El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-04-04
The Fur Industry
OLDEST IN WORLD; STARTED BY MOTHER EVE


from South America. But to North
America the world has looked for cen
| turtles for its main supply. Its fur
| traders have been the pioneers who
| have guided westward the star of en-
| pire. They have been the founders of
| its cities New York and Chicago, the
queen cities of the western world, both
owe their origin to the fur trader.
Fur Farming.
But with North America as the CONT
nent that produces the furs worn by
the masses, and with the limits of the
wild being rapidly narrowed, where is
the fur supply of tomorrow to come
from? The trapper is a great friend
Of conservation. He finds in the for
est reserve and the land Withdrawn
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
standard. Consequently, the trapper of
today is figuring on becoming the fur
farmer of tomorrow. ,
Fur farming is new as a general vo-
cation, but rather old as a successful
experiment. AS early as 1884, expert
ments were made at raising foxes on
some of the islands on the coasts of
Alaska and British Columbia. Now
fox raising has become an industry
Of commercial Importance.
In North America the principal ami
NAL that has been cultivated for it's fur
Is the skunk 1t is generally agreed
that if fur farming is to be the solu-
ton Of the fur problem, the trapper
must become the fur grower. Evident
~ man who is not intimately ac-
quainted with wild animal life would
make a failure at fur farming.
Fox Farming.
The department of agriculture has
taken cogniZance of this opportunity
to establish a new industry in the
United States and has published bulle-
tin on the subject Among other fea-
lures Of this pamphlet is a map show
ing the localities where silver fox farm
ing 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 regions, and all the states
along the Canadian border and the Pa
cific coast.
One of the most successful fox
breeders in the United States feeds his |
foxes quarter of pound Of meat and |
a quart of skinned milk q day. An
other breeder says that by buying old, |
wornout. but healthy horses for the |
meat ration, the food of his foxes does !
not cost him more than a cent a day
per fox.
Skunk farming is said to be a less
distasteful business than the name /
would Indicate 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 un-
less disturbed by 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 500
breeding skunks will eat two horses a
week.
Growth of Opossum.
The opossum IS said 10 be the most
promising OF all the fur farming ami
mails 1t grows rapidly and there is
iemand both for the carcass and the
llde- Having lived for generations
n close contact with man. the opos-
'um is not seriously affected by q life
captivity The muskrat is in the
ame category as the opossum, and In
many cities there is a great demand :
or muskrat meat. In some sections
ne annual catch of muskrats has
mounted TO so per acre for many
ears
Raccoon raising has been tried and
as proved successful, and mink raising
las been shown by actual experience
o be very profitable occupation. In
III classes. of fur farming there has
cen long series of failures. however.
ave been led by the high price of furs
attempt the work when thew had
title or no practical acquaintance with
ne animals with which they ATTEMPTED ! {
D deal. c
Value of Seals. a
One of the finest furs of the world ;
the seal. although primacy now bel Z
)ngs to the sea otter. Announcement c
'as made that the sealing stes nner- I
FIorizel." had made a season catch $
$4,000 seals, valued at 100000. Eight h
the 20 vessels in the Newfoundland a
eai waters have reported catches 5
mounting TO more than zoo. 600. valued e
upwards Of $500 0O0 Of all fur seals
one lis so valuable as the Alaskan L
Senator Root has declared that nm
IS the seal killing contract on Pribilof
land is terminated. and the pelagac v
'alng stopped. the Alaskan seal Is b
'omed to extinction. The averara a
aIue of an Alaskan seal is s35. The a
on 1t IS about $40, and all other p
lllng and curing expenses about e.. Il
MS leaves net profit of about $50 Il
II seal, or 100000, which the conces-
onalre makes in his operations on u
rlolIof island each year. he being al b
wed to kill $4,000 seals.
Truce in Nicaras,,s 4