Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1911-07-27
WHILE TREES MATURE

IT is a we'll known fact that large
percentage of the young orchards Of
Idaho are owned by people residing
In the East. who are waiting for their
orchards to reach maturity before
moving to Idaho to make their home.
This condition is. unfortunately due
TO their ignorance Of the excellent
possibilities Of making good living
on their land while the trees are ma
turing. Three other agricultural
lines offer themselves to the orcnari-
ist. any one OF which will yield a good
living by itself. or when combined
with either or both Of the others
These lines are poultry raising veg
etable gardening and bee keeping.
To the poIitryman Idaho offers an
.deal cliamte for raising his birds,
and the best Of markets for eggs and
dressed poultry At no time during
the past two winters have eggs a,-
eraged below so cents per dozen, and
from that the price has often gono
as high as 65 cnts insome parts Of
the state. In the summer the price
usually runs from 20 to 25 cents and
upwards. The numerous summer re-
sorts in the northern part OF the
state and the hotels of the larger
westrn Giles are now furnishing ex-
cellent markets for broilers. Pure
bred poultry is in demand throughout
the northwest. The orchard offers a
free rangeand an ideal shade to the
poultry during the summer These
points when taken into consideration
with all the essential poultry foods
that are produced at cur door at rea-
eonable prices. enable the orchardist
TO make a good living for his family
up to the time the trees bear.
On orchard tracts that are locat-
ed near cities or mining camps a por-
fion Of the space between the young
trees may be profitabl yused for hte
production of vegetables AS a gem
eral rule it is best to grow no crop
in the orchards, but whiel the trees
are young the growing of beans. peas,
potatoes or such vegetables as may be
hoed is quite permissible il they are
not allowed to interfere with the or
chard operation Potatoes make a
very desirable crop between the trees.
for they demand clea nculture. re-
quire no spraying as yet Gin this
etate) for the potato beetle and av-
efage much higher price than in
the east 1t is not uncommon to see
many frmilies in the fruit section that
are being well supported by the veg
etables raised between their fruit
trees.
Next to raising vegetables. bee
keeping may be ranked in order Of
importance. Bee keeping in many
parts of Idaho should appeal to the
prospective citizen, no only from the
the standpoint Of ideal climatic con-
ditions for this line OF agriculture,
bur from the standpoint Of prices re-
ceived for the honey and wax The
latter product has been on a con-
finuous rise in price for many years
on account of the constantly increas-
lng use OF it in the manufacture OF
grating wax The benefit Of bees
TO the orchard when it comes into
bearing belong to the subject Of pol
1ination. but It will suffice to say
that the quality and quantity Of fruit
has been proven in many cases by
careful experimentation to be in
creased many dollars per acre when
honey bees are in abundance.
Hence If the prospective orchard
ist of the east would resolve to give
as much careful study to the timely
details OF any Of the above lines OF
agriculture as viii be necessary for
him to give to the fruit raising in
order to succeed, he needs to make
no hesitancy in moving to Idaho now
o. NJ. OSBORNE.
Agricultural Editor. University Exper'
iment Station.