Swamps, Muskrats

The high prices in recent years for furs, especially for muskrat, have resulted in a steady increase in the value of swamp land in many parts of the U. S. and in the rise of the new business of muskrat farming.

Captive muskrats, it has been found, become tame and. breed well in confined quarters. They require no feeding, as they live upon the vegetation of ponds and marshes. One difficulty consists in the great number of natural enemies the muskrat has; chief among these are the fox, mink, the larger hawks and owls and even the pickerel. The little animals breed rapidly enough, however, to recompense in the long run for their inability to protect themselves.

Twenty years ago the muskrat was often considered a worthless pest Dy farmers. Their skins brought as little as 25 cents apiece, and the swampy land in which they live was looked upon as valueless and unproductive. Today, muskrat fur is in constant demand at good prices and some muskrat swamps are now worth far more than nearby arable soil. In proportion as irrigation projects are reducing the swamp area of the country, both the muskrat and his habitat are gaining steadily in value.