The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-11-22

The mother turkey of the woods keeps her
children under control and at Der side Until MD
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.
visiOns-the old hens and young hens; the young
gobbers, and the old gObblers At mating time,
in March, there is reunion. 1t is then that the
old gObblers strut and gObble and call to their
plural wives as well as to the hunters.
At the moment the hens begin TO set. the old
gobblers. 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 off to the ladies and then their cOmbats are
not mortal. The rules of their contests of
strength permit showing, pulling. pecking and
wing-beatng.
They are brave birds, as the McIlhennys, all
famous hunters, will testify Furthermore, they
are wise birds II is the exceptional hunter who
gets sight of them in summer. They are not
afraid however of the farmer who is blowing.
huSkng corn or reaping.
Notwithstanding the spectacular enterprise OF
turkey ranching in Texas and California on a
grand scale the old farm must still be relied
upon for most Of our Thanksgiving and Christmas
turkeys saws James Hamilton Byrd in Grit On
thousands upon thousands of farms. a side
issue to her regular work. it is common practice
for the farm wife to keep a half dozen or per-
haps a dozen turkey hens and gobbler from
which to raise flock of 40 to 80 turkeys.
Early in the spring the turkey hens begin lay
ing Then comes the brooding season. By OctO-
her the young turkeys have grown to be big
rapgy birds so now the fattening or finishing
process is begun. Little do they know as they are
being fed more and more of the farmers corn
every night of the dabolical intentions of their
masters better half. Ten days or two weeks be-
fore marketing they are literally Toasted on grain
stuffed three four times day-untl just be-
fore the enactment of the tragedy of their young
careers they should be as fat butter balls.
Although turkey ranching in Texas and Cali
fornia has almost reached the proportions of a
new and spectacular industry, by far the greater
number Of turkeys are 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 fingers. Some OF this
hio turkey ranches have a thousand or more tur
KEYS. and some of the turkey drives to market
are most extraordinary sights. The 1ocks of thu
middle West are usually less than a hundred
Still so to 75 fine gObblers and hens weighin!
from Is TO 25 pounds each is not mean sigh
and represents indeed no small value
There are still millions of acres In Texas, Okla
bomo and New Mexico where the wild turke!
breeds beautifully, and where turkey hunting Il
great snort But of far more Importance to TIT
turkey market is the "still hunting which i
CARRIED on in the spring in many places to secur
eggs or possibly the very young birds in order t.
roisa the pure wild-blood turkey and introduce |
into tame focks. The tame turkey has degener
at.d until it is no longer the virile bird 1t was Il
the days of our pilgrim fathers. but the will
turkey is subject TO no known disease. On som
of the forest reserves the government is protect
ing the Wild turkey for this important purpOs
of using II as a breeding stock.