ng stock in your neighborhood--the man who
loves stock or someone who thought they saw a fortune in the business
but neither loved animals or knew anything about them? We venture the
answer, without fear of contradiction, that it has been the party who
loves and delights in stock. Remember, this applies to fur animals as
well as horses, sheep and cattle.

CHAPTER VIII.

OPOSSUM RAISING.

The opossum is a southern animal and is found in abundance in most parts
of the Southern States. In late years they have been moving farther
northward and are now found, though not numerous, as far north as
Central Pennsylvania; but are found most plentifully in the wooded
portions of the South, where they are such a common animal as to be well
known to all.

They are slow moving and inoffensive, having no means of defense
whatever. When approached, they make a great show by opening the mouth,
and present a rather fierce appearance, but when touched by man or
animal, they pretend to be dead, and this very characteristic habit has
given rise to the expression, "playing 'possum."

While the opossum is a nocturnal animal, it is sometimes seen in
daylight, but this is of rare occurrence. They do not hibernate but will
remain in the dens during cold weather, and do not like to roam about
when the leaves are dry and rustly.

The dens are, as a rule, located in the ground, under a rock, log or
tree, and are quite shallow; the nest at the extremity being lined with
leaves or grass. They also den in hollow logs and stumps occasionally,
and in natural openings in rock bluffs.

The young of this animal are born in the last half of April and the
beginning of May, the number of young varying from six to twelve, and
sometimes even more. When born they are very small and imperfectly
formed and are immediately placed by the mother in the pouch on her
belly, where they remain until they have attained a perfect form and
have become large enough to walk about. After being placed in the pouch,
they attach themselves to the teats of the mother, and remain in that
condition until they have become large enough to move about.

On leaving the pouch, they quite often ride about, when tired, on the
mother's back, holding fast by winding their tails about that of the
parent. They will reach their full growth within a year, if the
conditions are favorable--that is, if they have plenty of food, etc. In
captivity, when well cared for, they attain co