The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-07-07
FOX BREEDING EXPANDS
investment In Silver Black Industry Is
Put at $4,279,830.

Approximately 1894 silver black
foxes are being bred in captivity in
the United States according to reports
to the Bureau OF Biological Survey,
United States department of agricul-
ture. from 215 fox ranches, represent
ing a value in animals and equipment
estimated at 81 279,S30. All reports
have not yet been received and con-
servative estimates place the number
of silver black foxes in this country
from 5000 to 5000 Some ranchmen
estimate the number as high as 10000.
Statistics on the fax ranching bust
ness being gathered by the bureau in
dictate that fox raising In the United
States, especially in the northern tier
of states, Is rapidly becoming an i'm
portant industry. The information
sought has to do chiefly with the loca.
tion and number of ranches, number
of foxes and money invested
Prince Edward Island. Canada, Is re-
garded as the center OF the industry
Many foxes are now bred In captivity
In great number Of states, including
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylva-
mia, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin. Min.
nesota. Illinois, Iowa, Montana, Idaho.
Oregon. Washington. Colorado, Cali
Iforn'a and In Alaska. 1t Is probable
that there are other states in which
fox farming is carried on, as the rec.
ords OF the bureau are not yet com
plete.
Officials say II Is very difficult to OBJ.
tain authentic information for the rea.
son That some ranches decline to fiji
out and return the questionnaires sent
them. Many ranchers. who volunteer
information reported In such man
ner that it is sometimes very difficult
to interpret. Then, too, in addition to
raising silver black foxes, some ranch
ers keep red and cross foxes. skunks
martens and muskrats; the amount OF
money invested and reported. there
fore IN such cases naturally covers
the whole project, making 1t impos
sible to allot correct amount for breed
ing silver black foxes Some rancher.
board foxes for other breeders. which
also adds to difficulty of obtaining col
rect information. These facts, il Is
said, should be born In mind In deter
mining the value OF the following fig
ures concerning silver black foxes
These figures are preliminary as re
ports have not all been received. Ap
proximate value of silver black foxei
and the fur farm equipment reported
Is as follows: California, $4,000; Col
lorado, $4,000; Idaho. $4,000; Iowa
, $500; Illinois. $1,000; Maine, $500, $50
Massachusetts. S75S,70O; Michigan
s990.375; Minnesota, s317.300 Mon
tana. $4,000; New Hampshire. s54,
50o New York. s733,2O5; Ohio, SIP,
, 700: Pennsylvania. s61.5O0: Wisconsin
/. s493 200; Vermont. $4,000; Washing
ton, $1,000.
The permits issude by the depart
ment of agriculture for the importa
|, ton Of foxes into the United State
; from Canada for the year 1920 totalet
sos. as compared with 1856 in 1919
Here again it Is impossible to ascer
tain the exact number of foxes coming
4 in for the reason that many ar
i brought in for exhibition purposes an,
! then returned to Canada. The mum
: Der OF silver black foxes In Canada Il
4 1919 was given in preliminary re
> port OF the Dominion bureau OF sta
4 tistics as 6,433. with animals valued a
/ s3.O13,1l5. not including equipment
|. There were 1000 pelts sod at tota
:. valuation of S4S2 264. These figure
|. II Is said, are as nearly correct as !
A is possible to obtain. but il is though
that there are undoubtedly many NOR
Y foxes in Canada than are here report
; ed.