The Iola register., 1902-02-28
Substitute reporter.

Ap'NA % oNNoplAN'lp liONNos
a. L. HARMON,
Substitute reporter.
MIR. PANCoST'S PAPER.
In writing this little story about the
Ben Davis apple do not have any in
tention of trying to convince anyone
the wonderful qualities of a Kansas
en- Davis, but few statements of
facts which have encountered might
interest some planter to investigate
and save probable loss that the plant
ing of non-productive varieties might
entail.l
| know a small orchard not far from
town that has one Ben Davis and tn ee
Winesap trees in the same row, all the
same age, now abouttwenty years old.
All commenced bearing at about eight
years, making now about twelve years
of fruiting. From the best information
Icang get. The threewinesaps have borne
about 30 bushels of apples in the
twelve years, or less tn an an average
of one bushel each, while the Ben
Davis has furnished for five of the
years II bushels each year and fair
crop the other seven years. AT the
lowest estimate we can makels 100
bushels Of marketable fruit has been
produced by the single tree. AS to
the quality, we can admit the Wine
sap superior, but If we do not get the
fruit, the quality must be counted like
the darkey's rabbit as "poor dry meat
anyway" tWhen you offer the
product in the market the cash re-
ceived certainly must be considered a
test of quality. A few weeks ago two
farmers of my acquaintance brought
apples the same day to market. One
brought Winesap, missouri Pippin
and Willow Twig, which sold for so
cents per bushel. The other sold Ben
Davis for 75 cents per one half
basket. One had trouble TO find a
buyer, Ewhile the other did not have
enough to supply the demand. In
view of these few.facts did hear some
one say the Ben Davis is not worth
planting ? No! He left Kansas just
before he said so and that leaves the
field clear to plant Ben Davis for
profitable planting. But don'tlet us be
too fast about planting all Ben Davis.
Lately some newlvarieties are being
introduced and let us investigate the
Gano, a Seeding of the Ben Davis
very similar but with marked diff
ference both in tree and fruit. After
being fruited for ten or more years we
find no faults sufficient to condemn it
and no great improvement over It's
parent and for the sake of variety we
anssafely plant OF it. Another new
one very promising, have seen and
and sampled it, is the Black Ben
Davis. If our climate and soil will
produce equal to the samples have
seen, then l will consider it superior
to both the Ben Davis and Gano, fully
equal in size and color and super
ior in keeping quality and flavor.
Every farm and family should have
a home orchard and in selecting trees
for this we should keep in mind that
nothing is too good for our families
and ourselves to use that we can
create by our own skill and labor.
Let us then be very careful to select
the varieties having themost exquisite
flavor and quality, with as much
adaptability as we can, and here
would be my list with the varieties that
l have seen tested in this locality:
Ben Davis, or some of it's reproduce
tions, to ensure few apples when
others fail as they do some times, York
imperial, Jonathan, Wealthy, Grimes
Golden.
DYER JEFFRIES PRIMATO
Bassetts sweet, London sweet. A
few more varieties might be added to
p ease individual tastes and to COM
plete the orchard, we must add peaches
early, medium and late, cherries about
four varieties, plums, three or four
kinds and don't forget to add one half
dozen varieties of the new grapes, that
can be had in three distinct colors
white, black and red with internedi-