9 



Dakota, and extends southward along the mountains in New York, 

 Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and in all the States of the Rocky 

 Mountain region and westward. South of this line, in the transition 

 zone, foxes having a fair quality of fur may be raised, but the best 

 are obtained only in the Canadian and more northern zones. 



CHARACTER OF LOCATION AND SPACE REQUIRED. 



Having decided upon the latitude and climate best for fox raising, 

 it is important next to consider the character of the exact location to 

 be selected. It is possible to closely approximate the conditions un- 

 der which wild foxes live, but this is by no means essential ; indeed, 

 whether it is desirable even is somewhat doubtful. If the inclosures 

 are too" large, particularly if they afford a variety of conditions, the 

 foxes may remain so wild as to be unmanageable. On the other 

 hand, if the enterprise is conducted in limited quarters in a city, or 



Fig. 2. — Fox yards on open ground near a farmhouse. 



even in a small village, where the foxes are often disturbed by visitors, 

 they become restless and suspicious and do not breed well. The best 

 conditions, therefore, are neither exactly natural nor yet too artificial. 

 Foxes require very little space and thrive in inclosures not more than 

 40 feet square. These may be but a few rods from a farmhouse 

 (fig. 2), or, if visitors are excluded, in a quiet place on the outskirts 

 of a village. A total space of 5 acres is ample for extensive opera- 

 tions, and it is not likely that more than 2 acres will be needed for 

 any except a large and long-established business. A half acre will 

 accommodate about 6 pairs of foxes, which is quite as many as a 

 beginner should attempt to handle. The selection of ground may 

 depend upon circumstances, but effort should be made to include 

 a few trees or small shrubs. These afford shade and a feeling of 

 seclusion and security to the animals. Perfectly open ground has 

 47920— Bull. 328—08 2 



