782 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Dec. 20, 1913. 
most expensive fur-bearing animal on earth, the 
silver black fox. The fur of the ranch-raised 
Prince Edward Island silver black fox is superior 
in texture and color to any fox fur that comes 
out of the wilds, and in support of this is quoted 
the London fur sale prices (the most important 
fur sales in the world) for ten years past, show¬ 
ing the ranch-raised pelts averaging $1,000 and 
the pelts from the wilds averaging $500. And 
anyone in position to make a comparison between 
pelts from the wilds offered in New York City 
at $2,000 each and ranch-raised Prince Edward 
Island pelts would have to acknowledge a differ¬ 
ence of fully 25 per cent, in the latter’s favor. 
So these men, Oulton and Dalton, laid the 
foundation of the world’s future fur supply and 
at the same time by the sale of pelts accumulated 
a fortune that is estimated, in the case of Charles 
Dalton, at one million. 
It was not until 1900 that the neighbors of 
the above mentioned ranchmen awoke to what 
this “fad” meant, but very few succeeded in ob¬ 
taining breeders until 1907, but the sale of foxes 
did not become general for breeding purposes 
until 1910, when the price for breeders out¬ 
stripped the price of pelts and in that year $1,500 
to $2,500 was paid for a pair of foxes, and 
spoken of as a waste of money. But the prices 
of breeders rose by leaps and bounds until at 
this writing, silver black foxes are selling at 
$15,000 per pair for immediate delivery, with few 
offered, and options on 1914 pups for delivery 
September 1st, 1914, are bringing from $12,000 
to $13,000. One year ago 1913 options for deliv¬ 
ery for September 1st, 1913, were selling at $9,000. 
Ten million dollars is now invested in the in¬ 
dustry and dividends paid this Fall equal 40 per 
cent, on that amount, or four million dollars. 
These figures are taken from a' Boston daily 
paper. 
While many changes have taken place in the 
size, etc., of fox pens and houses, the following 
is descriptive of the latest pens and method of 
general care: A wooded lot is selected, prefera¬ 
bly a birch, beech or maple grove, on a hill with 
a southern exposure. Pens are constructed of 
wire netting, two-inch mesh, gauge 14 and 15, 
35x40 feet, running two feet into the ground and 
turning in at right angles; thus a fox starting to 
dig at the fence, as they nearly always do, reaches 
the turned in wire and comes up in the middle 
of the pen. The top of the fence, generally ten 
feet above ground, is turned in two feet at right 
angles, which effectually prevents climbing out. 
The houses, usually 4x4x6, are divided and sub¬ 
divided into compartments, which end in an inner 
and nearly completely dark nest eighteen inches 
square, where the foxes feel they are safe at all 
times and where the young are born. Entrance 
to the house is through a chute. 
The pens are grouped in close proximity to 
each other, as foxes take comfort from numbers. 
At a distance of twenty-five feet from the pens 
is an outside fence, usually of wood, ten feet 
high, and having a two-foot overhang of wire; 
while at the bottom is three feet of wire netting 
laid on the ground, with one side tacked to. the 
fence. This enclosure serves a two-fold purpose, 
namely, to secure the animals in case of an escape 
from the pens and to shut out such sights and 
noises as would in any way frighten them. A 
guard-house is built overlooking this fence. Thus 
the foxes are kept in seclusion with space suf¬ 
ficient for exercise, but at no time are the animals 
beyond the observation of the careful ranchmen. 
Night-watchmen are employed in all ranches. 
It has been the custom, but is being departed 
from now, to remove the male to a separate pen 
after mating. The male’s pen usually being 
alongside of the female’s pen and very much 
smaller. 
Two critical periods are experienced: First, 
the mating season, when perfect seclusion must 
be maintained and nothing unfamiliar in the way 
of noise or sights intruded, and secondly, for 
three weeks after the birth of the young not only 
must the above be kept in mind, but further cau¬ 
tion is usually taken, such as wearing the same 
color of clothes, feeding at given hours, etc. 
These latter precautions, however, are not always 
followed by every ranchman. But one and all 
experienced ranchers are very careful not to 
alarm the animals within the above time. The 
young are delicate for three weeks after birth, 
but once beyond that period grow rapidly. 
At feeding time it is interesting to see the 
male with food in his mouth, running up and 
down the dividing fence and trying to push 
through to the young in the other pen in order 
to feed them. 
The food, as well as the cost of foxes, varies 
in different localities. The average on Prince 
Edward Island, however, is one-half pint of milk 
and one-half dog-biscuit in the morning and a 
quarter of a pound of fresh meat in the evening 
to each fox. From December to the middle of 
January the amount of food is reduced. After 
January the food of the female is increased in 
quality and quantity. The cost of food averages 
$15 per year per fox. After snow arrives no 
water is required. 
In the matter of disease, no sickness of a 
serious nature has shown itself. From birth to 
six months of age there is some slight danger 
from worms, common dog-worm and the tape¬ 
worm, but of no real danger to the experienced 
ranchman, who treats the pups at regular inter¬ 
vals whether worm signs show or not. After 
six months old the only trouble is occasional 
spells of indigestion, which a small dose of cas¬ 
tor-oil cures. So rare is disease among foxes 
that in 1913 less than ten full-grown foxes were 
reported as dying out of something like two thou¬ 
sand in the ranches; of these it is assumed that 
some had reached the age limit, about twelve 
years. A fox will mate up to eight years old. 
At the average rate of increase of four and 
a half per pair yearly, it would seem that a 
thousand pair of breeders, the Government esti¬ 
mate for 1913, would soon overstock the country, 
but investigation reveals the fact that less than 
one and three-quarters per pair have been raised 
to six months old. This loss is due almost wholly 
to inexperience or carelessness on the part of men 
in charge of ranches. One man who lost a num¬ 
ber of young foxes this past Spring remarked to 
the writer, “Oh! foxes are easy enough to raise, 
they’ll eat anything.” “My wife cares for them 
when I’m away.” “Lost pups?” “Oh! yes, my 
wife fed them rotten fish and a few died.” 
Many fortunes have been made from fox 
ranches. A few cases will suffice for all, and 
what is herewith written is vouched for: 
Charles Dalton, of course, is a rich man, 
whose accumulation of wealth took twenty years 
to gather, and principally through the sale of 
pelts, but differing from him is Mr. Tuplin, who, 
starting seven years ago on borrowed capital 
of a few hundred dollars, is today rated a mil¬ 
lionaire and owning a ranch valued at half a 
million. 
Dr. Macneill, of Summerside, Prince Edward 
Island, Canada, and three partners, on an invest¬ 
ment of $26,000, cleared over $50,000 in two years. 
A young Charlottetown, Prince Edward Is¬ 
land, lawyer and two friends invested $600 in a 
pair of patches in 1912. Three pups resulted, 
two black and one patch, which they sold Sep¬ 
tember, 1913, for $8,000. Thus leaving the orig¬ 
inal pair of foxes and a profit of $7,400. Name 
of this man supplied upon request. 
The tales of sudden riches acquired by the 
humble farmers of that almost forgotten land, 
Prince Edward Island, through the fox industry, 
sound like an Oriental fairy story, but not in a 
single case investigated has an exaggeration been 
found. 
A few words descriptive of this home of a 
new industry: The natives of Prince Edward 
Island happily call their land the “Garden of the 
Gulf,” but Park of the Gulf would be more ex¬ 
pressive. For a more beautiful park-like coun¬ 
try one seldom sees. On all sides are expansive 
farms, separated from each other by lines of 
graceful trees that remind the visitor of parks 
and well-kept public reservations, while the blue 
of the sky reflected in the many rivers and the 
bright red of the river banks make a picture not 
easily forgotten. Driving and boating during 
Summer months in and around the rolling hills 
is a pleasure indeed, and an added feature wel¬ 
come to all visitors is the simplicity and unvary¬ 
ing courtesy of all people encountered. A stran¬ 
ger within their gates is an honored guest, and 
while the business spirit inherited from their 
Scotch and Irish forebears is not at any time 
forgotten, courtesy shown is a thing apart from 
thought of gain. Add to the above the novelty 
of visiting fur ranches, where all are welcomed, 
and a more pleasurable or interesting vacation 
land is not to be found. 
In passing would say that the writer is not 
a native and holds no brief for land or people, 
but simply a human, expressing appreciation for 
a country beautiful and its kindly inhabitants. 
High Power Rifles 
Editor Forest and Stream: The tragic death 
of James Jordan, one of the best known hunters 
in Essex County, by a rifle ball fired by some un¬ 
known person from a great distance, on Sunday, 
Nov. 30, 1913, should serve as a basis for the 
enactment of a law against the future use of 
high-power rifles in the Adirondack forest pre¬ 
serve, such arms being suitable only for war. 
Here we have a father out with his three sons 
hunting in the vicinity of the Deadwaters in 
North Hudson. All of a sudden “Jim” falls dead, 
one of his boys being so near behind that he 
stumbled over the body. The rest, who were 
within a stone’s throw, were overcome with grief 
and shock, but could not tell whence the shot 
came, as there was no report heard. 
It makes no difference to this stricken house¬ 
hold that the shot was probably fired by some 
careless sportsman from a distance. Such acci¬ 
dents have no place in the people’s hunting 
grounds. Legislators may recommend making 
such killing manslaughter and pass laws to punish 
such offenders when caught. But why not pro¬ 
hibit the use of these long-range rifles in a coun¬ 
try where most deer are killed within 50 or 75 
yards of the hunter? Surely any man who can¬ 
not kill a deer with a 38-55 or 44-Winchester 
using black powder, ought to be kept out of our 
game forests. In some states only shotguns are 
allowed during the deer hunting season and the 
danger from wandering bullets fired about a mile 
distant is thereby prevented. 
Let us stop using such murderous missiles—• 
or give up deer hunting altogether. 
Peter Flint. 
New York, Dec. 8, 1913. 
In proportion to its weight, California red¬ 
wood is the strongest conifer so far tested at 
the United States forest products laboratory. 
This strength is due to its long wood fibers. 
Senatobia, Miss., Nov. 29. — Editor Forest 
and Stream: I want to thank you for the pleas¬ 
ure your magazine has given me for 1913. I 
always look forward with pleasure to its coming. 
When I finish it I send it to a brother in Florida. 
H. C. Featherstun. 
