The record-union., 1894-12-08

female skunks, until the air seemed to be
ready 1or some terrible explosion, so
laden was it with fetid odors. The
skunks fairly seemed TO swarm over the
OLD man, as he scattered their food right
ana LETT and finally emptied the pan,
when each, with its reeking morsel,
again disappeared under the old barn.
lhey'H suck the blood out of it, then
they'l go to sleep,' said the old man, as
Che iast OF his uncanny pets disappeared.
ou see," he said, ''Pve got every
SKUNK from all over the township; come
right here to me to be in due time stripped
OF his hide to furnish some young lady in
the city with an Alaskan sable muff or
poa. All | do to breed them is to feed
them and let them alone. The Lord gives
me the increase"
Now, Uncle ST." said my friend, "you
nave toId us how you breed your skunks
ana we have seen the Critters but you
haven't told US how you kill them when
you want to send their pelts to mark et,"
"Oh, thaps easily done. | just whistle
to them, and such as l can pick with my
hands l hold sponge saturated with
cnlorolorm TO their noses for minute;
then drop them in a barrelo of water to be
sure they won't come to again. Those that
VIII not allow me TO handle them / ap-
proach with the deadly sponge fastened
to the end OF a long wand and when [
| OF 1t and that generally fixes them.
II L don't knock them out this way
l shoot them with an air-gun that will
throw dart sharp like a needle, always
shooting them in the head, SO as to kill
them instantly. The gun makes no re-
port. never allow gun loaded with
powder to be fired on the place, as it
would frighten the animals and cause
them TO scatter"
Mr. Rapelyea then called the attention
OF the reporter to the fact that the animals
had but little white fur on them.
That" said he, rs the result of breed
ing. 1t was long time before l learned
to raise black skins. When | did L
| promptly killed all kittens which showed
an over-abundance OF white, as it does
| not pay to raise them. The white fur IS
neither so long nor so thick as the black,
and by wedding out the white animals
soon had race Of breeders which were
up to the maximum in black fur''
lie said the best skins were to be had
just before the animals began to prepare
for hibernating. Then the skins will be
| filled with the long, thick underfur, and
the tails so much in demand for the long
hair, which is made into what is known
! as Alaska sableS, will be full and thick,
During the latter part of November or
| early in December the animals will seek
their holes, where, with an occasional
rad during the winter months on some
chlcken-coop, they will hibernate until
spring. Then the slaughter VIII begin,
the hides will be stripped of, rubbed we'll
with salt and stretched on the sunny side
OF the old skunk barn. After few days
OF sizzling and frying in the hot sun
they viii dry hard as bone, and in a
few days later they find their way
into the wholesale establishments in
Mercer street, New York, to find their
of fi,r
dresser, to be tan cured and cut into boas,
mufIs and cloak trimmings
There are only three known skunk
farms in the United States. One is in
Bucks County, Pa; another at Prairie
Depot, Ohio, and the third the one Just
described. Undoubtedly there are
more, but it is doubtful ii there are any
as fruitful in the production of the malo-
dorous quadruped, as Uncle ST Rapel-
yeas, in the Valley of Mongaup. -
Henry Blach Ingram, in New Y ork Ad-
yertiser.