Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (May 23, 1937)
The, 03EG022 STATTS2JA1J, Sakst, Oregon, Sunday Horning, tixj 23, x37 rAGn rim:: Eugene Finlay Is Optimistic View Based on Experience of 13 Years; Largest Farms Near Here By C GENEVIEVE MORGAN Fur farming la the moat profit able agricoltural pursuit la Ore gon, belieTes Eugene Finlay of near Jefferson who right now is feeding 325 silver foxes. Including pups, and who in this year started a mlnkery to be operated in con junction with the fox farm. Flnlay'a feeling about fur farm ing is built from 13 years exper ience raising foxes, fire years on a 210-acre farm in the bottom land west of Jefferson. Incident ally, the fox business has more than paid for the present farm. Just to show farther Finlay's, faith in the industry, it may b aid In passing that he is pro ducing two fur farmers in the persons of his sons, Lawrence, who has a two-thirds interest in the mink deal and John, who will finish Jefferson high school this spring and who has a small in terest in the fox business. Good for incidental mention, too. j are the 3500 turkeys which Fin lay tnd Lawrence will raise this year, the large brooder house being on the fox farm and the range to be on the 210-acre farm which Is al most due west of the smaller place. Large Farms Here Marion county has three ot the five largest fox farms in Oregon, the order for .this county being the farms of C. W. Stacey at Lib erty, Frank Clasaer at Jeffersou and Finlay. At the last reckoning a Hood Hirer farm led the state numerically but there is probabil ity that the Stacty farm' will be first in Oregon irf 'another year, says Finlay, who is president of the Oregon Fox Breeders associa tion, a strong organization which now numbers 90 paid up members and hopes to enroll 100 this year. Oregon has not less than 600 fur farms rained at a million and a half dollars, Finlay says. Last year found, 64 mink farms in the state, with bulk of these in Clat sop and Tillamook counties. Cen ters for the fox farming industry are in Marlon, Lane, Multnomah and Coos counties, though scatter ing farms are found all over the state. A superior fox pelt is produced on Marion county farms and Fin lay recalls that in 1932 when he and Stacey, past president ot the breeders' association, attended the fur auction in Denver, the two best pelts to arrive there from all over the country were from Hubbard and Jefferson. Last year Oregon furs were somewhat affected by the long dry fall and as a result Finlay says his furs are averaging around $40 to $4S each while a year ago the average was from 350 to 355. However, the outlook is encourag ing and promises a continuance of the exceptional demand that has existed since the 1936 pelts went on the market, he is informed from the New York honse whlcli handles many of his furs at the eastern market. Auction Prices High In the April 26 auction in New York, full silvers average $62.27 on 2607 pelts, with a top price of 250, and three-fourth silvers average 340.15 with a top of $78. Seven' of Finlay's pelts at thU. sale averaged 338. Each breeder who lends pelts to the eastern auctions may value his pelts and the pelts are held for future auc tions if no sale is open at or over this valuation. Before the depression, Finlay had pelts sell as high as 300; now the best don't bring over 3100. While moat of the Bales of Ore gon pelts have been made in New York, the west coast is beginning to open up a fine market, and laat year-Los Angeles took nearly half of -Marion county's silver Fox Breeder i i mini ' fc m ill Eugene Finlay, Jefferson, who sees In far farming agricul ture's most profitable industry. cellent power for the past five years Jot both grinders and the mixer." - j ? j A schedule is kept of each day's feeding, and' here, In ! terms of pounds, is what the books record for the last two days of April and the first two days of May: Inrgedient 29th 30th i 1st 2nd Horse .....38.5 38.0 40.0 41.6 Tripe I . . . Liver ..... . 20.0 Hearts 10.0 Atco fish ...! 6.5 Bone ..... .1 5.5 Figs ...... .10.0 Carrots ;....! 7.5 Tomatoes . . .! 6.5 31.5 t 6.5 5.5 10.0 7.5 6.5 23.5 10.0 6.5 5.5 7.5 20.0 7.0 8.0 6.5 5.5 7.5 6.5 6.5 .41.5 43.0 44.0 45.0 iook ioo pelts from this county. But dropping back from New York auctions and Los Angeles markets to the Finlay farm near jeirerson. let's go with Mr.' Finlay of maintaining foxes. Food Major Item Most important, of course, is food. Meat, kept In a cold storage at a constant 15 degrees level, is fed now at the rate of 100 pounds a day, and in another . three weeks the maximum of 14 0 pounds daily will go to the foxes. That meat part of the diet and what a diet the fox has you'll see shortly includes horse meat, tripe, hearts, liver and fish, if one may step over the line aud include fish with the meats. And at the rate of 100 pounds a day it's no small job to keep the meal coming in.' let alone foot the bill! The Ice plant is operated by an electric motor and ice- machine, and. the equipment and storage house occupy half the feed house. As much care as goes into the preparation ot a Sunday dinner goes into getting a meal for the foxes, and much, of the food is of the same quality that goes on the family table. Finlay says. For Instance, not stock carrots bat table carrots go to the foxes; and not just waste tomatoes but tom atoes equal to those for the fam ily table are Included in the fox diet. Local market are used at much as possible in buying foods. Varied Diet Given Eleven to 14 Items of food, not including the half cup ot cod liver oil mixed In the rations each day, are included in the diet for the foxes. The food is fed in the form of 14 -ounce balls and mixed fresh daily. One bail per day per fox is fed. The food is mixed in a large bread mixer, now out-of-date for bakeries, and which the fox breeder can pick op for 320 or so aa against the original cost of 3600 or more. The feed house also contains a food grinder, geared for more than one speed, and s oone gnnaer. An oia iar auto mobile engine has furnished ex- Cereal Mineral ....1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.4 Yoe ...... J 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.2 Charcoal .5 ... .5 Alfalfa .... J .6 ... i .5 ... Lettuce ... io.O 10.0 Finlay also feeds dried prunes sometimes, but prefers the black figs on the belief that prunes are too acid, borne breeders jwho have prone orchards also feed green prunes while available, i Charcoal is fed on assumption it aids di gestion. Some alfalfa flour, pow dered leaves and blossoms, goes Into the cereal and this flour Is obtained from sections where no poison spray is used. The cereal used is half com mercial and half produced on the farm. Shredded wheat Just as good as the housewife buys ex cept broken and bought in sack lota and wheaties are among those included In the commercial ce reals. A mineral prepared espec ially for fox food and containing yeast and cod, liver oil (and cost In $25 per hundred pounds) m being fed thin year. It takes most or on man's time each day to care for the foxes at this time of the year. j m i , s " : . This high gear feeding lasts eight months j of the ; year. After August 1 and until December 1, the mixer is idle and feeding is slowed down j to a cube concen trate containing 25 or 30 per cent powdered meat or fish and figs. A cupful of this concentrate is fed each fox daily for these four months. ! , .- j : ; . . j. .:' Some Litters Large Whelping season is nearlng an end at the Finlay farm, and soon vixen and pups, or at least the oldest ones, will be separated. The young arrive between March 10 and May 20. and thisyear Fin lay has one litter of eight fine pups and several litters of seven and six; and! of course a num ber of two. three and four, and very occasionally the vixen falls short of any j blessed events. The average increase at this fox farm this year, has been 4.4 purs, which it larger than usual. Four pens in which the vixens are sisters have 23 pups this sea son, and he four-year-old mother fox of the litter of eight had lit ters of six last year and the year before. . . j ! i ; 5 I Finlay uses the double mating plan, chutes for the males enter ing from either side ot the vixens pen. He has 45 males to service the 70 pens. The youngest mother Kirjtay has In hear the warning signal the vixen nearest the entrance gate broad casts to the rest of the pens when someone enters the gate! : Puppy foxes shed their original far, which shows no trace of sil ver, and before many weeks be gin to produce the beautiful sil ver. In fact, the old ones also shed their fur once each year, and shortly after the for comes again and reaches its prime, pelt ing is in order on all fox farms. Pelting begins the first week in December and at the Finlay farm, Lawrence, who does this work, handles from 10 to 12 ani mals a day. Pelts dry quickly and if necessary skins pelted one day may be on the way to market the next night. For drying, a cool, moving atmosphere with good air circulation is best.' Pelts hung above a hole cut through an at tic below which is a heater are most easily dried. The pelts should be kept in a dark, cool, dry place and when large shipments are made It Is best to bale the skins and ship them that way. This year Finlay will pelt about 200 foxes. He has a slight in crease in Jiis pens this-year the first expansion in three years. ; No serious diseases are known to the fox industry in Marion county, though this is not true in other parts of Oregon.; however, there is some indication of para sites In increasing number. One may wonder why the fox breeder tells so freely of his work and possible profits, when there is tendency on part of some farm ers to keep to themselves infor mation about industries which seem profitable. Indnstry Stable ! Possibly the answer is in the fact that within the last few years the number of fox farms has been pretty stable though, breeders have come and gone in short, one must have an aptitude for the fox game to be successful in it for it requires much detailed work. Oregon last year produced between 8000 and 9000 silver foxes, and the output for Oregon, Washington and a part of Idaho was 20,000. i , Finlay believes many more mink will be raised in this area, and-as already stated, is himself going Into mink raising also. He has 50 mink this year. While mink pelts sell for less money averaging from 322 to 325 it is easier to produce, mink ; for they require much less pen room and much less food. Just to men tion two items. Great care must be exercised in handling the young mink, for. they are so tiny it is not uncommon for them to drop through one-inch mesh wire, f The last lgeislature appropria ted 35000 for experimental work on fur farming, to be conducted through the station at Oregon State college, and work on mak ing pens in preparation for start ing these studies is now under way, Finlay reports. This step was urged by the fox breeders' association of the state. ; The last legislature appropria ing a summer school for breed ers, with new features to be add ed this year.' One of these will be held In the Salem area, Finlay says. i . ; Summer Sessions To Start June 21 his i nonet was 11 fo I mArtr, nM wficn n pelts. One Los Angeles firm aione---jaivtsion of; the larger litters ill start soon and durine the summer months eslmany as 150 foxes at a time will be turned into a large runway. Each old fox has his or her own pen. this being tightly enclosed with fine mesh wire. ! ;-i !j Do the foxes give' any battle to the man attending them? Xot Entirely Tame They would if i not handled carefully, Finlay says. His ani mals are not! as tame as some. but the mothers raise the young Just as well, and that is the main point, he believes. And you should Aide to Probers s ; f - ': w.:v.v.:;.1.y.'.:,-.jf.w.v.'. , : - - r l -X li l V - -; Commander C E. RosendahL the country's leading Zeppelin expert, has been named technical adviser ta the board of investigation appointed by Secretary of Commerce Roper ta probe the disaster which overtook the German dirigible llindenburg. Seven summer sessions will be offered by the institutions in the state system ot higher education in 1937, It was announced Satur day by Alfred Powers, director of the sessions. The University of Oregon will have sessions in ? Eugene and Portland, Oregon State college In Corvallis, Oregon Normal school in Monmouth, Southern Oregon Normal school in Ashland, and Eastern Oregon Normal school in La Grande. The marine biology camp, with specialized study i in marine animal and plant life, will be held at Coos Bay. The university and college ses sions will open June 1 21. and the normal schools June 7, with post sessions of one month at Eugene and Corvallis. The normal schools will offer second sessions. : Many special features will t be added to the regular work of the Oregon summer sessions this year, and increased opportunity will be given students and teach ers for study in particular fields of interest, stated Dean Powers. All Employes to Register, j Stated Employes, regardless of age, were urged to apply at their local postoffice for federal security act account numbers, in a statement issued Saturday by the state un employment compensation insur ance commission. The statement said the unem ployment compensation law cover ed employes of all ages, contrary to an impression had gone out that persons over 65 years old did not have to register. Four ways are provided for registration. They are: : Through the employer, through any labor union of which be is a member, by delivering to hia local postoffice and by mailing in a sealed envelope .addressed "Post master, Local. Many Letters on Labor Statement The recent statement by the state board of control that while it would not oppose organization of state employes they would not be recognized as labor organisa tions, has brought an avalanche of letters to the executive depart ment , ( - . ; Most of the letters commended the board and declared that or ganization of state employes into union groups was against cublie policy. ; In a few cases the writers took Governor Martin to task and ai leged that his views on the la bat situation were not in harmony with the trend of the times. TV o Continues All This Week At 11 IT IT TT" PMC VI s pirn COo Many new attractive bargains added in each depart ment to increase the sales and bring larger crowds. Store has been crowded all this week and we have been compelled to increase our sales force, calling extra sales people each day. Millinery and Corset de partments are crowded to capacity. The corset de partment is selling out the Hagedorn stock at unbe lievable prices. Hats are reduced to such a low figure that every one is buying a hat. Lingerie, Hose and Bags are a riot of beautiful mer chandise and unheard of bargains. Give the recipient the added thrill of receiving their graduation gifts from Price's. TRY AND ARRANGE TO SHOP IN THE MORNING SO OUR SALES FORCE CAN GIVE YOU OUR USUAL COURTEOUS ATTENTION D3 0 Our complete stock $2 sheer chiffon pure silk hose. Good shades and sizes. Some clocks in the new shades. All to go at half price ... 0 Closincr out Admiration 74-70 (mfm? Crana TTrvco at t Vi o oaf nhHsVipH . A I price of $1.35 while they last at only You Will Have to Come Early a They Will Not Last Long We have just received thirty dozeiis made from a new material containing; fifteen per cent glass anil eighty-five per cent pure silk. We consider this an outstanding $2.95 value and to introduce these slips to our trade we offer them while they last at only Tearote White, Both Crepe and Satin a Number ' Style to Select From of is r SPORT SHOES Low heels and flat heels including sad dle patterns in White, Brown, Blue. $6 and $7 ; values, over one hundred pair of selected numbers all to go at White Pumps, Ties .' i : Pedigo, Rice, 0,Neill and Brauer. Our very best known makes exclusive in our store. Regularly $6.85 to $10 values to be grouped out at Arch - Preservers Pumps and Ties in Black and Brown. Only lines that are very badly broken up. While they are our regular $10 and $12 values there will not be nearly all the sizes. . This is the reason for them being priced so low. They go at w omen s Man Tailored SUITS We only have a very few of these suits left and they are the finest that we ever have offered to our trade. We are grouping our few remaining $19.50 to $25.00 values at only Two and Three Piece COSTUME SUITS! The very finest thing's from our store. Regu lar $49.50 values. You will have to see these to appreciate them. They go at FORMAL DRESSES Pastels, in nets, Organdies, Chiffons al) from our regular line formerly selling at $19.50 to $22.50. , i Just the thing for graduation. They are the greatest values we have ever offered, i All going at Costume and 2-Piece Suit Blue, Brown, Toast, Green and other light colors. Regularly sold at $29.50, on sale tat . Two and Three Piece Costume Suits - The very finest things from our stock. Reg ular $49.50 values. You will have to see these, to appreciate them. They go at 0S4.95 Sport Coats - 0H9.95 The largest line of Sport Coats in this city. Full range of colors. They were a big value at $29.50. New Gantner Swim Suits We have just received a large lot of swim suits made by Gantner which is the very best guarantee for fit, quality and dependability. Be sure and see these suits before you buy. All colors and many new features in the line this year. ' I They will be placed on Sale at ' . 03.95 tt 00.95 SPORT GOATS We are offering one lot of Sport Coats In broken sizes and odd coats regularly sold at $19.50.. You will have to come early for these as they nrlll go very quickly for ' . BRADLEY KNITS ."!..' . i This line is exclusive to our store and we are posi tive it is the finest line of knltdresses. All very highly styled. . ' We have practically every color and slzel, Rose, Green, Blue, Red, Beige and Tan. Each 124.50 value goes at $11.95 and $19.50 values go at Print DRESSES One and two piece, plain colors and black, every known pattern. These dresses will go very quickly as they are the regular $19.50 and $22.50. If you com.e early you can have mem ai j : Felts, Crepes, Shark Skin and Straws. Hundreds of styles to select from. Flower and veiled trimmed styles. White, Pastels and Dark colors. All head sizes. Every $5 .00 'hat in our store to go at ' . - . - . i : " - ' I CLOSING OUR HAGEDORN STOCK OF CORSETS This stock will be on sale till it is closed out so come now and get some of these wonderful bargains. . Regular $2.00 Corsets Regular $3.50 Corsets .95c 0S.95 Regular $5.00 Corsets $2.95 Regular $7.50 to A rt" $10 Corsets v'JV5 HANDBAGS and PARTY BAGS We do not have a price tag: on bags below $2.95, so the prices quoted - below are exceptional values and are priced to close out quickly. Many beautiful gift bags. Three groups, $2.95 and $3.95 bags 49c, $1.28, $1.00