FUR-FARMING IN CANADA 51 



getting back to the pelt basis, the industry' will injure many of its 

 followers." 



It is maintained by f^onie that the present craze is similar to 

 Con the Belgian hare craze in America and the tulip craze in 



Europe, both of which collapsed with a heavy slump. It is 

 contended that fox fur is only of poor quality; that silver fox has never 

 been bought in large quantities and that, if production is increased, it 

 will become as cheap as rabbit; that wild foxes do not decrease in num- 

 bers when a country is settled ; that investments usually yield from 3 to 

 10 per cent per annum, and that, therefore, the large profits made by fox 

 rancliers during the season of 1912 were abnormal. A smaller propor- 

 tion state that the fox booiti was promoted by exaggerated statements 

 respecting the prices received for pelts and by other misrepresentations. 

 They assert that many of the skins marketed have not brought over $50 

 or $100 each and that a large proportion of the foxes now in captivity 

 is of little more value than red foxes. They also state that the demand 

 for i»ilver fox has been supplied and that the Russian nobility and some 

 other Europeans are the only ones who will pay a high figure. It is also 

 maintained that skins of ranch-bred foxes have not the gloss and quality 

 of the product of the wilds. 



On the other hand, it is stated that the supply of valuable wild 

 silver fox captured is decreasing, that the demand for co.-tly natural 

 furs is rapidly increasing; that only a few hundred silver foxes are in 

 captivity and that there is ample time for readjustment of values before 

 enough are reared to warrant marketing for fur. The fact is also 

 pointed to that the domestication of fur-bearers has been predicted and 

 attempted for centuries and that those who achieved the work are 

 entitk;d to reward. Furthermore, it is claimed that when fur is so 

 valuable no animals will be sokl unless enormous prices are paid; that it 

 is proved that the fur is better in all respects than the wild product and 

 that the best foxes have not been yet sold and will bring higher price? 

 than the present high record, viz. £580. In addition, the best customers 

 are millionaires and not the nobility. 



A general comment is all that can be made on the arguments ad- 

 vanced. Some of the points are discussed elsewhere in this report, nota- 

 bly those respecting the prices obtained for ranch-produced furs as com- 

 pared with the wild, the decline in numbers of the natural wild supply, 

 and the general excolloni quality of ranch-bred stock as compared with 

 the wild stock. 



The increased demand and its causes have already been discussed 

 and little remains to be said on that subject. It is possible that silver 



