SILVER FOX

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 March 1939, Page 6

SILVER FOX

STILL MOST POPULAR FUR. BIG CANADIAN INDUSTRY. OTTAWA. The silver fox still remains the most popular fur used in milady's wardrobe. Canada, from which the silver fox was originally developed leads in the production of this fur. Pelts of silver fox produced in Canada in the last given year for which statistics are available numbered 230.030 with a total value of 6,777.644 dollars. These figures represent approximately 39 per cent of the total fur production of the Dominion and, inasmuch as the silver fox is a ranch-bred animal, likewise indicate the growing importance of scientific fur-farming. . Second in importance in milady s wardrobe of furs comes the mink, which likewise is being bred on fur farms to an ever increasing extent in. Canada. Production of mink pelts numbered 139,673 valued at 2,267,835 dollars followed by the muskrat which was valued at 2,250,971 dollars. Other important furs produced in Canada are ermine, all other types of fox, beaver, marten, lynx, badger, fisher, fitch, squirrel, rabbit, otter, raccoon, skunk, wolverine, wild cat, wolf and bear. The fur trade is intimately tied up with Canada’s history inasmuch as the early exploratory parties that discovered and mapped the country in its early days were mainly interested in the. location of new fur-bearing territories. Early trade statistics of the country deal mainly with furs and. as late as a century ago, the value of the export trade in furs exceeded that of any other product. By means of government conservation programmes and' also by the development of scientific fur-farming, the Dominion's output of pelts remains high. Production if) the fur season ending June, 1937 was 17,526.365 dollars and exports during that period were valued at 18,529,254 dollars. The export figures of course include shipments of Canadian-made fur coats, scarves and other articles of fur.