THE GENESEE FARMER. 



343 



library, No. 9, 12 by 15 feet, containing two clos- 

 ets with a recessed window between. No. 5 is the 

 dining-room 15 feet square, and opening upon a 

 back entry No. 6 ; at No. 7 are the back stairs 

 above and below. No. 8 is tlie kitchen, 14 feet 6 

 inches by 15 feet, containing two large closets, in 

 one of w]iich is a dumb waiter from the cellar 

 kitchen. No. 12 is a portico over tlie side entrance. 

 In the cellar are cellar kitchen and scnllery under 

 No. 8, drying room under No. 9, store rooms under 

 the dining room, and common cellar under the hall 

 and parlors. The second floor contains four large 

 chambers with closets, a sewing room over the 

 vestibule and hall, and a bathing room over the 

 back entry. 



CoNSTRUCTIO^f. — "We liave designed this cottage 

 to be built of rough stone and covered with cement, 

 or witli a wash of some neutral tint. The trim- 

 mings to be of freestone, or any dark stone con- 

 trasting in color with the walls, rnd the details of 

 wood painted to correspond. The interior finish 

 should be of a plain, simple character, correspond- 

 ing in style with the exterior. 



The cost of this cottage will depend more upon 

 the locality than a frame house. In situations 

 where stoue of a suitable quality is plenty, it may 

 be built and finished throughout for §5,000. 



ZyTin, 3fa.ss. G. E. HARNEY. 



^ I ^ 



THE DOMESTIC TURKEY-PECULIAE HABITS, etc. 



The domestic Turkey, in some respects, is the 

 most valuable bird that has a place in the farmer's 

 poultry-yard. It is large, comely in appearance, 

 and its flesh is considered one of our richest dain- 

 ties. It forms the standing dish at our Thanksgiv- 

 ing andOhristmas dinners. 



To the careful observer, its habits are interesting, 

 notwithstanding they are somewhat eccentric; and, 

 what is greatly in its favor, the more we study its 

 habits the more we are pleased with it. There is 

 one trait in the male that is never unobserved by 

 liis female companion, and when calling together 

 their broods of young, may sometimes be heard 

 half a mile or more. It is wonderful to observe 

 how the little progeny will respond to his voice, if 

 at a distance of twenty or thirty rods in the rear, 

 as led by him in their daily explorations for food — 

 and especially at the close of day, when returning 

 to their usual place of rest at night. It can not be 

 denied, however, that in this latter respect turkies 

 are deficient in punctuality, and not unfrequently 

 are overtaken by night before reaching home. If 

 so, they make an encampment wherever they liap- 

 pen to be. But this is not the result of indiffer- 

 ence to home, as in the case of the tippler and the 

 gambler, so much as to a defect in the science of 

 geometry, not remembering how far they have 

 wandered frum it ; or to a deficiency of astronom- 

 ical observation, not having observed how rapidly 

 the time had sped. 



The well-fed male turkey, especially if rendered 

 social by a numerous family of female attendants, 

 is a very important character about the homestead. 

 No one attracts more notice than his lordship. No 

 one is more tenacious of his rights, or more com- 

 placent in the enjoyment of them. He is truly an 

 original character, but has numerous imitators. 

 The incessant pompous display of his plumage has 



«ver been deemed an appropriate counterpart of 

 the human being which struts and seeks by an 

 ostentatious display of exterior embellishments to 

 attract attentioa beyond awy claims founded on 

 intrinsic merit. We can not foil to be amused on 

 seeing either of these animals of the masculine 

 gender thus struggling for the ascenden(;y ; but we 

 cheri'^h less respect for the one in broadcloth ihau 

 for his prototype in feathers. Indeed, the latter, 

 although not celebrated for his mental endowments, 

 possesses more intelligence than is usually attrib- 

 uted to him ; and moreover, as the representative 

 of his family, occupies no inferior rank in respect- 

 ability or the elements of being useful. He is led 

 by instinct, if not by reason, to be a pattern of 

 devotion to the safety of the conmiunity of which 

 he is the legitimate head. He watches over the 

 turkey cliicks with the assiduity of the most faith- 

 ful shepherd when guarding his Hocks. He will 

 never leave them, and is apparently unmindful of 

 his own wants so long as they require his wa'tchful 

 care. On one occasion, a flock of twenty-odd 

 more than half grown young turkies with the old 

 ones were overtaken by night before reaching home. 

 The consequence was, they roosted on the fence 

 adjoining a cornfield. In the night, eight of the 

 young brood were killed by we know not what, 

 dropped on the ground. For hours in the morning 

 the living ones remained on the spot around those 

 that had been killed, the old gobbler and his mates 

 making the most piteous lamentations till vv-e were 

 thus drawn thither. For a long time afterward 

 they were not seen to go near the place of this 

 calamity, but daily went in another direction, 

 which previously they had not done. 



It is frequently said that turkeys are very stqjiil. 

 We were formerly of that opinion: but on better 

 acquaintance with them, we have become some- 

 what skeptical in regard to such opinion. If they 

 possess naught of what is usually termed reason, 

 they have a kind of cunning much resembling it. 

 The hen turkies are noted for stealing away tiseir 

 nests ; and if they do it, no little ditfictdty is expe- 

 rienced in finding the place of concealment. If 

 followed, the probability is, should they perceive 

 your intention, they will wander about for hours 

 till you become wearied and leave them, when they 

 will go to their nests and deposit their eggs. On 

 one occasion, it became apparent that a favorite 

 hen of ours daily left the yard by flying over the 

 fence, to visit her nest. It was usually about 11 

 o'clock in the morning, and after being absent one 

 or two hours, would return and join the flock. 

 Her direction was toward a small wood and dense 

 undergrowth of brush. This we noticed for seve- 

 ral days in saccession. Her course was always in 

 the same direction. Every now and then she 

 would stop, reach upward her head, and look 

 around to see if she was observed. At length Ave 

 concluded to follow her, at a distance of thirty 

 rods or so, keeping behind trees ; but after a while 

 she cauglit a glimpse of us, and, although at such 

 a distance, then she turned about and came back 

 nearly in the same path, and Avithout enabling us 

 to be the wiser for our labor. This she did several 

 times with similar results, and at last we gave up 

 the attempt. 



A few instances may be related, illustrating the 

 fidelity of the male in watching over the young 



