CANTERBURY OSTRICHES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1731, 4 January 1888, Page 3

CANTERBURY OSTRICHES

( cc Ohristchuron Press "). It is old time>-honored ojstom to signalise the advent of a new recruit m the battle of life by the significant motto " Welcome Little Stranger." If one of our prominent citizens had acted upon this oustom he wonld have had to make the welcome m the plural, for no less than fourteen additions were recently made to his stock of ostriches. A few days back, at the invitation of Mr J. T. Matson, one of the members of the stvff of the " Press " paid a visit to Springßeld m order to interview the distinguished strangere. After a stroll round what may be called the outer domain, m which the parent birds were careering about, Mr Matson led the way, with pardonable pride, to where the fourteen ohloks were placed. This was on a suoa»ll grass plot, fenced m with wire netting. The birds are remarkably strong and nturdy, the largest—they wera then about a fortnight o'd — aboot the s : 55s of a turkey. They are covered with feathers of a peculiar appearance, looking more like seaweed — that brown and white ribbon Beaweed one gets on the dry sandy shore — and presented a most comical appearance. The young birds are rabid vegetarians, and made short work of a large hard-heart cabbage, wh'ch Mr Matson threw into their midst. These birds, numbering 14, have been hatched put from eggs laid m the sand, several heaps of which are plaoed m the paddocks where the old birds roam. Perhaps the term old birds is rather misleading, because m reality, though old as oompared <rith the new arrivals, which we went forth to see, they are of Mr Matson's own breeding, and fine upstanding birds they are. Formerly, as has been | already stated, Mr Matson need inouba--1 tors to batch out the eggs, but he has found that the natural method prodooes the hardleßt birds. The younpatero are quite able to look after themselves, and promise to be remarkably fine birds. This success of Mr Matson most satisfactorily solves the question as to whether ostriches can be reared m New Zealand. The old Birds are now nearly ready for plucking and carry some beautiful feathers, particularly some white nod some pearly grey. If Mr Matson has the same good look with hia next batch of eggs he will have quite a colony of ostriches at Springfield.