310 REPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



iiniono- the furriers of ISew York in fruitless ({ucst of u plueked 

 iiuiskr;ii skin, visitino- cioht or ten of the prineipul estii])lishuieiits, and 

 tinally Mas ohli^ed to ha\'e one speeially phieked lor his use. 



For the home dressing of a small quantity of muskrat skin,s the 

 following hsis ])(>en reeonnnended: After washing- them in -warm water, 

 all fatty and ileshy matter is earefully removed. In a Tujuor composed 

 of 10 o-allons of cold soft water, 8 (piarts of wheat l)ran, .V pint of old 

 soft soap, 1 ounce of borax, and 1 pound of salt, the skins ar(> soaked 

 eight or ten hours if th(>y are fresh, or until very soft in case they 

 have been previously dried. The salt should l)e 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 al^out 

 one-half the time. The skins should then l)e soaked in a lic^uor made 

 of 10 gallons of warm soft water, k bushel bran, and -J.V pounds sul- 

 phuric acid. The bran should be stirred in the w^ater until thoroughly 

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

 the sul[)huric acid is added by degrees and with constant stirring. 

 After soaking in this li([uor for about four hours, the skins are 

 removed and rul)bed with a fleshing knife and then over a smooth 

 beam until dry. 



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

 the Russians and (Germans being especial^ large consumers. It is 

 employed in making gloves, collars, capes, uuitTs, trinnnings, linings, 

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

 plucked and dyed black oi- various shades of brown. Large (juantities 

 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 

 (juite effective. The skins of young animals are especially suited for 

 linings. The unplucked skins are frecpiently dyed to imitate mink, 

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



Two or three d(>cades ago quantifiers 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 sufficientl}^ 

 strong to permit its being scraped to a suital)le thinness. After a few 

 weeks' wear the fur becomes matted down, b(>ing less elastic than seal 

 fur. During the eighti<\s the use of muski-at for this puipose was 

 extensive, especially in Europe, thus providing a large market for 

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

 fur-seal, persons hesitating a])out paying 'i^i^oo foi' a garment when a 

 fairly good imitation was obtainal>le 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 generally al)andoned, except for 

 small articles, as gloves, caps, etc. 



