88 State Horticultural Society. 



POULTRY IN THE ORCHARD. 



(Mrs. A. K. Dossey, Publisher, Ladles Poultry Journal, Moberly, Mo.) 



God in his wisdom has created everything, so that a combi- 

 nation of things succeeds better than any thing alone can succeed. 

 This is true in animate as well as inanimate life — in material things 

 as well as immaterial things. Take, for instance, a single specimen 

 in the plant kingdom and plant it alone, far from all vegetation, 

 and you will have a fruitless plant. Isolate the individuals of any 

 species of animals, and their race will soon become extinct. Take 

 a single note in any melody, with all the variations on the musical 

 scale, and while you may make a tune of it, you can never make the 

 sweet, pleasing and melodious music as when combined with other 

 harmonious notes or sounds. Make a harmonious combination in 

 the vegetable and animal kingdoms, and you will have a bountiful 

 harvest and an abundant increase. 



Now this subject of raising poultry in the orchard is a com- 

 bination of two industries that will harmonize admirably, 

 as each is a benefit to the other, and will balance up happy 

 and pleasing returns for the labor and capital invested; and the 

 great wonder is that this subject receives so little attention by the 

 fruit growers of our western states. In -the eastern states, how- 

 ever, there has been some experimenting along this line, and fruit 

 growers have learned of the benefits and advantages and are raising 

 poutry in their orchards. 



There could be no better location for our poultry yards and 

 ranges than in the orchard. Poultry, like birds, are great insect 

 destroyers. They are up early and late in search for insect food, 

 which they relish so well and is so beneficial to them. They are 

 after those that fly in the air, crawl on the trees and ground or bur- 

 row in them. They will scratch everything "topsy turvy" for a 

 bug or worm, and then why not give them a chance in your or- 

 chards ? 



The insects are one of the great enemies to successful fruit 

 growing, and the poultry can help us largely in their destruction, 

 if given a chance to show their ability, and will gladly do it. We 

 cannot guarantee that they will do the whole business all alone, 

 but they will surely save the sprayer many hard licks and the fruit 

 grower many dollars that he will have to spend for rank poison to 

 use in his spray solution. 



