316 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



among the furriers of New York in fruitless (|uest of a plucked 

 muskrat skin, visiting eight or ten of the principal establishments, and 

 finally was obliged to have one specially plucked for his use. 



For the home dressing of a small quantity of muskrat skins the 

 following has been recommended: After washing them in warm water, 

 all fatty and flesh}^ matter is carefully removed. In a liquoi" composed 

 of 10 gallons of cold soft water, S quarts of wheat bran, ^ pint of old 

 soft soap, 1 ounce of borax, and 1 pound of salt, the skins are soaked 

 eight or ten hours if they are fresh, or until very soft in case they 

 have been previoush' dried. The salt should be omitted from the 

 solution if the skins have already been salted, and the addition of 2 

 ounces of sulphuric acid to the solution will prepare them in about 

 one-half the time. The skins should then be soaked in a liquor made 

 of 10 gallons of warm soft water, ^2 bushel bran, and 2^ pounds sul- 

 phuric acid. The bran should be stirred in the water until thoroughly 

 mixed, and then left to stand in a warm room until it ferments, when 

 the sulphuric acid is added by degrees and with constant stirring. 

 After soaking in this liquor for about four hours, the skins are 

 removed and rubbed with a fleshing knife and then over a smooth 

 beam until dr3\ 



Muskrat fur is used more extensively in Europe than in America, 

 the Russians and Germans lieing especially large consumers. It is 

 employed in making gloves, collars, capes, mufl^s, trimmings, linings, 

 etc., and is made up either natural, plucked, plucked and pointed, or 

 plucked and dyed black or various shades of brown. Large quantities 

 are used as linings for overcoats and long wraps, from forty to sixty 

 being necessary for each garment. Sometimes the under parts are 

 used separately for this purpose, the natural bluish-white color being 

 quite effective. The skins of 3"oung animals are especiall}^ suited for 

 linings. The unplucked skins are frequentl}^ dj^ed to imitate mink, 

 and sold as Alaska mink, water mink, or black mink. 



Two or three decades ago quantities of muskrat skins were plucked 

 and dyed to imitate fur-seal, the resulting article readily deceiving the 

 uninitiated. While the fur is soft and short, it is not as thick as that 

 of the fur-seal, and the leather is much heavier and not sufiiciently 

 strong to permit its being scraped to a suitable thinness. After a few 

 weeks' wear the fur becomes matted down, being less elastic than seal 

 fur. During the eighties the use of muskrat for this purpose was 

 extensive, especiall}^ in Europe, thus providing a large market for 

 this abundant and easily procured fur. It injured the popularity of 

 fur-seal, persons hesitating about paying $200 for a garment Avhen a 

 fairly good imitation was obtainable for one-fifth of that amount. 

 The imitation, however, was generally unsatisfactory to the trade, and 

 on the introduction of "electric seal," made from the cony, the use of 

 muskrat pelts for this purpose was generall}^ abandoned, except for 

 small articles, as gloves, caps, etc. 



