The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-09-28
AUSTRALIAN RABBITS.
Utilizing the Pests-Their Value In the
Hat and Canning Industries.

"There are ten companies in Austria
liza and four in New Zealand engaged
in the rabbit skin business, says an
to a San Francisco Chroaat-
Gle reporter OF these one-haf added
the meat canning to their business.
You will understand, therefore, that
there is a big monopoly, which is not
at all anxious to see the rabbits exter-
minated. Interested with it is very
large number of the population, who
find rabbit killing more remuneratlVe
and less hard work than farming.
@Pasteur endeavored to exterminate
the rabbits by incubation with chicken
cholera. 1t is we'll 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 a bill Is
now before the Sydney legislature ask
ing for vote to build brick wall en-
tirely around the agricultural bound
ary of the colony of New South Wales.
Rabbits will not burrow lower than
2 1-2 feet, and it is proposed to sink
the wall to that limit OF depth. The
wall being once built general exter=
mination of rabbits within that lnclos-
ure will be commenced and carried
through. The other colonies Will
watch the experiment with great IN
terest, and if it succeeds will probably
all follow suit. Such a course would
confine the rabbits to the great Aus
tralian bush, in whose sandy deserts
they would soon die out.
"What use is made of all these rab-
bit skinsP Why, the hat on your head
is made of them. The hair is plucked
off the pelt by hand. A fortune awaits
the man who can invent 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 fine that when the last
pairing is cut off the fur sometimes
| hangs in one tilmy section. This is
| worked up into felt. Ordinary hats
are made from rabbit skin, A better
class is made from hare's skin. The
best are made from the nutria, kind
of water rat trapped in Buenos Ayres,
and then come beaver and musquash,
obtained in the United States and Can
ada. The cowboy wants the best hat
| in the world, and as he pays for it he
gets it. The nutria felt stands wet
| and remains stiff-brimmed after soak
ing, because it is made from the fur Of
a water animal. The American jack
rabbit is no use at all to the trade
The English rabbit supplies the best
| furlike silk, but of course not water
proof. Then comes the New Zealand
rabbit, followed by the Australian.
ave used to export hats in quantity
from England to America, but now the
Americans can dress skins as well as
the English, and they make all theil
own hats, importing their fur from us
of course. / do not understand why
the United States does not import rab
bit skins direct from Australia, seeing
the enormous quantity which it buy
from England. At a rough guess
should calculate the United States
manufactures $4,000 hats every day
while England manufactures abou
10000. The largest hat manufactory
in the world is the Brussels, whicl
turns out 10, 900 hats day.
"Why am interested in the exter
mination of rabbits in Australia
Well, l am interested in one of thu
chief fur companies in London, and w
want to see our English rabbit pro
tected against the marvelously multi
plying Australian competitors"