THE TURKEY. 155 



around him. It is re.commended to keep a first-rate 

 cook for three or four years, or even longer, although 

 one might change his store flock of hens, and, indeed, 

 if these produced first-rate chickens, he should be in no 

 hurry to substitute younger birds in their place. Of 

 course, the stock, whatever its prescribed number 

 may be, should be kept up, deficiencies by death and 

 accidents being duly supplied. 



NUMBER OF HENS TO BE ALLOTTED TO EACH COOK. 



IT would appear that an almost unlimited number 

 of hens may be allowed to a single male in fact the 

 caresses of the male only once or twice are required for 

 the fecundation of all the eggs which she will lay dur- 

 ing the current season ; but. in order to make assur- 

 ance doubly sure, the number of hens under one lord 

 may be limited to fifteen or twenty ; that is, if it is 

 desirable that so many should be kept. 



The number of hens, however, which should be put 

 with one cock is disputed amongst several authorities, 

 as we have seen to be the case with the common fowl. 

 M. Parmentier says, that, when one has a certain 

 number of turkeys, it is indispensable to have a pro- 

 portional number of cocks ; and is of opinion that one 

 cock will be sufficient for twelve females ; and in this 

 number he cannot be far wrong, if once treading is, as 

 he seems to think, proved by experiment, efficient to 

 fecundate all the eggs of one laying. So satisfied, in- 

 deed, is he of this fact, that he thinks the cock may be 

 dispensed with and sold, after the hen begins to lay. 



Lawrence, on the other hand, advises six hens to a 

 cock ; though he thinks more may do no harm ; and 

 mentions it, as a common practice with breeders, to 

 keep a cock for the use of any neighbors who may 

 have so few hens as to render it too expensive to keep 

 one. 



LAYING. 



ABOUT the middle of March, generally speaking, the 

 female commences laying ; she indicates this coming 



