
In the above I peve tried to outline some of the conditions 
needed to make a muskrat farm ideal. Answering your questions z 
should think that overflowed land with s certain amount of shallow 
water Yrom one to three feet deep and with channels up to five or 
six feet deep here and there throughout, the arenh wowcus it had 
n 
banks for muskrat dens, and cover and food were troduced, would 
make a good plece for muskrats. I would start the food cover 
supply first, because this is the first essential and the plants 
will do better before. the muskrats become numerous ~~ in other” 
words, they would get a better stert. As the food supply becomes 
more abundant, conditions are such that the aréa will support a 
larger number of muskrats, and if no trapping is carrted on a few 
seasons to begin with, the entire area will become | entifully 
stocked with muskrats, providing the enemies of muskrats mentioned 
above are kept under control. Possibly Some df the many islands 
you mention have high banks. in which muskrats can build their dens. 
It is probable that the rats already in the territory will 
spread and increase, especielly if they were not trapped for two 
or three seasons, and the food supply and conditions were Suitable 
to permit this. Conditions being fevorable as outlined above, it 
ts peasonable to believe that muskrats that have for various reasons 
been driven out of wat other waters would stop and stay on these 
lands when they came-to them. It is probable that such food plants 
as are native to the region, would gradually spread to parts 0 _ the 
overflow, but this is often a slow process, and ¢an be hastened by 
planting small. beds. of the plants needed for food and cover here and 
there on the property. . ne 
| Regarding the reising and Lowering of the water as mentioned 
above; the unfevorable point. aboutthis is that the young rats are 
drowned out by the waters rising in the spring. A rise or fall of 
two feet in depth of water during the growing season would possibly 
not be seriously injurious to the plants, but this is about the limit. 
Ugwever, during the winter and spring up until about June ist, when 
the flood usually occurs, the water may be almost any depth without 
injuring the plants that are dormant during that time. 
Yours for a profitable muskrat wer sh, rs 
CLYDE B. TERRELL gh 
PERRELL'S AQUATIC FARMS & NURSERIES 
Oshkosh, Wiseonsin, U. S&S. A. 




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