428 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Deterioration through iJibj'eeding.—The fact that one fecundation is suf- 

 ficient to render fertile all the eggs of one laying has made possible the 

 undermining of the health and vigor of the present-day domestic turkey. 

 Being advised of this, hundreds of people depend upon their neighbors' 

 flocks for the services of a male and pay no attention to the matter of breed- 

 ing stock except to keep one or two turkey hens. This has reduced many 

 of the turkeys throughout the country almost to a condition of imbecility. 

 The lack of vigor in a large portion of the breeding stock throughout the 

 country has jeopardized to a certain extent the production of a sufficient 

 number of market turkeys to supply the demand. In fact, not fully realiz- 

 ing that their failure was largely due to undermining the vitality of their 

 breeding stock through inbreeding, people have become so disheartened in 

 some localities with the meager results of their efforts to grow turkeys for 

 market that they have desisted from the attempt. 



Throughout the country the attention of turkey growers has been called 

 to the successful production of market turkeys in the State of Rhode Island. 

 Unquestionably some of the best market turkeys produced in the world have 

 been sent out of Rhode Island. But even there the art was in danger of 

 being lost through careless handling of breeding stock. If those most 

 interested in the turkey crop of that State had not put forth an unusual 

 efiEort to introduce plenty of new, vigorous stock, they would not have been 

 in a much better state at the present time than growers in many other 

 localities. 



There never has been a more active demand for market turkeys than 

 during the past ten years, and there is no reason why this should not 

 increase very materially in the next few years as a result of the growth of 

 population. 



STATISTICS OF PRICES AND PRODUCTION. 



Recent prices. — The market statistics show that there has been an active 

 demand for turkeys for many years past. The records of the winter of 

 1903-04 perhaps show the highest prices that have ever been paid for the 

 turkey crop, which seems to have been considerably less in proportion to the 

 demand than for several years past. The wholesale prices paid in the 

 Western States ranged from ten to fifteen cents a pound, dressed, with 

 the head, feet and entrails. The average wholesale price as recorded in 

 New York for the past ten years has ranged from eight to twenty cents a 

 pound. Boston shows a valuation higher than this in a few instances 

 only, and the Chicago market has recorded from six to eighteen cents. 

 In considering these figures one must always remember that the best 

 quality of stock can always be sold at good paying prices, while for poor, 

 ill-favored stock one must accept whatever price can be got. 



Census of 2900.— The census of 1900 shows that, with a little over five mil- 

 lion farms in the United States, not much over six million five hundred thou- 

 sand turkeys were produced. Among the States, Texas is in the lead, hav- 

 ing produced almost six hundred and fifty thousand turkeys. Following 

 Texas comes Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and Indiana, in the order named. 

 The State of Rhode Island produced less than five thousand turkeys. It 

 may be remarked, however, that if all the turkeys were of such good quality 



