Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-09-18
GRANDMA'S TURKEY RAISING.
Ahe Counted Them Before They were
Hatched, and Then Was Disappointed.

Ahe Counted Them Before They were
Hatched, and Then Was Disappointed
"Oh! grandma, l am going to have
such nice lot of chickens to sell next
fall, P" said Emily Howe, pretty black
eyed, rosy-cheeked girl of fifteen, who
lived on farm few miles from the
town of Waterville, in Maine.
Grandma Howe looked up from her
knitting, and said: "Seems to me,
Emily, it's early TO count your chick
ems; you haven't got a hen settin' yet,
hev you?"
eyes, ! have just put thirteen eggs
under old Top-knot and mother says |
may have all the chickens she matches
for my own. / shall take good care of
them, and about Thanksgiving time,
when they will be nice and fat, cut off
their heads, carry them to Waterville,
sell them to Mr.. Jones, that's where
father sells chickeus, take the money
and buy me red cashmere dress"
"Well, Emily, you hev got your plans
made a good ways ahead, but l wouldn't
calculate too much on the chickens till
they are hatched; they may turn out the
same way my turkeys did once"
How was that grandma? Please tell
me all about it while ] am resting. !
walked away over to Mr.. Porters to
get the eggs to put under old Top-knot, :"
Ibid you, dear? Well, will tell you
about my old white turkey.
"When | was married we went to live
on the Springer farm, about twenty
miles from my fathers. Long in April,
in sugaring time, the year after was
married, told your grandpa wanted
to go over to fathers to get some new
sugar-we didn't hev any sugar-place
on our farmland see if mother couldn't
let me hev some turkey eggs to set
under one of my hens. Mother was a
good hand to raise turkeys; some falls
she would hev thirty to SELL and |
wanted to try my luck at turkey. .raisin.
"Your grandpa said 1--WE would go the
next Saturday and stay over Sunday.
That he would get Mr.. Baker, he lived
near by, to see to the chores.
80 we went. | remember what a
nice sleigh-ride we had, the snow had
gone away considerable, but we started
early in the mornin before it begun to
thaw, and lib, that was the colts name,
went like bird o, dear me, it was
fifty years ago, but / remember just as
well how pretty the snow and Ice
looked sparklin' in the sunshine. We
got over home before noon, and father
was goin' to sugar. o # that afternoon, SO
we all went to the sugar-place; there
was quite a number of the neighbors
there, and we had fine time.
81 told mother / wanted to get set
tin of turkeys eggs. She said | was
welcome to 'em, but like enough they
would get broken goin' home, and ! bet
ter take the old white turkey, that she
always Matched out a good brood, but
she ginerally stole her nest, and it was
considerable trouble to look after her,
but was welcome to her.
II told mother I knew / could find
her nest, and if she would let me hev
the turkey would bring her two OF
my yaller-legged pullets when ! came
over again.
"Your grandpa fixed a box and put
the old turkey in it, and we brought
her home. She seemed as contented as
could be, and in few days, when the
snow was gone, she would wander of
into the fields and pastures, but always
came to the barn at night. / thought
1t was time she was laying and hunted
| in the barn and shed for her nest
After awhile she left off comm home
nights, and then | knew she was set.
tin somewhere and ! thought it was in
the pasture back of the house, as she
always came from that way when
called the hens to be fed, and as soor
as she was done eatin' she would
go back that way. ] followed hei
ever so many times, but just
as soon as she noticed me she woulC
start up and fly and get out of sight be
hind the bushes and trees in no time.
hunted the pasture all over for that ole
turkeys nest. / knew If | didn't fint
the nest before she hatched, the little
ones would half Of them die before sh'
got them home: little turkeys are very
tender things. l noticed she alway'
went in one direction, down toward thu
brook, that was at the further side o
the pasture.
Zone day when she came to be fed
threw some corn on the ground, scatter
ing it about, 80 it would take her SOM
time to pick it up.
"Then / started for the pasture, AM
went along in the direction | had seel
her 90, for some distance, then hid be
hind stump. Soon | saw the turke.
comm and she had passed me and wa
almost out of sight. stepped careful
ly along, keeping behind bushes an
stumps, so she would not see me If sh
looked back followed along in that wa
rs much as quarter of a mile and bega
TO think she hadn't any nest, she wa
lust wanderin', turkeys are such cret
lures to wander you know, but alon
up by the brook she stopped by STUMP
where some bushes were CROWN roun
II. looked round and then crept unde
the busheA l knew her nest wf
there, and sure enough 1t wac, wit
afteen great specified eggs In " 81
came right of the nest when she sa
me, SO I had q chance 70 count 'em.
"oh! grandma, wasn't you pleased
"I guess / was, and couldn't hc