LO 
D. FratrHerR OPERATIONS. 
1. Plucking.—Plucking is the term used when the feather as a whole, 
that is, both plume and quill, is taken from the socket. Farming prac- - 
tice varies much as regards the extent to which plucking is carried out. 
Some farmers pluck all the short stuff, that is, tails, blacks, and drabs, 
while others clip them. 
2. Clipping.—This is the term employed when the plumes and a short 
portion of the quills are clipped, leaving the remainder of the quill in the 
socket to ripen. Clipping is adopted instead of plucking in order to secure 
the plumes as soon as they are fully formed or ripe, and thereby prevent 
the deterioration which takes place if they are allowed to remain on the 
bird until the quill is fully ripe. The wing-quills, both whites and feminas, 
are always clipped, while practice varies as regards the short stuff, this 
being either clipped or plucked. 
3. Quilling or Stumping.—This is the process of drawing the ripe 
quills or stumps from which the plumes have been previously clipped. 
The process of ripening the quills after clipping usually takes about two 
months. The new crop commences to form immediately after quilling, the 
feathers showing at the lip of the socket in about a month’s time. 
4. Sorting.—In preparing the feathers for sale the various kinds and 
qualities of feathers of each bird are separately sorted and tied in bundles 
according to the sorts given under ‘“‘ Trade Classification of Feathers. 
E. Tue CommercitaL CHARACTERS OF A FEATHER.—“ Ponts.” 
Ostrich Feathers differ greatly in appearance and value according to 
the possession of various characters. In any feather an expert can deter- 
mine these at a glance, and can readily arrange the different classes in their 
relative values for trade purposes. In careful judging of plumes, particu- 
larly for Stud-Book purposes, different values or percentages are assigned 
for these qualities, or “ Points” as they are termed. The various charac- 
ters determine the commercial value of a feather, and are those which the 
breeder endeavours to secure. They can be analysed as follows : — 
1. Length.—Other characters being equal, a feather is valuable in pro- 
portion to its length. For some purposes, as for making feather-fans, a 
short compact plume is needed; but, in general, a feather increases greatly 
im value according as it increases in length, assuming that the other points 
remain equally good. The length of a plume is necessarily determined by 
the length of the shaft or rachis, the length of the quill not being taken 
into consideration. 
2. Breadth.—In a similar manner a feather is more valuable the 
broader it is across, other characters again being equally good. Length 
and breadth combine to make a large feather, and the largest feathers com- 
mand the highest prices, though, of course, the demand for long or short 
feathers varies somewhat with fashion. In the manufacture of feathers 
it is possible to construct a feather of any length by adding others to it, 
but there is no such means of increasing the breadth. The length of the 
barbs is the factor which determines the width of a feather, and also the 
‘angle at which they come off from the shaft. In the best feathers the 
barbs come off almost at right angles, while in inferior plumes they are 
inclined upwards and towards the axis. No constant correlation seems to 
oceur between the length of a feather and its breadth, and often very long 
feathers are of little value by being narrow and stalky. The two sides 
should be of equal breadth, and a slight depreciation occurs where one 
side is narrower than the other. 
