Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-09-26
TICKLE DAME FAsH|ONIs
AIDING AMERICAN CAPITAL
Ono Result OF tho Ostrich Feather
Being Rcsto1ed to Popular
Favor.
Especial to Tho Times-Dispatch.1

Especial to Tho Times Dispatch
NEW YORK. August 2s.-The
latest decree OF Damo Fashion re-
storing the ostrich feather to favor
has quadrupled the value of the i'm
portati.n and greatly Increased ~.
value or tho American capital Invest
cd in the ostrich Industry. The value
or the ostrich feathers iinported into
me united States in the fiscal year
CITY Bank of New York. was s.. 500, 0On
against little over 100000 lin 1871
and S1'O.00O in 1918, and with this
ad no IN o demand and price the value
OF the lu'VO0 ostriches In tho United
states has correspondingly increased
and runs well UP into the millions
of dollars.
The ostrich industry OF the world.
been extended from the original home
OF the ostrich. the wilds of Africa. To
several countries having n suitable
climate. and the United States. Argen-
coming rivals of the ostrich farmers
OF British, French and German
Africa. which. however. sim Supply
the bulk OF the $4,000, 900 to S2o,o6o.-
nuaily entering world commerce. The
imports OF ostrich feathers into the
United States alone since 1900 have
aggregated nearly s60.0Oo.oOO, ana
r wsrs @ nSoay s rST ono 10 the war
mum. but dropping to about one tenth
OF that value in the closing years OF
the war.
africa and Southern Asia were APP
ostrich. but he Is now only found
in the native state ina the little IRE
nuented sections OF Central Africa.
the ease with which he can be do
mesticated. however. led to the estab-
lishment of large ostrich farms in
British. French and German Africa In
the second half of the nineteenth cen
fury and their successes soon led TO
sainisaF ,S SddhGir r, in the United
Argentina. While the South African
Interests sought to prevent this NV
pTohibit!ng. the expectation OF os-
riches or their eggs, limited num-
as early as 1882 and established on
farms in Southern California and
Arizona, where they multiplied with
such rapiditE that the last shipmcnr
to the United States occurred in 1901.
while the census of 1910 showed 5.36I
ostriches in the United States, with
valuation OF Si.696,ooo. In 1918 the
las presumably reached 10000 or IT,
200 at the present time. since the in
1ustry has extended from California |
and Arizona into several OF the South
soNtNtS, leSaS. AllOl |
and Florida. and the value OF the
capital invested correspond!ngly m |
creased. The industry wherever r,-
.ahlished has proved financially at
The application of modern scien-
life methods to the habits OF the
ostrich has Increased their contr,-
buttons TO the markets of the world.
40 longer are the parent birds ncr-
nitted 10 waste their time Matching
he eggs or caring for the chicks. for
he egsa arc passed as fast as pro-
iuced TO big artificial incubators, and
is consequence the number OF eggs
Produced by given number OF birds
,as doubled. The ostrich farms OF
Erica are now estimated to have
bout 100000 busy ostriches. while
hose OF the United States, Mexico.
south America and Australia are
a pidly increasing their supply the
choicest white plumes OF the ostrich
IRE the tips of the wings of the male
'ird, those, OF the tail are of slightly
over grade. while the more modest
gray feathers OF the female are also
marketed: but at a somewhat less
'-ice. The birds WELD crop o,
Gathers about every eight mor.,s