The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1877-08-23
For the EAGLE.
About Ssdgwick County Fruit.

VALLEY CENTRE, August 10, 1877.
Mr.. EDITOR II have noticed sew
eral pieces in your valuable paper in
regard to different kinds of fruit, and
in reply would say that | now have
some eight hundred trees in my or
chard, all kinds bearing except pears.
The largest trees of each kind are Civ.
en- in the following table:
Apples. Is 1T. high, % in. in circumference
| Apricots, Is
| Cberrles,i4 - -
Nectarines. a. "a ''
| Pears IA :" IA
Considering the age of the trees,
think it is a good showing for our
county, aud establishes the fact that
any live man can have an abundance
of rich fruit, with proper care.
| | came to this county in 1870, and
was only able to break small piece
of ground, some three to five acres.
The next year was able to set out d
few trees, and have added various
kinds from time to time since, aud l
think they grow as nice and look as
healthy as those in other States. 9th
er parties have set out trees under
more favorable circumstances, and to-
day condemn the country because
| they have no fruit. 1t seems to be
the prevailing opinion that all that 10
necessary is simply to set out few
trees and then reap a rich harvest
without further labor. But care and
attention are absolutely necessary.
| Select dry soil, as trees will not do
well on a low, wet piece of ground.
See that the ground is in good condi-
ton before setting out the trees, and
dig the holes large enough to admit
the roots without cramping. Lean
the trees little to the south, and if
possible have good windbreak to
protect them from our strong south
ern breezes, otherwise they will grow
crooked. On an exposed position q
few cottonwoods would soon make
growth enough to protect them. A
good windbreak on the north and
west would be great improvement.
Set your stakes in the proper position
and the right distance apart, and then
get piece of plank about eight feet
long and four inches wide and cut a
notch on the side opposite the center;
place this notch against the stake
where the tree is designed to stand,
and have two holes bored in the ends
of the plank, through which drive a
couple of pins. Now take up your
plank, dig your hole and replace the
same OH your pins, Get ling the tree in
the notch where the stake stood and
one man will be able to do the whole,
and no sighting. To have good fruit
air and light are necessary. have
peach trees set fifteen feet apart that
produce good fruit, while my father
set some of the same kind about ten
feet apart, so as to form windbreak,
and the result is about twice the
amount of fruit of double the size in
favor of the extr. five feet. | would
recommend fifteen or sixteen feet as
the proper distance apart for peaches,
aud about double that for apples. In
setting out trees cut of "A part of the
last years growth, as the roots are in
part gone and do not furnish sap
enough for a heavy top. | have sci
out many trees i'll the fall. but the
loss was much greater than on those
set in the spring. There may be times
when it would do just as well, but in
general The loss will be heavy, and
the farmer has the extra trouble of
protecting his young trees from the
rabbits, etc, while ne gains nothing
during the winter. The holes should
be filled half full of light, mellow
earth when the trees are set, and
bucket of water poured OH that. and
then they should be finished by 6lling
up with dryer earth and packed tight
ly by tramping.
| would further say that all this
will be useless to those who expect
crop without future cultivation. We
cultivate our corn, and who would ex-
pect a crop without it? No excel
lence is attained without great labor.
A man with little energy may get
through field of corn aud raise a
toIerable fair crop, but it takes live
man, with energy and perseverance to
succeed in raising good fruit; yet if
he will keep the ground loose around
his trees and free from weeds, and
guard against borers and other insects
the battle is won. And with proper
trimming, to let in the light and air,
he will find that trees grow in this
Arkansas Valley just as nice as in any
other part of the world.
s. A. V, HARTWELL