Laurel outlook., 1945-02-07
Lights Of NewXork
. by L. L. STEVENSON

| the blood of rabbits. The arm,
medical corps finds rabbits an in
valuable aid in its work The chemi
cal warfare division uses rabbits il
manner that means increased
safety, and perhaps life, for oul
fighting men. Without rabbits, hos
pitals, military and civilian, woulc
be greatly handicapped. This ane
much more, learned during hal
hour chat with Ted Steele. Yes,
mean Ted Steele, the musician. He's
has been since he was a mere
youngster. He and his orchestra are
now heard on the air five times a
week. Nevertheless, he holds that
rabbits, and to slightly lesser de-
gree, CAVES, are his career. So each
Friday midnight, he leaves for his
farm, which is half in Pearl River,
N. Y. and half in Park Ridge,
N. j., where he raises rabbits and
CAVES, which are more commonly
called guinea pigs.
Before Pearl Harbor, there were
no big commercial breeders of rab-
bits in the United States, Steele told
me. At the time of the sneak attack,
he had about so breeders on his
farm. Hospitals were dependent
on casual sources of supply, and
from friends, often received out
grown pets. In all, there were only
about 500 rabbits available for gov
ernment work. So Steele, a director
of the American Rabbit and Cavy
Breeders association, was appointed
to coordinate the rabbit situation
for our armed forces. He increased
his stock to the point where he now
has 5000 breeders. Also, in just
about every state in the union, he
has $50 "sub-contractors" to whom
he supplies a pair or trio of breed
ers and buys their offspring. At
present, he supplies 130 hospitals,
government and civilian, the army
medical corps, the chemical war
fare division and the navy through
the Brooklyn Naval hospital.
The value of rabbits to medical
science lies in the fact that rabbit
blood in composition and structure
is nearer to that of the human be-
ing than any other animal with the
exception of monkeys and an ade-
quate supply of monkeys is not
available. Steele's breeders are
New Zealand whites and heavy
weight chinchillas. The New Zea-
land white didn't originate in that
country but originated in California
and was given fancy name. The
chinchillas are cross developed by
breeders. The rabbits are fed on
hay and grain which Steele grows
on another of his farms in Bucksq
county, Pa. Once week, as con-
ditioner and not as food, each rab-
bit is given a carrot and thus
blow at the story book tradition that
rabbits live largely on carrots.
Another illusion Steele dispelled
was the rapidity with which rabbits
increase. Rabbits don't multiply -
that is, they don't multiply and
thrive. So at the Steele rabbitry,
where each rabbit must be in top
the rabbits are restricted
% three litters a year. The litters
are reduced to six each, so a total
If 18 rabbits a. year for each pair.
\ rabbit natures at eight months
md may live as long as five years.
Their life cycle is limited to three
ears by Steele. Now, 60 per cent of
lis rabbits 60 to the government
md 40 per cent to the public health
ervice. After the war, he plans to
aise rabbits commercially and for
heir fur; rabbit fur, which can be
eadily disguised as everyone
nows, being valuable COM
1odity.
The Steele rabbits pass their en-
ire lives within a steel enclosure
otaling eight square feet. Unlike
1e wild rabbit, especially the jack
abbit of the plains, the domestic
abbit is not built for speed. Instead
aiding them, exercise actually
auses them to deteriorate. So
lere is no great need for space. To
their perfect health, not
1ly is there strict diet but also
lie most strict sanitary precau-
ons. Steele, through experience.
as found that fire is the only sure
ermicide. So a flame thrower is
! essential part of his equipment.
e quarters of his rabbits receiv-
6 thorough fiery going over once
month.
Love of animals caused Steele.
no was born in Hartford, Conn.
1917 and who began playing the
ano when he was four, to take I'D
bbit raising. In addition to the
bbits and CAVES, he has two huge
Bernard dogs and a whole flock
cats on his farm. His wife. whom
married four years ago, acts as
anager of his orchestra and thus
is relieved of business details. 80