.4 met? notes» on "rooics ' conuecreo wmi A Silver, Fox Farming ». .

' U it d States government n" n e mini unt.

ai experim

conducts I “up. New

r t 8a ‘to “B r ‘Y‘:it'lk?nwl.th’0ii:rle'e.P. ssett dir- “tor, A great, deal of time has “on nt and‘ experiments made w solve the prob ems that con- e" use-r": ureter; ‘it.’ , o n . . -

i QEE-osc. Gill!!!‘ for the .~ ed i-hwhlh he has‘ cag- ' t’ e £59m man - m" "fliunlnflli a...“ ‘this soa- He-yearwhen we are won» ' g hy we are "not- having more litters“ ormllargb .b llitftfii-iih ik

W E 0 l‘? 0

3%? i“ made from theme. station last season.’

I

.0. Q Q ' Th ‘ intent; h. lur an- 1mg emwat. this itljiipin include nu ion, ' reproduction, feeding

and other phases of research which related to the production of fur animllS. As long ago as 1932 a study was initiated to determine what products of animal or veget- ible origin high in protein content could be used to replace part or all of the me t portion of the foe); ration. Boy an oil meal, be meal. peanut meal, fish meal, liver meal and tankage were tested anti found to be practicable and econ- omical meat‘ substitutes in the f0): ration. Of equal importance is the fact that the pelts produced - foxes fed these substitutes we superior to the fur produced foxes receiving rations with a hi percentage of raw meat and t cost was aboutijwo-thirds at< muc .

stitutes that _, . foxes would be saw Later, as the atu "progrezuei reports appeared from time time in ‘mr fafin-magasin stgriblngtl the lresultlssethtajlltad hcc o taine w en e e , soybean meal. com gluten mca eanutmegifllhcannsdfl fish, lwhol rozen co , an ' s mea wer used to replace a rt of the mea portion of the min ration.

Fox MIHIIQ. “ ‘

Prior to 1887;» fox managemcn during the breeding season ha been largelygoncerned with th pair or monogamous system o mating. A male and a female fo

meats -

laced together in a pen just be-i ore the start o! breeding scasoii were left together until the pup

roduced were old enough to wean

eeks after the young had arrived the kennel lid would be carefull. raised, the nutbox examined. and sometimes‘ pups were found; sometime ' there were no pups. At that tim , we did not know why some foxes produced young and others did not. A failure to mate or to conceive a resorption of the young, and a ortion or a litter destroyed at or. shortly after birth —any or all of these factors could have been responsible for the. non- productlon of young. An efficient and effective oystem of polynom-

mis mating was required because of -of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin

its value in-herd im rovement and the definite econom es that would result. Home ranches had made pro- irress in developing polygamous males and carrying out a system of roiysamous matings.

‘Ilia study of the ‘various prob- lems that have arisen in connection with the develo ment of a satis- YMOPY system o polygamous herd mllllaement has ntinucd for tisht years. 'I‘he observationgsmade iillri-ns that time, and the results "Nth were obtained, have been ‘allotted inarticles, published ill the fur farmlgg magazines. These articles have alt with the poly-

Jamous mating of foxes. the fre- quency of use of fox males deter- mination of estrum in the fox vixen. vulvar size and its relation- hill i0 fertility. certain aspects of

"Old Con‘: Taylorilwoys lop ma‘ upudm. t “f”, I. lieu) "He matsliissoedwlth Scmesan i Bel-It's protection agaiiin ya and ‘hi’ ityooo. “n” p‘, WW‘.

yon thebasis of present informa-

--.i geared desirable to

N. ual 08 d8‘- i Baratoga Springs Station had the

lYlP u for such studies, it was undertaken -- there and another phase of exper- ,imentatlon was thus begun. Stud-

fami . both

. s m W; blastoci/st or emb into and cause implants ignlto

» o reproduction, and the proper time to mate fox vixeno for optimum production. We. considered the successes and failures and profited thereby. ‘ .

studies in Productivity

In 198'], a cooperative agreement was made-with Bwarthmore Coll- ege, Bjwarthmore. Pennsylvania. Dr. lbobert K. Under was in charge of tblswork and it ncludes studies of the Physiology of reproduction in the ox and minkrThe results of this work appeared‘ in the various fur termini Fillers and did much to ‘clarify some of the problems confronting "the mink and fox breeders at thattime. l-lls later study on ovulation in ,the fox, rwhitchuohowed that this process

occurred late in the first c

day of heat, was the primary basis used in experiments which were later conducted at the Fur Anim- al Bixperimbnt Station to determine lust whan in the estrous cycle mat- ngs should bepermitted in order to result in an optimum production of young. The results were ub- llehed and clearly indicated hat,

tion, late second day matings are the most productive.

Nutritional Studies

In i938, a coo erative unit was established at orneil University under the leadership of Dr. l...

ard and Dr. John K. Loosii. This unit was concerned primarily with nutritional problems. partic- ularly thosedealing with digestion and metabolism. As a result of those and later ones by Dr. S. E.

Bmlt and Dr. LE. Harris, it ap- study their nds on a larger scale under act- rarich conditions. Since the

necessary equipment and animals

ies were initiated to determine both iii.J.“‘“ll'i3fl.‘..."“?2?.‘.?i.£mZ2?. “"52 rrovving fox Tthes cixpeig- men s were ra er ex reme n i. e deficiency systems which develowd pnddinbtitietrlosses whichflwere suf- ere , u ey gave us e answer to the calcium requirements and in the case of the vitamin ex- periment, opened up an entirely {ihew ahotlkllghtd! in fox rimtrltion roug e scovcry o e or- mation of renal and vesica calculi almosttlnt dlrectipriaApoi-ltllo go qtlge amoun o vtamn a ow‘. results of these experiments‘ wer: prteipiiared indthfi form of iifiengific ar ces, an ave recen y een submitted to certain of the scient- iii; magazines for publication af- ter which they will be rewritten in popular form for he various fur farming papers. _

In continuing the experiments on basic nutritional requirements of .both foxes and minke, studies were initiated in 1943 to determine the minimum and maximum amounts

D in the rations of growing~foxes and young minks. Additional stud- ies were also carried on to determ- ine the desirability of usln car- otene as a sole source of _v tamln A in the diet of growing fox pups. In 1944, the protein requirements of growing fox pups and weaned mink kite were studied, both dur- ing the period of ra id growth and also from weaning o elting time. The result: of all t ese studies have been prepared as scientific articles, or are now in the process of preparation. The ~ information thus mado available will be of value h fox rancher ildirectly, for in alidprobability our results will be us by the various mmmerclal feed‘ companies in manufacturing feeds and formulating rations.

Ilonnones and Daylight

, “' ‘ liy altering the hours of daylight—in some cases by len thening and in the other cases y shortening-has remark- ably changed the reproductive and in some caseo the moltlng cycle of certain birds and animals. Light: entel-in the eye is transmitted by the opt c nerve to the anterior pit- uitary and there stimulates the gilgoductlon of certain hormones.

esp hormones. in tum, act upon some of the organs of the repro- , uctive system, causing earlier ovulation and spermatogeneais in the females and males of certain species. These facts, established by other scientists, raised the question

a O

subjected following the breeding season might not be the answer to the extremely long gestation per- iod of the marten an the irregular and erratic gestation records of

the mink. lbgriuiunts planned b Dr. Robert dera and Oliver . Pearson were conducted at the sta- tion to determine if this were true. The results with which you are liar have already a -e:l in atrade bl rs and scientific o t I smofilnita know now a ens en ng o spring th uli whigii‘ stir the

the mink an he

all s ti a on ooouriliboth marten.

l-e

~ » aullng coat color of the varying

._ ' o o o (Success of other investigators in

a

5- seeds ffom growing. A heavy rain

QGQ-O-O . _ (a; ‘Gordan

Covering seed. after it is-sown. is our to do. and important to do fluht. If the seed is covered too dBt-‘Ply 0r with compact, wet soil, or soii containing so much clay that it will form a hard crust which cannot Danetrate. then the sowing» may be lost,

In gardens which have heavy soil. itisagood lantosaveyour best

loose. sandy 0am to use in cov- ering aeed. Mix all the compost- you can and lacking compost use

ll penetrate for the benedlt of your “Fiiiingii tm I iall mi s ea en-t is e - Pcrtant in hot wsatherfpsvchenyinost soil is liable to bake into a hard

rust.

Soil must be firmed above the seeds. to form close contact, and prevent aid spaces from separating he soil and . is especial- ly important with beet and Swiss chard seeds, and others of large and irregular shape. By firming we do not mean pounding. Press down with the hoe blade. or use the side of a rake; and afterwards draw the rake lightly over the row to break up the crust. and prevent

Experienced gardeners learn through trial and error- to watch this point. and take precautions to avoid conditions which may pievent

‘CANADIAN GARDEN 1946*

muons-com covnn NEEDED r0 manna SEEDLING onowru

Lindsay Smith)

sllwlal Top Soil Rich In llimius is Safest for Covering Seed

failing soon after seed is sown ~may back the soil too hard. especially ’i' it is followed bv sunshine. Until t‘. seed has sprouted tihe soil surf’ l. over it should be moist and loosr

slvelv in the spring it will nay to

when the ground dries out exces-i

sprinkle the rows ill which seed iave been sowu to prevent ttiem ‘fins dormant for lack of moismre. ..his is the only time when the garden should be sprinkled. rather than soaked.

hare and the weasel indicated that artificially altering the lengtii of day might resumably cause a speeding up n the shedding pro- cess, in the growth of new fur. and finally in priming. Experi- ments along these lines were can- ducted with adult foxes lh i943 and

rgfiirted in the trade papers in 1 . A more recent expcrlmeui in 1844 has indicated that there is

little to be gained, by iurilier len thenlng the hours of daylight or y beginning artificial lighting earlier in the season. In addition. it has been demonstrated that the shedding process in fox pups caii be speeded up approximately three weeks by artificially altering the hours of daylight. Thus another hase of ex erimeiital work with ur animals s developing.

Genetics Research Coming

Perhaps you are wandering whiit research may be planned for ihe future. The trend now seems to bc- toward the field of genetics. Thlii is practically a virgin field when fur animals. are considered. The cur- rent demand for mutations of all types and kinds, the numerous questions raised in regard to de- sirable systems of mating and the many problems pertaining to the physiology of reproduction nil iii- dlcate that research in genetics will soon assume major proportions. The work if! nutrition should be continued because there is so little known about fox, mink, and irar- ten food requirements. Furthcr im- provement in the fox or mink diet cannot be made until experiments demonstrated the basic nutritional requirements of those animals; the different nutrients needed; the op- timum amounts ecessary for growth‘ and reproduction, and their effect upon the quality of fur pro- duced.

' O l O

Fur farmers look to the scientist for leadership in the development both of basic information in fur- animal breeding and of methods of improvement, and they have ap- pealed many times t0 t e Federal and State Governments for assist- ance. One or two state univer- sities or agricultural colleges have helped, but little has been done to develolp this new and promising anima - production enterprise. There are many reasons why fur- animai research must be conducted primarily by pro erly equipped public institutions. ut this can be

one only in response to a suffic- ient public dema d and with the active support o those who have a stake in the industry.

When baking foods in class dishes oven temperature y

Egg & Poultry Report

Production shows further in- crease this week with quality re- ported on station visits as very good. Demand not_s0 keen from Maritime points but

as vet n0 serious accumulation exists on dealers floors. Indications point

to exnort shipments being resumed shortly. Market is quite steady at last week's levels.

P.E.I. sations quoting ungradcd eggs delivered:

A Large 31-33 A Medium 29-31 B 23 C i8 Graded shipments delivered Charlottetown: A Large 35-6 A Medium ' 33-5 A Pullct dz B M 2

C 3 Specialized producers receiving

for cartcirecl pack: A

Lar e ' as

A Med uni 36

A Pull-ct 33 Poultry receipts are now practi- cally nil with ceiling prices prc~ veiling. Four Island caiinerics still in operation. Total pounds

of poultry canned to date this sca- son 1267052 as compared to total output for last season of 1225809 pounds. Demand for conned pro- duct still far in excess of supply.

QEJEIEEIEIZIFEJEIEIIEIEIJIE) Baby Chick Buyers

1.1-.

Hurry for this special available now - New Hamp- shire Red Cockerels $5.00 per 100. First come, first served. Also few started Barred Rock mixed and Barred Rock Cockerels.

Write or telephone.

swil-‘rs HATCHERY, Charlottetown Telephone 2192 or 1027

lqwor no be used beca lass absorbs hen more read ly t moot metals.

ifilifilfillfiflifiliélifilifillfilffilifi - ~ 3-16-3i.‘

and occupied i, caiiraa a

addition to on: line

also Dos iaméuee. Pdllllfy

i \

ANNOUNCEMENT

We are taking over tho Seed business formerly mnieql

basiness at their old stand is on... gm“, n," M. mm; Years as cans-airs scan and nan sroiin in

sssds. Webandleuwellloasllliileranuugimnqpuq, lWlItImcsrcBlieaooaaiisieie-aimoerdenreeis,

NIHWMN brand shun imam for mm ans “my,

iiALIi-‘Ax titliiiir on. LTD.

00o and an new open for

015011!) Ilflien and flower

lmkmsotrieaodoou

- NEWSY

NOTES -'

A i-Liiivu QQUIRBEL DESCRIBED

l liuii iiiy first diance to des- cribe a Plrmg Squirrel tihe other do when a neignbor brought in e.‘ lit ie animal he had found dead in the snow. l had seen one "flying about 25 yi-ars ago, and observed that it was not flight in the usual sense of the word. The anlnial was up a bullish tree and penhaps dis- turbed by my cutting firewood it s ead the membranous fla on é the!" side of its body and ggldiy "took off." It. lided outzward and downward. but efore touching iihe ground. checked its momentum by Weeping upward in a gentle curve that landed ii, on the bole of an- other tree. u ‘which it actively scrambled. hese gliding leaps, it is said. may extend to a distance of 50 yards or more.

On examination the dead squirrel turned out to bc:

Glaucomys sabrlnus macrotis Mearns. the Meams Flying squir- rel. Winter Pelage: Top of head and upper-part: generally, of cin- namon hue with e. little blackish marbling. Sides of lame and outer edge of "wi -merrib'ranes“ smoky- gray, shaded arker in places. Feet mouse-gray above. whitish below. Tall flat. tapering to a point 38 mm at its widest part. abruptiy narrowed “here it joins the body, hair long, dull cinnamon. All un- dflfliaris soiled whitish, with dark underfur. Total length, 275 mm. Tail, 120 mm, long. Hind foot. 35 mm, Across body with membranes spread. 100 mm. (March 2, 1946). _ d2er oinitgasie ElSed ..a..

The summer peloge is said to be about the same. but with the upper parts slightly darker. My specimen had little pink tubercles or pads under its toes. one toe on each foot being elongated to stretch and support the "wing-membranes." The ears were prominent and re- gembled those of the larger foreign ats

These squirrels make their homes in hollow trees. deserted wood- ecker nests. and the like, A neigh- or says that while cutting down a big tree. he counted five flying squirrels that emerged from a cavity in the trunk. They may be commoner than is generally be- lieved, since they are strictly nocturnal, and remain concealed in tihelr nests during the day, Apparently these little creatures do not hybematc. but, are known to lay up stores of food. nuts, grain, buds oi trees and wild fruit. which are consumed in the iicst dorm; stormy weather 1:, is noted tliat_.ii captivity they cat birds eggs with great aacisfaciion, and instantly klllcd and ate a young ohippins sparrow placed in their cage. would thus appear that they as desmuctive to bird life as common squirrel.

Flying Squirrels were first iiiadc known to naturalists by Captain Johii Smiiih in his "General llis- torie of Vir Lula" (A.D. 1624) wherein he s aicsz" A small beast lhBV have they call Assapanlck, but We call them Fly Squirrels ke- cause spreading thcr legs. and so stretching nhe largeiiesse of their

3X0 the

predicament. “ls life a boon?" he asks, and fin some consolation in the fact that his time is not up yet. whereas it might have been- ‘this afternoon!" Then in the paradoxical fashion or uiic time he

goes on: “Is life a (horn? ’l‘hen count it not a whit: man is well rid of it, soon he's bornz" and so on. I am writing from memory

and because Falrfaxls song seemed so unreal I never got it "by hears."

As Fairfax finishes, Jack Point,

the Jester, and Elsie Maynard, the Merrymald. rush onto the green, pursued by e. noisy mob who want hem to "put an a show." Sullivan well expresses the disorderly scene by a rapid alternation of couplets 1n 4-4. 5-4. and 3-4 time. (llow do you beat 5-4 time?)

The ieutenant of iilc 'l‘owcr-a much more iIIDPO-‘lillg figure .hoii Fairfax-quelis the noise and lilsie and Point sing a duet-"I have a song to sing, Oh!" (That 5211.1 mental song. was an lmmediax.‘ succcss<it was whlsiied. sung, and played on all kinds of instruments. all over the British isles). Menti- whilc Fairfax has a brainwave: if he marries. his estate will go to his widow, instead ni his scheming cousin. lie puts this before the Lieutenant. who accosts Elsie»- "Hnw say you, maiden? will you wcd a man about to lose his head?"

Elsie doesn't like the prospect. but since she is to get. so many "crowns“ “therewith to aid her sick mother. she consents, Jack Point confirms ihe bargain: "Through rs a general rule of life I don't allcw my promised wife. Mv hvelv bride that is to be. to marry anyone but me: Ye; if the fee is duly naid and he in well-earned grave is laid. ob- jection l will waive .. yes. object» ion l will waive!" S0 Elsie is blindfolded. led away, and married off stage. never having seen her bridegroom She returns. to 51m! a plaintive song about her new stat-us-“Tis donc I am a bride."

In the meanwhile matters a e working in the nrisoner’s favor. Af fer a comic. love-scene and a song ("Were I hhv bride?) Phoebe man- ages to abstract tihe Tower kers from the Fem jailors hell. and sets the prisoner free. We must keep an eve upon this Heed Jallor. Wilfred Shadbnlt. he is also As- sisbant Tormentor. and a half lnve~ able kind of brute who comes into the opera time and again.

Now the tzrcat bell of the Tower tolls. bctokening the escape of a nrisoner. The swce slowly dirkens. The Yeomen, who are slut-till‘! in chorus. retire tn left and richt leaving the centre of the stage rm- cu. bi" not imnrcuplcri That ath- lctlc figure clrfbcd in "“""" "F?"- flts"leanin'1 on a shining 8X0 which in turn rests on the historic block. is "1" l-leadsmzin llc star!" fixedly, silcnilv, at ilic mrrlicnc» cs thp liwhtc "n out “ir- curtain falls pivl ihe First Act is over.

It. is nvrr forty ‘rears since l “pay-d w» ~\'i~~rvier~.“ but the abovc announ- ls T think fairly rorrcr-t. It i; worth preserving for reference

AN ISLAND STORY

It W85 a former President of the

skins. and so stretching the largenesse of their skins. that i119." have been seen to fly 30 or 40

yards.” , ,

A number of naturalists. as John Ray (16931. Mark Catesby (1748), and George Edwards (1751). have also left us noics on the F1371"! Squirrels. but these are too lengthy