Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1917-04-06
MONTANANS WILL
FARM SILVER FOX
INDUSTRY WHICH DOOMED IN
CANADA TO MAKE START
IN THIS STATE.
War Checked Development of Silver
Fox Farming in Maritime Provin-
ces; Montana Climate Adapted to
Industry; Prominent Missoulians
Interested.

Salute a new Montana industry. 1t
is silver black fox farming, which
swept over the maritime provinces of
Canada a few years ago, attained the
dimensions of a boom, which the war
punctured, and which made many
Canadians we'll to do. 1t spread into
the western provinces. In Alberta,
Saskatchewan and British Columbia,
many silver black fox farms flourish.
The pelt of the silver black fox is
one of the most valuable furs extant,
and sales of fine specimens have been
made as high as $1,000. The scarcity
of the fur gave a Prince Edward ISL
and trapper the idea of starting a sill
yer black fox farm. He organized a
little company, was successful in
trapping enough foxes of both sexes
to give him a start, and in a few
years had made for himself and those
associated with him, handsome for
tunes.
The Boom Starts.
This initial success started the
boom. Others organized companies,
and met with success. A silver black
fox exchange was established at
Charlottestown, and as the industry
grew, trading became furious. 1t
was nothing for tn stock in a suc-
cessful company to advance four or
five times it's original price.
Much attention was paid to the
breeding strains and the Prince Ed
ward island stock, all descended from
the original pairs of the trapper who
started the first farm, became the
standard. The history and breeding
of the select foxes were immortaliZed
in the island fox stud book. Prices OF
we'll bred pairs of foxes use as high
as $4,000. The boom grew and the
people of the island made so much
money that they repealed the law
prohibiting automobiles on the isl
and.
Spread Into the West.
|, The boom spread into the west
Silver black foxes are native to north
ern Alberta and Saskatchewan
Farms were established in those
provinces. A law was passed prohib
iting the expectation Of foxes, no
farm bred, from Alberta. The indus
try was Just getting fairly starte,
4 when war came.
The fur market of the world j
4 London. Came the British spasm G
i retrenchment. High priced furs wer
taboo. The fur industry of the mort
languished, and with its war-letharg
the boom in silver black foxes subsid
ed. AS the fur is very much in de
mand it is confidently expected tha
there will be a healthy revival wit
the coming of peace.
Men who know the fur game sa
the climate of Montana is adapted t
the breeding of the silver black TO,
& Several farms just across the MOI
i tana boundary, in Alberta, have bee
4 very successful in propagating tn
valuable animals. The stakeholder
I of the Missoula concern, which
Il capitalized at 100000, are we
Y known men, including F. S. Lusl
q president of the First National ban
e of Missoula and Fred T. Sterling
the Missoula Mercantile compan
which means that there is plenty
money back of this STRAIT of a Mo
tana industry. If the breeding
IA foxes proves as successful in MontaI
"A as it did on the maritime provinces
d Canada, it will become one of the il
III portant industries of the state.