The Van Buren press., 1897-10-02
AoNo-TAILE0 BOOSTERS
One That Sports Tall Feather. ua.
Than Ten Feet Iona


The japanese are proyerbiallv n.
tient people. and are continually astpa
ishing the world with examples ~ tl
care they will bestow to bring ahon'
results taking years or even lifetims
to complete. They resemble the eqs'
nese in this respect. and the sneos..
which crowns their efforts would on,.j
be possible in a country where the M.
of human being is held greatly Al
discount, where wages are infinitesinaii
and where patience is one of the praat
est inheritanees received from preyion.
generations. Many people are familiar
with various examples of the uneom
planning resignation of the jap and Chi
naman to the belief of their more Grind,
forefathers in the stunted feet of WON.
en-. Many are also familiar with ths
minute horses which it has been NOS,
sible to breed only by generation after
generation of families following tbo
same profession, and bending all theiy
energies to breed species of animal
which, by gradually decreasing in siza
through the judicious crossing of wears
finally results in perfect animal.
The small trees with which we ara
coming to grace our Christmas tables
in these latter days is another exampls
Of this inherent patience. A tree so
minute that ii can be held in the palm
of ones hand-a tree still growing and
having life as perfect and productive az
our own enormous apple trees-seems
tale. almost beyond credence; but add.
ed TO this is still another manifestation
of the adaptability of nature, for on
the wee branches are the most perfect
OF apples, so small as to be unreeog,
nizable, but still as perfectly formed
and as rosy asthe New England apple.
The National museum has just re,
ceived an example of the powers of ths
Japs in this mode Of stock breeding
which cannot be found anywhere elsa
in this country. The fowl in question
is a rooster. This rooster probably
would not impress one as different from
the ordinary barnyard chanticleer were
it not for the enormous length of the
tail. The tail is exactly ten feet six
inches in length, and remarkable for
its great beauty. From the back of the
rooster extend a dozen long filament
feathers, any one of which would be
long in the ordinary fowl but three Of
the feathers reach the great length
stated. They are of bright peacock
blue, and present beautiful coloring
especially in the sunlight.
The fowl was the pride of japanese
farmer, and ii took large amount Of
money to induce him to part with the
prize. Generation after generation he
and his fathers had watched the fowls
| of the yard. Those developing an ex-
traordinary length of tail were kept by
| themselves and tended carefully. In
time were raised other chickens, with
| longer tails than their progenitors. and
| from these were bred other fowls, until
| the farmers labors were rewarded by
| the magnificent specimen now in this
city. Every action of the fowl was
| watched so that no injury might come
to the beautiful tail; the yard pavement
wat made as smooth and as free from
vermin as the ingenuity of the breeder
could suggest. No rough framework
on which the feathers might tear was
allowed, and that the rooster might be
protected from danger TO his adorn-
ments through the pugilistic tendencies
| of the other birds, he was isolated with
| only his mate for company.
These long-tailed fowls are only bred
in Shinowaramurat Nagaoka county,
Tosa province, and seldom go to other
| parts of the country, as their price
places them beyond the reach of all
| but the rich. who retain them as a mani
| festation of wealth. During the time
| of the Tokigaua dynasty the breeding
| of these fowls was much encouraged
| by the government of the feudal lords
| and the tail feathers were taken in pay
ment of local taxes. The feathers wert
then used TO decorate the lords spears
and were not allowed TO be exported
| But modern ideas are developing in the
| japanese, and so greatly have theil
commercial instincts been aroused thai
what was but a few years ago held tof
sacred for the eyes of the foreigner tt
even rest upon is now gladly given into
the possession of that same hated be
ing in exchange for the all-leveling
| power-gold- d-Washington Post.