OCR Text |
Show Orchards nnd Poultry. When we consider the advantages nnd products of the hen we nscrlbe to her a value that Is hird to compute. Tor tho frult-Rroner she Is his most faithful friend. he Is a smbol of thrltf, energy, sigiclty. shrewdnesi and affection. Phe produces more wealth nnd prosperity and does more Rood In the production of her kind than can be ascribed tn any other factor In the material world, bhe wnltn not to he fed, but Rive her a chnnce and she will scratch for her living. An early frost may kill the blossoms, rust nnd rain ruin the strawberries, a hailstorm miy puncture the pcath nnd apple, mildew and rot finish tho grapes, a multitude of Insects stlnR and destroy de-stroy and the thought take everything that Is left. Hut our faithful friend has come throuRh It nil, laid Just ns many eggs, hatched Just ns many thickens, and Is the best dlvldend-pajer on the To attain success It Is Important that the work be carried on In a business-like business-like manner, feet jour stnndard high ami work up to It. oive our poultry plant us much thought nnd attention as anv other department on jour farm, keeping In mind that you can Bet le-turns le-turns from jour poultry the jear round. Hut It moms work combined with common sense, and clean, dry quarters Is the secret or health In your flock. Early In the spring Jet them range nn the strawberry bed. almost up to the time of ripening. After the last picking pick-ing let them tlean Up the patch, They will destroy n multitude of Insects. It has been noticed that In orchards where poultry are conllned that the trunks of the trees seem to have a much healthier appeannco than the trees In orchards not so cared for, nnd that there Is less Imperfect fruit. In the plum orchard Ihev- nre the best cure for the turcullo. A Rood pi in for small orchirds at least Is to go from tree to tree everj" morning ns soon ns the dew Is off the leaves, Jar the trees, call the chickens, and they will do the lest In short, they nre the enemy of whatever destrojs plant life. As fnr the weeds nnd seeds they eat. how enn we estimate the Rood they do In this line. Tor early risers they heat us all. The breed that Is the most profltnhle for the fruit-grower depends nn several conditions. Tor one's preference or fancy for some particular kind, has much to do with one's succesi We seldom succeed with nnythlng we dislike. dis-like. Whether the fowls nrr- tn be kept In confinement or nllowed free range Is another. Do jou want eggs or broilers? broil-ers? rnncy stock or common? Tor injself I prefer Light Ilrnhmas or l'lj-mouth l'lj-mouth llncks. The former first for the reason that they stnnd confinement nnd cold weather better: lower fence required re-quired less subject to disease; mnke good winter Injers. average In weight when full grown about eleven pounds, so when 5011 markst jour surplus stock jou have something tn sell. Thev lay about ns many eggs nnd larger. Seven generally avernge n pound. They nre, however, rnther poor setters Tor one who has had experience with poultrj would advise that full-blooded stock be kept of whatever breed j-ou select The cost of keeping In the same, but the returns very much larger. We must therefore ronclude that the American hen In a necessary adjunct lo nil well-reRulaled fruit farms, and we cinnnt nfford to do without her Allen Wilson before Mississippi Valley Horticultural Hoclety. |