TURKEYS— THEIR CARE AND MANAGEMENT. 



60 



whole plumage was a greenish golden color; in the other it 

 was just the color of gold without the greenish hue. From 

 what I know these two strains have won most of the premi- 

 ums in our leading shows from Madison Square to Chicago. 

 Upon comparing the plumage after the premiums were 

 awarded the exhibitors were convinced that the birds rep- 

 resented two distinct species of the same bird. The strain 

 that had the pure gold color had the gold band the entire 

 length of the back. This was absent in the other strain. 



The prevailing idea in looking over the Chicago show 

 was that the old avoirdupois way of mixing blood was out 

 of date, and if we expect to get to the front, the blood must 

 be weighed by apothecary weight, or better still, on the al- 

 chemist's scales, although the alchemist, I believe, has never 

 been able to brew in his caldron ingredients that turned cut 

 gold. One breeder proved beyond a doubt that he could 

 put a clear, even gold band on Bronze turkeys, and the in- 

 ference is that he has been for years using the alchemist 

 scales to reach this much to be desired point of excellence. 



The Bronze Turkey Club had an enthusiastic meeting; 

 elected new officers and decided to push the Bronze turkey 

 interest strongly to the front by every means in their power. 

 If the exhibits of Bronze turkeys continue to grow I am 



afraid there will have to be erected a new Coliseum for the 

 turkey exhibit alone. 



A member of a turkey club in Kansas thinks the Bronze 

 Turkey Club a little too exclusive in not fostering all kinds 

 of turkeys. I think it a good idea for each variety to be 

 represented by a club, as variety is the spice of life. If we 

 all bred Plymouth Rocks and there was only one breed and 

 one club, the poultry business would be tame and we would 

 lose our incentive to strive for our ideal in the variety that 

 met our fancy. Now if the admirers and breeders of each 

 variety of turkeys were to organize a club to push the in- 

 terest of their particular breed, to look up their origin and 

 write up the good qualities that commendi them to breeders 

 the turkey business wouid be pushed to the front in a way 

 that could not be accomplished by an indiscriminate pushing 

 of all varieties combined. 



I think there will be more turkeys raised in the future, 

 as they are most profitable poultry and when sold on the 

 market for Thanksgiving Day cost little to raise, besides 

 being a benefit to the farmer in eating insects and weed 

 seeds. I wish turkey raisers the best of success in matur- 

 ing their succeeding crops of turkeys. 



MRS. CHARLES JONES. 



Bronze Turkeys on the Farm of Mr. Chas. McClave. 



