The Washington times., 1895-05-05
ANOTHER SKUNK FARM.
A West Virginia Man To Raise e the MIN,
for Their PeIts


West Virginia Man TO Raise the A nimaIs
for Their PeIts.
Robert g. Miller has leased an acre of
ground just north OF shepherdstowu, w.
Va, and will try skunk farming there, says
correspondent OF the New York sun. He
has been dealing in skunk hides for several
yearsp past, and has shipped as many as 900
pelts from this place in a single season.
He has concluded that it will pay to raise
skunks. There are several skunk farms in
the United States-one in New Jersey, one
in Ohio, another in Pennsylvania, near
Pittsburg-and Mr. Miller has been in cor
Tespondence with proprietorscoucerning
the business. According to their advice
he will start operations with about fifty
animals.
The skunk is not much OF q climber but is
rather good at digging. In building the
incicsure for the farm, Miller VIII, there
fore, construct board fence about three
feet underground of stout oak planks
above ground viii be a twelve-inch plank,
above which viii be two feet OF wire net
ting; this will be surmounted by another
plank nailed flat to the top of the posts and
projecting on the ipside. a fence about
three feet high does not seem much OF a
barrier, but it is said that the animals win
not be able to get over it. IL is not thought
there viii be much danger or any one breaking
i'll from the outside. Sheds will be built to
serve as hiding places and protection from
tie weather.
The animals will be fed upon offal from
butcher shops and refuse of similar char
acter. Carrion suits them very well, but
their steady diet is worms, larvae and in
sects. They iced usually at night, remaining
In strict seclUsion during the day The fe-
male skunkS bear twolitters year-in May
and Septenlber-aDd there are from six to
twelve in each litter The young attain full
growth in about three months The hides
are salable only when taken in winter. The
skunks are usually black, but some have
white spots or broad W hite mark along the
back from head to tail. The black ones are
most valuable, their hides selling at from
81 TO S1.75 each There is little demand
for the spotted skins. which sell as low as
Is cZentS. BY constantly killing off the
spotted ones, the flock will in time breed
TO jet black. Mr.. Miller sells the pelts in
New York to manufacturing furriers, who
make them up into various articles of
wear The demand for good palts is con-
stant
The trappers who are now catching
skunkS to stock the farm use steel traps
They need o bait, as the traps are placed
at the entrance to the dens, and tue ami
mails are caught by the foot as they come
OdV- II 10 iiOO al dIIoSttueC pledSdub JOO
to transfer the little beasts from Tie trap
to the bag. One has to be careful besides
to escape being bitten.
The outcome ofthe new industry is await
ed with some anxiety by the people of the
neighborbood. They hope to see financial
success, provided it is not accompanied
by unpleasant effects. Miller affirms
that there need be no alarm. The skunk
ean be tanned, he says, and kept us a pet
Whether Miller will make fortune 10y his
queeryenture or whether Shepherdstowners
will get mad and dump the entire farm
over the cliffs into the Potomac River is
an open question.