Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-01-17
OSTRICH FARMING.
A Peculiar Bird and n Peculiar South Aries
Industry.


A Peculiar Bird and n Peculiar South Africa
Industry.
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 80
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 $500, 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 fiat on the earth. And a
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
narrow pen and a bar let down behind
it. A stocking is then drawn over its
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 a
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. 1t
soon seems to recover; but the tender
hearted master sometimes cuts the
plumes off near the root instead of
plucking them; these, however, do not
sell so we'll. A good feather is worth
50. 80 at Cape Town, and the produce of
the FIVE ostriches amounts to about $500
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
hsh one will envy him. 1t 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
IF some Paris or London elegGnte. 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
slde with quantity of tall white arums
ana sort Of red gladiole with long,
loose, narrow leaves. AS the ostriche G
grew older they were Confined in q men
surrounded with a fence of cactns nj
prlckly pear, the fig of which is uc3d
eating; and one day young mulatte
crept in, where he had no business. tc
steal the fruit. An indignant ostrich
struck at him, and tore open the whole
leg of his trousers, wounding the thigh.
1t might have killed him; but the boy
Jack, who fed them, rushed up OF the
sound of the shrieks with basin o.
barley and rescued the man. The
wound, however, was months in heal
ing. The bird is very easily killed by {
slight twist of the neck or a blow on the
head. The immense cavity for cir with
in the breast, which enables it to run 81
long, makes a sound like drum wheI
the bird is struck on the back. at on,
time in the year they make q louC
booming noise like that of bull, yer,
alarming when the ostrich is unseen AM
comes suddenly close upon you. The,
are, however, extremely quiet whei
well treated; and the little children o.
the farm are often put to ride on thei
backs. Horses, until accustomed to tn
sight OF them, snort and rear in grea
alright, and the ostrich returns tn
compliment of dislike. In an ostricl
camp near by, when the master wen
about to inspect his sitting hens, the,
rose at him menacingly, but when b
rode round, they remained cowed an,
s1lent.-Good Words.