maller experimenters, in other words, those who have begun on
a small scale, who have been most successful. They are for the most part
trappers who had even before venturing into the business a fair
knowledge of the nature and habits of the skunk and therefore were more
qualified for making the business a successful one. Trappers naturally
take an interest in all nature and are most likely to give the proper
amount of attention to the animals, also learn their habits readily and
act accordingly and these qualities are absolutely necessary for the
successful raising of all fur-bearing animals.

The most successful stock breeders are those who make a special study of
their animals and take a great interest in them and those who do not are
almost certain to fail and really deserve failure. If so much care is
necessary in breeding domestic animals, how much more important the care
in handling the wild creatures, knowing so little of them as the average
man does. But even handicapped by lack of knowledge the experimenters
have been fairly successful from the start if they were the right men
for the business. Without exception they all report that the animals
breed well in captivity and are easily kept; in a short time becoming
quite tame and losing their fear of man.

The skunk is an animal which is despised and feared by many people
because of its readiness to make use of its powerful scent, the only
means of defense with which nature has provided it, but it is only when
frightened that it uses this scent and once they have become tame and
learn that they will not be harmed they are practically harmless. We
will say, however, to those who are afraid of the scent do not attempt
to raise skunks, but devote your time to some other calling for which
you are more fitted.

It is true that the scent glands may be removed from the young animals
but many of them will die from the operation and there is practically
nothing gained; therefore, this practice is not advised.

Those who have failed were for the most part people who knew nothing
regarding the habits of the animal and its care when in captivity. They
were men with capital, who began on a large scale expecting to make a
fortune in a short time, but in this they were mistaken, for many of
them lost all that they invested. These parties have had trouble from
the older animals killing and eating the young, also from depredations
of owls, but mainly from the first reason. It