As to the fruit business: On the southeast quarter of section 26, township 4, range 1, is one of the _best_ orchards I know of in Republic county (not the largest). It consists of about 450 apple trees, also peaches, cherries, pears, and grapes. Myself, little girls and wife planted it. I wish to tell you how every one of the different fruits have abundantly paid for labor and all cost, and left their owners a fair profit. The soil of this successful orchard is a black loam, upland prairie, clay subsoil; loam eighteen inches to two feet deep, previously cultivated in corn and potatoes, plowed, not listed. Lay of land: Two slight ridges; a wide draw; slope east and west. Trees more vigorous and bear as well in draw as on upland. Varieties: Ben Davis, Missouri Pippin, Jonathan, Winesap, Rawle's Janet, Maiden's Blush, mostly the first four. Planting: Distance, thirty by thirty feet, furrowed out with a fourteen-inch plow, running two furrows across each way. Cleaned out all loose dirt to make room for all roots to spread without turning up. The little girls held the trees, tops leaning to the southwest about five degrees. I covered the roots well, tramped firmly, and filled with loose earth. Leave furrows so as to hold water on upper side of tree. After all trees were out I gave each one a slight mulch of sorghum refuse. Cultivation: Crop always corn; rows running east and west. Rows far enough from trees so horses or singletrees would not touch them. Cultivate shallow, with one horse, and light plow with very short singletree. Pruned some. All limbs where cut off were painted. Cut close and smooth; wounds healed readily. Tried to prune so that air and sun would go through and not against the trees. Pinch off all water or tender sprouts.