The Tomahawk., 1919-11-27

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 gobbers. Mr.. McIhenny 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
gobblers 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-beating.
They are brave birds, as the Mc1lhennys all
famous hunters, will testify. Furthermore, they
are wise birds. 1t is the exceptional hunter who
gets a sight of them in summer. They are not
afraid, however, of the farmer who is plowing
husking 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, says James Hamilton Byrd In Grit. On
thousands upon thousands of FARMS as a side
issue to her regular work, it is common practice
for the farm wife to keep half a dozen or per-
haps a dozen turkey hens and gobbler from
which to raise flock of 40 to 50 turkeys.
Early in the spring the turkey hens begin lay
ing Then comes the brooding season. BY Octo-
Der the young turkeys have grown to be big
rangy BIRDS so now the fattening finishing
process is begun. Little do they know as they are
being fed more and more of the farmers corn
every night of the diabolcal intentions of their
masters better half Ten days or two weeks be-
fore marketing they are literally feasted on grain
stuffed three or four times a day-until just be-
fore the enactment Of the tragedy of their young
careers they should be as fat as butter balls
Although turkey ranching in Texas and Cali
fornia has almost reached the proportions of q
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 the
big turkey ranches have a thousand or more tur-
keys and some of the turkey drives to market
are most extraordinary sights. The focks of the
middle West are usually less than hundred
Still 50 to Is fine gobblers and hens weighing
from Is to 25 pounds each is not a mean sight
and represents indeed no small value
There are still millions of acres in Texas, Okla
boma and New Mexico where the wild turkey
breeds plentffully, and where turkey hunting Il
creat snort But Of far more Importance to the
t,,+kev market Is the "still hunting" which Is
carried on in the spring in many places to secure
eggs or possibly the very young birds In order to
raise the pure wild-blood turkey and Introduce It
into tame focks. The tame turkey mas degener-
oted until it Is no 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 puRposa
of using 1t as q breeding stock.