180 Bureau of Farmers' Institutes. 



Question. — How can you keep turkeys at home? 



Mr. Chapman. — They are quite methodical in their habits and 

 take about the same round each day. Confine the hen turkey 

 to a small yard for a week, and then let her out after dinner. 

 Keep watch of her, guiding her in a circle within the limits 

 of your own farm, bringing her back to the yard at night. After 

 a few trials she will go over about the same round each day and 

 come home every night. 



Question. — Don't they do more damage than they are worth ? 



Mr. Chapman. — Turkeys left to pick for themselves are likely 

 to injure anything edible they can find, but where well fed every 

 morning with grain will only eat bugs, insects, and worms; and 

 are worth a good deal to the farmer by thinning them out. Unless 

 starved to it they do but little, if any, damage. 



Question. — What is a balanced ration for turkeys? 



Mr. Chapman. — The young turkeys are killed by overfeeding 

 more than by any other way. Do not feed the birds till they are 

 two days old. Then mix some stale bread and milk and feed it a 

 day or two. Then open the gate and allow the mother and brood 

 to shirk for themselves. When you want to fatten them, feed 

 boiled potatoes, corn meal and like foods. 



GENERAL MANAGEMENT. 



Question. — Does it pay to caponize; if so, at what time and 

 what breed? 



Mr. Rice. — If one is rightly situated, the market near by and 

 the prices just right, there is sometimes money in capons. We 

 caponized 100 one year, losing not more than half a dozen. But 

 we were satisfied we could have got more money by selling the 

 cockerels when young, as broilers. I should not recommend going 

 into the business. 



Question. — Are eggs an economical article of diet, at more 

 than a cent each? " 



Mr. Rice. — Yes; ordinarily a dozen eggs are worth as much for 

 food as is a pound of beefsteak. People often sell eggs at a cent 

 each, then buy beef at 15 cents per pound and lose money in the 

 transaction. Eggs are more digestible than is beef, while they can 

 be cooked in more ways. To-day, the egg is the most popular 

 " meat " at the hotels. As a rule, GO per cent, of the hotel guests 

 call for eggs. Every farmer should have them in the house every 

 dav in the year. 



