52 



REPORT OF THE 



No. 3 



Fur Farming 



The decided slump in the raw fur market during 1946 was responsible for 

 mink ranchers receiving up to 25% less for their furs than the\- received last 

 year. The demand for long hair furs, principally fox, declined to such an extent 

 that auction houses reported only 10 to 20% clearances and in some cases, the 

 prices offered were so low that the entire offering of fox was withdrawn. Many 

 fox ranchers realized prices equal only to production costs. 



This condition, together with the rising costs of feed, building materials 

 and labour has harassed the fur farmer, and caution in the purchase of breeding 

 stock and production is the keynote for the coming Near. 



During the calendar >ear 1946, 1,502 Fur Farmers' licences were issued, 

 1.187 being renewals of previous licences and 315 for newh' established fur farms. 



Mink and fox continued to be the principal species propagated on ranches 

 and Departmental records show that during the fiscal year 1946-47 fur farmers 

 disposed of their production of these species in the following manner: — 



The following table shows the location In- Count\' and Districts of licensed 

 fur farms in Ontario : — 



County or District 



Algoma 



Brant 



Bruce 



Carleton 



Cochrane 



Dufferin 



Dundas 



Durham 



Elgin 



Essex 



Frontenac 



Glengarr\- 



Grenville 



Grey 



Haldimand 



Haliburton 



Halton 



Hastings 



Huron 



Kenora 



Kent 



Lambton 



Lanark 



Leeds 



Lennox and Addington . . . 



Lincoln 



Manitoulin 



Muskoka 



Number 



County or District Number 



Middlesex 51 



\ipissing , 8 



Norfolk 12 



Northumberland 7 



Ontario 40 



Oxford 26 



Parr\- Sound 19 



Peek 33 



Perth .52 



Peterboro 9 



Prescott 11 



Prince Edward 6 



Rainy River 28 



Renfrew .52 



Russell 2 



Simcoe 89 



Siormonl 3 



Sudbury 12 



Timiskaming 12 



Thunder Ba> 102 



\'ictoria 15 



Waterloo 40 



Welland 10 



W ellington 35 



Wentworth ,56 



York 164 



Total 1,,502 



Wolf Bounty 



At the 1946 session of the Ontario Legislature. The Wolf Bount\- Act and 

 The Wolf Bount\- Amendment Act, 1941, were repealed, and The \\'olf and Bear 

 Bount\' Act, 1946 was enacted. 



