could not
help that, signifying that he had made that up in buying the furs. I
called the dealer's attention to a very good black skunk skin, that
had been badly skinned and stretched and asked what he paid for such
a pelt. He said that he did not remember, but he knew that he did not
pay $3 for a hide that looked like that. Now this skunk skin was
spoiled so far as the looks went, if not in real value, and it at
least gave the dealer a good excuse to put that pelt in the third or
fourth grade. The trapper, in skinning this skunk, had ripped down on
the inside of the forelegs and across the belly three or four inches
up from the tail. The proper way being to begin at the heel, ripping
straight down the leg and close to the under side of the tail. Then
carefully cut around the roots of the tail and work the skin loose
from the tail bone until the bone can be taken between the fingers on
one hand and with the other hand draw the tail bone clear from the
tail.

In this pelt the tail bone had been cut off close to the body and
left in the tail. In stretching this skin the trapper had made a
wedge-shaped board. The board was at least four inches wider at the
broad end than it should have been and then sharpened off to a point.
I think it best to make the stretching board in width and length in
proportion to the animal, slightly tapering the board up to where the
neck of the animal joined to the shoulders, then taper and round up
the board to fit the neck and head of the animal. The tapering from
the shoulders to the point of the nose of course would necessarily be
longer on a board for a fox or mink than that of a muskrat or coon,
which would need to be more rounding. There are some good printed
patterns for stretching boards for sale.

I have noticed that some trappers have holes in the broad end of
their stretching boards and hang up their furs while drying with the
head of the animal hanging down. Now I think that is a wrong idea. It
is not a natural way for the fur on the animal to lay, pitching
towards the head of the animal, and especially if there is any
grease, blood, or other matter that would dry, causing the fur to
stick out like the quills on a fretful porcupine.

Now, boys, let us get into the habit of getting more money out of our
catch of furs by removing the greater part of the fat from the skins;
also by taking a little more time to skin and stretch the furs that
we catch; also by doing less early and l