Arkansas weekly mansion., 1883-07-28
Our Ostrich Farm.

oStrichcs than in their native land
They are about six miles from the Pa
ciiic, where there is good grazing land,
worth a out $50 an acre They are do
ing rs well rs II home, except. like
other bridal parties. they have lost the
dorilitv for wii'ch they We're noted al
home The keeper charges it to the
electric air of the Pacific coast. One
OF the birds (t'1e cock of the walA) has
b"com:' arclimatcd that he has given
his beloved u r.st. the first of her trIb"
To enrich American soil. They do not
fight with their wings. bcak, or spurs
rs d. some Of the fcathery kind, but
like that wonderful sungSter, the mule,
with their feet. 1t is well known IN
science (thankS to a few book agents
what the sensation Is to be kicked 10y
mule. but no one vino has been fairly
impressed by tine sOfiness of an ostrich
foot has l!vcl To tell the tale. As il.
hannah nature, so in ostrich nature, the
female rarely gets angry. When she
can not run away. and has none of the
stcrner sex to dc!cnd her. she WI
strike for liberty or die The likeness
to human nriurc does not follow so
closely in the male bird He is the
orna- a-.icntal branch of The family. and
when it is desired To start a new branch
he ma!l..S tn. nest. asks his companions
tn come and exam II" it: ii, after putting
their heads to-, ,thc-, the mistress q.
the house is satisfied (shc usually is
She furnishes it with a d,zcu or so of
t,.ur- 11n;Irtd ,..r.cS. five 10 >!X inches II
diauc-cr each ceu al"nt To two dozen
OF Irri~' ".c4S. ami then allows her male
hci: mate To dn tn" principal part OF
G!ie setting. Tnink of that, Oh.
man, and then say which ought
10 hide their heads in the dust.
He >itS all ni.hr willingly. but
woe In t:.ai hen that does not me on
time tn relieve him fer breakfast. He
must. of course. strut 4 Little during The
day. and i always ''at the lodge ut
my I. Forty days and forty ightS,
win three days of @rac". he maintains
-.,~Uuattcr SnNvrr'"ntE. until his pos
teri;v b..@-n tn MAKE Il st 7 in Their en-
Virnnmruts. AMI then Ec helps them
pix thci: WAY out into IN = b;:a'itiful
world Of evolution. This is the way
til,.v do I i'll their wild state but here.
a. in all wcll-rrgulat"d farms i'll Africa,
Arl-iraia. South America, and else
w:.'.v,.- I" incubator prevents this rN-
cmp'acy d'~..lay "f manhood When
latc::Cd tie Young O>t.lci!cS are about
the = Il. of 4 common hen and about the
c'lor Of Il Young goose. At maturity
the mae is black. with white tips on the
h.s stock in trade. amounting i'll Africa
To- several mi. .on- If dollars. The fe
mai" i gr;iV, with the usual white t pS,
bat not 50 prnfUsc as the male. The
birtiS here are from SIX to ten wears Ot
ay". AMI are larger ana more lIfr-lIke
than the o~.richcS hauled about with
shows and in znoln~ical gardens. The
brood just oWt VIII be pa~tured in an
alfalfa pat IN, with Il h"rticr. Counting
the. chickens hc'1re they We're hatchcd
IL f,.w were solid some weeks ago for S2nt
each. Other companies are soon tC
embark III tbs ncr enterprise and there
* room for Il hundred thousand more.
All the vegetables and lime and gravel
they need can tee had in abundance in
Southern California. They drink very
little water, sometimes going three daEs
without any. An artcSian well $50 feet
deep on this farm. cost .ng As many dol
lars. flowing constantly, supplies ali
the water needed for irri9atiu~ sixty
acres OF alfalfa, that Weld, s.N good
crops yearly. Approaching the farm,
ill all directions, arc seen notices upon
poles declaring that ..all dogs found
on the premises will be shot Di~u-
l,dicnce to this order has resulted in
tEc demise of several pet canincS. ant
the loss "f tenn cr OF their pretty com.
uanionS.
The story that Il pair of birds had es
c:tucI from the farm. and after killing
lev men and Il lot of school children
had fled into the wi.l> of Arizona - pop
ulitc the desert tracts, i far from the
truth. 1t started. probably. from the
following instructive amusing incl
dent: Several nights ago this fcathcry
flock became frightened by Il c'v"tr oI
some wild animal. and. of course. nc
al.
kicked it to pieces. and one of them
took Leo bail and vamno>cd the
ranch" One of the farm hands hap
p,.nrI To be Il few miles away at his
fathers. and saw bis acquaintance flee
in" in the wrong direction. Father and
son quickly mounted their horses and
joined the chase in t;iIpin style. They
overlook the bird in the course of time.
ami hr~an the capture. Int soon discov-
cred that. American eagle - lie. the bird
was master of the situation. The horses
became frightened and refused to con
1iuur the contest. \ fresh horse was
pro, ured. TO the victor> belong the
suo-I<.'' ..Ncni. v:di. vic:. which. be-
inv Interpreted. is: The ostrich turned
ON his captors. ami horse ana rider were
rut 10 fli.rht The horse did his best in
srninr home on Il full run, but the bird
filled up his spare time in PattinG the
hor>,, : flank vigorously This had
tendency to make the horse beat his best
record.
The triumvira.r entered the coral to
errth-r. and the chick was ,a.e within
the II m Er SkctcIlcy WAS sent foI
to conlult'tr the lob. Ordinarily Il three
foot fence is cnnu-hto coop them. They
are very tame and "a+, tn care for until
about four wears old hen il is they
hcr:n to look for ma e. and the wal
bc.ins Here again they dittrr from
most bib d-. fov tGcy Ito up their quar-
rc:inr before they lc~in 10 live together
for life. and ever after live in peace: but
Voc to the h-sn that does not return the
prnifrrcd a 'rc .tionS. She viii he kicked
around until. she docs consent to love
and cher sh. and then all is gcnt'cness
4 Mormon : found among them now
and then, nut munagamv Is. the rule
One h rh-tonei bully mas caught the
New York idea and will not take a help
mate. sonnet mes finale will die
rather than surrender her independence
o. mate contrary to her wishes. here
...-.,-y, IN tho Stnty OF