National Affairs: Prime Birds

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A good turkey year was 1929 with its mild winter and dry summer. Husbandmen throughout the land raised the largest flock in a decade. Last week as the fowl began to move to market for the Thanksgiving trade, a surplus threatened. Retail prices in New York City, where 12,000,000 Ibs. of turkey will be consumed before Dec. 1, slid down to 50¢ per Ib.—15¢ under last year's price, with poultrymen fearful of further declines before Nov. 28.

At shipping points all over the country, 100 inspectors for the U. S. Department of Agriculture were busily grading turkeys as raisers brought them in from the runs. Last year 200,000 birds were graded. This year 500,000 were expected to pass governmental scrutiny. Shrewd bird-buying housewives looked for a paper bracelet around their turkey's leg, placed there by the U. S. graders as a certificate of quality. Best young turkeys were labelled "U. S. Prime," next best "U. S. Choice." Older birds were marked "U. S. Prime Mature," and "U. S. Choice Mature."