THE DOMESTICATED SILVER FOX. 



31 



box into which the fox is to be driven from its den. When the fox 

 is inside and the door securely closed, an ounce or two of chloroform 

 or carbon bisulphide is poured through a hole in one of the upper 

 corners into a wide, shallow dish, as a tin pie plate, fixed just below 

 in such manner that the fox can neither get into it nor upset it. The 

 hole through which the pouring is done should be corked at onoe and 

 every part of the box made practically air-tight. The smaller and 

 tighter the compartment the less will be the quantity of anesthetic 

 required. The box should not be opened within half an hour. 



In localities where fox farming is carried on extensively, it will 

 be found advantageous for producers to establish a selling agency 

 in charge of one familiar with the fur trade. In this way it will be 

 possible to match many of the skins and sell them in sets at a higher 

 price than can be obtained for odd skins. 



COSTS. 



The cost of establishing a fox ranch varies according to the mate- 

 rials used, transportation facilities, and the proportion of labor per- 

 formed by the owner. The factory price of the netting described 

 in the section relating to inclosures is from 1 to 3 cents a square foot, 

 according to the mesh and size of wire, when sold in rolls containing 

 150 linear feet. It is manufactured in the various widths required 

 for different parts of the fences. Ordinarily in a fur country the 

 expense for lumber would not be great. A considerable saving can 

 sometimes be made by building the guard fence of boards instead 

 of netting. The average life of the netting is about 12 years, except 

 when exposed to sea air, in which case it is only about 8 or 10 years. 



Feeding a fox costs from $5 to $15 a year. On a farm where there 

 are cows and where grain and vegetables can be raised, it is not neces- 

 sary to buy very much fox food. Except on large ranches devoted 

 exclusively to fox raising and where a special keeper must be em- 

 ployed, the care of a few foxes will not entail much outlay. 



The fixed annual charges against a pair of silver foxes will vary 

 with the locality, value of equipment, etc. On some ranches it 

 has been estimated about as follows: Interest on cost of yards, $10; 

 depreciation of yards, $10; food, $20: and attendance, $50; amount- 

 ing to $90; added to this must be a reasonable charge for interest on 

 the original cost of the pair. Killing foxes at the age of I or 5 years, 

 when their pelts are good, and breeding always from young stock 

 may be practicable, but this point has not yet been decided. As a 

 rule, one may expect to keep choice animals as long as they are pro- 

 ductive; that is, about 10 years. Deterioration, therefore, on the live 

 stock will be 10 per cent; and to this should be added 10 per cent for 

 insurance against loss by death, escape, or theft. 



