The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1906-03-30
CHICKEN FEATHERS,
Some of the Uses to Which
They Are Turned.
What Finally Becomes of the
Covering OF Ducks. Geese
and Turkeys.

One turkey supplies more different
grades of feathers than a seasons
receipts of turkeys show different
grades of turkeys,an although five
cents pound covers the range of
difference in value of the toughest
old tom turkeys and the plumpest
young hen, the feathers sell at five
cents a pound for the body of feath-
ers up to 40 cents a pound for the
fine tail feathers.
Local poultry men. says the lndi-
annapolis News, sort six to eight
grades of turkey feathers and the
buyers make even more assortment,
the feathers being used for as many
different purposes. The small body
feathers, which are used for pillows
and feather beds, are worth about
five cents a pound for common mix
ed. White feathers are worth
more. according to grade, bringing
generally about three times the price
paid for mixed feathers.
The fine tail feathers used for
busters are kept separate and sell
for about 40 cents pound and the
skirt" feathers are worth nearly
as much. The wing and point"
feathers are also carefully saved and
sold to manufacturers of feather
bone, and the larger ones find their
way to milliners, after being made
over. cleaned and dyed. Some of
the small feathers are made up into
artificial bird breasts and tails that
adorn countless bonnets. They may
cause the bonnet owners a twlnge of
conscience for wearing such a bea-
tiful bird when, in reality, they are
wearing a bonnet of cleverly arrang-
ed chicken or turkey feathers.
Duck feathers are worth about 35
cents pound for white. to 50 cents
for mixed. Dealers say the princi-
pal reason that goose and duck
feathers are worth more than the
finest turkey and chicken feathers is
that, aside from being fluffer, there
is an absence of odor to them that
cannot be overcome entirely in
chicken and turkey feathers. The
reason that white chicken and tur-
key feathers are worth more than
mixed, however, is that they are
available for mixing with the better
grades for pillows.
Most of the chicken feathers go in
the five to ten cents pound class, to
be used for cheap feather beds and
pillows, the white feathers being
saved separate bringing a good
premium over the mixed grades.
Fine tail and wing feathers are saved
separate, selling as high as forty
cents.
Feathers shipped from this market
are packed in bales Of 200 pounds or
in six-foot sacks. The tail and wing
feathers are usually packed in box
es and sometimes tied in neat bun
dies.
Five chickens will give pound of
feathers, and with indianapolis firms
killing two to three thousands chick
ems a day for home consumption and
shipment this market has nearly two
tons OF feathers q week to sell. A
weeks output can be packed in 20
bales, 4x5x3 feet each. but if the
feathers were left loose they would
fill a house.
A single carload of feathers ship
ped to Cincinnati the other day con-
tanned about six tons. They cost
the shipper more than $1,000. Gin
cinnati and Chicago are good buyers
of all grades of feathers, most of
the local shipments going to these
cities.
If y.u are troubled with Piles and
.ar'+ f,1 q cpra fry Witch Hazel