The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-06-12

California. which welcomed the Bel
gan hare as cheap and wholesome
addition to Its food supply, or as the
means of an agreeable fad, Is begin
ming to fear that she has imported a
nuisance. Witness this comment in the
Argonaut:
Upon the fact that fecundity ia m.
strong point OF the hare was basel Tho
prophecy. printed three weeks ago. thai
tne mania Tor cultivation of the Belgian
IMPORT would lead to disaster A little
mare might be good thing, but too much
mare q calamity: and 1t is not easily TO be
imagined how the human appetite. sedu-
lousiy urged, can keep up with the in
crease when n rabbitry Is getting to be
a local institution more common than the
habitat OF the domestic hen.
Az fiorin place In which the tokay
grape mas been brought to an unexam-
Pieu perfection. and where the most lus-
clous strawberries are raised, fruit-grow-
ers look into tho future with concern, and
ianey they see the time when rabbit drives
WIZ be necessary for preservation of their
vines. local mathematician has figured
out from the rate of increase attained bv
inc hrst few Belgian hares purchased by
IN enthusiast what is going to happen
mere These hares number. or did last
week, bH. The man of figures calculates
that by May, 1901, they will have multi
piled to S6l,S2o. and in this calculation
When that happy time shall arrive. each
man, woman. and child of Florin would
Dy an equable division have 1000 hares.
rms Is apparently several more than nee
essary, The market could not consume
them all. for 1t is to be remembered that
every hamlet and city Is going into the
business, generally on more elaborate
scale than Is being attempted at Florin
Hope has been expressed that the pas
sion VIII subside but even IL IL should IL
VIII leave behind countless thousands or
a m How A1Iass
warning on vegetation, and being warred
against by the suffering tiller OF the soil
Ihat the hares would flourish II turned
loose has been demonstrated, for one dis
gusted ex-enthusiast liberated his accu-
mutation OF thirty-odd. and some of
these, being captured later. Were found to
be sleek, and In fine condition. 1t is
argued that a demand will be created for
the flesh OF the hare. but there is as yet
no sign of Ii. The meat does not appeal
There Is about the living creature feline
suggestion that tends to dun the edge of
appetite. There is no particular reason
either for supposing that the skins can
be utilized, for the cottontail and the
Jack cousins OF the Belgian. do not yield
one decent pelt In hundred. Sad to
state, the pelt is apt 10 be so diseased
as 10 be worthless, and TO excite a preju-
dice against the tissues II covers.
California could have got along very
we'll in the absence of the Belgian hare.
The animal Was not introduced for the
filling OF want IL came as fad pure
lSp viii SuStdlHti Tvs SuCH TOT u Nltllt,
and. in all probability, degenerate into "A
pest, a candidate for determination
A strong effort is being made TO in
troduce the Belgian hare locally and we
presume that. under United States law,
the animal cannot be kept out. How
ever this Territory may impose so
heavy license upon the sale OF hares
as TO make the business Improbable.
Something OF the kind should be done
for the protection OF cane fields