Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-09
COPYRIGHT By JAMES ELvERsoM

kept as small as possible. Taken as a general
rule, small lump of barley meal, mixed to a
stiff paste with boiling water, may form the
staple, and be varied with like mixtures of
other meals, soaked erusts of bread and ships
biscuits, with handful of clean hay.
With regard to hutch accommodation, if
space be limited two adult does may be kept
together, but must be separated when they
begin to think about breeding. Bucks over
tour months old must always be kept by
themselves. Young families should be left
with Their mothers until they are twelve
weeks old, and longer where, as in the case
OF Lops and Flemish Giants, size is required
as she will keep them warm and cozy, and
they thrive much better with her. No pret-
tier sight could be wished for than a mother
ana iamily OF bunnles scampering and playing
about an lnclosure, and the more space that
can be given them the better. If no lawn
OF or, neld be available a yard or a stable loft
VIII do Tor their playground, and daily
outing should be the invariable rule.
Before doe has her family she requires
good deal OF extra feeding and petting, and
Will respond eagerly to all aeffction shown
to her at such time; but when she is actual
ly making her nest and for some days after
ward no notice whatever should be taken of
her' except an occasional glance to see that
all IS right, and the hay nest, with its ex-
quisite lining Of softest down plucked from
her breast, well piled up in corner The
subject of breeding is very interesting one.
nut there Is scarcely space at my disposal to
enter it.
A word or two on couple of the leading
varieties of rabbits will, perhaps, not be out
OF place IN concluding these remarks on these
minor. pets. The Dutch rabbit is certainly
one OF the most popular of the varieties at
present known, 1t is a neat, pretty rabbit,
and the clear definition in coloring makes +
very pleasing to the eye. 1t is this clear
cut quality which gives the chief charm to
the breed, and no colored hairs ought to
stray out over the white parts nor should
there be any spots or marks of white upon
the Scolored portions, The chief point is the
saddle or white half of the BODY sometimes
called the collar. The edge of this ought to
cut the whole body completely and clearly
IN half all the way round. Next in imnorf
ance to the saddle is the blaze marking
let us suppose for a moment that we have
black and white Dutch under observation.
Its face must have two even black cheeks
divided up the centre BY narrow. wedge,
shaped white blaze, which must go straight
through between black ears to the hack of
the, neck, and join the white half of the back.
II tins blaze stops short anywhere it is a grave
faauit and the animal is quite useless for
show purposes. If it goes through nicely.
and the cheek markings round off clearly, fol,
lowing the outline of the back of the laws
and ending neatly behind and below the ears
the rabbit, is said to have a clean neck, but
this SO seldom occurs that defect here is
men, The cheek markings should not come
too low or too high, and must be even on
either side of the face
The blaze must be wedge-shaped tapering
to mere line between the ears These lat,
ter are quite free from the white spots, and
carried erect except when the owner is asleep
or otherwise resting. The only other point of
Importance is in the ''stops" or whiteness of
the hind feet, which should extend about