The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1892-02-16
RABBIT SKINS FOB MARKET.
long IareS Peits imported from An.
tralia and New zealand.

long EnreQ Pelts imported from Aua.
tralia and New Zealand.
Here IS a set Of sables fit for a prin-
Fess, said the dealer; fifteen dollars
seems cheap for them. docs it mott
That is because they are really made
Of rabbit skins from Australia. The
fact IS that there Is hardly any fur ia
the market at present that is not ini-
tated closely by the ski1lful preparation
OF these same long cared pelts New
Zealand also exports them to the mum
Der Of Ie,Ooo.000 yearly. Their pro-
duction IS one of the most important
aud profitable industries of that colony.
Most of them are shipped to Euro.
pean cities. where they 50 through the
necessary processes of manufacture be-
fore being disposed or to the retail Iiers
chants. The art of coloring rabbit hair
has attained such high degree of per
lection that it can be made to counter.
felt seal, otter, erinine or almost 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 it is
sometimes cut in two and the faer or
inner portions are mixed with wool.
Various machines have been invented
for constructing hats of rabbit pelts.
some of which distribute the hair with
marvellous rapidity and evenness on re-
yolving metal cones.
The rabbits are skinned Immediately
upon being killed. the heads. feet and
all the TAT 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 thoroughIy
dried they are turned outside in to pro.
tect the fur from injury. and then they
are tied in bundles of a dozen to twenty
each and packed in bales, each of which
contains from 3. GOO to $500 skins. a
little carboIic acid powder is used in
the packing to preserve them from at
tack by insects In this crude state
they are worth from fifty TO eighty cents
a dozen, according to quality.
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 in the world.
When Captain Cook, the celebrated
navigator, first visited those countries
he found fauna entirely different
from that of any other part of the
worlds In Australia gigantic MARSH.
pals, 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
all sorts of creatures on four legs and
two legs that could be brought from
elsewhere. In many instances these eff
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
casion 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.
In fact, they soon overrun the
country in such numbers that it be
came 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.