om, if ever, eat left-over
food or flesh that has become tainted.

[Illustration: Barrel Shelter for Female and Young.]

That raccoon raising promises well is borne out from the fact that they
are easily handled, eat a variety of food easily secured, and their fur
and meat both have a ready cash market. The pelt of a full grown and
dark raccoon is worth from $1.00 to $2.00, depending upon the section;
to this add from 40c to 75c for the carcass and it will be seen that the
raccoon brings to its owner $1.40 to $2.50 or upwards. This price is for
the better grade. The smaller and lighter colored skins from the more
southerly sections, will perhaps only bring two-thirds as much--75 cents
to $1.50 for the pelts and 25 to 50 cents for the carcass.

At what other "branch of farming" is there greater profit? No one is
going to become immensely rich "at coon raising" in a few years, but if
they enter the business and give the same attention and care to it that
they would to poultry, sheep, horses and cattle, there is reason to
believe that the profits will be as large if not larger. Again, the
person who loves the handling of fur-bearing animals will be making his
living at the business he enjoys most.

[Illustration: Fur Farm on Open Ground.]

Those who expect to raise coon in a small enclosure, should have the
wire turned in several feet at the top, or the chances are they will
follow along the under side to the edge and thus escape. In the
enclosure for raccoon, the strip of tin around the fence some three or
four feet high is strongly recommended. There should be some logs, dens,
and low, branchy trees for the animals to play in is to their liking.
The more homelike their enclosure, the sooner they become contented.
This means that they grow faster, which is all to the financial interest
of the coon raiser.

An enclosure of several acres for coon, taking in trees suitable for
dens, could be used for fox raising as well. The coon would raise their
young in the "den trees" and therefore would not bother the foxes, as
those having young would be in pens. The male foxes having access to the
entire enclosure might steal the feed for the female coon left at the
roots of the den trees. Should there be trouble on this point, the food
could be placed on a platform against the body of the tree out of reach
of the foxes.

CHAPTER XI.

THE BEAVER AND OTTER.

These two very important fur-bearing animals were once quit