New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-28
AN ELDER DUCK FARM.
o>J, on ICEJ,\D,c LEADING INDt 81 KlrS.

ONE OF ICFT.AND'S LEADING lNDl 'h'r'
There are pcasantcr capitals to reside IN ul'''
Revkiavik the chief town of Iceland Ih'r' az,
cics which have reached a point somewhat nearer
civic perfection than II can AZ present p's' W.
those who take the trouble to journey 'h'n', WI,
ena much 10 interest them. The city-or lis cah'u'"i
authorizes the use Of the word-consi''H "' '''e
cling collection Of wooden honNes when re'n'" "
traveller Of small and d"som'e Nni's. o 49,,
t coast of scotland \ large square building hk'
some CiaIt barn mammoth county o""9'"p''"''
first strikes the eye. This j. the Governor no"'
,moet the only stone binding In the town. All Inc
available space on the shore not taken mp Win h""N
* covered with Goldfish. drying IN me SUM- anu e''"
ont an in,ocrarlc stencil. All the rochN pai''FN anu
even the roofs Of the houses themselves are 'o''''
with these cleaning testimonies Of the CITY '"'''
occupatIon or trade Other products Of The place are
,dor down horses and hot water. one "i inc larger
cider duck farms is situated on small Island J" 'i''
hav and with the permission OF The owner "a" "
visited 10y strangers. - 49,, .
The scene n pictured bt 4 writer IN me "''"
Of London Is not without interest. BEHIND iar AWAY
-, tbo horizon line rises the snow-capp"d peak &" 'l'
c,tI Iol,Is nearly 5000 feet In height. Which,
r,ouoh more than sixty miles away, gl'''hS NV"
shines like silver in the morning sun III IRON. u"
Eogkiavik. the civ and eccl''i"sh'al h'u 'p''
Iceland. Not much agricultural labor or lns'""S
/, expended 10y the elder duck farmer upon nN p''p
,r,y. II consists for the most part of large "i"
o,d ~ ctuu,ed grass which has been blown by Inc
wind and worked by Tie action Of III" weather '"''
round lummocks. such ~ may b" frequently l'' W."
all over The barren and devastated country 81 h''''
In the rcccsses and holes and cavities be'"''" nv
hummocks the elder ducks be- secn sitting on 'r
uests OF these there several scores, ana 'h'
| hirds themselves when sitting perfectly tame
some of Them even allowing stranger To sr"h' 'h'h
with the hand They are not all hachod III NV am"
time and many are still IN Tie egg wheh o'"'iH NV
| hatchcd and swimming about In the sea. Inc ur"N''
as is so frequently the case with the male ii"' -
| handsome SNOWY creature. with much white III MS
nlumogc He T. excessively Shy and wary, "hi' "e
female whose pumagc Is brown and glossy, Is on 'he
contrary tame ard conhdng. The duck 'hNS """
five 20 six eggs the beginning Of june ana II II "o
unusual thing to find from ten 10 sixteen eggs III ONO
mo-, torctbcr with two females, who sii either at
intervals or II necessary both together at the same
| t,mc and strange 10 say, seem To agree remarkably
well with one another. The period Of Hyin- E'''s
some six or seven weeks, ana the birds are III inc
holt If LAYING three times In different places. from
he first and second Of these both the down ana III"
crc, are taken away, but from The last IL t. very
seldom that the farmer removes either Nloun I1
dsopt thn legality and he t. not Snch fool rs to
destroy The duck with The golden csrs; r oor III.
farm In this particular instance he visited the lslaId
from the mainland once week at ,hc i Isn' 30
soon as and his men arrive al 'hr nest ,hey carr
/ fully remove the female ana take away me SUPER.
fuous down and egg. Inc d"ch c ,n,,' c, % DOWN
which she pIuCk, from her own breast. If the supply
IS INADEQUATE. The NAL" CONES 10 r assistance 'in
/ HELMS 10 cover the eggs with his down. This Being
white is easily Distinguished from The brown covci-
,yhicn the female supplies ANA j. not 80 good III
/ quality. The nest Is now as s'h,I1l run, w., i
/ until the young are Matched. There Is not
much callovn.ss and hclpc.sncs, about these younS
! sicrs. About hour after they are ont {" ,i''
! she'll they quit the nest together, when 1t Is once
The best down and the greatest number Of egg.
are obtained during the first ihrc" wcchS of The LAWN
period ard It has in general been observed thal ,te
birds lay the greatest number "i eggs III ram.
weather. The female j. close ana persistent SUI
and 50 long She l. sitting the male WIN con-
mcnGabc conslancy, remains on the watch hard py
but 50 the young are Matched he cui,Iu',, -
his respon biliiy ut an end ana Leave 1n." If
Is curious and pretty sight To See how the lallf
looks after her brood. She leads them ont OF ,l,
! prcccdcs them the water. Will" they todde amer
| her When size reaches the watersidc she tI|rS
/ thon OH her back and swims with them for Il f."
wards; She then dives and the younS ones are ri'
noatinc on the water like yellow oOrkS. and hcnccior
are Obliged TO look after themselves. Indeed dnr
/ farmer seldom his flock again Till the neH.
| breeding season. for they become comparatively
Wild and live ont among the damp rocks in the
sea- where they feed upon insects and scaweed';
and Other Ike vivcrs. Some idea Of the value OF
the CROP may be cleaned from the fact that one
female during the whole time Of laying generally ave,
! half a pound Of down. winch l., however frduc'n
one hall after 1t + cleaned ....o.
THIS down is divided into thang dunn or scawecd
generally consdc red TO DO the hest In quality. The
down is very valuable and feiches from III to 40
pound -, , ,, ,,,, IN
ualitv The first being superior TO the second and the
second TO the third. The birds themselves. apart
Tbn down taken from dead elder ducks is valuelcss.
as II has lost all It's marvellous elasticity.
" An cider duck farmer Is excessively proud Of his
| ducLs and regards them with Intense and peculiar
| affection The owner OF The farm Just described was
The habit Of ays a BIZ de rs u 70 oSs
Tho had seen both this statement would seem to have
! had but little comparative value.