l ocroaan 1a. 1943

TIM ELY NOTES ON

cosmeorro wmt Silver Fox Farming

TOPICS

The writer has talked to quite a number of fox farmers in the past few weeks and almost the first question they put to me is. what do you think of Platinum foxes Whe- ther it ls an experienced rancher who has been breeding these com- paratively scarce and very beauti- ful animals. or a novice or an old. time silver fox rancher who wants to change to the new types, there is dLsplaycd a very great and grow- ing interest in what the Norwegians cull the piatinn fox. For this rea- 50H it ls our purpose to go back

In 1936 Mrs. Agnues Jackhelln. well known to many of our Island ranchers as one of the most astute fox breeders in the business. arriv- ed at Eugen-Larson's office in Oslo, Norway. with a package under her arm. She appeared excited and as sne undid the outer coverings be. came more so and suddenly ex- claimed to Mr. Larsen. “Isn't. it lovely!" It was the first pelt of the new platlna foxes. It was large and the pale uderfur was clear and luxuriant. The guard hairs were dark grcyblue. There was a

whose brief life span has been com- presed into ten years.

What is a platlna fox and how din it originate? 1n the answers to these questions lies the story uslichwaa first given to the world by Omar Brager-Larsen, Norwegian adviser to the fur lndtv try and now a resident of Michigan, U. s A. It begins just eleven years ago last September when a Norwegian fish- erman named Brent Evertsen de- cided to become a fox farmer. He purchased a silver male and female. mated them. and with his wife and family discussed the chances of en- hancement of their fortunes through the increase.

Sure‘ enough the foxes had a lit- ter in April. 1933. and three weeks afterwards Evertsen looked in the den and came away very dejected. The largest pup in the litter was so different from the rest and from inything seem in the vicinity that

'ertsen assumed it must be worth- ess. It was more bluish grey than block. u silver fox-es are at birth. Ho was on the point of destroying it. but his family prevailed upon him to keep It as a curiosity.

As the pups grew they noticed that the-pale-colcred pup was healthier and stronger than his brothers and sisters and as the shades of autumn tinted the leaves on the trees in his ranch he notic- ed that the new type fox was glos- sier and had a radiant cast of blue- ness more lustrous than his fel- lows- It also had a frosted tail and extremely large white tip. It was not long until the neighbors for miles and miles around. themselves fox farmers. talked about and called to see Evertsenb fox and Evertsen began t: think himself a man of some import-pace.

A name was fixed on the wonder fox-Mcnc-beczluse the neighbors ,had called the pub "ittle Mons" which is the equivalent in Norweg- ian to “ reat little fellow. In No-

- vember he put Mons in a box a-

l board his motor boat and took him to the fcx show. It was a long dist- ance and his great hopes were shattered when he arrived there

and the breeders looked over Mon:-

and expressed contempt. No such

fox had ever been seen in Nor-.

way and, like ourselves when white face fo::es first appeared. there was a hue and cry against the new (ype a

It was Omar Brager-Larsui ‘who then stepped in. lll his role of 09V- ernment publicity and government salesman for Norwegian fox-Es. Ask- ed if he did not think the new ani- ma‘ was vcry beautiful he said. "It is quite nice, but what is it?" Then a Norwegian breeder named Hans Kier looked over the animal and offered about $200. for him Evert- |en sold. Kler took his purchase to his ranch and looked for a similar mate. None could be found. Fin- ally he selected a lovely young sil- ver female and walwrl 53 days to see what the mating would bring forth. In the spring of 1934. or just nine years ago. Mons’ first offspring ar- rived. They were seven. four of

I them-two males and two females »-n'cre colored and marked exactly like their father The other three alt-re poor grad" -"vc~ foxes.

Up to that titre Norwcflan brrcders went on the thcory ‘hat wzs prevalent in this province for Plllll" years that foxes were mono- gamous. that one male remained with one female for life. Bvt Kiel‘ deo‘c"d to experiment with his fox so wl-laal the. nvatir: season came rornd crin Mora was bred to i ree Y_"ifll€5. Twelve pups were the res" and the ratio cf nlotinas ~"s Klcr chrlstrnod it -—WR§ fifty- flftv. The ='-- remaining pups were ncor grade silvers

The following year the pietina foxes frcm these litters were mated to slivers and the ratio held in prac- tically the same proportion. How- over. it appeared that the piatina fox took all the best points from both parents leaving the poorer ones fcr their sliver fox brothers and sisters. By this time -1Q35— many other Ncrweglan breeders had be- come interested in the new type animals as some had been sold around for breeding 9111170505- Most 0f these farmers destroyed the poor "Wis silver pubs at birth as they figured it did not pay to raise them to maturity..

WIIEATLEY RIVER. SCHOOL The following is the honor standing for Wboatley River School for the month of August and Se:- tcmber. Grade IX.-—l, Robert Rackham: 3. Cecil Eilchoud. Grade vIlL-l. Stanley MM- an. ' > mtirade VII.-l. Barnett Games-

Grade VL-l. Thelma Barrett: 2. Lot-- pave

Grade V-—l. Eleanor Axworthyi 3- June Elkhoud: 3. Betty Barrett. . Grade 1II.—-l. Arnold Mlf-‘l-flflll. v Grade 1. A.-1. Jean Chandler; a. Aéllson MacLean: 3. Shirley Elk‘ su . Grade I. B.-1, Marjorie AX- worthy: .". ackle Chandler; 3.

Jackie Barrett. .

Grade 1. u» -1. Alice MacLean: 2. Emerson MacRae.

Perfect attendance -— Jean find Jackie Chandler. ‘x l B. Smith-Macbeth 1

into the history cf this mutation

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white neck band and a space of white from forehead to snout. The blue-Bret’ tail was frosted and nad a very large white tip. The paws were white.

Brazen-Larsen was not quite sure about the beauty of the pale cast. I-Ie was accustomed to silvers. but he kept it in his office and sev- eral times a day would take it down and study it and the more he look- ed at it the more interested he be- came- Finally he agreed with Mrs. Jackhelln that the skin ‘yes indeed boilltlflll. in tact surpasslngly so. so he decided to see what the solons of fashion in Paris would think of it. He took it there and exhibited it to the greatest costumer design- ers in the world. He explained it

v

- NEWSY

JUST A FEW WORDS

Some time ago I received o pic- ture of the house where lived the clergyman. whose church I attend- ed as choirboy. We called him lhe Vicar, and his house the Vicarage.. The picture, however, was entitled the Rectory, and I immediately sought the reason for the change. A Vicar I found, was a clergyman of a parish not; receiving tithes,

while a Rector was n clergyman‘

who received tithes. Our man was most certainly a Vicar.

This led to the question of the tithes. Formerly, in England, a tenth part of the agricultural produce in the parish. was claimed by the Church. and was called the tithe. This was founded on a Jewish prac- tice. first mentioned in Genesis 14. 20. and further elaborated by Moses. Tlthcs seem to have been looked upon. in Britain and in lnediasval times. as part of the rent charge on land. but as dlxent from the Church grow, so did the objection to the payment of tithes: hence they were abolished. One dictionary says they still survive in the form of taxes. but I think this is doubtful.

There are many signs used in printing and for some time past I have been collecting their names. When it is desired to show that a vowel is long. a horizontal stroke is placed above it: few. even among printers. know that this stroke l5 a

was not I01‘ sale, just on exhibition. What did they think of it? Wltlc- thelr keen discernment of what constitutes beauty and style they did not take long in appraising the possibilities of the new mutation and asked how many pelts were avail- able and how quickly they could be obtained. .

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l This was enough to convince Mr. Larsen that his clients were on the right road and that a new industry was in the making! Platina fox farming went on in earnest and in December, 198'! at fur sale in Oslo, nine platina skins were put up at auction. They were snapped up as quick as they were offered. by Mar- cel Kummer of Buencs Alres, Argen- tine, the same gentleman as was the principal buyer at the Canad- lan Auction Company's sale in Montreal last January. He secured nine at an average price of $300 n. piece. That was the highest price ever paid 1n Norway for any type of fox pelt. As can be imagined the fox farmers there went into a fever and everyone who could af- ford it

Fox Breeders‘ ASSCL-IJJIIUII was formed and they laid plans to uro- teot their type to keep them up to standard and to design a stamp that would identify each pelt as a genuine Norwegian platina fox.

The Association grew and had 500 members when in i940 the Germans efized Norway. 1n the 193B sale. ‘ second sale. eleven skins were. 431d. Five were brought by Kummer and six were sold to the famous Parisian ulessmake " ‘ aux. A new high price was reached of t1,- 400. Molyneaux made his up luto scarfs and sold one of them to the Duchess of Wlnusur onu another to a French princess. They were the two best dressed women in the world. The remaining four pelts were sold to Bonwlt Teller of New York, where they realized in the vicinity of $5.000 each. One cf th3s3 was bought by Elizabeth Arden. whose cosmetics are so well known among women.

In 1939 the Nurwgeilms had in- creased their production of plat- inas to over two thousand and the first all platina fox show held in Oslo in November of that year. I-‘irst prize in the adult class was won bv Mons. while his grandson. Admiral. was nalned the finest fox in the show.

The new industry nad seemed on

its way to a great boom that full but the war which started with the lnvason of Poland by the Germans, became a greater conflict and was soon ‘to involve Norway. The next event of importance to the Norweg- ians was the sale on January 22nd. 1940. of 409 platlna fox pelts in New York. We said 403-it was actually 339. the other skin was presented by Norwegian broadens to Sonja I-fenie. Norway's darling of the ice The highest price al. the above sale was $11,000. the purchase being made by I. .1 Fox. The lowest was $200. and the average 5550. The resoercvssions of that sale: are still heard in tile courts of 'the u s. A where tile fight is on to elztremine whcthw tile=e pelts can be classed as silvers. therefore dutiable. or whether they are a new variety of fox pelt and come tn without duty similar to red foxes, cross fcxer. blue foxes and other types

The cruel hand of war and the iron h::l of the Germans changed the current of fox IPfmlng in Nor- zvay s0 greatly in the years suc- ceeding 1M0 thnt very little is known as to the status of the in- dustry. Somc platina foxes were smuggled out of Norway into Sweden and formed the basis of breeding operations there and some of these foxes found their way to the United States and to ranches in Massachusetts. Fromm Bros. and other p] ‘ b breeders. and a fcw sons cf these to Canada.

In the meantime Canada had evolved platinum types foxes of fl‘ own, The Colpitts and the La- Forest. and~the U. B. A. the Buf- falo Bill. Cody and Corbin strains. while in Fort QiPApllellc. 588k- Ollie McNelll. a Prince Edward Is- land. had develoiped a beautiful type of platinum rom his strain of

white faces. =7 In die future we may] have an opportunity of aolns illl" the history of these mutations now g0 prominent on the fur markell- .- We will not discuss the relatives merits of the Norwegian or Can- adian or American mutations. suf- ficient to say. however. and it is lust w-r opinion that the best of the“ types will. we confidently be- lieve. show as much beauty and character as the finest of the N01‘- m Jgunnlmae-Q

shrewd and Qflilfly Iflllfl,

"noticed on

"mneronfl The "breve" is the sign above a short vowel; it is usuaily a semi-circle with the opening up- permost. thought I have seen it rziven as a small v-shaped sign

The circumflex accent mark over a vowel to indicate contraction. length. etc. is just the signs for the breve turned upside down. Sometimes two dots are nlaccd over the second of two vowels to show that they are

UAOIIOOLA

NOTES -

“in QQXOIIIIHHOII o! the

I posltc tyl-‘fi- n me pun“ “amt

f llowers rende THAT NEW W05“,

bu“, new world they talk e lll never comp l0nPm» ‘m’ out out Greed. 501d a to me that other d"- metning thereknslmqrgz turned. and vlweeiled u’ h mm- “ I cvl- l" ‘cams... ter. His idea I BXPQMG’ ‘n ts a. new one; me Hebrew progfhe long ago had protested agalns _

readiness of their rulers and Oliél 5655 man. They were not taken seriously. as they 569m W hggewlxigl: men ofiowly occupflllmls a _ l h) out influence; but one (Jelom a e was imprisoned ll’! B- d!l°w5§$_ dungeon for criticizing an x in; iils superiors. The founder 0 our faith Himself warned that rich should ssarcely enter I Kingdom cf Heaven; "Sell all thee thou hast and give to the I-Ie said to the youus m“)? was too well off.. Vain advice. 81‘ [he young tnan was possessed _ Ky the spirit of sreod- 511w e ‘m’ losoplly was dlspleasin! i0 m? heads of the state and sociay Mid We km“ the inevitable result. i a0

We are supposed to actl n Md cordance with the orlnvlles d t down by Chrlslafllul’ the grec gs the times overrules His commllllun our political and economc sic» n is based on the desire for g0 Il- would be pleasant to B55016 m?’ young friend that he shall have the better world he seeks. but there all’- rcactionarv forces. mighty and Del‘- sistont. that will attempt l0 B" “Pcik m the old ways when the Wok 5 ended. The one bright 590i l" (“l5 rather pessimistic picture is that the young men themselves atre fi- cinning to sec where the rou kc lies: and thry will ha"? l" be W "

"Th about. W less they young farmer "You said 5i‘-

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not one sound; the two dots are a rllnoreiils: one often sees thcm over the word "cooperate " There is a wavy sign sometimes placed over. the letter n as in "canon": it. makes the sound "canyon " I have.

not crrne across the name for this‘

sign. but used to think of it as a kind of circumflex accent? ‘The little hook-like mark seen hanging from the letter “C" is a cedllla. and makes the "C" sound as "S " All these markings are said to be dia- eritlcal. that is. distinguishing the accents.

To call attention to a footnote s mark like a star, or like a dagger. is in common use. The former is an asterrsk. (as is generally known); but the "dagger is more correctly ‘ermed an obelus. In concluding this list of signs we must not forget "Ampersand" which is the curly sign for the word “and." This I he- lieve to be an elaborate form l-f the sign "plus" in arithmetic. At one time. children reciting the alphabet. always finished up by saying "am- persand." It was printed after “Z" lzzdl on their alphabet cards: and

is a twisted way of saying "and.

For se." and by itself.

The ‘Scottish dictionary gives the vord ‘ket with the meaning of carrion. This word was once com- mon ln Northumberiand, but there it msant ordure or filth. It was often the case that a word wps in use 0n both sides of the Border. with a slightly different mealljrig' ni each country. A canny Scot was cautious. while _ in Ncrthumberlan was k.nd and likeable .

"Aaron vacpows"

n

d.

‘This is a virus disease of the Cllllln Aster lwhich is botanioally a. Cnllistephuol The disease is transmitted from one plant tc an- other by the bite or puncture of some insect. The plant. thus inocu- lated with the virus. loses its color, turns. greenish yellow and the flow- ers are stunted and deformed.

The celebrated botanist Asa Gray. in the last edition of his "Manual." mentions that Fall Danderllon (Leontodon) flcquently has n "tzratclogical or pathological form" with greenish-yellow heads without ligulss. By this he means that the plant is either monstrous or diseas- od: now we know that it is virus- ridden. This particular plant is very common round my homestead and is the fons et origo of much trouble in the arlrden- Ils virus i5 believed to be the same as that causing the Aster Yellows. and is readelv trans- mitted to both ornamentals and weeos. The first to be attacked were the Dahlias. which were stunted and produced small roots; I gave up growing them. Other plants ot- tacked were Ncsturtiums. Brachy- come. Calandula. Clarkia. Mlz- nonett". Carrots and Chinese Cob- bvfi- Alilflllg "*2 weeds it has been Pineapple-weed and Barnyard Daisv (both Matrioariasl. and‘ l-Iorseweed (Ekiceronl It seems to prefer plants of the Com-

oned with ARCTURUS

This is one of the easiest all!" to locate: merely follow out the .curve of the Big DipllffF-s handle. l till you cools to a yellowish ill-Sl- magnitude star distant about twice lthe length of the handle. That is l Arcturus. one of the very few stars mentioned in the Scriptures. (Job 9. 9: and 38. 32).

Bootes. the constellation of which Arcturus is the principal star. i5 represented in the star-maps as a very tall man. with his hand up- lifted and holding a leash to which are attached the Hunting Oogs (Cane; Vcnaticii- Arcturus is sitti- ntvsd on his left knee; there is a second magnitude star at his waist. and another almost as bright. it each shoulder. The rest of the group are much smaller lll size. 4 The whole constellation. however. l5 out- slze, and sirctches nearly 50 degrees from north to south. The star at his waist distinguished by the Greek letter Epsilon» is considered to be the most beautiful "double. star" in the heavens. because of; the contrasting colors of its coni- ponents. The Arabs caiied this still‘ M‘ruc or Mizar.

We must really get back to Arcturus. 13y means ol the spectro- seope this star has been ascertained to resunble our Sun in composition, but is in o much more advanced stage. It is also much larger: its brilliance exceeds that of the Sun 100 times. Its distance from us. say the astronomers. is approximately forty light-years! Given that the light-year is six million million mil-es, I leave it to the reader to find the number of “noughts“ rc- quired to get us within hailing dis- tance of Arcturus

MOTHS 0N THE WINDOW PANE

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One night late in September I was interested to see a cloud of grayish moths of fair size. fluttering outside cf the window. 'I‘i1ey were attracted by the lampllght which was vcry strong. and so many were thev that they looked like snow- flakes as they fluttered. Since ‘hen visitors have reported that tho in- sects were as humorous at Cove- head. and at North Winsloe: and it is likely all over tho Province.

This moth was the Cinfilllll Mien- aria Drury. which might be termed the “Chained Moth." since the specific name is derived from the Latin "catena." a chain. The speci- men in my collection has a wing- soreacl of about i and 3-4 inches: l the wings are a kind of ashv white in hue. and bclh fore and hind winds have chain-like blackish markings runnimz paral‘crl lo their odors. nt n distance of 3-16 inch from the margin. There is a almll black spot on the anterior marlin of each fore wing. The bodv of the insect is slim. white. and well band- ed with brown: the bands evidently are responsile for the generic name

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