UTILISATION AND CURING OF FEATHERS. 



135 



much less. The receipts from feathers did not, 

 however, come to as much as we expected. 

 Mr. Rew gives a whole year's detailed account 

 of a 200 acre farm which sent over 10,000 birds 

 to market and spent ;£^25o on labour ; and the 

 feathers only amount to .£'14 in the receipts. 

 They were sold at 2^d., and except that 3d. per 

 lb. would rather increase the amount, it seemed 

 fairly representative of what was generally 

 realised in proportion. 



We interviewed a very large firm of feather 

 merchants and dressers, who repeated almost 

 exactly what Mr. Brown has said above, but 

 added a few points which are of interest. The 

 minimum quantity they ever purchased was 

 I cwt., and this rule they said was general. The 

 chief thing wanted in England was more 

 cleanliness, and more thorough drying-out of the 

 grease in the shafts before selling. Actually 

 raw feathers they now refused themselves, and 

 such as took them paid a lower price. Proper 

 drying and care would make on any lot a 

 difference of 20 per cent, in what they would 

 fetch. In their factory the feathers as received 

 are placed in a large tank of chemical solution 

 and thoroughly washed, thence when drained 

 from the water in a receptacle of perforated 

 metal, which is whirled round at a high velocity 

 and thus dries them, the drying being finished 

 in revolving steam-heated drums. When thus 

 perfectly dried, they are whirled round again 

 somewhat as at first, to drive out the dust and 

 re-curl them, after which they are sorted out 

 and mixed for sale, an air blast from the last 

 machine doing the first stage of sorting auto- 

 matically, as it carries different feathers to 

 different distances. 



Feathers may be home-cured in a smaller 

 way with considerable success, and it may be 

 useful to many to describe the best method. 



They should be kept for a certain 

 Home-cured time to dry ; then the quills and 

 Feathers. coarse feathers must be all picked 



out, and the feathers steeped in a 

 large tub of lime-water decanted clear from a 

 mi.xture of about i lb. of quicklime per gallon of 

 water. They should be well stirred about several 

 times in this, and left to steep for two or three 

 days. Take off all impurities first from tlie 

 surface of the liquid, and then take out the 

 feathers and drain them upon large sieves or on 

 a dean wire frame like a mason's riddle ; then 

 pass them through several waters, the first of 

 which should be hot, in the same way. Finally 

 dry them, first partially upon the wire, and 

 afterwards strewn out more thinly upon twine 

 netting stretched flat at a fair height in a warm 

 room ; tap this netting every now and then with 



Flesh 

 versus 

 Fat. 



a stick, and the dried ones will flutter through 

 to the floor. This sort of separation of the 

 individual feathers as they dry, and thorough 

 drying, after the first chemical treatment, are 

 the important details. 



We found a good many fatters, even in 

 Sussex, who seemed insufficiently acquainted 

 with what may be called the practical science of 

 feeding. Most knew better, but 

 some seemed to endeavour to get 

 as much food as possible through 

 the birds, so long as the latter could 

 stand it or did not go wrong. The result of this 

 is, that when a bird so fed is trussed a great 

 deal of internal fat is found, as well as deposits 

 of mere fat under the skin. The mixed meal is 

 far worse than the " pure " oats in this way, but 

 even with ground oats, only a certain amount 

 can be converted into flesh, which is the great 

 object — flesh evenly infiltrated with fat — and 

 any surplus can only form fat. This makes the 

 bird heavy in hand, but in the end the sender 

 gradually loses reputation for " quality," and his 

 price suffers. This matter of even flesh and 

 feeding is connected with that of the open- 

 air pens, which so many writers have deemed 

 questionable. Some of the Sussex fatters 

 have made experiments on the subject ; for 

 as a class they are wonderfully keen and 

 intelligent men, by no means slow to take 

 in ideas or to test them. It was a real treat 

 to us discussing points with some of them, 

 and to find what a high type of industrious 

 and often Christian families, both as regards 

 parents and children, this industry had created 

 and maintained. They have tried in-doors for 

 the early stage, many of them, and the uniform 

 verdict is that in spite of the greater exposure, 

 the out-door pens answer better, unless a shed 

 overhead is open nearly all round. Some of 

 these out-door pens are really picturesque, as 

 in the illustration on ne.xt page of those belong- 

 ing to Mr. D. Taylor, Cro.xted Farm, Framfield. 

 The fact appears to be that during the earlier 

 stages especially, it is above all things needful to 

 have vigorous appetite and digestion ; and the 

 fresher air, wider outlook, and consequent greater 

 activity, tend to this, especially in spring and 

 summer, and the birds lay on more flesh and less 

 fat in proportion. The shelter is, however, 

 pretty effectual, as can be seen, against wind or 

 driving rain, and in really bad weather is sup- 

 plemented over the pens. 



In regard to cleansing the troughs used in 

 front of these pens, one well-known fatter 

 had a curious plan, which may be usefully sug- 

 gestive. Extra troughs being provided, those 

 not in use were thrown into one or other of the 



