FUR FARMING SECTION
PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
This section is open fcr 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 cf contagious diseases, disinfec
tion, trapping, killing, pelting, marketing, packing, shipping
and other notes are welcomed for publication,—with due credit j
to the author.
This section is intended to bo the common meeting ground
for fur farmers. Interchange of ideas, helpful information, con- \
structive suggesti ns anent these particulars should readily t
solve vexatious problems of fur farming. Readers arc urged to
take advantage of this section and help The Gateway foster fur f
farming tiwcughcut Alaska.
If
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(By Frank G. Ash brook, Bureau of Biological Survey)
INTRODUCTION
The production of blue foxes in
Alaska is a comparatively new in
dustry, at present confined chiefly
along the southern coast, including
the Aleutian Chain. It is of par
ticular importance to Alaska, since
3t utilizes outlying islands that are
#f little or no value for agriculture.
In island blue-fox raising the fox
es are allowed to roam over an en
tire island, where they choose their
mates and make their dens. In the
early days the foxes had to forage
for their food, but now practically
all ranchers feed them. This sys
tem has proved profitable, and, to
gether with the increased popular
ity of fur for apparel has led many
persons to lease certain islands
from the United plates govern
ment and to claim others by squat
ters4 rights for engaging in fur
farming. So great has been the de
mand for islands that practically
all the desirable ones under the
control of the Department of Agri
culture are leased for the purpose.
A number of individuals in Alaska
have attempted to raise blue foxes
in pens, and recent reports show
that some of them have been sue- j
cessful. In addition, litters of blue |
foxes have been produced in cap- j
tivity at the experimental fur farm j
of the Biological Surey, in New \
York State, as well as on ranches
in other parts of the United States.!
A number of ranchers and raw-fur!
buyers maintain that blue-fox pelts!
produced in pens lack the quality j
and finish of those produced in the j
wild. This has been held to be the
case with silver foxes also. Ap
proximately GO per cent of the sil- :
ver-fox pelts sold on the raw-fur:
market in 1G24, however, were from i
ranch-bred animals.
Because the number of Islands
available for fox ranching is lim- j
ited, those already engaged in the
business should determine as quick- j
ly as possible whether blue foxes |
can be produced profitably in pens, j
If this is found possible, blue-fox1
ranching can spread to the main
land of Alaska, to Canada, and to!
the United States. With the re-|
suiting growth of the industry,
there will be an increased demand
for breeding stock as well as for
pelts.
Blue-fox ranching is in a con
dition similar to silver-fox produc
tion in that it is an industry of
too recent development to be sup
ported by the results of extensive
study and research. Sufficient is
known, however, to assist begin
ners, as well as established ranch
ers, with information on some im
portant phases of the business,
such as organizing the ranch,
breeding, feeding, pelting and sani
tation.
The information given in the fol
lowing pages is based on a study of
the methods and practices which
have been found to give the great
est success on islands in Alaska.
WHAT IS A BLUE FOX?
A number of persons in Alaska
and elstwhere mistakenly think that
white foxes are found only in the
Arctic, and that when they were
brought to the Pribilof Islands and
points farther south the climate
changed the fur from white to blue.
The blue fox is a color phase of
the Arctic or white fox (Alopex),
which is circumpolar in range, be
ing found particularly along the
seaeoasts of arctic and subarctic
TRAPPERS! Two Foxes in a day,
with only two sets out, is my
record. Methods guaranteed, $1.00.
Floyd Blackman, RD 3, New Ber
lin, N. Y.
regions. Its normal winter coat is
white, while in summer pelage is
brown and tawny. The blue fox
is dark bluish in winter and tends j
toward b r o w n i s li in summer.;
There are intermediates in which!
the coat may be spotted blue and i
white, or the blue and white may j
be blended, producing a dingy or
smoky-wliite appearance. Such
mottled animals sometimes occur
among blue foxes where there have |
been no white foxes. It is noted j
more frequently, however, where j
white and blue foxes are ranched
together.
The white fox is more common in
the wild than the blue, and smoky
white foxes are sometimes born
from blue parents; but on islands
where blue foxes have been intro
duced and raised a pure white fox
is exceedingly rare.
The prices usually paid for the
different skins are governed large
ly by the relative scarcity of the i
animals and the market demand.!
On the raw-fur market, blue-fox;
skins generally bring from three to j
four times as much as white. At \
present both color phases are pop- j
ular, the natural blue being pre
ferred by the more exclusive trade; |
to supply the popular trade, white !
skins are dyed blue, steel, taupe.1
and rose.
In general, it may be said that
prime blue-fox pelts produced in
practically every section of Alaska
are bringing good prices on the
raw-fur markets.
* * -* *
FOX HISTORY A YD FEEDING
(D. E. Stubb, fox farmer, McKin- I
ley Park, Alaska)
(Continued from Last Week)
The practi.ce cf dipping foxes in
some solution, usually a secret for
mula bought from some supply
house, and likely to contain some
part of phenol or carbolic acid,
really serves no useful purpose, and
is bad for the fox, in that it re
moves the oil from the skin, caus
ing the fur to dry, which leads to
Sales
Every Month In the
Year
1931 SALES DATES
November 17
December 15
1932 SALES DATES
January 26
February 16
March 15
April 19
May 17
June 21
July 19
August 23
September 20
October 18
November 22
December 20
Advances will be made
as usual when request
ed. Transferred by tel
egraph if desired.
Special sales held on
request of shippers.
Seattie FurExchange
65 MARION STREET VIADUCT'
SEATTLE, U S A.
skin troubles and will spoil the
looks of the fur. And again, the
presence of any form of carbolic
acid in the dipping solution is in
danger of producing carbolic poi
soning.
Brushing is better for the fur
than bathing or dipping. It removes
the dirt and stirs up the circula
tion in the skin, increasing the se
cretions of oil in the glands at the
base of the fur.
Frequent brushing and at times
combing will greatly improve the
looks of a fox’s fur, while bathing
or dipping will ruin it.
It is surprising how often one
will hear someone recommend the
use d£ “carbolic soap,” (of some
kind, to use in bathing foxes; but
as stated before in these articles
its use is accompanied by danger.
A fox’s skin is as tender as a liu
man’s and far more absorptive. A
safe rule is never to use anything
on a fur ‘bearer you would not use
on yourself.
Many times the question has been ,
asked how to tell before she whelps!
if the mother fox will have milk to
feed her puppies. By catching her
and feeling along the belly and in
front of the hind legs, three ridges
of fat will be noted, if the fox is
healthy. This fat should be there
in the early fall and winter. When
mating season comes on, the fat
along the center line of the belly
will likely disappear, but will come
back shortly after conception.
As a general thing such a fox
will have plenty of milk and feed
her puppies, and show no disposi
tion to carry her puppies out of
the nest box and around the pen in
her mouth, and perhaps want to
bury them.
For the unusual bridge gift—try
ALASKA SHOP.
Velvet Rugs at J. L. Graef.
PROFESSIONAL CARDS
Dr. A, D. Haverstock
PHYSICIAN and SURGEON
_ Seward General Hospital
E. P. Harwood
ATTORNEY AT LAW
Johansen Budding Seward. Alaska
FOR FIRE INSURANCE
SEE
Cuilis R. fuorford
Dr. A. R. Roberts
DENTIST
i* on 10^—Teckienberg llldg.
Da: hue & Dimond
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
OFFICES
VA' EZ AND CORDOVA
F. 7. Williamson
u. S. Depat; Mineral Surveyor—U. S. Land
Surveyor—General Surveyor
Seward, Alaska—Inquire Seward Gateway
Seward Fraternal Orders
SEWARD CHAPTER NO. 10
ORDER OF EASTERN STAR
Meets the second and fourth
Monday’s of each mont
in McMullen’s Building, a
8 p. m. Visiting members
alway welcome. Mrs. Jose
phene Sheldon, W. M.; Mrs
Miriam Painter, Secrc
PIONEERS OF ALASKA—IGLOO NO.
Cal M. Broslua, Secretary and Treasurer
Seward Lodge No. 1425
L. O. O. M.
Meets on e ▼ e r j
first and third Fri
days of each montl
at 8 p. m. at I
O. O. F. Hall. Al
welcome. Peter N
Anderson, Director
M. A. Horner, Sec
retary.
SEWARD REBEKAH LODGE
No. 8-A. I. O. O. i
Meets the first an.t
third Mondays of eaci
month in I. O. O. I
Hall at 8 p. m. Visit
ing members are alwa.»
welcome. Maude E
Larsaon, N. G.; Ludvn
Larsson. Secretary
Resurrection Lodge No. A-7
I. O. O. F.
Meets every Thursday at 8 p.
m. in Odd Felows’ Hall. Visit
ing brothers welcome. Walter
L.. Corliss, N. G.; Ludvig Larsson. Secretary
THE AMERICAN LEGION
Seward Post No 5
Meets first and third Wed
nesday at 8 p. m. in the
Harriman Bank Building
Post Commander Leonard
Hopkins; Adjutant L. J
Chiiberg
&
c
Seward Lodge No. 219.
F. & A. M.
Stated communications first
and third T u e ■ d ays each
month. Visiting brethern wel
come. Chas. Sheldon, W. M
Harold Painter. Sec.
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honorary doctorates
PARIS, Nov. 12. (iP) — Honorary
Doctorates were awarded at the
Sorbonne to Dr. Walter Bradford
Cannon of Harvard and Dr. Henry
Fairfield Osborne of the American
Museum of Natural History. Presi
dent Doumer attended the cere
mony.
Fresh Apples $3.25 to S3.C0 per
box. Matanuska Potatoes $3.C0 per
Cwt. Brown & Hawkins Corpora
tion.
Hunters — Trappers
'RFAIL CHEMICAL FERRETS”
vMii Lelp you fret the cream of the fur
h;:rveB'- the prime fur3 of the animals
th-'l den up. Positively empties the
dt;ns brings the animals out alive and
1 l,t injury to fur or flesh. Suc
cessfully used for years by the best
t.. i i-ers d hunters. Don’t delay—
ordi r NOW, and start making REAL
mo. y in furs this season. Trial order
of six sent postpaid for $1.00.
WILSON MANUFACTURING CO.
Dept. A. IIox 81 Quincy, 111.
Get your share this season of this
extra fur money which is offered
to trappers everywhere by the
THIRD NATIONAL
FUR SHOW
FREE!!
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tains full details of our
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,44
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. NctaeruJga
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t rappers to obtain moro
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how the World’s Largest
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last year’s show.
YOU CAN WIN
1st Award <2000.0
2nd Award. 500.0
3rd Award .250.0
4th Award .130.0
215 Honorable
Mention <v>rn n
Awards of S10 ZiJO.u
55095.0
IVSatl This Chicago Philadelphia
MnmohiS Kansas C:ty
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SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO.
Please mall me without cost
or obligation Johnny Muskrat's new /
book explaining your free fur marketing sendee
and tbe Third National Fur Show.
PoslnffJee
Slate.
Plea
Rural Box
. .Route.. No.
* both your Routt* Box Number
if on a Rural Route ^
Street Address.
Pure Bred Stock
Produces all of
Seward Dairy
Milk
Seward
Dairy
NEW YORK
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 Cftl
Incorporated
226 West 26th Street
NEW Y03HC
WALL PAPER
Aron Ericson
J PAINTER and DECORATOR
The BEST place tor
CLEANING
PRESSING
and ALTERATIONS
AT
C. Henning’s
Tailor Shop
r\
w.
, W ,TJ
-We buy teeth
W. WEAVER.
Custom tanners
of fur skins and
buckskin* Taxi
dermist on bic
frame rug*, wall
mounts. M a n u
faeturer of
chokers, coats
and gloves of
latest styles.
Send for our
catalogue,
for mounting—
Reading Michigan
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 how7 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 ii
only $1.00 a year (Six issues)
or three years for $2.90.
Sample copy, 10c. Regular
price is 25c. Back issues, 10s
each, or 8 different copies
for 50c, prepaid. We are sure
once yon 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.
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.
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