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 THE MUSKRAT AS A FUR BEARER 1
Bv David E. Lantz, formerly Assistant Biologist, Division of
Economic Investigation, Bureau of Biological Survey.
(Continued from Last Week)
MUSKRAT FURS
In the raw state the fur of the
muskrat is dense and soft and in
general appearance much like that
of the beaver. However, the pel
age is shorter and less close and
the pelt somewhat inferior in dur
ability. The color varies with
season and locality. Northern skins
average lightest in color, being
often a light silver gray, some
times nearly white on the under
parts. This is probably because
many are taken in summer pelage.
Very dark skins, classed as black,
come mainly from New Jersey,
Delaware, and Maryland, but are
produced in limited numbers in
other parts of the United States
and in Canada.
Compared with mast other furs
of such small size, muskrat furs
are of excellent quality and dur
ability; their cheapness is chiefly
the result of their abundance. The
earliest demand for the for was
for the manufacture of so-called
beaver hats, it making an excel
lent imitation. When silk replaced
fur in hat manufacture the de
mand for muskrat skins fell off
greatly. They next became popu
lar as imitations of sealskins.
Properly dyed and made up, they
are difficult to distinguish from
the genuine, but their wearing
qualities are inferior. Modern fur
dressers and dyers have found
means of imitating many of the
more costly furs with that of
this animal, and have thus created
a continuous demand for the pelts.
TRADE IN MUSKRAT FURS !
The growth of the demand for!
muskrat furs is shown by the!
records of London importations,
and sales. From 1763 to 1800 (38,
years) the average number of skins !
imported and sold annually in
that market was less than 75,000.
During the 50 years from 1801 to
1850, the average was about 411,
000. From 1851 to 1900, inclusive,
the importations averaged over 2.
534.000 yearly; and during the 10
years, 1901 to 1910, the average 1
rose to 4.223.000. In recent years i
the London sales were as follows: !
1911, 5,197,530; 1912, 5,014,9212;
1913, 6.876.417; 1914. 10,488,647;
1915, 3,500,000 ‘approximately). The
decreased importations for 1915
are explained by the European
war. When it is remembered that I
a constantly increasing number
of muskrat furs are dressed and
manufactured in America instead
of going through the London mar
ket, the foregoing statistics show
a remarkable increase in the util
ization of this fur. Notwithstand
ing the fact that during the past
century and a half over a quarter
of a billion muskrats have been
taken for their pelts, the supply
has not diminished greatly. It
is piobable that with adequate
piotection in the breeding season,
from 10 to 12 million pelts can
be taken annually in North Amer
ica without depleting the supply.
The prices paid for muskrat
pelts vary considerably from year
to year, in 1919 the skins brought
from 12 cents to $5.10 each; in
x920 they ranged from 13 cents
to $4.55 each: in 1921, from eight!
cents to $2.58 each; and in 1922
A2 cents t0 $2.46 each. Since
1919 the prices have been lower,
but probably they never again will
reach the low levels that were
current during the period of the
early eighties.
TRAPPING THE MUSKRAT
Muskrats are not suspicious and
are trapped easily. They take any
suitable bait readily, especially in
winter and early in spring, when
green food is scarce. Majority of
those captured in the ordinary
steel trap are caught by the front
leg. A strong trap breaks the leg
bone and in struggling the ani
mal may tear loose, leaving a foot,
or part of it, in the trap. For
this reason traps should be set so
that the captives will drown quick
ly.
The best baits for muskrats are
carrots, sweet apples, parsnips, tur
nips, or pieces of squash. Many
trappers use scent to attract the
animals, but it is doubtful wheth
er the smell of musk or of any
of the oils, as anise or rhodium,
has advantages over the natural
odor of the baits named.
Most muskrat trappers use the
the ordinary steel trap (No. 1).
The manner of setting It de
pends upon the situation, and
the skill of the trapper is best
[displayed in selecting this. Musk
' rat trails may be found along
the banks of all streams and
ponds which they inhabit, and the
practiced eye often can trace them
into shallow water. Sink the trap
in the trail, partly in the mud
or sand where the water is two
or three inches deep, and fasten
the chain to a stake, or, better j
still, to a slender pole reaching j
into deep water. The pole, upon j
which the ring of the chain is to !
slide, should have a fork at the
outer end to prevent the ring from
j slipping farther, and the other
end should be stuck firmly into
I the bank. Fasten the bait to a
! stick set in the mud. so that the i
| bait is about a foot above the pan
I of the trap. The animal in reach
j ing for the bait sets the hind j
j foot upon the pan and is caught
more securely than if taken by
the fore foot. It immediately
plunges into deep water, sliding
the chain along the pole as far as
it will go, and soon drowns. If •
the chain is fastened to a stake,
it should be planted in water a
j foot or more in depth, so that
the animal will drown.
i Setting traps inside or near j
muskrat houses is to be condemn- j
ed; many States have laws forbid- j
ding the practice and some of
them specify the minimum dis
tance from the house at which a
trap may be placed. A long plank
five or six inches wide or a float
ing log or one extending out into
the water may be used advan
tageously as a support for traps.
The plank is moored to the shore
by a wire passed through a staple
driven into one end and the other
end is anchored in the stream or
pond. Light cleats are nailed to
the upper side at intervals, with
space enough between them to
hold a trap when set. Shallow
notches wide enough to hold the
traps may be cut into the log, and
the traps covered lightly with fine
leaves or grass. The ring at the
end of each trap chain is fastened
to the plank by a staple. Baits
of carrots or apple may be scat
tered; but they are not necessary,
since the animals use such a de
vice as a highway to reach the
shore. An animal venturing upon
it is almost sure to be caught.
In this way many occupants of a
pond may be taken in a single
night.
The box trap is a favorite with
some trappers. This consists of a
wooden box with a gate at each
end, the cross section inside meas
uring about six by six inches.
The gate is of wire and is ar
ranged to swing inward but not
outward. The box is set just un
der water with one end at the
entrance to a muskrat burrow.
The animal lifts the gate on leav
ing the burrow and is imprisoned
and drowned. Others follow until
perhaps all the occupants of the
burrow are caught. A similar
trap may be made entirely of
heavy wire netting of half-inch
mesh, bent to shape. These traps
are well adapted to very narrow
streams or ditches.
An open barrel sunk in the
stream or pond frequented by
soil close to the bank of the
muskrats is considered an effective
trap. The top of the barrel should
be level with the surface of the
ground. The barrel is half full
of water, upon which pieces of
carrot or apple are floating. A
i piece of board about eigh', inches
square or a few floating chips
will delude the animals into jump
ing into the barrel to secure the
food.
A floating barrel is a good sub
stitute for a sunken barrel. A hole
eight to 12 inches square is sawed
in the side of a barrel having
both ends intact. A strong cleat
is nailed across each end, project
ing six or eight inches on the
sides. Upon the cleats boards as
long as the barrel or somewhat
longer are nailed. Enough water
is placed inside to make the barrel
float with the outer platform level
with the surface of the pond—
say, with about one-third of the
barrel exposed. Apples or carrots
are placed inside for bait.
CARING FOR THE SKINS
Muskrats taken for the fur should
be trapped—not shot or speared.
If taken alive in a trap they
should be killed by a sharp blow
on the back of the head. Trap
pers usually carry a short club
for this purpose.
Muskrat skins intended for the;
market should be “cased,” not
opened along the belly. In skin
ning, begin at the heel and slit
up the middle of the hind leg
to the tail, around it, and then
down the other leg to the heel
in the same way. No other cuts
are needed, though many trappers
pass the knife around the feet,
where the long fur ends. Then
turn the skin back over the body,;
leaving the fur side inward. The j
skin peels off easily to the front j
feet. Cut closely around nose, i
ears, and lips, so as not to tear:
the pelt, If bits of flesh adhere i
to the skin about the head, they
may be scraped off, but this is
usually left to the fur dresser.
The skin, inside out, is stretched
over a thin board or a shingle of
the proper shape and a tack or
two is inserted to keep it in posi- j
tion to dry. Stretchers made of
heavy galvanized wire are now
extensively used by trappers and
have advantages over the wooden
kind. Skins should be dried in the
open air—not before a fire or in j
the sun. They should not be ex
posed to rain. Books on trapping
usually give full directions for
1 caring for raw furs.
HOME DRESSING OF FURS
; Formerly many muskrat skins
were home-tanned and made into
caps, collars, and other articles.
At present the home utilization
of skins is much less extensive,
but knowledge of a good method
of dressing the fur is still desira
ble. Most of the methods em
ployed by amateurs involve the
use of alum to fix the hair; but
satisfactory results, so far as pli
ability of the pelts goes, depend
largely upon the labor bestowed
on them.
The directions here given, if fol
lowed, will give better results than
the use of alum. Prepare a tan
ning liquid composed of a quart
of salt and one-half ounce of sul
phuric acid to each gallon of wa
ter. This mixture should not be
kept in a metal container. Musk
rat skins (not cased) are tanned
in this mixture in a day, but they
may remain in it longer without
injury. When removed from the
liquor, wash several times in soapy
water, wring as dry as possible,
and rub the flesh side with a cake
of hard soap. Then fold them in
the middle, lengthwise, over a
line, hair side out, and leave to
dry. When both surfaces are
barely dry, and the interior is
still moist, lay them over a smooth,
rounded board and scrape on the
flesh side with the edge of a worn
flat file or a similar blunt-edged
tool. In this way an inner layer
is removed and the skins become
nearly white in color. They are
then stretched, rubbed and twist
ed until quite dry. if parts of a
skin are still hard or stiff, the
soaping, drying, and stretching
process should be repeated until
the entire skin is soft. Fresh but
ter, or other animal fat, worked
into skins while they are warm
and then worked out again in dry
hardwood sawdust, or extracted
by a hasty bath in gasoline, in
creases their softness.
USE OF MUSKRAT FUR
Many of the muskrat skins now
used in America are dressed in the
United States. Formerly they were
dressed in Leipzeig and other Eu
ropean fur centers. The cased
skins are often split laterally into
back and belly parts, the former
often being sheared and dyed a
rich brown in imitation of fur
seal. The handsome garments made
of these are called “Hudson seal”
in the fur trade. The belly strips
usually are dressed in the natural
color and are used for lining over
coats and other outer garments.
Muskrat skins also are used ex
tensively to imitate mink and
sold under such trade names as
river mink” or “ondatra mink.”
However, the better grades of
muskrat, dressed in the natural
color and unplucked, have a very
beautiful luster and make very
handsome coats, boas, and muffs.
Muskrat fur also is used to make
small articles of apparel, as gloves,
caps, and collars; and waste pieces
from the furriers’ cutting rooms
are utilized for hatters’ fur.
MUSKRAT FARMING
It has been proved by experi
ments with muskrat in captivity
that the animals are easily kept,
become very tame, and breed in
very narrow quarters. The value
of the skins, however, does not
warrant commercial attempts to
produce them under such restrict
ed conditions. Until recently the
prices were too low to permit ex
penditures on preserves or even
efforts to prevent poaching. Now
carefully guarded preserves will
yield steady and profitable returns.
All that is needed is care not to
deplete the fur supply by too close
trapping.
(Continued Next Week)
TRAPPERS! Two Foxes in a day,
with only two sets out, is my record.
Methods guaranteed, $1.00. Floyd
Blackman. RD 3, New Berlin, N. Y.
AFTER FORTY YEARS, Ency
clical of Pope Pius XI on Labor
and Capitol, available at Alaska
Shop. 10 cents per copy.
I -
Hartman’s Genuine Black Raccoons.
Registered stock. Prices reason
able. Satisfaction guaranteed. One
of the oldest breeders. E. L. Hart
man, New London, Ohio, U. S. A.
WALL PAPER
Aron Ericson
Painter and Decorator
NEW YORK
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 Cl
Incorporated
226 West 26th Street
NEW YOSK
Science of Trapping, $1.50; Fox
Trapping, $1.50; Fur Buyer’s Guide,
$2.50; Home Manufacture of Furs
and Skins, $1.75; ALASKA SHOP.
Custom tanners
of far skins and
buckskin* Taxi
dermist on bit
game rugs, wall
mounts. M ana
fa c t u re r of
chokers, coats
and glares of
latest styles.
Send for ear
catalogue.
—We hay teeth for mounting—
W. W. WEAVER, Reading Michigan
Traps, Trap Tags, Scents, Trap
i ping equipment. Quick service.
Write for new catalogue.
HOWE FUR COMPANY.
Coopers Mills, Maine
September 15
October 20
November 17
December 15
Advances will be made
as usual when request
ed. Transferred by Tel
egraph if desired.
Special Sales Held on
Request of Shippers
Seattle FurExchange
€5 MARION STREET VIADUCT
SEATTLE, USA.
KODIAK, the Home of the World’s Largest Bear
World’* record bear wm killed 5 mile* from the town of Kodiak and measured
13 feet 6 inches. THE GENUINE KODIAK BEAR (Ursus Middendorfii) ARE
ONLY ’FOUND ON KODIAK ISLAND. THE GREAT ALASKA BROWN BEAR
(Ursus Goyas) ARE FOUND ON THE ADJACENT MAINLAND AND PARTS
OF THE KENAI PENINSU1A.
World’s record moose, wltn
a spread of 78% inches, was
taken on the Kenai Fen
insula. SEWARD is tf*
Gateway to the world
famous hunting grounds.
KODIAK
Chu. Madsen,
GUIDES
Field Mgr.
ASSOCIATION
—KODIAK. ALASKA
I