A. B. MANN, Toronto, Woodson county: I have lived in Kansas twenty-eight years. Have an apple orchard of fifty trees, twenty years old, twelve inches in diameter. For all purposes I prefer Ben Davis, Winesap, Jonathan, and Missouri Pippin. My trees are planted on a hilltop, with north slope, having a black limestone soil. I prefer two-year-old trees, set in rows twenty feet apart. I cultivate my orchard to sweet corn until four years old, using a plow and harrow, then cease cropping; put clover in a bearing orchard. We make windbreaks of Osage orange on the north side of the orchard. For rabbits I use lath, and dig borers out. I prune with a chisel and mallet; think it pays. I do not thin the fruit while on the trees. I do not mix my trees when planting. I fertilize my orchard between the rows with stable litter; would not advise its use on all soils. I have pastured my orchard with hogs, but do not think it advisable, as it does not pay. My trees are troubled with tent-caterpillar and flathead borer, and my apples with codling-moth. I do not spray; my neighbors do, without success. I hand-pick my apples.
D. W. COZAD, La Cygne, Linn county: I have resided in the state twenty-five years. For market I prefer Ben Davis, Jonathan, Willow Twig, and Missouri Pippin, and for family orchard, Early Harvest, Maiden's Blush, Winesap, Rawle's Janet, and Huntsman's Favorite. Have tried and discarded Lawver, Yellow Bellflower, Gilpin, and Cooper's Early White, on account of shy bearing, poor quality, and small size. I would choose hill for some and valley land for others, according to variety planted; would prefer southeast aspect with limestone soil and porous subsoil. I prefer one-year-old trees. I cultivate my orchard to corn and potatoes, using a surface cultivator and harrow; cease cropping at bearing age and sow to clover. Windbreaks are essential. I would make them of double rows of evergreens on the north and west. Protect from rabbits and borers by "eternal vigilance." I prune with a saw and knife for symmetry, air, and light, and think it pays. I thin the fruit while on the trees, at different times; it pays. I fertilize my orchard with stable litter and clover; would advise its use on all soils. I pasture my orchard with hogs; think it advisable, and that it pays. My trees are troubled with canker-worm, tent-caterpillar, root aphis, flathead borer, and woolly aphis; my apples with codling-moth and curculio. I pick my apples by hand; sort into three classes, sound and large, sound and small, and culls. I sell apples in the orchard, wholesale, retail, and peddle. Sell my best apples from the cellar, also second grade. Of the culls we make cider and feed to the hogs. My best market is at home. I do not dry any. I am successful in storing apples in barrels in a cellar and a cave; I find the Gilpin, McAfee, Rawle's Janet and Willow Twig keep best. I have to repack stored apples before marketing, losing about one-twentieth of them. I do not irrigate. Prices have been: Summer, twenty-five to thirty cents; fall, forty to fifty cents; winter sixty to eighty cents per bushel. I employ men at ten cents an hour.