THE NATIONAL BIRD 



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first. They succumb easily to fatigue or wetting. For 

 this reason, they are usually cooped not too far from 

 the house, and a triangular pen of boards used to con- 

 fine them. Sometimes, only the young are penned, the 

 mother being free. She will not leave them. Green 

 feed is their chief need, or at least they cannot do with- 

 out it. I fail to see the value of the hard-boiled egg 

 so often recommended. One good grower uses bread 

 squeezed from sweet milk during the first two weeks ; 

 later, curd and meal displace it, and cracked corn is 

 fed at night. This is an excellent ration if the poults 

 are on tender grass so that they may get all they need 

 of this. Grit and charcoal are supplied by careful poul- 

 trymen, and Hce must be rigidly kept off. 



The latest variety to find popular favor, especially in 

 the South and Southwest, is the Bourbon Red. I have 

 not bred this turkey myself, but one who has, speaks of 

 it thus: "I was a pessimist on the turkey question un- 

 til I got hold of half a dozen Bourbon Red turks some 

 years ago ; but my experience with them has been so 

 satisfactory that I am a firm convert to the belief that 

 they are the best turkeys for profit in the United States." 

 He enlarges on this by saying that they are more intelli- 

 gent, more domestic, more easily raised than the other 

 varieties, and will lay ("can be depended on to lay") 

 three litters of eggs of from 15 to 18 each, in a sea- 

 son. His feed is whole-wheat bread wet slightly with 

 whole milk, mixed with onion tops and lettuce finely 

 chopped. From 48 hours to one week this is used. 

 Then they are started on hulled oats, wheat, and finally 

 cracked corn. After six weeks they get their own feed 

 by foraging. He allows plenty of milk to drink while 



