1384 



YEARBOOK, 1937 



breeding stock skyrocketing. The boom collapsed at the beginning 

 of the World War in 1914, but in 1923 people were again investing 

 anywhere from $500 to $5,000 per pair in foxes, which in some cases 

 they had never seen. By 1927 the unhealthy speculation in breeding 

 stock had died out and ranchers went to work producing the animals 

 for the fur. Production on Fox Farms 



Fox farming today represents the greatest development thus far in 

 raising fur animals under strictly controlled conditions. It can still be 

 considered a relatively new industry, however, since practically all the 

 development in production has taken place since the World War. 

 The number of pelts produced and sold in the United States is esti- 

 mated to have increased from 6,000 in 1923 to 200,000 in 1935. The 

 total value of the sales increased from $819,429 in 1923 to $7,719,600 

 in 1928. During the next 3 years prices declined because of the 

 depression and the increased production of skins, but from a low point 

 of $3,472,200 in 1931 they advanced to $7,114,500 in 1934. 



Foxes are grown successfully throughout the northern half of the 

 United States, from New England westward to Washington and 

 Oregon, and in the cooler parts of California. The greatest numbers 

 of silver foxes are produced in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan, 

 and these three States are contributing more than 50 percent to the 

 annual crop of pelts. The largest two companies in the world pro- 

 ducing silver foxes operate in Wisconsin. Each maintains about 7,600 

 breeding pairs. The other principal fox-farming centers are in the 

 Kocky Mountain region, including Oregon and Washington, and in 

 the New England States, Illinois, Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania. 



In Canada, fox farming has had a development similar to that in the 

 United States but on a somewhat smaller scale. In 1923 sales of 

 pelts from Canadian fox farms were slightly greater than in this 

 country. In 1935 the number of Canadian pelts sold totaled 120,465. 

 Furs from farms now play an important part in the fur trade of both 

 Canada and the United States. The value of the pelts from farm- 

 raised animals represents approximately 31 percent of the total annual 

 value of the raw-fur crop in the Dominion and 20 percent in the 

 United States. 



Abroad, fox farming has had a phenominal development, particularly 

 in Norway, where the industry has grown like a mushroom. During 

 the season 1934-35 the number of pelts produced was 103,604. Other 

 European countries also are producing silver foxes, and in Japan and 

 South America the industry is well established. The European silver 

 fox pelts, especially those from Norway, must now be considered an 

 important part of the world supply. If silver fox farming develops 

 extensively in South America, the farmers of that continent will have a 

 seasonal advantage in getting the pelts to the markets, for pelting 

 there is in July and August. 



The world production of silver fox pelts for the season 1935-36 

 was probably in excess of 500,000 distributed approximately as 

 follows: United States and Canada, 350,000; Norway, 125,000: 

 Sweden, 25,000; Netherlands, 5,000; Denmark, 3,000; Union of Soviet 

 Socialist Republics, 4,000; Germany, 3,000; England, France, Switzer- 

 land, Japan, and South America together, 3,000. 



