FUR ANIMALS 



1387 



and quality with greater certainty. In addition, the fox farmer 

 would like to be sure of getting good producing vixens in order to 

 increase his pup crop; and he would like to have greater control of 

 diseases and parasites, some of which are common to domestic live- 

 stock and some peculiar to foxes. The disease problem has been 

 paramount, as the losses on fox farms in certain sections of the country 

 have been disastrous, in some instances entire ranches having been 

 wiped out. The application of veterinary science is aiding in develop- 

 ing the industry, although research has not yet developed methods for 

 complete protection against several diseases that are causing heavy 

 losses on fox farms. 



The accumulated knowledge developed by plant and animal breed- 

 ers should be of great value to fur farmers, but the latter have been slow 

 in applying it to fur-animal production. In the past, time given to 

 promotional schemes for selling breeding stock to unsuspecting buyers 

 was much more lucrative than that devoted to the tedious study of 

 basic principles of fox breeding, feeding, and disease control. Then, 

 too, the rapid shift in the market requirements from dark to full silver 

 pelts has kept the farmers busy — and worried — supplying the demands 

 of fashion. 



In their breeding operations, fox farmers have primarily stressed 

 the selection of particularly good, true-breeding types and the use 

 of such animals as breeding stock. Increased prolificacy and the 

 production of fur of high quality have been the main objectives. 

 The fur farmer has not advanced so far as the breeder of domestic 

 livestock in the application of definite breeding principles to his 

 problems. Among fox farmers in general, there is as yet no idea of 

 developing a fox strain different from any now in existence and per- 

 haps possessing outstandingly valuable characters. Such good speci- 

 mens as have been developed have resulted from continued selec- 

 tions for a few desired types. 



Market Requirements 



It must be said, however, that the vagaries of fashion have had a 

 good deal to do with the failure thus far to set up certain definite 

 long-time objectives. Forty years ago black fox was popular; a few 

 years later the highest prices were being paid for quarter and half 

 silvers ; and during the last 4 or 5 years the full silvers have been setting 

 the upper price limits because they are in keen demand for working 

 into short and long capes, short coats, enormous collars, and wide 

 trimmings on fur coats, cloth coats, and dresses. In 1936 the prices 

 obtained in the United States for full silver pelts were 50 percent higher 

 than in Great Britain. 



These shifts in market requirements necessitated strenuous efforts 

 on the part of breeders to satisfy present demands, with a minimum 

 of attention to the future. Charles E. Kellogg made an exhaustive 

 study of the silver-fox-pelt markets of the United States and Great 

 Britain covering the 5-year period 1932-36 to determine the effects of 

 trends on the percentages of silver in the pelts. The results showed 

 that about 36 percent of the American offerings in 1936 were full-silver 

 skins, an increase of 225 percent during the 5-year period. 



