The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-01-01
The Turkey--Origin of our Best
Table Bird.

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and other naturalists establish the fact
that the turkeys and the Guinea fowl,
which latter, by competent authority,
Is ascertained to be native Of Africa,
owing TO a certain resemblance be-
tween them. we're long regarded as
indentical. The name turkey, the or
igin of which, as applied to our favor
lite fowl, is only explained upon the
theory of its supposed Asiatic nativity
is still disputed point. That given
it by the French in dindon, a contrac-
tion of Oisedu d hide (bird OF India).
The Greeks and the Romans had what
they called meleagrides GaIlanG At
ricdnG. which were supposed to be the
original race of turkeys, but which
proved after all to be the guinea fowl.
The first writer who mentions the
American turkey is believed to De
Oviedo, in 1928, who deciibes them
under the name Of peacocks, common
ting upon the vast number in the wild
state in this country at that early
day, and their excellence as an article
of food. He found them raised by
Europeans in New Spain, whence
they were introduced into New Cas-,
tile and the West Indies. Lopez de
Gomara, in whose book, published in
1853, they were called 9aIlapapO, de-
scribes the flesh as delicious. In 1854
wild turkeys we're found in Virginia.
Rene de Laudonniere found them on his
landing in North America in 1864.
Fernandez classes them with the birds
Of Mexico, and remarks upon the diff
ference distinguishable between the
wild species and those domesticated.
Pedro de Ciesa found them npon the
Istmus of Darien, and Dampier in Yu-
catan. Button and otEer later travel
ers mention them as seen in various
parts of America. Kahn, who visited
Pennsylvania in 1874, says of the
wild turkeys of this region: They are
larger than our domestic turkey; the
flesh is redder, but superior in taste"
Smyth mentions that focks OF wild
turkeys abounded III Western Vir-
ginia and neighboring localities. Prof
>. +. Baird, of the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition, describes two distinct species
of the wild turkey found in North
America: Zone confined to the more
Eastern and Southern States; the oth>
or to the Rocky Mountains and ada
cent parts Of Texas, New Mexico, Col
Orado and Arizona; that ihe latter tx
tends along the eastern part of Mexi>
co, as far south as Oriziba, and that
1t is from this Mexican species, and
not that from North America, that
our domestic turkey is derived" One
of the points Of difference between the
two species, and the one believed to be
. onstant, is in the color of the tips Of
the tail feathers, and of the feathers
OVERLAPPING the base ofthe tail. These
are creamy and yellowish, white in
the Mexican and tropical harnyard
birds, while in the wild turkey of
eastern North America the same parts
are ola chestnut brown color. -
About the year 1870 Bartolomeo !
Scappi, cook to Pope Plus V, gave
in his book or cooking several recipes t.
for dressing these then expensive and |
much admired fowls. In evidence Of |
their rarity,at this period, it is. mem
toned that the first turkeys brought
To Bologna were some that bad been
given as present TO the family of
B uonocompagni, from which Gregory |
Xt, who at that time filled the Papal |
chair, was descended. Authorities do /!
MT agree on that period when the
French people acquired this article of !
food. 1t is asserted ON the one hand |
that the first turkey seen in France /
MAS brought thither by the Jesu-
ills, and served up at the marri-
age feast of Charles TX, in 1870. |
The assurance, however, though not
fully proved, that they were first |
brought to France by Philip de -Cha>
bot, Admiral under Francis L., is re.
gariled as more favorable. Gyllius,
" ho died 10 1855, furnished the first
scientific description Of them, which
WIS approved both by Gesner and Al
irovandus in their works or 6rnitholo-
". Bellon's illustrations of them
we've first published in the same year.
4 bout the sametime they were de-
'cribed 10y La Bruyere Champier,
sho mentions that they had few
Fears before brought to France from
he Indian Islands, discovered by the
Portuguese and Spaniards. Germa-
ny seems to have had turkeys intro
iuced, probably from France, as ear
y rs 1880; and in the same year they
ere imported into Bohemia end Sile-
ia.
Ia support of the theory that the
urkey is native of America, Beck
nan, in answer TO the opposite argu>
nent, holding that these fowls could
lot become 80 soon distributed over
europe, since Cortez first visited
'iexico in 1919, subdued the capital
II 1921, and returned to Spain in
'527, recalls the fact that maize or {
indian corn, and other productions of
he New World soon became widely
iffused into other countries after
heir discovery. The history Of "Tur>
ish maize may be cited in this con-
ection, and that of tobacco, the first
aeds of which were conveyed to Por>
ngal IN 1899, and, in the beginning
the Seventeenth century, its cult.