The sun., 1918-10-27

T., nSes and frees beef and mutton for
shipment abroad. Three or four does
and a good buck can be kept I'm small
hutches either in the yard or In an
outbuiidinG. Farmers Bulletin No
400. which can be obtained from the
Department of Agriculture at Wash
ntgton, gives detailed instructions for
the management of rabbits kept for
home use.
1t is quite possible to raise Belgian
tares or other rabbits In out OF door
pens. but the wire fence must be sunk
two feet into the ground and then
urn inward a little to keep the ami
mails from burrowing out. Experience
shows that little damage will he done
even if rabbit occasionally escapes
When Belgian hares have been re-
'.ased In different sections of the coun-
try and allowed to shift for them
selves they have invariably proved an
easy prey to their natural enemies and
have soon disappeared.
Rabbits kept In the open air are less
IKE to develop disease OF any kind
hal those cooped indoors. At all
oveii.s dampness and drafts must he
-abbits as in keeping poultry. The
Usual accommodations consist OF
wooden hutches large enough to allow
some exercise. They may be care
fully made OF matched lumber or con-
structed from dry goods boxes. The
hutch should be two feet high Ind con-
tain at least twelve square feet OF
floor space. Often they are arranged
in tiers OF two or three. one above the
other. 1t is well TO have one end par
tltioned off for a nesting chamber, al
though a smaller box with hole II
one side may be used for the purpose
Large doors are advisable because they
lessen the labor of cleaning the hutch
Outdoor hutches need sloping roofs and
ovcrhan2ing caves.
1t is beca use OF the fact that rabbits
can be fed largely on hay and other
cheap food that they can be raised &c
cheaply. Rabbits thrive best on a diet
OF hav and oats. but can subsist during
the summer largely on green food from
the garden. having a particular fond
ness for cabbages kale. beets ant
turnips. Root crops can he grown ir
the summer for winter use, mango
wurzels being particularly valuable
In this way the cost OF feeding can bt
greatly reduced. When only few
rabbits are kept they can be fed to G
considerable extent on wastefrom tht
house, thriving on bits OF bread, cooked
potatoes and the like.
Belgian hares are the best known
rabbits for practical purposes. bu
other kinds have come into prominence
in the past year or two and are re-
sponsibe to a considerable extent fol
the present inclptent boom. ANON.
the newer kinds special attention u
being given to the black Siberian hares
or as they are called by some breeders
Canadian Black Giants. These animah
are not true hares any more than |,
the Belgian hare, so called. Hares are
distinctly different f-om rabbits. The
young are born with the eyes open anC
are active from the first, while rabbit.
are blind and helpless for some time
1t Is hard to say how this misnomeI
came TO be accepted but rabbits prob
ably will go on masqueradlng under
the name of hares indefinitely.
There is considerable confusion abou
the origin OF the black Siberian.
seems to have appeared first in Can
ada, and the claim Is made that II wa!
introduced by Russian immigran
some years ago However, a numbe
OF breeders express the opinion tina
1t Is simply q black Flemish giant. an'
that similar rabbits have been pro
duced among Flemish giants bred b,
them. At any rate, there seems to b.
no good reason for calling this rabbi
the Canadian hare. as some people ar,
urging.
Whatever its antecedents, the blacl
Siberian seems to have an extraor
dinarily thick. heavy coat. The ski
should have considerable value for fu
making. A black Siberian pelt show
at one OF the eastern shows recent.
was almost as thick as a dogskir
There Is a growing demand for rabbi
skins in this country. They are needle,
by furriers and hatmskers. Formerly
nearly all OF the rabbit hair used Il
making hats came from abroad. Nov
this source has dried up. and Their
seems to be no reason why America,
J grown rabbits should not keep tn
hatters supplied. In making hats th
| hair Is removed. SO that the quality @
the pelt vs. OF little Importance. But 1
preparing furs a good pelt is impera
4, tive,
Flemish giants were introduced 500