Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1907-06-28
MAKING FEATHERS GROW.
How Japan's Long-TaiIed Fowls Are
Coaxed to Secure Results.


Coaxed to Secure Results.
That the long-tailed fowl was early
in Japan is credible from the legend.
evidently Of abysmal antiquity, OF
Anna Terasu, the Sun Goddess, who,
having retired into a cavern, to the
intense discomfort of the world, was
nearly enticed out again by the crow
ing of long-tailed cock-to remind
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
fabulous bird resembled both pleas
ant and peacock, but it has clearly
the tail, and very luxuriant one, OF
the fowls of Tosa, in which every
feather, as the poetical Japanese re-
marks, resembles a leaf blade of the
mystical bamboo.
1t is known that In many kinds of
birds certain feathers continue to
grow until they are lost by melting,
and in all birds it happens occasion
ally that a feather may be molted at
an irregular time. Accordingly, it
follows that if fowls can be secured
which are irregular in their period of
Noting, let us say, the tail feathers,
these will continue to grow longer for
the reason that they have had long
er time in which to grow. From this
beginning it is now possible to infer
that by a process of carefully select
ing and breeding from those fowls in
which the melting season is sup
pressed in certain parts of the body,
1t would be possible to obtain vari-
ETY. 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 or
der to stimulate the growth of the
feathers. At the same time, the bird
should not be allowed to dissipate its
energy by leading an active life, or
to run unnecessary chances of break
ing the constantly growing feathers.
Thus l learned from the fanciers at
Tosa that it is customary to confine
the birds in relatively small cages
and to feed them often and with pc
culiar food. Details of the latter I
was unable to secure, although GER
tain hints were given me as to the
virtue of boiled unhusked rice, of an
occasional scrap of eel, and of diakOn
(giant radish) leaf. | fancy, though,
that any kind of poultry food may be
used But in this regard one is eau
tious in drawing hard-and-fast con-
clusion, because it is known that
feathers are subject to modification
various ways dependent upon food.
Thus the color of the feathers of GER
tain parrots have been stril1ingly
changed by the South Sea Islanders,
who feed the birds upon the fat Of
peculiar fish And canary birds are
given a reddish color under special
conditions, as by the fanciers in the
Hartz mountains.
In many cases, in order to avoid &C
cident to the long feathers, each fan
cier finds it, | am told, convenient to
coil up the longest feathers, and wrap
and tie them carefully in soft paper,
so that the bird runs a minimum
chance of breaking them. High
perches are emphatically advocated.
l have been told, not on the best evil
dence, however, that in some cases
the bird is confined in a tight cage,
so that it is not possible for it to
shift its position In this cramped
way, with the tail hanging down be-
hind, bird is said to be kept penned
up miserably for periods of months.
Certain it is that under favorable con-
ditions the growth of the tail feathers
can be forced by the fancier. Under
ordinary conditions, cock whose
tail measures five or six feet will
rarely grow longer feathers. For, by
active life, it is probable that grad
ual melting of these long feathers
takes place. On the other hand, mott
ing is more apt to be suppressed by
the unwholesome living of a bird
during the process of overlooking.
If, accordingly, cock whose tail
feathers are of the normal maximum
length is taken in training by
skilled fancier, he can, | am told,
stimulate a growth in these feathers
at the rate of about six inches per
month.-From Professor Bashford
Deans THE Long-feathered Fowls OF
Japan" in the Century