Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-14
by MIR. CLEWETTE.
Manager George ii. Lee & c.

A wealthy orange grower came TO US
a few days ago with query in re-
gard to the possibility of keeping large
focks of laying hens in his orchards.
We have often claimed that this can
be done with great advantage to the
orchard and the owners bank account.
One of the things which strikes
stranger the most forcibly in regard
to our orchard homes. If he Is at all
conversant with diversified farming, is
the fact that a great many places are
set solidly to fruits or walnuts as the
case may be and the orchardst must
buy vegetables, fruit, eggs and poultry
for the table the year round. The
money paid out in year in this way
would be surprise to some If strict
account were kept of 1t. The old old
saying that "a penny saved is penny
earned" is the smallest part of this
question: for the quality of the vege-
tables. etc, produced would be very
much more satisfactory than those you
can buy.
This. however. is beside the question
of keeping hens in the orchard for
profit OF course it would not be ad-
Visab1e to keep a lot of fancy stock
running at large If you wish to know
ANYTHING about Darentage, and 1t Is not
desirable to run fences among the trees.
Houses OF light construction and low
cost could be set at more or less close
Intervals arOunuu II1e euRe OF lHe Dld'o
where they would not interfere with the
work of cultivation or irrigation. and
the hens allowed to roam at will among
the trees Hens brought in and con-
fined in these houses for say one or two
nights. would go back 10 their own
house to lay and roost and never crowd
into any one house. This would he
following the colony plan so much
used in the large poultry districts.
when the value of land allows of its
free use for this purpose.
Hens thoroughly enjoy following
pIow or harrow that TURNS up damp
earth with the bugs and worms that lie
hidden there. and they also en1ov
scratching I'D the loose damp earth and
wallowing in it instead of in dust for
cIeanino themselves of insects. Thev
throw the damn particles through their
feathers and often clear themselves or
lice which are not driven out by dust
hath. and they will also cleanse their
feathers of dust and impurities and
keen themselves much cleaner and
handsomer than is possible in dust
bath
Another argument in favor of hens
in an orchard of decidUous fruits is
their work in checking the ravases of
all insect nests which hide or hatch in
the ground and ascend the tree trunk
The hens will soon learn to look for
will also eat up much of the wormv
fruit that drops. and particularly in an
annie orchard DESTROY in that way
mnnv pests of the orchardist.
The fertilizer produced bv flock or
hens has a good commercial value and
is one of the strongest and safest to he
found. for there are no weed seeds in
II 10 increase the work of cultivating;
and by gathering this from the houses
often and keeping 1t carefully 1T can
be applied just when you are ready to
plow il in. so that its strength Will
not be wasted by evaporation.
These houses coui5 be built with the
backs on a line forming part OF the
boundary fence, and a portion of the
back hinged, giving access te the
nests. on the ground ana ABOVE these
a dropping board with a good slant
and at the edge of this a trough like
projection where the droppings may be
ra<ed or swept and then taken out into
a wheelbarrow to be conveyed to the
box or shed where they can be pro-
tected from sun and rain so that the
ammonia and other fertiliZing proper
ties are not lost. The back of each
house must have a hinged section to
allow this work to be done properly
and rapidly
Convenient hoppers for dry egg food,
as we'll as grit, bone, charcoal, etc,
NAV be fastened to the house with
hooks or wires, while the whole grain
NAV be scattered more or less distant
from the houses, among the trees.
Some boards may be fastened to
post of the fence, on the outside, and