No. 133.] 171 



A gentleman told us within a few days, that some years ago lie 

 was invited with others, at a dinner given by the late Gouverneur 

 Morris, on account of the British minister, then resident in our 

 country. Mr. Morris told the latter, before dining, that he should 

 taste of an American pheasant, which he (Morris) thought supe- 

 rior, in every respect, to the English. Mr- Morris had procured 

 one of the New-Jersey mongrel turkies for the occasion, and which 

 were seen quite often in our markets of that day, and dressed, of 

 course, in the best style. The minister was helped to some, he 

 ate of it freely and praised it much. '' Morris," he asked, after a 

 little while, " where is the American pheasant you spoke so high- 

 ly ot, I should like to see and taste it ?" Mr. Morris answered, 

 " that is it you were helped to, and have been eating j S( me of us 

 liere, on account of the beauty and high flavor of its flesli, call it 

 the American pheasant ; besides, it is a native of our country, and 

 admitted to be so now all over the world, or by that portion of it 

 who know anything of its history, and that, perhaps, makes us 

 Americans a little more partial to it." The minister replied that 

 it was as large as two English pheasants, and he supposed it to 

 be a very tine turkey, as it really was, and equal in delicacy and 

 richness of flavor to the famous English bird ; as to its being su- 

 perior, was a different question. 



Our domestic turkey, if in fair condition and well prepared, 

 raak s a dish good enough for anybody; they are universally 

 sought alter in their season, from November to March, and now, 

 about the h(jlida>s, (1852-53) are selling readily at from one to 

 three dollars each, according to size and quality. This price, we 

 slioulil think, would make them as profitable, if not a little more 

 so, than any other of the poultry-yard to breed and rear. Within 

 a week or ten days 3,000 fine looking turkies were driven through 

 Mercer, Pennsylvania, qui,te a small district of country, en route 

 f<»r a point on the Erie canal, intended for the New-York market. 

 Here IS a case to show that our Pennsylvania farmers and friends 

 think them a profitable class of poultry to raise and fatten for our 

 markets. This perhaps, too, is only a part of what this little 

 distiict accomplished in the turkey tiade this season; they 

 miglit, and no doubt did send some elseu here. The State at large, 

 at this rate, would, one would suppos,e, supply our markets on 



