Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1913-07-25

Five Years, With Annual Fee Of Net
Lees Than $500.
Ann Hncameut has been made 10y the
recretarg 81 & nmerce Of his intention
60 lease twelve islands on the coast Of
Alaska TO persons Vito wish TO engage
IA The business Of rearing foxes. The
Islands VIII he leased Tor "a period of
Eve Years to the highest responsible
bidders.
Recently the rearing Of foxes for
their futs has attracted q great deal Of
attention Public interest has hcen
aroused by the remarkable results
achieved In this industry ia the east
ern part of Canada The prices report
ed to have been paid for silver foxes
black foxes ana other valuable vsrie.
/ ties are almost fabulous fhc demand
for foxps by breeders has been 50
greatly III excess Of the supply that
live foxes % the desired varieties
bring many times the amount which
could be secured for their pelts.
/ While the breeding Of foxes IN Alas-
Ia Inns attracted Int little public at
t0ntion the business has been going
on for n number OF years. and the re-
quests made 10 the department OF com
merce FOR permits 10 take Wild stock
for the purpose of demonstration have
been steadily increasing. on the Fri
hiIof islands the practice OF taking the
arctic hlue fox has been pursued for
many years. In lni2 the sale Ia Lon
don Of the SOL blue aud white fox
sklus taken on those Islands during
the winter Of l9io1i nettod the United
States government SlJu961S. The
( London sale In 1913 OF Tho li1 skins
taken IN The winter OF 19il-i2 netted
( the government e2n5n11T At this
sale one lot Of twentY-cight skins was
sold for $3GI5, or more than Si3l per
skin. II Is thus seen that the blue
foxes IN the government herds on the
4 rribilof islands produce exceptionally
/ fne pelts and are therefore very de-
I sirable breeding stock The secretary
( OF commerce will undertake 10 furnish,
under competitive bids live blue foxes
from the pribilof islands to those who
desire choice breeding stock
Improve by Breeding.
There IS little doubt that the varI
nus species aud varieties Of foxes can
no improved by the application Of
methods Of animal breeding used by up
to date breeders Of live stock
The commissioner Of fisheries IN hts
annual reper, % the secretary Of com
mercc and labor for the fiscal year 1919
IN speaking " the special efforts being
made to improve the stock Of foxes on
the Pribiiof Islands aud the methods
OF hnndllng tbe herds states;
The results Of experiments In feed
ing aud selcctive breeding that are now
I IN progress give reason 60 believe that
the output cnn be greatly Increased
ond the quality Of the fur enhanced +"
According H. our prckcht knowledge
there are twn principal groups Of foxes
native to Alaska that hive been ban
/ Died with success on fox farms, One
of these Is the species known rs the
arctic blue fox. which * Indigenous to
the northern portions ~ Alaaka II Ii
believed that IT was not found on the
Frihiiof Islands AZ tho time Of their
discovery In i7s7. but That II was tak-
en- '" th''s" lslahas subsequently
u aiso reIfen On i'A ranches On Vnrl-
Gus isiahas on me ep'ht ~ aiaska,
some apahiauals 81 tlns sPet9es pave
nearly VINO duf ana IRE Nhowh ~
"hi'e lptes. ne iaf OF WhHe ioS
" Mueh less 'hinall' ttih tliat tlom
.ne '''ue nieli,e's y we sFec".S tor
ai, 'e's"' u 2 s'o'i pisineA9 - V'',n
ii"u, i'o'" !, ~" - "'ue i"A's "i' ~
u'' 'lun'S NNn'" ~" = te''i''"S '"'
warn t'ie "t''' 10 F'''e''.
Red Foxes and Others.
The other Is a group or species
known collectively AZ red foxes. the
I ynrious apecics being found distabut
ed throughout the northern portions o.
the United states md In Canada and
Alaska Silver gray foxes. Grass foxes
aud IIa.I f,.as .,s,. s.,.,,ssf 4..,4..4 a.. g.,