The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1933-11-02
KENNEWICK is
TOP DISTRICT
FOR TURKEYS
Growers Attend Dem0nstra-
ton on Killing and Dress
ing; Selection of Breeders
Important, Says Durdle

A total of So people attended the
turkey dressing demonstration
held at Kennewick Valley Grange
Monday of this week. Probably
three-fourths of these were grow
ers of turkeys from the Kenne-
wick, Richland, Benton City and
White Bluffs communities, the
larger number coming from in and
around Kennewick, including the
territory to Hover. .z...:
County agent in starting off the
program emphasized the need Of
selection of breeders before any
stock is sold and the Importance of
selection of the right type. Of
breeder in order to improve the
flock from year to, year. Mr.. Nit
chell, little later emphasized this
same point by saying that he had
been able to reduce defective
breast bones very materially by
the selection of birds free Of such
defects.
A check on the grades of tur-
keys grown by the Washington CO.
op from different points in the
valley, showed that Kennewick had
produced birds which graded 1872
prime including all pools with the
exception of the Alaska pool,
which is minor item. Kennewick
area lead all other communities in
this respect. Mr.. Mitchell later,
however, pointed out that the COM
munity has possibilities of going
quite a little further in that ship
ments last year showed about 95
percent prime birds. OF course it
is not expected that a community
could reach the high level of an in
dividual, but it does show that
there are some possibilities.
Mr.. Kelly, manager of the Sun
nyside branch of the Washington
Coop, and later Ray Darling, the
manager of the Yakima plant and
supervisor of other plants in the
territory, emphasized the fact that
the Washington Coop averaged
considerably above other pools of
the Northwest in prices received
for turkeys. Mr.. Darling partic-
ularily stressed the fact that more
turkeys marketed through the CO.
op should mean still better prices
for the grower. The figures pre-
scented by the county agent rather
upset criticism that grading of the
Coop may have been too close.
r. D. Mitchell of Yakima also
discussed various breeding prob
lens. At the beginning of the aft
ternoon session he covered very
thoroughly the various steps in Sc
lection of birds to be dressed out
for those to be observed. in the
cleaning and dressing. He empha-
sized the need of careful selection
Of birds so as to have only prime
birds going onto the market which
would do much toward improving
the market situation. e
Mr.. Mitchell and Mr.. Doust then
conducted a demonstration on the
various phases of killing and
dressing, using the dry pick and
the semi-scalding method. D. B.
Leonard, agricultural agent with
the P. P. & L. was present with a
semi-scalder which they had built
last year and which maintains the
water at the proper temperature
so that the birds can be made to
look well after being dressed.
Drawings and directions on the use
of the semi-scalder We're handed
out to those interested by Mr..
Leonard. This method of dressing
appeals very much to most grow
ers but the expense of the equip
ment is the one drawback. It would
seem to us that two or. three
neighbors. might get together in
the purchase of this equipment and
put up with some inconvenience
until such time as each one would
be in a position to purchas his own
equipment. Pinning is certainly a
easier problem after semi-scalding
than under dry picking conditions.
Sufficient time was given so
that anyone interested in details
could get these from directions
given out by Mr.. Mitchell and Mr..
Doust.