Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1913-10-30
Foxes Grown in Cap
tivity for the Fur

go, the largest house in the world
dealing exclusively in American raw
furs, in a letter to the editor, says il
part as follows:
More than one thousand five hun
dred silver black foxes are in cap
tivity at the present time Throughout
the United States and Canada. Many
thousands Of dollars are expended an
tnually in the scientific breeding O
these valuable little animals, and the
industry so far at least has proven
ia success. Few people realize, how
ever, that far from being modern il
its origin, the raising of animals FOL
their fur is, in point of fact, centuries
old. However, the art of breedins
silver black foxes successfully is {
product OF the latter part of the nine
teenth century, and even today the in
dustry is still in the process of per
lection.
Canada is trutlfully. said to have
the edge on this country when il
comes to silver black fox raising. Il
was a Canadian, Charles Dalton @
Prince Edward Island, who first sue
cessfully bred these almost priceless
foxes, and Canada is still far ahead
of any other country in this unique
enterprise. About twenty-five years
ago, Dalton, who was a farmer, hap
pened by chance upon a litter oil
black fox, and conceived the idea thai
with the enormous price these furs
were bringing in European markets
there ought to be a fortune in it fol-
The one who could raise them prac
Ideally. For a number of years he
conducted a black fox ranch in secret
and the animals We're bred only fol
Their fur, and since the choice fine
dark skins brought anywhere from
five hundred to three thousand dol.
lars apiece, he realized considerable
on his undertaking, as he secured
only the finest skins by careful feed
ing and watching. A few years ago,
it occurred to Dalton that there was
more money in raising these animals
for sale as breeders, as others were
beginning to try their hand in the
business, and so for the last six years
he has sold nothing but live black
foxes.
The top notch price now on record
for a pair of pure silver black foxes
lis $4,000, and since the price of all
other furs has increased many times
their value in the last few years, it
is thought that in a short time, silver
black foxes will be worth their weight
in gold. The little island where Dali
ton began his operations is now stud
ded with black fox ranches, and while
the land there is well adapted for fox
breeding, they can be raised in other
districts as well. The United States
department of agriculture has shown
that almost all the Pacific states as
well as the entire eastern and north
ern part of this country is suitable
for fox farming.
The gradual determination of wild
animals throughout the Continent has
brought about an alarming scarcity
in raw furs within the last few years.
and Mr.. A. B. Shubert of Chicago,
president of A. B. Shubert, Inc, has
shown that il attention is not given
to the domestic culture of certain
animals, the country will soon lose
one of its greatest industries.
Among other things he has encou
aged and fostered the silver fox farm
ing and thousands of inquiries are be-
ing received from enthusiasts all over
North America. Last year Shubert's
collection of one hundred and twenty
three black and silver scx brought the
highest prices every known in Euro
pean markets. The nobility OF Eu-
rope We'd with each other in bidding
at the sales to obtain these beautiful
furs.
Although there are thousands Of
dollars in it for the successful raiser
Of black and silver foxes, a very
number of those who attempt
it succeed to a practical extent. The
for this lies in the fact that
whoever engages in fox farming must
fitted for the business with a very
temperament and an abundance
OF patience. The habits OF the ami
mails must be studied carefully. They
must be presented with the environ.
ment as close to nature as possible.
and they must be left severely alone
breeding time. They are usually
twice a day, and receive a quar-
ter OF q pound of meat each day, hut
wild food. such as pigeons. chickens,
mice and rabbits, is also fed to them
to keep up their Wild instincts. and
make them feel more at home in
their surroundings. They are kept in
netting enclosures and given
of opportunity to bnrrow, al