Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-04-02
$6.oS to SIS
A Defense Of tae Belgian Fare.

Editors of kcnnebcc journal:
! A marked copy OF your issue Of III
.Gth has been handed me with a request
! I" reply to what purports To BE- the rc-
/ ,narh.s Of Ma jor G. j. House. at ('anita;
Grange, Saturday. March I'D
| l have not the pleasure OF q persona !
aCq.Iani3ncc with Mai House, do not
know the sources from which hr obtained
Information regarding the Belgian hare.
Bu; am certain that if he had made n
more thorough investigation. he woulu
In:'ui!er.
on some points his information was
correct. IA" Be'Gian hare cannot exist IN
a Wild state. will give. so for any kind
OF a specimen of belgian that can be-
found living outside OF hutch or yarI
anywhere in thu word They cannot cx
ist outside of domestic state any more
/ Again, the major is gate correct in
saying that In the raising of fowl ana
the ordinary domestic animal. one cannot
much more than get new dollar for an
old one. anu this very fact Is what cause
the Belgian hare craze" 90 TO take such
a strong hold on, and rctain the interest
Of. its deVotec$.
one high grade Belgian hare doe. prop
.rly bred and cared for. than any farmer
can make from any two cows in New
Ems gland. And | can keep nifty does on
what it costs 10 Keep q COW
When look a; my beautiful Belgians.
| hate to think Of figuring them on the
basis OF a meat proposition. But suppos-
ing | did. | can make "E9c profit on the
cost every live months | can raise Bel
gans up to five months for five cents per
pound | can get in Boston today -
cents per pound for all | can produce.
and at l. cents per pound. il pays 2pic
PROFIT.
I have been asked by several propric
tors Of leading hotels and restaurants 10
sign contract to supply them certain
quantities OF meat every week for year.
I couldn't de- il because | couldn't fill
the contract.
have got one young buck that | paid
81 per pound for live weight. and that
is a mere ba yatelie. The owners OF Lord
Britain. Il Belgian hare. was offered 500
per pound and refused il. Why? Because
he was paying l5ac interest on S'0.W.
Perhaps the ma jor would say that these
prices simply Indicate an acute stage OF
the craze. but 1t must be remembered
that these symptoms have been increas :
ing in violence forglo years in Europe and
the phlegmatie Datchnan has got IL now
worse than any yankee. All over Europe
has this wave 81 insanity swept. Ih'
American ConSuls At Paris, Hamburg.
Bremen. Antwerp. etc. etc. nave writ
3 ten me that the industry is as firmly e:i
tablishcd as any industry in those couh-
I tries.
-wo,,ld have been considered a fabulous
price in Europe for Belgian hare. But
| the Crystal Palace winner is now worth
a princes ransom every year.
The prices of the finest specimens Will
continually incrt ase, for that is the his
tory Of every fancy. How does INC
thoroughbred horse sell today. compare
10 30 wears ago? Even a wretched look
, ing bulldog. If bred on the right lines.
brings thousands of dollars. Good for
nothing but a picture OF ugliness. The
finest cat that couldn't be ooaNed u
catch a mouse or be of any practical use
whatever. is worth as much as an aver
age farm. They have been raising horse
bulldogs and eats a long time.
No Major the bubble wont burst
, becaus.. /! is not h;ibblc. Please don I
compare the meat Of the Belgian with
tnat of the common rabbit. They are no
NOR. alike than turkey and crow. and ii
, win h. Il long time before the supply of
Belgian meat will he >sutiicicnt TO max, ,
ne peopl. feel like the boy that hated
a sheen" WHY it will take 225Wo.0oJ OF
! Relyians allowing each one to dress -four
pounds, to give each inhabtant in the |.