El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-11-28
Fl PAS0ANs WILL EAT HOMEGROWN
TURKEYS At THANKSGIVING DINNERS

ever, win probably never be without
some of the birds as they have proved
that they like this section and are
willing TO remain healthy and live to De
present at the annual big dinner.
Money in Turkeys.
If the census figures are true. ana
they should be. there ought to be for
tunes for farmers in west Texas, New
Mexico and Arizona, the Rio Grande
valley IN particular, in the growth OF
turkeys The figures show that the
Thanksgiving bird is rapidly dlsap-
pearing; that he is passing away as
fast almost as did the bison, the Wild
turkey and the bear and the deer Lhat
once furnished meat for epic1R IS. The
census figures Of the past year show
a startling condition in the turkey
market-about half as many birds IN
the country last year as 10 years pc
fore and the price much higher DIS
ease has done much to diminish the
turkey supply, but IN TINS part OF the
country the disease SO fatal to the tur-
key is not so prevalent and the condl-
lions generally are favorable for his
growth.
Otto Praeger. writing from Washing
ton in Golfers Weekly, gives some in
teresting figures on the rapid disap-
pearance of the turkey
Between the cholera, the "blackhead,@
and the ak, this bird that mas goDDle-
gobbled his way into the affections OF
the American people is wasting rapidly,
he says.
ply has been cut about In half me
census Of 1900 shows that where there
were IN that year 6,594 $50 turkeys 10
20 around 10000, 600 hungry American
mouths. there were, according to the
recent census count, but 3,bSS,bb6, a
clear loss of not far from 8 000 600 tur-
keys, whereas the hungry mouths have
increased to more than $1,000. coo.
The leading turkey states Of the
union in 1900 were Texas with b46,6l1,
Missouri with 466,665- Illinois with
$4,000 and Iowa with 424,3O6 turkeys.
But 10 years later in 1910, Texas mad
285.O05 fewer of the great American
table Bird Missouri, $4,000; Illinois,
256, sos and Iowa, 30O,145 less Here
are the four leading sources OF turkey
supply in the United states whose ag-
gregate output OF turkeys in 1910 was
nearly 100000 birds less than 1t was
10 years ago.
200 go birds; the Kansas crop 17O,91l;
and thus continues the doleful story
until you get down TO Rhode Island,
where the pOpulatiOn has increased rs
percent and the turkeys have decreased
315 percent; and where there are
sos 1-2 persons to the square mile and
only 1109 turkeys in the whole state
In only four states did the turkey
really and truly increase his tribe. That
was in Idaho. where the Increase was
from 1921 to 1924; in Wyoming,
where the gain in 10 years aggregated
22l9; Montana, where the increase was
from u, 637 to 16, AS, and North Dako-
Ia. where 39.O79 turkeys in 1900 have
grown into 6L4I5 by 1910.
Disease and Rate Sheets.
Why did the turkey increase in these
four states, while his numbers fell
off from 80 to so percent in every other
state in the union? The rate sheets Of
the railroads point out the answer As
disease made turkey raising on a lar &c
scale almost impossible in some of the
eastern states, the middle west and the
south were drawn upon oy the COG
storage companies for turkeys IN gre9t
numbers. Railroad rates governed THIS
great movement Of dressed turkey The
transportation rates from the turkey
farms of Texas to the cold storage
plants in turkey hungry New England,
or to be specific, to Boston, an average
distance Of. 2243 miles, or 56 hours, IS
S1.98 per 100 pounds in carload lots OF
10000 pounds The rates the same
product and same service from
points in the four intermOuntatn
states named to New York, an
average distance Of 229S miles, or
tana and S275 from Idaho in carload
lots Of $4,000 pounds. The freight rates
on less than carload lets from these
two states are considerably greater IN
proportion than from Texas
In the case Of chickens. ducks. and
geese it would be simple problem
merely a matter Of setting more hens
or buying more incubatOrs. With tur
keys It is different. There are more
fertile eggs in a turkey setting than
there are in a setting Of chicken eggs,
so agricultural experts tell US. and you
can grow richer on paper raising tur-'
keys than raising chickens But 1t has
got so now that in some states you
can raise turkeys only on paper
His Two Appendices.
The trouble with the turkey is his
appendix, or rather his appendices, for
fowls have two Of these botherSome in
cumbrances. It appears there has come
into the land in the past decade or two
an organism-fo be exact a prOtOzOon
which is thoroughly at home with the
chicken and leaves on this host prac
ticalIy no i'll effects but which is death
to turkeys It makes, first thing. for his
turkeyship's two appendices, enlarges
and then chOkes them up, notifies the
liver and works so much general dis
tress that the plagued and weakened
bird lies down and dies. This disease is
\ called enterohepatit but it is known
and dreaded wherever they raise tur-
keys as "blackhead," because fire.
quentlv at one stage of the disease, the
head of the stricken bird turns black
When the protozoon gets into a flock
/ of turkeys it usually kills 80 percent
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