The  Breeding  Stock, 
349 
in  any  part  of  the  United  Kingdom.  Variations  there  may 
be,  but  the  range  between  Sutherland  and  Devon,  between 
Derry  and  Cork,  is  not  so  great  as  is  often  imagined.  Nor 
is  it  one  of  rainfall.  Ireland,  which  may  fairly  be  regarded  as 
the  wettest  section  of  the  British  Isles,  raises  large  quantities 
of  turkeys  of  excellent  quality.  It  is  entirely  a question  of  soil 
and  location.  Damp  and  heavy  ground  are  equally  undesirable. 
The  former  is  fatal  to  breeding  stock  and  young  birds  alike, 
causing  diseases  to  which  the  race  is  specially  subject.  The 
latter  in  an  unfavourable  season  checks  growth,  the  chicks 
thrive  badly  and  do  not  make  as  fine  table  fowls  as  when  raised 
upon  a more  kindly  soil.  This  explains  why  East  Anglia  has 
held  the  pre-eminent  position  in  Britain,  and  Normandy  in 
France,  for  turkey  production.  Light,  well-drained,  fertile 
soil  is  a sine  qua  non  for  these  birds,  and  whilst  good  pastures 
are  excellent  for  rearing,  the  great  advantage  of  arable  land, 
when  of  a suitable  nature,  is  that  it  affords  food  and  protection 
as  afterwards  detailed.  The  position  selected  should  be  undu- 
lating, as  this  usually  offers  a greater  amount  of  shelter. 
A writer  in  one  of  the  American  journals,  who  has  been  a 
most  successful  raiser  of  turkeys,  recommends  a “hilly,  rocky 
slope,”  facing  south,  and  this  opinion  is  supported  by  our 
experience.  Some  of  the  most  successful  breeders  of  turkeys 
have  lived  in  the  hilly  districts  of  the  north  and  west  of 
England.  Under  such  conditions  the  ground  is  usually  drier 
than  on  the  fiats,  which  explains  the  success  attained,  even 
though  the  land  is  chiefly  for  grazing. 
The  Breeding  Stock. 
One  reason  why  many  farmers  do  not  breed  turkeys  is  on 
account  of  their  supposed  delicacy,  or  weakness  of  constitution, 
making  them  difficult  to  rear.  That  there  is  a justification  for 
this  opinion  is  undoubted.  No  class  of  poultry  requires  more 
careful  and  constant  attention  during  chickenhood.  This  is 
not  a question  of  climate,  for  the  same  opinion  is  held  in 
America — the  native  land  of  the  turkey — as  in  Europe. 
In  theory  nearly  all  breeders  agree  that  a turkey  hen  should 
not  be  used  for  stock  purposes  before  her  second  year,  but  in 
practice  this  is  seldom  adhered  to.  Mr.  Gage  Harper,  who  is  a 
successful  turkey  breeder  in  East  Anglia,  recommends  the  use 
of  second-year  hens  with  early-hatched,  well-developed  young 
cocks,  and  he  keeps  the  hens  as  long  as  they  are  strong  and 
active,  usually  to  the  third  or  fourth  season.  The  objection 
raised  against  older  turkey  cocks  is  that  they  are  too  heavy  for 
the  hens,  which  would  be  true  if  yearling  females  were  mated 
with  them,  but  it  should  not  be  so  otherwise.  Were  mature 
stock  employed  the  progeny  would  he  much  hardier. 
