THE ENGLISH FEATHER MARKET. 93 



our growers, selection of the breeding birds would soon 

 remedy it. At the present time the demand is not 

 so much for lenorth of feather as for this fulness of 

 fluff; and the immense difference this makes in the 

 vahie of different parcels to the retail dealer can be 

 readily seen wdien we consider that with thin feathers 

 it will take three — one on the top of the other — to make 

 a good hat-feather, whilst with thick feathers it will 

 only take two. 



Tlie present fashions all run on light dyed feathers, 

 such as orange and blue, the colour being deep at the 

 base and gradually getting lighter at the top, white 

 feathers being scarcely worn at all. Within the last 

 few months a process has been discovered by which 

 the natural colouring of our femina and fancy-coloured 

 feathers can be extracted, and there is an establishment 

 in London where you can send feathers and have the 

 colouring removed for £6 a pound. It is this that has 

 caused the great drop in Avhite feathers, whilst dark 

 goods have kept up their price. 



We personally supply several dealers in different 

 parts of the Avorld with feathers, either grown by our- 

 selves or bought from other growers. Anyone interested 

 in feathers can communicate with us. 



