The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-07

| leading an easy and happy life, totally
 oblivious to the approaching storm.
 They do considerable running, and al-
 though they consume fair amount of
 food, do not gain rapidly in avoir du- | pios.
 After Indian summer cold weather Is
 due, and then the fattening process be-
 gins. His lordship, the turk is provided
 with all the food he desires! He feasts
 morning. noon and night, and between
 meals, lolls about the drear barnyard
 precinct, swells with pride and good
 living and gobbles, gobbes impudently
 in the very face of the farmers boy,
 whose turn, however, is soon tocome.
 You can almost see the naughty crea- | ture grow. The anxious farmers face
 is .wreathed in smiles as he beholds his
 pets "take on flesh" for every addi
 tional pound of flesh is worth just so
 much more to him.
 But the turkey is not a giuttonous
 creature, as is the hog.
 "EIell eat just so much and not
 kernel of corn more," said the owner of
 a fine looking flock to the Journal man
 the other day "He Is a knowing bird,
 and he doesn't intend to stuff himself to | DuSllI CpHLlIuSQ llls e'ntiiohANJ'
 When he's had enough he'll cry quits
 for the time being, no matter if there is
 whole bushel of corn living about
 awaiting for him to eat 1t up.
 How do we feed the birds? The
 methods differ in different parts of the country hereabouts. It's all according l to the way different folks think the | proper way, Up in Chariestown there
 are a good many raisers who calculate ] they're doing just as well in letting the | turkeys roam about loose, finding their l own grub. I've observed that this class
 of raisers are always complaining of
 bad luck-say that the flock isn't doing well and all that My birds get three square meals a day from the time they | are matched to the fattenng period. | After that they get all they'll eat. Dur | ing the summer I feed them on green corn and on old corn about a year aged
 while they are fattening. That makes | the flesh nice and rich"
 | Are Rhode Island turkeys plenty this | year? That is question somewhat | hard to answer and which the Journal | man endeavored to solve by personal visit to some of the farms in the south | ern part of the state. Opinions appear | to vary slightly, although the general | trend seems to be on the negative side For instance, Amos A. Champlin, whose | farm at Brightman's pond, midway be- | tween Moves Beach and Watch Hill and supports a flock of turkeys, says the season has been more satisfactory than usual
 Why" he said, i've only got thirty four birds In the spring l had one hundred and four eggs, of which only the thirty-four hatched. What the trouble was with the rest I don't know. The difficulty this year seemed to be in- ability to hatch the young ones. I am not the only man who has suffered his way The result is that Rhode Island turkeys are scarce and the prices are going to rule high
 Several farmers had similar stories to tell It was related of one owner in the town of Charlestown that two years ago this flock. consisting of hundred and fifty young birds, was as fine collec- tion of it's size anywhere to be found. Last year this farmer was nowhere near as successful as during the preced ing season. while this fall the flock Is scarcely more than home consumption requires Flocks that in years past ranged between seventy-five and hundred now show but one-third that number. which certainly is prima facie evidence that Rhode Island turkeys will not grace as many Thanksgiving boards next month as in years gone by
 Notwithstanding the apparent falling off in the size of flocks, the road travel CT in the South county and In North and South Stonington cannot bring his mid to decide beyond peradventure that only comparatively small number of the birds are to-day awaiting fattenlng time. Turkeys, turkeys, everywhere! This is the order of the journey Turn a sharp corner of the road and you are almost sure to sight flock. Explore the out-of- -the-way corners of almost any farm you may chance to run across and the search will be rewarded inva- rial bly by the sight of dozen or more gobblers strutting about with heads erect as proud as proud can be. And the amusing vision recalls to mind for cibIy that old proverb about the ulti- mate downfalls of pride.
 See that bird there?" said Wester- | Iy farmer to the writer The turkey in | question was a fine looking specimen of | the bronze breed He was taller than | his mates, plumper, and whenever he | had occasion to rufile his feathers the | feathery coa ting expended to twice the extent any of the other members of the tribe were capable of showing. In fact. he was the haughtiest most pompous, most airy creature in the barnyard. It | was right and proper that he should be. For:
 ''That bird there is the father of the entire flock with the exception of the brood hens. He's got morn two dozen children, he has. He's the oldest Tom in the collection, of course" (Male tur- keys are called Toms and the female hens by the hreeders.)
 How many years old is he, any way inquired the innocent city newspa- per man.