The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-02-04

the Order and the Rar6g Topics column will, if
possible, be kept up to the progressive plane of
other departments of the paper.
OSTRICH FARMING Concluded. The feath-
ers, for which the ostrich is bred, are in prime
condition at the period Of incubation; this
process inj lures great many valuable feathers,
and to save these, as well as to rapidly increase
the focks artificial Incubation is resorted to
with such good results that, as one writer re
marks, "he must be not only an imaginative
man, but something else, who tries to carry OF
ostrich farming without an incubator. One other
fact, we think, is established, namely, that
ostricbes must have plenty of room.
Although where circumstances will permit it
is considered better to hatch the young birds in
the natural way, yet considerable number are
now reared by means Of artificial incubators, and
it has been found that not only can larger per-
centage of eggs be saved in this way, but the
young so Matched are no less healthy than if
brought up by their parents.
The best incubator consists of a wooden box,
about three feet square, open from above, and
capable of containing twenty-five eggs. 1t rests
upon copper or zine pan cistern three inches
deep and equal to the size of the box. The
warm temperature of the water is maintained by
a paraffn lamp kept burning underneath the
pan The heat can be regulated as necessary
The temperature of the box where the eggs are
placed is 1920 Fahrenheit when they are first
put in; after two weeks it is gradually reduced
to 1902 and in two weeks more to 980 The
period of incubation is forty-two days. The
eggs are turned and aired by opening the box
and blanket covering once or twice day
fortnight before the expiration of the time thew
are held up against the light to examine their
condition, and week after are slightly but
carefully punctured near the top with sharp
pointed steel to enable any of the chicks in weak
condition the more readily to break the shell.
The operation of artificial Matching is now
performed almost to perfection-quite equal to
anything the parent birds can do themselves
Out of ferty-fve eggs forty-two live chicks are
produced fourteen out Of every fifteen eggs are
Matched. The young are fed at first on bread
crumbs, bran and water. Ostriches are not ex-
pensive to keep, for during the greater portion
of the year they can find enough to live upon in
their Enclosures, and at other times only require
q little Indian corn or beans and some additional
green food in the shape of lucerne. In Algeria
Captain Crepu found that the birds throve well
ON barley, fresh grass cabbage, and the leaves
of the cactus chopped fine. He recommends
about three pounds of barley day for each bird
and green food according to circumstances. Mr.
Kinnear states that for their usual food nothing
equals lucerne OF trefoi but they also like cabbage
leaves fruit and grain; they are fond of Indian
corn. The largest and longest feathers OF com
merce are those from South Africa, but being less
flexible than those from Barbary and Aleppo,
they rank after them in point of value. One
from the Cape measured over two feet ia length
and was seven inches wide
In l84s only 1927 pounds of feathers valued
at about $4,000, were exported from the Cape
In 1874 the expectation reached 36,829 pounds,
valued at over 81 100000
PROPOSED METHOD FOR PLANTING FRUIT
TREEs.-It is a common observation that the
outer rows. OF trees in established orchards are
finer and more productive than the trees in the
interior of the plantation. This superiority is
oil 4ba