The Newtown bee., 1879-01-21
OSTRICH FARMING.
4 Peculiar Bird and a Peculiar South Africs
 IuduafrY.


 The males are splendid birds, often measuring seven feet in height when the head is raised, and above four feet to the shoulder, with black shining feathers on the back, and the beautiful plumes, both black and white, under the wings and on the sides of the tail. A band of bright red or pink runs down the leg. and they prance about with great dignity. shaking the wealth of rich, loose, hanging feathers under their short arms Gas one might say) with much pomp and ceremony before their ladies, who are far more quietly dressed in gray. They, too, have, however. some white. feathers; but these cannot be depended upon, as they are often streaked with gray, and are never so valuable as those of the male birds. Their large eyes have curious film, which they can bring over them and re- tract at pleasure. A pair of fine os- triches is worth about $400, and five were now parted with; but the remain ing nine used nightly to settle them selves to roost at equal distances along the farmyard, with their large project. ing breasts flat on the earth. And stranger driving up to the place at dusk was more than once confronted by the nine sentinels suddenly uprising from the ground to their full height with startling effect. They are extremely strong, and can kill man by striking at him with the full force of the leg, when the claw, above an inch long, of the front toe, will tear the flesh from head to foot: the wound from the nail is considered to be poisoned. The bird when it is to be plucked is therefore very carefully secured; it is driven into a narrow pen and bar leb down behind it. A stocking is then drawn over it's head, and when once blindfolded it re- mains motionlessandmakes noresistance The quill of the feather, when "alive," is full of blood, and plucking must be painful process About twenty of the finer feathers, and thirty or forty of the commoner ones, are taken at the same time, when the poor birds wounds are rubbed with sweet oil and vinegar. It soon seems to recover; but the tender hearted master sometimes cuts the plumes of near the root instead of plucking them; these, however, do not sell so we'll. A good feather Is worth $2. 50 at Cape Town, and the produce of the five ostriches amounts to about $500 a year. This, in bad season. when the wheat is devoured by rust, when the sheep have the scab, when the cattle suffer from dry seasons and short crops, and the oidium IS threatening the vines, must be very pleasant resource to the Cape farmer in his need, which the Eng fish one will envy him. It is by no means, however, all plain sailing with ostrich produce. The birds only breed after five years, and often come to grief; the male birds fight. they rub them selves against the ground-break and dirty their feathers, are fond of water, and often plunge into the pools, and swim over, much to the detriment of the plumes that are to figure on the bonnet of some Paris or London elegnnte. The garden pool of the farm in question is surrounded by wild red geraniums six feet high or so, which are mown down from time to time only to grow up more . luxuriantly, mixed on the lower, moister side with quantity of tall white arums and sort of red gladiole with long, loose, narrow leaves. As the ostriches grew older they were confined in pen surrounded with fence of cactus or prickly pear, the fig of which is good eating; and one day young mnlatto crept in, where he had. no business, to steal the fruit. An indignant ostrich struck at him, and tore open the whole leg of his trousers, wounding the thigh. It might have killed him; but the boy Jack, who fed them, rushed up at the sound of the shrieks with basin of barley and rescued the man. The wound, however, was months in heal ing. The bird is very easily killed by a slight twist of the neck or blow on the head. The immense cavity for air with in the breast, which enables it to run so long, makes sound like drum when the bird is struck on the back. At one time in the year they make loud booming noise like that of bull, very alarming when the ostrich is unseen and comes suddenly close upon you. They are, however, extremely quiet when well treated; and the little children on the farm are often put to ride on their backs. Horses, until accustomed to the sight of them, snort and rear in great alright, and the ostrich returns the compliment of dislike. In an ostrich scamp near by, when the master went about to inspect Iss sitting hens, they rose at him menacingly, but when he rode round, they remained cowed and silent. Good Words.