The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1883-09-20
DOMESTIC OSTRICH FARMING.

An Ex-Commissioner OF Agriculture Dc
scrlbes Visit to tho Ostrich Fnrm in
Californiu-The First Ostrich Hatchcd
in America.
Mr.. William G. LIE DUO, ex-comtnis-
sioner of agriculture, has been visiting
the ostrich farm started not long ago
near Arnheim, Cal. In the course of
letter to the New York Tribune MIR.
LIE Due gives this description of the
new industry:
AS T drive toward the new un-
painted buildings in view a half
mile away I see signboards with notice
that all dogs found on these premises
will be shot. And this emphatic notice
is strictly enforced, much to the sur
prise of confding sightseeing people
who have not yet learned that the
notice means death to any and all dogs
which may come within range of the
shotgun or pistol Of the guar dams OF
the precious feathered bipeds. Only
q short time before dog was shot at
the side of his bucolic master, who
could not comprehend the necessity of
guarding the breeding-birds from the
sight of any animal Of the dog kind.
AS ! approached the house see that
it is one Of the San francisco "ready-
mades," built of redwood. Ordered
by telegraph from San Francisco, it
was shipped by rail and set up really
for occupancy within four days from
the giving OF the order. 1t is a unique
and tasteful rectangular structure one
story high; shingle roof with gables
porch along the entire front orna'
mental brackets and cornice; passage
way six feet wide through the center;
two rooms on each side, each twelve
feet square; and the whole building
set up on the ground cost $4OOl One
room is used for reception-room, one
for sleeping, one for kitchen and one
for the Incubator and egg-room. On
the work done in this room depends
the success of the ostrich farm.
A broad shelf on one side contains
about fifty ostrich eggs and any num-
ber of eggs of the brown Leghorn
chicken. The incubator has been used
for Matching these eggs prior to trust
ing the more valuable strich eggs to
it's maternal care. These ostrich eggs
are wonder to all who see them for
the first time. They are regularly
elliptical in form, weighing about
three and one-half pounds, measuring
in circumference l8xl6 inches, and
with holding capacity equal to a full
quart measure. The color IS a creamy
white, and the, shell is equally pitted
all over and porous in appearance.
Sixteen eggs have been put in the in,
cubator up to the time of this visit,
and the remaining eggs, and What
more may come. will wait for the Hal
stead ostrich incubator, which has
made favorable reputation il Cape
Colony in the specially Of Matching os.
trich eggs. and which is daily expected.
These sixteen eggs were placed in
the incubator on May IA, Is and IT,,
and their period OF incubation has
nearly passed, for the chickens are
moving. in their. shells ready for adj
vent into California life. One came
as avant courier yesterday, and to-day
is beauty Of it's kind. He is covered
with speckled brown downy feathers
except on the head and neck and legs;
he is as wild, shy and active as the
young antelope fawn, and only a day
old is a, large as a full-groWn Leg
horn hen. Uneasy and restless, in
constant motion, and with inquiring
eyes, he no doubt waits impatiently
the companions who are to join him
in his feather-producing career.
Preparatory to any nourishing food,
he had. placed before him when about
twenty-four hours old tray Of small
gravel stones and crushed sea shells;
subsequent to this tonic he had a hand
full of chopped alfalfa. This lays the
foundation for meal of cracked corn
and water, and when this has been
eaten the bird is considered or the
straight road to distinction as the first
OSCTlCQ udlCueu Ill AulCllCct.
Leaving the front door looking east
turned to the south, and before me
is an inclosure Of four acres in l. form,
made by post and board fence only
four and a half feet high. But this
fence is made of three good sound
inch-thick, twelve inches wide rel
wood boards, we'll nailed on. A kick
from an irritated ostrich would break
an ordinary fence board in splinters.
These parallelograms making the L are
divided into twelve paddocks in which
the stock Of twenty-one ostriches
eleven hens and ten cocks are placed.
Each pad ock contains pair of birds,
one having two hens and one cock.
The padlocks are bare and sandy, but
surrounding the breeding grounds is
an excellent growth of alfalfa, turnlps;
cabbages, onions, maize and beets, all
of which are on time for the voracious
chickens which are expected to rally
round their exemplary parents in a
campaign against the fifty-four acres
Of green food provided for them.
III close proximity to the padlocks
is an artesian well 800 feet deep, which
discharges four feet above surface IL
900 gallons of water each hour-sulll-
cient to irrigate in this locality from
two to three hundred acres of land
planted to ordinary crops and with the
average rainfall. The entire farm is
mile square, or $40 acres, and is a
level plain.
It may be as well to remind you
that these are the ostriches the ar
rival of which in New York last \ O.
yember attracted so much attention,
and which Dr. ProtherGe, of Buenos
Ayres, and DR.. G. }. Sketch!ey, both
formerly of the Transvaal, Africa,
brought to this country with the hope
Of forming stock company to engage
in the business of bree ling fowls and
raising feathers. A company was
formed at once in San Francisco with
a raid-up capital of $4,000, Drs.
Protheroe and Sketchley retaining an
interest, and DR.. Sketchley giving the
benefit of his experience as superin.
tendent of the farm for the present.
This enterprise may be fairly pro"
nounced a success, for the company
has more orders for birds than it can
promise to fill this season. and at its
own prices, which are SlOOto Sl2O for
a healthy chick four months old.
These chickens will yield their first
feathers when eight months old, which
picking should bring at present mar
ket prices from 81 to SO. The