The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-06
POULTRY NOTES
ADOPT NEW METHODS
FOR RAISING TURKEYS
Biggest Of Domestic Fowl Are
Receiving More Attention
From Experts.

II is quite possible that the early set
tiers in America occasionally tired or
roast turkey and loneed for a nice beef
steak, since the former were found rather
abundantly In most OF the eastern parts
Of the new land and could be secured
with little trouble. II IL quite natural
TO presume. then, that turkeys and other
game were depended upon In large meas.
ure to replace the peats which were com
monty us, d In Europe,
We also can imagine that even the
common soldiers in the armies Of the
Spanish conquerors of Mexico shared this
feeling According to their reports. when
these invaders swept into this unknown
land they found turkeys, both wild and
domesticated. In large numbers. In fact,
they furnished the cheapest kind of meat.
How tim5s have changed Few OF us
are privileged to eat enough turkey 10
cause our appetites TO become faded And
( the turkey continues to los, ground,
o decrease in numbers In the future as (:
has steadily done In the past, It will soon
become "A luxury to be- enjoyed only by
he wealthy.
Thrifty housewives, with Thanksgiving
casts In mind. will view with consider
lble alarm the figures in the United
states census which have to do with our
turkey population.
In 1893 there were ever $500, 900 tur-
Keys on the farms and ranges OF the
United STATS. In 1909, just decad E
alter. there were 100000. "A startling
decrease OF ~ per cent In brief. our
drkey Hooks had been almost cut In half.
ma. or course, In that same period our
opulation the number Of consumers. had
1creased Fl pen cent.
Decreased supply-increased deNand.
Doesn't this clearly explain why our tur.
Key dinners are fewer in number than
formerly, why the price has mounted to
such high level? No one has satisfac-
torily explained Just why the turkey crop
is steadily dwindling. Probably no single
cause Is solely responsible number of
factors must be taken into account.
scientists connected with certain Govern
nent experiment stations are patiently
working at the problem. Hasten the day
when they shall have II fully solved. when
the great droves OF turkeys VIII again be
seen on countless farms and their savory
carcasses on every table in the land.
As previously indicated. the turkey Is
native OF the Western continent. and
was unknown by the older nations until
the new land was discovered. Its size
and beautiful appearance, coupled with
It's value AS a producer of delicious meat,
attracted tho attention OF many of the
carly explorers, who took or sent home
many specimens early In the sixteenth
century. 1t was known In England as
early as 1924. and about 1850 1t appeared
on the crest of an English nobleman
France and Spain received importations
At approximately the same date as did
England.
There may have been several subdi-
visions OF the turkey family found In the
Wild state. but the more important. the
stocks from which our domesticated va
reties have probably descended, are the
Northern wild and the Mexican Wild
These two differ somewhat in size and
plumage color. and II is quite concev-
able that through crossing them in va
rous ways and usipg such sports as have
appeared from time to time the several
distinct domestic kinds were evolved.
American poultrymen recognize sever
varieties In Europe we find scvera
others. certain OF which might possibly
be OF much use here. Below appears tht
American list, with desired weights oil
adults OF both sexes: