Marketing the Pelts 



Muskrat skins are universally 

 case-handled and are dried with the 

 flesh side out. The fur buyer can 

 readily check primeness by the ap- 

 pearance of the skin. The degree 

 of unprimeness is indicated by the 

 amount of blue-black streaking or 

 spotting which occurs in the un- 

 prime areas where the new hairs 

 have not yet grown out of their 

 follicles. Any cuts or tears can be 

 easily detected. 



Three types of muskrat pelts are 

 recognized in the fur trade: (1) 

 The brown, or northern; (2) the 



Figure 45. — Two popular types of steel- 

 wire stretchers. 



that region, the pelts are easily 

 distinguished by their short, cut-off 

 appearance (fig. 47). 



Many trappers use attics for dry- 

 ing pelts. For the best results, 

 pelts should be dried in a cool, dry, 

 well-ventilated room with a tem- 

 perature of 50° to 60° F. Quick 

 drying with a kerosene stove usually 

 blackens the pelts and lowers their 

 sales value. Drying can be hastened 

 by placing the pelts in a small room 

 equipped with a circulating fan; 

 after about 3 days they can be re- 

 moved, strung in bundles of 25, and 

 hung in a shed for more leisurely 

 completion of the drying process. 

 Pelts exposed to rain or dampness 

 mold quickly. In the southern 

 States, good results are obtained by 

 drying the skins on racks in the 

 open air; but a hot sun will dry 

 them too rapidly, causing them to 

 shrink and, frequently, to grease 

 burn. 



Figure 46. — Mu.skrat iielts on modern 

 wire stretchers hung in tiers to dry. 



Figure 47. — Many Louisiana trappers 

 hang the pelts on outdoor racks to dry. 

 The short, squared-ofE appearance of 

 the pelts is due to the skinning method 

 and type of wire stretcher used. 



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