66 ALASKA FISHERIES AND FUR IXDUSTRIES IN 1917. 



The isolated farmer should be able to supply his animals with food mainly from the 

 ocean and streams by keeping a skate or two of halibut gear, and a crab trap or two and 

 nets in operation near his place. The ?ea-food diet can be varied frequently. In 

 season, waste scraps from deer killed for food would help out on the feeding problem. 

 Eagles which are being killed for the bounty might be acceptable and in certain sec- 

 tions squirrels are obtainable in limited numbers. By a little ingenuity in their 

 capture, mice and voles of numerous species could help vary and supplement the food. 

 In the Chilkat Valley rabbits are obtainable some of the time. 



For the farmer in or near settlements fish heads and scrap fish from the halibut fish- 

 eries and salmon canneries would almost always be available. Some butchers' scraps 

 might also be obtainable, and many of the foods mentioned as being available to the 

 isolated farmer would be almost as accessible to those at settlements. 



Anyone undertaking the business of fur farming in southeastern Alaska or elsewhere 

 should begin with the idea that for at least the first five years little or no profits will be 

 realized, and that constant care and attention will be required if the industry is to be 

 brought to a profitable stage. Fur farming must be looked upon as like any other 

 live-stock raising. If one is expecting to build up and increase his stock he must 

 not sacrifice the breeding animals for immediate gain. 



In attempting fur farming in this region one should plan to follow either one or the 

 other of the following courses: Arrange to have sufficient funds to carry on work for 

 at least five years without expectation of income from the industry, or begin with 

 only a few animals, kept as one would keep pets, giving them all necessary attention 

 with no expectation of profit for some years. If one is to make a success in following 

 such a course as the latter he must not neglect the care and attention of the animals 

 even in the greater struggle of making the immediate living, for this has been the 

 cause of failure in many cases of similar character in the past. 



Poaching has been a menace to fur farming, but with industrious, determined farm- 

 ers there would be little opportunity for the poacher to ply his trade. 



Summarizing, it may be said that opportunities for the fur farmer in southeastern 

 Alaska are almost unlimited, but that it is not a royal and short road to riches, and one 

 going into it must expect to sacrifice and work as he would in any other live-stock 

 raising. Aside from the blue foxes, the native fur bearers probably offer the best stock 

 with which to start. Every possible encouragement and facility should be accorded 

 the prospective fur farmers to obtain and acquire title to land on which to conduct 

 fiu- farming. 



SHIPMENT OF FURS FROM ALASKA. 



For several years the Bureau has collected statistics of furs shipped 

 from Alaska. It is required of shippers by departmental regulation 

 that all shipments of furs from the Territory shall be reported to the 

 Bueau of Fisheries. 



By far the largest number of fur shipments from Alaska is made by 

 mail. The Post Office Department has cooperated all along with the 

 Bureau in the way of seeing that fur shipments by mail were prop- 

 erly reported. In 1917 that Department reaffii'med its willingness 

 to cooperate, and under date of May 4, 1917, the Postmaster General 

 issued an order which, while modifying somewhat the previous 

 method of procedure, undoubtedly placed the matter upon a more 

 satisfactory basis. The order is as loUows: 



Furs shipped out of Alaska by mail. 



Office of the Postmaster General, 



Washington, May 4, 1917. 



The following instructions will become effective on October 1, 1917. Before that 

 date, the Department of Commerce will have supplied to Alaska postmasters the 

 blanks for a new form of report to be used by persons mailing furs to points outside 

 of that Territory: 



It will be the duty of each postmaster in Alaska, on and after October 1, 1917, to fur- 

 nish the report blanks to persons who present furs for mailing and to see that no fiu-s 

 are sent through his office to outside points until after the shipper has filled out the 

 blank and signed the certificate as to the correctness of the report, and the postmaster 

 has placed his signature under the words "Transmitted to the Commissioner of Fish- 



