FUR-FARMING IN CANADA 47 



ever, disagree witli this common opinion and say that one year and 

 eight montlis is the proper age at which to kill them. 



The fox, when young, has less silver than in later years and this 

 is an advantage in the present market, silver skins being more common 

 tlian pure black. It is hardly necessary to remark that no fox should 

 be slaughtered without a careful examination of his coat, and, if it be 

 light and thin and the fox only a pup, he should be spared for a year 

 in order to improve his condition if possible. 



Considerable care should be taken against injury to the coat dur- 

 ing the months previous to killing. They should not be allowed to lie 

 on damp places and thus have the guard hair frozen into the ground 

 or snow and broken. Smooth, large passageways should be provided. 

 FiesLii or mange or other skin affections or parasites should be prevented 

 •A3 they would induce scratching and thus wear ofE the hair on the 

 shoulders and liips. 



It it* claimed that heavy feeding of nutritious laxative food like 

 molasses, patent food [jreparations, boiled barley or oats, will fatten the 

 fox and improve the gloss of its coat. Some of the costliest skins 

 marketed were taken off foxes with one quarter of an inch of fat over 

 their ribs. This is contrary to a popular, but incorrect, impression that 

 starving makes the hair longer and improves the coat. 



Fo.xes are killed I)y crushing the chest walls. They are placed on 

 their sides, and tlie slaughterer places the sole of his foot immediately 

 behind the foreleg and boars down with his full weight. They are also 

 killed by forcing the head back until the neck breaks. There is a 

 danger that the sheen of the overhair — especially the silver hairs — may 

 be somewhat injured with blood and dirt so that clean quarters and 

 methods uf killijig are essential. 



The information available indicates that the adoption of some more 

 humane method of killing, such as the use of chloroform or ether, would 

 not injure the fur and, at the same time, be far more merciful. A small 

 padded box with a wad of cotton batting in one of the upper corners 

 ui)on which chloroform could be dropped from a hole in the cover of the 

 box would be all that would be re(iuire<]. As soon as it is dead, the ani- 

 mal should be removed from the chamber. In the case of such a valuable 

 animal as this, it is not too much to expect of ranchers that th.cy pro- 

 vide one of these inexpensive lethal chambers. 



Poisons that are available are: cyanide of potassium, prussic acid, 

 strychnine and white arsenic. A very small quantity of cyanide or of 

 prussic acid will kill the fox instantly, but, as these drugs are axces- 

 sively poisonous, it is dangerous to have them in one's possession unless 



