FUR-FARMING IN CANADA 



duced under domestic conditions has also been enormously extended. 

 Ponies, kids, lambs and even pups are killed in large numbers to supply 

 the increasing demands for fur. The great vogue of Russian lamb 

 skins of which about three millions are used yearly, emphasizes the 

 importance of achieving production of fur from domestic animals. 

 The costly baby lamb or broadtail, the Persian lamb, the astrakhan 

 and krimmer furs are the skins of the karakule sheep. The various 

 names have been supplied by the furriers and have no geographical 

 significance at the present time. If the marten and mink had been 

 domesticated a score or more years ago, they might now be supplying 

 fur in the same way as the karakule sheep, and, with the modern addi- 

 tion of the fox, would have served as a counterpoise in Canada to the 

 monopoly now enjoyed by Russia — ^particularly Bokhara — ^in the pro- 

 duction of domestic fur. When the perennially fashionable sable, 

 ermine, chinchilla and silver fox did not supply the demand, the Persians, 

 broadtail and seal became more costly. Gradually, too, from its ple- 

 beian rank of coat-lining at fifty cents a skin, mink was adopted into 

 the select family of valuable furs, closely preceded by marten and, 

 latterly, followed by fisher and cross fox. To take the place of mink 

 as a coat-lining, muskrat or musquash was chosen, sharing this promo- 

 tion with the less valuable marmot and hamster of Europe. To supply 

 the demand for a medium-priced black fur of beauty, a common animal, 

 the skunk, has been chosen and named Alaska sable. The black 

 domestic cat, known to the trade as 'genet,' is also utilized to meet the 

 demand for black furs, while northern hares and conies are extensively 

 manufactured into 'Baltic fox' or 'white fox' or 'black lynx' or 'electric 

 seal.' 



When the fur dressers and dyers produced a clipped and 

 Fur^^°^ dyed muskrat skin that resembled sealskin almost perfectly, 



it was found that it would not sell under its real name be- 

 cause it was a common fur, used largely by the poorer classes. Conse- 

 quently a name was invented for it and this popular and high-priced 

 fur is now sold as 'Hudson Bay seal'. The fur of the coney, a very 

 cheap and common animal in France, is the raw product in producing 

 'electric sealskin', 'clipped seal' and 'Baltic seal'. Raccoon, when 

 first introduced, was cheap and was in little demand, but when given 

 the name 'Alaska bear' and 'silver bear' it immediately came into 

 favour. Skunk, which is an excellent fur of a dark hue, though beto- 

 tiful and durable, could not be sold as skunk, but, as 'black marten', and 

 'Alaska sable', it is in high favour and likely to remain in the class of 

 the medium and higher priced furs. It is worth remarking that, since 

 the prejudice against the muskrat, skunk and other cheap furs has been 



