Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-04-24
FEATHERS.
THE VARIOUS USES TO WHICH THEY
ARE APPLIED.
The Trade In New York-Principal Birds
Whose Coverings Enter into Our
Commerce. Where the Sup
ply Comes From.


In New York city alone there are about
100 persons largely and spe ia y engaged
in feathers, as importing merchants. deal
ers. feather manufacturers, plumassiers,
nat uraliSts, etc The declared value of
the foreign feathers as received was in
1874 a lite over 22,210 900, ashton
causes great changes To what various
uses does the destroyer now apply the GOV.
ing OF birds in di.ieren counlries-for
quilts and feathers in the arts and indus
try, for upholstery purposes fot adorn
ment of the person, or for more abso ute
C othlug in garments, whether as mus Or
cuffs.
The principal feathers entering into
commerce in any quantity ae those OF the
ostrich, vulture 80 called, egret. osprey
goose, swan, turkey and peaco k. The
chief downs are elder down. goose down,
swans down and estridge or ostrich down.
Although horsehar. wooden tlocks and
number of vegetable stuifing materials
have come into extensive use, the feather
bed as an article of luxurious ease still
holds its own in many circles. The dressed
feathers chiefly used are those of the
white, gray and common goose, and what
are termed in trade poultry feathers,
which include those Of turkeys, ducks and
fowls. 10 ill a small sized three foot bed
TICK and pillows about twenty seven
pounds of feathers are nece >sary accord
ing to the kind ssed of poultry feathers
the most are required.
Fashion, both in savage and civilized
circles. cnforccs strange vagaric3 The
aboriginal races of North ID south
America, Africa the islands of the Pacific
and Indian archipelagOes, glor led in their
feather pIumes and coronels, long before
European bellies increased commerce so
largely in this direction. The jaunty hat
has given great impetus to every novelty
in the shape of feathers for decorating it.
+ irst, the pheasant plume was Introduced
as an orlHtment for hats; then followed
the ptarmigan, peacock, trogOn, impeyan
and argus pheasants ibis, heron, sea gull.
black cock and owl, and now almost
every variety of plumage may be seen in
the hats of ladies and children
According to scarcity and fashion. some
kinds of feathers occasionally command a
hats have reached $40 to so the pound
weight Pelican feathers from their
soft, velvety appearance, and their taking
dyes readily, are in much request; 50 are
those of the famingo and what are
known in commerce as long and short
osprey. which includes the much priced
short egrei. These feathers range in
price from "a to $40 the ounce, according
to the whiteness of color A new and
very pretty ornamental application of
bird skins is that of he entire head and
plumage of some snowy bird for fans and
fire screens and the brilliant little heads
of the humming bird family handsomely
mounted as necklets, ear pendants
brooches, et'.. form n novel species of
bird ewery.
al, e hnr nf .,
trich. arising from the slender stems ard
graceful barbules, has caused them to be
priced in all ages. They are the dearest
and most sought after of any feathers, in
consequence of their tineness and elias.
ITCHY, being employed for court plumes
and headdreSses, as well as the mold .ng
plumeS on the hearse. Their value is en-
HANGED because they can always be
changed. dyed and remade into larger and
richer plumes, BY patience and assiduity
in the attachment Ostrich feathers, in
commerce. are classed in the following
order AS regard value First, those coming
from Mogadore second, those from
Egypt and Barbary. and third the South
African feathers.
Peace ok feathers are obtained in
many of the collectorates of the Madras
presidency, the gorgeous puma re being
brushes are made of them in India. Per
mission to wear the leacock's feather in
the hat in china is like the European
orders. only granted by special permission
OF the sovereign The feathers of the
gold and silver pheasants are much used
for making artificial ilieS for anglers and
ornamental work generally The birds OF
paradise distinguished for their splendor
and elegance, are used for ornamenting
turbans in the east rs well as for hats
and head dresses by European and Ameri-
can ladies. The genus paradisea is chiefly
restricted to New Guinea and the small
islands in its vicinity.
Eagles wings and tails fetch a high
price in the kurile islands, being bought
by the Russians. The feathers are used
| by the japanese for their arrows The
brown and chocolate colored wing and
tail feathers of the golden eagle are used
in the bonnets of the Scotch clans and
by Zulu cheitans in southeast Africa