The Alaska daily empire., 1922-08-29
COMPLETES TRIP OF |NSPE FICTION
 TO FUR FARMS
Walker Returns Alter Cruise of 4,060 Miles Along
 Westward Coast.

aska as far as Dutch Harbor and 1 Unalaska, E. P. Walker, chief Of the
 Biological Survey in Alaska. re-
 turned to Juneau at midnight last
 night on the Survey yacht Sea Otter, Capt K. c. Talmage. Despite nu- I inerous pessimistic predictions, the l trip was made without mishap or ma I terial difficulty and constitutes
 nearly, if not, quite. a record trip \ for such size government vessel in ! Alaska waters, according to Mr.
 Walker. Lieut.. F. c. Ashbrook,> Bu-
 reau fur farm expert of the United :. States and Canada joined Mir. Walk
 CT at Seward on the westbound trip
 and continued on the cruise, return
 ing here.
 {, MT Walker and Captain Talmage
 left Juneau June on the Sea Otter
 for the southwestern coast, where
 Nr. Walker inspected the islands held
 by the Biological Survey for leasing
 for fur farming He also spent
 great deal of time in the study and
 fostering of fur farming, the study of the alleged damage of certain wlterbrds to the fisheries and gen. eral wild life study, witch particular l: attention 10 it's needs in protec- tion
 Points Visited
 The westward end of the trip was reached July g and the return trip was started July 9. Important points at which Mr. Walker stopped, en route Westward, wore: Yakutat, Clay Bay, Controller Bay Cordova, Middleton Islands, Latouche, Sew ard Port Chatham and vicinity. Ko- diak Afognak and numerous points on Kodiak Island, Alitak Bay. Semidi Islands, Chignik, Belkofski, Ikatan. Akutan, Dutch Harbor and Unal- aska.
 The return route took in Akutan, Ikatan and False Pass, Belkofslli, Pavloff Bay. Unga. Sand Point, the Shumigin Islands. Chignik. Cold Bay, KAchemak Bay points, Seward, An chorage, Prince William Sound and Icy Straits points.
 The usual array of Alaska weather was encountered but caused little de- lay. according to MT Walker As a whole. the trip was highly successful and bids fair 10 result in much good for the wild life and fur farming of the Territory. he said.
 Westward Aampered "The degree ofs'solation and poor transportation in the Westward re- zion, together with other conditions, l,o ment of fur farming. although this district was the original home of blue fox farming in Alaska There are number of actively operating fur farms and interest is being revived in the industry. which bids fair for future development.
 : ''There has been strong demand hoth in Alaska and the States and
 oven in foreign countries for sum
 marizcd information on fox farming
 in Alaska and its possibilities. It is
 anticipated that information obtained ! on this cruise and other work will
 be put into bulletin form for gen. eral distribution.
 Study Farming . , tention to the feeding of the fox, and efforts are being made to determine satisfactory available foods and me
 thods Of preparation and handling.
 Fish is the basic diet in various. . forms Of fresh, smoked. dried and , salted. Cereals and vegetables are
 being used with certain success. and
 quite successfully in many instances
 With the animals running at large
 selective breeding is almost eltisely
 impossible, but by persistent culling
 the strain is probably being grad
 ually improved. Many operators arc exchanging animals to infuse new
 blood into their stock.
 "At the meeting of the association
 of fur farmers Of Prince William
 Sound. after he organization of the |
 association. the subject of control fof poaching was taken up. and the members voted to offer a reward of | 1000 for arrest and conviction Of |
 anyone poaching on the fur farm of i members of the association. Tn addi- | ton 10 this they are giving, active [
 attention to obtaining needed govern |
 ment assistance and to assist in |
 the control of poaching. Fifty ami ! mals are known to have been stolen | from farms in Prince William Sound during the past winter. The average | price being Sl50 a skin, shows the |
 importance of the question of Mach. f
 ing. The farmers also asked that a |
 regulation be promulgated to pro | hibit the taking ofs wild blue foxes, | as step towards preventing poach- 1 ing"
 To Eliminate Poaching l MT. Walker has suggested to the association plan for the marking Of skins, somewhat similar to a | branding system, which would require passage of an Act by the Territorial Legislature and which should very Il nearly eliminate poaching. with any degree Of enforcement applied to if The association heartily endorsed