The sun., 1908-08-30

of them was az beautiful as the mothsrs
they were decided improvement on their
father.
my M mother @ nSnasea to ok Keep sis al three % Snd
1t has proved about the best investment
ever made. 5,ta
Il have now pair Of black foxes who
last February produced four perfect silvers.
sure that red kit in their future families
will prove to be an exception.
my flock during the last three years
has comprised thirty foxes, and my dens
and runs cover less than an acre Of ground;
half inch mesh 20. 10 galvanized wire.
This netting goes three feet under the
ground and has an overdrop Of eighteen
inches at the top. T.'is overdrcp is piece
.Sss nss 1sh 20 ss S.s on cross
The holes for the foxes should be about
three feet deep and must be rooted over
| In such o way as to turn the rain. It 10
absolutely imperative TO have tho nursery
fox breeders line these holes. but my ex-
perienoe teaches that II is best TO leave
that to the mother. who oftener than not
leaves the den unlined. ~
Feeding is Of course OF the greatest i'm.
portanoe. In the beginning ! followed
the advice Of successful breeder. whosea
| rule was to feed his foxes tho same as his
dogs. By that he meant no gave them
bread. table scraps and a little meat, ,s$
oa sas ss MADE of cen ssa so
% s snn f FL Is SSted n1 n .Sn sss
and given to the foxes night and morning.
Besides this bread I give each fox about q
week. about q quarter Of pound Of fresh
! meat. Too much meat 10 bad 5,H
/ @What would be the result OF feeding
them fat hens and rabbits. such food q.
they. live on in the wild state: is beyond
| I understood enough about animals TO
know that what they eat in the wild state
is no guide to what should be given them
when they are In captivity.
ing fox overfat. never allow mine to
60 above ten pounds, and rather prefer
them to be two or three pounds lighter.
It is best to keep the mother In pen by
hersef until the kits arc old enough TO be
| independent. 49,
aThe quieter she is kept the better. II
| frightened she is liable to take her young
| in her mouth and try TO find safer place
for them. While this may not kin them
'There are usually from four to ten In .
litter. They are born blind and as q rule
remain so until the eighth or ninth day.
When they are o month old they begin TO
come out and are often as playful 20 a litter
Now 10 the time to begin to give them
solid food, as the mother will wean them In
their third month and Il is best for them
to be prepared to feed themselves. By
midwtnter they attain their growth, and II
kept for breeders will give their first litter
In the following February or March, whom
they are still less than year old.
while the fur is prime In November
always leave the gathering Of my rslts
until late In December, az ft continues Is
get fuller, and does not begin to bleach until
a month later. Fur is always improved by
cold weather and the food supply Of the
animal during the autumn months. Oily
food Is especially desirable, fish heads
being about the best that have tried.
There is always good demand for fox
pelts. Prime common red pelts bring from
81 to IS, prime cross from IS TO Sa5, prip,r
silver from SIS to $780,
AT present the demand for good breed.
ing stock is so keen that many fox farmers
never sell their pelts. A fox whose pelt In
worth 500 10 worth at least three times thai
amount for breeding. My prices for breedr
ers 10 about the average and aell al ! ear
raise, reds at SIS q pair cross at SIS pair.
aud silvers from $500 to 5000.
How long these prices will hold is inn
possible, for any one to predict with any
thing like certainty. It h my opinion,
however, that there will be ample time for
many women Of this generation TO mako q
comfortable living and lay UP competcpce
before the demand or the prices fa!l OF 10
any considerable extent 80