896 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



During the eighty-five years, 1821 to 1905 inclusive, the 

 Hudson's Bay Company collected 3,503,660 skins of this 

 species, an average of 41,219 for each year. The lowest was 

 4,549 in 1822; the highest, 90,080, in 1876. The average for 

 the ten years, 1895 to 1905, was 57,729. 



Poland's lists show that during the seventy-one years, 1821 

 to 1891 inclusive, 7,993,719 skins were taken by the other 

 American companies, an average of 112,587 each year. So 

 that the average annual catch of Mink for fur is about 154,000. 



In the year 1889 the total catch was about 400,000, or to be 

 exact, 395,470 were marketed, with York Factory returns not 

 included, as they did not arrive. 



The Mink returns show a steady general increase which 

 seems to prove an increase of the Mink population since white 

 men have possessed the country. 



BREEDING Thc high price that the fur commanded some twenty five 



FOR FUR c5 1 ^ ^ -/ 



years ago led several persons to try breeding Mink for the 

 market. They multiply readily in captivity and are easily 

 managed, so that the project seemed assured of success, when 

 suddenly the fashion changed. Mink 'went out,' the price 

 dropped below the possibility of profit, and ended the scheme. 

 There is, however, every reason to believe that this was a 

 temporary drop. On all hands we are confronted by these 

 facts: the wild fur supply cannot be materially increased, the 

 demand is getting greater, the prices are steadily rising. The 

 fluctuations caused by fashion do not affect the main issue: a 

 high-class fur will always fetch a high price. The breeder can 

 greatly improve his stock by selection and so make all his 

 product high-class. Many kinds of fur are breedable; one, at 

 least, is sure to be in fashion. 



For the guidance, therefore, of those who wish to embark 

 in such an enterprise, I give a brief account of the successful 

 methods of the Minkery. 



