture therein, better food on the tables, better education
for the children, and more and better literature in the house. If these
aims are realized, then the labor of the compiler shall not have been in
vain, but will prove to be a help in making Kansas and the Kansas apple
known throughout the whole world.