The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-07
Production for 1906 in Sedg-
wick Larger Than Usual.
Conservative Estimate Of Ono
Grower Is O,OOO Bushels.
DUE TO UNDERFLOW.
Roots Reach This Moist StTa-
tum of Mother Earth
And No Natter How Dry, the
Orchard Bears Fruit.

Wichita. kan, Nov. THE apple
crop of Sedgwick county, Kansas. viii
be 1000 bushels this year. This
estimate is made by W F. Schell, a
great apple grower and horticulturist.
Mr. Sche1l bases his estimate upon
observation and by comparison with
the crop of 1905, which totaled $4,000
bushels. Other estimates place it at
from 10000 bushels up.
Not only viii this years crop be
one Of the largest ever gathered in
Sedgwick county, said Mr.. Schell
but il viii be one Of the finest. l
don't believe / ever saw a crop where
the percentage of sound apples was
greater than this year. Not nearly all
W been gathered yet
~Sedgwick county is not the greatest
apple growing county in the state
Rather it has not that reputation,
though the fruit men declare that in
time it VIII take its place at the head
Most of the apples are growing in the
lOWlands and creek bottoms. though a
few good orchards are found on the
uplands.
The Arkansas river underhow. of
which so much was heard during the
recent and still pending kansas-Colo-
radO suit. has a great influence In p
pie growing, In the valley Of the Ar
kansas, within several miles of the
AgNA 4 - a. AEEEAH liz g ~ AAt9 1k1A E4&-
ent sheet of water-the underhOW. 1t
is always there. in flood or in drought.
1t is we'll for the fruit raiser that 1t is
there, too. for it helps wonderfully.
Down go the apple tree roots to TINS
moist stratum of mOther earth, ana no
matter how dry the summer. the tree
lourishes and bears fruit. This under
flow varies in depth. Men who have
had reason TO Investigate 1t and 10
study it say that it may be found any
qNhnrn from a 6pnfh of FIVE to eleven
feet from the surface. Wherever it is,
the branching roots of the fruit trees
viii be found extending into It, Tins
sheet water is the salvation of the
fruit growers profits. 1t is what make
Sedgwick county a good place in which
to raise apples. lit is p of the agents
that pull fruit men to the Arkansas
valley.
But the sheet water is not all. Soil
and climate in ~Sedgwick county are
conducive to rapid and healthy growth
Of fruit trees. This is shown by an
exhibit placed in the Wichita ana
Southwestern fair recently by W f.
Schell. He showed there t~Wo-Near-oId
apple trees that measured more han
nine feet in height. 1t would be hard
for any eastern producer to beat that
There also were peach trees u year
from bud that measured nine feet
high. while a Yearling Carolina poplar
was at least three feet taller.
Sedgwick county's orchards might
almost be numbered by its farms Not
every farmer has an orchard. but the
vast majority of them have, and moro
are being supplied each year.
"a big crop like this helps a whole
lot in extending the work. said a
prominent fruit raiser. "of course
they will argue big crop. low prices
but get a big crop and everybody ne
gips to think about getting cut more
trees. just the same.'
Probably the largest orchard in the
county is what is known as the Hoo
yer orchard. 1T consists OF more than
900 acres. almost exclusively devoted
to apples. 1t has been established for
years, and has grown famous for the
perfection and value Of its o Ed
Hoover. who once won applause as a
third basemen for the Kansas City
Blues and other professional baseball
teams. is Interested in it. He ~conclud-
ed in his prime as a ball player that
there was more money in marketing
apples grown in the Arkansas valley
than there was in playing ball even at
4 high salary. so he DOTTED the spangles
never more to don them. The Hoover
crop this year viii be a big one. but il
has broken so many records in the
past that it viii not be out of the or
binary. It's annual output amount
to thousands Of dollars.
Another prominent fruit farm To-
Gated near Wichita is the Thomas
orchard. It consists Of eighty acres.
Like the Hoover orchard its output
amounts we'll into the thousands of
bushels each year.
n Ed Cooley farm has sixty-fve
acres in fruit, the Dan n. Jones farm
has a like amount of orchard. the o.
J. Martin orchard has thirty acres, the
o. Martlnson orchard has thirty acres
and there are hundreds Of smaller
ones. South of this city the Arkansas
river is fairly lined with greater and
lesser fruit farms. varying in size
from ten acres up to fifty.
one of the best known of the small
er farms is the Frank Yaw fruit farm.
Mr.. Yaw has but twenty acres. He
devotes the entire tract to apples.
cherries, plums and peaches. and he
makes a mighty good living with a lit
tie money to lay by each year for the
rainy day. A t-Wenty-acre farm in the
west is almost as much Of a novelty as
a section under one mans manage
ment in the east, but Mr.. Yaw seems
to be satisfied
Il met some Missouri fruit men at
the worlds fair said Mr.. Yaw.
They were telling how much land
they had in fruit. One had zoo acres.
another 100 acres, some less and some
more. Finally one of them turned to
me and asked me where 1 was from.
7 told them I was from Kansas. Thev
asked me how much land [ had. I
told them twenty acres and they
laughed at me. I guess they thought
] wasn't much of a fruit man. That's
all right I told them. I only have
twenty acres. Last spring We had a