Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-04-19

| especially If it were simply a question
of climatic adaptability, for the climate
OF east Florida is more similar to that
OF South Africa, the habitat of the bird.
than is that of California. / have close
ly watched the progress of these latter
farms, becoming more interested year
ly so that last fall while in Atlanta, |
had an opportunity to purchase some
ostriches. / secured two, male and
female, and brought them to my In
dian river place on Merritt Island,
which Is about latitude %. These birds
did so well, seeming so perfectly at
home and well adapted to the condi-
tons, that l went back to Atlanta and
bought the lot, fifteen in all, some CT
them very large and valuable, and |
now have them all at home. Most OF
them were raised on Los Angeles
farm, but a few are native African
| birds.
The value of an ostrich in South At
RIGA is about $780, | bought mine for
little more than 500 apiece, so that |
may be said to have made quite bar
gain The birds seem to be perfectly
at home, and feed upon the grass which
grows plentifully upon my place. |
also give them large quantities OF corn
and other grain, and occasionally try
them with little meat OF some kind,
of which they eat sparingly, for the os-
trich is a strictly gramnivorous feeder.
| When first brought them down they
ate little, and / concluded | must give
them an appetizer, which | did, each
one, in the shape Of good-sized asa
foetida pill Since that time they have
eaten ravenously.
"Ostriches are like quailS, in that
they pair off and need run to them
selves. separated from other pairs. AT
present, mine are all together, as |
| have not had time to arrange their
quarters. In Africa on the large farms
a pair has about forty acres to run in.
| shall give mine only about two acres,
which may be small for them at first
but to which | am sure they will read
lily adapt themselves in time. My birds
have already begun laying. / have
gathered about six eggs and the season
is Just beginning. Fifty eggs are laid
during the season. one laying season TO
the year. The average weight OF an os-
trich egg is thirty-four ounces, some,
of course, much larger, and it has the
appearance of ball of ivory. The
shell is thin and delicate and smashes
easily if dropped when containing the
yolk, but if the yolk is removed the
shell is as durable as china, and is
| largely used among natives as drink
ing cup.
"Ancients used them commonly and
the famous draught OF the pearl dissolv-
ed in vinegar is supposed to have been
taken from an ostrich egg. The female
sits on the egg during the day, the male
at night. This seems to be nature, but
most ostrich farmers now use incuba-
tors, especially as the male bird mani
tests an unaccountable grudge against
the young one and kills it if possible.
shall introduce the incubator when
begin raising birds. Ostrich eggs sell
for $40 apiece, so fifty eggs year makes
a bird very profitable, aside from the
plumes, which bring in about $500 per
year. The finest feathers grow under
the wings. Those of the male are usu-
ally black and are the finest of all; the
female plumes are lighter in color and
permit dyeing. Tail and breast feath-
ers produced by the ostrich are the
three plumes used as headdress by the
ladies of the court of ST. James and
those who are presented to the Queen
/ Certain feathers are in demand for this
the finest on the bird, and they bring
Of course, the highest prices"