Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-10-26
ASHINGTON, D. c., Oct. 22.-The unusual
w popularity of wolf furs this fall is largely
of tho limit

Nv popularity of wolf furS this rail- is largely
w the work of the United States government.
This sounds strange enough, inasmuch as the
government is not generally regarded as fasnlon
arbier but it is literally true. For the past year
the biological survey has been wagng war upon the
coyotes Of the western prairies: because these an
finals are destroying a great deal of live STOCK
especially sheep. The resultant petries have been
sold to the fur industry by the government in order
to defray the cost of the campaign, and in this
way about twenty thousand coyote hides have been
thrown the market In addition to those re-
ceved from ordinary channels.
1t is the regular strategy Of the fur trade to
popuarze whatever furs it has in large quantities,
in order to get rid of these and also because only
furs hand in large quantities can supply the
demand. The popularity Of fox in recent years is
not due to the fact that the women prefer to
fox, but solely to the growth of the industry
of raising fox in captivity. At the same time
the rare and beautiful mink fur is not all pop
uar because the trade has not enough of 1t to sup
ply popular demand. Hence few mink furs are
made up few sold, and the price of the raw
fur declines. The big fur houses nevertheless go
on buying mink, and when enough of it has ac-
cumuated they will popularize it and sell off
their accumulated stock at high prices.
Thus the power of fashion over the feminine
mind is turned to good commercial account This
year everyone who afford it is wearing fox,
and everyone who cannot afford fox is wearing the
hides of sheep-killing coyotes. which is very
mendable. The coyote is a small variety of wolf.
The true timber wolf is almost as large as a
panther, and his hide be used only for rugs.
These facts about the fur industry were gath
cred in conversation with Prof. Dearborn, of the
biological survey, who is the government expert
on fuT-bearing animals. He has cabinet in his
office which contains a large assortment Of furs,
with which he illustrates his statements He has
also in northern New York, near Lake Champlain,
a little farm of ten acres where he is expert
menting in the raising of fur-bearing animals in
captivity. He firmly believes that this is to be-
come a great industry, and not only that great
quantities of fur will be produced from domesti-
nd
be very superior to that grown in the wild state
Already ranch-bred fox is recognized as superior
to wild fox, and the skunk, which is the only
other fur-bearng animal that has been extensively
domesticated, has been deprived of the white
stripes which make it necessary to dye the wild
peltries.
Prof Dearborn has his farm blue
foxes, fishers, martens minks and skunks, and is
steadily increasing both the number and variety
of his stock. He has already done great deal
to popularize the raising of mink in captivity
but the present scarcity and resultant unpopular
ity Of mink fur has checked the growth of this
industry. Prof. Dearborn is not now receiving
nearly as many requests for information on the
subject he before the began. But he
is confidently looking forward to the time when
mink will again become popular.
Perhaps the easiest proposition for beginner
IN this new industry would be the production of
that beautiful glossy black fur known as electric
seal You might think it difficult TO obtain any
electric seals" for stocking purposes but as
of fact they can De purchased AT any pet
store For the electric seal is nothing more than
the fur of the Belgian hare, properly
clipped and dyed. Although electric seal coats
sell for large prices, the hides at present bring
only fifteen or twenty cents each. If the demand
for them grows, however, the price will also
grow And the great advantage of the Belgian
hare is that his flesh is very good eating In this
day of high prices for meat the biological survey
is anxious to encourage the production of Belgian
hares for their food value. The meat is very pal
atable canned.
At one time Prof. Dearborn thought he had
discovered a new and important fur-bearing
imal in the American jack rabbit. The fur of
of them looks almost exactly like that of the
prized chinchilla. Examination under the micro
scope, however, showed that the fur of the jack
rabbit has a weakness in that there is flaw in
each hair, causing it to break when the fur is
subjected to hard usage. So the jack rabbit was
saved from fame as a fur-bearing animal.
One of the most abundant animals in America
of the furbearing varieties are the squirrels: but
none of the more common American squirrels
produce fur of commercial value although guam
titles Of Russian squirrel skins are imported every
making a study