436 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



number of States in revising existing laws or in framing new ones 

 relative to protecting and rearing fur animals. 



The active help of State game commissions, conservation societies, 

 and the fur trade has been enlisted in conserving the wild fur bear- 

 ers, since maintenance of a supply adequate to meet the requirements 

 of the fur trade is of the utmost importance. An encouraging step 

 was taken at the recent International Fur Exposition, held in New 

 York City, where those assembled went on record as favoring the 

 formation of a national association for the purpose of devoting con- 

 siderable effort to the study of the problems of conservation as they 

 affect the industry. The fur trade realizes that the future of the 

 industry is dependent upon an assured source of supply of raw furs. 



Fur farming is coming to be an important factor in the mainte- 

 nance of the supply of fur-bearing animals and its development 

 along sound lines is being encouraged. The nurnber of persons 

 engaged in the production of silver foxes in captivity is steadily 

 increasing, and great interest is being manifested in this and other 

 lines of fur production. Since the production of fur bearers in 

 captivity is a comparatively recent enterprise it is not supported by 

 the exhaustive research data enjoyed by similar industries of longer 

 standing. Constant effort is being made by the bureau through its 

 scientific investigations to obtain the information essential to th& 

 requirements of this growing industry. 



Important progress hasbeen made in studies of fur-bearing 

 animals at the experimental fur farm at Keeseville, N. Y., including 

 investigations of the prevalence of internal and external parasites 

 of foxes, determinations of the age and seasonal susceptibility of the 

 animals to infestation and their tendency to develop immunity toward 

 such infestation, and experiments with remedial^ agents for the 

 removal of parasites. Improved methods of administering remedie!* 

 have been devised and valuable data have been secured regarding 

 the tolerance of foxes to various medicinal drugs. Such information 

 is essential to proper treatment at various ages and under different 

 conditions of health and vigor. As a basis for clinical and diagnos- 

 tic work studies have been continued of various features of the physi- 

 ology of foxes, including the pulse, respiration, and temperature. 



A number of fox farms were visited for the purpose of studying 

 outbreaks of contagious disease, as fox influenza, which in some 

 instances proved serious. 



Experiments were continued with pens so equipped with concrete 

 or board floors that they can be washed daily, to determine their 

 effectiveness in preventing the infestation of foxes with internal 

 parasites. Special attention was given to the use of these pens at the 

 time of whelping and for care of the pups during the first few weeks, 

 and they were found to be much better for use at whelping time than 

 pens with earth floors. 



A bulletin on silver fox farming, which reviews the history of fox 

 farming and covers such essential features as suitable sites for a 

 ranch, proper organization, and satisfactory practices in breeding, 

 feeding, and management of foxes, was published during the year. 

 As an indication of the interest in fox farming, it may be stated that 

 applications were filed for a large portion of the original edition of 

 10,000 copies of this bulletin before it had left the press. 



