The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-06-21
USEFUL, THOUGH ABUSED.
A Short Chapter Concerning the Mepn""
Americana "A Valuable Far.

A Short Chapter Concerning the Mephitr
Americans Valuable Far.
Who has not heard of that little symphony
in black and white known ia fashionable
circles AZ the "Russia1 cat" but better
known by ornithologists and chicken eoops
az the areat American skunk webster say
the skunk ais nearly allied to the weasel on
the one hand and the otter on the otner,
but he might have gone farther and Jared
worse by saving that the skunk had the
bappy faculty Of making his presence fell
and smelt even in Egyptian darkness. on
the darkest night he can create commotion
altogether out Of proportion to his size
One OF the largest dealers in raw furs ID
New York paid tribute to the excenehc'e'
Of the great Mephitis Americana the o'heI
afternoon. and his story upon the fragrant
but highly useful bird WAS oi an interesting
nature. l.
1.-THE principal as well as the best iur IN
the United States" said he, lis that OF Tue
skunk. II is the most valuble as well as 'ne
most salable. In New England the SKUNK i
found mainly in Connecticut, New HamP
shire. Maine and Vermont, but WITHIN M
area Of fifty miles Of the town OF peroy' !"
Connecticut more skunks can he found thah
in all Massachusetts The animal lives largely
mon vegetables. and If the crops snoulh Oe
moor In one state they travel until they mo
a state where the situation is mora favorable
There they will breed and remain so long as
the vegetable crop remains good ms iact
has been woven into an adage by OH Trap
pers, who say, Poor vegetable crop poor
skunk year.
There are four grades of skins, which may
he described thus: No. |, all black, except
ing. perhaps, a white stripe on the heao, -
bought for 81 BY the dealer in raw furs; NO.
.. black, with short body stripes, 90 10 Do
cents: No. 8. black, with still longer stripes
than No 2, 80 to 81 cents, No 3, a regular
zebra for stripes, brings only ID cents.
The month when the skunk is IN the best
condition and when the fur is nearly perfect
ia November The fatter the animal Is the
more valuable is his fur During October
and November lie gorges himself from the
vegetable crops and becomes plump and
sleek The October pelts are what is called
blue and are but of little value. The Decem-
Der skins. while not SO valuable as the NO
yember article, are considered prime, ana
those obtained In January are about tne
same When spring opens the skunk is thin
and scraggy, and while outwardly the iur Is
as black as in the preceding months, next 10
the skin it will be found changed from
drab to reddish color therefore the March
skins are usually of very poor quality
The trap used in catching the animal Is wnat
is known as a dead fall" 1t is generally
baited with skunk flesh, that being consid-
cred the best.
The skins nearly all come to New York,
and many are shipped to England, but the
choicest are used in the United States
Therefore, all the small dealers try bard to
buy what is known as the November
skunk" The fur, which is cut up il strips
about three inches wide for trimming pur-
poses, is worth g to s4 yard The fur
market is affected by London sales. war
scare abroad causes prices to decline. New
York Press.