The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-03-02
HAs A WILD GOOSE FARM.
whsaitsn Finds II Profitable to Dsmesti.
cate the Fowls for Their Feathers.


BALTIMORE, March 1.-At evening during
the cold winter months, a man. bearded
and weatherbeaten, can be seen standing
alone on the sands Of Chincoteague Island,
of the eastern shore Of Virginia. Before
him and far out upon the still waters OF
Chincoteague Bay are many forms oil wild
fowl life, feeding or preening their feathers.
Nothing breaks the stiffness OF the crisp
winter air except tho swish OF wings as
the ducks and geese skirt along the coast
or drop with a splash among their resting
brothers. Several hundred geese. the most
wary OF all wild fowls, punctuate the beds
Of ducks at intervals over tho bay.
Suddenly the man upon the shore lifts
high his hands into the air. lifelong neoks
Of 400 geese straighten and a discordant
medley OF sounds drifts across the water.
In an instant each goose, honking as
though Its life depended upon the amount
Of noise made, Is swimming swiftly toward
the shore, a long white line marking the
course Of the suddenly aroused birds as
their breasts cleave the water,
Onward rush the geese without a pause
toward the man still standing with arms
outstretched, waiting patiently their COM
ing, like some Indian medicine man invok-
ing the aid OF the Great Spirit. WITHOUT
a pause they waddle in a confused mass up
the sands and surround him. As they
crowd about his legs his hands fall and
turning he marches up the beach, followed
by the geese.
The man Is Joshua W. Wheaton and he
has demonstrated that the Canada goose
can be made one Of the most profitable Of
faafharaA nNnnau malaria aud ran la no
INVESTIGATED. About five years ago ho con-
ceived the idea of DEMONSTRATING a flock
of wild geese and secured half a dozen
wing-tipped fowls.
For many months he nursed them, setting
their broken wings and doing all in his power
10 make them comfortable. AT last he won
their friendship. When summer approached
and il was time for their brothers 10 return
to the North they were well enough satisfied
with their surroundings to remain and
to bring others of their kind to Chinco-
tea que. So they mated and reared young.
Each winter Mr.. Wheaton has added
wing-tipped birds 10 his tlOcks, and of late
years has adopted q device by which the
stock il greatly augmented. This Is a
great wire trap, built upon the bay shore,
into which the wild fowls are tolled by the
domesticated birds.
Mr.. Wheaton has now over four hundred
geese OF the Canada type and several hun
dred mongrels. The profit Of keeping Thorn
arises from the demand for the downllke
feathers Of the wild goose.
The geese are plucked four times during
the summer, beginning with MAY l. All
feathers, except the quilts, are taken from
4 n struggling geese as they are held firmly
between tho knees Of the workers. Tho
down is not touched.
When the geese are liberated from the
pens there is still about three-quarters Of an
inch Of covering upon their bodies. We're
It not left the mosquitoes would irritate
tho naked fowls, possibly to their deaths.
The average result is one pound of feathers
from three geese at one picking, or one
pound and a third TO a goose for the season.
During the winter months. when the
grass Of the Rlades is dried up, the geese
Join in one great flock and seek the fats
of the bay coast during the day, returning
at evening at a sign from Mr., Wheaton.
They rooSt In a yard adjoining their masters
home. Corn and other grain is fed them
when the bars beneath the water do not offer
enough food.
Mr.. Wheaton sells many Of his pets for
honkeTs, or live decoys. to gunners. Some
he eats, but none does he sell for the tables
of others.
In addition 10 the 400 pure wild geese
there are several hundred monEfels, a
cross between the white. or gray, domestic
goose and the Canada fowl. or these Mr..
Wheaton sells n great number each wear
for table use. The meat 81 these fowls u
improved greatly by the wild strain. The
mCngrcls grow TO n size not attained by
either the domestic bird or the wild one.