114 FERRET FACTS AND FANCIES. 



growers where gophers destroyed crops, should 

 keep ferrets, claiming if they knew their worth 

 they would never be without a number. One of 

 the first breeders and raisers of ferrets, as far 

 back as 1901, published some letters from pur- 

 chasers of his stock. One of these from the state 

 of Kansas, was to the effect that they cleaned 

 out the prairie dog towns. Another from the 

 state of Washington showed how effective they 

 were in hunting ground squirrel. Both letters 

 or testimonials are herewith published. The 

 Kansas letter is as follows : 



^^Here I am again to see you about the fer- 

 rets. We have given the ferrets a thorough test, 

 and you can advertise them for killing prairie 

 dogs with perfect safet}^ for they will do it all 

 right. They are not so very fast, but are a sure 

 shot. Judging from the way they are working 

 two pairs will clean out from 70 to 100 acres in 

 three or four months. We have several dog 

 towns of 100 acres each. The old ferrets do fine, 

 but we do not want any young ones to kill the 

 dogs with. What will be your price on two pairs 

 of fully matured ferrets that are a year old? We 

 want to clean out the dogs and we can if you 

 send us what we want. The way I manage the 

 ferrets is to keep them in a good sized box with 

 a wire front for two or three weeks and then I 



