Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-05

But TO North America the world has
looked for cnturies for its main supply
Its fur traders have been the pioneers who
have guided westward the star OF empire.
They have been the founders Of its cities
New York and Chicago, the queen cities
OF the western world, both eve their origin
to the fur trader.
But with North America as the continent
that produces the furs worn by the masses.
and with the limits Of the Wild being rap
idly narrowed where is the fur supply OF
tomorrow to come from? The trapper Is
a great friend Of conservation. lie finds
in the forest reserve ami the land with
drawn from public entry a preservation OF
his means Of existence. But he realizes
that even this will not always suffice to
keep his business up TO the living stand
ard Consequently the trapper OF today is
figuring on becoming the fur farmer OF
tomorrow.
Fur farming is new as general voca-
ton. but rather old as a successful expert
ment As early as 1884 experiments were
made at raising foxes on some OF the
islands on the coasts OF Alaska and Brit
ish Columbia. Now fox raising has be
come an industry Of commercial impor-
tance. In North America the principal
animal that has been cultivated for its fur
Is the skunk. II is generally agreed that
of fur farming is to be the solution Of the
fur problem the trapper must become the
fur grower. Evidently a man who is not
intimately acquainted with wild animal
life would make failure at fur farming.
The Department Of Agriculture has
taken cognizance Of this opportunity to
establish a new industry In the United
states and has publ. shed a bulletin on the
subject Among other features OF this
pamphlet is a map showing the localities
where silver fox farming might be engaged
in with success by properly equipped men,
The regions embrace all Of New England
and the Blue Ridge, Allegheny and Rocky
mountain coast. one of the most succe -
full fox breeders in the United States feeds
his foxes a quarter OF a pound of meat
and a quart OF skinned milk a day An
other breeder says that by buying old
worn-out but healthy horses for the meat
ration the food Of his foxes es not cost
him more than a cent day per fox.
Skunk farming is said to be a less dis
tasteful business than the name would in
dicate. 1t is said that the skunk uses his
powerful scent only when he is in danger
that he early discovers that the farmer
is his friend, and unless disturbed by a
stray dog will give little trouble. 1t is
said that the skunk is the glutton OF the
fur-bearing world. one farmer asserting
that his 300 breeding skunks will eat two
horses a week.
The opossum is said TO be the most
promising of all the fur farming animals
1t grows rapidly and there is a demand
h14 fnr he nd he
lived for generations in close contact with
man, the opossum is not seriously af
fected for a life in captivity. The musk
rat is in the same category as the opossum
and in many cities there is a great demand
for muskrat meat. In some sections tn,
annual catch of muskrats has amounted t,
fifty per acre for many years. RaccooI
raising has been tried and has proved sue
cessful. and mink raising has been showI
by actual experience to be a very profitable
occupation. In all classes OF fur farming
there has been a long series OF failures
however. This is due to the fact that man!
men have been led by the high price o
furs to attempt the work whey they hat
little or no practical acquaintance with tn
animals with which they attempted Il
deal.
one or the tlneSt IurS OF the world Is IN
seal although primacy now belongs to tn
sea otter. \ few days ago the announce
ment was made that the sealing steame
"Florizel" had made a season catch O
5000 seals valued at 100000. Eight Of tn
p twenty vessels in the Newfoundland sea
waters-have reported catches amounting t
more than 100000, valued at upwards o
$500, 900 OF all fur seals none is so valuabl
, as the Alaskan. Senator Root has declare
that unless the seal killing contract o.
? Pribilof island is terminated, and the pei
agac sealing stopped, the Alaskan seal
D doomed TO extinction. The average valu
= of an Alaskan seal is SS5. The tax on 1t
about $40 and all other killing and curn
expenses about S. This leaves a net pro
, fit OF about so per seal, or $4,000, whlc
the concessionaire makes in his operation
on Prlbl OF island each year, he being al
lowed to kill 1900 seals
By FREDERIC ]. HAsKIN.
Tomorrow-Ths Truce in Nicaragua.