He was without scholarly training, and first appears as a furrier at Livland.
The common hare of Europe does not much interest the furrier, the fur being chiefly used by makers of hatters' felt.
On the living animal the overhair keeps the fur filaments apart, prevents their tendency to felt, and protects them from injury - thus securing to the animal an immunity from cold and storm; while, as a matter of fact, this very overhair, though of an humbler name, is most generally the beauty and pride of the pelt, and marks its chief value with the furrier.
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 very small pups are of a beautiful quality, but too tiny to make into garments, and, as the aim of a good furrier is to avoid all lateral or cross seams, skins are selected that are the length of the garment that, is to be made.