ANNUAL REPORT, 1941-42 



13 



fluences such as restricted markets for fur, rising costs of feeds and the uncertainty 

 of supplies, attributable to the state of war in which our country is involved, caused 

 some reduction in the number of fur-farm licenses which were issued during the year, 

 and there was a decrease of some ten thousand, or practically thirty per cent in the 

 number of silver and black fox pelts which were marketed by licensed fur farmers 

 during the year as compared with the number marketed during the previous year. There 

 were 1,613 fur farms licensed during 1941, a reduction of twelve per cent. 



The following comparative table shows the total number of animals retained as 

 breeding stock on licensed fur farm premises as at the first day of January in each of 

 the four years included in the comparison: — 



Beaver 



Fisher 



Fox (Cross) 



Fox (Red) 



Fox (Silver or Black) 



Fox (Blue) 



Lynx 



Mink 



Muskrat 



Raccoon 



Skunk 



Marten 



Otter 



1939 



2 



19 



197 



120 



22,923 



98 



2 



30,378 



267 



284 



6 



15 







1940 



4 



27 



168 



96 



18,327 



209 



2 



31,989 



235 



243 



10 



19 



2 



1941 



13 



26 



134 



65 



16,034 



397 



2 



34,277 



179 



139 



7 



16 



2 



1942 



18 



16 



112 



73 



15,630 



644 



2 



38,650 



119 



124 



5 



19 







It has been estimated that this breeding stock as at January 1st, 1942, had a 

 repliacement value of $1 994,815.00. 



A compilation of fur records undertaken by the Department shows that licensed 

 fur farmers duj'ing the year 1941-42 disposed of the following pelts from stock raised 

 on these establishments, viz: — 



63,580 mink, 61,303 of which were exported, and the remaining 2,277 dressed 

 within the Province. 



24,410 silver and black fox, 16,466 of whi^h were exported, and the remaining 

 7,944 dressed within the Province. 



524 blue fox, 503 of which were exported, and the remaining 21 dressed within 

 the Province. 



164 cross fox, 109 of which were exported, and the remaining 55 dressed within 

 the Province. 



CROWN GAME PRESERVES 



The various Crown Game Preserves which had existed in the previous year were 

 continued without change in any case either as regards the area involved or the con- 

 ditions pertaining thereto. Similar comment applies also to the several townships 

 which were previously established as Regulated Game Preserve Areas. 



