The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-12-01
Ostriches in New York.

VStAACuCS IN NCW xVIkS
Everybody who went to Central Park
yesterday wanted to see the herd of
twenty-five ostriches that has Just ar.
rived. They are full-grown birds, and
are the only lot ever imported for breed.
ing purposes. 1t was cold day for tho
ostriches, however, and they were not
at home except to few favorite callers.
They are confined in the deer hut, which
is nice and warm. They are quite gen.
tie and affectionate, but, being full
grown, look down on even six-footer.
One came up to Superintendent Conk-
lin, and, after gazing mildly at him for
minute, made a sudden snap ut his
breastpin and another at his watch
chain.
''They are worse than q gang of pick
pockets" said he: '.they won't leave a
button on your coats if you don't watch
them"
In fact, several Of the party were
minus buttons, on leaving the mild-eyed
strangers. They look little worn by
their long voyage, and will improve in
appearance after few days. They are
fed literally with corn, potatoes, and
other vegetables. sr- 10.
Mr.. Protheroe, a wealthy Englishman.
who owns them. and has cultivated o.
triches for their feathers for years, told
the Sun reporter how he came to try to
breed and farm them in the United
States. ''These ostriches," he said,
''were brought by me to Buenos Ayres
from South Africa year ago. Ihave a
large farm about 500 miles from Cape
Town, on the Orange River. I started
an ostrich farm in Buenos Ayres partly
because business and trade had collapsed
in South Africa, where they have just
gone through great panic, and l
thought Icould make more money else
where. have about $50 birds in Bue-
nos Ayres, but concluded to try the ex-
pertinent also in the United States. Ten
birds are males, and twelve females.
ALI are about eight years old. Farmers
in the United States have ordered o.
triches from me, but did not send them,
thinking they could not survive the pas
sage. shall examine the best places in
this country to start farm. 1t is
mistake to suppose an ostrich can't
In South Africa ice forms some nights
nearly an inch thick, and we have snow
also. Both melt during the day. We
leave the ostriches out doors at night,
and never feed them. They live on
grass, twigs of trees, and the like, but
will eat anything. When they can't get
food, however. they die easily. They
swallow large stones to promote diges-
ton, and keep them in their crop until
they wear out.
"Ostriches are of no use for anything
but their feathers. Never tried them
for draught purposes. Their feathers
are picked every seven months from the
time they are eight months old. The
average life of an ostrich is forty years,
though in Africa they tell stories of GEN.
tenarian ostriches. We get about
pound of feathers at each plucking. The
pure white are the most valuable, selling
at S175 to 5000 pound. These are
from the wings. Next come the black,
drab, fancy and tail feathers. A fair
average would be sixty dollars pound,
and at that price l could make 100 per
cent. more here than i'm Africa, where
ever tlluP ID 81 CAptuSiNc. n Ctillp
there would cost twenty times as much
as here. ...
Il have eaten the eggs from young
hens. They have delicious flavor.
Eggs from old hens would be too ex-
pensive to eat. These ostriches l have
would breed in New York in summer
time, but not in winter. We use incu-
bators in Buenos Ayres, but not in
Africa. L had one camp in Africa of
1 100 acres. 1t was surrounded by
wire fence four feet six inches high.
They won't fly and won't jump over
fence higher than they can feel with their
necks.
"These ostriches stand me in about
800 each,n concluded Mr.. Protheroe,
as one of them made dash at his last
coat button. Mr.. Protheroe says that
profits have been made by
breeders. and cited the case of a gentle
man who made $4,000 in a year ont OF
two hens and cock by selling ostrich
eggs, besides keeping their feathers
" Y. Sun.