Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-10-14
EIDERDUCK FARMING
IcELAND's INDUSTRY TAKES LITTLE
LABOR AND INGENUITY

How TO XIII the Goose That Lays the
Golden EEEs-Ihe Harvest Time
Now. there are pleaSanter capitals to re-
side IN than Reykjavik, the chief town OF
lceland There are cities which have
reached point somewhat nearer civic per
lection than II can at present boast Of, but
those who take the trouble 10 journey
thither will ind much 70 interest them
The city, for its cathedral authorizes the
use Of the word, consists Of a struggling col.
lection Of wooden houses, which remind
the traveller Of some small and desolate vii
lalge on the west coast Of Scotland
A large square building, like some giant
barn or mammoth county constabulary,
first strikes the eye. This is the governors
house, almost the only stone building In
the town.
All the available space on the shore not
taken Up with houses Is covered with cod
hsh drying in the su.. and giving out an
intolerable stencil.
All the rocks, pAllngs and even the roofs
O. the houses themselves are covered with
these cleaning testimonies Of the eity's
chief occupation or trade.
Other products Of the place are elder
down, horses and bot water. One Of the
largest elder duck farms is situated on
small island in the bay, and, with the per
mission q the owner, can be visited by
stuaagcrs.
The scene Is not without interest. Be
hind, far away on the horizon line, rises the
BROW capped peak Of the Snaefel Jokuls,
nearly 6,poJ feet in height, which, though
more thar 90 miles away, glistens and
shines like silver in the morning sun.
In front lies Reykiavik, the civil and &c.
clesiGstical metropolis OF Iceland. Not
much agricultural labor or ingenuity is eI-
pendedhy the cider duck farmer upon his
property. Il consists for the most part Of
large open field Of stunted grass, which
has been blown by the wind and worked by
the action Of the weather into round hum
moeks, such as may be frequently met with
all over the barren and devastated country
Of Iceland.
In the Tecesses aud holes and cavities be-
tween the hummocks the elder ducks may
be seen sitting on their nests. of these
there are several scores. and the birds them
selves when sitting are perfectly tame, some
o. them even allowing stranger 70 stroke
them with the hand,
They are not all Matched at the same
time and many are still in the egg when
bAA4EAh NAH L1AAAANA sAAA nv hg4AL AZ
the sea
The drake, as is frequently the case with
l the female bird, Is q handsome, snowy crea.
ture, with much white in his plumage. He
Is excessively shy and wary, while the fe
male, whose plumage IS brown and glossy,
j., on the contrary, tame and coniidiug.
The duck lays from five to six eggs at the
beginning Of June, and it IS no unusual
thing 10 find from 10 to 10 eggs in one nest,
together with two females, who sit eithel
at intervals or, II necessary, both together
at the same time, and, strange TO say, seen
TO agree remarkably well with one another
The period OF laying lasts some six Of
seven weeks, and the birds are In the habit
Of laying three times In different places
From the first and second OF these both The
down and the eggs are taken away, but
from the last it is very seldom that th'
farmer removes either.
Should he do 80 with any degree Of per
sistence the birds would desert thelocality
and he Is not such fool as to destroy TIT
duck with the golden eggs
In some cases the owner resides on O
near the farm. In this particular instanc
l he visited the island from the MAINLAND
once week at the least.
As soon as he and his men arrive at tn
nest they carefully remove the female an'
take away the superfluous down and eggs
The duck Immediately begins to lay afresl
and covers her eggs with new down whlcl
sheplucks from her own breast, lfthe SUP
ply Is inadequate, the male comes 10 her as
sistance and helps to cover the eggs witt
his down.
This, being white, is easily distinguishes
from the brown covering which the femal
supplies and is not 50 good in quality.
The nest is now, as general rule, lef
until the young ones are hatehed. Their
ia not much callowness and helplessnes
about these youngsters. About an hou
after they are out Of the shell they quit tn
nest together, when it is once more plIr
dered.
The best down and the greatest numbe
Of eggs are obtained during the first thre
weeks OF the laying period. and 1t has (
general been observed that the birds Ia
the greatest number Of eggs In rain
weather.
The female is close and persistent ST
ter, and so long as she Is sitting the mali
with commendable constancy, remains o
the watch hard by, but as soon as th
young are Matched he considers his respol
sibllity at an end, and leaves them 20 the
own utNlCtS anu tue care OF thtu mother.
1t is curious and pretty sight TO 81
how the latter looks after her brood. 81
leads them out Of the nest as soon us the
creep out OF the eggs and precedes them I
the water, while they toddlc after her.
When she reaches the waterside she tax,
them on her back and swims with them f
few yards, She then dives. and II
young ones are left floating on the wat,
like yellow oorks and henceforth are oblige
TO look after themselves.
Indeed the farmer seldom sees his hoc
again till the next breeding season, for the
become comparatively wild and live OF
among the damp rocks in the sea, whei
they feed upon insects and seaweeds Al
other like vivers.
Some idea Of the value Of the crop ma
be CLEANED from the fact that one fema
during the whole time Of laying general
gives half pound Of down, which is, hoy
ever, reduced one-half after IL IA cleaned.
This down is divided into thang dunn
seaweed down, and graa dunn or gra
down. The latter Is generally consider
to be the best in quality. The down brinl
from q 10 s. a pound. Globe.
Malaria and Tvphoid