FTTR FARMING SECTION
JL • ■ •** K't0 *?■ *• •** • *. m « fi. —**,...• -4 4 **w* * . * ‘4 .■ .*»» 4
PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
This section ls 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.
BLUE-FOX FARMING IN ALASKA
(By Frank G. Ashbrook. Bureau of Biological Survey)
BRIEF HISTORY OF BLUE-FOX Pribllof^ and placed them on Ag
| hiyuk Island. This island is lo
FARMENG cally known as North Eemidi, and
„ . , „ is off the Alaska Peninsula near
Vemammof, a Russian writer, | the present viUage oI Chignik.
.states that when the Pr.bUof fc-jAbout i886 or 1887, three or four
discovered they were alrs tolten from the progeny
inhabited by blue and white foxes. In North Semldi and laced on
The larger islands of the Aleutian ;chowiet or South Semidi Island
group also are said to have been ]A b)ack ma!e foj£ 1>laced
inhabited bv blue and white foxes on ^ island and thjs one kiUed
inhabited by blue and white foxes
when discovered by the Russians.
In 1835 the Russians introduced
off all the blue foxes. Chowiet was
.. T,. , T , J .. . , again stocked in 1891 by the Semidi
blue foxes on Kiska Island, possibly j Propagating Co with 18 irs o{
nn Amin onn npv n wc ntnov _
on Amlia and perhaps on other is-jblue foxes from the Pl.ibiiof and
lands in the Aleutian Chain.
- In 1858 an official Russian proc
lamation permitted and ordered
the killing of white foxes on the
Pribilofs whenever and wherever
found, but there were rigid restric
• ioftis on the killing of blue foxes.
Aghiyuk Islands. In 1891 this com
pany also stocked Chirikof Island
with six or eight pairs from Aghi
yuk and possibly some from the
Pribilofs.
In 1895 the Semidi company ob
Tlie Russians followed a wise and tained possession of Long Island,
vigorous policy of stocking lands near Kodiak from a person who
with fur-bearing animals, giving had been raising cattle, sheep and
notive and introduced forms of1 silver foxes there. After trapping
protection with the view of main- and removing all the silver foxes
taining a constant supply of fur.! (1895-96), they placed on this is
There is nothing to indicate that land 30 pairs of blue foxes from Ag
fur farming was carried on in a hiyug. While Island was stocked
manner similar to present-day fur in 1S99 with foxes produced on
farming, however; that is, caring Long Island.
for the animals in pens. This stocking of islands was the i
The first recorded efforts to raise I real beginning of blue-fox farming!
blue foxes after the purchase of in Alaska. The operations of the j
Alaska by the United States, began I Semidi Propagating Co. were not
in 1885. The Semidi Propagating j a complete success, but were a
Coi, of Kodiak, obtained eight or‘start in the right direction. Thru
10 pairs of blue foxes from the its efforts stock was brought to
MEET
OPPORTUNITY!
Classified Ads — Short Cut to Quick Sales
Only 15 cents a line Minimum Charge 50 cents
What have you for sale? A motor? A gun?
A boat? A radio set? An automobile? A house?
A mine? A trapline?
What do you want to buy? Second hand furni
ture? A city lot? Want to rent a nouse? An apart
ment? Want a business partner? Want a situation?
Want to borrow money?
Whatever it is, here is a definite plan of action
at a price you can afford to pay. Classified adver
tisements in the Seward Daily Gateway and the
Seward Weekly Gateway produce results—and that
is what you want. No matter what kind of mer
chandise you are selling, and no matter what you
want, here is your opportunity for quick action.
During 1930 consumers in Alaska poured more
than $33,000,000 into the channels of trade for mer
chandise of all kinds. You can share profitably in
this great market
Let Alaskans get acquainted with you. Open
the door to them. Make yourself known in the
Gateway. Many of them want just what you have
to sell. *
Each subsequent insertion 7*6 cents a line. A
line will average six words. Address counts as part
of the ad.
Further information gladly rendered upon re
quest.
TELEPHONE MAIN 110
Or Write to
The Gateway Publishing Company
Publishers of the
Seward Daily Gateway and Seward Weekly Gateway
“Alaska’s Home Newspapers”
i
<
points accessible to breeders. It Is
neither necessary nor desirable to
go into a detailed history of sub
sequent developments. In fact,
J this soon became so intricate as
i to make impracticable any attempt
to trace it. For a time there was
a boom; then there was a decline,
during which many islands were
abandoned and most or all of the
j stock of foxes removed. Interest
; revived about 1916, and since then
: the industry has developed so rap
• idly that :in a very few years almost
i all the islands suitable for the en
ferprise have been occupied.
In 1898 a few pairs of blue foxes
j irom Long Island were sent to Fox
i croft, Me., and kept in pens. The
j animals were pups of that season
! and it is reported that several fox
es were raised the next year. A
number of blue foxes were import
ed into the United States from Al
aska between the years 1919 and
1924. Some, at least of the operat
ors in the States and on the Alaska
mainland have been successful In
raising blue foxes in pens.
iy
n|
FOX-GROWING AREAS IN
ALASKA
d. I The islands used for blue-fox
d | farming in Alaska vary in size from
d | about 40 to more than 6,000 acres,
ls ; and fall into six geographic groups:
li i (1) Southeastern Alaska (in the
>f j Alexander Archipelago); (2) Prince j
d • William Sound region;. (3) Lower]
- j Cook Inlet region; (4) Kodiak- <
d j Afognak region; (5) the Alaska
-1 Peninsula; (6) the Aleutian Islands.
e ; In the first two groups the islands
j ^e almost all timbered and lie
j mainly within national forests,
j ! Some of the islands j'n the Kodiak
Jj region are timbered, but westward
g! from Kodiak none have*timber. j
n-1 With respect to their availability j
3 | for fur farming, these islands fall
_; into four classes:
_ | <1) Ten islands from Prince Wil
,,j liam Sound to the Shumagin group;
x : namely, Little Koniuji, Simeonof,
j Chirikof, Long, Marmot, Pearl, Eliz
e! abeth Middleton, Aghiyuk and Cho
y wiet. All of the islands in this
0 group are leased and occupied for
t fur farming, the administration be
x ing by the Secretary of Agriculture
x through the Biological Survey.
(2) Islgnds in the Aleutian Is
- lands Reservation are available for
■ occupancy under permit and are
administered by the Secretary of
Agriculture through the Biological
Survey. Applications for permits
to occupy these islands should be
sent to the office of the Biological
j Survey, Juneau.
(3) Islands on national forests
j are administered by the Secretary
j of Agriculture through the Forest
j Service, and practically all such is
j lands suitable for fox farming are
j already under permit for that pur
! pose. On the Tongass Forest, in
I Southeastern Alaska, 150 such per
mits are in effect; and on the Chu
; gach Forest in the Prince William
1 Sound region, 36. Inquiries regard
ing the use of national-forest land
! for fex-farming purposes should be
\ addressed to the Forest Supervisor,
Cordova, Alaska, or Forest Super
j visor Ketchikan, Alaska, who are
i in charge of the Chugach and Ton
gaas National Forests, respectively.
*4) Other islands, except a few
small reserves, are of the public
domain and under the jurisdiction
of the General Land Office, Depart
ment of the Interior. No legal au- <
thority exists for leasing or grant-;
ing title to these islands. A few j
are situated in Southeastern Al-1
aska, but the majority are west of!
Seward and Cook Inlet. Many is- 1
lands of this class are occupied for j
fur farming under the belief that
those in possession will have their
occupancy recognized should Con- j
gress pass the necessary law outhor- !
izing the issuance of leases or per- j
mils for them.
Shipments by mail of furs con
signed to points outside of Alaska
are required to be reported to the
Alaska Game Commission, Juneau,
Alaska, on appropriate blanks sup
plied for the purpose.
SELECTING AN ISLAND OR j
RANCH SITE
The production of a fine quality
! of fur is closely related to climate.
I A long, cold winter, with a fair
amount of rainfall, particularly in j
spring, is conducive to the produc
tion of good pelts. Hot summers
are not detrimental if short and if
followed by a season of cold wea
ther sufficiently severe to cause the j
renewal of heavy coats.
It has been stated that excessive
sunshine makes the fur of live ani
mals fade, but to what extent has
not yet been definitely ascertained.
The sun will make fur fade, how
ever, after the pelt has been re-,
moved. When the fur of a blue fox
is being shed the dead hairs turn
to various shades of brown and cho
colate. During the season when the
blue-fox pelts are becoming prime, j
some will be found with a choco
late tinge, commonly known as I
(Please turn to Page Three) jj
Custom tanners
of fur skins and
buckskin- Taxi*
drrmist on big
game rues, wall
mounts. Mono
facturer of
chokera, costs
and gloves of
latest styles.
Send for ear
catalogue.
—We buy teeth for mounting—
W. W. WEAVER. Reading Micfalgsn
I
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 marie into coats and
chokers.
Write for free catalogue.
JONAS BROS.
1030 Broadway, Denver, Colo.
TRAPPERS!
American Trapper Maga
zine is devoted entirely to
trapping. It gives you the
best trapping methods; and
each issue contains over a
full page of scent and bait
formulas, including directions
on how to use. Each and
every issue of American
Trapper is packed full of
useful trapping information.
It is just the magazine you
have been looking for. Am
erican Trapper tells you how
to make successful sets for
the wise furbearing animals,
also scents that will lure
them to your traps. No Trap
per can afford to miss a
single issue. It is published
six times a year, October to
March. Subscription price is
only $1.00 a year (Six issues)
or three years for $2.00.
Sample copy, 10c. Regular
price is 25c. Back issues, 10c
each, or 8 different copies
for 50c, prepaid. We are sure
once you see a copy of Am
erican Trapper you will be
come a regular subscriber.
Subscribe NOW or at least
order a ,sample copy.
Address
N. E. SHARP
Publisher
Plymouth, California.
M. & W. CLUB
WARD & MITCHELL
Where good fellows get
together.
SEWARD’S
POPULAR
CARD ROOM
% f > A •»
’v V ’t’..' Ajjr *-> -w If*’
Wants Your
FURS
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.
[NEW YORK AUCTION C0.I
Incorporated
226 West 26th Street
NEW YO»K
Hunters — Trappers j
“NEVERFAIL CHEMICAL FERRETS’* J
■will help you fret the cream of the fur I
hardest--the prime furs of the animal* |
that den up. Positively empties the fl
dens—brings the animals out aiirc and 8
without injury to fur or flesh. Sue- fl
cessfully used for years by the beat B
trappers and hunters. Don’t delay—
order NOW, and start makintr REAL
money in furs this season. Trial order
of six sent postpaid for $1.00.
WILSON MANUFACTURING CO.
Dept. A. Box 81 Quincy, 111.
WALL PAPER
Aron Ericson
PAINTER and DECORATOR
in Awards for
RAPPERS/
Get your share this season of this
extra fur money which is offered
to trappers everywhere by the
THIRD NATIONAL
FUR SHOW
FREEH
winy I
book,‘*Tip s to Trappers’*
—the only book of its kind
—written for trappers, by
trappers — with many
photos taken right on the
trap-line. Gives modern
methods of trapping,
handling and selling your
furs for most protit. Con
tains full details of our
Free Fur
Marketing Service
which, since 1925, has en
abled many thousands of
trappers to obtain moro
fur money. Learn now
bow tho World’s Largest
Store can help you—write
for Johnny Muskrat’s
new book today!
WON
$2,000.00
JL
H. A. Barker. Nr»tajul*r*
AU.. Mink nki*
was Jtidirt'd to bn the
h tnd.cd p«*!t entered
Iasi year’a *how.
YOU CAN WIN
1st Award $2000.90
2nd Award. 500JSQ
3rd Award . 250.09
4th Award .100.89
2IS Honorable
Wentien mm nw
Awards of $10 2150.00
35SBOi
Sears, Roebuck & Co.
Coupon to D,lta ******* /
iWrlfa /M? ♦‘. /‘VS* /
SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO.
Please mail me without coot V
or obUwUon Johnny Muskrat's neSK^J
b02k,«xE&nto*' Pour tree fur marketing aerviee
and the 1 bird National Fur Show.
Poe to TOco
State_
Rural Box
.Route.No..
n*“•<<*> mire both yoor Route oad Han Ntmber
it cm • Borai Re
Street Address.
Berlin Tanning and Manufacturing Company
BERLIN, WISCONSIN.
TANNERS OF
Shearlings-wool finished Bark, Beaverized or Wombat
MANUFACTURERS OF
Sheepskin Socks, Slippers, Mittens, Gloves, Helmets,
Vests and Coats.
FOR THE MOTORCYCLE RIDER
Leather Belts, Sheepskin Saddle Covers, Cloth and Leather
Helmets and Handle Bar Muffs.
WRITE FOR CATALOG