Evening journal., 1907-05-11
MAKING FEATHERS GROW.
How Japan's Lons Tailed Fowls Arr
Fed and coaxed For Results.

How Japan's Long Tailed Fowls Ar,
Fed and coaNed For Results.
That the long tailed fowl was early
In Japan Is credible from the legend,
evidently Of ahysmal antiquity, Of
ANA Terasu, the sun goddess, who,
having retired into a cavern. to the In
tense discomfort Of the world, was
nearly entlced out again by the crow
Ing Of a long tailed cock-to Umind
her, no doubt, that It was her usual
hour to appear Another somewhat
ghostly evidence Of the antiquity of
the breed has been cited IN the hoo
bird, which was pictured In Japan as
early as the eighth century. This fab
ulous bird resembles both pheasant
and peacock, but Il has clearly the tail,
and very luxurlant one, OF the fowls
Of Tosa, in which every feather, as the
noetlcal Japanese remarks, resembles
a leaf blade Of the mystical bamboo.
II Is known that IN many kinds OF
birds certain feathers continue 20 grow
until they are lost by molting. and in
all birds II happens occasionally that
a feather may be molted at an irregu-
lar time. Accordingly It follows that
/ II fowls can be secured which are ira
/ regular In the period of molting. let MS
| say, the tail feathers, these will con-
tinue TO grow longer for the reason
that they have had a longer time in
/ which TO grow. From this beginning
It Is now possible 10 infer that by n
process OF carefully selecting and
breeding from these fowls in which
the moltlng season IS suppressed in
certain parts Of the body II would be
/ possible TO obtain a variety IN which
the tail feathers would be much longer
than in other fowls.
A second but very important part of
the process consists in feeding the bird
to the maximum degree IN order to
stimulate the growth OF the feathers.
At the same time the bird should not
be allowed to disslpate its energy by
leading an active life or 20 run un-
necessary chances Of breaking the con-
stantly growing feathers. Thus learn
cd from the fanciers at Tosa that it II
customary TO coniine the birds I'm reln-
lively small cages and to feed them
often and with peculiar food. Details
OF the latter / was unable 20 secure,
although certain hints were given me
as to the virtue Of boiled unhusked
rice, OF an occasional scrap OF eel aud
OF diakon (giant radlshl leaf. 1 fancy.
though, that any kind Of poultry food
may be used. But I'm this regard one
IS cautious in drawing a hard and fast
conclusion, because It Is known that
feathers are subject 20 modification Ia
varins ways dependent upon food.
Thus the color OF the feathers Of Ger.
tain parrots has been strikingly chang
ed by the south sea islanders, who feed
the birds upon the fat Of a peculiar
FISH. And canary birds are given a red
dish color under special conditions, as
by the fanciers In the Harz mountains
In many cases. IN order 70 avoid ac
cident 10 the long feathers, ench fan
cier finds Il, / am told. convenient C
coil up the longest feathers and wraI
and tie them carefully in soft paper
SO that the bird runs a minimum
I NAAtAAN' va hANtAhAAAk AANAAH AAAAAA lNtANtli
1 are emphatlcally advocated. / have
been told, not on the best evidence
-, however. that in some cases the bird q
2 confined in tight cage, so that II Il
not possible for lt 10 shift its position
, In this cramped way. with the tai
i hanging down behind. a bird Is said Z,
be kept penned up miserably for pc
riods Of months. Certain IL Is that un
der favorable conditions the growth o
the tail feathers can be forced by th,
fancier Under ordinary conditions :
cock whose tail measures five or SIS
! feet Will rarely grow longer feathers
for. by active life, it is probable tina
a gradual moltlng OF these long feath
ers takes place. on the other hand
/, molting Is more apt 10 be suppressed
by the unwholesome living of a blrt
during the process of overlooking If
accordingly, a cock whose tail featherl
! are OF the normal maximum length 4
) taken in training by n skilled fancier
I he can, I am told, stimulate a growtl
/ in these feathers at the rate OF abou
r six inches per month. Professor Bash
e ford Dean in Century.