Value  of  MendeV s Discoveries. 
845 
to  arrange  already  existent  ones  in  new  combinations.  Yet 
judging  from  analogy  with  some  of  our  garden  plants,  where 
something  is  known  of  the  history  of  the  origin  of  certain 
forms,  the  results  of  continuous  crossing  seems  to  be  respon- 
sible— in  some  way  or  other — for  the  production  of  fresh 
characters.  Somewhat  similar  examples  are  being  met  with 
among  the  cereals.  Of  one  thing  we  may  be  certain,  that  is 
that  definite  laws  underlie  these  phenomena,  and  research 
in  the  right  direction  will  make  clear  what  now  appears  as 
mysterious,  as  did  the  results  of  the  breeders  who  had  to  work 
in  ignorance  of  Mendel’s  discoveries. 
R.  H.  Bipfen. 
Cambridge. 
TURKEY  FARMING. 
Formerly  the  varieties  of  turkeys  met  with  in  Western 
Europe  were  three,  namely,  the  Black,  the  Cambridge  Bronze, 
and  the  White,  but  others  have  been  added  to  the  list.  We 
now  know  the  American  Bronze,  the  Italian,  the  Slate  or  Blue, 
the  Fawn,  and  what  is  called  in  America  the  Narragansett.  I 
propose  to  describe  their  leading  characteristics. 
Breeds. 
Black. — East  Anglia  has  been  famous  for  its  -turkeys  for 
generations,  and  the  name  Black  Norfolk  was  given  to  a variety 
which  at  one  time  held  the  premier  position  in  respect  to 
quality.  Even  yet  turkeys  produced  in  Norfolk  and  the 
adjacent  counties  of  Suffolk  and  Cambridge  command  the 
highest  prices  and  stand  in  the  front  rank  for  quality,  though 
few  of  the  older  type  of  bird  remain.  Since  the  demand  for 
larger  specimens  they  have  been  displaced  by  the  American 
Bronze.  Contributory  to  this  result  was  the  fact  that  they 
had  lost  vigour  and  had  become  increasingly  difficult  to  rear, 
doubtless  due  in  large  measure  to  in-breeding  and  the  use  of 
immature  stock  birds.  Black  Turkeys  are  largely  bred  in 
France. 
Cambridge  Bronze. — The  Cambridge  Bronze  (Fig.  1),  which 
is  now  bred  to  a considerable  extent  is  evidently  due  to  a 
cross,  probably  first  of  the  Black  Turkey,  and  finally  of  the 
American  Bronze.  The  latter  influence  has  done  much  to  add 
to  the  brilliancy  of  its  plumage,  but  in  this  respect,  and  also  in 
size,  it  cannot  be  compared  with  the  American  ; hence  it  is 
not  seen  in  our  live  stock  exhibitions.  The  average  weights 
are  about  24  lb.  for  cocks  and  16  lb.  for  hens.  Although 
seldom  shown  at  ordinary  exhibitions,  turkeys  of  this  class 
