THE CHRISTMAS TURKEY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 35, 6 February 1912, Page 3

THE CHRISTMAS TURKEY.

ui.jrsMsii •••• •• The bald fact that at Christmas time Lpnclon oats 800,000 turkeys is rather staggering until one remembers what is the population responsible for the consumption... Some interesting,facts aboift, this feature of Christmas tAcle are „ .given im the “Standard.” The greater number of the turkeys are home grown, and are reared on farms in Devon, Norfolk, and Ireland, but many are imported from the Continent. The home birds and those reared in Normandy are considered the best, but great trade is done in the secondary, sorts, which come mostly from Italy and Servia. The manager of the poultry department of Harrods’, who claim to do the largest trade under one roof, in London, told an interviewer that they sold upwards of 12,000 turkeys every year. He added the feeding of the birds was greatly responsible for the difference in their condition. Personally, he though the Normandy turkey was the finest, it being fed on barley meal and milk. The best turkey of one year was procured for a man who wished to give it as a present. It had been fed specially. The first day it got one chestnut, the second two, and so on for twenty days. He was emphatic-that the turkey had not declined in public favour, and the other large dealers backed .him. up. A large number of the turkeys are brought over from Southern France, where there are extensive farms,, and it is no secret that''in most of those places the assistance of a - machine is called in’to get•• the. birds into .condition for the table. .Geese,ean be deceived info many extra meals, and the favourite trick with them is to keep them in a dark room and let the daylight in every few hours. The geese are persuaded that evely time the daylight enters their room it is morning, and time for breakfast, so they have a meal six or seven times a day. With the turkey such schemes will not work, and so he is fed forcibly at judicious (intervals.