Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-01-20
Fur Farming in the Fox Ranches of
Prince Edward Islands.

the sheltered concave formed by the
southern coast of the Gulf of ST. Law
renee and protected from the Atlantic
/ by the Cape Breton promonSory AMI
| Newfoundland, its quiet is never Sc
riously RULED by ocean storms. Con-
| tinually bathed by ozone-laden sea air
its climate knows neither extreme heat
nor cold ami is pleasant, healthy and
| lightfully cool and its winters are enjoy
able and bracing without discomfort.
POSSESSION no large mountains or
! forests and lying low in the gulf, it
gives a promise of monotony 20 the
approaching visitor. But closer in
vestigation sweeps away this impress
sion. Clumps OF trees, lovely groves,
undulating hills covered with the
greenest of grass, rich meadows, fat
corn lands, abundant Hocks and COM
Portable farmhouses, churches and viii
lagos give it an appearance OF we'll
being and prosperity. 1t is 100 miles in
length and its width varies from two to
30 miles while its area is 2,184 square
miles with a population OF about o.
900.
II is cultivated from end TO end,
ninety per cent Of its whole area being
classed as possible farm land" The
chief industry is agriculture and the
well-kept farms and good buildings
testify to the fertility of the soil and
the skill Of its cultivators. There is
no specialization in its field agriculture
but the favorite lines are dairying
stock raising and gardening Of vege-
tables and fruit.
Prince Edward Island has the dis
tncton Of being the only province of
Canada which produces sufficient food
for its own requirements. Not only
does it achieve this but the value OF
the surplus product exported is more
than sufficient to pay for all its other
purchases.
Fish abound in the bays and rivers of
the island and around its shores and
the annual value of the ca CHI is put
at two and three quarter million dol
lars. The famous Malpeque oyster
which in late years has been threaten
ed with extinction is found on the
coas' and the lobster industry employs
about 5000 persons. Poverty is prac-
tically unknown on the island or crime
the jails rarely have many occupants
While there are some Irish on the
island the main racial ingredients are
Highland Scotch and French Ca
madam, and the island ha sacouired a
reputation for sending forth both to
Canada and the United States more
than an ordinary proportion Of able
men, including Franklin X Lane. late
ly Secretary Of the Interior, and Pres
ident Schurman, OF Cornell.
Critics have however, accused Prince
/ Edward Island of being hopeless
backwaer where enterprise was I'M
known and energy an unnecessary
quality but the charge has been beied
in most convincing way by the sue
cess with which the islanders have or
gained very novel and profitable in
duStry. They have brought scientific
fur farming to greater pitch of per-
fecticn han any other community on
the globe. AS far as industries go
it may be reckoned young In way
it dates back as far as 1887, but it is
only in the last decade that it has
become one of the staple activities o
obtain general recognition. Just as
the diamond is peerless among
precious stones SO the fur of the silver
fox holds an assured prominence
among furs. The description, silver
fox, is decidedly misleading, for it is
the trade name for the skin Of the
back fox, the term silver being de-
rived from the presence of glstening
white and gray hairs among the black
jet. The brush to be perfect should
have tip Of pure white. On account
of the JUS er and richness Of the fur
II is always fashionable in the femi.
nine world and the demand is unlim-
tied. But twenty years ago it looked
as il this fur would soon be so scarce
as to be beyond the purses of all save
a favored few. Such survivors Of the
silver fox tribe as were left had re-
trea ed to the fastness OF the Arcrc
North and the Hudson Bay Company
had fixe! standard price OF $1,000
for a Prime pelt. In 1912 single
tirst-class skin brought l,4O0
In the eighties the rarity of this fur