6 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 
SUPPLYING THE DEMAND 
Confronted with this condition of a decreasing supply and 
A Domestic an increasing demand, the fur trade has done its utmost 
Fur-Bearer ; 5 : 
to bridge the gap byencouraging the use of fursof domestic 
animals, by diverting a part of the demand to serviceable but less costly 
furs and preparing imitations of the more costly varieties. About 
thirty years ago, Russian furs came into vogue, when Persian lamb broad- 
tail and astrachans began to be used extensively. This development is of 
ereat significance, as the demand for the above-mentioned furs has in- 
creased enormously in recent years and the supply to-day is greater than 
ever because they are produced by domestic animals bred intelligently 
under a husbandman’s care. If the marten, mink, fox and otter had 
been domesticated a score or more years ago, it is probable that the pro- 
duction of their fur would have served already as a counterpoise to the 
monopolies enjoyed by Russia and Germany in the production and 
dressing of astrachans and Persian lambs. 
When the perennially fashionable sable, ermine, chin- 
late a chilla and silver fox did not supply the demand, the 
z Persians, broadtail and seal became more costly. 
Gradually, too, from its plebeian rank of coat lining at fifty cents a skin 
mink was adopted into the select family of valuable furs, closely pre- 
ceded by marten and, latterly, followed by fisher and cross fox. To take 
the place of mink as a coat lining, muskrat or musquash was chosen, 
sharing this promotion with the less valuable marmot and hamster of 
Europe. Tosupply the demand for a medium-priced black fur of beauty, 
a common animal, the skunk, has been chosen. The black domestic cat, 
known to the trade as ‘genet’, is also utilized to meet the demand for 
black furs, while northern hares are extensively manufactured into 
‘Baltic fox’ or ‘white fox’ or ‘black lynx.’ 
When the fur dressers and dyers produced a clipped and 
eee dyed muskrat skin that resembled sealskin almost perfectly, 
it was found that it would not sell under its real name be- 
cause it was a common fur, used largely by the poorer classes. Con- 
sequently a name was invented for it and this popular and high-priced 
fur is now sold as ‘Hudson Bay seal’. The fur of the coney, a very 
cheap and common animal in France, is the raw product in producing 
‘electric sealskin’, ‘clipped seal’ and ‘Baltic seal’. Raccoon, when 
first introduced, was cheap and was in little demand, but when given 
the name ‘Alaska bear’ and ‘silver bear’ it immediately came into 
favour. Skunk, which is an excellent fur of a dark hue, though beauti- 
