Evening journal., 1906-11-27

cv OR no annual holiday feast Is there
n available n more tempting array Of
y eatables than confronts the housewife
svho sets about making menu for the
Thanksgiving dinner At the head Of the
list. OF course. stands the all Important
turkey No other class OF domestic poultry
has come into such general usc throughout
the entire world MS the chief feature of
the repasts on the traditional feast days
OF the autumn and winter nnd the de.
mand for the fowl that temporarily dis.
places the eugle as onr national bird Is.
Il anything. even greater at Thanksgiving
than at Christmas.
The turkey Is a dcicacy that the civil.
ized world owes 10 America However. u
lid not require any great length Of time
litter the hrst explorers had returned
1ome for the people OF Europe to awake
the toothsome qualities Of the bird and
1--WE Il a place on their dinner tables
The first turkeys were transferred from
Mexico to Europe IN 1870. and by i54i
{ had taken its place among the daiuiles
n England. whereas 30 years later "
was the customary fare OF the farmer.
All present-tay turkeys are the descend
lnts OF one Of three main families Thr
North American Wild turkey. the original
species OF the Eastern United States the
Mexican turkey and the Honduras turkey.
which was originally a native OF Central
America.
II has only been. however. within the
1ast one-third OF a century that the tur.
sey-raising industry hns assumed It's pres
mt scope and magnitude. Within the
Dast few years there has heen cspecini
Improvement owing TO n growing reallzu.
ion that II IS more profitable TO use
pure bred breeding stock than the small
n and less vigorous stock OF days gone
~. The efforts TO introduce throughout
he country the several standard varieties
Il turkeys has greatly benefited ihc inr-
Sey-growing industry OF the United
states.
The general tendency during recent
years has been toward higher prices for
urkeys. and these advances have been
be more readily obtainahlc since of late
he supply OF market turkeys has beeu
much less In proportion to the demand
han It was a few years ago. The aver
ge wholesale price OF turkeys rs record
d IN New York for the past dozen years
las ranged from to 90 cents per pound.
Nuchcuc Doctuh ucNttto uuNt ~ ooult iH'
itances had to pay even higher prices.
and In Chicago the prices have ductunted
rom TO is cents.
That turkey-ralsing is not so universally
'ollowed In all rural communities as the
average city dweller supposes II 70 be Is
veil attested by the fnct that. whereas
here are more than i've million farus in
he United Stntes. the annual crop of
urkeys Is not much over 6.590.O00. or
title more than one turkey 10 each farm.
Is turkey producing state. Texas Is
ar In the lead, producing upward OF rwo-
birds OF a million turkeys each season.
following Texas come Missouri. Illinois.
owa, Ohio aud Indiana IN the order
famed. The State Of Rhoa. Island which
Justly famous for the quality ~ Its.
urkeys, produces less thnn i've thousand
urkeys a year. but these birds IN the
ggregnte are worth ahoui double nn equal
lumber from ANY other state. ilhnde
sland turkeys often bring rs aul 40
ents IN the markets. of the blg ,ities.
vhen other turkeys 20 hrgg'ng 40 80 10
; cents per pound
That coed pruatS nre wlihm reach ~
he turkey raiser may la. aiuwr,htei
vhen Il Is cxplailird ll,4i in the Nt-si
nd Southwest under vnnany ,nndiiuS
urkeys can hr grovH anil sud NJ el-in
cnts a pounl. i've .v,'iai, aud r"fsA
lro1t 10 ilh' si"r.''i~ a,rnrr -r.i,,r-
sho live har i,.'ss. e.ri s ass .sn
dded ad,atias ttt a
opportunity to dress iaa rii lh"ir ur