Prairie Red-fox 741 



is necessary, as the Foxes climb up the wires hke cats. It is 

 quite a common thing to see one or more of them chnging to 

 the cage at a height of lo feet from the ground, and there 

 they stay for minutes at a time trying to get out by forcing 

 the wires. 



The Norton yards at Dover are considerably larger than 

 the Stevens, his smallest being 50 by 25 feet, and the large runs 

 230 by 64 feet. The fences are alike. 



After inspecting these two farms, and hearing of the 

 various problems to be met, I should thus plan a small fox-yard 

 — and no wise man will go into a large one until after he has 

 had enough experience to avoid the inevitable blunders that 

 on a large scale would be fatal (Fig. 197). 



The whole space is 120 by 230 feet, a little over half 

 an acre. All the fences should be 10 feet high, of i| inch 

 mesh, No. 16 galvanized wire, as a Kit, that is a weanling 

 in his first summer, can go through a 3-inch mesh, and 

 a full-grown Fox can squeeze out of a 4 by 4. The netting 

 should go 3 feet below ground, or down to hard-pan, and 

 would be still safer with a turn in of 18 inches at the bottom, 

 although a line of flat stones laid with the fence, inside, is 

 usually enough to prevent any digging out. At the top it 

 should have an overhang of 18 inches. This is simply the 

 ordinary mesh wire supported on crosspieces nailed to the 

 posts. 



The outer lane is 15 feet wide, that is, wide enough for a 

 wagon, but it can be reduced to barrow width, if space is an 

 object. In each of two corners is a kennel for a watch-dog 

 that patrols the lane; for among the plagues of the fox-farmer 

 are the sneak thief and the malicious neighbour, who might 

 open the gate by night and thus cause the loss of all the stock. 

 At each of the other corners is a long refuge box with a 5 by 9 

 inch hole at each end. In these any Fox getting out of his pen 

 will take refuge from the dog and remain till put back where he 

 belongs. 



The small cages are designed each for a breeding female. 

 If more than 5 were on hand, these cages might be halved 



