The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-11-27
The Turkey, Americas
National Feast Bird

Feast Bird
Gray comments on its general use as
follows:
From the low peasant to the lord
The turkey smokes on every board"
Our own benjamin Franklin must
have admired the bird. Is he is credit
Is SO truly noble and valuable hat H.
would nave been a much filter emblem
for this country than the eagle"
Americans can but regret thai t..e
Wild turkey Is becoming SO rare. Be
ing large in size and a great addition
to the table as we'll. 1t has been the
prey alike Of sportsmen and pot
mains a remnant Of the great host that
formerly spread over the greater par
Of North America, and sportsmen ana
farmers will do we'll to protect them
and, II possible. enable them to In
crease in number. Aside from mere
sentimental reasons. this should be
done to perpetuate the wild. vigorous
blood for infusion in the domestic
flocks. Probably no other kind Of
domestic poultry suffers 80 much from
~tnoreeding. and the occasional intro
|duction Of wild blood seems to be
most beneficial.
The original turkeys carried to Eu-
rope were undoubtedly OF the Mexican
variety. smaller in size and darker
is probable that the blood of the two
kinds was later mixed. Gradually lew
varieties appeared and their charae-
teristics fixed by careful breeding. and
TO-DAY American poultry men recognize
SIX kinds-the bronze. Narraganse:t,
buff. slate, black and white Holland.
There are also some focks Of un-
bred in their purity. and to these
breeders may turn for new blood.
The largest variety and the ono,
most widely bred Is the bronze. The
:-year-old sock OF this variety should
weigh alive at least thirty-six pounds.
Occasional individuals exceed this
weight by several pounds. 1t is mag
are yearly sent to the white house by
an e%nterprisine turkey grower AMI
dealer in Rhode sland. to furnish the
presidents Thanksgiving dinner.
The smallest OF the standard breeds
is the white Holland. the males rang
ins from eighteen to twenty-six
pounds in weight and the females
from twelve to sixteen pounds.
Must Have Wide Range.
AS a rule turkeys do no. do we'll in
confinement. They are primarily birds
OF M f1eld n forest. d%elishting in
Mloe range and thriving best under
these conditions. It is no uncommon
occurrence for a turkey hen 10 leave
the farm buildings in the spring and
Practlcaliy return to the wild state.
until tall, when she again appears :n
company with her brood Of young.
|sters. ~
Because Of their propensity to wan.
der over the wide areas turkeys are
primarily farm birds. and the greater
part Of y market stock comes from
small focks scattered over the farms
Of the United States and Canada.
are some large 1ocks here ana
there handled by specialists, but thes..
are comparatively few in number.
ke in e Msn years the growing of tur-
licularly difficult. though the young
watchful care during the first few
weeks Of their lives. Then it was
ina the New England states produced
vast numbers of the Thanksgiving bird
each season. and Rhode Island ami
OF their quality. Practically ever.
farm had its breeding flock. and the
turkey money which came in each
|fall was a most welcome addition 10
the farm income. Nov. all is changed.
put a small proportion OF our eastern
farms now carry turkeys. and the
rearing OF the young is attended with
increasing difficulties. AS a result our
eastern city markets are largely sup
piled with stock brought from a dis
lance. and 1t Is to be feared that many
OF the native BIRDS sold are really
grown in distant localities and brough,
east to be finished for market.
Difficult to Raise.
|. n U OF this great reduction
ous disease known as "blackhead."
This trouble made its appearance in
New England a few decades ago and
gradually spread. carrying ruin to the
turkey growing industry as it went.
us serious nature was recognized BY
the agricultural experiment station
o1ciais. who began an investigation.
a q sure means Of cure. Later the
United States department Of agricul-
ture became interested and entered
into cooperative work with the Rhode
Island agricultural experiment station.
thus permitting the work to be pushed
more vigorously and on a larger scale.
For several years the investigation
poultrymen and trained scientists
alike. but no sure means of preven
ton or cure has been found. How.
ever. many interesting and important
facts have been brought out. which
gives ground for the belief that the
problem will be satisfactorily solved
some time.
Briefly stated, the blackhead is q
contagious disease affecting the liver
and intestines. especially the coca, or
blind pouches Of the latter. Il is
caused by the presence Of a minute
organism. the exact identity ~ which
Is still In dispute. The trouble MAY
affect either chickens or turkeys. but
It Ia n ordinarily fatal to the former,
On the other hand. turkeys, especially
the young. are particularly s~uscepti-
bic. n when the disease becomes
we'll established in the flock II is prac-
tically impossible to rear n young
stock
Since ii has been established that
chickens harbor this trouble. making
organism. much weight is given to the
Old turkey growers advice: III you
want to raise turkeys. keep them away
from chickens"
1t localities where blackhead hal
not appeared. most satisfactory profits
can be made from the production of
market turkeys. 1t goes without q v
IN. that the breeding flock must BE-
free from disease and every effort
made to keep infection away. The
STEADY rapid increase In price is
largely due I natural conditions. and
not to market m~anipulations. And il
seems probable thai will
have no relief until this dread disease
Is iInalIy mastered. And NAV that