Silver Fox Raising in Captivity 



BY 



Hon. a. E. Arsenaui,t 

 Member of the Executive Council, Prince Edward Island , 



SOME twenty-five years ago, Hon. Charles Dalton began experi- 

 menting in raising silver foxes in captivity, but at first met with 

 little success. After some years, however, the knowledge then ac- 

 quired enabled him and a few others, who had been let into the secret, 

 to acquire considerable wealth from the sale of the pelts of domesti- 

 cated foxes. 



Phenom 1 ^^ 1910, one rancher sold three pairs of silver foxes. 

 Rise in and, in 1911, the selling of foxes as breeders became 



Prices general. The price of live foxes rose from year to 



year until, in the latter part of 1913, sales of young foxes were made 

 at prices ranging from $13,000 to $17,000 per pair and for tested 

 breeders from $20,000 to $30,000 per pair. 



In the meantime, enterprising speculators did quite a business in 

 the importation and sale of foxes from Newfoundland, Labrador, 

 Western Canada and Alaska and, in a number of cases, these foxes 

 or their offspring were afterwards resold as pure-bred Prince Edward 

 Island foxes. 



It was realized by many of those interested in the 

 Regisi;ratioii propagation and preservation of the pure-bred Island 

 rovx e or £^^ ^^^^ something should be done to prevent or make 

 difficult the sale of imported foxes as Island-bred. Accordingly, at a 

 meeting of fox men, a committee of fifteen was appointed to draft 

 legislation providing for registration of foxes. This committee met in 

 Charlottetown and, after full consideration and discussion and after 

 hearing evidence, drafted a bill* which, with a few amendments, was 

 enacted into law by the Provincial Parliament in the spring of 1915. 

 This bill met with opposition from a considerable number of 

 ranchers, with the result that classification of foxes was made compul- 

 sory only to members joining the Silver Black Fox Breeders' 

 Association. 



*A copy of this bill will be found in Appendix I. 



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