The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-04-26
KANSAS news.
Ex- Governor Morrill, to Have
$50 Acres in Apples
Farm Will Have $4,000 Trees
ON in Two Weeks.
PLANTED ON SHARES
Horticulturist and a Capitalist
Form a Combine.
Largest Distinctive Orchard in
the United States.

Leavenworth, Kas., April ga force of
forty men, most Of them veterans from
the National Soldiers home, are at work
setting out 2, 900 apple trees the farm
Of Ex-Governor E. N. Morrill,, in the
southern part of Leavenworth county
When this lot OF trees is planted, which
viii be in two weeks. 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, formerly a resident or LeaY-
enworth county has more acres IN apple apple
around. and some are even IN different
Three years ago Ex-Governor Morrill,
purchased $50 acres of land from ex-Sen-
ator A. Caldwell, Of this city, and with
county. planned to make the largest apple
orchard in the country Governor Nor
rill furnished the land and capital to pur-
chase the trees and to help pay for the
labor. while Mr.. Goble acts as superin-
the profits equally if any are derived
from the orchard, for fifteen years from
the time it was first started After that
Governor Morrill, is to have all They ex-
pect that one good fruit year at any time
enough money from the orchard to pay
for all the expenses of planting and car
ing for the $1,000 trees
This is the fourth spring planting of
trees IN the Morrill, orchard From IS
during other spring months, but owing
to the hard winter two years ago one
l441l4tl6- u 1O,VJV young trees 0AG0 LAA1Sc
are all being replaced.
For the planting of 1900 trees the work
of preparing the ground began last
autumn Part of the land used, $50 acres,
was ''grubbed,'' cleared of underbrush.
After the land was clear it was laid of
in oblongs 16x32 feet The Checkers
were marked by blowing from east to
west and north to south last fall Deep
listing ploWs were run through the fur
rows from north to south when the plant
ing of trees began ten days ago. Trees
distributed at the proper spots in wagons.
After this is done men in pairs plant
the trees, shOveling dirt around the roots
Veterans are used for planting, as they
take better care of the trees than young
men and do not skin them in shove1ing
or tramping down the dirt. The big forca
of men set out !, 500 trees a day in the
''grubbed land and as high as 5000 day
in the old farm land
The trees are planted so to the acre,
and when this $1,000 is set out, 800 acres
more will be planted next year. When
the present planting is completed, the
farm will have L, 900 Jonathan trees out in
one body of $50 acres. Mr. Goble cOnsid-
erS the Jonathan the best and most
profitable apple to raise. 1t sells for more
than all others and is the best for all
around use The other varieties set out
Crimes Golden, Mammoth Black and
Huntsman.
The large barn, so feet by $780, will be
turned into a cold storage plant. Ma
chinery will be put in the coming sum-
mer to make this change, and a full apple
packing plant with cold storage will be
located right within the great orchard.