Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-31

and cbaffed: barley and vegetables.
they make amends for their stupend-
ous appetites by growing at an amaz-
ing pace. Surprising that these little
creatures are soon after Matching time.
one foot in height in May, they VIII
be full grown by December. That
means TO say they shoot upward at
the rate of a foot a month and in
eight or nine months after leaving the
egg the birds will be as many feet in
height, often Weighing nearly 200
pounds and their plumes ready for the
factory.
During the breeding season the old
birds (they are four years of age be-
fore commencing to lay) are exceeding
~ vicious, and the greatest care must
be exercised even by their own at
PENDANTS in avoiding their fierce for
ward kick, which is powerful enough
to break a mans leg or smash through
q piece of by inch timber. During
the process of "plucking'' the plumes.
that danger is avoided by hooding the
old males with bag thrown over the
head, which renders them perfectly
quiet and docile.
The ostrich always mates for life
even in America! They are, after the
ecstatic dances and grotesaue emo
tons that accompany the nuptia1
hours of spring have passed away.
practical and unsentimental in their
married lives Even should lordly
sire with a blow from his terrible foot
STAY a displeasing wife in mo-
ment of uncomfortable temper he ac-
eepts the next one that is given him
with neither regret for the past nor
| joy for the future. The digestion OF
an ostrich is proverbial and domesti-
| cation seems rather to have enhanced
the power of that function than other
wise, for Mr.. Cawstons tan American
farmer) birds have distinct partial
ity for watch chains. lighted pipes.
speetacies or in fact any bright or
| colored articles worn by visitors who
are unwary enough to approach too
near the iron hurdling within which
| the birds are enclosed.
Another remarkable feature in
which the ostrich can claim distinc-
| ton is his swiftness as a runner. He
| IS not only the largest living bird,
but the fieetest on foot. If his wings
have become entirely rudimentary as
organs of fight he has been gifted
| by nature with remarkable speed,
Any one who has never seen one of
these birds save in the close confine-
| ment of geological garden can have
no idea of the pace with which they
can cover the ground when under
more natural conditions a1s
The most important and interest
Ing part of ostrich farming is after all
the harvesting of the plumes These
are taken from all parts of the bodies
of both sexes. even the young occa-
sionally yielding up their fluffy plum
age in ministration to the demands
| of commerce and fashion. But the
the finest of ell plumes are those taken
from the wings Of the oldest males.
These. the largest and most beauti-
fully euried feathers of two feet or
more in length and worth their weight
| in gold, are never single feather,
but are made up of several shorter
ones Not only is the shaft of one
eieverly fitted into that of the other.
but each individual threadlil<e plume
OF the webbing is elongated by the
| same means. the whole being euried
and exquisitely tapered. The pluck
ing "a trade term, for the feathers
| are always cut off, the stumps being
allowed to moult naturally Is carried
out every seven or eight months. The
birds are never left naked, as some
| suppose, and there is not the slightest
| cruelty involved. ILLUSTRATED Poultry
| Record