The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-11-20

2 The mother turkey Of the wOOis keeps her
children under control and at her side until mid.
winter. BY that time the brood s full grown.
The young Rohblers Mr.. McIlhenny says. then
leave their mothers and sisters and form bachelor
clubs HmOng 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
gobblers. and the old gOhblers. At mating time.
In March, there Is reunion. 1t Ia then that the
old gobbers strut and gnbble and call to their
plural wives as well to the hunters.
At the moment the hens begin to set the obi
gObbiers. 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 show
Ing on to the ladies and then their combats nre
not mortal. The rules OF their contests Of
strength permit showing pulling. pecking and
wing beating
They are brave birds. the McIlhennys. all
famous hunters, will testify. Furthermore. they
are wise birds. 1t is the exceptional hunter who
gets n sight of them In summer. They are not
afraid. however, OF the farmer who is plowing
husking reuping
Notwithstanding the spectacular enterprise of
turkey ranching in Texas and California on n
grand scale. the old farm must still bc relied
upon for most of our Thanksgiving and Christmas
turkeys. says James Hamilton Byrd in Grit. On
thousands upon thousands of farms. as side
issue to her regulnr work. 1t Is common practice
for the farm wife to keep hnf dozen per-
which to raise flock of 10 to so turkeys
Early in the spring the turkey hens begin lay
ing. Then comes the brooding season. BY OctO-
ber the young turkeys have grown to be hig.
rangy birds. now the fattening finishing
process is begun. Little do they know rs they nre
being fed and more of the farmers corn
every night of the diaboIical intentions of their
master's better half. Ten days or two weeks be-
fore marketing they are literally feasted grain
stuffed three or four times day-until just he
fore rhe enactment of the tragedy of their young
careers they should be as fat as butter balls.
Although turkey ranching In Texns and Cali.
. fornin has almost reached the proportions of a
new and spectacular industry. by far the greater
number of turkeys raised on the farms of the
middle West-OhiO. indiana. Illinois, Kentucky
Missouri and Iowa. New England. long famous
for Its turkeys. raises comparatively few al
though Its reputation still ngers Some Of the
big turkey ranches hive thousand more tur-
keys, and some OF the turkey drives to market
are most extraordinary sights. The focks of the
middle West usually 'less than hundred
Still 20 to rs fine gobblers and hens weighing
from Is to 25 pounds each is not n mean sight
and represents indeed small value.
There are still millions of acres in Texas Okla
homa and New Mexico where the wild turkey
bree,is pentifuily. and where turkey hunting is
great sport. But OF far more Importance to the
turkey market is the "stl hunting which is
carried on in the spring In many plnces to secure
eggs possibly the very young birds in order to
raise the pure wild-blood turkey and Introduce 1t
into tame hOcks. The tame turkey has degeney.
nted until II Is longer the virIle bird 1t was in
the days of our pilgrim fathers, but the wild
turkey is subject to no known disease. On some
of the forest reserves the government is protect
ing the wild turkey for this important purpose
of using 1t breetiing stock.