The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-02-16
FRUIT CULTURE.
Practical Directions from n
Lyon County Nurserymau.

Practical Directions from n
Lyon County Nurserymau.
Please let me answer some ques-
tions which are frequently asked
me about the time, manner, ETC., OF
planting fruit trees, and also make
some remarks, suggestions, etc.
TIME AND MANNER OF PLANTING.
prefer as early in the spring as
the ground is in condition to WORK
never when the ground is too wet.
L prefer Diddling sized trees with
good roots, say good two year old
apple and one year old peach trees,
strong one year old grape vines.
cut of apple and peach trees about
where 1 want them 10 branch out.
then cut off all limbs and sprouts
below, dig the holes big enough to
let the roots go in straight, plant
about three or four inches deeper
than they stood in the nursery,
then throw up q mound 10 or u
inches around the tree to brace il
against the wind and hold moisture
in dry weather, aud turn off water
in wet.
As for kinds of fruit the apple is
acknowledged TO be king. / have
not eYperimented much with it,
but have seen some nice ones in
Kansas.
The peach is the undisputed queen.
have been experimenting with
the peach for about fifteen years, in
Lyon comfy, with both Seeding
and budded. aud for the last twelve
years we have not had a failure,
aud with one exception, some of
our trees have borne a good crop,
and with three exceptions we have
had fair crops. While varieties of
bndded are poor bearers, others are
better than seedlings. While seed
iings ripen most of their crops in
two or three weeks, we have had
the budded eleven or twelve weeks,
and we have new varieties on pro-
baton they claim will prolong the
season five or six weeks longer.
Hale's early Is the earliest prov
cd variety. have had them ripe
the 10Th of 7th month. They claim
Beatrice is 10 or u days earlier.
Alexander and Amsden II or 10
days iearlier. Pioneer about three
weeks cartier. Emporia four weeks
earlier. This is seeding from
Hale's early, aud originated in the
orchard of Louisa Burns, in the vi
cinity of Emporia; is in all respects
as good as the parent. 1t has borne
two crops, both times with the same
result. This is substantlated by
good authority, and is undoubtedly
the earliest peach in cultivation,
as well as one of the best The
Heath cling is the latest peach i
know anything about, and one of the
best. l have raised them ga inches
in circumference; they claim the
Steadily is 10 or II days later.
The Apricot is more tender than
the peach, though have had mid
ling good success with them.
have been experimenting with seed
lings, and think they are harder
and will do better. The nectarine
Is smooth peach, and would do
we'll If it was not for the curculio.
The blackberry is likely the most
profitable crop we can raise. The
Kittatinna is the hardest. 1t never
winter kills with me, and is one of
the most certain; will, with good
care, turn off twelve or fifteen hun
dred quarts to the acre, every year.
Wilson's early is more tender, but
an earlier, larger cropper and bear
or. Lawton is a still more tender
and prolific bearer, and does best
without any care, and prolongs the
season two or three weeks.
The Concord is the only profita-
BILE grape. The borer is one of our
worst enemies. The best remedy is
TO keep leached ashes piled around
the trees; dirt is next; about nine
inches high around each tree. The
Gu rculio may be prevented by Keep
ing the ground clean under the
trees. The birds are the worst enc
my; they take the best cherries,
grapes, and all kinds of small fruits.
i think our bird law is unconstitu-
tional--as it allows our enemies to
carry eur property of, and only al
lows us to say shoe. The best sit
.uatiOn for an orchard is on the
northeast slope of our highest di-
vides. There are thousands of acres
of land in southern Kansas that can
be had for less than FIVE dollsrs an
acre, that would likely average more
than 100 bushels of peaches to the
acre.
AS for varieties of peach trees for
an orchard for family use, Hale,s