Natural History Notes 
Silver Fox Breeding 
I am thinking very seriously of raising 
silver black foxes for their fur, and giving 
to this work my entire time. I have been 
investigating the various angles of the 
business and the outlook appears to be 
quite promising. Could The It. N.-Y. 
give me any facts—financial and other¬ 
wise—on this comparatively, new indus¬ 
try? Your opinions and judgment would 
be very valuable to me and would help 
greatly in my final decision. n. o. 
New Jersey. 
We have no facts gained by experience, 
and have found it difficult to obtain un¬ 
prejudiced opinion. Several readers have 
lost money invested in stock companies 
organized to breed these foxes. While furs 
are now low, it is claimed that prices 
will “come back” in the future. It costs 
.$1,000 or more to buy a pair of purebred 
foxes, and evidently one must be at 
least “half fox” to handle them properly. 
Personally, we should want something 
more tangible than “a fox and a hole in 
the ground” as an investment. It looks 
like a good chance for an amateur to lose 
money. You should read a bulletin en¬ 
titled “Fur Farming,” issued by the De¬ 
partment of Agriculture at Washington. 
Rat and Weasel 
A recent correspondent expresses much 
skepticism regarding the destruction of 
rats by weasels. I can qualify as the 
missing link in the chain of evidence, as 
I once stood within 8 ft. of the stage 
upon which was being enacted the trag¬ 
edy of “Robber the Rat” and “Shadow 
the Weasel.” At the time I was at work 
for my brother-in-law, whose “diversified 
farming” included a combination of 
mills—-gristmill, cider mill and sawmill— 
with its woodyard and wood trade. T 
was busy drawing out the huge pile of 
slab wood which had accumulated be¬ 
neath the cutting-off saw during the 
Winter. The remaining portion was 
banked against the mill and nearly per¬ 
pendicular. Suddenly there started a 
vigorous squealing in the pile right oppo¬ 
site my ear. I quickly pulled out a few 
slabs and discovered a large rat slowly 
crawling into the pile. I made a quick 
rear-end grab for the dissolving view and 
started a tug-of-war, but was much sur¬ 
prised at the resistance encountered. 
When I succeeded in extracting the great 
resister my surprise deepened, for he was 
“a dead ’un,” though still warm. The 
mystery was soon solved when a weasel 
stuck his head out and in unmistakable 
language demanded “Hands off! That rat 
is mine!” I picked up a piece of edging 
and holding the rat out to the weasel 
would draw him part way out and then 
hit at him. Rut I found him about as 
elusive as the traditional streak of 
greased lightning. After missing him 
several times I gave him a sharp rap 
across the snout, when he refused to play 
the game any longer. A little farther 
back I found a nest containing several 
very much alive little rats. A weasel may 
prefer chickens to rats, but it is a demon¬ 
strated fact that a weasel can and will 
destroy rats. Not much that happens 
escapes (lie observation of the large fam¬ 
ily of R. N.-Y. readers. What one does 
not see another does, which makes it a 
valuable source of information. 
CHARLES A. BANISTER. 
Massachusetts. 
How to Feed a Turtle 
My son got a turtle last Summer; kept 
it in a safe place, with water, and fed it 
on flies, etc. Would you inform me how 
to take care of it. during the long Winter 
months? At the present time T have it in 
a large box filled with sand and a pan of 
water, but do not know how to feed it. I 
have tried bread, meat, etc., but it does 
not seem to be hungry. R. L. R. 
Turtles are normally hibernating ani¬ 
mals; that is, they spend most of the 
Winter in a sort of deep sleep, and with¬ 
out eating. Commonly they bury them¬ 
selves in the mud on pond bottoms or in 
moist soil for this rest period. In captiv¬ 
ity they should be provided with quarters 
that imitate their natural dwelling 
places as closely as possible. The large 
box of soil with pan of water makes a 
good place, but some shelter should be pro¬ 
vided. as, for example, a slanting board 
over the soil and some duckweed or other 
plant in th? water. 
Most turtles feed upon both animal and 
vegetable matter—small fish, insects, 
earthworms, tender green shoots and ber¬ 
ries. In captivity they will eat earth¬ 
worms, bits of raw chopped meat (one 
report says they are very fond of bologna 
sausage), lettuce and berries. A box tur¬ 
tle was once known to eat a banana after 
it had refused everything else. One 
should not be disturbed if the captive tur¬ 
tle does not eat for several weeks, or even 
longer. When it wakes from its sleep and 
seems active, offer various kinds of food 
at intervals and let it decide for itself 
when and what it will begin to eat. 
Home kinds of turtles make interesting 
pets and live comfortably in captivity for 
many years. Such are the painted and 
the spotted pond turtles, the wood turtle 
and the box turtle. Other forms are beet 
left in their natural haunts. 
EDWARD M. TUTTLE. I 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
93 
Th e Sixth Ann ml NATIONAL 
Tractor Show 
And Educational Exposition 
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T IIIS is your show. It has been planned in the interests of all practical 
farmers. It has the backing of the Department of Agriculture and of all 
agricultural schools and authorities. The program arranged is the equiva¬ 
lent of a college course in tractor farming. You will gain a wealth of new 
ideas that can at once be turned to real profit. Plan now to come. 
A College Course in Tractor Farming 
Compressed into Four 
Days 
Few men can picture, even in their own 
minds, the tremendous growth of power 
farming. Rapidly it is changing many of 
the established laws and methods of agri¬ 
culture. Certainly today it is the fore¬ 
most of all great opportunities confront¬ 
ing the farmer in his work. You will get 
real cash-value information out of these 
lectures, speeches and exhibits. The talks 
will be delivered in a special lecture hall 
and the program also includes daily dis¬ 
cussions, mass meetings, band concerts, 
etc. Everyone who attends will have a 
good time and a profitable one. 
National figures like Pres. Elect Harding, 
Sec. of Agriculture Meredith, J. R. How¬ 
ard, Pres. American Farm Bureau Federation, Joseph Hirsch, Chairman Agriculture 
Commission, American Bankers Association, and others have been invited to speak. The 
American Societies of Automotive Engineers and Agricultural Engineers and a num¬ 
ber of the foremost Agricultural Colleges will have educational exhibits. And don’t 
forget that all of this is in addition to the biggest display of tractors and tractor im¬ 
plements that has ever been gathered. 
Here is the Program 
Feb. 8 —Soil Conservation —F. I. Mann, Gillman, Ill. 
Adapting the Farm to Power — RAYMOND OLNEY, 
Editor Power Farming 
Determining Type and Size of Tractor to Buy —I. W. 
Dickerson, Agr. Eng. & Ed.,Charles City, Iowa 
Feb. 9 —The Trend of [Tractor Design —J. B. DAVIDSON, 
Iowa State College 
Ignition Troubles —O. W. Sjogren, Nebr. College 
of Agriculture 
Tractor Hitches — Daniel Scoates, Texas A. & 
M. College 
Lessons From a Tractor Survey —G. W. McCuen, 
Ohio State University 
Feb. 10— Lessons From Nebraska Tractor Tests — G. K. 
Siiedd, Nebr. College of Agriculture 
The Tractor and Belt Power —Wm. AlTKENHEAD, 
Agricultural College, Purdue University 
What Is Tractor Service ?—J. B. Davidson, Iowa 
State College 
Community Purchase of Tractors —R. U. BLASIN- 
game, Pennsylvania State College 
Feb.ll —Tractor Tools —H. PI. Musselman, Michigan 
College of Agriculture 
Laying Off Fields for Plowing — F. W. DUFFEE, 
Wisconsin College of Agriculture 
Tractor in Winter— R. U. BLASINGAME, Pennsyl¬ 
vania State College 
Housing the Tractor — F. W. IvES, Ohio State 
University 
What the Tractor Has Done for Me — By Four 
Real Farmers 
COLUMBUS OHIO KVaK 
Eight huge buildings belonging to the state of Ohio— 
modern, fireproof, well lighted, scientifically heated 
and connected with one another by covered passage¬ 
ways—will house this show. Every arrangement has 
been made for the comfort and convenience of those 
who attend. Write today for special free tickets of 
admission. Ask for our booklet explaining the entire 
program. A hundred thousand farmers will be here 
to meet the power farming experts of the country. 
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National Tractor Show Committee, Columbus, Ohio 
Gentlemen:— 
Please send me your booklet regarding The Sixth Annual National Tractor Show. 
Also inclose free tickets for myself and-others of my family. 
Name--- 
Street or R. F. D___ _ 
City-- State—-.--- 
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