The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-04-27
BOURBON RED TURKEY.

It was my impression that they were
called Bourbon Reds. but on investi-
cation found that some called them
Bourbon Butternuts and some Ken
lucky Reds. but liked my name the
best, and having spoken of them sew.
eral times under the name of Bourbon
Red I decided to adopt that name.
Since investigating the matter thor
oughly I find that they have been
hunted in a region called Turkey
creek in southern Iowa, also in south
eastern Missouri and northern Arkan-
sas. Wherever they are known they
are very much admired both in the
wild and domestic state, and truly
they are beautiful fowl, being dark
red color, the gobblers being the
darkest, and bordering on a brown
with white wings and tail, and the
body feathers having two narrow
black bars running across the feath-
ers, one on the tip being very black,
the other close to it of a very light
shade of black.
The tips of all the feathers have a
bronze or blush sheen when shifted
in the sunlight, similar to the bronze
turkey. The under color runs out to
nearly white, with large part of it
a beautiful buff. In size, shape and
weight when domesticated they re.
semble the good old bronze turkey,
but are more hardy, better layers aud
less liable to wander away from home.
The young are nearly as easy to raise
as; young chickens, and should meet
with general favor on this account;
this, together with their beautiful ap.
pearance and fine table qualities
large amount Of breast meat-shou]d
make them sell we'll on the markets
and to the fanciers.
They are in no sense q mixed breed:
but just as pure variety as tho
bronze turkey, and no cross with
bronze, buff or any other variety will
produce a natural pure-blooded Bour-
bon red turkey. They have been do.
mesticated in Kentucky for 10 years
to my knowledge, and I am personal
~ acquainted with gentleman who
saw them Is years ago in southern
Iowa. The wild turkey is like the wild
bronze-long, lean and lanky-and can
outrun a deer; but the domestic red
turkey is heavier breasted than the
bronze turkey. The cut illustrates
the Bourbon turkey very well-at any
rate, it represents an expert artists
ability to get an exact type of the
fowl. Everybody knows what an ele.
giant turkey the bronze is, but I be-
ieve the Bourbon reds will supplant
them wherever they are tried. They
should not be crossed with any other
variety, and, in fact, I do not believe
in crossing of any kind. for it invari.
ably works in this way: Take two
thoroughbred varieties Of fowls and
cross them, and the result is an in.
ferior offspring to either one of the
original kinds, and even if it does not
show it very strong the first time
they will degenerate so that anybody
can notice it when bred again.
There is no adopted standard of the
Bourbon red turkey, but an effort will
be made to get them recognized at
the next revision of the American
standard, as they are a natural fowl,
and, having been long bred, they are
eligible at any time. If I were to
place a schedule of points on them
would make it the same as the bronze,
except the breast. which ought to
have another five points added on &C.
count of it's fullness and excellent
quality.-E. E. Page, III Ohio Farmer.