The Savannah morning news., 1901-07-01
THE FARM AND THE GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO HOUSE
WIFE AND AGRICULTURALIsT.
Turkey Raising-Feedfng Cattle for
Beef-A study of Corn-When to
Gut AIfaIfa-Sced Testing-Wind
Power-Leguminous Crops.

Heef-A study OF COrn-Wh men 10
Cut AIfaIfa-Sced TestinE-Wind
POwer-LeguminOus Crops.
Subscriber" wishes to have the sub
ject of turkey-raising discussed. Like
most every other topic, the facts regard
ing the question may be very tersely pre-
scented in one brief chapter or they can
be so enlarged upon and expanded that
it would allow of a quarto of considerable
dimensions to include all that may be
written concerning it.
All new beginners generally desire the
minutest details. Concerning the several
sections into which the subject may nat
urally be divided. they want authority
for every step taken.
Poultry-raising and especially turkey
raising, to make it successful, requires
the manifestation of several excellent
traits, to wit, energy. patience, forethought
and painstaking. A person who does
things in slipshod, thoughtless sort of
way will not succeed at turkey-raising
There are certain requirements that must
be fully met.
One should have the best fowls that
have a clean and safe place to roost in
and suitable yards to enclose the young
turkies for a certain period.
OF course, with plenty of room and
range, as in the country, turkey-raising
is quite different from what ii is when
the space is limited 1t is essential, of
course, to have fertile eggs. To secure
these allot one young strong gobbler to
six or eight hens and begin early in the
season to feed to that end. Begin in
January TO feed the hens with wheat, rye
or barley. allowing but very little corn.
Wheat brand should be fed once a day
in the absence of whole grain. See that
they have clean water supplied freely
and in iron vessels, if practicable.
A good-sized yard enclosed in five or
six-foot wire fence should be provided
within which the nests are placed. This
fence if properly made will keep out
everything that may modest the nests.
AS far one can make it, it
is well to make assurance doubly
sure" in giving all the protection possible.
Good nests are made by placing at
short intervals in the yard common bar
rels laid on their sides and a spadeful or
two of soil thrown into the barrels to
steady it and on which place a little
straw or litter over each barrel enough
brush or pine tops to conceal the barrel
from view.
In the nesting yard it is we'll to keep
a shallow box of good size In which dry
ashes should be constantly kept for the
hens to dust themselves in from time to
time.
In this yard there should be shelter
of more or less size under which the
ashes and dry soil may be kept dry.
Have the nests basin shaped so that
the eggs will keep together When each
nest is made put half teaspoonful of
sulphur into it. Repeat this occasionally.
Keep on hand also some Insect Powder
(9yrethrum) and dust the nests and the
setting hens with it every week 1t is
very essential to keep down all insects.
1t is easy to do this by beginning early.
Prevent always rather than cure
An average clutch" or setting of eggs
is fourteen. If possible manage so that
two or three hens are set at the same
time. Then one hen can be given the
total hatch of two more hens One
turkey hen can easily mother % little
turkeys.
The hen should be placed in a roomy
but light coop. placed within the inclos-
ure. This coop should be large enough
for the hen to walk upright in and to
scratch for grains of corn scattered in
This will afford her all necessary exer-
else. The hen should be kept in the coop
until the turkeys are six or eight weeks
old.
Make the coop so that the lower slat
is movable for the little ones to go in and
out
This slat should be closed at night to
keep out rats and to keep the little ones
from going out too early in the dew
G nnf a ny
young fowls and should not be fed
steadily. 1t may be given OCCASIONALLY in
damp weather. SO that a little pepper
may be fed to them, using the dough as
medium.
If possible use small whole grain to
feed with from the very start. German
milet seed or doura corn or ivory wheat:
then pop corn-if you can grow it your
self for the purpose. The turkey raiser
should by all means plant good sized
patch of ivory or African wheat
specially for the purpose. 1t produces
Immensely knd is just the thing to
make young turkeys thrive.
One must look out for rain storms in
the season of young turkeys. little
negligence on such occasions will upset
the whole business. The coops must be
so arranged that no water will SETTLE
in them. The floor must be hard and
dry so that all water will be kept out
or allowed to run off at once. Every
few days move the coops then clean and
lime the old places before the coops oc-
cupy them again The surroundings must
be kept perfectly clean and pure as also
the water.
AS the turkeys become older they may
be allowed to range turning the mother
out but they must be kept to the habit
of sleeping IN their coops until they are
large enough TO go to the roosts. The
latter should be made in the form of
steps and placed within the enclosure.
II within this enclosure there are trees
suited to roosting it will be all the bet
ter.
Properly looked after turkey-raising
may be made successful. but 1t requires
those traits named above. More Anon.
Essace.