Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-03-03
ELDER DUCK FARMING
csIANo's INDUSTRY TAKES LITTLE
LABOR AND INGENUITY.

i've crep. Are Gathered zach Season.
| which Arc worth About % u rsasa.
How to KIN the Goose That Lays the
osidsn Egrs- The Harvest Time.
Now, there ara pleasanter capitals TO re-
side In than Reyk jasik, the chief town OF
Iceland. There are cities which have
reached a point somewhat nearer civic per
ksction than IL can nc present boast Of. but |
those who take the trouble 10 journey |
thither will find much 20 interest them.
The city, for its cathedral authorizes the
use Of the word, consists Of a strsg2 ling col
lection Of wooden houses. which remind |
the traveller Of son,e small and desolate vii |
lage on the west cast Of Scotland.
A large square building. like some giant |
-bsrn or mammoth county constabuiary. |
first strikes the eye. This is the governors |
house. almost the only stone building In
the town. i
All the available space on the shore not
taken up with houses Is covered with cod
fsh drying la the sun and giving out an
tntolerxble stench.
All the rocks. palings and even the roofs
Of the houses themselves are covered with
these cleaning testimonies Of the city's
chief occupation or trade
Other products Of the place are elder
down. horses and hot water. One Of the
J largest elder duck farms IL situated ON u
small island In the bay. and. with the per
mission Of the owner. can be vissted by
, strangers.
The scene is not without interest. Be-
hind far away on the horizon line. rises the
snow capped peak Of The .Snaefel Jokuls,
nearly 1900 feet In height. which, though
mere than 60 miles awEs. glistens and
, shines like silver In the morning sun
In front lies Rey kjavik. the civil and 80
! | clesiasticAl metropolis Of Iceland. Not
/ much agricultural labor or ingenuity is ex-
= pended by the elder duck farmer upon his
i property. Il consists for the most part OF
a large open aeld Of stnnted grnss. which
has been blown by the wind and worked by
Z the action Of the weather into round hum
2 mocks such ss may bs frequently met with
! all over the barren and devastated country
= Of Iceland
/ In the recrsses aud holes aud cavities be
o 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
I. of them even allowing a stranger to stroke
them with the hand.
= They are not all Matched at the same
n time, and many are still In the egg when
% others are hatched and SWIMMING about In
n the sea.
a The drake, ms 10 frequently the case with
the female bird, is handsome, snowy crea-
A ture, with much white In his plumage. Hs
|. Il excessively shy aud wary, while the fe.
= male, whose plumage Is brown and glossy
Is, ON the contrary. tame and confiding.
- The duck lays from i've TO six eggs at ths
1t beginning OF June. and IL Ii no Unusual
IT thing to find from 10 to 10 eggs In one nest
a together with two females, who sit eithel
Ia 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
u seven weeks, and the birds are In the hab
OF laying three times In different places
Id From the first and second OF these both thu
II down and the eggs are taken away. bn
from the last Il Is very seldom that tn
ot farmer removes either.
"A should he do so with any degree Of per
-, slstence the birds would desert the locality
- and he is not such a fool as to destroy tn
ne duck with the golden eggs.
y In some cases the owner resides on q
III near the farm. In this particular instanc
Id he visited the island from the mainian
no once q week at the least.
Mt As soon as he and his men arrive at tb
10 nest they carefully remove the female am
he take away the snperfiuous down and egs<'
!, The duck Immediately begins 10 lay Aires
e., and covers her eggs With new down whic
- she plucks from her own breast. II the SUI
ply Is inadequate. the male comes 10 her a
sistance and helps 10 cover the eggs wit
his down.
This. being white. Is easily distinguishs
from the brown covering which the fenal
lie supplies and IL not 80 good Ia quality.
The nest Is now. a. y general rule, le
until the young ones are Matched. fhel
an In not much cailowness and helplessnel
about these youngsters. About an hot
after they are out Of the shell they quit u
nest together, when Il IL once more plul
us, dered.
OF The best down and the greatest numb
,ck Of eggs are obtained during the first thr
weeks OF the laying period. and IL has
general been observed that the birds IA
the greatest number Of eggs In rair
o.l weather.
The female IL q close and persistent 81
ter, and 20 long as she Is sitting the NAL
70 with eomrnendable eonstancy, remains
! Q, the watch hard by, but as soon as q
fe young are Matched he considers his respo
,ce. sibility AZ an end, and leaves them 20 the
own devices and the carr Of their mother.
II Is a curious and pretty sight 10 .
how the latter t3bks after her brood. >
haa leads them out OF thx nest ~ soon ~ tn
,ar- creep out Of the eggs and precesisa thens
- the water. while they tofidle after her
-. When she reaches the waterside she tai
wy them ON her back and swims with them
lays . few yards. She then dives. and I
Ing young ones are left floating on this wal
age like yellow corks and henceforth are obiia
ring to look after shemselves
ina. Indeed the farmer seldom sees his DC
.sed again TIL the next breeding season. for "a
ys.a become comparatively wild and live {
- among the damp rocks In the sen, VIII
- they feed upon insects and seaweeds q
other like vivers.
niik Some idea Of the value Of the crop n
nder be CLEANED from the fact that one fem
milk during the whole time of laying genera
New gives half pound Of down. which Is. hs
ever, reduced one-half after IL Is cleaned
This down IL divided into thang dunn
seaweed down. aud gras dunn or gr
nd down. The latter II generally conside
only 10 be the best In quality. The down bril
hui from u 10 o. pound. London Globe.