TURKEYS— THEIR CARE AND MANAGEMENT. 



75 



balance of them at Christmas. As a rule, yearlings make 

 the best breeders, but I have kept some breeders until they 

 were eight or nine years old. 



A turkey is most delicate from the time it is hatched 

 until it is six or seven months old. If I were to name the 

 two principal causes of the mortality among turkeys I 

 should say overfeeding and lice. They should never be al- 

 lowed to live on low, swampy ground. It is not fit for tur- 

 keys or any other kind of poultry. We raise from three 

 hundred to a thousand. 



If I were about to embark in the business of raising tur- 

 keys and had the benefit of my present experience, I should 

 buy from some reliable breeder a torn and four to six hens 

 and should insist upon getting good ones. I should not 

 begin by buying eggs. I should also insist that the torn 

 and hens be not related, and I should never inbreed. 



Writing for the Reliable Poultry Journal on the sub- 

 ject of turkeys, a prominent eastern poultryman said the 

 following about our favorites: 



•'We have always had a particular liking for the Nar- 

 ragansett turkey. It is nearly as large as the Bronze and 

 equally as good for the table. Its plumage is very striking, 



giving one the effect of a black and white barred plumage; 

 and as a resident of Rhode Island, the writer feels that the 

 state which has the beautiful Narragansett Bay ought also 

 to breed quite largely the beautiful Narragansett turkey. 

 But it does not. Patriotic as Rhode Island is in other re- 

 spects It does not let its patriotism extend to any great ex- 

 tent to its selection of turkeys. 



"The Narragansett took its name from the Indians who 

 once dwelt here, and was at one time more extensively bred 

 in Rhode Island than now. We are reactionary to the extent 

 of wishing for a return of the good old times in turkey 

 raising, when the Narragansett turkey was the favorite 

 breed, although, gentle reader, we will confess that' any 

 Rhode Island turkey, once bred and fattened here, if stuffed 

 with Providence River oysters and nicely roasted, has a 

 very satisfactory effect upon our palate. It may not equal 

 a genuine Rhode Island clam-bake, but it comes when 

 clam-bakes cannot be had, and it is so good that one can 

 say, after eating of such a dish: 



" 'Let the world do its worst, 

 I have dined to-day.' " 



S. T. JONES. 



BLACK TURKEYS. 



An Experienced Breeder and Judge Writes on Their Present Standing, With Reference to Size and Color. 



By Mr. Charles McClave. 



k OULD the writer impress upon the minds of farm- 

 ers in general the importance of this branch of 

 farm life there would be more homes made 

 beautiful and tasty where now the means to do 

 this are lacking. There is no branch of poultry 

 raising in which, one can realize more from the capital in- 

 vested. To raise turkeys successfully and for profit they 

 must be hatched early. It is best to use turkey hens, as 

 they invariably make better mothers, caring for the young 

 poults much more carefully than domestic hens. 



One of the most promising varieties, the Blacks, are 

 being bred in large numbers in some sections at the present 

 time. The modern Black turkey is nearly equal to the 

 Bronze in size. The old style Blacks were not only inferior 

 in size, but poor in quality; however, by careful breeding 

 and handling and with an infusion of new blood, they have 

 been greatly improved in size and general make up. To 

 attain their present weights and general characteristics 

 there is no question whatever but more or less Bronze blood 

 has been judiciously used. ' 



From a market standpoint there is no question but the 

 Blacks will dress yellower and even plumper than any other 

 standard variety. The standard weights of Black turkeys 

 are: Cocks, twenty-seven pounds; hens, eighteen pounds; 

 cockerels, eighteen pounds, and pullets, twelve pounds. At 

 the present time these weights are entirely too low except 



on hens. We have no trouble at Christmas time in having 

 pullets from fourteen to fifteen pounds, cockerels twenty to 

 twenty-four pounds and cock birds thirty or over. The 

 standard requires males and females to be lustrous black 

 throughout, but it is a difficult matter to secure young birds 

 with solid colored plumage, as more or less feathers in 

 wings will invariably be tipped with white. This will 

 usually disappear at maturity. Good strains of Blacks are 

 strictly hardy, their eggs hatch well, and they are fully as 

 good layers as the Bronze or White. They are very docile 

 in their habits and are not inclined to. ramble as much as 

 other varieties. The young grow rapidly from the start, 

 and at selling time always command the top of the market. 

 The head and beak should be long and broad and of 

 good shape; eyes bright hazel; neck of medium length and 

 well curved; back broad, of good length and highest in the 

 center and curved the shape of an egg. The breast should 

 be broad, deep and full; body of good length and round in 

 outline; wings of good length and snugly folded against the. 

 sides ; tail of medium length and when folded comparatively 

 small. Thighs, shanks and toes should be of good length 

 with strong bone and perfectly straight. When the good 

 qualities of the Black turkey become better known we pre- 

 dict that they will rival their Bronze and White cousins in 

 popularity. 



CHARLES McCLAVE. 



