Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-09-07
nrson N. Rogers Writes Interest
innIy of Ostrich Farming
II Cape Colony.
SOMETHING ON FEATHERS.
The Hig. Uugainly, Ugly But Extreme.
Iy Valuable Birds As They
Really Are.

zion Boo Cape Colony, South Africa. MI
Rogers wrote the letter in Port Eliza
both and IL tells OF ostrich farming
and other things equally as novel The
letter follows:
"Os,rich farming forms one Of the
chief Industries In South Africa. When
rr1rarIy carried on &c o. source OF
wealth 20 the farm owners. but there
aIa of course cases Of failures as there
ara u an other pursuits But ON the
whole the owners az oBtriches aac
among the wealthy people OF the coun-
HAVE GOOD DIGESTION.
IAN ostrich farm may be the size Of
Liberty park or ten or twelve times
that size. or more, and IS enclosed by
8 wire fence II may seem strange TO
people az home 20 hear that birds are
Kept in place by only a string of wire
or Two. but that Is an &c takes 90 con-
fine ostrches Co the limits Of a mans
property. Large tracts OF land that
seem no good for anything are just the
places TO raise this kind OF birds. 10
makes no difference whether there be-
0U the land the cactus, aloes or mere
iy weeds and shrubs Anything that Is
at am digestihle. and many things that
acids. makes good food for the ostrich.
a good sized farm has several hun
dfed ostrichee They require very little
attention or care. and don't need elab-
crate barns or sheds for their protec-
t.on. In fact, about the only improve
uent a man need make, Is the fence
and a corral for pucking the feathers.
Up to date owners are now installing
incubators to raise more birds than
they otherwise could, and some plant
corn aud other grains that the birds
viii thrive better.
HUMAN OsTRICHEs."
1T is interesting to see young ost-
riches that have been Matched artih-
cially II is necessary to have a
mother TO take care of them, and to
lead them to the feeding grounds, so.
in the absence Of n real mother, a lit
dc kafiir Is substituted. II is no un-
common sight TO see a little girl with
her brood Of % to 20 ostriches 70 rear.
They soon learn the sound Of her voice.
and recognize her as their mother. II
10 should start to rain, the human fos-
ter mother would call the fenthered
children 10 her, and would then lead
the little things To- shelter. The little
kaWir stays with her family Of birds all
dav. only leaving them when they have
gone 90 sleep for the night, or when
they are busy eating for few minutes.
To is necessary for the young negress
90 care for her charge for few weeks,
or until they become large.
EGGS SELL READILY.
Feathers do not form the only
source OF revenue from ostriches. The
eggs are also put on the market and are
bought ina wholesale lots by bakeries
For culinary purposes ostrich eggs are
mixed half and half with ordinary
hens eggs. Too strong 10 use alone,
they make very rich eggs when so used. |
The bakers pay on an average is cents |
apiece for ostrich eggs. They then |
SCH the empty shell for ~ cents, maxi |
iuV the egg cost then only six cents, |
and they get the equivalent OF Is TO |
20 hens eggs from II. Some people |
like ostrich eggs as they are, and buy /
them al retail for about % or 80 cents |
apiece The egg has peculiarly wild, |
strong taste. which most foreigners |
dislike.
AN ordinary ostrich lays more eggs |
than common hen. and sets on l6 10 |
90. They hatch In AZ days. The first /
three OF four eggs laid are not good for |
Matching They are called Fat eggs,
and the hen absolutely refuses TO set /
on them. She win kick them out OF the |
nest having nothing 10 do with them. /
For cooking purposes the fat eggs are /
as good as any and look exactly Ike /
fertile eggs 10 man. but II they are /
Struggled into the nest, the hen will /
detect IT, and viii angrily kick them
out
BIRDS ARE VALUABLE.
Ordinary ostrichs are worth about
$50. bun thoroughbred prize takers.
for breeding purposes. are worth from
$4,000 to $1,000 "A pair. The birds
are pluckod for the first time az the
lF nina Ia ha ]
Ing only good for feather busters and
similar artiales Then they are pluck
cd every nine months thereafter The |
male bird produces the best feathers
for plumss he having white ana
black feathers but the female bird !
docs not have good pumes. An aver
age plucking Is worth S2h TO the own
or but exceptional cases are worth
many times that
FEATHER TRAFFIC BIG
Tho buying and selling of ostrich
feathers Us AN extensive business and
carried on much like mining stocks
Port Elizabeth Is the chief place Of !
..|e for them and so vast Is the |
amount ~ business done that there
hlH been large hall about the size
~. ine National Guard armory IN salt
.te erected for the feather market
I0" feathers are bought by auction.
l' mining stocks. al so much per
pound, varying from a few shillings
To overall guineas. In this CITY alone
over $4,000 $50, 000) worth OF foath-
are sold weekly. Buyers are here
IT the principal cities OF the world
a. The competition IS quite keen but
although this h. a center for the feath- |
p. industry ana the most important |
pace N production. good plumos cost
rIy az much as In Salt Lake civ.
i''t is. by retail.
ENPLoDEs OLD STORY
ou have am read IN your esoe-
IIoa how ostrichos are run dawn IN
nu horseback. ana how. when they /
nearly caught, they VIII bury their |
i' under the sand, thinking because
cannot see, they are not seon. |
..'Nk ] shall have 10 explode thai
myth. / have talked with MANY
VINO have chased ostriches nH
as. ana who know as much ahOut
cunning ostriches down. probably. as
'N, hut ] have yet tO see "a man
can confirm that old geography
lhr ostrichcs Viii keep on run
'nul they are caught but accord
'' ihe men who ought 90 know. they
Pr. rover bury their heads in the SAND
.H' other place.
SOMETIMES DANGEROUS.
IH'F say however. that ostriches
very dangerous birds MANY men
been killed by them literally
.. Ih pieces hV the lufurlufod hlrIa