The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-09-28
MAINE FOX FARM
MADE TO PAY WELL
Owner Succeeds in Raising the
Black Variety, Proving They
Are Not Freaks of Mature.

Elijah Norton, of Bangor, Me, finds
foxes more profitable crop than potato
planting and hoeins and moving, and Is
now devoting his entire attention to rails
ing the sharp-eyed and bushy tailed 1T
the animals whose fur is in great demand
always. and everywhere. When Norton
began raising foxes it was an expert
ment; he has the business established
on a highly profitable basis. and his
sunny hillside farm on the bank OF the
Pscataauis Is know as tna best paying
piece Of land in Maine
The Norton fox farm IS not the first
in Maine. for foxes had BEEN success
fully bred by man on Heron Island.
Boothbay Harbor, or years oetose ene
Dover enterprise was thought OF.
When Norton got ready to go into the
fox business he visited the Heron Island
farm. and one on Prince Edward Island,
IN ,he Cuff of ST Lawrence, to get
noints. and also to buy some breeding
stock. Then he started in to beat the
original fox farmers. and he has sue
points. and also to buy some breeding
ceeded-
Reins an ola hunter and knowing the
ways of foxes, Norton at the outset rec
ognized the fact that to be healthy. and
thus profitable, his stock must be con-
tented, and to insure that happy coodt-
tton hi. so constructed and arranged hls
enclosure as to dispel the idea OF cap
t;,.;.,. which foxes cannot endure He
built a fence sixteen feet high OF a heavy
and special woven wire TO keep the
foxes in and to keep other animals out
Six enclosures thus formed cover about
one and a half acres OF ground. and IN
each of them Is a kennel built OF wood
and set deep into the earth. serving as
a nursery ard as q den for the foxes in
winter At first a few OF the foxes es-
capped by burrowtng down under the fence.
but Norton stopped this by carrying the
wire down four to eight feet to the solid
ledge. The whole farm has been allowed
to grow up with rank grass and weeds.
so that 1t resembles the native faunts
OF the fox In the wildwood, and Norton's
stock does not seem to realize that It is
living in captivity. A stranger visiting
the place sees at first only a rank growth
of weeds and underbrush. the foxes all
scurrying to cover on his approach. but
on looking closely one may detect here
and there pair Of bright eyes peepins
out at him from the tangle. The Norton
foxes are as wary and alert as ever their
ancestors were IN the wilds OF Maine
Canada. Ohio and Alaska, from all OF
which regions the colony has been re-
crr,ited.
On the farm are common red foxes
from the woods OF Maine: blue foxes
from Alaska. silver grays from Prince
Edward Island. and blacks from Ohio
The reds are the comronest and least
valued OF foxes: blues are worth more:
but the silver grays and blacks are the
aristocrats. AS a matter of fact, the
black and the silver gray are the same
breed silver gray being black with
a sprinkling of gray hairs. The black
fox pelt Is, among the most valuable OF
furs. fne specimens frequently bringing
$500 to $500. while In several Instances
as high as $1,000 to $1,000 has been paid.
Ordinarily a black fox pelt Is quoted at
$500 to $3.50.
Norton had nee Sesn long in the busi-
ness when he mada the important Dis