The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-06-09

OrQS correctly ana DreeQ the lows Sc
they will remain pure and not run out
and develop into scrubs again. The
association proposes to educate its
members thru the bureau of infor-
nation and literature as we'll as to
sell eggs and parent stock to get
them started. The starting is only
part of the task, for the start will
avail but little if it does not teach
them how to keep going in pure
breeds.
Teaching People How
What has been said of fowls can
be said of foxes and other animals
that yield large profits when han
died right. The association will
teach its members just how to do it,
and will loan them the parent stock
and keep a supervision of the work
until the beginners are able to man
age their own herd. The same meth
DDS apply to handling coyotes ex-
cepting that coyotes may be found
everywhere, and the association is
buying them and will raise them for
market or for distribution for breed
ing purposes among people who want
| to study the subject and go about it
in the approved way. The surplus
animals can be sifted out and killed
when the pelts are at their richest
lustre, and sold for cash. 1t is pro-
posed that the association and the
state game department shall estab-
lish board of experts under state
authority to examine and grade Ida
no pelts, so that they can be sold
according to grade, and stop de-
frauding the persons who have pelts
| for sale.
Protecting Our Trappers
The average boy or man offering
pelt for sale now, does not know
anything about what grade his
pelt belongs to, and he takes what
ever he can get. His pelt may have
been taken in hot weather when it
was almost worthless, or it may have
been taken in winter when it was
at its best, and he may get only the
price of the summer pelt every time
But if the state receives and grades
everybody's pelts and sells them in
the big annual or quarterly auction
when the big buyers of the country
are assembled to bid on the Idaho
furs, the state will see that every
boy sending in pelts gets what they
are worth. Idaho coyote skins have
been selling for ten or fifteen dollars
apiece when they were worth two
or three times as much, and the deal
ers absorbed the big profits. The
same is true Of muskrats, and hun
dreds of farmers are doing their
best to kill off the rats along their
bitches and sloughs when if they
would learn how to harvest them
and when to do it, the income from
this type of livestock would be many
times as great as on any other equal
number of acres. Many farmer has
two or three thousand dollars worth
of muskrats on his place and does
not consider them of any value, but
rather regards them as a damage. |
The association proposes to teach it's
members how to make use of this
kind of capital.
Suppose 1t We're Cattle
If these same farmers had two
or three thousand dollars worth of |
cattle along the sloughs and bitches
and did not know how to manage
them or when to make the roundup
or how to market the hides and beef
to get more than one-third their
value, they would not hesitate a
moment about taking a membership
in an association that had a system
for teaching them all the methods
from start to finish. The value of
muskrats has gone up from ten cents
apiece to four dollars, and if cattle
were hardly worth skinning and
should suddenly go up to forty times
the original value with every indi-
cation of staying up, the average
man owning a few cows would be
anxious to join an association that
could make him wise in the cattle
business right quick. He would not
be wiling to lose a years time and
4 whole years crop if he could get
The information sooner.
Comparing Skunks With Cats
A great deal has been said about
'aising skunks of late years, and an
equal amount said and published
showing how worthless is the house
at. The average house cat has been
represented as being lazy, useless,
somewhat affectionate and wearing
/ fur that carries disease and rubs
t against all members of the family.
l cat lives long time, seldom ever
lies, generally comes to life eight
lines, and when it finally dies for
,eeps, nobody ever takes the trouble
O skin it. With the skunk it is diff
erent. 1t is very industrious and
Intelligent, is beautiful and full of ,
life and sport, fond Of play and very !
aluable for its fur and oil. 1t is ,
more clearly than the cat, can be :
deodorized" when small, is a bet 9