The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-28
rs CosTLY.

hut I, 900 Pounds . Year Used in This Ceun-
try, and the Cheapest Costs $40 n Pound.
"There are only about ], 900 pounds of cider
down used in this country In q year" said q vet
Gran down importer OF this city, when asked
about the quality of eidcrdown used In quilts
sold for So or SO. There are three grades, and
the range In price Is $40. $l2, and SIS q pound.
Tho down Is imported chiefly from Green
land and Iceland. where 1t Is gathered BY the
natives. When the ducks build their nests they
line them with dow plucked from their own
breasts. This first lining Is the finest quality of
down. After a nest Is robbed the ducks limo 1t
the second and third timos, each time the grade
of down becoming poorer, as there are a greater
number of small feathers mixed In. After tho
third robbing the ducks quit the nest, and do
not build again until the next season.
"Eiderdown Is about twice as bulky 80 the
finest goose down; that Is, one pound Of elder
down will serve as a filling where two Of the
best goose down would DO necessary. Owing to
its scarcity and costliness 1t Is used only in filling
the most expensive cushions and quilts. 1t can
be used to q greater advantage, and Is really the
only satisfactory filling for elegant smoking
Jackets, muff beds, women's skirts. and babies
clothing.
"The next quality of down 10 goose down,
which 10 produced In the United States. tho
iurRcT part cunning rum III Wobtcfh aiu ooulh-
ern States. There are three grades. at 90. 81.
and 81. so a pound. The first grade is the pure
down.. plucked from the breast of the live goose.
The other two grades are extracted by ma
the market, The feathers are sold In bulk, I'M
sorted, and have to be separated by special ma
chin 8. The only goose down imported comes
from China. IL Is white. but not so fuffy as the
American,,, and consequently used only for
"Duck down Ia imported almost exclusively
from China in feathers. There are about three
grades. The best or pure down sells for 81. 25,
and is used IN making q fair quality OF quilts,
bringing III and rs cents IA pound, are made by
leaving a certain per cent, OF feathers In the
down. These teuthers, as imported from China,
are exceedingly. dirty, and the cleaning and sep.
expensive. The yield of down is about 10 or IL
per cent; OF dirt, 80 TO 40 per cent; the rest is
feathers. These feathers are u little bettor,
when thoroughly steamed and cleaned, than our
native chicken feathers, which, as all house
keepers should know, are the cheapest feathers.
This Chinese down Is from the ducks which
the Chinese consume In great quantities. As
rice IL lhoir chief breadstuff, ducks are their
chief meat. One duck will furnish a meal for
twenty Chin. men. The fowl Is boiled until the
very fine, and with Its gravy used TO season
boiled rice enough for about twenty men. OF
course n vast number OF these ducks are reared
and consume In. China, and as the Chinaman
sh1 ppcd 10 lhls country and Europe. There are
ahoul 1000 600 pounds OF feathers imported TO
the United States each Year from China, while
rom Austria and Germany come several hun
dIed thousand pounds OF down. extracted from
Chicken feathers, which have no life In them,
are chiefly used In cheapening down. And
: cheaper grades are made BY mixing In 'OAt