THE TURKEY. 165 



to supply public houses, and such families as require 

 turkeys early in the season; but they are like every 

 other immature production, inferior in quality. To 

 eat turkey poults is a wasteful piece of luxury ; those 

 who order them are occasionally deceived by a small 

 hen of the previous year. In the Italian markets, hen 

 turkeys sell for a cent a pound more than the cocks ; and 

 there are turkey butchers of whom you may buy the 

 half or a quarter of a bird. A hen will be five or six 

 weeks in fatting ; a large stag,* two months, or longer, 

 in reaching his full weight. The best diet is barley 

 or Indian meal, mixed with water, given in troughs, 

 that have a flat board over them, to keep dirt from 

 falling in. A turnip with the leaves attached, or a 

 hearted cabbage, may now and then be thrown down 

 to amuse them. Some use plain oats, but barley or 

 Indian meal is preferable, acting more quickly. 



Cramming is unnecessary, though it may hasten the 

 progress. In some forests, where there are immense 

 quantities of mast, turkeys will get perfectly fat upon 

 them ; but this, although no doubt profitable to the 

 " gude wife," is by no means pleasant to every palate 

 after the bird has been on the spit. Beech mast, how- 

 ever, in small quantities, and as the substratum of 

 fatting, rather improves the flavor than otherwise. 

 Acorns, which they will often swallow whole, do not 

 come amiss. When they have arrived at the desired 

 degree of fatness, those which are not wanted for im- 

 mediate use must have no more food given them than 

 is just sufficient to keep them, in that state ; otherwise 

 the flesh will become red and inflamed, and of course 

 less palatable and wholesome. But with the very best 

 management, after having attained their acme of fat- 

 tening, they will frequently descend again, and that so 

 quickly, and without apparent cause, as to become 

 quite thin. Cock birds play this game oftener than 

 hens. The turkey differs from the rest of our poultry 

 in being fit for the table after its youth is past. Many 



* When a cock turkey arrives at the age of two yeart , he is called a " stag." 



