Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-04-23
EIDERDOWN.
Ducks of the Far North Supply
This Costly Commodity.
But 1000 Pounds Used Yearly in
This Country.

"There are only about 1000 pounds
Of eiderdown used in this country in
year, said veteran down importer
ot this city, when asked about the
quality OF eiderdown used in quilts
sold for s. or &c. "There are three
grades, and the range in price is $40,
BIZ, and SIS pound
''The down is imported chiefly from
Greenland and Iceland, where it is
gathered by the natives. When the
iucss build their nests they line them
With down plucked from their own
breasts. The first lining is the finest
quality OF down. After a nest is
robbed the ducks line it the second
aud third times, each time the grade
Of down becoming poorer, as there are
greater number OF small feathers
mixed in. After the third robbing
the ducks quit the nest. and do not
build again until the next season.
"Eiderdown is about twice as bulky
as the finest goose down; that is, one
pound of eiderdown will serve as a
illing where two of the best goose
down would be necessary. Owing to
its scarcity and costliness it is used
only in filling the most expensive
cushions and quilts. 1t can be used
to greater advantage, and is really
the only satisfactory filling for ele-
CANT smoking jackets, muf beds, wom-
ems skirts, and babies clothing.
"The next quality of down is goose
down, which is produced in the United
States, the larger part coming from
the Western and Southern states.
The first grade is the pure down,
plucked from the breast of the live
goose. The other two grades are ex-
tracted by machinery from the feath.
ers ofpoultry plucked for the market.
The feathers are sold in bulk, unsort-
ed, and have to be separated by spe-
cial machines. The only goose down
imported comes from China. 1t is
white, but not so fluffy as the Ameri-
can. and consequently used only fol
cheaper filling.
"Duck down is imported almost ex-
from China in feathers.
There are about three grades. The
best or pure down sells for 81. 25, and
is used in making fair quality Of
quilts, Innings, pillows, etc. The 9th
er two grades, bringing 81 and rs
cents pound, nre made by leaving a
certain per cent. of feathers in the
down. These feathers, as imported
from CHM, are exceedingly dirty, and
the cleaning and separating, which is
done by machinery, are very expen-
sive. The yield of down is about 10
or II per cent. OF dirt, 30 to 40 por
cent. the rest is feathers. These
feathers are little better, when thor
oughly steamed and cleaned, than our
native chicken feathers, which, as all
housekeepers should know, are the
cheapest feathers.
"This Chinese down is from the ducks
which the Chinese consume in great
quantities. As rice is their chief bread
stnff, ducks are their chief meat. One
duck will furnish a meal for twenty
Cinnamon. The fowl is boiled until
the flesh drops from the bones II is
then hashed very fine, aud with its
gravy used to season boiled rice
enough for about twenty men. or
course q vast number of these ducks
are reared aud consumed in China, and
as the Chlnlman makes no particular
use of tue feathers. these are shipped
to this country and Europe. There are
about /, 900, 900 pounds of feathers i'm
ported to the United States each year
from China, while from Austria aud
Germany come several hundred thou
sand pounds of down, extracted from
Chinese feathers.
''Chicken feathers, which have no
life in them, are chiefly used in cheap-
ening down. And cheaper grades are
used by mixing in eat tails, light
cotton or rabbit hair. These last
three may always be detected by beat
ing the article, as the cat tails and
rabbit hair will invariably sift through,
and the cotton will lump. Good down
may always be judged by its feeling
and its power to rebound. A cushion
well filled with elder or the next best
thing, American goose down, when
pressed will reshape itself almost as
quickly as an India-rubber ball. y