The Holly chieftain., 1899-04-28
4 successful Fruit grower,

i 'll-. 8
The following extynct from paper
read BY Hon. J. a. CEowley q the
Rocky Ford Institute. brings 70 or
minds 70 many expressions Of doubt
which we have heard since reading 10
Holly that We publish It TO show how
one can succeed II he goes at itin The
right way.
Twelve years aRo started 10 esov
vegetables and start fruit on the Tsis.
view fruit farm. Ny leo was supposed
70 be the poorest under ths CAtlip
ditch. I wAs callsd crazy Of . fool.
Crowley you will starve. This u
no fruit country. There b no MIA
fruit here" Othen said that II,
Linigger, Of Las Animas, bad tried u
for IA years and said all that would
grow was wild plums. Others ssid
the trees winter killed, the sun scald.
ed them and that the wind would
blow all the fruit OF. IRrew trees 10
sell, but, Of course, could not sell them
to such people, 20 kept most Of my
trees and am yet making stove WOOD
out of the surplus.
Ihad no place to 90 for information.
1t was failure here and failure therA
Canon City was growing fruit but
Rocky Ford was thought 10 b too fas
out on the plains.
We set out sixty varieties Of apples
IS Of grapes, Of currants, 10 Of cher-
ries, 10 Of pears, : Of quince, Of sasp-
berries, 10 Of strawberries, Of goose
berries, 2 of nectarines, 70 Of plums
and prunes, 1 Of almonds.
We have fruited So varities Of spplea
We set spplcs . feet apart each way,
10 trees per acre. Tho nrst year ve r..
rigated every two weeks. and cultivae-
I'd after each irrigation. We stir Me
ground once each year with . ll-ineh
plow. For cultivation We us . double
shovel. S-shovel. . s-horse eultivatoe.
an Acme harrow. ; isver harrow and
disc adjustable and reversible harrow.
We do not allow . crust to form 70 r.
a ect the suns rays, but keep the sur.
face fine so as to absorb the heat.
For irrigation We use . single-shove,
plow, making furrow on each side OF
the row from l to feet from trees, ac.
cording to size Of trees, and about
every 3 feet between rows Do NOT
flood anything. To regulate the watsr
in each furrow we use . box made Of
lath-one for each furrow. In our
soil this head will run 500 feet 10
twelve hours and soak 2 feet each side.
For loose or dry soil I would double
the head. This small amount Of watef
does not wash on steep land, or clog up
and run over II furrow 10 partly full Of
trash.
In cultivation We pay no attention
to irrigation burrows. Our Oldest or
chard is II years old, but We still cul.
tivate. Heretofore we grew small
fruit In orchard, but have dug all out.
1t would be impossible to give direc.
tions for pruning to the satisfaction Of
my audience or myself.
Out of the So variety OF apples, the
following have done we'll: No. pippins
At years old, best tree, 12a bus, ~.
erage 8; Ben Davis, best tree 10 bus.,
average S; Jonathan, best tree 10 bus.
average s; Winesap, best tree Q bus.
average s. Other trees average q fol.
lows: Rambo 4, Maiden Blush
Rawrs Jenette I, Mammoth Black
Twig 3, Arkansas Black Twfp z
Dutchess Of OldenburR I. The Vel
low Transparent has done well with
us, but is subject to blight. Pewau.
kee blights and drops. Wealthy
drops. Tetofsky blights. The Kes-
wick Codling Is good summer vsrie-
ty. OF course, some ono will ask
about Bellfowers. Life u too shorh
1t takes II years to get tho arst fruit
here