13S DOMESTIC A^riMALS. [CnAP. 1. 



A writer in tlie Germantown Telccjrapli furnishes that journal with the fol- 

 lowing statement : 



'• Mueh has been published of late in our agricultural journals respecting 

 tlio alimentary properties of charcoal. It has been repeatedly asserted that 

 domestic fowls may be fattened on it M-itliout any other food, and that, too, 

 in a sliorter time tlian on tlie most nutritive grain. I made an experiment, 

 and must say that the result surprised me, as I had always been ratlier 

 skeptical. Four turkeys were confined in a pen, and fed on meal, boiled po- 

 tatoes, and oats. Four others of the same breed were at the same time oon- 

 iined in another pen and fed with the same articles, but with one pint of 

 finely pulverized charcoal mixed daily with tlicir meal and potatoes. They 

 also luid a plentiful supply of broken charcoal in their pen. The eight were 

 killed on the same day, and there was a difference of one and a half pounds 

 each in favor of the fowls that had been supplied with charcoal, they being 

 much the fattest,, and their meat greatly superior in point of tenderness and 

 flavor." 



E. II. Avery, of "Wampsville, Madison County, N. Y., is entitled to the 

 first prize of honor for improvement in the breed of turkeys. From a cross 

 of the American wild turkey, made fourteen years ago upon the best domes- 

 ticated birds of pure black color that could be obtained, and by careful at- 

 tention to breeding since that time, ho has succeeded in producing a male 

 bird of superlative beauty, of glossy black plumage, which, at two and a 

 half years old, weighed 3i lbs. alive ; and a female bird, two j-ears old, 

 weighing 20i life, alive ; and a female bird, one year old, dressed ready for 

 the spit, loi lbs. weight ; and as the stock has been continuously improving 

 both in size, beauty of fonn, and plumage for years, it is impossible to 

 determine any limit. lie has lately procured a pair of pure wild birds from 

 Canada for the purpose of infusing a new strain of wild blood into his stock 

 whenever he sees a chance to improve. The ordinary weight of male tur- 

 keys, two years old, as they arc prepared for the market, will not exceed 15 

 lbs., and a female of 8 lbs. is accounted a very good one. 



Just after the election of Mr. Buchanan, a cock turkey from Mr. Avery's 

 farm, that weighed 35 lbs., was bought at $1 a pound, and sent to the Pres- 

 ident to serve as one of the members of his (kitchen) cabinet ;• and another 

 of still larger size was presented to President Lincoln. 



Turkeys grow big in Illinois, according to a correspondent who wi-ites 

 from Stcbbinsville, who says that 28 to 36 lbs. is not an uncommon weight 

 for a wild turkey, and one old gobbler that he shot weighed 41 lbs., and spread 

 a tail over nine feet around the circle. He thinks some of the brag " im- 

 provers of the breed'' had better send for some of the Illinois wild stock for 

 a cross upon the biggest in all Yankeedom. 



B. F. Langworthy, of Alfred Center, objects to our directions to scald tur- 

 keys. He says : 



" Scalded turkeys and chickens sell about two cents a pound less in Bos- 

 ton than those picked dry — do not look as well, and certainl}^ will not keep 



