El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-11-04

There are also small pens or cages
rooted with chicken wire outside the
main inclOsure and near the bank or
the river Among the older foxes tnere
are 10 fine silver grays and a NUMBER
81 blacks The cages near the river
seem TO ICE devoted mostly 20 NJ
babies The latter are che size OF kit
tens and are lar more cunning ana
pretty
AIaSLa'S Largest Fox Farm
To return 20 the big ten-scre fox
rarrn at Fairbanks. it belongs 90 men
who live here in Alaska. and TO others
in New York and New Jersey Il was
started year or SO ago with capl-
talizatiou OF about 100000. 20 rar-
about ss0.oeO has been invested. and
this includes the cost Of the farm ana
rne CONTINENT and the breeding AMI
mails. The land kennels and all the
machine-y cost $4,000 and the preeo-
iuc animals $4,000 There are alto
gether. about zoo animals. including
foxes ami others. and all that IS needed
20 care for them Is two men,
The Alaskan owners became inter-
cSted ir fox farming OF Prince i-dWard
Island. These men came mere 20 YuS
live foxes from the Indians and trap
pers They purchased a number. ana
after they lefJ IL was currently re-
ported thar they had made S-e,Ne9 oUL
OF their sales. Joseph Stirring. one OF
tho owners OF the farm then went
east to look into fox farming. He ar
rived there ma 1919 and learned OF he
profits OF the industry and its pos
sibiutieS Tie thought II ridiculous
that the farmers OF Alaska should not
be- able 10 do as well as those Of Cam
ada. especially as this country has bet
fer foxes and ma kes better fuT. When
he came back he aided IN organizing
the company.
Making Scientific study Of Industry
The Fairbanks fu- farm Us ma KING q
scientific study Of the rearing OF tur-
bearing animals. II keeps records %
tho results Of breeding The animals
VIII be pediEreed and registered and
all crosses viii be carefully reported
. The effect of different kinds OF food on
. the FUR viii Doe noted, and the life his
Z tory OF each pair OF foxes carefully
kept The company keeps cosJ-7c-
counting sheet. just like q factory, ana
10 watches everything connected with
the raising Of artificial furs as far as
its own farm Is concerned
Costs SlI 4 Year To Feed \ Fox
have asked a number Of the man
. gers as TO the food used FOR their
fur bearIa- animals on the fox farm
hers it costs 81 "a year 10 iced a. foN.
S. TO feed q mink and $3.50 to feed
fnarten or sable The animals are
given salmon. moose meat horse meat
and rabbits. and also carrots and tur-
uips-
ON the fox farm near Dawson a
common feed is rice and rabbits cooked
feeds s ra hhits and fifteen pounds ol
rice a daT 20 a. foxes The stew IS
FED cold mornings and evenings The
foxes viii come out of their denS ana
grab 10 and carry il inside with lheul-
After q wh L. they come back ana eel
more NTcCrcary. who owns q fox farm
7 at copper Center. varies his fox FOOD
. between rabbits and meat and iisn tie
gives tlcm two cooked meals daF
and q third meal Of raw rabbits. throw
single feed. The farmers Of Prince
Edward island have found that foxes
must have plant food or vege "a pleS- In
rhefr Wild state they eat uo- only flesh,
. bur grass and berries. and n the lat
ter is Withheld they become wOrmy.
Othe- good foods outside OF flesh
are biscuits. Yeast bread. porridGe- ap-
pies milk and eggs The animals viii
eat dog biscuit hut they prefer plaiu
lardtacE Bread is liked better II
grease drippings are poured upon II
l some farmers use talluW as butter
Ground hone is sometimes given. and
"a little lmewater Is ted 10 grown z
. foxes with their milk Young toNes
are fed all they viii eat When they
get Older 10 is not well for their fur
TO make them too fat.
Cat i Neither To litter Of Foxes
ON the farm ct Fairbanks ] saw one
litter Of foxes that was being mother
cd bv cat She had three baby foxes
D. which. when grown, VIII be worth
from $500 20 $1,000 apiece. and pos
eib1r more. The mother Of these foxes
Vas a VERY nervous animal and the
farmers feared she might Kill her
young So they We're taken away and
given 20 the cat in place OF her kit
tens The cat adopted them and she
uIays with them as though they were
ler real baby kittens. The thousand
dollar foxes seem to like their new
mother Guire as well as their old one
cats Are Necessary.
H.."M u
1 to have cats around a fox farm for