Cape Breton's Magazine

man in Halifax that would tell him the sto? ry of how to trap, and take foxes from the woods right to his barn. I think it cost a- bout $20, those years. They went to Halifax, this man and my grandfather. And they got what they called the recipe about ho' to go to get these foxes. I can't tell you the other fellow's name. They went to Halifax. And my grandfa? ther told the story.. And he started at this--that he could take (the fox) from way out in the woods right to his barn. And the other guy never picked it up, his friend that went with him. Si;' I can't remember my grandfather at all, but my father was telling me. Anyway, they came to North River when my father was 7 years old. That's why this is called MacRae's farm, MacRae's Road. And I went out here with my father, and he showed me things that had to be done. And you couldn't smoke at all. You couldn't put your hand on the trap or anything like that, after having a pipe in your mouth. So the fox, you know, is very fussy. You.'ve got to turn around, and have every? thing all nice and clean, even your hands. You've got to dig a hole first. That's the beginning of it. (How big a hole?) Accord? ing to your trap. Perhaps about that long. (Two and a half feet?) Yeah, I would say. And you'd have to dig it down deep enough, and take everything away. (What would be deep enough?) I would say 7 inches deep, for the trap. And then you were going to the woods, to the hardwood tree. You know, when ants sur? round a tree, they make an awful lot of moisture. Like cutting the inside of a tree. You've seen that. Margaret: Ants sometimes make nests in the tree. Frank: ??JL Blue Heron Gift Shop VBOOKS, GLASSWARE, FIGURINES, WOOOENWARE, CRYSTAL fW Gifts for All Occasions BADDEX3C, N. S. 295-3424 Especially in old trees. And it's crimibly like, I don't know what do you call it. (Oh, inside the tree gets crumbly and red.) Yeah, red, and sometimes a little bit gray. (Kind of spongy?) Spongy. And then you can break it up, all that. When you made the hole for your trap, you'd have to put that in first. Then you were putting the bait in there. And you were watching from day to day if the fox came around. Be seeing his tracks in the snow, this way and that way. They're smell? ing, you know--they like ants. You'd see them pawing. And they would breathe this stuff in. And then he'd start pawing at it. And then another day, the same thing. Three days, boy--you could set your trap. (Frank clapped his hands.) Three days, till the fox would get used to it. And the third day, you were putting your trap in. CONTINUED NEXT PAGE Tourist Brochures & Colour Printing A Specialty onme 'rittce and PRINTERS, 180 TOWNSEND STREET, SYDNEY. N. S. TELEPHONE (902) 564'245 Beverage Room Home of Scottish Hospitality