The best fur is obtained by killing animals when the winter is at its height and the colder the season the better its quality and colour. Fur skins taken out of season are indifferent, and the hair is liable to shed itself freely; a good furrier will, however, reject such faulty specimens in the manufacturing. The finest furs are obtained from the Arctic and northern re~ gions, and the lower the latitude the less full and silky the fur, till, at the torrid zone, fur gives place to harsh hair without any under wool.
The majority of animals taken for their fur are trapped or snared, the gun being avoided as much as possible in order that the coat may be quite undamaged. Many weary hours are spent in setting baits, traps and wires, and, frequently, when the hunter retraces his steps to collect the quarry it is only to find it is gone, devoured by some large animal that has visited his traps before him. After the skins have been carefully removed—the sooner after death the better—they are lightly tacked out, pelt outwards, and, without being exposed to the sun or close contact with a fire, allowed to dry in a hut or shady place where there is some warmth or movement of air. With the exception of sealskins, which are pickled in brine, all raw skins come to the various trade markets simply dried like this. Later the furriers give the skins proper curing treatment which will not only lengthen the life of the fur, but will add greatly to sup-pieness and softness. softness, suppleness and wear-' ability have been worked by us into the season's most fashionable silhouettes. Now is the time to buy a superb fur coat at a price far lower than will be possible at the height of the winter season. Coats which have been made when workers have had ample time to make the most of advanced styles because they worked in the slack summer months. We urge you to buy your winter furs with as little delay as possible. It will be a pleasure to us to show you the new season's creations: you will be interested in them and in the reasonable prices quoted.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.