The Alaska citizen., 1914-05-18

ulharhy increase aDout oO per cen
 a year. though this depends upor
 the individual animals, which var, much in their tendency to increase
 A fox is nearly full grown wher eight months old and at that age of the fur depends much on the season in which the fox is killed December Is the best time for kill l Ing them.
 There is some fear expressed that fox farming may be overdone, and that the present high prices may undergo reaction which will make i the industry unprofitable However the demands for choice fox furs seems to be general throughout the world, and it is not probable that the price will depreciate materially Walter Frost, the American consul at Charlottetown, Prince Edward island. has issued a report on the fox farming conditions on the island in which he declares that the in dustry has been boosted improperly and Is made matter of uncertain speculation by unreliable stock sell ing firms. At the same time. he declares that the industry is highly pro fitable and has a good future before it. In part he says:
 Frost's Report.
 The value of first quality Prince Edward island silver black foxes for breeding purposes rose from $10,000 per pair, in October, 1912, to about s12,O0 or s13,000 per pair in Janu- ary, 1913 In the early winter of 1912-13 1t was possible to secure op- tions on unborn spring progeny at $1O.O0O to s12,OO0 per pair. Ten per cent of the price was required to be dor, to be returned with interest in case of failure to produce the whelps on September l. the common date for deliveries. Perhaps 40 or 50 different groups of promoters ad- vanced deposits under this arrange ment, frequently also undertaking to purchase one or more pairs of all breeders to be ranched along with the young animals. and pro ceeded to organize companies with these options and contracts as as sets.
 Tn April and May, 1913, it became apparent that the quantity of off spring would be far short of antiei- pations, and an almost instantaneous advance in price ensued Quotations rose from $13,000 in April to $14,O00 or s15,0O0 in May, and finally to s17,5OO and s18.O00 in June. Nu merous transfers were made at still higher figures, but the majority ranged from $15,000 to $16,000 Many promoters who were selling shares on the faith of options which the givers could not or would not fill were hard put to adjust their financial positions. After few weeks a natural reaction set in, and in midsummer, fox trading was So ,nll still, so that prices fell to s14,000 or even lower
 Industry is Promising.
 Then consensus of intelligent opinion, both on the part of local business men and those who come from abroad to look into the situa tion, Is to the effect that the fox industry presents highly attractive and promising speculation CD if the quality of the foxes handled be positively known, and CD if the management of the ranch or com pany be capable and wholly honest As in any strikingly remunerative business, the character of the pro- motors varies infinitely so that in every case the fullest possible in formation as to the personality of the men in charge of the proposition should be sought out Capitalizing even the finest foxes at high figures should also be considered with great caution. AS a prominent island newspaper has stated editorially, there will probably be weedins out of weak companies when the market reaches the pelt basis"