FUR FARMING TO SUPPLY WORLD DEMAND 63 



little likelihood of the price slumping ; and if the price of such a 

 beautiful fur falls in price, it will increase the demand for the fur. 



When you come to the fox farming of Alaska, distinctions must 

 be made between the white Arctic fox or polar fox, and the blue 

 fox. Scientifically, they may be the same family of foxes. As to 

 pelts, they are not. The white fox is brown in summer, with sides 

 roan or drab. The winter pelt has long pure white hairs above the 

 pelage. The blue fox is gray blue all the year round and is found 

 slightly south of the Arctic fox's range. It comes from Greenland, 

 Iceland, Alaska, and its pelt sells at many times the value of a white 

 fox. Blue foxes have been imported to Prince Edward Island 

 from Alaska. They have not yet succeeded as a commercial 

 possibility, whereas red foxes brought to the Prince Edward Island 

 ranches from Alaska are improving their strains and other strains. 

 The climate in Prince Edward Island is probably too mild for the 

 blue fox to thrive, just as it is notorious that blonde people do not 

 stand tropical heat as well as brunettes and dark pigment races. 



On the islands off Alaska, blue fox farming is successful. No 

 outlay is required for fencing. The foxes are protected from the 

 ravages of wolves and they have an abundant supply of sea food, 

 fish, crabs, seal meat, sea birds, sea gull eggs laid on the naked 

 rocks. 



These foxes mate in February and March and bring forth their 

 young in April and May, three to six. 



Blue fox skins have of late run in price from #75 up, where white 

 fox skins seldom cross $60 and average low as $10 to $30 for poorer 

 grades. Breeding pairs for blue fox can be purchased from the 

 Bureau of Fisheries of the Department of Commerce and Labor 

 at $200 a pair. Islands for blue fox breeding can be leased at $100 

 a year. Near Kadiak is an island fur farm with 1000 blue foxes; 

 and since the Government took hold of the management of the Seal 

 Island, 700 to 1000 blue foxes a year have been trapped there. At 

 last reports, there were some 30 islands leased in Alaska for blue 

 fox farming. Unlike fox farming in Prince Edward Island, in the 



