Newspaper Page Text
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For Woman’s Work.
TURKEYS.
BY JOHN W. CAUGHEY.
The turkey is an American production,
its origin being traced to the wild species
known as the North American Wild Tur
key; from this basis our present strain of
bronze turkeys has been produced and
improved, both in size and by domesti
cating them from the timid, wild disposi
tion of the original ancestors. Their do
mestication was brought about by being
attracted to the barn-yard of a western
farmer, who kept a large number of fowls.
The turkeys flew over his fields and came
in search of food where the barn-yard flock
were enjoying their morning feed, and
joined them. Each day this was repeated,
until they finally became a part of the do
mestic flock, and in due course of time,
reared a flock of young turkeys—making
them more attached to their new home.
The bronze turkey is considered by all
who have bred turkeys, to be the most use
ful, beautiful and popular of all the varie
ties now bred. They will run in weight
about thirty pounds tor gobblers, and from
sixteen to twenty-twopoundsforhens--some
very few reaching twenty-four pounds. The
largest gobbler 1 have any knowledge of
weighed thirty-eight pounds. Turkeys
are hard to raise in some cases, yet many
find them as easy to raise as chickens, and
far more profitable. They are usually put
in flocks of one gobbler and four or five
hens, and given unlimited range of the
farm. Two and three year old birds are
the best ages to breed from, producing at a
rule, stronger and decidedly larger and
heavier stock. During the breeding season
it is the better plan to pen the gobblers
separate fer several weeks before you place
them with the hens, and as much as pos
sible reduce their weight. It is far better
to breed old gobblers to two year old hens
than to take a young gobbler, for you will
surely lose in the weight in your progeny.
It is usually the better plan to set the
first eggs of the turkey under common hens,
but the second can be entrusted to
the turkey hen. Be sure to keep her free
from vermin; a plentiful sprinkling of
flour of sulphur through the nest and un
der her feathers will act with telling effect
on the troublesome pests. When the eggs
hatch, a large, roomy coop with a slatted
front is best; this can be stationed in a
warm location, where it is perfectly diy
and free from dampness; this latter is
one great destroyer of young turkeys, for
they must be dry and away from draught
until they are well grown. The young
turkeys should be fed moderately, yet at
frequent intervals, and for the first few
days nothing is better than hard boiled
eggs. Curd of sour milk, and onion tops
cut up very fine, mixed together, make an
excellent food for them. This is simply
the young turkeys’ food; that of the old
bird may he made up of grain and vege
tables with green food occasionally. At a
week old the young turkeys may be given
a moderate supp'y of freshly cracked corn,
oats and wheat. The oatmeal coarsely
ground and mixed with pure bone meal is
excellent. Either pure water or milk is
what they require to drink; see that either
be fresh when given to them.
At three weeks old you can let them
out with the old hen on a warm sunny
morning, for a few hours, but they should
always be shut up in the evening. It is
best always to feed the young away from
the old hen, in such a manner as to prevent
her from devouring a goodly portion of the
meal intended for the youngsters. A tur
key hen is a very inconsiderate bird, and
what we might term greedy. During the
day it will be safe in pleasant weather to
permit them to wander over the meadows
and orchard with the old turkey hen in
search of grasshoppers and insects, which
they very much enjoy and delight in
scaring up. Some who have bred turkeys
assert that they are the most delicate
as well as the most difficult to rear
of all our domestic farm fowls, yet 1
feel convinced that this delicacy has been
brought about largely by the carelessness
of breeders, who, rather than select gob
blers of two and three years old, will sell
these at fancy market prices during the
holiday seasons when high prices prevail.
They retain and breed from young gobblers
and hens; these are the mistakes made in
the past, and really the true cause of this
state of affairs.
Breed turkeys aiming at a strong con
stitution, large development and true tur
key points in color, style and form, and no
turkey, male or female, can approach these
standard requirements short of two and
sometimes three seasons.
The turkey hen lays from fourteen to eigh
teen eggs, and then seeks a nest to incubate,
but it is far better to divide the eggs be
tween several good ordinary Plymouth or
Langshan hens, say six to each hen, and
then put a clutch under the turkey if you
like, and let her hatch the chicken eggs
or sometimes allow her seven of her own
eggs. The eggs will hatch in twenty
eight days under proper conditions. A
turkey hen will often try to steal her nest,
but when possible, this should be avoided.
A laying house and separate shelter
should be provided from that of the
chickens, as they dislike to roost or keep
company very long with these companions.
The White Holland Turkey is also a very
useful and pretty fowl, very much sought
after on account of their good qualities as
farm fowls. They are not so large as the
Bronze, few gobblers going over twenty
pounds, many less than sixteen pounds.
Fourteen pounds is about the average
weight, twenty-six pounds about the cor-
No. 8. Solid 14 K. Gold. Hand
somely engraved case, fine movement.
Given for 180 subscribers.
Price S6O.
x*X*Js*
Co/
Mu •
gj A
MOW
No. 7. Ladies size. Solid 14 K.
Gold, Handsomely engraved case,
fine movement. Given for 100
subscribers.
Price $35
' I
No. 1. Silver. Engraved case; relia
ble movement. Given for 35 subscribers.
Price sl2.
WOMAN’S WORK.
[ rect weight per pair. The White Holland
1 are largely raised in the western states
j and more of the Bronze variety through
-1 out Rhode Island, Connecticut, New
. York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and many
of the southern states. A few breed slate
colored turkeys,some of which are remark
ably handsome and largely fancied by
many who breed turkeys at all, because
, they are of the same family as those they
breed as specialties. Every farmer
should have a flock of these useful fowls
and make an effort to improve them as
a breed fully worthy of every attention
you can possibly bestow upon them. The
market for them is large every where,
much larger often times than can be sup
plied. This season a commission house with
whom 1 have acquaintance made con
tracts for twenty-five thousand for the
'SSIPL.W/ £ :i1 jl'
No. 3. Ladies size, Gold filled ; en
graved case; excellent movement.
Given for 40 subscribers.
Price sls.
WATCHES.
AFTER much correspondence and investigation we
have arranged to offer our readers a beautiful line
of watches, which are guaranteed to us as being fully
reliable in material, workmanship, and time-keep
ing qualities.
From the cuts here given you can select a style
and price to suit you, and will be sure to find it entirely
satisfactory. Os course the highest priced ones are
the finest and best watches, but each grade gives you
liberal value and honest service for your money, or
for the time spent in making up a club.
Under each cut is a brief description and the price
at which we offer the watch for sale; also the number
of subscribers for which we will send it free of charge.
Premiums for clubs are offered only to our subscribers;
if you are not taking our magazine, send your own
subscription in addition to the number required for
any watch. Address
WOMAN’S WORK, Athens, Georgia.
Wife.
No. 6. 14 K. Gold filled. Warranted
20 years. Elegantly engraved case. Fin«.
movement. Given for 80 subscribers.
Price S3O.
holiday trade, and they had to gather
them from ten states, placing the or
ders in July to be delivered in October, No
vember and December. Many of the large
manufacturers give a turkey to each
employee on Thanksgiving or Christmas,
taking a very large number to supply
them. A few of these firms employ from
five hundred to three or five thousand men,
all of whom obtain turkeys at these free
distributions. Such contracts, therefore, are
placed by these firms months ahead; with
a reliable commission house. A farmer
who could supply one third of such an
order would receive quite a snug sum, and
it would pay him quite a handsome profit.
You should try next season and see what
you can accomplish with a few turkeys,
the stumbling block to a great many
poultry breeders.
la Is
wwW Jj
No. 4. 10 K. Gold filled. Warranted
15 years. Handsome case, accurate
movement. Given for 50 subscribers.
Price S2O.
w
No. 5. Ladies size. 10 K. Gold
filled. Warranted 15 years. Ele
gant case, excellent movement.
Given for 50 subscribers.
Price S2O.
I No. 2. Gold filled; engraved case;
reliable movement. Given for 35 sub
scribers.
Price sl2<