The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-07-29
FARMS OF CURIOUS KINDS.

FARMS OF CURIOUS KINDS.
Raising Skunks. Rattlesnakes, Rabbits,
Buffaloes, Dogs and Leeches.
Skunks are bred on farms in
Pennsylvania, New York and Con-
necticut. The skin and oil of a
ull-grown skunk will net the owner
at least $3.50. The skin goes to
the furrier, and the oil is deemed
by many sovereign remedy for
coughs, colds, consumption, and
so forth. The most successful
skunk farmer in the country lives
at Hamburg, Conn. He has been
called "the Deacon" so long that
few know his real name. And why
"Deacon?" Because he is the most
artistic user of expletives since the
days of army mule trains. HIS
favorite books are the Bible and
Milton, and the lofty denunciations
therein contained furnish the basis
of his sulphurous vocabulary. Yet
none is more tender-hearted and
charitable thar he. In the Orange
Mountains of New Jersey and
among the various rocky hills OF
Pennsylvania the rattlesnake is
treated as a deadly reptile. Rat
tlesnake oil is accounted good for
..rhenmat;z The farmers of Col
orado and Idaho, who have OF late
begun the rearing Of rabbits, will
hardly gain or merit the thanks OF
their neighbors. The fur has
market value, and canned rabbit
is not to be despised by a hungry
traveller, but, owing to certain ex-
ira endowments of nature, bunny
breeds so fast-having a litter OF
| FIVE at least once a month-as to
become pest equal in destructive
ness to the grasshopper. At least
this has been the experience OF
Australia and New Zealand, to
which countries rabbits were taken
by settlers from England. In the
. last decade New Zealand has ex-
ported 1OO,OOO,O00 skins and dur
| ing the same period Victorla's ex'
, port has been 100000. For
these over 100000 has been re.
: ceived, large sum, yet scarcely
enough to pay for the poison and
: powder needed to keep the rodents
from devouring the land. 1t is to
e be hoped that the Western expert
] ment in this line may not get be-
yond control.
Far different and quite praiswor.
thy is the attempt to preserve ano
, perpetuate the American bison
e Buffalo JONES'" of Kansas, tn
pioneer in this business, says only
two herds of wild buffalo now exist,
r and both number but twenty head
e The millions that once made th'
= prairie shake with their tremenc
/ Gus tread are no more. They wer
"wiped out" between 1871 ant
f 1875; when the railroads advanced
E the Indians retreated and the po
/ hunter could massacre wlthou
j. subiecting himself to the danger 0
d giving his noble prey chance 10
a existence. AT least 1000 butfaloe
e now live in safe captivity, and bre'
b with the domestic cow a race o
e valuable hybrids has been pro
n duced. Dog farms there are, bu
r they are devoted to the rearing Q
e fighting, sporting or fancy breeds
f Th ese bring high prices, and tn
e farmers, once they get reguia
s line of customers, are sure to a.
J. we'll. But the worlds great do
J. farms are in Manchuria. Their
y dogs are raised for their SKINS
5 which are sold to traders iron
i Northern Europe. A Manchurla
d who owns 1000 CANNES is though
l. to be fairly prosperous. Ii a pu1I
d is designed for food he must b
le strangled to death, and the eater
y, may not approach the temple 0
IS their gods for three days thereafter
]" Deer are preserved and fancy plf
cons ere bred by the wealthy, an
in North Carolina. on the Tar rive
J. not far from Greenville, there Is
q leech farm.-N. Y. Sun.