Disease Injuring Turkey Raising Industry 



The turkey-raising industry has been almost destroyed by 

 disease. Not only in New England but everywhere in 

 this country the commercial production of the turkey has 

 been reduced to small proportions. 



That dread disease known as blackhead is the cause, 

 and as it is rapidly spreading throughout the country, it 

 is a matter of serious concern, not only to professional 

 breeders but to farmers as well. For some years previous 

 to 1893 the poultrymen in New England complained that 

 their young poults died in large numbers, and very few 

 birds lived to be older than five or six months. Samuel 

 Cushman, the poultryman at the Rhode Island Agricul- 

 tural Station, gave the symptoms, described the conditions 

 of the diseased organs, and suggested the communicable 

 character of the ailment. He was the first man to call it 

 blackhead in literature, a name used by the farmers for 

 the reason that the heads of the turkeys became dark- 

 colored. Other names for the disorder were "liver 

 trouble," "spotted liver" and "cholera." A close observer 

 is pretty sure to detect the ailment. 



Prof. Leon J. Cole and Philip B. Hadley, of the Rhode 

 Island Station, assisted by William F. Kirkpatrick, have 

 made an exhaustive study of the disease, and their find- 

 ings have recently been published. The main features 

 of the results of their investigation are as follows : Black- 

 head, in whatever species of bird, presents three symp- 

 toms which are invariable: First, diarrhoea at some 

 stages of the disease; second, a condition of increasing 

 languor or stupor and a disposition of the bird to keep 



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