Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-07-26

1rly American Citizens May Take Ad-
vsnssae % Opportunity, According
b. Observation-Disclosures 10 Be For
Eivr Years, With Annual Fee Of Net
Less Than $500.
Announcement has been made by the
secretary OF commerce az his intention
to lease twelve islands on the coast of
Alaska to persons who wish to engage
IN The business of rearing foxes The
islands will be leased for a period Of
Eve years to the highest responsible
bidders.
Recently the rearing of foxes for
their furs has attracted 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.
cd to have been paid for silver foxes.
black foxes and other valuable varic.
Ties are almost fabulous. The demand
for foxes by breeders has been 80
greatly IN excess OF the supply that
live foxes OF the desired varieties
bring many times the amount which
could he secured for their pelts,
While the breeding of foxes III Alas.
ka has attracted but little public At.
tention the business has been going
on for a number Of years, and the re-
quests made to the department OF com.
merce for permits To take wild stock
for the purpose OF demonstration have
been steadily increasing On the Pri.
bilof islands the practice of taking the
arctic blue fox has been pursued for
many years. In 1912 the sale in Lon.
don Of the 39l blue and white fox
the wintor OF ioi0-i1 Melted the United
States government $i5,09Gs,S. The
London sale ID 1919 OF tho 4ll skins
taken In the winter OF 1Dii-i2 netted
the government $20.50J,17. At this
snle one lot Of twenty-cight skins was
sold for $3,6T5, or more than $l3i per
Skin 1t Il thus seen that the blue
foxes In the government herds on the
pribilof islands produce exceptionally
ane pelts aud are therefore very de-
airable breeding stock. The secretary
of commerce win undertake TO furnish.
under competitive bids. live blue foxes
FROM the pribiIof islands to those who
desire choice breeding stock.
Improve by Breeding.
There is little doubt thnt the vari.
nus species and varieties OF foxes can
be improved by the application OF
methods OF animal breeding used by up
to date breeders of live stock
!. The commissioner OF fisheries In his
annual report to the secretary OF COM
mercc and labor for the fiscal ycnr 1919
in speaking OF the special efforts being
made to Improve the stock of foxes on
the pribllof islands and the methods
OF handling the herds states:
"The results Of experiments In feed
Ing and selcetivc breeding that are now
in progress give reason to believe TINT
the output can be greatly increased
and the quality OF the fur enhanced
According "a our present knowledge
there are two principal groups of foxes
native 10 Alaska that have been ham
died with success on fox farms. one
or these Is the species known MS the
arctic blue fox. which Is indigenous to
the northern portions OF Alaska II Ii
believed that II was not found on the
Pribilof Islands nt the time of their
discovery IN 1887. but that II was TAX
en- 10 those islands subsequently, 1t
Ia Also reared on fox ranches on vari-
ous islands on the coast ~ Alaska.
Some individuals of this species have
nearly white fur and are known Ms
white foxes The fur OF white fox
IL much less valuable than that from
the blue members OF the species. For
this reason 1t ~ good business TO elm
mate from herd OF blue foxes all in
dlviduals which show n tendency to
ward the white fox variety.
Red Foxes and Others.
The other h a group of species
known collectively as red foxes, the
various species being found distribute
cd Throughout the northern portions OF
the United States and in Canada and
Alaska. silver gray foxes. cross foxes
and black foxes are considered as In
dlvidual variations OF the red fox Ex-
periments which have been made In
dlcate. however. TINT pure strains Of
These varieties may be obtained by Sc
lectlvc breeding.
The islands which IL Is proposed TO
lease are those which had been leased
by the secretary Of the treasury for
fox propagation purposes prior TO
May Ia, 1873 They are Chirkof IS
land, Long island Murmot island, Lit.
tie Koniujl island. Slmeonof island.
Little Naked island, Carlson island.
Middleton island. Pear island. Eliza
beth island. Aghiyuk island and
Chowiet island
Full Information regarding the con
diilons With which one must comply
IN order to secure Il lease Of one o.
these islands can be obtained by ad-