738 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



At the London annual fur sales, held by Lampson's, 

 March, 1906, 992 Silver-fox skins were sold. 



The highest prices realized were £320, ;{^3io, ;^3io, ;^28o, 

 ;^220, ;^2io, ;^i90 (that is, ^1,555, $1,506, $1,506, $1,360, 

 $1,070, $1,020, $883). These were for skins of unusual size 

 and marvellous beauty. The ordinary run of first-class skins 

 brought only ;^50 to ;^8o ($243 to $388), and many Silver-foxes 

 of inferior quality brought only £1 or £2 ($4.80 to $9.60). 

 Lest the frontier trapper who sees the above be led into undue 

 appreciation of his fur, it is well to remember that the fur-dealer 

 has three great risks to face, damage in transport, damage in 

 storage, and, above all, damage through the freaks of fashion. 

 The intrinsic value of Silver-fox as an article of clothing is 

 little more than that of the Red-fox, say $5 or $10 a skin. But 

 Silver-fox is beautiful, rare, and fashionable, hence the fancy 

 prices paid. It is always within the range of possibility that 

 the fashion may suddenly change and the price of choicest 

 skins drop to a fraction of the last ruling figures. The prices 

 paid at the trading posts to-day have been fairly adjusted by 

 keen competition; they certainly are not too low. 



The lustre, fulness, and beauty of the Silver-fox fur are 

 unique and inimitable. Its market value is so high that suc- 

 cessful attempts are being made to breed Foxes for their pelts. 

 As the subject is of wide interest, I reproduce an article which 

 I wrote for Country Life, in 1905. 



Fox-Farming for Fur 



The rapid disappearance of certain wild Fur-bearers, com- 

 bined with the steady demand and ever-rising prices com- 

 manded by good furs, has led many to look for means of arti- 

 ficially supplying the want. 



It is years since the idea of breeding for fur was first 

 discussed, but never were the times so ripe as now, and it is the 

 object of this article to set forth the important branches of 

 the new industry for the benefit of those who wish to embark 

 in it. 



