BOURBON REDS 541 



out New England. The ground color of the plumage is black, 

 with markings of white and black which imparts a grayish cast 

 to the entire surface. The female is lighter in color throughout 

 than the male. The standard weight for hens is eighteen pounds, 

 and for cocks thirty pounds, though they are grown almost as 

 heavy as the Bronzes. If anything, the Narragansett is more 

 suitable for market purposes than the Bronze, inasmuch as it 

 has fuller, plumper breast, and will mature slightly earlier. 

 Furthermore, they seem to bear confinement better. 



The Bourbon Reds have attained great popularity in the West, 

 though still rarely bred in the Eastern states, and rank very 

 high as a market bird. They are hardy, mature rapidly, have 

 excellent quality of flesh, and their weights are about equal to 

 the Narragansett. The plumage is a chestnut color, which is 

 made strikingly beautiful by brownish red markings and pure 

 white tail and wing feathers. 



White Holland turkeys are now quite widely known ; at first 

 they were small and delicate and not so desirable. See Fig. 330. 

 They are beautiful birds, with snowy white plumage and pink 

 bills and shanks, and are considered sports from other turkeys. 

 In recent years the breed has been improved in size and vigor 

 by the infusion of blood from the •white sports of Bronze and 

 Narragansett varieties. Just why the name Holland attaches 

 to this species is not definitely understood. They may have 

 originated in Holland or been brought to this country by Hol- 

 landers, but it is certain that they were not natural to the Nether- 

 lands. They have been known to exist in England for over a 

 hundred years, and are sometimes referred to as "Austrian 

 Whites." 



Dress Well for Market. — It is thought that the Whites are 

 more difficult to raise than the darker varieties, though they 

 mature rapidly, attaining market size in five to eight months. 

 They dress splendidly for market, as with all white poultry, 

 the pin feathers show less than in darker birds, and their feath- 

 ers command higher prices than those of the colored breeds. 

 The standard weight for hens is eighteen pounds, and for cocks 



