FUR FARMING SECTION
PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
This section is open for discussion of anything pertaining
to fur farming.
Information concerning stock, site, house and pen con
struction, equipment, cost, breeding, mating, feeding, cooking
recipes, sanitation, prevention of contagious diseases, disinfec
tion, trapping, killing, pelting, marketing, packing, shipping
and other notes are welcomed for publication,—with due credit
to the author.
This section is intended to be the common meeting ground
for fur farmers. Interchange of ideas, helpful information, con
structive suggestions anent these particulars should readily
solve vexatious problems of fur farming. Readers are urged to
take advantage of this section and help The Gateway foster fur
farming throughout Alaska.
I BLUE-FOX FARMING IN ALASKA
(By Frank G. Ashbrook, Bureau of Biological Survey)
SKINNING •
After the animal heat leaves the
body the flesh shrinks from the
.-skin, thus permitting the pelt to be
removed more easily and keeping
the skill side free from blood. Cool
ing will take place in about half an
hour, but during this interval care
should be taken to prevent the car
cass from freezing.
The only tool needed in skinning
a fox is a jackknife, and this
should be kept sharp during the
•operation. A slit is made up the
hack of each hind leg, starting at
the inside of the paw and running
to the hock, then from the hock to
a point just below the root of the
tail. The back of each front leg
is slit in the same manner from the
paw to the first joint. The skin of
the hind legs is then worked free
from the flesh from the first joint
to the claws, and the bones of the
claws are cut free from the pelt,
■“out the nails are allowed to re
main with the skin. A slit on .the
under side is made from the root
of the tail about half its length and
all of the tail bone is pulled out
of the brush.
The carcass is then hung on a
hook or nail by the tendons of the
'hock joints and the pelt is pulled
down, the knife being used when
ever necessary to free it, until it
is removed as far as the neck. Care
ful work is necessary to cut around
i the base of the ears, including
j them in the pelt, then around th<
| eyes, and around the mouth anc
I lips in such a way as not to injure
! their margins. Carcasses should b<
■ disposed of immediately by bury
! ing or burning.
DRYING PELTS
As soon as it is taken from th<
: carcass the pelt is placed flesh side
out on a wooden frame for drying
| This may be made of soft-wooc
; one-half to five-eighths of an incl
| thick. Soft material will facilitah
drying and the drawing of tacks
A board 45 inches long and ap
proximately seven inches wide
should be used, tapering at tin
| end so as to enter the nose, At z
distance of 12 inches from the nose
the board should be six inches
wide, and at the base seven inches
Cut the board in halves, length
wise, and on the sides of one of the
pieces fasten two cleats extending
at right angles at the base, so thal
when the frame is inserted into £
pelt and a wedge is forced in tc
stretch it tight there will be nc
overlapping of the boards. By vary
ing the size of the wedge any franu
may be used for both large anc
small pelts. No more stretching
should be done than is required tc
bring the skin into natural shape
for undue stretching detracts front
the value of the pelt. To allow the
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MEET
OPPORTUNITY!
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Only 15 cents a line Minimum Charge 50 cents
What have you for sale? A motor? A gun?
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Each subsequent insertion 7 Vi cents a line. A
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Further information gladly rendered upon re
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TELEPHONE MAIN 110
Or Write to
The Gateway Publishing Company
Publishers of the
Seward Daily Gateway and Seward Weekly Gateway
“Alaska’s Home Newspapers”
| skin to dry, the hind legs and tail
| are fastened to the frame by means
I of tacks and small strips of wood,
j and the front legs are tacked to
small pieces of wood.
| A tablespoon is used as a scraper
: to flesh the skin and remove any
j excess fat. Scraping should not
be so close as to remove all the fat
i and part of the membrane, for this
! will make the skin shrink from the
1 roots of the guard hairs, permitting
! them to be pulled out, thus limit
ing the life of the pelt. Fur buy
i ers look for this defect, and skins
having it are severely cut in price.
After the skin has been fleshed
'and dried on the frame for a day
i or so, depending on conditions, it
; should be taken off, turned fur side
j out, and immediately replaced. Af
; ter another day or two it should
- oe again removed and hung on a
r rope to finish drying. The drying
! usually takes about four or five
[ days, and should not be hurried by
, use of artificial heat as this has a
, j tendency to injure it.
After the skin is thoroughly dry
j it is shaken vigorously and worked
| with the hand to make it pliable,
i It is then brushed with a stiff brush
; | and rubbed with burlap to remove
' j all foreign material. A comb may
S be used, if necessary, to remove
11 dead hairs. All cleaning is done
t s by hand, and on chemicals should
be applied. Frequent handling and
brushing at this time does not in
jure the pelt, but rather puts it in
better condition for the raw-fur
market.
Firemen last evening began their
j task of decorating up the Dream
land hall for the big New Year’s
j Eve Ball.
; TRAPPERS! Two Foxes in n day,
with only two sets out, is my
record. Methods guaranteed, $1.00.
Floyd Blackman. RD 3, New Ber
j lin, N. Y.
'j
: j —
.]....
Aron Ericson
-|j PAINTER and DECORATOR
I* WALL PAPER
For nerfect comfort and protec
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neer eiderdown of the North.
Famous for warmth and light
ness. Improved by n»w Harwood
patent down equalizers. Best
value for over 25 years.' Satisfac- |
tion responsibly guaranteed,
t Get yours early, from your dealer.
WOODS MFG. CO., LTD.
Ogdensburg, N. Y.
{ DISTRIBUTORS:
| KENNEDY BROS., ANCHORAGE
I
Custom tanners
of for skins and
buckskin. Taxi
dermist on bit
fame rugs, wall
mounts. M ana
fa c t a re r of
ehokers, costa
and gloves of
latest styles.
Send for oar
—W* buy teeth for mounting—
W. W. WEAVER. Reading Michigan
A Masters Work
Jonas Bros, offer you a com
plete Fur, Taxidermy and
Tanning Service — unexcelled
anywhere.
Game heads, fur rugs, birds,
etc., mounted true to nature.
Your raw fur skins dressed
and made into coats and
chokers.
Write for free catalogue.
JONAS BROS. i
1030 Broadway, Denver, Colo.
HERE FOR TREATMENT
Frank Hielo, formerly of Juneau,
who until recently operated a shoe
repair establishment in Valdez, dis
posed of his business there and
came to Seward seeking medical
treatment for an ailment of which
he has been suffering for some
time. Mr. Hielo was a visitor in
Seward five years ago.
When it’s developing and print
ing—think ALASKA SHOP.
Try our HORLUCKS Danish Ice
Cream. There’s none better. Candy
Cottage.
Wants Your
The purchasing power
of the American fur In
dustry is concentrated in
New York, the fur center
of the world. Offer your
raw furs to these buyers
through the NEW YORK
AUCTION CO., INC. This
Is the safest and best
method of marketing your
merchandise.
Let us put you on our
mailing list. Write us
today.
iNEW YORK AUCTION Cfti
lncoriioratfd
7.Z6 West 26th Street
NSW YO»K ,
I.
!« T he BUST place for
CLEANING
PRESSING
Htid ALTERATIONS
AT
C. Henning’s
Tailor Shop
; NUKA BAY TRANS
PORTATION CO.
MS ROLPII III
Leaves Seward 20th
of each month
Capt. Pete Sather
! • For Charter or Hire
Telephone Main 34
M’Mullen’s Grocery
FOR PROMPT DELIVERY
STAPLE AND FANCY GROCERIES
MAIL AND PHONE ORDERS PROMPTLY
ATTENDED TO
ONE OF THE MOST MODERN SHOPS
IN THE TERRITORY!
AUTO REPAIRING
ACETYLENE AND
ELECTRIC WELDING
FORD AGENT
Agent for The Kohler Automatic Power
and Light Plant
a
Oils, Greases and Gasoline
Agent and Installing Engineers for Fur
nace Oil Burners
PLUMBING
TINNING
STEAMFITTING
GENERAL MACHINE
WORK, REPAIRING
Seward Machine Shop
ALL WORK GUARANTEED — MADISON 56