Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-11-04

rlourc was a substantial lrama house. IN
which tho keeper and Ms nAalAtanA dwolt.
The cottage stood Ia a coy spot. beneath
the aproadinE branonoa OF ggnntio OAK.
where tho breezos we're always cool and de-
lightful rppllng brook, froAh FROM thu
mountains, wound IT. way down tho valley,
supplying delicious water 10 tho inhahitanta
OF this strange place The email barns and
outhotaes adiolninR mo house were used to
store hay aud feed harvesting machinery.
comprising about forty acres, waa glycn on
tlrely to the ostrich family to wander
around in.
''Tho ostrich lndnstry IN California was
established m 1881 said the aupcrintend-
ont, IN reply 10 my questlon, "and It has
prospurod IN measure ever since, though
Al the present time. a. matter Of COURSE,
greater degree OF auceesa has been at
tulned than at the outset, for experience,
10 the best teacher IN all things. Tho
ostrich Ia indigenous TO AhyasInla ana
south Africa. II fares best In Ahyasnia.
and the plumago thnro ~ Of rehor
texture. heavier and hncr than ls obtamod
from birds reared In other parts q the
world The climate Il hot aud eQu8blo,
and alfalfa. the best Of all foods Tor os.
riches. growa Wild IN abundance.
Tho Ahyssiulan birds were Tie frat i'm
ported to this country. but the cool nights
proved a stumbling block 10 them. and
they did not thrive The climate did not
Kin them, but they would not breed and
the venture, 40 FAR aa they were VOueofhod,
was q failure, The South African ustslch
Ia a LARGER and harder bird. Il u ntrougcr
In build. but the feathers arp not 80 mo-
IN quality, nor can SO many plumes DO
taken from a bird IN season. but they
are profitable stock, w any event, and
as they get along perfectly IN California
they arc Of course the only breed to
have.
'.Vou see about ii5 ostrlches before You
In this farm. ali fully grown and none OF
thom under sixteen months old These
were raised In four years from an original
herd OF twenty imported African birds.
OF tho twenty Imported. sixteen are allil
here. One died from natural oauaes, and
three FROM broken legs caused by failing
Into irrigating dllchoAs Tho ostrich Is dc
elumslest thing alive. and he will IAN over
bis o~n feet and break his legs n you
don't watch him. sixty birds hayo boon
raised ~ addition 70 those you see here,
and have been sold 10 BIOLOGICAL Gardens
elrcuses and small oatrlch farms Ia cali.
fornia. Some have ced or have hoeu ne.
sldcntally Killed On the farm. so thst tho
herd Is now redueei to about la5.
III you care 10 follow me. will take YOU
throughout the entire establishment and
show you the proOees OF manufacturing os-
trichea. from the neat to Tho pnokine
stalls. whore the plunes are galhtred and
then Yon VIII know all about the hnstnesa
My guide led mestu the upper porgion Of
the farm whereN there were numhar Of
imall Enclosures fenced on, each contain
Ing perhaps half an scrt o. Hroend. The
aoil was sandy. Win, a slight miNturc N
gravel. but there was rot a spris Of yrrc
talon Of any klnd to DO seen 10 each ~
theaa haifsRcre spaces Or lois were a
maln and fetnAIe ostrich They had
paired on from the main hsrd and werc
about TO entsi upon the responsibility Of
raising. family a =