124 TURKEY CULTURE. 



a turkey all my own, will never fade from my memory. 

 A kind neighbor gave me a young hen turkey when I was 

 quite a little girl, and from the time when her hired man 

 appeared with it under his arm I have been a turkey 

 raiser. Purchasing three more hens and a gobbler, I 

 managed to raise quite a large flock the first year. 



I breed from only fine, healthy stock, saving my best 

 for that purpose, and do not breed from the same stock 

 long. I change my gobbler preferably every year and se- 

 lect hens from my own stock, as they are less inclined to 

 wander away than strangers. The hen dearly loves a se- 

 cluded spot for the nest, so it is well to prepare a place 

 where she can slyly make a nest and deposit her eggs un- 

 known. It is turkey nature to nest on the ground, and the 

 eggs hatch better if exposed to the earth's moisture. I 

 often place old barrels on their sides or set coops half 

 around, and throw branches and twigs over them, and 

 place hay and leaves carelessly inside for them to lay on 

 in winter. When they come to sit, the nest is put in shape 

 so there is no danger of the eggs becoming chilled. If, as 

 sometimes occurs, the hen does not take the nests pre- 

 pared, but seeks a nest in the wood near by, I follow and 

 gather the eggs as laid. When she sits, I put shelter over 

 her that can be closed up at night and opened every morn- 

 ing, to keep the wild "varmints" from her, and let her 

 sit, providing she has chosen a reasonable place for the 

 purpose. If moving is attempted, they are very "set, " 

 and will sometimes abandon a nest if moved, or so neglect 

 the eggs, if shut in, that they fail to hatch. Sometimes 

 there are one or two very early layers in the flock, too 

 early to really care to set them, for early turkeys are not 

 desirable, as the early rains and dampness are destructive. 

 In this case I break these hens up and let them lay again, 

 putting the surplus eggs under chicken hens. When 

 I come, to set them I prefer not to make mothers of 

 the latter, as their habit is so different the little ones will 



