The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-12-17
Delaware Expects
Big Muskrat Catch

AfA AsA SNOA1A 49, OSS~SAA
Delaware City-Opening of the trap
ping season in Delaware promises to
be followed by one of the largest musk
rat catches ever recorded in the State.
The season closes in March. This is
the opinion expressed here by practi-
cally every trapper who has come in
since the season opened on Wednes-
day. Muskrats are reported to abound
in all of the marshland sections, and
while thousands of them belong to the
younger set," they are nevertheless
in fairly good fur. While it is ilnpos-
sible to approximate even the value
of the seasons trap, old hands insist
it will run into the thousands of dol.
lars.
Muskrat skins are bringing from 81
to 50 each, depending on the size and
the condition of the fur This means
that many of the trappers putting in
their first season will clear a hand
some profit. Compared with last sea-
sons price, it is said that the offers
made by fur buyers indicate another
fur season in developing and that the
demand is practically as great az a
year ago, when it was conceded, all
former shipment and sales were shat
tered.
In connection with the demand some
surprise is expressed that it should
have developed so strongly so carly
in the season. The weather has been
anything but stimulating to the sale Of
'fufs at retail, which means that the fur
manufacturers cannot be moving
stocks very rapidly. Yet with condi-
tions of this kind which might be ex-
pected to depress the price, muskrat
skins are bringing almost as much as
last year, while the demand equals
that of year ago.
One factor and possibly second has
entered into the demand this year for
the first time. At least it has only been
within the past few days that the i'm
portance Of either was fully recog-
nized.
The first of the new outlets for
rnuskrat skins is found in the demand
created by the glove manufacturers.
While the pelts were used years ago
in manufacturing gloves, they were OF
the cheaper grades. These conditions
in change have changed and today
muskrat skins are being utilized in
manufacturing the finer grades.
Glove Interests Visit Section
Several buyers for glove interests
have been through this section during
the past week. In many instances they
have practically contracted for all of
the skins the trappers can produce of
a certain age. Size seems to be the
essential factor in deciding the utility
Of the pelt in connection with the
manufacturing of gloves. Naturally
the smaller skins are less in demand,
although many of them will be used
this year in this way. One thing the
buyers are insisting upon, the pelts
must not show puncture marks. This
practically excludes those taken from
muskrats shot. Few muskrats, how.
ever, are being taken in that way.
Another demand for the muskrat
pelt has resulted from the manufacture
of amiators apparel. It has been
found that the skins used as Innings
with the fur inside afford ample pro
lection to the wearer, while they con
stitute a lighter lining than can be
obtained from other sources, especially
leather. The apparent limit to the de
mand for this purpose is fixed only
by the quantity of such equipment be
ing manufactured.
Although locally, thousands of musk
rat skins have been shipped annually
for years, it has only been within the
past year that the trappers found the
business unusually profitable. Last
season. the extraordinary demand for
furs compelled the manufacturers to
utilize pelts of all kinds for purposes
to which they had never been put be
fore. Muskrat skins, it was found
instead OF being cheap substitute
were capable of being used in many
original ways and did not lose value
when their real character became
known. In fact, demand sprang uI
for muskrat skin garments which
caused the fur men to suddenly dis