OSTRICH FARMING IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1807, 5 April 1888, Page 3

OSTRICH FARMING IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

A report on the oatrioh farm, near Port Aogasta, given by the " South Australian Advertiser," contains some statistical information that is praotioally Important. The establishment, which belongs to the South Au=tralittn Oatrich Farming Company comprises several thousand aoreß taken by the company from the Govern* ment. The company got the fee simple of the land about two years ago and under the management of Mr Williams the farm is making progressive strides, and a promising return is In view. In September; 1886, the imported birds and those hatched on the farm numbered 360, and a year later there were no less than 470 ostciohes thriving on the run, including 75 obloks hatched that season. There were also 147 e gg 8 being att'fioally hatched and a large number were under Bitting birds m the breeding paddocka. Fiftyfive chicks and 45 old birds were included m the first plucking list season, and 1411 b of marketable feathers wore sent awny. The timo for plucking is determined by the age of the birdß ami the condition of the plumage. Until the birds are four years old they are not allowed to breed, and it la estimated at the prevent time the ostriches owned by the company, if rearing onntinuea to be carried on co successfully and rapidly as now. are sufficient to produoe more Btock than could be accomodated on the company's land. In Cape Colony, as nearly everybody knows, the industry has been wonderfully encoaßßful and we learn from a punphlot written by Mr Williams, who hfte had vaat experience In ostrich farming, that while m 1867 the ! Cape exported only £70,000 worth of. feathers, taken from wild birds, (n 1880, ' only 13 years later, the export of feathers ; had run up to the value of £888,032, and that m the enterprise a capital of no leas than £8 000,000 was embarked. The following report on the ostrich feather market, whloh is especially mii teresting In connection with the foregoing is given iv a Oape of Good Hope paper of January 14 : — " At a period when a marked depression has overtaken the feather market It is pleasing to note that really good pluokings realised fair prices. These remarks are induced by the sale of Mr J, O, Gardener's feathers at the municipal market on Wednesday morning. Some of the lines were large as will be seen by the following memo of transac-tions:-31b 10 a lons blacks, £4 2s 6d ; 6Jf,z do , do., £5 15a 5 6 z do,, £5 7s 6d; 2lb 9£ ; z medium black, £3 12s Od ; lib 2| >b prime "whites, £7 153 ; lib lO^ossdo., £8 ; li»- I'oz doi, £7 10s ; 6£ z do., £14 23 61 : 5j 2, do., £15 10a; 21b femlna, £4 10a ; lib llcz do., £3 10s ; 13£ os do., £6 53 ; and IJoz do., £10. Somo of these pluckings wero on view at the agricultural show, and the prices would certainly lead to the supposition that enterprising farmers ara rewarded for the etra attention and care they bestow 00 their camps, 1; .. f . . - }...■ ' f .. f « ■ V' »