90 TO FATTEN CRAMMING. 



reported. It consists in cramming them with whole 

 walnuts ! I really supposed the intention of the re- 

 porters was to cram us, until a friend assured me, it 

 is an old and successful practice ! 



Turkeys share with the geese in gleaning the 

 corn fields, or shacking, and the former forage over 

 the woods and commons, in the autumnal season, 

 after which they are put up to be completely fat- 

 tened. I have heard of the Norfolk turkeys fat- 

 tened to weigh twenty, and even thirty pounds each ; 

 and Buffon relates that the wild turkey of America 

 has been known to attain the weight of sixty pounds ; 

 but I have never made any heavier than fifteen 

 pounds ready for the spit. 



In December, 1822, two turkeys were bred and 

 fed, and sent to Cork, one weighing thirty-three, the 

 other thirty-four pounds, from Sawbridgeworth, 

 Herts, the residence of Sir John Malcolm. 



The turkey has ever been remarked for its full- 

 ness and weight of flesh in the breast, no doubt be- 

 side the prime part. The dead weight of a fat 

 turkey being twenty-one pounds, according to the 

 late Mr. Young, renders fourteen pounds when 

 ready for the spit. 



In December, 1793, the number of turkeys sent 

 to the metropolis, by the stage-coaches, from Nor- 

 wich only, amounted to two thousand five hundred, 

 and upwards, weighing nearly fourteen tons. On 

 mentioning this fact to several poulterers, they as- 

 sured me that, far enough from falling short of the 

 above quantities during the late season, there can be 

 no doubt that they were greatly increased, even 



