BLUE-FOX FARMING IN ALASKA 31 
causes. If constipated, she becomes feverish and develops an ab- 
normal appetite, and in this condition may eat her pups. To pre- 
vent this, laxative feeds, as cod-liver oil, eggs, liver, linseed-oil 
meal, and biscuits, should he fed during pregnancy. Undue excite- 
ment or injury during this period may also influence the destruction 
of young. Some ranchers have advocated the feeding of salt pork 
and salt fish to eliminate this tendency, but this reined} 7 is not always 
successful. Extraction of canine teeth is a mechanical way of 
stopping widespread injuries and losses from cannibalism. 
First-aid remedies. — The folloAving' remedies should be kept on 
all fox farms in about the quantities mentioned : 
Alum (dried), 4 ounces. 
For light bleeding. Added to boracic acid, 1 part in 4, it makes a non- 
poisonous dusting or wound powder. 
Boracic (boric) acid, 1 pound. 
Nonpoisonous and used freely as a dusting powder on open wounds. Dis- 
solved in hot water it is valuable for bathing inflamed parts. 
Epsom salt. 1 pound. 
For use as a laxative, 1 teaspoonful in half a glass of warm water. 
Flaxseed, 1 pound. 
For warm, antiseptic poultices for boils, abscesses, and swollen feet. 
Boil in water until it assumes the consistency of a thick mush and apply 
while warm and moist. 
Iodine (tincture), 4 ounces. 
Used in full strength just as for human cuts and wounds. 
Lysol (1 to 2 per cent), 8 ounces. 
Disinfectant and antiseptic. Follow directions on bottle. 
Peroxide of hydrogen, 1 pound. 
Follow instructions on bottle and the directions in this bulletin. 
Sulfur (powdered), 1 pound. 
Use in ointment made with 1 part sulfur and 4 parts lard, or other pure 
fatty base, for skin diseases and bald spots. 
FAILURES AND ABANDONMENTS 
In the course of the development of the blue-fox industry, there 
have been a number of failures and abandonments of undertakings. 
Almost every one of these can be attributed to neglect of important 
factors of one kind or another. Some ranchers have attempted to 
raise foxes by placing a few animals on an island and then going 
away for long periods and leaving them to take care of themselves; 
others have left negligent or incompetent caretakers in charge; and 
still others, starting without sufficient capital to carry them to a 
producing state, have been compelled to neglect or even to abandon 
the industry. Failures under such conditions are not surprising, for 
successful fur farming requires the same attention and energy that 
is necessary to success in any other business. 
