FUR FACTS 



289 



remember it is the thickness and quality of the fur that counts in 

 addition to the size of the pelt. 



The color of the fur does not enter into the value of opossum 

 pelts. Most of them are dyed so that the color is not important. The 

 under fur should be dense and long. The animal does not lose the 

 long guard hair in hot weather but the under fur sheds out. Pelts 

 that are taken before the underfur 

 has fully developed are not valua- 

 ble for furriers purposes. When 

 buying opossum, be sure and ex- 

 amine the fur closely; opossum pelts 



are seldom blue in color like 'other unprime pelts. Stretch the skins 

 pelt side out as shown in the illustration. 



RACCOON 



In grading raccoon the same general rule as to the primeness or 

 unprimeness of the pelt applies, however, raccoon is one of the few 

 fur bearers that are stretched open and not cased. Most all of the 

 raccoon from the central and southern sections are stretched square 

 as shown in illustration. 



SQUARE HANDLED 



Properly Stretched 



INDIAN HANDLED 



ROUGH HANDLED 



This coon stretched square 

 would be worth more money 



In northern sections coon are stretched in Indian style, but as a 

 general rule it is better to stretch all coon square. 



Prime pelted coon would be graded number one extra large, num- 

 ber one large, number one medium and number one small and the 

 unprime pelts would be graded as number two large, number two, 

 number three and number four, with the exception, however, that 

 very pale, faded coon, even if the pelt is prime, are not graded number 

 one. 



