The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-05-29
BELGIAN HARES.

! JCCO 4OAA OA@O
"New South Wales has spent mil
lions of dollars in keeping down the
rabbit pest. Let America beware Of
the hare"
The editor of the Raleigh Post,
commenting on the article, said:
cit was the English hare that
almost ruined New South Wales,
and which cost so much to get under
control. Whether the Belgian species
has any predominating merits,
enough to justify their introduction
into this country, we do not know.
It would be we'll for Professor Hege
to give the readers of the Post fuller
information on the subject"
We Gull some of the really pithy
points from Prof. Hege's twO-cOlumn
reply (Which, by the way, is clipped
from different sources and all per
tains to booming the animal, rather
than to giving any real information
in regard to possible danger from the
multiplication of estray specimens.)
'sStock in hands OF breeders has
only increased fast enough to supply
demands of the trade in breeding
stock" This shows why the pelage
and racy form is kept foremost in
the extracts and the blocky forms
discouraged. The fancier holds the
species in control thus far.
''The time seems to be close at
hand, if not already here, when the
marketable qualities should be recOg-
nized and the unqueStiOned demand
aOhich they a0ouId meet when the
public became aware of their merit
as a table delicacy, provided for"
These italics are ours, but we have
friends of epicurean tastes who bear
out the idea in recommending these
rodents.
1.-The Belgian hare is said to have
originated in Belgium etc. Prob
ably a variety of the European hare
Gepus timidus) therefore not dis
tinct from the English hare, but
differing in varietal points from the
breeding in the hands of fanciers.
"The English standard for weight
is about eight pounds, which could,
in this o ,f0VOrGbJe climate, be
made more, say nine pounds, with
out sacrificing other valuable
points" ''They are hardy, and fer
are born that aOjIJ not oOith ordinary
| care and attention be reared to ma
turity. X = They are usually
prolific, producing from six to ten
young at a litter, and will breed
from six to eight times a year. x x
They will live in woods or warrens
when turned down for breeding at
six or eight months old, if some pro
lection is given them from the in
clemencies of our seasons thus in
two or three generations they be-
come acclimated and require no
further attention. For those who
breed for profit there are two courses
open one is to keep all the stock IN
til fit for exhibition, or for sale at
fancy figures the other is to market
at from four to six months of age.
In either case the methods are so
similar as to require no special ex-
plantations. x x The doe has Wis
tied the buck and is placed in the
hutch where she is to real her pros
pective family, which is expected in
thirty duys from her visit to the
buck"
I'm two OF three weeks the young
will be moving about the hutch
from now until they are weaned is
the critical time in their existence.
With hefood and care recommended
they will prosper. When about two
months old they should be taken
from the doe and allowed to run on
the rabbitry floor; the doe being
started for another family. x \
All diseases of the rabbit are caused
by improper housing, care or feed
ing, and the cure is affected in nearly
every case without the administra-
ton of drugs"
Now a word of comment on these
assertions.
The first statement about ''stock
in hands of breeders is not so e
surfing to the fears of the agricul-
turist as it might be, but we have
other evidence that the fecundity of
hares is generally overstated. See
in notes above that thirtv dars nfL