The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-11-28

emit time, one tenth of which are o.
general excellence, and less than one
hundred of the remainder are valuable
sorts for general orchard planting.
/ In a conversation with the president
of the Kansas Pathological Society a
year ago, he told me he was cultiVat-
ing one thousand varieties, but only
about three hundred varieties fruited
in one year.
Where the first orchards were plant
ed in Kansas, and by whom, is not
known to me- The Oldest that know
are those of the WyAndotte Indians at
the mouth of the Kansas river. Their
trees must have come mainly from
Ohio, when the Indians were removed
from their reservation in that State i.
Since then New York and Illinois nur-
series have sent us more trees than any
other State.
| In the last six years We haYe been
| trying to raise enough trees st home to
supply the demand of our tree planters.
Old as the States of New York,
Ohio, Indiana and Michigan are, It is
estimated that they each plant one
million of apple trees annually, and I
think Kansas is marching with equal
pace IN the same noble work. Young
orchards of five hundred to one thou
sand trees are not untrequent in the
eastern part of Lyon county, and per-
haps In other parts.
The age at which an apple tree bears
depends on variety, location and treat
ment, the best varieties for planting
ranging from four to eight years.
The number of years that the apple
tree lives and bears fruit depends
much on location and culture.
The books give one thousand years
as extreme age and two hundred years
as very old. Perhaps seventy five to
one hundred years Is an average age.
The value OF the apple exceeds that
of any other fruit when general ease
Of cultivation, long range OF time for
use, and the number Of uses to which
it can be put, are taken into account.
As an early fruit to gladden. the
"Happy New Year." to solace the
stormy days of March, to add spright-
illness to May, to cheer the harvester,
to rejoice the heart of the granger in
October, and to make the winter even
ing freside attractive, the apple has
no equal.
In their hour of prime. some other
fruits equal the apple at that time; as
for instances, the strawberry in May
and June; the currant, raspberry and
blackberry in July; the peach and
grape from August to October; and
the cherry and pear In their season.
But none of them equal queen Pomo-
mas treasure, the apple.
Profits Of apple Rdfsing.-Some of
our citizens know that the old settlers
who planted seventy to one hundred
apple trees twelve or fifteen years ago,
are realizing now more profit from |
their orchards than from the produce
of their farms.
A few figures of illustration: At |
two rods apart each way, about forty
trees ara planted on an acre; st thirty |
feet, about fifty trees; at twenty-five |
feet, about seventy trees and at TWEEN |
ty-one feet, about one hundred trees |
per acre. Now with an average of /
seventy trees to the acre, and yield |
OF from six to fifteen bushels to the |
tree, and 3 price of from one dollar to |
two dollars and half q bushel, there |
Is q handsome return for each acre OF /
orchard.
Uses of the apple, its propagation,
planting, culture, pruning, valuable |
varieties, marketing, &C.. could profit
ably be presented by this society to
our community. AID. CHAMBERS.
Hartford, November, 1873.