The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1901-10-17
Agriculture.


Fax isfmius Ia enc OF The latest isdns
,ries. IL 10 discouraged by the Dated
States 0ovsrnneat
10 Alssks The rsising Of foxes Is cne OF
the beat paying sn,ssps,sss In vhish any
one cen engage. srd some Of the WEALTH.
est FARMERS" 10 the Northwest are sislrg
tor breeding tbeir exclusive affection.
About ten years sso one Of The SCENTS OF
The United States Treasury Department
living 10 Alaska fonnd thss The blee and
white foxes OF The district we're beins rap
idly eIiermios,sd by The native Alsskss
and the fut-irsdips foreigners. II vas
not, however, nrtil I've years later that
The government made ~ esrnes. attempt
to atop the determination Of The animals.
10 the PnbilofI sroup Of thirty,hve
islands tso or three fcx.isruing stations
sere then established. These stations
sere ander the conduct Of Government
representative assisted by several native
Alssksns.
Not long after the stsrtine Of these
strange farms certain iar-seeine individ
usls applied 10 the government for leases
OF one Of the PribiioG islsnds With sview
OF starting . private fox fern. Every en-
enlargement was afforded by the Govern
meni, and one OF the islands vas leased
for 800 4 year q. the spscific pnrpose Of
fo1.fsrming.
Among the fret to succeed Is this bust
ness Was George Wssbbourne. OF Long
Island. Alsska He paid $500 for psir OF
blue foxes and started 10 business Is ioI
breeder. Every one laughed Of bis under
taking. and certain failure Vas predicted.
Wsshbourne BY killing five or ten foxes
-msles-s year. saving the females. In
three years be WAS killing many foxes snd
selling their SKINS st sl5 each 10 the Ban
Francisco MARKET Now. ave years after
starting fox raising. be is recognized IS
one OF the wealthiest fur traders 10 the
country.
OF the two kinds Of foxes the blue vsrie
ty is the most valuable. They receive
% ost OF the attention from fox farmers.
When fox farming begsn the wildness
OF the animals seemed TO be the greatest
obstacle TO the success Of the undertaking.
As soon as the foxes we're turned loose Oh
the ranches they sourried away to the
furtherest corners Of the farms.
After several months on the farms. how
ever, they became tanner. As they realiz
ed that their food was to be obtained only
from the land OF man their natural timidi
ty gave way TO more common.sense view
OF the condition.
Foxes on the farms are now almost as
tame ss dogs. 1t is q strange sight TO see
foxes and Esquimsux dogs hob-nob.bing
together as though all their natural antip
athies were buried forever.
When it is nscesssry TO capture foxes
for the purpose OF killing them and obtain
ing their furs traps are bsited with meat
and set in places where stray animals are
likely to be caught. Care is taken to pre-
vent the uncsptured animals from observ
ing these operations.
When fox has been caught it is taken
to secluded part Of the farm and killed.
Whom tho fay,ns vnva fret started the nap
turing and killing OF foxes we're done 10
plain sight Of the unsousht foxes. This
so terrified them that II was icnnd almost
impossible to catch the pext lot
Rare opportunities are afforded on Alas
kan fo1-isrms for the study Of fox life by
nsturalists. Several scientists have oil
ready interested themselves 10 this phase
OF foI-isrming.
Since the establishment OF the fox farms
il is computed that foxes Of the blue vari
ETY. have increased 80 per cent. The
large fur companies are nov purchasing
freely from the fox farmers. and one or
two OF the companies are mplsting
establishing fox farms Of their own.
Now that foX-raising has been proved q
success near Dutch Hsrbor the Govern
ment is making efforts to introduce the 10
dustry throughout the cbsin Of Aleutian
Islands: II is proposed to reduce the an
nusl rental Of the farms from 800 to $50,
and to do every thing TO encourage tho
raising OF blue foxes.
The cultivation Of the white variety lie
not 90 profitable as that OF the blue spec