The Fur Animals of Louisiana 49 



Fashion has learned, although only quite recently, it is true, 

 that there are many useful, although heretofore considered 

 commonplace, fur-bearers, such as the muskrat, mink, rac- 

 coon, skunk, opossum, mole, weasel and rabbit, that not 

 •only thrive by depredations on cultivated land, but most of 

 them inhabit lands and marshes that will probably never 

 serve man any useful purpose other than remaining as they 

 are — breeding places for the lowly fur-bearers. 



And what other State can approach Louisiana in the 

 area of such lands and marshes? The way seems clear, at 

 least for a sound economic use for our great sea marsh 

 areas, over 2,500,000 acres, for combination 'rat ranches 

 and refuges and resting places for the horde of migratory 

 wild waterfowl that come here each winter. 



Attempts will undoubtedly be made to meet the demand 

 by making synthetic furs. All sorts of "beaverettes," 

 "marminks," "coneys," "electric seals," "sealettes" and the 

 like will be fashioned out of sheepskins, rabbits, horses, 

 even the lowly Tomcat will be utilized, but the demand by 

 woman will always be first for real furs, and the muskrat 

 will never be dethroned. It, however, would be an economic 

 mistake to have the prices for muskrat pelts go too high — 

 so high that the garment manufacturer would be forced to 

 experiment with near-furs in an endeavor to catch the 

 attention of the modish woman. To meet this, the muskrat 

 industry in Louisiana should be so stabilized that a steady, 

 profitable supply of pelts annually be delivered to the manu- 

 facturer so that he can fashion a garment that will be 

 placed within the range of the average American woman's 

 pocketbook. 



Practicable methods of 'rat ranching should be worked 

 out by those most concerned, the owners of large acreages 

 in the coastal belt marshlands. A fair method of paying 

 the actual trappers for their labors in securing the animals 

 during the winter months so that both the 'rat ranch owner 

 and the laborer can make money. Some sort of an effort 

 should be made by owner, trapper and fur dealer to create 

 a main market for pelts, particularly the muskrat pelts, 

 in Louisiana so that prices can be stabilized. The people 



