THE BREEDING 

 OF FUR ANIMALS 



FRANK G. ASHBROOK, Principal Biologist 

 in Charge, Section of Fur Resources, Division of 

 Wildlife Research. Bureau of Biological Survey 



The science of breeding can play an important part in conserving 

 and developing the fur resources of the United States in two vital ways. 

 (1) Research is needed to throw light on the breeding habits and gesta- 

 tion periods of wild fur animals so that an intelhgent conservation 

 program may be based on the biological needs of the animals con- 

 cerned. (2) As in the case of domesticated livestock, breeding re- 

 search is needed to give a more certain foundation for the production 

 of fur animals in captivity— notably the silver fox and the mink. To 

 state which of these two fields is the more important is difficult. 

 Without a vigorous conservation program based on sound scientific 

 knowledge there is great risk of completely wiping out one of the 

 oldest of the valuable resources of the country. On the other hand, 

 fur farming is rapidly becoming an important farm enterprise, and if 

 it is to develop its full possibilities, further information is greatly 

 needed at various points. The industry is all the more significant 

 because it does not compete with any other kind of farming and it 

 utilizes land that is of little or no value for any other crop. 



A brief backward glance will show what has happened to the fur 

 resources of the United States to make conservation in the wild so 

 essential and propagation on fur farms a lucrative undertaking of such 

 great promise. In almost every civilization furs have been among the 

 most valued articles of commerce. This was true among the Chinese 

 3,500 years ago, and later among the Greeks and the Romans. In 

 medieval Europe fur was a luxury much sought after — and incidentally , 

 men made greater use of it for clothing than did women. It was not 

 until after the discovery of North America, of course, that the world 

 fur trade really got into its stride. That it early became an enor- 

 mously profitable business on this continent is attested by the fact that 

 an Indian trapper could often be induced to part with his winter's 

 catch, worth hundreds of dollars, for a blanket or two and a bottle of 

 rum — and perhaps not very good rum. Among the great fortunes 

 amassed in this game the outstanding example is that of John Jacob 

 Astor. 



In these circumstances, with pelts readily obtained and profits large, 

 no attention whatever was paid to the question of the possible exhaus- 

 tion of tbis source of wealth that nature distributed with a prodigal 

 hand. The more furs there were on the market, the more popular furs 

 became. The luxury of the rich became the necessity of the moder- 

 a t ely well to do . The trap lines were run not less but more intensively , 

 to the profit of everyone— the professional trapper, the landowner, 



1379 



