Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1891-10-14
RABBIT SKINS FOR MARKET.
Long Esred Peits Imported from Aus-
 traiia aed New Zealand.


 Long E.rsd Psits Imported from Aas. traiia asd New Zealand.
 .Here Is set of sables it for e prin- cess, said the dealer; fifteen doliars seems cheap for them, does 1t not That Is because they are really made of rabbit skins from Australia The fact Is that there Is hardly any fur in the market at present that is not imi- tated closely by the skillful preparation of these same long cared peltsl New Zealand also exports them to the num- ber of i0,00o, 900 yearly. Their pro duction Is one of the most important and profitable industries of that colony.
 Most of them are shipped to Euro pean cities, where they go through the necessary processes of manufacture be fore being disposed of to the retail mer- chanta The art of coloring rabbit hair has attained such high degree of per lection that it can bs made to counter. feit seal, otter. erfnine or aimo& any other sort of fashionable fur. The skins are largely made into felt hats, which are very beautiful and soft to the touch. When the fur is long 1t is sometimes cut in two and the finer or inner portions are mixed with wool Various machines have been invented for constructing hats of rabbit belts. some of which distribute the hair with marvellous rapidity and evenness on 70 voiving metal cones
 'sThe rabbits are skinned immediately upon being killed. the heads. feet and an the fat being removed. If the weather Is fine the pelts are dried in the open air, but in bad weather they are hung up under sheds When thoroughly dried they are turned outside in to pro tect the fur from injury, and then they ere tied in bundles of dozen to twenty each and packed in bales, each of which contains from 5000 to $500 skins. A little oarbolio acid powder Is used in the packing to preserve them from at- tack by insecta In this crude state they are worth from fifty to eighty cents a dozen, according to quality.
 1.-The history of the rabbits introduc- ton into Australia and New Zealand affords an illustration of the damage man may do by interfering with the distribution of animals which nature has chosen to make fin the world When Captain Cook, the celebrated navigator, first visited those countries be found fauna entirely different from that of any other part of the world. In Australia gigantic marsu- pials, like the kangaroo. were chiefly conspicuous, while in New Zealand the only land mammals were two varieties of the rat and one of the common bat
 ''Since then 'acclimatization societies have done their best to introduce there ell sorts of creatures on four legs and two legs that could be brought from elsewhere. In many instances these ef forts resulted most unfortunately. Several years ago some dozen pairs of common gray rabbits were imported for the purpose of supplying sportsmen with an object for the chase. The oc- cadon of this interesting experiment was made one of rejoicing. and the beasts were let loose with speeches and banquets to welcome them They multiplied so fast that the people did not have to wait long for all the sport of that kind they could desire.
 Tn fact, they soon overrun the country in such nI nbers that 1t be- came a question whether they or the colonists should occupy the land. Great areas were entirely denuded of vege- tation by them, so that the sheep died by millions and the raising of crops be- came almost an impossibility. ."-Wash- ington Star.