Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-10-29
MAKES THEIR OWN LIVING.
Kansas Turkeys Protect Crops From
the Grasshoppers.

Farmers in Western Kansas, Eastern
Colorado and Southern Nebraska no
longer look on grasshoppers as pest
and menace to crops. Instead, the In
sect Is regarded as a valuable asset
and the arrival of swarm Of them Is
hailed with as much delight as Is a
good harvest Of some minor crop.
The change in the attitude Of the farm
ers toward the grasshoppers is the re-
suit Of the discovery that they are ex-
cellent food for turkeys.
More than a quarter Of a century
ago grasshoppers destroyed thousands
of dollars worth Of crops In Kansas,
and gave the state it's first reputation
for suffering. The farmers, in those
days, raised no turkeys, and the in
sects had full sway. Today, thousands
of turkeys are owned in the western
part Of Kansas. The fowls live almost
exclusively on grasshoppers, and each
bird Is said to be able to consume be-
tween a pint and a quart Of the insects
day.
The discovery that grasshoppers
make good food for turkeys was made
three years ago by Albert Whitlock, a
Smith county farmer. The next year
he raised 300 turkeys, and not only
kept his own farm clean Of grasshop-
pers, but made a good profit off the
turkeys by renting them to his neigh
bors who were troubled by the grass
hoppers. The next year his neighbors
began raising turkeys. They set the
turkey eggs under their hens, and as
soon as the young fowls were large
enough to provide for themselves they
were taught to hunt grasshoppers. 1t
Is easy to teach them, as they soon
become very fond Of the insects.
"It Is wonderful" said Railroad
Commissioner J. M. Fike, Of Colby. re-
Gently. "the way flock Of turkeys will
clean the grasshoppers out Of field.
A turkey is naturally an insect eater,
and he likes grasshoppers better than
the smaller insects when he learns to
eat them. A drove Of turkeys Is worth
considerable money, and grasshopper
feed costs nothing. At the end OF a
season a farmer can sell his turkeys
after having used them to protect his
crops during the summer. 1t Is pref
ty sight to see flock Of trained tur-
keys sweep across field Of alfalfa and
eat the grasshoppers.
"Chickens are worthless in the work
of destroying insects. They are really
more domesticated than turkeys, AMI
stay closer to the farm buildings. They
depend on grain for their living, while
turkey needs little grain where in
sects abound. Besides, a chicken cam
not swallow the large grasshoppers
that occasionally infest northwestern
Kansas fields. Some of the young
turkeys are not equal to the task, but
the old gobblers can handle almost
anything in the insect line. turkey
is always better for destroying grass
hoppers after he has had season to
get acquainted with his duties. Some
breeds Of turkeys will destroy more
grasshoppers than others, and the far
mer who get breed which acquires
reputation for slowing away huge
quantities of the insects will get good
price for his eggs the next spring. 1
have known cases where flock Of tur-
keys has protected the crops during
the summer, and then brought the far
mer $500 when he had no more use for
them."-New York Tribune.