Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-08-21
AUSTRALIAN RABBITS.
Utilizing the Pests-Thelr Value In the
Hat and Canning Industries.

Hat and Canning Industries.
"There are ten companies in Australia
and four in New Zealand engaged IN the
rabbit-skin business, says Australian 10
a San Francisco Chronicle reporter. OF
these one half added the meat canning TO
their business You will understand, there
fore, that there is big monopoly, which
is not at all anxious TO see the rabbits ex-
terminated. Interested with IL is a very
large number of the population, who find
rabbit killing more remuneratiVe and less
hard work than farming.
"Pasteur endeayored to exterminate the
rabbits by incubation with chicken
cholera. 1t is well known to those be-
hind the scenes that he did not get fair
trial, and, IN fact, was so hindered and
hampered that he withdrew his agents
from further experiment.
"The question has come up before the
government again, and bill is now before
the Sydney Legislature asking for o vote
to build brick wall entirely around the
agricultural boundary of the colony OF
New South Wales. Rabbits will not burrow
lower than % feet. and it is proposed to
sink the wall TO that limit Of depth. The
wall being once built general extermina-
ton of rabbits within that enclosure will be
commenced and carried through. The
other colonies will watch the experiment
with great interest, and II II succeeds will
probably all follow suit Such a course
would confine the rabbits 20 the great
Australian bush, in whose sandy deserts
they would soon die out.
What use is made of all these rabbit
skins? Why. the hat on your head Is
made of them. The hair is plucked of the
pelt by hand. A fortune awaits the man
who can invent a machine to do it. A fine
blue fur is then left on the pelt. The
skin is then pared away from the
fur by delicate machinery-machinery
so fne that when the last pairing
IS cut od the fur sometimes hangs
In one flmy section. This is worked
up into felt. Ordinary hats are made from
rabbit-skin. A better C ass IS made from
hare's skin. The best are made from
nutria. a kind of water-rat trapped in
Buenos Ayres, and then come beaver and
musquash. obtained In the United States
and Canada. The cowboy wants the best
hat In the world, and as he pays for it he
gets il. The nutria-felt stands wet and
remains stiff -brimmed after soaking. be
cause il is made from the fur of water
animal. The American jack rabbit Is nc
! use at all to the trade. The English rab-
bit supplies the best fur-hko silk. but OF
course not waterproof. Then comes the
New Zealand rabbit followed by tho Au-
I
We used to export hats in quantity
FROM England TO America, but now the
Americ ms can dress skins as well as tho
English. and they make all their own hats.
importing their fur from US of course. i
do not understand why the United States
does not import rabbit skins direct from
Australia, seeing the enormous quantity
which it buys from England. Alta rough
guess should calculate the United States
manufactures $500 hats every day, while
England manufactures about 10000. The
largest hat-manufactory IN the world Is
the Brussels, which turns out i0,0OO
hats day.
why am interested in the extermina-
ton of rabbit in Australia? Well, l am
interested IN one OF the chief fur compa-
MES IN London, and we want to see our
English rabbit protected against the
marvefiously- mnltiplying Australia COM
petitorsn