The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1901-1901, 1901-05-03
A GREAT APPLE.ORCHARD.

A GREAT APPlE-ORCHARO.
That Of Ex-Governor Morrill, Will Have
$4,000 Trees.
A force of forty men, most of them
veterans from the National Soldiers
Home are at work setting out $4,000
apple trees on the farm of ex-Gover-
nor E. N. Morrill,, in the southern
part of Leavenworth county, Kansas. |
When these trees are planted, there
will be $4,000 trees set out in one
compact body of land, making it the
largest distinctive apple orchard in
the United States, and, so far as known
in the world. F. W. Wellhouse, for
merly resident of Leavenworth coun-
ty. has more than 800 acres in apple |
trees, but his orchards are scattered
around, and even in different coun-
ties.
Three years ago Ex-Governor Morrill,
purchased 800 acres of land from ex-
Senator A. Caldwell, and he started
III through an agreement with Fran
els Gobel, a noted horticulturist of
this country, to make the largest ap-
pie orchard in the country. The land
and capital to purchase the trees and
to help pay for the labor was furnish
ed by Governor Morrill,, while Mr..
Gobel acts as superintendent and looks
after everything It is said that they
are to share the profits equally, if any
are derived from the orchard, for fif-
teen years from the time it was first
started. After that Governor Nor
rill is to have all. They expect in
one good fruit year at any time after
the next three years to make enough
money off the orchard to pay for the
entire expense of planting and caring
for the $4,000 trees.
This makes the fourth spring plant
ing of trees. From $4,000 to 25, 900
trees were set out during other spring
months, but owing to the hard win
ter two years ago, one entire planting
of 10000 young trees died. These are
all undergoing resetting, and much
new orchard land added.
The planting of $4,000 trees is no
small job in itself. The work of pre-
pairing the ground commenced last fall
Part of it, $50 acres, had to be
'grubbed' or cleared Of underbrush.
After the land was cleared it was
laid of in rows mile and half long.
The rows were staked of 16 feet apart
one way by 80 the other. A double
width is allowed between the rows
running north and south.
The rows were all marked out by
plowing from east to west and north
to south last fall. Deep listing plows
were run through the burrows from
north to south when the planting Of
trees commenced, ten days ago. Trees
are shipped in from two points by
the carloads, and they are placed
at the proper spots by men hauling
them in wagons.
After this is done two men work to
gether planting the trees, shovelins
dirt around the roots. Veterans are
mostly used for this planting, as the,
take better care of the trees thar
young men, and do not skin them il
shoveling or tramping down the dirt
The big force of men set out 1,50(
trees day in the "grubbed" land, ant
as high as 5000 a day in the old farm
land.
/ The trees are planted eighty to tn
acre, and when this $4,000 is set ou
800 acres will be completed. The othe
eighty acres of the farm will be plant
ed next year.
II When the present tree planting i
! completed the farm will have Is
!. acres, or $4,000 Jonathan trees, cut il
! one body. Mr.. Gobel considers tn
Jonathan the best and most profitabl
J. apple to raise. It sells higher thai
I all others and is the best for all-roun
! use. The other varieties set out ar
Ben Davis, Gano, Missouri PippiI
a Grimes Golden, Mammoth Black an
4 Huntsman.
III The large barn, so feet by $50, wi
be turned into cold-storage plant
Machinery will be put in the comm
summer to make this change, and
full apple packing plant, with col
r storage, will be located right With
the great orchard.