FUR-FARMING IN CANADA 27 



a house for the keeper. It is not advisable to keep fox pens nearer than 

 twenty rods to a dwelling as, particularly at certain seasons, the peculiar 

 and somewhat disagreeable ' foxy ' smell is strong and unpleasant. 



The advantages of a large woodland ranch may be summed up 

 as follows: 



1. The outer fence and bush cover protect the foxes from 

 curious sightseers, dogs, cattle and thieves, and gives them a sense 

 of being hidden from enemies. 



2. The busih cover is especially valuable for nervous foxes to 

 hide in and to provide shade for the fur. They will also sleep 

 contentedly all day under a bush, where it is more healthful than 

 in a nest or a burrow. 



3. The outer fence is an additional insurance against escape 

 to the woods. If a fox escapes from the paddock, he can be easily 

 caught in the outer enclosure, or, if the door is left open, he may, 

 of his ovm accord, go back to his pen at feeding time. 



4. The snow does not pile in drifts, but lies level, on wooded 

 areas. Huge drifts necessitate higher fences, or wiring over, to 

 prevent escape. Fences do not need to be more than six or seven 

 feet high if the snow never lies more than one or two feet deep. 



5. A ranch in the woods has more equable climatic condi- 

 tions. It is cooler in summer, less windy in winter, and is warmer 

 for young foxes in the spring. There is less thawing and freezing 

 up of snow to injure the fur. It also affords protection from rain 

 and sleet. 



6. The foxes can hide from thieves and could not be captured 

 by a stranger unless the house were broken into when they were 

 ehut in their nest. So much noise, however, would be sure to 

 rouse the dog and the watchman. 



7. The outer enclosure permits of protective measures being 

 taken. The keeper sleeps in a house there. Dogs are kept chained. 

 Traps for thieves are laid, as, e.g., bear traps, burglar alarms, elec- 

 tric shocking devices; and some ranches are lighted with lanterns 

 or electric lights and equipped with telephones. 



8. Large ranches seem to be more successful than smaller 

 ones, because foxes in contiguous pens are company for each other. 



^ , ^. If a woodlot is not available, the ranch may be built 



Other Sites . , , ■, i • , , -, 



Chosen m cleared ground and quick growing trees planted. 



The Carolina poplar, soft maple, Manitoba maple {A. 



negundo), black locust and willow are among the fastest growers. One 



rancher living in a grape-growing district in an Ontario city has planted 



