The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-24
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFQRMATIDN BUREAU
By FREDERIC J. HAsKIN. Director.
Washington, d. C.
ARouT THAT TURKEY

government food experts have an
nouneed that there are plenty of tur-
keys and prices ought to be low. The
retailers. in some cities, have made
the contrary assertion that turkeys
are scarce, and prices are going to be
high. they seem. to be right, at least
about the prices.
1t is an established fact that tur-
keys, both domestic and wild, have
been on the decrease for several
years; but the American farmers nave
always heretofore been able to mus
ter enough gobblers for the annual
Thanksgiving sacrifice. The time is
certainly in sight. however, when some
of us will have to eat something else
on Thanksgiving unless the new
methods of turkey-raising which are
now coming into vogue succeed in
largely increasing the supply
A Difficult Bird to Raise.
The turkey occupies a unique pos
animal husbandry. 1t is one of the
most difficult of birds to raise, be-
cause it is only half domesticated.
The thoro domestication of almost
any bird or animal is matter of
many generations. but the domestica-
ton of the turkey has been praeti-
cally limited to the brief period since
the Pilgrim fathers came to America.
At that time the turkey was abund-
ant as wild bird in almost all parts
of North America. 1t was natural
that 1t should form an important part
of the Thanksgiving feast, and the
custom of eating turkey upon this
occasion became so fixed and wide-
spread that as wild turkeys became
rare, turkeys were largely raised in
captivity to replace them and satisfy
the Thanksgiving demand.
But the turkey has stuck bravely
to his natural habits of life How
much these might be changed in
course of time Is shown by the exam
pie of the chicken, which is descended
4 from fowl that still occurs wild in
the jungles of India. From a shy,
fast-flying game bird, the chicken has
been converted into a contented barn
yard loafer that is barely able to fly
| to a low roost, and has no desire to
stray far from the doorstep which
he knows as the source of an easy
living.
Ranges Widely and Seeks Own Food.
Not so the turkey. He still ranges
widely and seeks his own food. He
sui flies up in a tree to rOOSt at night,
and is capable of quite a sustained
| flight if frightened. If placed in close
captivity he pines and loses weight
no matter how much he is fed. The
| result is that turkeys are hard to raise
the hens lead the chicks far away
from home, with the result that they
| die of exposure. are stolen or killed
| by vermin. The turkeys range wide
| ~, and are prolific source of neigh
| borhood quarrels because of their
| depredations on crops and gardens
| When shipped to market, they always
/ lose weight in shipment.
| 1t may be hazarded that it is only
the woman on the American farm
who has made Thanksgiving and
Christmas turkeys possible. Turkey
raising on a large scale is not widely
practiced; but on a great many farms
a few turkeys are raised, and the care
| or these is generally entrusted to the
woman of the house, or to one of the
daughterS. In the summer and fall
the turkeys are a matter of interest
and worry out of all proportion to
their value. There is much specula-
ton as to where the missing hen has
led her brood, and there are long
searches for her. and apologies and
explanations to neighbors whose
| premises have been invaded. If a
goodly number of turkeys survive the
perils of cold and damp, or foxes and
minks and hawks and thieves, it is a
mater Tor neighborhOod boasting and
gossip. Only too often a fine hatch
ing of twelve or fourteen will result
IN only two or three birds that reach
| maturity and the November market
Odd Tricks of Turkeys.
sometimes an old turkey and her
brood will disappear for two or three
| Gays, and then turn up none the worse
IVT 1helr adventure. In regions where
wild turkeys still roam, it is not un-
common for domestic birds to go back
| TO the primitive condition. One m IN
| tain farmer wLo lost a fine gobbler
in that way thereafter never missed a
| chance to shoot a fat wild turkey, in
| or ont fkA
was merely bringing back old Tom. -
50 turkey raising on the farm is
| seldom profitable, and has shown a
decline This has been accelerated
/ by an outbreak of disease among the
| birds in some sections of the country
! In 1900 there were estimated to he
| over six million turkeys in the conn
| try, but in 1910 this nul Der declined
to about three and a half million.
AT the same time, the high prices
commanded by turkeys in the market
las led to some new large scale ven
lures in turkey raising which may
solve the Thanksgiving problem. In
the foothill region of California in
SOME sections of Arizona and other
western states "turkey-ranching' has
become recognized industry, tho as
yet an infant one. Some of these tur-
key ranches produce over a thousand
birds e-'ery year. The ideal situation
for turkey-ranching is one where the
range Is unllDllLeu, ana Whore the
alatural food of the turkey such as
srasshOppers and other insects green
vegetation and seeds are abundant. A
range where ornS are abundant il
especially suitable for the purpose as
the birds relish them and will require
little grain for fattening in the fall
The great flocks of turkeys on these
ranches are driven out on the range
each day, like sheep. and back home
at night. They are sometimes herded
by men on horseback, like cattle, an6
specially trained dogs are elso used.
A Picturesque Industry.
The product of this picturesque in
dustry is still relatively small. and tht
main reliance for some years to come
will be still the farmers wife, WHIT
keeps a dozen hens and a gobbler
from which she will raise, if luck ia
Vors her. forty to sixty young turkey