The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-06-26
Skunk SKINS
ARE VALUABLE
Sold As Sable In Europe
and America.
Government Bulletin Tells How to
Raise The Little
Animals.

Washington. June 24.--The skunk
brings annually TO the trappers OF the
United States about $4,000. IL
stands second In importance only to
the muskrat among fur-bearing AMI
mas. The value Of h. skunk skin in
the raw fur market averaged about
81 coats 10 $3.50 in December. 1913. ant
usually runs higher. Although this
fur is not very popular in America.
Europeans favor II because it wears
we'll. and has luster which makes IL
rival the Russian sab,e IN appearance
Those fspts are emphasissd in . new
faruners' bpIletin lNo. $50. nov be-
ing sent rm by the Unitsd States De-
partment of Agriculture, which may
be had free on application by those
who ere interested an the 'Ecoa-
omdc Value OF North American
Skunks."
Thirteen states now protect the
skunk by game Laws, and fuller I'M
herstandiDg of the economic value Of
these Creatures to agriculture, as
Well as 10 commerce. will. no doubt.
result in protective measures in other
localities. The earliest legislation for
the prot. ctlon Of these little animals
grew out % appeals from hop growers
in New York because of their value
in killing the hop borer. This was
In 1898, and since then laws have
been passed for their prot ctiCn IN
Maine, Now Hampshire. Vermont, Ne'
York, Now Jersey, Delaware. Ohio,
Indiana, Ilno,s. Michigan, Missouri,
Kansas and North Carolina The
closed season for the skunk varies
In the different states, but in the
opinion 81 the author of this bu,letin
it should be extended to al least nine
months IN every case. for at present
there is scarcity Of fur animals.
and the increased demand for furs has
put a higher premium on Its pelt. I'm
less given more adequate protection.
1t can not long survive a high pre-
MUM. In advising this close season
II should b understood that the
right Of farmers TO destroy indivi-
dual predatory skunks should always
be reserved.
erican skunk skins. In 1858 over 49,
900 skins of this animal were ex-
ported TO London; In 1911 over q
100000. Although only O small per
centage Of our skins are now dressed
and made mp hcre. we have vscelved
In years past a number of them back
after they have been made up
abroad. and many American hdfos
who would scOrn to wear q skunk
skin have been proud OF their i'm
ported black marten" or Of their
ALASKA. sable which was merely
the American skunk fur more attrac-
lively labeled.
skin and removing any lingering odor
has been improving year by cas- and
meanwhile the fur has been gaining
popu arity The present extreme scar
city OF Russian sable because of q
law that forbds the taking OF that
fur favors the foreign market for lihe
skunk. add even an this country the
,se of dts skin Is increasing.
The recent high prices for skunk
skins have led TO a discusson of the
subject of skunk raising on a com
merc:al basis. Although some breed
ers have encount red difficulties, on
the whole there are good reasons for
believing that a profitable industry
may be developed. Skunks are less
wild imam other members of the fam-
ny o which, the more important
, small fur bearers belong and their
Diet permits a good dead Of latitude
, in feeding, whereas the martsp ana the
mink require a diet almost exclusively
of meat. The problem Of providing
pens for rearing them is also I ss
complicated In the case of Nhe skunk.
An Enclosure for sxunks should pc-
cupy well-dravned sandy hillside.
party shadsd by trees and partly open
land. covered with grasses. An acre
viii afford room for about city ad-
alt skunks. A 3-foot fence made Of
poultry netting and having IN over
hanging harrier II She Top. 10 sui