SILVER FOX FARMING. 33 



are protected from trapping at all times and from any molestation 

 during an annual close season. 



In several of the States in which fox farming is or may be carried 

 on, foxes are protected to some extent on account of their fur value. 

 Here, unless provision is made to distinguish between wild and do- 

 mestic animals, owners of fox ranches will be more or less hampered 

 by game laws. These States are New Hampshire, Vermont, Dela- 

 ware, Tennessee, Ohio, Michigan, and Missouri. Young foxes are 

 sometimes secured by digging them out of their burrows after they 

 are large enough to be raised. This method is more humane than 

 using the steel trap, and, furthermore, is desirable because young 

 animals tame more readily than adults. It can not legally be em- 

 ployed, however, where there is a close season for foxes unless the 

 law provides for propagating purposes. Such a provision has been 

 made by the Department of Commerce in its regulations to govern 

 the taking of fur animals in Alaska, where, although foxes may not 

 be disturbed during the breeding season, they may be taken alive for 

 propagating purposes between July 1 and March 15 next following. 

 Before one can engage in fur farming in Alaska a license must be 

 secured from the Department of Commerce, Washington, D. C, and 

 all shipments of fur out of the Territory must be reported to that 

 department. The possession and barter of unprime skins is prohibited. 



In this connection the availability of Alaskan islands for fur farm- 

 ing and the regulations governing their use may be considered. 

 While many of these islands are suitable for raising blue foxes, it is 

 doubtful if any are well adapted for silver foxes. At all events, the 

 red fox native to the coast side of the mountains in Alaska, although 

 large, has inferior fur. The Aleutian Islands are undoubtedly not 

 suitable for silver fox breeding. The necessity for segregating silver 

 foxes by fences, singly or in pairs, takes away the chief advantage 

 which an insular location was formerly supposed to offer. The un- 

 certainties of food and transportation are additional insular disad- 

 vantages. On the other hand, islands are usually free from outside 

 disturbances, and for this reason, perhaps more than any other, 

 inquiries are occasionally received as to how they may be occupied. 

 The islands off the mainland and peninsula of Alaska, excepting those 

 in national forests, are under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Com- 

 merce, who, at intervals, advertises to lease to the highest responsible 

 bidders the exclusive right to propagate foxes and other fur-bearing 

 animals on certain specified islands. Only American citizens, or 

 companies, or corporations organized under the laws of a State or 

 Territory are permitted to Lease or occupy them. Each lessee 

 must make sworn annual reports, coataining details of all such 

 facts and operations as may be required, on blank forms furnished 



