The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-04
THE OSTRICH AMERICANIzED.
Big Bird is Now Reared In Five States.
american ReYieW Of Reviavs

Big Bird Is Now Reared In Five States.
American Review of Reviews.
The Western stock man and farmer is of
necessity pioneer and by nature anything
but conservative Not satisfied with reyo-
lutionizing methods of growing grain, rails
ms fruit and breeding domestic animals, he
has invaded the domain of the sportsman
and trapper, and claimed many of their
former subjects as his own.
IN texas ne Is breeding buffaloes and
crossing them with cattle. in Oregon. he
is raising Chinese pheasants, on Alaskan
Islands he Is farming foxes. and now, the
latest thing, he is growing ostriches in Ari-
iona and California calmly as his grand
mother raised chickens in Connecticut.
1t was transplanted Briton over in
South Africa, however, who really started
the business. The beginning was made
some time in the early eos, when a kaffir
six pairs of splendid birds and presented
them to Sir Walter Currie. commandment of
the mounted police. The birds thrive in
captivity, grew better feathers tnan
they did in their wild state and multiplied
Fortunes were made. and ostrich farming in
South Africa became an established indus
try.
Attracted by these successes, in 1882, an
enthusiastic adventurer in the by-paths Of
bound for New York with. 1t is SAID 200
Imagine a drove of these gigantic birds,
weighing from $50 to 900 pounds each, &C
customed to sunlight. the open range and
fresh air. tightly packed in wet dark lily
ventilated pens, on a floor that pitched and
NSeHNN.
voyage was time OF horror and death for
the birds All but a pitifui remnant per-
ished or the way. From New York the sur
yivors were shipped to San Francisco. where
only twenty-five of the original number ar
rived alive.
After time the birds underwent another
enforced journey. This time to farm
near Anaheim, in sunny Southern California
where, at least, the wanderers found con-
geial home.
During the next four years three more i'm
portations from South Africa were made
the total aggregating about 100 birds; forty
four of which. brought over by Edwin Cav
ston were destined to become the ancestors
of fully rs Fer cent. of the ostriches now in
America.
The last shipment from Africa was made
in 1901. when twelve gigantic Nubian birds
were brought to the Pan American EXPOSE
ton At the close OF the fair the herd
was divided half Of the birds being shipped
to ostrich farm in South Pasadena, Cal.
There are about zoo birds in California
farm in jacksonville. Fla one at Hot
Springs Ark, and another in Oregon. 1t is,
however, in Arizona that the business has
developed most rapidly. The farms in that
Territory are all confined to the Salt River
Valley near Phoenix, and contain about
s. 600 ostriches. The holdings run all the
way from six birds TO 1900,
The business is being systematiEed inc
energy of the less fertile bird Is allowed 10
expend itself upon feether-raising. The
increase is coming from the best stock The
result should be that not only should the
number of fertile eggs per bird be lhcreas-
ed but the quality of the feathers should
also show improvement.
So II would seem that these aliens from
Africa bid fair to become adopted citizens
/ or the United states They have taken out
naturalization papers and made themselves
at home They like climate, our food
| and our ways. We are rather favorabiy inn
! pressed with them.
certainly an animal which. aside from
his money making possibilities. is. at one
time the inspiration of the ballet dancer
the pillar of the Knights Templar Lodge,
| tho advocate of woman's emancipation, the
ally OF the Audubon Society. and the envy
of the dyspeptic, should be worth cultlva-
| ting.