;U)0  Turkeij  Farmimj. 
should  do  much  to  remove  the  comparisons  made  in  favour 
of  foreign  supplies. 
Where  a large  number  are  killed,  a second,  Imt  not  so  good 
a method,  is  to  pack  tightly  on  a shelf  with  the  heads  hanging 
in  front,  cover  with  a linen  cloth,  lay  a broad  deal  along  the 
l)reasts  of  the  birds  and  weight  heavily,  the  result  of  which 
is  to  throw  up  the  breast  meat.  Turkeys  sent  in  the  usual  way 
to  market  should  never  be  drawn.  Feathers  should  be  care- 
fully preserved.  Good  quills  may  be  sold  for  21.  per  cwt.,  and 
body  feathei’S  at  IZ.  per  cwt.,  but  tail  feathers  will  often  realise 
l.s.  per  pound. 
A most  important  point,  but  one  which  has  not  received 
proper  attention,  is  that  before  the  birds  are  packed  the  body 
heat  must  have  passed,  otherwise  they  will  reach  their  des- 
tination in  a deteriorated  condition.  Many  complaints  are 
made  every  year  as  to  neglect  of  this  precaution.  Chilling 
poultry  is  as  necessary  as  cooling  milk  which  has  to  travel. 
How  long  this  process  takes  depends  upon  the  temperature  of 
the  air  in  which  they  are  kept.  Under  no  circumstances,  if 
sent  to  any  distance,  should  they  be  packed  in  less  than  twelve 
hours  after  killing,  and  it  is  much  safer  to  let  them  remain  over 
night,  packing  in  the  early  morning.  Hundreds  of  pounds  in 
hard  cash  are  annually  sacrificed  through  despatching  too  soon. 
The  birds  should  also  be  carefully  graded.  Packages  should 
not  contain  more  than  a dozen  birds.  All  should  be  of  the 
same  sex  and  weight,  and  it  is  better  to  use  non-returnable 
wooden  cases,  upon  which  can  be  denoted  the  number  and 
weight  of  the  contents. 
Diseases. 
Bowel  complaints  in  turkey  chicks,  and  what  is  called 
“ swelled  head  ” in  more  matured  specimens,  are  the  chief 
disease  troubles  the  turkey  raiser  has  to  meet.  But  I do  not 
think  the  latter  is  so  common  in  this  country  as  in  America. 
The  former  is  due  to  natural  debility,  to  chills,  to  bad  condi- 
tions, or  to  unsuitable  food,  and  can  only  be  prevented  by 
greater  care  and  wiser  methods  of  management.  “Swelled 
head”  is,  in  many  cases,  a form  of  tuberculosis,  due  to  tainted 
soil  or  bad  water.  Chickens  bred  from  healthy  stock,  reared 
under  the  “ open  air  system,”  and  given  fresh  ground  are 
unaffected.  The  worst  case  I ever  saw  was  explained  by  the 
fact  that  turkeys  had  been  reared  for  fifteen  years  on  the  same 
ground,  which  had  become  “ turkey  sick,”  and  charged  with 
disease.  Here  again  “ prevention  is  better  than  cure.” 
The  Chestnuts, 
Theale,  Berkshire. 
Edwakd  Brown. 
