The sea coast echo., 1897-07-31
EIDERDOWN
Ducks Of the Far North Supply
This Costly Commodity.
But 1000 Pounds Used yearly in
This Country.

There are only about 1000 pound
OF eiderdown used in this country /,
q year." said veteran down importe,
. OF this city, when asked about th,
. quality OF efderdown used in quilt.
sold for IS or SO. "There are three
) grades, and the range in price is $40,
. $l2, and SIS pound.
The down is imported chiefly from
Greenland and Iceland, where it is
gathered by the natives. When the
ducks build their nests they line them
WIN down plucked from their own
oreasts. The first lining is the finest
quality of down. After nest ia
robbed the ducks line it the second
anu third times, each time the grade
Oh down becoming poorer, as there are
greater number OF small feathers
mixed in. After the third robbino
the ducks quit the nest, and do not
build again until the next season.
"Eiderdown is about twice as bnIkv
as the finest goose down; that is. one
pound OF eiderdown will serve no a
niling where two Of the best oooso
down would be necessary. Owing to |
Its scarcity and costliness il is used
only in filling the most exnens;ve
cushions and quilts. It can be used
% greater advantage, and is really
'ne only satisfactory filling for ele-
giant smoking jackets, muff beds, WON.
ems skirts, and babies clothing
The next quality of down is goose
aown' which is produced in the United
States. the larger part coming from
the Western and Southern states
ihe nrst grade is the pure down.
piucked from the breast OF the live
goose. The other two grades are OK.
'racted by machinery from the featb. I
'rs OF poultry plucked for the market
ne feathers are sold in bulk, unsort- !
a. ana have to be separated by spe-
iai machines. The only goose down
imported comes from China. 1t is q
we y I, s.ss : 50 Y ess rss the Ap.ea 8
isEs '6dt not SO fIGS and w. ] SFi,r
n. and consequently Aeyslneri- son
eaper filling. ,nly for cor
- -
"Duck down is imported almost ex- =,
usively from China in feathers. 81
iere are about three grades. The
'st or pure down sells for $1.25, and " "
used in making a fair quality of =.
lilts, Innings, pillows. etc. The 9TH - -
two grades, bringing 81 and rs - -
nts pound, are made by leaving a - -
rtain per cent. of feathers in the
'wn. These feathers, as imported 1T r.
ON China, are exceedingly dirty, and =,
Q cleaning and separating, which is -
me by machinery, are very expen- :.
Ge. The yield of down is about 10 o.
IL per cent. OF dirt, 80 to 40 per - :,
mt. (; the rest is feathers These
athers are little better, when thor 90
Ighly steamed and cleaned, than our -
tive chicken feathers, which, MS all ~
'usekeepers should know, are tho r
eapest feathers. -
This Chinese down is from the ducks ~
nich the Chinese consume in great -
AS rice is their chief bread
nff, ducks are their chief meat. One :.
lck will furnish meal for twenty AD
linamen. The fowl is boiled until ""
Q flesh drops from the bones. 1t is ~
en- hashed very fine, and with its ~
avy used to. season boiled rice ~
lough for about twenty men. OF -
urse vast number OF these ducks
9 reared and consumed in China, and !"
the Chinaman makes no particular
% OF the feathers, these are shipped ~
this country and Europe. There are -
'out l, 900, 900 pounds of feathers i'm "
'rted to the United States each year ~
ON China, while from Austria and '''
ermany come several hundred thou
nd pounds of doWn, extracted from
linese feathers.
"Chicken feathers, which have no 70
Q in them, are chiefly used in cheap. !"
ing down. Aud cheaper grades are iul
ed by mixing in cat tails, light .n'
tton or rabbit hair. These last h'
rec may always be detected by beat wa
g the article. as the cat tails and ia'
bbit hair will invariably sift through, IN
ID the cotton will luRp. Good down M y,
ay always be judged by its feeling a'i
ID its power to rebound. a cushion IN
sll filled with cider or the next best pc
ing, American goose down, when oe
essed will reshape itself almoe. as ~
lickly as an India-rubber balls"- la'
ew York Sun. ou