New-York tribune., 1911-11-26
Even the Turkeys Have Cause Feel Thankful This Year
These Undomesticated Fowl
Are Highly Valued Because
They Improve B reed
of Tame Ones.

AIRY. IS that the latter peters out after
a while In-breeding causes deterioration
and most farmers destroy the quality OF
their own stock by selling each year the
biggest and finest of their turkeys, retain
ING the inferior specimens for purposes Oh
rropagation. The result is inevliaoie' Oi'
the other hand. wild turkeys are the select
Of their race, having survived throush gen
aratiops bv reason Of their superiority %
hers OF their kind such a BIRD as
father IS invaluable 10 the future or
flock His offspring when he mates with
tame turkey heus) are bigger and harder
than ordinary turkeys. Furthermore ther
meat has a better Favor
The Biological Survey, however. calls at
.ention 10 the fact that the wild turkey
unless means for its preservation are
promptly taken. must soon disappear; and
what will breeders do then? Fanciers
might possibly preserve the desired quail
tiles by propagation on sc!enuhc mes ouI
il is doubtful. Obviously, the immediate
point Of Importance is 10 prevent Ile
threatened extinction OF this precious oiru'
If only for the reason that IL is aosoluteY
needed 20 preserve one Of the most impor-
tant OF our farm industries.
The readiness Of the wild turkey "a dit-
ferent species from the domestic turkey
which IS of Mexican origin TO accept do
mestication is evidenced by the fact thaL
notwithstanding it's acquired shyness' II Is
forever trying 70 intrude upon our farm
wards. Every now and then Sobbler OF
the woods annexes . flock OF tame hens
aftor triumphant battle with the less Wig
orous leader thereof. and marches off with
thcm. And II often happens that farmers
discovering nests full Of wild turkeys eggs
IN the forest. hatch them and rear the OFF
sprIng. which. as a rule. are tame enough
though later on the birds exhibit an ineii-
nation to 'roost OUT and to wander of on
slight provocaton.
one hears a great deal about the turkeys
of New England. and il is undeniaole that
those Of Connecticut and Rhode Island are
superior in flavor. else they would not
fetch in the market. as they do, an eX-
cep,ional price Yet. all the six New Eng
late States do not together produce half as
many turkeys az are supplied by Penn
svlvania alone And Pennsylvania Is by
no means first among the turkey growing
states al that Indeed she holds only ne
nth rank in this respect. Texas coming
first, with an output of 10000 a year. Mis-
souri, is next. with 5OO,OoO and then Illinois
and Iowa.
The moral of il all seems 20 be that II
our output OF domesticated turkeys Is to
be maintained and kept up to the mark in
respect 10 quality we must preserve the
wild turkeys for the sake of the fresh
blood and yigor they can be- relied upon TO
contribute For lack Of such help, dis
eases-particularly an infectious and very
deadly liver complaint called "blackhead'
have already invaded tho farmyard
docks. causing great loss. And the only
practicable way 10 accomplish this end (sc-
cordng 10 the opinion of the Biological
survey is 10 reduce the Wild turkeys 10 a
condition Of semi-domestication. allowing
them 10 run a. nearly free as possible
while protectins them against the pot
RultegI RENE BACHE' .