Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-12-02


times being swept away by some disease mys-
terious to the farmer, but generally arising
from overlooking or sanitary Ignorance, and
there is much risk in the speculation yet
where their food is so simple and cheap for
tunes are often made in this branch Of the
business.
HARVESTING THE FEATHERS.
OF course, the most important branch of
the industry relates to the feathers. In chick
enhood the ostrich's back is covered with a
struggling mat of white and black threads
like porcupine quilts, underneath which is a
thick coat of brownish down. In the course
of three OF four months these disappear and
rudimentary feathers are formed, and at the
end of a year the first clipping of feathers is
taken. As a rule the only feathers removed
are the longer ones from the wings and tail,
but there are farmers who brutaly strip
feathers from the back, thus exposing it to
the painful effects of the weather. In the
wing is a row of about twenty-four large and
long white feathers known as primaries.
These are the choice feathers Of the bird, and
their snowy whiteness is so preserved and
concealed by the covering Of the other feath-
ers that they are often entirely hid from view
unless the wing is raised. From this row
forward, on the wing, the feathers become
more or less intermixed with gray till they
finally terminate in black or thorough gray,
according to sex. But very often birds are
possessed of two, and sometimes even four
rows of pure white feathers numbering sixty
OF seventy Such birds aIe naturally highly
valued not only for their wealth of plumage
but for the hope of their breeding chickens
similarly endowed. Tail feathers vary much
In size, length and number, and do not real
lie 80 much to the farmer on account Of their
liability to become extremely soiled or worn
off, but the dresser and dealer realize much
out of them by manipulation.
The first feathers then are taken of at
about one year; the subsequent clippings are
taken about every eight months thereafter,
though some clip only once a year Former
ly il was the practice to pluck the feathers,
but it was a brutal method, as when the
quilts were little ''greenn blood was drawn
in the operation, and the poor birds skin was
left in such a state that liberation frequently
followed Il was Ia most cases desirable to
draw the feather when scarcely matured in
order to keep the tips from being worn away,
and therefore many farmers, out Of humans
ty, adopted the process of clipping the quill
about two inches above the root with a air
of stout shears Then, when the stump was
developed and dry it was pulled OUT. Many
of the farmers, however, adopted clipping
not from motives of humanity, but simply
because the brutal process resulted in time in
the production of twisted and distorted feath-
ers, for out of the root Of feather thus
ierked and twisted, the new feather grew,
awry and disfgured, as if the agony Of the
operation had stereotyped the result in that
manner on the new plume.
The process of clipping is carried out on
most farms as follows A single bird from
the troop is driven into pen, so small that
it is able to move about but little, and an old
sack or bag is placed over its head, leaving
only breathing hole. The operation is ther
begun by lifting the wings and clipping g
feather at time, the bird sometimes remain
| ing passive, at other times thrashing about
with such furious energy as either to break
the pen or break its own legs. Thus the
birds are driven in one by one until the whole
troop are plucked.
SORTING AND MARKETING THE FEATHERS.
The farmer whose birds may number from
| % to 200, or more, according to his wealth,
then sends his feathers-subject to a Sigh
extra charge for carriage when sent by rail-
| 10 lONn 10 SOnne lthtncT dScul. lne dSeul
sorts them out into the ten or fifteen qualities
or kinds known to the dealers, and they ar,
thus taken in bundles to the market. Here
ranged in the various departments Of whit
and black, male and female, primes and sec
onds, tails, ETC., on long tables, they are ex
amined by the shrewd, active and speculative
buyers. They are sold by auction at all tn
markets, and then, having been preserved
from vermin by a slight sprinkling of cam
phor, are packed in stout cases and shippe'
to London. At Port Elizabeth nearly all tn
feathers are thus sold through agents, AM