PO UL TR T- CRAFT. 



225 



common turkeys are mostly mixtures of the varieties, or stock of pure varieties 

 so much deteriorated that the variety characteristics are no longer distinctive. 

 The wild turkeys still found in some parts of the country are of the same 

 species as the domestic birds, breed quite freely with them, and the introduction 

 of wild blood has been a favored method of restoring vigor of degenerate stock. 



BRONZE TURKEYS 

 are the largest, hardiest, 

 most popular, and most 

 profitable variety. Stand- 

 ard weights are : adult 

 cock, 36 Ibs. ; yearling 

 cock, 33 Ibs. ; cockerel, 

 25 Ibs. ; hen, 20 Ibs. ; 

 pullet, 16 Ibs. Speci- 

 mens exceeding these 

 weights are not un- 

 common, but the heavy 

 weight birds are bred 

 mostly by and for fan- 

 ciers. Bronze hens are 

 reputed poorer layers 

 than those of the other 

 varieties and common 



Fig. 87. Bronze Turkeys. hens 



NARRAGANSETT TURKEYS are second in size, and, probably, in popu- 

 larity. The Standard weights are : cock, 30 Ibs. ; cockerel, 20 Ibs. ; hen, 18 

 Ibs.; pullet, 12 Ibs. In color they are gray the ground of the plumage 

 being black, and each feather ending in a steel gray band edged with black. 



SLATE, BUFF AND BLACK TURKEYS should be uniformly of the colors 

 which give the varieties their names, but in the first two, specimens good in 

 color are quite rare. Standard weights 

 are : cock, 27 Ibs. ; cockerel, 18 Ibs. ; 

 hen, 1 8 Ibs. ; pullet, 12 Ibs. These varie- 

 ties are not popular, but are pretty well 

 distributed. 



WHITE HOLLAND TURKEYS are the 

 smallest variety. Standard weights are : 

 cock, 26 Ibs. ; cockerel, 16 Ibs. ; hen, 16 

 Ibs.; pullet, 10 Ibs. In some sections 

 they rank next the Bronze in popularity. 

 Turkeys called " Mammoth White " have been exhibited and advertised. These 

 are generally supposed to have been produced by breeding White Hollands 

 to white sports of the Bronze variety. 



Fig. 88. White Holland Turkeys. 



