JuNR 1,1809.] Siippkmenito the " Trqjiml AgricuUurifit." 
887 
The highest yield was obtaiiie'l where uU three 
of the plant-food ingredients had been applied, and 
on these plots a very good after-effect was pro- 
duced in the senond year. Phosphoric acid proved 
very beneficial, espechilly upon the yield of grain. 
Professor Poggi, Eivigo, makes the following 
recommend;Uions for tlie quantities of fertilising 
materials to be applied per acre : — 
For New For Exhausted 
Fields. Fields. 
Salphate of ammonia ... 89 0 1b. 178 1b. 
Acid phosphate (16 per 
cent.) ... ... 222-5 „ 858 „ 
Muriate of potash ... 44 5 „ 89 „ 
267 to S-')6 lb. plaster or slaked lime should be 
applied to soils deticieat in lime. In case of light 
soils, the qii intity of muriate of potash applied per 
annum should not be less than 89 lb. 
However, too much potash should not be applied 
to water rice, as this ingredient produces sa 
luxurious formation of straw at the expense of the 
yield of grain. American rice-planters always re- 
comraeud large quantities of potash for upland rice, 
holding that this is necessary to obtain a heavy 
yield of grain. 
Mr. C. K. :McQuarrie, of De Fiuiiak Springs, 
Florida, holds than the presence of empty husks of 
upland rice i-: due to a deficiency of potash. 
OSTRICII FARMING. 
The April number of the N. S. IF. Gazette con- 
tains an interesting account of an ostricl' farm in 
embryo in that Colony, which is owned by a Mr. 
Barracluff, a feather manufacturer (plumiere) by 
profession. The writer (Mr. ^7. S. Campbell) 
mentions tliat when he first saw the birds (nine in 
nunaber), they were comfortably spr.nvling and 
squatting about, basking in Che sun, on the sand, 
which seemed hot enough to wast their great 
bare thigiis. Tlie enclosure in which they are 
confined is abont quarter of an acre in extent, 
fenced in witli a liigli fence, and contained but few 
trees. In a smaller enclosure is a large shed for 
use in time - of he.ivy gales. 
The ostriclies are fed on bran, carrots, green stuff, 
&c., and behind the shed is what is ktiown as a 
boneyard, wliere broken bits of bono, of whicli 
the birds are said to consume an incredible quan- 
tity, are provided. 
Jir. Barracluff owns eleven acres of land, and 
thinks by properly managing liis birds that lie 
can increase liis stock considerably and breed 
yiumg birds for stocking another farm. He has 
great faith in o-trich-farming becoming a profit- 
able indnstrj- in the Colony, provided tlie necessary 
attention be given to the birds, for they should 
not be allowed to roam abinton large areas, bur be 
kept iu smalli).iddjcks and changed about frequently 
from one paddock to another. He considers that 
Want of care in this respect lias caused ostrich 
farming at th« C q)e to become far loss profitable 
than it .should be there, and tlir.t the ostrich 
feathers have deteriorated in quality owing to 
continuous in breeding. 
In Xow Zealand and South Australia ostriche; 
are kept iu considerable numbers, and succeed a? 
well as they do in their native countries. 
The birds imported by Mr. Birracluff arejii-t 
two years old and m ly be considered almost 
chickens, but it is found tliat already their feathers 
are of excellent quality, and what is of considerable 
iuiportance, they have no "spandora" featliers, or 
feathers with imperfect tips de-cribed as "airy 
tips," and already feathers from these birds have 
been made use of to adorn hats. The featiiers 
now on the birds are really equal in quality to 
three-year-old feathers. The feathers are in 
reality not pulled from the wings, but are cut, 
and in course of time the butts fall out, so that 
the birds suffer no pain whatever. 
Mr. Barracluff is of opinion that feathers could 
be produced in New South Wales far cheaper than 
they could be imported, and the quality would be 
much better than half those imported. He is very 
much pleased with the beautiful appearance and 
texture of the feathers now growing on the birds. 
He has been en^^aged "manufacturing" feathers 
in Xew South Wales for about fifteen years. The 
term " minufacturing " really means the making 
up of feathers into commercial articles, and this 
involves various processes «uid much delicate 
labour. When one is informed that some of the 
hats worn by ladies cost as much as £'8 each in 
ostrich feathers, and that some fans cost as much, 
it can be understood how ostrich farming pays ; 
aiJd it is stated that there is an increasing demand 
for feathers in the fashionable world, with the 
probability that in the near future the huge 
gardens of gaily-coloured flowers that are carried 
about our ladies' hats will give place to the more 
graceful plumes of the ostrich. 
Ostrich feathers, in the trade, are known as first 
white, second white, and third white, prime ; 
first, second, and third feminas ; best long black, 
medium black, and short black ; long and short 
drabs; long and medium byock ; white bows or 
tail feathers ; femina bows ; speckled and grey 
black butts; and moss and floss of all the above 
ranges. 
An ostrich produces annually twenty white 
feathers on each wing, as well as four grey 
feathers, thirty-six white and twenty-four black 
on the tail, and many featiiers on the body which 
are made use of. The annual produce from each 
bird that has been well and properly carevl for, 
and not knocked about, should be worth £10 ti) 
£15. ilr. Barracluff' thinks thiit if the ostrich 
industry is tak;n up in New South Wales, the 
prospects of a trade to London are {.romisinp, 
provided thefeathers are good and properly classed, 
for the differences in quality anil weight are enor- 
mous ; and it fretiuently occurs in the feather trade 
(as in other trade-) that the very best ones always 
seem to shake up to the top, the inferior ones 
hiding themselves in the middle of the packages. 
This lias a depressing effect on buyers, who become 
suspicious, and the consequence is low prices. 
There is a good deal of misappreheiisim ab'Vit 
the dangers of ostrich farming. Tlio birds are 
quiet enough except during the nesting season 
when a good deal of caution has to 1><> oli-t-rv^d 
in handling the birds. 
