The Hattiesburg news., 1910-02-07
.PLUCK|NG LIVE GEESE
An Operation Necessary to Pro-
cure Good Feathers.
LOCKING THE BIRDS WINGS.

This Trick Performed and Their Leas
sandased Together, the Helpless
Geese Are Ready, If Not Willing, Vie.
Tins For the Expert Piekers.
YES" said manufactures and deal
er In bed furnishings, ut is necessary
that goose feathers should be taken
from the live goose if we are to study
the health and comfort of people who
think they must have feather beds and
pillows. Dead goose feathers are not
much better than husks to lie on and
have not that great virtue of husks-
wholesomeness.
"They say 1t doesn't hurt a goose to
pluck 1t, but 1t seems to me that one
might as well say that it wouldn't hurt
man to have his whiskers yanked out
by the handful. The reason they give
Tor believing a goose doesn't suffer
when its feathers are being plucked
out of it is that 1t never squawks or
squeaks or makes a fuss while the
plucking is going on.
Now, believe it hurts goose like
the mischief to have it's feathers pulled
out. coming as they do from the ten
derest spots on its body, and the rea.
son the fowl doesn't utter any protest
prompted by pain is, according to the
way have sized geese up, because ii
Is such a blame fool. A goose will
squawk and clatter and cackle as if it
were suffering more agony than u
horse with the collie just at the mere
sight of you. but If you corner it up
and pelt it with stones it seems to for
get that it has a voice and will take
all the punishment you give it without
further word.
"The Pennsylvania Dutch farmers
pluck geese today just the same as
their forbears did time out Of mind,
and don't know as there is any other
way. 1t certainly couldn't be made
any pleasanter for the goose unless
the plucker held chloroform or some
thing like that to its nose while the
plucking was going on. The geese to
be bereft of their feathers are first
got together in an inclosure used for
the purpose. The perspicacity Of
geese may be strikingly made known
to you when they are being rounded
up in such an inclosure if there should
happen to be a knothole in one end OF
1t, the door being at the other. Thai
door may be six feet high and three
broad, but goose after goose will ig
more it and try its best to get through
the knothole. Induced, though, to tr!
the door. every goose will bob its heat
down as 1t passes through for fear O
knocking it against the top Of tn
door jamb, six feet above.
There is a man or a boy in ever
neighborhood where geese are plucke
who is an expert in getting the COOS
ready for the process. Not every on
can do that. The wings Of the goos
have to be locked together by a pecu
lar arrangement of the two near th
shoulder, and, while they are not tie
or fastened in any other way, the loo
is such that no goose can unlock i
The goose's feet are tied together wit
broad band of soft muslin. Then
is ready for the plucker.
"The pluckers, who are almost a
ways women, go among the geese wit
their heads dnd faces entirely covere
with hoods fastened around the nee
with a shirr string There are holes
the hoods for the eyes and also at th
nose to supply fresh air for breathing
From the neck down the pickers al
covered with q glazed muslin garner
to which no feather or down will clin,
The pluckers will sit on low stoo
around a large and perfectly dry tul
Each takes in her lap a goose mad
helpless by its interlocked wings an
bound legs and with rapid plying G
her fingers separates the feathers frol
it. This is done with such skill. thoug
that the plucker rarely breaks tt
J goose's skin or causes blood to folio
the plucking out of a feather. The a
is constantly filed with the light feat
: ers during the plucking, but they Sc
! tie into the tub at last.
, But there isn't as much call for Il
, goose to undergo this raping of !
= feathers as there used to be. Not OIL
pound Of goose feathers is used toda
{ where there were fifty pounds twent
five years ago. Odd as it may seer
: asthma and hay fever long ago bega
: to have good deal to do with decrea
= ing the demand for feather beds al
, pillows. 1t was discovered that asst
ma and hay fever had an affinity f
such couches and head rests; th
| nothing would start an asthmatic G
| for a cheerful nights wheezing .
quickly as feather bed. This disco
| cry spread. and the goose owes a gre
deal Of its Mter day comfort to Il
, asthma."-Detroit Free Press.