The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1900-06-30
ALASKAN FOX BREEDING
PECULIAR INDUSTRY CARRIED ON IN
OUR ARCTIC ISLANDS.

! Un,le Sam has considerable repu
,ation as a landlord, but few persons
(! 4uow that part of his rent roll income
is derived from leasing islands for the
culture Of foxes. This is the case,
however, on the coast of Alaska,
where such an island commands an
annual rental of Sl0N For this the
government gives the tenant written
contract securing him the exclusive
occupancy of his island for this par
tlcular purpose.
70 the farmer who has found it
necessary TO exercise all his ingenuity
in order to get rid Of the foxes as a
pest, the idea of deliberately breed
farm for their comfort, seems almost
preposterous The fox in those places
where his presence is most deplored
seems to have no difficulty i'll making
a living without human aid. But the
! experience Of breeders III Alaska has
| shown that the furfoXes must be
! handled with the utmost care in order
not to wreck the fortunes of the i'll
vestor, for i, takes not little capital
| to 60 into the business on large
scale. On the finest fox farm i'll
Alaska every pair of breeding animals
used at the start cost $50 to $500.
The work has been in progress for -
years or more, yet practically the first
| dollar of profit has yet to show itself.
Good money has been poured after
| bad, running well up in the thousands,
and this expenditure is still going on,
| for the Shareholders believe they have
a money making idea if they can only
wait long enough.
At first the plan was to propagate
the silver-gray fox, Of which the fur
| is four or tive times as valuable as
that of the blue fox. 1t proved inn
practicable, however, mainly on ac-
count OF the feroclous character Of the
animal, which refused to be domestl-
Gated. The silver-gray fox is really
more of wolf than fox in instincts
and disposition. One of its pleasant
trnits is habit of fighting its CON-
panions and destroying its own young.
The culture Of the silver gray has now
SO generally been given UP that on
only one island can it be found in any
considerable numbers,
1t is on the Atu and Pribilof islands
that the blue fox was first found, bat
the sapply is nearly exhausted. AS
the Pribllofs are government reser-
vation no live animals can be taken
away without Il special permit, and
all the skins which the natives obtain
there they are obliged to sell to the
North American Commercial company.
The price paid is s. pelt. The first
systematic experiment in blue fox
breeding was made with 90 foxes
taken from the Pribilof islands and
landed on North Semidi island, a bar
ren and unknown waste. Although
no one knew the habits of the foxes,
and everything had to be done tenta-
lively, including the finding Of arti
fetal means of feeding them, still
from the progeny of these pioneer
foxes nearly 20 other islands have
been stocked. Some of the barren
islands Of Alaska, indeed, show no
sign Of being good for any other use.
The method of caring for the foxes
is substantially the same everywhere.
Zach island has a keeper and one or
two native assistants. They put up
the food for the animals during the |
summer, consisting of unmarketable
fish, blubber, and OIL, and corn
u1or
hour every day TO be fed, like ordin
ary domestic animals, and soon learn
to know their caretakers, but con-
tinue suspicious and wild in the pres
ence of strangers.
One of the first problems which had
to be mastered was how to catch foxes
without harming their skins, as il
would not do to shoot them or use
any kind Of sharp instruments in THEN
capture. Another consideration is
the necessity of leaving those animals
uninlured which are to continue in
use for breeding. Box traps only are
therefore used. But the chief virtue
of these has its drawbacks, for all
the foxes come into the traps, attract
ed by the bait, and when those which
are to be kept for breeding find that
no harm comes to them, they become |
not only fearless but greedy and hurry
to run III and spring the traps as soon
as set, TO tie great annoyance Of the
breeder and the hindrance of the
business The foxes set apart fol
breeding are marked hy clipping the
hair at the tips Of their tails so as &c
prevent confusion with the others, OF
recounting.
It is considered probable that the |
lomestication Of the fox will set !
vogue for the domcstication Of other |
fur Jcaring animals, and thus, build |
np very valuable and permanent IN
fustrv. The :;assian sable is one Of |
iha animals talked ofiu connection with |
his idea C,ne enthusiast has a!read;
e;olved the notion that az is!aad sci
part for rais ins .e IL would be good |
thing lie has launched his expert,
nent and has already e Gozeu or more !
bears. but tie market seems still toe
well sto TO, make mach Of q de
lnaud icr his4 Especial Produce. -New
York Pest. :.