VII.] TURKEYS. 105 



stances which go for manure. A dead rat three parts 

 rotten is a feast to them. For these reasons I should 

 never eat any ducks, unless there were some mode of 

 keeping them from this horrible food. I treat them 

 precisely as I do my geese. I buy a troop when they 

 are young, and put them in a pen, and feed them upon 

 oats, cabbages, lettuces, and water, and have the place 

 kept very clean. My ducks are, in consequence of 

 this, a great deal more fine ana delicate than any 

 others that I know any-thing of. 



TURKEYS. 



171. THESE are flying things, and so are common 

 fowls. But it may happen that a few hints respecting 

 them may be of use. To raise turkeys in this chilly 

 climate, is a matter of much greater difficulty than in 

 the climates that give great warmth. But the great 

 enemy to young turkeys (for old ones are hardy 

 enough) is the wet. This they will endure in no 

 climate ; and so true is this, that, in America, where 

 there is always " a wet spell" in April, the farmers' 

 wives take care never to have a brood come out until 

 that spell is passed. In England, where the wet 

 spells come at haphazard, the first thing is to take care 

 that young turkeys never go out, on any account, ex- 

 cept in dry weather, till the dew be quite off the 

 ground ; and this should be adhered to till they get to 

 be of the size of an old partridge, and have their backs 

 well covered with feathers. And, in wet weather, 

 they should be kept under cover all day long. 



172. As to the feeding- of them, when young, va- 

 rious nice things are recommended. Hard eggs chop- 

 ped fine, with crumbs of bread, and a great many 

 other things ; but that which I have seen used, and 

 always with success, and for all sorts of young poul- 

 try, is milk turned into curds. This is the food for 

 young poultry of all sorts. Some should be made fresh 

 every day ; and if this be done, and the young turkeys 

 kept warm, and especially from wet, not one out of 

 a score will die. When they get to be strong, they 



