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.
-RABBIT SKINS FOR FUR
By D. Monroe Green, Associate Biologist, Division of Fur Resources
Bureau of Biological Survey
* * * * ♦ * #
(Continued from Last Week) r
TANNING
The tanning of rabbit skins by i
persons who are inexperienced or
who lack proper equipment gener
ally results in disappointment, both
in the appearance and in the qual
ity of the product. To tan a pelt
properly requires experience and
practice, and some of the opera
tions are so highly specialized that
they cannot be undertaken by an
amateur. Rabbit skins to be soM i
should not be tanned before ship- j
ment, for fur buyers prefer to pur
chase them in the raw state. If in
tended for home use, however, they
may be tanned by the methods
herein described, but it should not
be expected that they will compare
favorably in appearance and plia
bility with the product of a tannery
cr factory operated by experienced
workmen and equipped with mo
dern machinery.
The first step in tanning is to get
the skin thoroughly softened, clean, j
and free from flesh and grease. If
the skin is cased, or whole, split
it down the middle of the belly and
then soak it in several changes of
clean, cool water. When it becomes
soft, lay it over a pole or board and
begin working over the skin side
with a course file or a dull knife
to break up and remove the ad
hering tissues, flesh, and fat. At the
same time, the grease and oil must j
be worked out of the skin, as it is ■
useless to start tanning until all1
the tissues, fat, and grease have i
been removed and the skin has been
made uniformly soft and pliable, j
The length of time a skin must be I
soaked depends upon the thickness :
and the condition of the pelt, some !
skins requiring two or three hours j
and others longer. A skin should he I
soaked until it is soft, but it should j
not remain wet longer than is nec- j
essary, as the hair may start to slip.
When the skin has been thus treat- j
ed and is somewhat softened, work j
it in lukewarm water containing 1 ,
ounce of soda or borax to the gal
lon. Soap added to the water is
also helpful in cutting the grease
and softening and cleansing the
skin. Rinse thoroughly in luke
warm water. Squeeze out the water,
but do not wring; then worK the
skin in gasoline, which shoulu xe
move the last particles of dirt and
grease. It is then ready for tan
ning.
There are several methods of
tanning rabbit skins, but two of
the more successful are known as
the salt-acid process and the salt
alum process.
SALT-ACID PROCESS
The salt-acid formula calls for j
a solution made up of 1 pound of
common salt and one-half ounce of
concentrated sulphuric acid to each
gallon of water. Dissolve the salt
and carefully pour in the acid while
stirring.
This tanning liquor should be
made and used in glass or earthen
jars or wooden vessels; never in
metal containers of any kind.
When pouring in the acid
do not inhale any more of the
fumes given off than necessary,
and be careful also not to get any
of the strong acid on the skin or
clothing. As soon as the salt-acid
solution has cooled, it is ready for
use.
Put the cleaned, softened skin
in the solution so that it is entirely
covered. After one to three days,
during which it is stirred frequent
ly, remove and rinse it in clean cool
water. The skin should then be
worked for about 10 minutes in a
solution of 1 ounce of borax to 1
gallon of water. Rinse again in
clean water and squeeze (but do not
wring) as dry as possible. Work the
skin a few minutes in the hands
by rubbing and pulling, then tack
,t out flat, flesh side up, and apply
a thin coating of grease or oil and
let it dry. Fresh butter, neat’s-foot
oil, or olive oil are good for this
purpose.
When the pelt is nearly dry but
still damp, begin to work it with
the hands, stretching it in all
directions and working the flesh
side over the edge of a board and
pulling it back and forth as if
shining shoes with a cloth. If
the skin is rough it may be
smoothed by working it over a
sandpaper block, which also helps
to make it soft and more pliable.
Much of the success in producing
a soft, pliable skin depends upon
:his repeated working, which must
be done while the skin is drying
and not after it is dry.
If the skin is not soft enough
when dry it should be dampened
and worked again as before. If
still greasy it may be given a,
hasty bath in gasoline. A final
cleaning by working in warm, dry,
hardwood sawdust is beneficial
and will add to hte luster of the
fur.
SALT-ALUM PROCESS
The salt-alum formula calls for
1 pound of ammonia alum (am
monium aluminum sulphate) or
potash alum (potassium aluminum
sulphate) dissolved in 1 gallon of
water; 4 ounces of washing soda
(crystallized sodium carbonate) and
8 ounces of common salt dissolved
together in one-half gallon of wa
ter. When dissolved, pour the soda
salt solution very slowly into the
alum solution while stirring vigor
ously. Mix the combined solution
used with sufficient flour to make
a thin paste, the flour being first
mixed with a little water to pre
vent lumps.
The skin, cleaned and softened
as previously described, should be
tacked out smoothly, flesh side up,
on a board and then coated about
fen eighth of an inch thick with
the tanning paste and covered
lightly with paper or sacking laid
so that it does not come in close
contact with the paste. The next
day scrape off most of the paste
and give another coating and at
intervals of a day repeat the appli
cation two or three times, depend
ing upon the thickness of the skin.
Only thick skins from mature bucks
will need as many as three appli
cations. Leave the last coating on
for 3 or 4 days. Finally scrape
off the paste and work the skin in
borax water, and rinse, squeeze,
and then stretch and work over
a board in exactly the same man
ner described for the salt-acid
process.
The salt-alum process is widely
used and is considered slightly bet
ter than the salt-acid tannage, al
though alum-tanned skins ofter
come out stiff and hard and re
quire much working to make them
soft and pliable.
Rabbits and hares are two dis
tinct groups, but the pelts of botfc
are used in the fur trade. Rabbits
other than cottontails, are bred
entensively in United States, Bel
gium, France, England, and other
countries, and are found also in the
wild state in marketable numbers
in Australia and New Zealand. The
pelt is strong and the fur thick,
fine, and silky. Most hares are larg
er than rabbits but the pelts are
weak and the fur, which is rather
long, is brittle and not very dur
able. The pelts are plucked, shear
ed, and dyed in imitation of more
rare and costly furs, and are so
scientifcally treated by the fur-dye- j
ing houses that it is often difficult
to tell the genuine from the imita
tion.
Following are some of the trade
names applied to rabbit and hare
pelts after they have been prepared
for manufacturing purposes:
TRADE NAMES FOR RABBIT FUR
ARCTIC SEAL—Seal-dyed rabbit.
AUSTRALIAN SEAL—Sheared and
seal-dyed Australian rabbit.
BALTIC BLACK FOX—Black dyed
rabbit.
BALTIC BROWN FOX—Brown-dy
ed hare.
BALTIC LEOPARD —Australian
rabbit dyed and marked to resem
ble leopard.
BALTIC LION—Australian rabbit in
natural color.
BALTIC RED FOX—Natural red
Australian rabbit.
BALTIC SEAL—Seal-dyed rabbit.
BALTIC TIGER—Australian rabbit
dyed and marked to imitate tiger.
BALTIC WHITE FOX—Natural
white rabbit or natural white
hare.
BAY SEAL—Seal-dyed rabbit.
BEAVERETTE—Beaver-dyed rab
bit.
BELGIAN BEAVER — Beaver-dyed
! • rabbit.
BLACKHARE—Black-dyed hare.
BLUERETTE—Blue-dyed rabbit.
CASTORETTE—Beaver-dyed rabbit.
CHAPCHILLAS—Sheared and chin
chilla dyed white hare.
CHINCHELLETTE—Chinchilla dy
ed rabbit.
COAST SEAL—Sheared and seal
dyed rabbit.
CONY—Another name for rabbit,
particularly those from Europe.
CONY LEOPARD—Rabbit dyed and
marked to imitate leopard.
CONY MOLE—Sheared and mole
dyed rabbit.
ELECTRIC BEAVER — Beaver-dyed
rabbit.
ELECTRIC MOLE—Mole-dyed rab
bit.
ELECTRIC SEAL—Seal-dyed rab
bit.
ERMILINE—White Rabbit,
ERMINETTE—White rabbit.
FOX HAIR—Fox-dyed hare.
TRAPPERS! Two Foxes in a day,
with only two sets out, is my record,
i Methods guaranteed, $1.00. Floyd
i Blackman, RD 3, New Berlin, N. Y.
FRENCH BEAVER—Beaver-d y e d
rabbit.
FRENCH CHINCHILLA—Chinchil
la-dyed hare.
FRENCH CONY —Sheared white
' rabbit.
FRENCH LEOPARD—Hare dyed
and marked to resemble leopard.
FRENCH SABLE—Sable-dyed rab
bit.
FRENCH SEAL—Sheared and seai
dyed rabbit.
IMITATION ERMINE—White rab
bit.
MENDOZA BEAVER—Sheared and
beaver-dyed rabbit.
MESKIN BEAVER—Sheared and
beaver-dyed rabbit.
MESKIN ERMINE—White rabbit.
MESKIN MOLINE—Mole-dyed rab
bit.
MESKIN SEAL—Sheared and seal
dyed rabbit.
MINKONY—Mink-dyed rabbit.
MOLIN— Mole-dyed rabbit, shear*
ed.
, MUSKRATINE—Sheared and seal
dyed rabbit.
! NEAR SEAL—Sheared and seai-dy
I ed rabbit.
| NORTHERN SEAL—Sheared and
j seal dyed rabbit.
NUTRIETTE—Rabbit sheared and
dyed to imitate nutria.
POLAR SEAL—Seal-dyed rabbit.
| RED RIVER SEAL—Seal-dyed rab
| bit.
ROMAN SEAL—Seal-dyed rabbit.
RUSSIAN LEOPARD—Rabbit dyed
and marked to imitate leopard.
SABLE HARE—Sable-dyed hare.
SEALETTE—Seal-dyed rabbit.
| SEALINE — Sheared and seal-dy
ed Australian rabbit.
SQUIRRELINE—Squirrel-dyed rab
bit.
SQUIRRELINESquirel-dyed rabbit.
VISONETTE—Mink-dyed rabbit.
NEXT WEEK—“The Muskrat as a
Fur Bearer.”
F. R. Wadleigh, coal expert, De
partment of the Interior, and his
assistant, Maurice L. Sharp, are
now conducting coal tests on pas
senger locomotives and are ex
pected to arrive in Seward this
evening.
Leon Urbach and sons were
among those leaving Thursday for
Moose Pass enroute to Hope where
they will vacation for a couple
of weeks.
Science cf Trapping, $1,50; Fox
Trapping, S1.50; Fur Buyers Guide,
$2.50; Home Manufacture of Furs
and Skins, $1.75; ALASKA SHOP.
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
B Incorporated
1 226 West 26th Street
I NEW YORK
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Crawford, son
Bennie and Glen Sandbeck, son
rof Mr. and Mrs. O. Sandbeck, left
Thursday for the Hope country
where -they will vacation for the
next two weeks.
4
' i
.1
LEAD AND COPPER
In telephne cables, four times as
much lead is buried as copper. For
example a telephone cable of one
inch outside diameter, containing
over 100 copper wires, will weigh
per lineal foot 1.16 pounds of lead
I and 0.4 pound of copper.
Let us enlarge your favorite
; snap shot. ALASKA SHOP
Traps, Trap Tags, Scents, Trap
ping equipment. Quick service.
Write for new catalogue.
HOWE FUR COMPANY,
Coopers Mills, Maine
Custom tanners
of fur skins and
buckskin* Taxi
dermist on b i g
(tame rugs, wall
mounts. Manu
facturer of
chokers, coats
and gloves of
latest styles.
Send for our
catalogue.
—We buy teeth for mounting—
W. W. WEAVER, Reading Michigan
■
KODIAK, the Home of the World’s Largest Bear
World’* record bear wai 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 Guyas) ARE FOUND ON THE ADJACENT MAINLAND AND PARTS
uv i HE KtNAl PENINSULA.
World’s record moose, with
■ spread of 78H inches, was
taken on the Kenai fen
insula. SEWARD is the
Gateway to the world
famous hunting grounds.
i
KODIAK GUIDES ASSOCIATION
ChM. Madsen, Field M*r.-KODIAK. ALASKA
FAST SAFE
Fly With the
NORTHERN AIR TRANSPORT, INC.
NOME AND FAIRBANKS
WRITE OR WIRE
Airplane Service to All Farts of Alaska
COMFORTABLE CABIN PLANES
-*
JOHN C.
WHITE and CO.
High Grade Line of
CIGARS
TOBACCOS
CANDIES
FINEST BILLIARD HALL IN ALASKA