The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1901-04-26
FARMERS AND BELGIAN HARE.
Industry Profitable, Hut the Hnres
May Become n Pest-The Market
Cireunscribed.


learn that the raising of Belgian
hares for the market can be made
profitable-so many of them are
learning it, in fact, that one or two
legislatures are contemplating put
ting restrictions about the industry
lest the experience of Australia with
the rabbit plague be repeated here
with Belgian hares.
The work is not hard. The animals
are gentle and graceful. and per-
son who has visited a Belgian hare
farm is at once possessed with the
desire to start one on his own ac-
count. But If the work of raising
Belgian hares is not hard ,here is re-
quired in it an amount of detailed
knowledge that can be gained
through nothing but study and ex-
perience. This renders the PROPOSE
ton that failure or loss may result
during the first year or so of expert
ment lively probability.
A breeder who has had a large ex-
perience with the culture of Belgian
hares was asked by New York Post
reporter to give his views on the ele-
ments contributing to success or fail
ure of the business in the east. He
said:
Authorities differ widely as to the
origin of the Belgian hare, many con-
tending that it is a species of hare
peculiar to Belgium. Others, and
these appear to be the more numer-
Gus, hold the theory that the animal
in question is no hare. but, properly
speaking, a rabbit that has grown
and developed by domestication. An
estimate has been made that one pair
of rabbits under favorable conditions,
and kept free from their natural enc
mics, such as reptiles, owls, hawks.
etc, will in four years multiply to the
number of two and quarter mil
lions. 1t would, of course, be an ut
ter impossibility to surround the ami
mails with conditions and safeguards
that would insure such an enormous
increase. Nevertheless, when the
cheapness of feeding them is consid-
cred, together with the price at which
they may be sold, the most skeptical
must admit that he who embarks in
the industry, always granting that
he does so accompanied by brains
and capital, is not to be regarded as
mad as March hare No animals
in the world are such meat produeers
as Belgian hares.
flares must not be required to run
on too hard floor. They should be
comfortably housed, but the propen-
sity to burrow should not be dis
couraged. In building a fence around
the yards, care should be taken to
plant wire netting deeply enough to
prevent the animals escaping beneath
the fence.
"a breeder has figured that where
hay sells for nine dollars a ton, il
will cost two cents a month to feed
full-grown rabbit. This is not TAX
ing into account the need for va
riety in order to get the best results,
but it serves as an illustration as to
the extreme cheapness of the little
animals keep. Then, when it is made
known that the young are ready for
market at the age of six months. il
may seem that a reasonable or even
large profit may be expected. 1t
costs about 25 cents TO bring young
hare to the age of six months, when
it is ready for market. In this esti-
mate is included the cost of keeping
the parents, the food for all, the
housing, improvements, etc, and his
own time.
But as yet the eastern market is
circumscribed. Few people, outside
of the Germans, have learned to like
the meat of the Belgian hare.
THAT the industry may be devel-
oped into more than mere stock
raising business is proved by the
fact that sales of desirable male
hares of this breed are not infre-
quently made at 500, 5000 and $500.
still higher figure sometimes being
paid. Indeed. one buck, Lord Brit
aim who died in May, 1900, brought
his owner considerable sums for