Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1906-10-27

lean Standard of Perfection is
the acknowledged king of all poultry.
The turkey is evidently Of American
origin. The wild turkey was found
in abundance by the pioneers of the
eastern, southern and western Sec
tions of the United States. They
existed also in great numbers in
Mexico long before this time. 1t is
evident that the turkey was intro
duced into Europe from America.
The following historical review of
this matter was written for the
American Poultry Journal by Rev
G. E. Petersen, October, 1905, and
covers the ground completely:
Eat what time the domestic fowl
was first introduced into England is
unknown, but there is a tradition in
Cornwall that it was originally
brought to that part of the coast by
the Phenicians when they came to
traffic for tin and copper with the
natives, previous to the Roman inva-
sion; and to this day, in some parts
of the country, it is called the Per-
sian bird, but why this latter does
not appear; and further, it is espe-
cially noted by Cesar CDe BelloO
that the cock, the goose and the hare
were among, if not the whole of, the
domestic animals of the ancient Brit
ons, and kept by them for pleasure
only before his invasion of the coun-
try, but that soon after their scru-
pies in this direction disappeared.
However that may be, it is GER
tain the Romans brought with them
the fighting COCK both to the
south and the west of England; clear
proof of which ale the bones, nay,
the very metal srurs used in their
contests, that have been found both
in Surrey and Cornwall.
Zone metal spur was dug up in
Southwark, and pair in an old Ro.
man wall in the latter country, be-
sides others that unfortunately were
not preserved or sufficiently noted.
That these same ancients were
not acquainted with the turkey goes
far to settle the somewhat disputed
question, whether the turkey is a
native of this country or not, being
now taken for granted by all natur.
alists and historians that the new
world was its birthplace, and from
there was introduced into the old
world.
''It is interesting to note the men,
ton of these birds in the writings of ,
the old historians, a few of which
follow:
"The first author by whom any
is made of the turkey is
Oviedo, who wrote about the year
1925 He has described them mi
lutely with that curiosity and atten-
ion which new objects generally ex-
lite; and as he was acquainted with |
10 name for these birds, till then un-
Known to the Europeans, he gave
hem that which he thought best |
suited to them. He calls them a
lind of peacock, and he relates that
wen then, at this early date, on ac-
count of their utility, and the excel
ent taste of their flesh, they were
lot only reared and domesticated by
he Europeans in New Spain, where
hey were first found, but that they
we're carried also to New CASTLE and
O the West India Islands.
Lopez de GOmara, whose book
vas printed in 1858. makes use of
,allopavo; and says that the fowl re-
embles in shape the peacock and the
omestic cock: and that of all the
owls in New Spain the flesh is the
most delicious.
in the year 1884 wild turkeys
yere found in Virginia and Rene de
found them on his land
lg in North America in 1864. Fer
andez also reckons them among the
irds of Mexico; and makes notice of
he difference between those that
we're wild and those that had been
AIMED. Pedro de Ciesa saw them on
he Isthmus of Darien, and Dampier
\ Yucatan; beside the testimony of ,
lany other travellers, which is hard |
Y worth while noting, shows the
arly date of its domestication.
San account of Smvthe deserves .