Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-06-04
EASTERN SHORE PROUD
OF NEW DUCK INDUSTRY
Willis Morey Surprises Mem
bers of Stove League by
His Success.
TO RAISE 10000 THIS YEAR
Imported Oyster Hound Helps TO
Guard the breeders, While Cream
'0l0rtd Ill1kutee Proves 50 Re
Good Thief Catcher.

Guard the breeders, While Cream
! '"lortd IlliLutee Proves 50 he
Good Thief Catcher.
! ONANCOcK, VA. June a.-Folks
around here have had their minds so
set upon growing bumper crops Of
Irish potatoes. sweet potatoes and
strawberries. that they have lost sight
ton. and it has been left TO n man
! from the old Bay State. Willis Morey.
Of "Baws,on." to show that the East
! ern shore Of Virginia, is an ideal place
for raising ducks and other water
fowl.
FIRST serving an apprenticeship on
"A large Long Island. y. y, duck farm.
where. as Morey says. they raise 60
many ducks that some OF the children
are now born with web feet-he came
To Onancock 10 spend a vacation on
ms fathers truck and fruit farm.
situated AT the head OF Onaucock
Creek. with plenty OF water Soil with
good drainage and close to the steam
boat wharf, the spot seemed Jus,
| right for a duck farm
| however Morey entered the navy
turing the war. but Immediately the
armisticc was signed, and he received
ms discharge. he joined his parents
! ana commenced the erection OF Incu
l hator cellar. breeder-houscs etc All
| OF which aroused doubts in the minds
| OF most Of the members OF the various
| chapters OF the stove League. which
| meet nightly at many OF the town
! stores.
To Hnise 10000 This Year.
| It's All right 10 Keep flocl; .t
| twenty-five or so Of puddle ducks
but the boys throwing his money
away TO try To raise more than thar
r,'., IN siut the market and We
| won't be able to ship any OF our
duck eggs" That was when Moray
mad a flock OF fifty or SO. breeders
/ padding over the creek This vear
he expects TO market $4,000 TO "a. 900
doubling his last years output. and
now. when stranger arrives in town
the frst thing they ask him Is. Have
you been out to the Accomac Duck
Farm YETI
| white Picking. and by careful selec-
ton. has improved his stock liz
markets the young ducks or green"
hucks as they are called. when ten
! weeks old. His birds average four to
Tour and n half pounds at that age.
When the elder Morey is not busy
on MS own work OF looking after one
OF the largest orchards on the East
cFh SHORE, he helps Willis in the
construction OF buildings Watches
! the incubators. etc, but Il has been
essentially a one-man Job. Two Other
helpers young Morcy has. who must
he given credit. one is 4 cream-col-
orcd illikutee and the other an i'm
ported oyster hound.
Hound Guards breeders.
me latter is special guardian Of
'"c iI"ck or breeders. which when it
assumed such proportions and sailed
en- masse out OF Moreyw cove into
onancock Greek proper that spe.d
boats and other craft had IN SLOW
down or get their propellers fouled.
TINS shaggy amphibious collie pad
"ied quickly about or rounded up TIC
ilocR ana brought them home
me oyster hound was gift from
friend OF Morey's. Captain Habak-
kuk Hallihutton, who is now wireless
operator at Bailey's Point. but was
AT one time engaged in flibustering.
and picked up the dog al n puppy.
| The illikutee became. a member Of
the Morey domicile under peculiar
circumstances. Willis had heard that
iish eagles were especially fond OF
| ducks. and sighting something cir
| cling over the flock one evening
grabbed his gun and fired shot.
| The bird fiuttered down with n broken
| wing. and Morey found he had made
! q mistake. II recovered from it's in
Jnries and soon made itself at home.
because OF its unusual appearance,
| Wills knew II was not native wild
| iph
| identify it. However. when he called
| over for his friend John T. Borum.
| editor OF the Accomac News. John
who served in the 4. +. F.. In France
and Germany, recognized II at once.
as ne had seen several OF the species
abroad, where they are stewed in
! Rhine or Moselle wines
The bird though easily handled by
Morey and the family. is pugnacious
and suspicious of strangers.
Captures Duck Thief.
Recently. when the county had an
overflow OF colored help for straw
| berry picking, the Morey family was
aroused late one night by shricks of
distress. combined with the growls of
| the oyster hound and the uuacking
of the ducks. Lighting lanterns and
/ running TO the duck pens, Willis and
ms father found n strapping darkie
| spItau ehSicu on the ground, with the
| oyster hound busy at the seat of ac-
| ton and the illikutee showerinG the
| PROSTATE mans head with blows from
its beak and wings. The darkie. adj
mitted he had been trying to get
few ducks. but ''de debbil VIII wings
grabbed me when all dun open de
doah."
Morey is anxious to get pickers as
| he plans to kill and dress the shin
ments Of birds this year, but SO many
Of the darkics have heard of the fero-
ciousncss Of the illikutee that they
are hanging back. though good
picker can easily make So to Sc n day.
In addition to being n quick matur-
ing crop. ducks produce n valuable
amount OF fertilizer. inadvertently
willis spread so much OF 1t on the
elder Morey's asparagus bed this win
ter, that, when the "grass" COM
menced to grow, his father had to use
reaper to keep 1t cut for market.
And where they spread IT on the corn
field last season. 1t became necessary
to borrow the scaling ladders from
the onancock Fire Department, be-
fore the hands could top the fodder
to gather the corn.
BY hard work. long hours. and con-
1