Fig. 3
There are various makes of steel and wire fur stretchers on the market, which can be purchased at a reasonable figure; but for the accommodation of muskrat pelts, I know of none better or cheaper than the common plain board stretchers which are made of dry goods boxes or similar material. These boards should be made of one-quarter-inch material, about thirty inches in length, six inches wide at the base and five and one-half inches wide at the shoulders. From the shoulders to the tip of the nose they should rapidly taper, coming to a point. This point should be rounded so as to fit the head snugly (See Fig. 3). The edges of the board should be nicely rounded and smoothly sandpapered. When boards are made of one-half-inch material, they should be beveled down to one-eighth of an inch at the edges. A quarter-inch hole should be drilled in each board near the base, so the pelts may be hung up when drying.
It will be remembered, as stated elsewhere in this work, that muskrats vary greatly in size in various parts of the country. This fact makes it impractical to quote exact dimensions for stretchers. The above dimensions are an approximate average for standard skins and are given to serve as an illustration for the guidance of the novice.
When stretching the fur, draw the pelts on to the stretcher, fur side in, in such a manner that the back squarely covers one side of the board (as illustrated), while the underside covers the other. Never stretch a pelt so carelessly that parts of both the back and underside appear on each side of the board. Draw the skin down firmly and fasten to the board by driving tacks all around the base. A tack should also be driven into the tip of nose and lower jaw to hold them in place.
The pelts should be hung up to cure in a cool, airy place; dampness causes mildew, which ruins them. Never dry furs in the sun or too near a fire, as this is liable to cause considerable damage. Never use salt or any other chemicals in curing pelts; allow them to dry by the natural process of evaporation. Be sure that they are held secure against mice and other pests.
Large quantities of the cheaper fur are made up and sold under fictitious names by the manufacturing furriers, such as "Hudson seal, river mink, coney, nutria," and others too numerous to mention. Hudson seal is the fur of muskrat, which is sheared, plucked, dyed and beautifully blended to imitate the fur seal. River mink is also the fur of muskrat prepared and dyed to a rich, deep brown to imitate the more valuable mink. Coney is a species of European rabbit, somewhat resembling our native cottontail, but the pelt of the former is firm and tough, which renders it fit for manufacturing purposes. Nutria is the commercial term for the fur of the South American coypou. These fancy names have been adopted, no doubt, so that the goods may sell better. For instance, that beautiful new "black sable" cloak, which is so soft and silky, and which Mrs. Brown is showing with so much pride to her neighbor Mrs. Smith, is in reality nothing more than the unadulterated fur of that despised animal, the skunk. Nevertheless, with the exception of the rare black fox, the skunk supplies the most beautiful and most durable natural black fur of North America. In the making up of this article, the white stripes in the fur are eliminated, as this is hair and not fur, as some people erroneously believe.
Select specimens of the cheaper fur, such as muskrat, opossum, etc., are prepared by skilled furriers to imitate the finer and more valuable furs; and when these craftsmen are through with their process of fixing, it would require the skill of an expert to distinguish the finished product from the genuine article which it imitates.
Though the manufacturing end of the business is of little interest to the trapper and small dealer in raw furs, I merely record the above statements to give the average reader an idea of how a large percentage of furs are skillfully camouflaged to improve their appearance and thus promote their sale.