which the work has been gathered, are
authentic. Much of the habits, nature, etc., of the various animals has
been furnished by Mr. E. Kreps, a trapper of wide experience. Facts have
also been furnished by those that have to a certain extent followed "Fur
Farming" and as well some information has been added from the United
States Government Bulletins.

A. R. HARDING.

Columbus, Ohio, April 1, 1909.

FUR FARMING.

CHAPTER 1.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND.

For years there has been a belief that the supply of fur-bearing animals
would soon be inadequate to the demand. This belief is well founded and
is apparent when the fact is known that the natural haunts and homes of
the fur-producing animals are becoming less each year. The draining of
swamps and marshes is destroying the homes and breeding places of
muskrat and to a certain extent coon and mink. The saw mill and clearing
of the land is rapidly lessening the natural resorts of coon, bear, wild
cat and opossum in the South and Central States, while in the North,
marten, fisher and lynx are being deprived of their natural homes.

Beaver and otter do not like civilization and leave on signs of man and
his works. This is especially true of beaver; otter linger in waters
fringed with timber longer even if settled.

Some animals, it is true, do well in fairly thickly-settled sections.
Among animals of this kind are red fox, skunk, mink and muskrat. Yet no
fur bearer can hold its numbers against the ever-increasing number of
trappers and the persistency with which they now seek the fur producers.

North America furnishes a large per cent. of the furs of the
world--foxes, mink, otter, beaver, skunk, marten, lynx, coon, opossum,
muskrat, wolves, etc. Considerable quantities of fine furs are still
secured in parts of Russia, in Europe and Siberia in Asia; Australia
furnishes great quantities of opossum, while from parts of South
America, the trade in chinchilla is large. Yet North America has been
for centuries, the great fur-producing continent and now that trapping
is being pressed harder than ever and the natural haunts of the animals
are becoming less each year, the question is,--where will the future
supply come from?

In this connection the following article on The Fur Markets is
reproduced from the April issue of _The Hunter-Trader-Trapper_:

The Spring or March London Sales began March 22 and ended April 2.
During that time American Raw Furs were offere