Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-11-15
OSTRICH FARMING.

The chief objection to the wearing OF
ostrich plumcs upon lhdica' hats Is the
| mere matterfof expense. We admit the
beauty of these feathers. also that TO
| wear them does not signify. a. IN other
canes. the death of4th BIRDS that bear
| them. II feathers are 10 be worn at all.
| therefore, those of the ostrich or tho
chanticleer should be chosen. To wear
other feathers simply makes our women
| accessory to the murder of beautiful
birds, which It is. for many reasons.
desirable To let live.
Since ostrich feathers. however. can
be worn without insuring this tndct-
Interesting information conce, ming the
ostrich industry, MS recently reported
from several parts of the woi Id.
Ostriches furnish one of the most in-
portant features In The industrial life
of Cape Colony. Fabulous prices are
paid for fancy pluciinss from we'll
known birds while 5000 has been paid
fol-, n single bird for stock purposes.
For many years the more progress
siyc farmers throughout the whole Of
South Africa recognized the necessity
and wisdom of establishing some sys-
TEN Of registration Tor imported stand
ard bred stock for all colonial stock
bred from Imported registrations and
also such other conn.nl-br stock as
should measure UP 10 arcquircd stan.
dard to be determined by COMMITTEES
n rf,ntnnCt ion
with n committee OF practical breeders
cane Colony hns not permitted the
expectation OF ostricheG or eggs for sew
eral years or the ground tiat such ex-
portation would endangcr her supreme
ncy in the feather market, II is not
considered probable that amy change
in this respect will he made under the
Union of South Africa. In the forty
years or moro that the ostrich has been
domcstlcatcd many changes have &C.
cnrred in methods OF feeding, plucking.
and propo cation. while experiments arn
continually conducted to devise more
scientific methods.
Much has been written ana said rc-
Eardng tho production of inferior
feathers. That such feathers arc con-
tinually produced is amply proved b.
the tremendous variations in prices of
feathers of the same classification. All
feathers in the district are sold at
public auction OH regularly specified
sale days. European or American buy
crs are usually represented by local
buyers who ordinarily receive 2}S rel
cent commission on all purchases. In
addition to this commission the foreisn
buyer is expected to pay sorting, pack.
ing, and insurance charges.
AS illustrating the differences in
prices. nj recent sale rrimc whites
sold at Sl15 to $500 per pound Prime
whites taking the first nrize at the
Port Elizabeth annual exhibition wee !
sold for $i4o per pound This latter
OF course, was really y fctitious value.
based upon combination OF sentiment
and real value
In Egypt, ostrichcs may be hunted
and captured for the purposes of cs~
trich farming, but NAV rot be killeu
These birds nre quite generally distrio-
utod over the Sudan couatry.
Living specimens for geological pLr-
poses, collections ntc.. are subject 10
an export tax of about $40 ger head
The ordinance does not contemplate the
export Of Gstrichcs Tor commercial p,n,.
poses other than fer, collections, and
special authority for such could only
be granted by the encouragement.
The regulations of German South