Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1919-11-21
@1noEeHoooh udoAeH0oo

The mother turkey of the woods keeps her
children under control and at her side until mid
winter. BY that time the brood is full grown
The young gobblers Mr.. McIlhenny says, then
leave their mothers and sisters and form bachelor
clubs among themselves.
turkey society in the forests, from December
until early in the spring, is made up of three d.
visons-the old hens and young hens: the Young
goDblers, and the old gobblers At mating time,
IN March, there Is a reunion. 1t is then that the
ola gobblers strut and gobble and call to their
plural wives as well to the hunters
AT the moment the hens begin to set the old
gobDlers, In couples and groups up to 20, again
sequester themselves from all but their own
society. SO they live, summer autumn and win
ter They never fight except when they are show
ing on to the ladies and then their combats are
not mortal. The rules of their contests of
strength permit showing. pulling, pecking and
wingbeating
Ihey are brave birds, as the McIlhennys, all
famous hunters, will testify. Furthermore they
are wise birds. 1t is the exceptional hunter who
gets sight of them in summer They are NOT
afraid, however, of the farmer who is blowing
huskng corn reapng.
Notwithstanding the spectacular enterprise Of
turkey ranchng in Texas and California on q
grand scale, the old farm must still be relied
upon Tor most of our Thanksgiving and Christmas
turkeys. says James Hamilton Byrd in Grit On
thousands upon thousands of farms as q side
issue to her regular work, it is common practice
TOT the farm wife to keep half q dozen or ner-
maps dozen turkey hens and gobbler from
which to raise flock of 40 to SO turkeys
Early in the spring the turkey hens begin law.
ing. Then comes the brooding season. Bv Octo-
Der the young turkeys have grown to be big
rangy birds, so now the fattening or fnishino
process Is begun Little do they know as thew oro
being fed more and more of the farmers corn
every night of the diabocal intentions of their
masters better half. Ten days or two weeks no
fore marketing they are literally Toasted on grain
-stuHeo three or four times day-until Just be-
fore the enactment of the tragedy of their voun,
careers they should be as fat as butter balls
Although turkey ranching in Texas and coT
fornia has almost reached the promotions of .
new and spectacular Industry, by far the greotor
number of turkeys are raised on the farms of th
middle West-Oho, Indiana, Illinois. Kentncb,
Missouri and Iowa. New England long fomons
Tor Its turkeys, raises comparatively few. nj.
though its reputation still fingers Some Of H.
big turkey ranches have thousand or mo- w.. ','s
keys, and some of the turkey drives to n,or,a,
are most extraordinary sights. The fiocLs NJ th
middle West are usually less than n hrndraI
Still 90 to 20 fine gobblers and hens weigbino
from 10 TO 70 pounds each Is not q mean sgh,
and represents indeed no small yalue
There are still millions of acres in Taxos o,,.
homa and New Mexico where the wild ,,n,.'
breeds pentifully, and where turkey bnn,h :,
great sport. But of far more importance ,o a..
turkey market is the 'stin hunting" VIII, 'i 'e
carried on in the spring in many places 70 go, :
eggs or possibly the very young birds in ord. -
raise the pure wild-blood turkey and intro,nc. :,
into tame hocks. The tame turkey has d.. =
ated until it is no longer the virile bird II r.
the days of our pilgrim fathers, hut the ,.i,
turkey is subject to no known disease On -
OF the forest reserves the government is
ing the Wild turkey for this important nrs ~
Of using 1t MS breeding stock. FNit "