Semi-weekly herald., 1913-03-13
FORTUNES IN FOXES.

The phenomenal expansion of the
black fox industry in the province of
Prince Edward island, Canada, has
been made the subject of an elaborate
report by the American consul at
Charlottetown. That province is, it
appears, the greatest center for fox
farming in the world, thanks to the
possession of climate and soil that |
ensure an ideal weight, texture, and
color to the skins. More than 80 |
per cent of all the captive foxes in
Canada are kept on Prince Edward
island. Black foxes (Which include
the silver foxes) furnish skin which
is not only extremely valuable, but is
in such constant demand that its value
has become almost as fully stand
ardized as that of the diamond among
precious stones, and does not neces-
sarily fluctuate with the supply. These
skins frequently fetch from $500 to
$4,000 on the London market, the rec
ord price up-to-date being somewhere
between $500 to $4,000. Aside from
the industry in skins there has grown
up an immense business in live ami
mails for breeding purposes. 1t is
stated that during the past summer
$4,000 a paid was not an unusual
price, as compared with $4,000 pair
for animals of the same quality in
1910. Prices of $4,000 to $4,000
pair are paid for sninlals that have
shown unusual fertility, and it is ru-
mored that 2-year-old pair recently
sold for 100000. One of the pio-
neer ranchmen claims to have re-
fused an offer of s500,00O for his
establishment, coupled with salary
offer for his own services to run it.
| Fourteen companies for fox ranching
have been incorporated in the island,
and capital from the United States
is beginning to be invested in these con-
Germs. There are now about fifty
large ranches stocked with pure-bred
| animals; while the number of places
where from one to four or five pairs
of some variety of foxes are kept
is probably more than 300.
All the foxes on Prince Edward is
land are now in captivity, the last wild
fox having been killed early in 1911.
1t is claimed that the valuable strains
have been improved in domestication.
The animals are kept in pens or pad
docks about thirty by forty feet, sur
sounded by large outer enclosure
sometimes covering an acre or more.
The fences are of 16 or IA gage fox
wire,' which is now specially woven
for the industry. They are nine or ten
feet high, with an overhung wire shelf
extending inward, and are sunk two
or three feet in the ground The
kennels or fox houses are inside each
paddock, or Immediately outside, but
opening into it. The mouth of the
kennel is a crooked tube or spout,
often built to initiate the entrance to
a natural burrow.
The diet of the animals is extremely
varied, including meat, fish, fowl, mice,
small game, and insects; besides va
rious prepared foods, such as hard
tack or sea biscuit dipped in milk
and patent dog biscuits. Overfeed-
ing must be avoided, especially at
the breeding season, but full diet for
few weeks before the pelt is taken
is said to make the pelt more glossy,
and is a common practice. Each ami
NAL costs from $40 to SIS per an
mum to feed.
The foxes often breed when they are
but eight months old. Each vixen, or
female, will breed eight or ten times
in the course of lifetime, and lit
ter contains from two to seven or
eight pups, the usually number being |
about four. During the mating sea-
son the animals are exceedingly wild
and shy; and, in fact, at all seasons,
the fox is very sensitive and high
strung animal, so that great deal of
experience is needed for its successful
The recent rapid development of
this industry has raised number of
difficult problems, which are gradually
being solved. There is At present con-
siderable agitation on behalf Of some
kind Of registration Of pure bred is