Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-09

jects to be found down In thfs country. ~
was located at Pasadena and It's purpose
vas to concentrate the rays OF the sun py
beat water in a steel boiler situated at the
focus and generate steam to run an engine
Il was not a success After several years
Of experiment Il proved to be irnpracticaoIe
and q few months ago the engine was
taken to pieces and carried back to Boston,
whore Il was erected. Smaller solar engines
arr In use upon the roofs Of many OF the
towns for the purpose Of heating water for
domestic uses A steel reservoir, or boiler.
Is placed upon q roof so that the rays OK
the sun can be concentrated upon II by an
arrangement OF mirrors. and the water -
kept hot all day.
Ostrich Breeding.
The ostrich farm still remains and is not
only a source of interest but OF great profit.
There is another at Whittier. only few
miles away. and several others IN different
parts Of the state. Ostrich breeding. both
for tho show business and for the feathers,
IL becoming a recognized Industry and pays
big profits. There are said to be moro
than 5000 birds In the United States. tho
original focks having been imported from
South Africa. They are scattered over
Arizona as well as California. The first os-
trich ranch was started at Anaheim. Cal,
by DR. Protheroe, in 1852. Since his time
several firms have gone into the business.
The largest Is located about ten miles
from Phoenix, AriZ., where Pearson & Co.
have more than 1.o00 full grown birds upon
a tract OF 100 acres OF land They derive
a revenue of from $4,000 TO 10000 a year
from the sale of feathers to the public and
young birds to geological gardens, public
and private parks and breeders
Each bird Is plucked every eight months
and yields an average of $50 in plumes.
The birds are worth $1oo each when six
months old. $3.50 when two years old, $3.50
when four years old and after that all tho
way from 5000 to $500 q pair. according
to their breeding qualities and the amount
of feathers they produce Some ostriches
produce a great many more feathers than
others. / have been told OF pair OF birds
down In Arizona which have yielded as
high as $500 worth of feathers every year
for some time. Here at Pasadena and at
other ostrich ranches large revenues are
derived by the sale of feathers to visitors.
The demand is so great that the proprietors
are compelled 10 supply IT by importing
feathers from South Africa, although they
are sold as II produced on the place. An
ostrich is first plucked when Il is six
months old. and regularly every eight
months thereafter as long as II lives, and
II usually attains a great age. There Is no
pain inflicted; no blood is drawn. but the
feathers are simply cut with pairs OF sharp
shears. A few months after being cut tho
the bird does not shed the dead quilts as
rapidly as 1T should they are plucked out
by hand.
Habits of ostriches.
Ostriches mate at four years OF age and
remain mated for life. They are usually
shut up in corrals by pairs during the
Matching season. The rest OF the year they
are turned out to pasture like ordinary cat
tie. At the beginning of the breeding sea-
son the male bird scoops a hole in the
ground three or four feet in diameter and
one foot deep. in which the female lays an
egg Weighing about four pounds every
other day until ten twelve are laid. In
the meantime the eggs already in the nest
are carefully turned by the male every
day, so that they shall receive the rays Of
the sun upon every side. After she has
finished laying the mother bird takes TO
the nest and remains upon II for forty-two
days. The father bird relieves her for an
hour or two every morning and afternoon.
Usually about co per cent Of the eggs hatch.
The chicks are about the size of an ordinary
full-grown hen, but grow very rapidly, at
least one foot month. until they have at
tanned their full height.
Antonio Apache, the well-known Indian
scientist, is arranging to establish, near the
ostrich farm at Pasadena permanent In
dian village, composed of families repre-
senting all of the western tribes living in
their native manner and engaged in their
native arts and industries as nearly uncor-
rupted as possible. 1t is proposed 20 permit
the Indians to sell their products to visitors
and maintain themselves in that way, while
the management will be reimbursed for its
expenditures by the gate money