Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-11-21
OSTRICH FARMING.
How the PlUmes are Obtained which
Adorn the Hats of Wealthy Bellies,

How the PIumes are Obtained which |
Adorn the Hats of Wealthy Bellies.
A letter from Cape Colony, South |
Africa, says: The courts of fashion
would be stinted in their materials of
magnifcence were it not for the ivory, |
the diamonds, and the ostrich feathers,
which take high rank in the merchan-
disc of South Africa. Ostrich feathers
are now quite as n UGH the product of
regulated human labor as wool, mohair
or silk. Twelve or fifteen years ago os-
trich farming was unknown here. To
obtain its beautiful and much coveted
plumage the bird was hunted down and
killed. Under this process the os-
trich was fast approaching annihila-
ton. For some time before the
plan was resorted to of DEMONSTRATING
the ostrich, this great creature was
rare bird in Cape Colony. The hunter
whether white or black, pursued his
murderous calling during the proper
season for the sport, which is business;
and also, at the proper season for barter,
the trader appeared at some established
place in the interior, with his wagons
laden with guns, powder, blankets,
wire, beads, brandy, and other attrac-
lions for the native eye and appetite,
and brisk exchange took place. Ivory
karasses, rhinoceres horns, hippopota.
mus teeth, and the ostrich feathers were
gladly accepted for merchandise. The
departure of great trader with his
train of six or eight wagons, all gayly
painted and costly covered with snow
white canvass, was. and still is an occur
renee often seen here. AS the drivers
snap their long whips, and the voyagers
move briskly away, with eight yoke of
oxen to each wagon, all eyes are upon
them with the look given TO far voysg-
ing ships when they leave port. Not
unfrequently the costly wares are sold at
auction on the morning market, and the
tusks, teeth, skins, horns and feathers
are spread out upon the ground as if
they were no more costly than garden
produce. 1t is of no uncommon thing
to seen wagon cargoes worth $4,000 ex-
hibited in this way amid crowd of
| lookers-on, some of whom are almost as
wild as the animals which produced
the spoils, and as black rs coal.
. The domesticated ostrich is allowed
to roam over large farms. Cape farms
are very large-about 5000 acres each.
Huge tracts of land are unoccupied.
The traveller might journey for days
without seeing an ostrich, and yet there
are now about 80, 900 domesticated birds
in Cape Colony. One gentleman in
Graft Runett told me that his birds
averaged him Els sterling, or 1915 each
per year. A gentleman of large expert
ence in Grahamstown, who has 300
ostriches, told me that his flock net him
$72 per year, each bird.
The season for pairing is the month
of July-answering to January in New
England. Polygamy prevails among
the wild birds. One male often has
five females to his share; and com.
mon establishment is kept up, the eggs
are all laid in one nest, and the male
bird and his hens take upon themselves
the labor of setting upon the eggs by
turns during incubation, In the open
desert in many parts of Africa, north Of
this latitude, where the heat exceeds
that OF the Cape, the wild ostrich
merely leaves her eggs to be Matched
unmatched, by the heat of the sand
Here it is otherwise. Ostrich farmers
usually pair male and female bird to-
gether; some pair two females with one
} male. August is the laying time, anC
eggs continue to be deposited in one
} nest for six weeks. During that period
about twenty eggs are laid. In natura
incubation the male bird takes his par
, with regularity. At night he stalk:
around the female, grazing a little as he
goes-ss policemen are supposed to dc
when on their beat.
The young birds begin to feather al
eight months from Matching; but the
: yield then is poor and of little value. In
another eight months the crop is better
and the plumes become better with eacf
season. Chicken feathers are wortl
81. 90 per pound. and "blood feathers
from 81 so to So per pound. Twelve
years ago chicks could be bought fol
SI.2O each, now the veriest chick. fresl
from the egg, will sell for 1924, ant
after few months from $40 to $50 each
Some pairs, three years old, sell from
5000 to $500 pair. tits estimated thai
E7O.O0O sterling worth of feathers are
exported from Cape Colony monthly
or about 81, 900, 900 worth per year.
Two Americans have lately been here
looking into the business, with view
! of introducing the ostrich into the
! United States. One farmer here, a Mr.
Douglass, reared from six breeding
5 birds -four hens and two male birds,
1870 birds in one year. The eggs were
7 Matched by an artificial incubator
They should be worth, over all expenses
0 at least $4,000.