Nov. 2, 1912 
FOREST AND STREAM 
557 
THE SKIN’S FIRST OWNER. 
Rearing Fur-Bearing Animals 
T HE increasing scarcity of many of the fur¬ 
bearing animals and the increased demand 
for furs has for a long time been the sub¬ 
ject for considerable attention by the experts of 
the Department of Agriculture. Until the past 
session of Congress, however, an appropriation 
could never be obtained for use in experiment¬ 
ing in the propagation and raising of fur-bearing 
animals, which lack of funds has seriously re¬ 
tarded and impeded the work along the lines of 
investigating the possibilities of raising animals 
purely for the fur markets. Senator Heyburn, 
of Idaho, introduced a bill during the last session 
of Congress providing for the investigations 
and experiments in connection with rearing fur¬ 
bearing animals, including the mink and marten, 
which item was incorporated in the provisions 
of the agricultural appropriation bill for the cur¬ 
rent year. The two animals “mink and marten” are 
enumerated in the law, which was done to insure 
that the investigations and experiments would 
include these two very valuable fur-bearing ani¬ 
mals. Of course the law would permit the in¬ 
vestigations to include other animals, as no kind 
of fur-bearing animal is expressly prohibited, 
but for the present it is probable that the ex¬ 
periments will be limited to the two animals 
mentioned. There has been some question about 
the appropriation being available for the purpose 
mentioned, notwithstanding that the law specifi¬ 
cally names the animals, therefore it was neces¬ 
sary for the Treasury Department to render a 
decision interpreting the provisions of the ap¬ 
propriation, which has just been done, allowing 
the Department of Agriculture to proceed with 
the experiments and investigations in raising the 
mink and marten. The fur farm will be imme- 
By RALEIGH RAINES 
diately established, and located in the State of 
Idaho, probably in the mountain region, where 
it gets good and cold, as the cold climate ap¬ 
pears to be necessary for the production of good 
quality of furs. This industry of fur farming 
appears never to have been tried anywhere on 
a scientific scale, though there have been several 
successful private experiments in raising the rare 
black, blue and silver foxes for their skins. 
These experiments in fox farming have been 
especially successful in parts of Canada. The 
Department of Agriculture plans to begin with 
the raising of the mink and marten, as they are 
two reasonably prolific animals whose skins are 
not only valuable, but are becoming scarcer 
every year. The wholesale prices of these pelts 
vary with locality, because the color of the fur 
varies with climatic influence, the best pelts com¬ 
ing from the colder climates, which produces the 
best colors. The average prices for mink skins 
varies from less than a dollar each in the South, 
which produces thin fur, and lighter in color, 
while in Alaska the pelt ranges in price from 
$6 to $7, and in New England the prices range 
even higher. The marten skins are more expen¬ 
sive and are commonly known as “Hudson Bay 
sable” and are worth front $8 to $10 each whole¬ 
sale, according to the thickness and color of the 
fur. Some of the very fine skins of the marten 
sell for even higher prices and have brought $50 
each, though the pelt is scarcely larger than a 
rabbit skin. In Europe they have the marten 
also, where it is usually known as the stone 
marten or the tree marten, the pelts being worth 
from $8 to $10 each and are used extensively 
for dyeing and patching. When it comes to the 
genuine sable, the price goes up with a rush, for 
there is a wide variation in color and quality, 
but high class skins have been sold for as much 
as $500 each. The Department of Agriculture 
intends to begin modestly in the fur-raising 
work, because breeding stock for good animals 
is expensive, and moreover there will necessarily 
be a great deal learned about the food and habits 
of the animals in captivity. When experiments 
were first begun in raising the fox in captivity, 
it was thought that the industry would never be¬ 
come successful and profitable, until it was dis¬ 
covered that the female must have a small in¬ 
closure by herself. When this first principle was 
learned, the success was insured, and now there 
are several valuable fox farms. Some of the 
breeders are rearing animals that almost always 
come black, and some of them have been sold 
for fabulous prices, bringing in many cases from 
$2,000 to $3,000 each. These experiments in fur 
farming by the Department of Agriculture will 
be watched with interest not only by the trap¬ 
pers, fur dealers, and buyers of raw furs, but 
by the public in general, especially those who 
wear fur garments, as the prices of manufac¬ 
tured furs have steadily increased for the 
past few years. In the case of the mink and 
marten it will not be very difficult for the 
department to secure desirable breeding stock. 
As the experiments and investigations progress, 
it is the intention and purpose to extend the 
work to include other fur-bearing animals until 
it is demonstrated which of the fur-bearing ani¬ 
mals can be raised for profit. The publication 
of the experiences along these lines of investi¬ 
gations will be of great interest and promises 
to become one of the most popular as well as 
valuable works the department has attempted. 
