Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-20

Thanksgiving. These victims of con-
VITALITY" will be. of course. in addition
birds, which win form the cheapest and
least desirable stock.
~.
The day when Rhode Island and Con-
necticut were looked to as the leading
sources Of supply for the turkey market
has passed, and now Iowa and Tennessee
send the greater number of birds through
out the country. 1t Is principally from
these latter states that the larger dealers
of Washington are supplied. In the mid
die west, which forms now the largest
and promises to be the main source of
supply in the future. the turkeys at this
season are bought up in great numbers
by agents of wholesale dealers, who
travel about in buggies from farm tc
farm, picking up a few here and there,
and assembling them for shipment alive
from the most convenient railroad points.
The birds are forwarded by rail in large
boxes to the establishments Of the whole
sale dealers maintained for the purpose,
and here they are slaughtered They
are not deprived, however. of any of
their 'innards," as 1t is found that this
induces decomposition and an unfitness
for any purchaser not excessively addict
ed to strong "gamy" flavor. 1t Is
deemed best, when practicable, to dry
pick" them-not only because they keep
longer without ice when thus treated,
but also because the feathers are saved.
The latter consideration calls attention
to an interesting and important side is
and feather bones of turkeys are now
applied to a variety of purposes. the lat
ter being adapted as a substitute FOR
whalebone for the stiffening of women's
feathers annually consumed is enormous
in the aggregate. and. although much
goes to waste, the manufacturers could
readily utilize the entire amount. The
farmers in the eastern section OF the
country commonly pluck their own tur-
keys for Thanksgiving. saving the feath-
ers Of the wings and tails, perhaps, for
busters and other such uses. The manu-
facturers of the products OF turkey
feathers, like the wholesale poultry deal
ers, look to the establishments main
tanned for the preparing Of the birds
brought from points in the west and
south for their supply. The feathers
thus purchased. though only by-prod-
value Of the birds.
Turkeys are able to march fifteen miles
a day. and because their transportation
by walking is cheaper than by rail they
are often driven long distances on their
way to market. At this Thanksgiving sea-
son in many parts of the country armies
of them. sometimes numbering thousands,
may be seen travelling along public high
ways. A piquant spectacle OF this sort
was witnessed few days ago, the birds
being driven in a somewhat unruly flock
across Highway bridge into this city, while
several half-distracted agriculturists en-
deavored to prevent an utter panic among
their queer charges, and to prevent them
getting under the wheels and horses
hoofs Of the motley procession Of market
wagons ahead Of and behind them.
Although the turkeys fetch 25 cents
ers pay for them, the farmer who raises
them gets less. Sometimes he kills them
himself and sells them ready pluckod. in
which case he may be able to add to his
profits by dispoSing of the feathers, al
though the latter item is evidently not
much considered by the farmers in the
vicinity of this city. One of the latter.
however. observed that, as he disposed of
q comparatively large number OF birds at
this season. he found the selling OF the
feathers quite an item.
ment to which send my turkey feathers.
The body feathers are roughly sorted and
packed in bales. but the tail and wing
feathers are done UP neatly In bundles
and packed in boxes. can. like the
average expert picker. pull all the feath-
ers out of twenty-pound gobbler in
about eight minutes. The men employed
at this work at the wholesale places get
2h cents for each bird plucked. To pluck
sixty turkeys is a good days work.
1.-The feathers are classified by the