136 TUKKEY CULTURE. 



time is up you can leave open both nest and yard and let 

 her go and come as she likes. 



Crows are a great pest. They will steal the eggs, and 

 are worse to catch the young turkeys than hawks, even, 

 as there is seldom less than two, and often more, together, 

 and while the old turkey is chasing one, another will pick 

 up a young one and skip. She has to be lively and alert 

 if she saves four or five out of a dozen, if they once begin 

 on a brood, unless she changes her range, which she often 

 does. Turkey raising is like all other employments. If 

 you feel an interest in your work and attend strictly to 

 business, you will soon have plenty of experience, and will 

 succeed ; but if you let the business take care of itself, you 



will fail. 



THE NEW JERSEY SYSTEM. 



MKS. S. WILLIAMS, UNION COUNTY. 



Why have we such difficulty in raising birds naturally so 

 hardy? Simply because in the domestic state they have 

 deteriorated. The laws of natural selection and survival 

 of the fittest, have been overlooked. In the wild state 

 the weak, delicate turkeys die young ; only the healthy 

 live. When grown, the stronger turkeys kill and drive 

 away the weaker, so that only strong, vigorous birds 

 breed. Here lies the secret of success ! Follow nature. 



Do not sell your finest turkeys at Thanksgiving. Pick 

 out your best hens, and as we must be even more precise 

 than we have reason for believing nature to be, we should 

 select hens two, or even three, years old ; but the gobbler 

 should not be more than one year old. He should be 

 broad and heavy, and have thick, strong legs. From three 

 to five hens may be allowed to one gobbler. Bo not feed 

 too fattening food in winter. Wheat, oats, milk and the 

 privilege of picking young rye or wheat in the field, will 

 put your stock in good form for the season. As to breed, 

 I always liked the Narragansetts, as being a hardier breed 

 than others. 



