American Moles. 



23 



MAKING UP FURS AND TRIMMINGS. 



In trimming or cutting the skins one should use a sharp knife or 

 razor blade instead of scissors to avoid shearing the fur at the edges. 

 When matching skins in a piece the best appearance is produced by 

 arranging them so that the fur of no two adjacent skins strokes in 

 the same direction. This produces a checkerboard effect that is 

 pleasing. 



The great bulk of the moleskins supplied to the manufacturing 

 furriers in this country are dressed and dyed (" blended " or 

 "tipped") by special processes involving the use of machinery. 

 Most of this work is done in a few establishments in New York and 

 Brooklyn. The leather side of the pelt is commonly dyed to prevent 

 its light color from showing at the seams in a garment or where 

 the fur may chance to part. This process, it is claimed, does not 

 affect the color of the fur itself, which may be subjected to another 

 bath in a dye to secure a uniform shade in all skins. 



Not all the best grades of skins are d3^ed, and, when they all come 

 from the same general locality, very pretty fur pieces may be made 

 up at home or by a local furrier without any blending, provided 

 one has skins enough from which to make a satisfactory selection. 

 Fifteen to twenty skins of the common mole of the Northwest coast 

 are sufficient to make an average-sized scarf for ladies' wear. Twenty 

 skins will make a muff of average size and 30 skins a large one. 

 About double these numbers of skins of eastern moles will be re- 

 quired for the same purposes. If muff foundations are not to be had 

 locally they can usually be obtained through mail-order establish- 

 ments. 



Moleskin is imitated in the trade by shearing the fur of some 

 animal having longer pelage, usually " cony " or other rabbit, cut- 

 ting it into rectangular pieces, and dyeing it the proper taupe shade. 



MARKETING MOLESKINS. 



As a rule the farmer boy or the trapper who has accumulated a lot 

 of moleskins will want to dispose of them as he would any other kind 

 of pelt, by selling to a reliable fur dealer. Commonly the smaller 

 local furriers do not handle this class of skin and are not posted on 

 current prices or methods of grading. In this case it would be well 

 to write for lists or quotations to one of the larger establishments 

 doing business by mail. The plan of pooling shipments of molesldns 

 through farm-bureau organizations has been successfully tried out in 

 some communities. Inquiries in matters of this sort addressed to the 

 Bureau of Biological Survey, Washington, D. C, will receive prompt 

 attention. 



W ASHINiiTON : COVEKXMIO.N r I'KINTINIJ OFFICE : 1922 



