W. COOKS lURKKV, GOOSE, AND PHEASANT liOOK. 27 



colour. These are rather more delicate than the other 

 varieties, as it is so difficult to get fresh blood. They do 

 not grow anything like the size of the other varieties. 



I find nineteen people go in for Cambridge or American 

 Mammoth turkeys, where only one keeps any other breed. 

 They are certainly the leading variety in England as well as 

 the most profitable. They are very handsome. The feathers 

 of a turkey differ very much from those of any other of the 

 domestic feathered tribe as well as the shape of tiie bird. The 

 ends of the feathers are wide at the top,just as though they had 

 been cut across. This is noticeable in both cocks and 

 hens. The male birds are very massive, I have had them 

 weigh considerably over 4olbs. each, and I believe there 

 are several in England weighing 44 and 461bs. each at the 

 present time. They seldom reach 461bs until their third 

 year. This weight is too heavy for general purposes, 

 though it answers well when the birds are required for 

 exhibition. In that case it is necessary to have huge birds. 

 In the show pen size in a turkey counts more than all other 

 points put together, because they are kept more particularly 

 for eating purposes than for fancy. 



A turkey cock weighing 4olbs. or nearly that weight is 

 very dangerous to the hens. I have had as many as four 

 out of eight killed in one year through the male bird being 

 too heavy. They tear the skin from the backbone, right 

 down to the middle of the thigh. Those who have anything 

 to do with turke}s know that the male birds are exceedingly 

 rough in paying their attentions to the hens. Where the 

 cock weighs over 35lbs. it should not be allowed to go with 

 the hens all the time. There should be wire in between 



