FEATHERS (FR., Plumes ; GER., Pedern).
The word "feathers " is applied in a comprehensive sense to the external covering, or plumage, of birds, without reference to the minor distinctions arising from the variety of form, and of industrial application, of the several portions constituting the whole. Feathers consist of epidermic growths, in the form of horny sheaths, scales, or plates. The most complicated are those termed " contour " feathers, from their governing the outline of the bird's body ; they are divided into the following parts :—(1) The main stem, or axis, composed of a proximal hollow cylinder, or "quill," containing a series of light, dry, conical capsules, imbedded, at its lower extremity, in the skin of the bird ; supporting (2) the " vane," which consists of (a) a four-sided solid " shaft," extending to the upper extremity of the feather, filled with a peculiar elastic substance termed "pith," slightly curved, of horny exterior, like the quill, most commonly single, but, in the case of some birds, supplemented by a second, usually smaller, "after-shaft," bearing (b) a number of lateral processes, springing from both sides, consisting of plates, arranged with their flat sides towards each other, tapering to points at their outer ends, and known as "barbs"; these are again provided with tapering processes, termed " barbules," which are themselves sometimes serrated in a similar way. Contour feathers are generally arranged only in circumscribed patches, and are rarely distributed evenly over the body. The first plumage of birds is but temporary, consisting of bundles of long, loosely barbed filaments, diverging from a small quill, and originally encased in a thin sheath, which crumbles away on exposure to the air. This covering of " down-feathers " is succeeded by the true feathers, a portion of the former being, however, retained.
The economic uses of the various kinds of feathers depend upon the development of their respective parts ; and these features afford a convenient basis for the division of this article into the following heads :—Common Feathers, Down, Ornamental Feathers, and Quills.
Common FEATHERS.—One of the most common and wide-spread applications of feathers is for the stuffing of beds and cushions. The essential qualities are downiness, and absence of bard shafts; for this purpose, therefore, the feathers of water-fowl, and, in a lesser degree, of domestic poultry, are best suited. The feathers are plucked from the recently killed bird, most commonly by hand ; but a machine, termed a " pectoplume," has recently been invented for the purpose. This consists of a table, on which the bird is laid, and of a wheel, whose periphery is provided with indiarubbef fingers or pickers, so arranged that as they come above the surface of the table, they pinch whatever they meet, releasing their burden as they pass below. The plucked feathers are assorted by the action of u. current of air, the light ones being blown over a sliding lip into a receptacle, while the heavy ones fall into a trough. The machine is worked by a treadle, and is said to pick a fowl in about a minute. The feathers cast off by birds during the moulting season are equally serviceable, and, as they are then very easily removable by hand from the living bird, might be plunked and utilized in enormous quantities, whereas at present they are wasted, to the value of many thousand pounds sterling annually. Feathers having strong, stiff shafts may be rendered useful by stripping off the barbs.
The bales of feathers, as received, contain much dust and sand, as well as animal germs, and coarse feathers. The removal of the first impurities is effected by beating with a stick (after drying), and shaking thoroughly in a sieve ; the vermin are destroyed by passing the feathers through highly heated rooms or stoves, which process also improves their appearance.
A novel application of feathers is their conversion into a textile fabric, as carried on by Bour guignon, of Donchery, Ardennes, Bardin et File, Paris, and others. The process adopted by the former is as follows :—The barbs of the feathers are first cut off by ordinary scissors, and are then placed in quantity in a bag, and subjected to a thorough kneading. In a short time, the mass beoomes a homogeneous down, of great lightness, and is then ready for the ordinary felting process (see Woollen Manufactures). About 1 lb. of it will make 1 sq. yd. of fabric, which is warm, light, waterproof, and durable, and will take any dye. The material may also be woven with cotton and woollen yarns. According to a second plan, the feathers are placed on a feed-table, whence they pass under a drum, set with lateral steel knives, which break the feathers; hence, they pass between three small rollers and a superposed fluted and chased irou roller, with a to-and-fro motion endwise, as well as a revolving motion, by which the reduced feathers are ground quite small, and, falling upon a travelling apron, pass on to a spiked drum, running within a cage, and destined to reduce any pieces which have escaped the rollers. The pounded feathers fall to the bottom of the machine, whence a fan removes them to a receptacle where they are mixed with wool in any desired proportion. Thence they pass to the carding and felting machinery. Bardin's method consists essentially in the manufacture of a chenille from feather-barbs. The fibres or barbs of the feathers are first stripped from their stems ; a thread of linen, cotton, wool, or silk, sized or not, is then stretched upon a table ; and on it feathers are laid transversely. A second thread is then stretched over the feathers and the first thread ; the two threads thus embrace the feathers in transverse position, and their respective extremities are attached or fastened. One of the joined ends of the two threads is then fixed to the table, while the other is grasped freely by the hand, or by a crank, and twisted, thus completing the manufacture of the feather chenille. This chenille may be employed, single or doubled, for trimming ladies' apparel, and for other purposes. To make a feather fabric, each twisted feather chenille is employed as an ordinary weft thread, and passed through the warp of any material, by a weaving machine, taking care, by means of a comb or brush, to raise the barbs or fibres of the feathers out of the warp threads. In this manner is obtained a material furnished on the exterior with feather fibres, similar to fur or plush. This fabric is very soft. To manu facture a feather fabric with a double face of feather fur, it is necessary during the weaving, when the twisted chenille is introduced into the warp, to raise or lift out above the warp, with a brush or similar instrument, a part of the fibres of the chenille, and to separate another part from beneath. By this method, is obtained a fabric furnished with feather fur on both aides, the warp being in the middle of the double feather fur. To give variety of appearance, feathers of different colours may be employed, and other filaments or materials may be mixed with them, especially when stuffs, rugs, and like products are made. The chenilles and feather fabrics may be subjected to the usual dressings and finishings if desired.