To Fatten, 155 



in the morning, and on their return at 

 even : the same in spacious farm-yards ; if 

 confined to the poultry-yard, their food and 

 treatment is similar to that of the common 

 cock and hen. Turkies would prefer roost- 

 ing abroad upon high trees, in the summer 

 season, could that be permitted with a view 

 to their safe keeping. 



To FATTEN. Sodden barley, or barley 

 and wheat meal mixed, is the proper food 

 for turkeys confined to feeding ; generally 

 their food and treatment are the same with 

 other fowls. They may be fattened early, 

 or may be caponized, a practice not very 

 common, but the bulk of the turkies are fed 

 for Christmas, or the months immediately 

 preceding and subsequent, when the quan- 

 tities fat, sent from Norfolk alone, are 

 immensely great ; as also are previously the 

 droves of store turkies. Turkies share with 

 the geese in gleaning the corn fields, or 

 shacking, and the former forage over the 

 woods and commons, in the autumnal sea- 

 son, after which they are put up to be com- 

 pletely fattened. I have heard of the Norfolk 



