FATTENING AND MARKETING FEATHERS. 81 



time as large as possible, while later in the season smaller 

 sizes command a premium. After Christmas, stock weigh- 

 ing over twelve pounds each are hard sellers, but for the 

 Thanksgiving trade there is a demand for as large stock as 

 can be produced, and for some years past extra large fancy 

 stock from New England points has ranged in price from 

 Eighteen to twenty cents, the latter quotation being ex- 

 treme, and only for exceptionally fine stock. Fourteen 

 cents has been a fair average for fine Western stock, the 

 range being twelve to sixteen cents, with No. 2 stock ten 

 cents or under. But few lots of turkeys from the New Eng- 

 land States are received here after Thanksgiving, every- 

 thing of suitable size generally having been rushed in at 

 that time, and from then until shipments cease in February 

 or the early part of March, the supply is dependent on the 

 Western States. 



At Christmas there is some demand for large turkeys, 

 but medium sizes are called for, the prices at this time 

 ranging from twelve to fourteen cents for stock of good 

 quality. Dealers buying to place in cold storage for the 

 spring and summer trade, take advantage of any unusually 

 low prices at this time, but the general bulk of cold stor- 

 age stock is placed through January and February, and 

 usually at prices ranging from eleven to thirteen cents. The 

 regular shipments from the West are generally cleaned up 

 by the last of February, and stock arriving after this date 

 is much below cold storage stock, as regards quality ; that 

 stored being depended on for best trade until the new crop 

 begins to move again, in September and October. There are, 

 of course, regular shipments through the spring and sum- 

 mer months, of fresh-killed ice-packed turkeys, old hens 

 and toms, but such stock is about the same quality as fowl 

 and old cocks, and the range in price is wide, from eight to 

 eleven cents per pound. 



There are not enough turkeys' eggs arriving on this 

 market at any season of the year to establish quotations. 



