Show SALE OF OSTRICH PLUMES About 1S6T the ostrich was domestl calcd In South Africa and now a large irade almost entirely In Brlllsh hands wllh London as Its center has developed devel-oped In ostrich feathers Naturally the war supply has been greatly affected by the war and there will be a deficiency of nearly 51000 worth of feathers at time next sale at Mincing Jane the show preliminary to which opens tomorrow To these sales which take place six times n year buyers come from every part of the continent and even from America Over 500000 worth of feathers feath-ers are sold every year making an average of 135000 at each sale Since the cupture of Khartum thieve has been a steady supply of ostrich feathers from Barbary and though the South African feathers sllll command time higher price helm supremacy Is threatened by the Barbary feathers Some of the latter are nearly a yard In length and the Hue is so thick and heavy that it only needs to bo curled to be ready for use whereas It ofen happens that two feathers have to be Joined together to make iho plume retailed at milliners shops At Mincing lane the cost of the feathers feath-ers ranges from 30 shillings to 13 or 16 a pound weight The best wing fcatlt ers give about 110 to 120 In time pound and at the highest price this works out at less than 3 shillings each As many of the white feathers scarcely need cleaning and as dyeing and curling Is very Inexpensive either the middleman or lie milliner must reap handsomc profits fiom the fashionable weakness for these beautiful feathers The smaller small-er feathers from the tall and body of the bird arQ used for boas London i Chronicle i ± t |