Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-08-30
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THE BELGIAN HARE.

now n Craze In the Southwest.
Raised In Preference to Chickens.
In southern California, where the
tare fad has become craze as per
vasive as the famous Dutch tulip ma
MIA, all sorts of fancy prices are being
paid for choice strains of imported Bel
gian hares, says the New York Herald,
In which appears the following:
Many men and women, too, in the
southwest are breeding Belgian hares
for market. AS food product, fetch
ing cents a pound, there is great
profit in raising hares. The flesh of the
imported Belgian hares is firm, white
and nearly as tender as frogs legs or
| chicken. The original Belgian hares
were much coarser in fiber and the
meat was reddish. After the Flemish
| hares were crossed with the red rabbits
of England an excellent edibk4 was
promptly thrown on the British market.
| Hares are now the poor mans turkey
and beefsteak, too, and "jugged" hare
Is as common on the other side as
, baked beans in New England.
The pelts Of the Belgian hares are
| useful for a variety of purposes, par
| ticularly for hats. Careful attention to
their coats has led to the production Of
| fine, feecy pelts, and an additional
source OF revenue for the breeders has
| been secured.
These imported Belgian hares are ex-
tremely prolific. Commonly II litters
| of young, of two to q dozen each, are
| born each year to a doe. A pair of
hares will live for six or eight years.
They are hardy and thrive well in al
most any part Of this country. They
are easily reared. Their provender is
| plentiful and inexpensive, consisting
| chiefly of white oats, lettuce, carrots
| and green food generally. They are
| very cleanly in their habits and subject
| to few ailments.
In the west many families raise Bel
| gian hares in preference to chickens.
| These hares do not burrow, SO no deep
set fences are needed. They are re-
| markably tame and will eat from the
| hand of stranger readily. In conse-
quence they have become great pets
With children. A pair may be bought
| as low as 80 cents and a child Of 10
can raise them from infancy. They
| are as alert and playful as the tradi-
tional wild hare Of England, but are
not suitable for coursing or hunting.
Though much larger and heavier
than the ordinary hare and with lon-
| ger legs, they do not scamper with the
| Zest of the wild species. They are fast
sprinters, however, as their only de-
| fense Is their speed, but they do not
| burrow or double, as the wild ones do,
| through their subterranean galleries.
| The largest animal dealer in this
| city says: ''These hares breed SO rapidly
| and cost so little to raise that some Of
those first in the field must be making
| money.
''The Belgian hare meat Is a cross
| between venison and mutton. In Ger
| many hares have been an article of
food for long time. They cook them
with port or sherry, and the dish is fit
| to set before king.
| MANY people think hares and rab-
| bits are one and the same thing. These
| Belgian hares are big fellows, weigh
| ing seven or eight pounds. Those who
| have eaten rabbit stew do not know
| how much better Belgian hare is"