The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-01-23
THE FARM AND ORCHARD
FRUIT GROWING IN THE INLAND
EMPIRE.
Fine Flavor fin Butter-Best Prices
Demand More Than Looks
Grain and Sailing.

proportions throughout the inland empire
that anything tending to improve the
yield means thousands of dollars annually
added to this section. Poultry fanciers
In this section have for a long time in
sisted that it is positively necessary for
orchardists to keep poultry and give them
the run Of the orchards if the greatest
possible profit was to be obtained. Their
claims are amply proven by the follow
Ing article clipped from the Feathered
World of London, England, and is of
such Importance that every fruit raiser
will be interested in reading it:
In connection with one of the many ad-
mirable reports from time to time issued
by the Rhode Island agricultural station
| ror copies of which we are indebted to
the director Of these interesting expert
ments) we note some practical comments
by Mr.. Tegetmeier in a recent Field. How
beneficial is the combination of poultry
with fruit culture most fanciers are fully
aware OF, and upon the special services OF
fowls to apple orchards Mr.. Tegetmeier
draws from the able Americans report
under discussion the following deduc-
tons:
For many years have advocated the
Introduction of poultry into apple orch
ards, maintaining that they do good ser
vice in two very distinct modes-first, by
manuring the ground, and, secondly, by
the destruction Of the insects and grubs
that hibernate in the soil.
THE apple maggot appears to be ex-
tending in America, attacking the favor
lite Baldwin, which is so we'll known as
being tOnnOFfa6 Int
and rendering it entirely unfit for use,
but the spraying the trees with bordeaux
mixture and paris green has appeared to
prevent all serious attacks Of this in
sect. In the mature stage this insect is
n.y. which deposits Its eggs in the pulp
OF the apple beneath the skin. The young
maggots grow within the fruit, which
they render worthless, and when mature
emerge from the apple and go into the
ground lying in the pupa state beneath
the surface soil among the grass roots.
Samples of the earth, six inches square,
were taken, and the number of maggots
under the trees varied according to the
size, from 1000 to more than 1900 under
each tree, the pupae somewhat resembling
kernels of wheat.
Now comes the point which was par
tcularly interesting to me. The expert
ment was tried as to whether poultry, If
confined to a small range and encouraged
to scratch, would destroy these pupae.
A large movable wire fence was placed
about a tree whose fruit had been de-
stroyed by insects. One side of the fence
was raised, and about 50 hens were called
Into the enclosure. The fence was let
down, and they were confined to the
space around the tree. AS soon as they
had eaten the corn they naturally began
to scratch for the pupae, and in the
course of three or four days it was found
that the latter had disappeared. AS these
insects remain in the pupa state from the
fall of the apple to the following spring,
when they appear 1t may be expected
that next year the number of flies breed
ing the apple maggot will be greatly di-
minished in the localities where the plan
Is followed. From personal experience,
extending over many years, can speak
positively of the advantages of allowing
fowls and chickens free range in the
apple orchards. They not only manure
the soil and destroy all insects harbor-
ing in it, but they find, for some weeks,
at least, considerable proportion of their
own food-the windfalls, which they de-
YOUR greedily, with any grubs they may
contain. The raising of poultry for sale
may be much more advantageously car
ried on where the land is made to pro-
duce two crops-namely, apples and eggs
than were one only gathered"
Fowls i'm Orchards.
AS to the income to expect from the
eggs, under intelligent management, take
the following instance from an eastern
exchange, Farming, the price of eggs be-
Ing about the same as here. while the
cost of feed there would be more:
''Mr. c. H. Wykoff of New York state
devotes his small farm of rs acres to
raising eggs. The breed he used Is white
leghorns. Here is an account for one
year:
Hen, average number .......... .............6O0
Egg each, average ...,.. ........ ..........16S
Price per dozen, average ................12kcts
ETpua nat m