12 



FARMERS* BULLETIN 869. 



many are taken in summer pelage. Very dark skins, classed as black, 

 come mainly from New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, but are 

 produced in limited numbers in other parts of the United States and 

 in Canada. 



Compared with most other furs of such small size, muskrat furs 

 are of excellent quality and durability; their cheapness is chiefly the 

 result of their abundance. The earliest demand for the fur was for 

 the manufacture of so-called beaver hats, it making an excellent 

 imitation. When silk replaced fur in hat manufacture the demand 

 for muskrat skins fell off greatly. They next became popular as 

 imitations of sealskin. Properly dyed and made up they are difficult 

 to distinguish from the genuine, but their wearing qualities are in- 

 ferior. Modern fur dressers and dyers have found means of imitat- 

 ing many of the more costly furs with that of this animal, and have 

 thus created a continuous demand for the pelts. 



TRADE IN MUSKRAT FURS. 



The growth of the demand for muskrat furs is shown by the 

 records of London importations and sales. From 1763 to 1800 (38 

 years) the average number of skins imported and sold annually in 

 that market was less than 75,000. During the 50 years from 1801 

 to 1850 the average was about 411,000. From 1851 to 1900, in- 

 clusive, the importations averaged over 2,534,000 yearly; and dur- 

 ing the 10 years, 1901 to 1910, the average rose to 4,223,000. In 

 recent years the London sales were as follows : 1911, 5,197,530 ; 1912, 

 5,014,921; 1913, 6,876,417; 1914, 10,488,647; 1915, 3,500,000 (approx- 

 imately). The decreased importations for 1915 are explained by the 

 European war. When it is remembered that a constantly increas- 

 ing number of. muskrat furs are dressed and manufactured in Amer- 

 ica instead of going through the London market, the foregoing sta- 

 tistics show a remarkable increase in the utilizati'on of this fur. Not- 

 withstanding the fact that during the past century and a half over 

 a quarter of a billion muskrats have been taken for their pelts, the 

 supply has not diminished greatly. It is probable that with adequate 

 protection in the breeding season, from ten to twelve million pelts can 

 be taken annually in North America without depleting the supply. 



The prices paid for muskrat pelts vary considerably from year to 

 year. In 1909 the skins brought from 35 to 50 cents each; in 1910 

 they reached the extremely high quotation of 90 cents and $1. Since 

 that date they have been cheaper, but the general tendency is upward, 

 and probably they never again will be as cheap as they were 30 or 40 

 years ago. During the season of 1917 they sold at from 35 to 75 cents 

 each. 



