4 53 mm mmf- ' ■ i lip' I I ii'^' iliitliiillip 1 i' DJi i( jlili: ""X C ^. '•^-^ N .> <^^" .\^' , .x^-^ -^s" .^ ',/->" :%''T..'\f .# ./■ x^ ^ ■^9 1 * ' v< s "^ '' / 'f^ jcM. •/'>>^,_ ■&' ,/ %■ •J » « ^-^^ .^ ,_/r?^ -f 'f ,\ ■ Ji^'-r.' - A %, ,-Js ^^ <^%-?^<^ %.^- -/ %^ THE RABBIT FANCIER A TREATISE UPON TEE §xtzVm^, licariiTg, (ifccbing, nniJ Central Puitagcmcut RABBI T S WITH RKMARKS UHO\ THEIR DISEASES AND REMEDIES, DRAWN FROM ADTHKNTIC SOURCES AM) PERSONAL OBSErvVAliON. TO WHICH ARK ADDED FULL DIRECTIONS FOR TOR CONSTRUCTION OF nUTCHES, RABBITRIES, ETC., TOGETHER WITH RECIPES FOR COOKING AND DRESS- ING FOR THE TABLE. B Y C. n/bEMEN T, AUTHOR OF "the AMERICAN POULTERER'S COMPANION " NEW YORK : C. M. SAXTON & CO., AGRICULTURAL BOOK PUBLISHERS, 140 FULTON STREET 1857. .IS 4 5 Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the yoar 185G» by C. M. SAXTON, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, in and for the Southern District of New York. EUfcoarU ©. Jtuktus, ^rintrr, NOS 26 AXD '28 ffRA.NKFORT STRKBI. ILLUSTRATIONS. FAGB BABBIT PIT 37 SECTION OF A TWO-TTEK RABBIT HUTCH 43 GABLE-END ELEVATION, NO. 1 48 MAIN FLOOR PLAN, NO. II ,, 48 LOFT, OR GARRET, NO. Ill 50 CELLAR, NO. IV 50 FRONT AND FLOOR SECTIONS, NOS. V. AND VI 52 REAR SECTION, NO. VH 53 TWO-ROWED HUTCH 55 ANGOLA RABBIT 68 THE LOP-EARED RABBIT 68 HALF LOP 68 DEWLAP RABBIT 71 AlVIERICAN GRAY RABBIT 88 THE NORTHERN VARYING HARE. 92 CONTENTS. PAQK Prefatory 7 Rabbits 9 Merits and Uses 12 Nature and Habits 16 Breeding 17 Management of the Doe 20 Management of the Young. 22 Handling 23 Feeding 24 Rabbit Courts 34 RabHt Pit 86 Rabbit Hutches 41 Selection of Stock 57 Varieties of Rabbits 61 Fancy Rabbits 69 Markings : The Smut and the Chain — Carriage 73 Salable Value 75 Properties required for Prizes 76 Feeding and Killing for the Table 77 Castration 78 Diseases — ^Their Prevention and Cure 79 American Gray Rabbit 89 Northern Varying Hare 93 Cooking Rabbits 96 French Ways of Cooking Rabbits 9? PKEFATORY In the preparation of tliis little treatise, it lias been the aim and desire of the author that without entirely exclud- ing the less necessary points of the subject, it should be made as practicable as possible, and should contain such information as is most required by beginners, with but little previous knowledge of the management of our little favorite. We have done our best to carry out this inten- tion, and we think that the novice, after a careful perusal of the following pages, will find but little difficulty in commencing and continuing his pleasing task. When about twelve or thirteen years of age we com- menced breeding rabbits, — the common tame varieties, black, blue, white, and party-colored. For their accom- modation we enclosed a circular piece of ground, on a side- liil], about tAventy-five feet in diameter, by setting boards on end in the ground, two feet deep, and about five feet high, in the form of a stockade, or like the enclosure of the pit, as figured in page 39. We dug a pit in the cen- tre, covering it with boards, placing the earth on the top in the form of a mound. From this they worked holes in the sides of the walls and formed their nests for breeding. We -started with a trio, one buck and two does. They 0) 8 PEEFATORY. ''bred like rabbits," and we soon had quite a stock, say from fifteen to twenty, but for some reason tb.ey did not seem to increase much afterward. The cause at the time we could not comprehend, but now think the bucks or males caused the mischief by destroying the young, and quarrelling with one another, so we abandoned that enter- prise. Breeding in hutches, at that early date, was un- known in this country. While residing on Three Hills Farm, some eighteen years ago, my father, being crippled with rheumatism, amused himself with breeding rabbits in hutches, and suc- ceeded admirably ; raising quite a large number, many of which afforded us dainty meals. Castrating the young bucks and fattening them for the table, many of them weighed eight pounds after being dressed. The flesh was white, tender, and well-flavored. We hope that this little book will serve to diffuse, more widely, reliable information on the subject of which it treats, and prove a welcome acquisition and manual of present interest and permanent utility; and that it will claim, at least, the favorable consideration of those for whom it is designed. C. K BEMENT. Staten Island^ May^ 1855. RABBITS In a little treatise like tliis it is hardly worth the labor to inquire into the origin, or to attempt to trace the subju- gation of the rabbit. Like the domestic fowl, its domesti- cation is shrouded in mystery. The wild rabbit is un- doubtedly the origin of our various domestic breeds. It is generally believed that the rabbit was first introduced into Spain from Africa, by the Eomans, whence it gradually spread, naturalizing itself into temperate climates, but does not reach quite so far north as the hare. There ap- pears every probability that the most remarkable varieties came from Persia and the adjacent countries. Tame races, which have the greatest claim to style themselves aboriginals of England, were in all likelihood existing in their present state long before the commence- ment of any historical epoch in Great Britain. It would appear, therefore, that the rabbit is not an aboriginal of England, but the date of its introduction is unknown. Tame rabbits easily resume their natural state of freedom, and return to their instinctive habits. In its wild state, it forms long, winding burrows ; keeps its hole by day ; feeds morning, evening, and night, on vegetables and grain. Eabbits are found in great numbers in England, bur- rowing in dry, sandy soils, particularly if the situation be 10 THE RABBIT. iiilly or the ground irregular. Enclosures called warrens are frequently made in England, in favorable spots of this kind, some of which extend to hundreds of acres. Eab- bits not being swift-footed animals, are taken by nets, traps, ferrets, and dogs. The common wild rabbit is of a gray color, and is the best for the purpose of food; its skin is valuable, as the pelt is a material for hats ; but another variety has been introduced, the silver-gray^ the skin of which is more valuable, and is dressed as fur ; the color of this is a black ground, thickly interspersed with single gray hairs. A great number of them are exported to China. Size excepted, the rabbit closely resembles the hare in all its principal characters. It may, however, be at once distinguished by the comparative shortness of the head and ears, as well as of the hinder limbs ; the absence of a black tip to the ears ; and by the brown color of the upper surface of the tail. Its habits and general economy are totally opposite to the hare, and its flesh, instead of being dark and highly flavored, is white and delicate. The flesh of the rabbit differs somewhat according to its wild or domestic state. There is some difference of opinion as to which is preferable ; the wild rabbit has more flavor, but some prefer the tame as whiter and more delicate. ; The tame rabbit in all its varieties, has always been, and still is, a great favorite in many parts of the European Continent. "In Holland," says a writer in the American Agriculturist, "it is bred with reference to color only, which must be a pure Avhite, with dark ears, feet, legs and tail ; this distribution has a singular effect, but withal, it is a pretty little creature. The French breed a long, RABBITS. 11 rangj animal, of great apparent size, but deficient in depth and breadtli, and, of course, wanting in constitution; no attention is paia to color, and its markings is matter of accident. The white Angola, with its beautiful long fur and red eyes, is also a great favoritain France." Albinos are sometimes found among the common white rabbits, and it often happens that one or two appear in a litter, when neither of the parents are so. There are several varieties of tame rabbits. The large white and yellow, and white variety, have the whitest and most delicate flesh, and when cooked in the same way, sometimes rivals the turkey. There is also a large variety of the hare color, the flesh of which is highly flavored and more savory than that of the common rabbit ; and it makes a good dish cooked like the hare, to which, at six or eight months old, it is nearly equal in size. As the flesh of the tame rabbit is inclined to be dry, it is well to feed them partly on green vegetables, which makes it more juicy. They become larger and fatter in the tame than in the wild state ; but it is not desirable to have them as fat as they can be made. Some that have been fed in hutches have been known to exceed twelve pounds in weight. "When very old they are tough like hares. Wild rabbits are procurable young and in good condi- tion only at particular seasons, but tame ones may be always bred in a state fit for the table. The latter are in the greatest perfection when four months old ; but if well fed, will not be too old at eighteen months old. The skins, if carefully preserved, besides being saleable, are useful in a family for lining garments. MERITS AND USES. The real value of tlie rabbit to man is greater tban would appear at first sigbt. Independently of tbe fur, wliicb enters largely into tbe manufacture of bats and otber articles, tbe skin makes an excellent glue. If tbe flesb is not particularly nutritious, it is a ligbt and agree- able article of food ; and none but tbose wbo bave lived in tbe country, and bave received tbe unexpected visit of friends to dinner, can form an adequate idea of tbe conve- nience of baving a plump rabbit or two at band in tbe butcb. But we bold tbat, besides tbeir material profitableness, tbere is a moral value attacbed to tbese animals. Tbey afford an early lesson to tbe young of tbe responsibility of baving live animals to feed and tend. Tbeir proprietor- sbip affords an opportunity of exercising tbe priceless qualities, in after-life, of tbrift, attentiveness, good man- agement, forbearance, and foretbougbt. Innocent and unfailing amusement is tbus derived from tbe daily prac- tice of prudent babits, wbicb are an excellent preparation for a subsequent cbarge of greater importance and diffi- culty. Tbe dung of tbese animals is an excellent manure for clayey soils, and is particularly serviceable in tbe culture of vines and fibrous-rooted green-bouse plants. MERITS AND USES. 18 The rabbit sliares with the fowl and the pig the merit of being a save-all, — being a transmuter of useless scraps and offal into useful and valuable fur and flesh. All sorts of vegetable tops and parings, weeds fi;om the garden, jwhich are not of too moist a nature — ^which would other- '^isQ meet with no better fate than to be swept away to the rubbish-heap — ^will, with the addition of sufficient diy food, serve to maintain a little stud of rabbits. The cast- out refase of three or four gardens, in a village, in the hands of many an ardent young stock-master, would serve, under a judicious administration, to rear, feed, and fatten his little flock. And in house-keeping, as well as in agriculture, trifling means of profit ought not to be neglected, when they are capable of being secured with only trifling exertion and the outlay of a small amount of capital, and especially when they are, as in this instance, the natural appendage of every poultry-yard or homestead which pretends to be of the least importance. The mis- fortune is, that exaggerated accounts have been given to the world which led to failures. On the other hand, it is a false accusation to charge these animals with consuming any undue and enormous quantity of fodder. Some authors have asserted that ten rabbits will eat as much as a cow; but it seems to be proved that it would take at least fifty or sixty of them to effect so great a consumption as that. Probably the observ- ers who have stated the fact, founded their calculations on the superfluous quantity of herbage which might have been supplied, and which the rabbits soon reduced to the state of filthy litter. The objection made to the unwholesome- ness of rabbit-keeping, in consequence of the smell which 14 THE RABBIT. their liutclies emit if neglected, is equally applicable to any other breach of cleanly habits. The evil and the remedy are in the hands of those who made the complaint. The rabbit itself is naturally a cleanly animal, and when con- fined by itself will always choose one particular spot or corner in which to deposit its ordure, and will be careful not to defile any other. The cottager, the only meat on whose table is often ai morsel of salt pork, will not prove so hard to please when he sits down to a fine rabbit of his own rearing and fatting. The food of the rabbit is entirely vegetable. They feed upon common grass, clover, lucern, and on good hay, pea and bean vines. Greens and roots form excellent food, and potatoes boiled or steamed. They will fatten on them, but still more if they are given oats or bran. Some think their flesh is less dry when fed chiefly upon succulent herbs ; but with these moist foods they must always have a proportionable quantity of the dry food, as hay, bread and oats, bran, brewers' grains, chaff, and the like ; or when they have greens, they must not have drink. At all times they drink but little. The test of health is their dung being not too moist. "In England," says a writer in the Cultivator^ "the rabbit formerly held the rank of ' farm-stock,' and thou- sands of acres were exclusively devoted to its production ; families were supported, and rents, rates, and taxes were paid from its increase and sale. I remember visiting a farm of Lord Onslow's, in Surrey, containing about 1,400 acres. It was in the occupation of an eminent flock master and agriculturist, who kept some hundreds of MERITS AND USES. 15 lutclied rabbits for the sake of their manure, which he ipplied to his turnip crop ; added to this, their skins and Carcasses were quite an item of profit, notwithstanding ihe care of them required an old man and a boy, with a ionkey and cart. The food used was chiefly brewers' ^ains, millers' waste, bran and hay, with clover and 'oots ; the cost of keeping not exceeding two pence a rveek. The hutches stood under a long shed, open on all ;ides, for the greater convenience of cleaning and feeding. [ was told that the manure was much valued by the mar- ket gardeners around London, who readily paid 25. 6d. a mshel at the rabbitries. These rabbitries are very nu- nerous in all the towns and cities of England, and form a ;ource of amusement or profit to all classes, from the man )f fortune to the day -laborer. JSTor is it unfrequent that his latter produces a rabbit from an old tea-chest, or dry- ^oods box, that wins the prize from its competitor of the nahogany hutch or ornamental rabbitry." NATURE AND HABITS. EvEEY class of stock-keeping and menagerie manage ment, in order to be permanently snccessful, and not cor ducted at mere haphazard, must be founded on a previoul knowledge of the habits and constitution of the creature kept ; and therefore, as we here desire to communicate al the information which a novice requires, we believe tha the inexperienced breeder of rabbits will best understanc the theory and principles of his art, if we first make him ac quainted with the precise nature of the animal with whicl he proposes to deal. " The rabbit belongs to that order of the class Mamma lia, or suck-giving animals, which is called Inctsores, be cause they cut their food with the front teeth of thei] upper and lower jaws. They do not grind it, like th< horse, the ox, and the elephant, for the simple reasoi that they have no grinders, or molar teeth. Some of these "cutters" are carnivorous, or rather omnivorous like the rat ; others are herbivorous in general, but occa^ sionally insectivorous, like the Guinea-pig (which the olc French writers call -the Connil d'lnde, or Indian rabbit) ; some, like the hare, feed exclusively on vegetables anc grain ; and the rabbit, unless under exceptional circum- stances, belongs to this latter category. The rabbit anc the Guinea-pig are the only "cutters" that have beer strictly domesticated by man ; though he has made petg (16) NATUllE AND HABITS. — BKEEDING. 17 bf tlie squirrel, tlie dormouse, tlie marmot, the albino nouse, and one or tw.o others." The male rabbit is called "a buck," the female "a ^oe." '' The English language has not, like the French, a pecial word {lapereau) to denote the young. Babbits are Doljgamous — one male being quite sufficient for as many as thirty females ; in warrens, only one is allowed to a lundred. The adult bucks are overbearing, mischievous, d quarrelsome. Success very much depends on the Lvay in which they are managed ; and consequently, rab- pit-keeping is an amusement better adapted for boys than jfor girls, unless, indeed, they have an elder brother or parent who will take upon himself the entire direction of the breeding department." BREEDINa. Tame rabbits are raised in hutches or boxes placed in apartments constructed on purpose for them, or in sheds. They may also be bred in small artificial warrens, pre- pared for them, where the soil is extremely dry, and well drained by a ditch all around it, and having banks raised for the rabbits to burrow in. A damp situation will be fatal to the stock. As the nature of the rabbit is to dig, care must be taken to sink the wall or fence sufficient to prevent them from undermining and making their escape. The doe will breed at the age of a year, and sometimes a\ the age of six months, and her period of gestation is 18 THE BABBIT. thirty or thirty-one days. But they should not be allowei to breed at that early age, as they are liable to abortion and even if that misfortune is avoided, their little one come into the world exceedingly weak, and sometime, defective. It cannot be expected to happen otherwise. Nature, in spite of all her efforts, will fail to develop a the same time the strength of the mother and of her off spring also. The attempt will assuredly be made at ilia expense of one or the other— probably both. The youn^ ones will have to suffer from an insufficient supply of milk; their constitution will prove weak and rickety: and the chances are, that they will die of debility before attaining an age to be of any use. The doe goes with young thirty, or sometimes thirty- one days. A fortnight after she has littered, she is readyj to visit the buck again, with whom she should be placed^ in the evening, and returned to her young the followingi morning. She might be put to him five or six days after; bringing forth, as she is almost always in heat ; but shej requires a fortnight's repose to recover her strength. She^ breeds throughout the winter as well as in summer, and will, therefore, according to strict theory, produce eight litters in the course of a single year. But all this sup-; poses every circumstance to be invariably favorable:— that she should be thoroughly well fed, never out of health, and that no untoward accident happen. A much safer calculation is to reckon upon six litters a year;; some breeders are even contented with supposing five to - be successfully reared. When the buck is not more than: five or six years old, and the doe than five, it is very rare that she misses But should it so happen, give her ai I BREEDING. 19 btritious and stimulating diet, sucli as parsley, celery, mnel, thytne, and other aromatic herbs, besides a liberal iet of oats, bran, or pollard, and sweet hay ; keep her kerably warm, and in a few days she will be all right ^ain. After her night's absence, she will be returned to |er own hutch, and will then suckle her last progeny aother week longer. To keep all the parent animals in lis constant state of isolation is one of the main and mdamental maxims of rabbit-keeping ; for the buck will ot only greatly harass the doe, if he is allowed free ac- 3ss to her, but will often kill the young while they are ;ill blind and helpless. The number at a birth varies from two or three up to Lght and ten young ones. In general, the larger the reed, the fewer at a birth. As many as eighteen have een known in extreme cases. But eight or nine are a luch better average. Some breeders prefer to have no lore than five or six, and take away those that are in xcess. When it can be done without too much disturb- nce, the plan is a good one, especially when the doe has Dst or destroyed her former litters. Sometimes, when she 5 weak and exhausted at the time of littering, she feels that he can suckle only a limited number, she herself will ave her owner the trouble of killing the supernumeraries, nd will calculate according to her strength how many ught to be spared. But take six as the average number f little ones to be produced at each six litters, and we .ave thirty-six rabbits in the course of a twelvemonth as be produce of a single doe. More than that : — at six aonths old, the young rabbit is fully capable of becoming , parent in its turn. In two years, therefore, we should 20 THE EABBIT. have four successive generations of rabbits all the whil that the fecundity of the original ancestress is still goin on. " Rabbits," says Pennant, " will breed seven time a year, and bring eight young ones each time." On supposition that this happens regularly during four yeari their numbers will amount to one million, two hundre and seventy -four thousand, eight hundred and fort|rl head. MANAaBMENT OF THE DOE. The intelligent breeder ought to know by his stud-boo] (for he will give names to his favorites) the day on whic". each doe is to bring forth. A few days beforehand, h will throw into the hutch a large handful of coarse bu sweet hay. She will immediately make use of it to forn her nest, and will employ for the same purpose am scraps, shreds, or odd bits that she can lay hold of Th first outside structure arranged, she then strips off the fu from beneath her belly, and devotedly denudes herself, t< secure a soft, warm couch for the reception of her expectec young. At this j)eriod, neglect may be fatal ; she mus at the same time be kept quiet, and well fed, to suppor her in nursing. The omission of a single meal may checl her milk, and occasion the death of several young. Fe^v things at this time are better for her than carrots and oats Wet vegetables are especially injurious. During the fir? week, let her have plenty of bran, mingled with a littl salt. MANAGEMENT OF THE DOE. 21 If the doe has had a previous litter, they must all be moved before she brings forth a second time ; her hutch, >o, ought to have been well cleaned out. Take care not ) touch the young ; unless, at least, they are deposited in wet jDlace, or any of thoin die. All unnecessary dis- irbance or handling is apt to make the mother kill the hole of her family. When you find a doe overlays or its her young, as they sometimes will, mark her well, nd remember the circumstance ; for should the same mis- )rtune happen again, the best thing to be done is to fatten ad kill her. If, however, she be a favorite animal, and a attempt at reformation be resolved upon, she must be bundantly fed with good substantial food, and disturbed o more than is absolutely necessary. MANAGEMENT OF THE YOUNG. f The little animals are born blind and helpless, coverecf only with a short velvety down. On the fifth day thejF open their eyes ; on the sixth, the liveliest little fellows f'^ amongst them begin to peep outside the nest. At a montlf old they eat alone, and partake of food together with theiil'^ mother. At six weeks old they no longer require the doe, and ought to be weaned. This short period is quite sufficient to allow to be spent in the first term of rearing them. K they Avere left longer, they would be apt to ex- haust the dam, which ought to be avoided. After Avean- ing, two modes of feeding have been adopted, with equal success : — the first is, to introduce all the weanlings, from D time to time, into a large hutch or common apartment, in which they are tended carefully, kept warm and clean, and fed several times in the course of the day. At each feeding-time, every particle of victuals which has beenl' trampled upon is scrupulously withdrawn ; and it is found ' that, by observing these regulations, the losses are verj few, or none. When two months and a half old, they will fatten on carrots, oats, hay, and bran, with a few peas now and then. The second plan is to keep together all the young rab- bits of the same month ; that is to say, they are distributed in six large hutches or apartments, care being taken tc (22) MANAGEMENT OF THE YOUNG. — HANDLING. 23 jparate the males from the females (or to castrate them) Y the end of the third month. From the fifth to the xth month, all those intended for sale are disposed of, 'ter selecting the handsomest and best-tempered does to ;rve as breeders. Does will continue prolific until they :e five years old. Beyond that age, it is rare to meet ith rabbits surviving in a domestic state. After that, it usual to fatten them for the table ; though, in such ises, the purchaser may complain that he has met with a ard bargain. The duration of their natural life is said > be from six to eight years. Bufibn extends the term to ine years. HANDI.INa. Babbits are sometimes injured by being clumsily hau- led. The proper way to take hold of them is, to grasp le ears with the right hand, and to support the rump ith the left. To seize them by the leg is apt to dislocate limb, especially in the case of creatures that are shy ; 1 injudicious gripe round the neck or the body may rove unexpectedly and suddenly fatal, by injury to the ertebrae, compression of the lungs, or breaking of the bs ; a hasty clutch at the tail may cause the fur of that mamental meml^er to come off in one piece, and spoil ie annual's beauty for life. The instantaneous way in rhich an adroit hand will kill a rabbit, apparently by the |ierest touch, gives a forcible hint as to the caution we should jse in allowing a favorite animal to be captured and pulled 24 THE RABBIT. about by inexperienced persons. I or does with youn^ the greatest tenderness is indispensable. FEEDINa. Eabbits should be fed twice a day — at morning and s night. If on green food, it ought to be thoroughly dri before it is put into their racks or thrown upon the floo g of their hutches. This diet would principally consist o: the refuse of the garden vegetables, taking care to giv only a moderate quantity of cabbages, lettuce, and al other cold and watery plants. Wet herbage is deadly poisoi to rabbits. The leaves and roots of carrots, all sorts o: leguminous plants, the leaves and branches (or the prun ings) of all kinds of trees, cabbage leaves, wild succory parsley, &c., may be the diet of rabbits during summei The great point, however, at all seasons, is to make tb dry preponderate over the moist. According to Mowbray, it is better to feed three time than twice a day. The art of feeding rabbits with safet; and advantage, is always to give the preponderance to dr; and substantial food. Their nature is congenial with tha of sheep, and the same kind of food, with little variation agrees with both. He contends that all weeds and th refuse of vegetation should be banished from rabbit feed ing : such articles being too washy and diuretic, and can never be worth attention whilst the more solid and nutri tious productions of the field may be obtained in sue] plenty, and will return so much greater profit. liabbit which have as much oats as they will eat, can never tak» FEEDING. 25 Liiy harm from being indulged with almost an equal por- iion of good substantial vegetables. However, the test of heir health is that their dung be not too moist. Mr. E. B. Piatt, of Albany, a successful breeder of lop- jared rabbits, informs us that he feeds brewers' grains, and inds them the best and most economical feed for winter ; md, contrary to the natural supposition, they do not sour n the least, and their bowels are kept in good order. The ^rain proper for rabbits is oats, peas, wheat, pollard, and lome give buckwheat ; the greens and roots, the same as )ur cattle or sheep crops ; viz., carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, irtichokes, and potatoes, if baked or steamed ; lucern, iabbage leaves, clover, tares, pea and bean haulm. The Dest dried herbage is clover and meadow hay, and pea md bean straw. "In relation to feeding," says a writer in the Cultivator^ )ver the signature of "K," who is good authority in such natters, " I would caution breeders not to use lettuce after &ho plant begins to put up its seed stalks, as its narcotic bflect is then so strong as to cause death. I lost in one summer over twenty rabbits from this plant before discov- 3ring the cause. Corn, sown broadcast, affords an abun- iant and an excellent substitute. I think the rutabaga, as a winter vegetable, is generally preferred to carrots. Water, [ find, may be given to rabbits when six months old with- out any ill effects, though so positively interdicted by all Lhe 'fancy.' I have not heretofore suficiently enforced the importance of a liberal supply of hay, which, in winter, affords the rabbit that amount of bulk necessary to the [lealthy feeding of all animals, and which oats alone would QOt give. It matters not how coarse the hay, nor how full 2 26 THE EABBIT. of trash and weeds, it will be equally sought, and som times preferred to any grain, especially if the rabbit is little off its feed." A variety of food is a great thing ; and, surely, the field and gardens, and hedges furnish this variety— all sorts ■ grasses, strawberry leaves, and ivy. Thev should have oa once a day. When the doe has young ones, feed her mo abundantly with all sorts of greens and herbage, and wit carrots and other things mentioned before, besides givin her a few oats once a day. But do not think that, becaus > she is a small animal, a little feeding or a little care is su i ficient. To those gentlemen who keep rabbits for the us 1 of their flxmily, (and a very useful and convenient articl i they are too,) I would observe, that if they find their ral bits die, they may depend on it that ninety-nine times ou of the hundred starvation is the malady. "It is a matter of surprise to an American first visiting England," remarks L. F. Allen, in his "Rural Architec ture," "to see the (luantities of game which abound a certain seasons of the year in London and other marketi of that country, in contrast of the scanty supply, or rathe: no supply at all, existing in the markets of American cities The reason for such difterence is, that in England, Scotland Wales, and Ireland, every acre of the soil is appropriate^ to some profitable use, while we, from the abundance of land m America, select only the best for agricultural pur. poses, and let the remainder go barren and mcared for- Lands appropriated to the rearing of game, when fit foi farm pasturage or tUlage, is unprofitable, generally, witl us; but there are thousands of acres barren for other pur- poses, that might be devoted to the breeding and pasturag. FEEDING. 27 of rabbits, and wliicL, by thus appropriating tliem, might bo turned to profitable account. All the preparation required is, to enclose the ground with a high and nearly close paling [fence, and the erection of a few rude hutches inside for wintsr shelter and the storage of their food. They will burrow into the ground, and breed with great rapidity; and in the fall and winter seasons, they will be fat for market with the food they gather from the otherwise worthless soil over which they run. Kocky, bushy, and evergreen grounds, either hill, dale, or plain, are good for them, wherever the soils are dry and friable. The rabbit is a gross feeder, living well on what many grazing animals reject, and gnawing down all kinds of brush, briars, and noxious weeds. " The common domestic rabbits are probably the best for market pui^poses, and were they to be made an object I of attention, immense tracts of mountain in New Jersey, j Pennsylvania, New York, and New England, could be made available for this object. " Some may think," continues Mr. Allen, ''this a small business. So is making pins, and rearing chickens and bees. But there are an abundance of people Avhose age and capacity are just fitted for it, and for want of other employment are a charge upon their friends and the pub- lic." On the subject of rearing "Fancy Babbits," and their necessary accommodations, we subjoin the following from the pen of Mr. F. Kotch, of Morris, Otsego county, N. Y., who imported the first of the large lop-eared rabbits into this country, some twelve or fourteen years ago. His beautiful and high-bred animals have occasionally been 28 THE RABBIT. pi exliibited at tlie fliirs of tlie State Agricultural Society for wliicli premiums have been awarded and the highes commendations elicited. " Eabbits kept for profit in the vicinity of 'a city, anc where there are mills, may be raised at a very small cost and when once known as an article of food, will be liber- " ally paid for by the epicure, for their meat is as deliciitti" as a chicken's, and their fat mild and very rich. | "I am surprised they are not more generally kept as a I source of amusement, and for the purpose of experi-f ment. ' *' There is, I think, in many, a natural fondness for ani- mals, but not easily indulged without more room than is often!, to be found in city residences. Fowls and pigeons trespass on our neighbors, and are a frequent cause of trouble. ^ This objection does not hold good against a rabbit, which occupies so small a space, that Avhere there is an out-house there may be a rabbitry. English children are encouraged in their fondness for animals, as tending to good morals and good feelings, and as offering a home amusement, in contradistinction to street associations. "In England, and in other parts of Europe, a love for animals, with the attendance and personal care necessary to their comfort, is encouraged from childhood up, as hav- ing a beneficial influence on the character. " The operatives, mechanics, and laborers in other coun- tries seem to have a perfect passion for such pursuits, and take the greatest interest and pride in breeding and perfect- ing the lesser animals, though often obliged to toil for the very food they feed to them. Here, too, home influences are perceived to be good, and arc encouraged by the em- . FEEDING. 29 Dloyer, as supplying the place of otlier and much more j[uestionablc pursuits and tastes. ■'In relation to the man of leisure and science, I would Remark, that as the artist delights in the power of moulding ihe inert clay into lifc-IP.vC form, so does the intelligent and imateur breeder find iniinite pleasure in the higher and nore difiScult art of modelling the live material into its nost symmetrical proportions. And why should there lot be as much satisfaction in producing what is excellent )n a small, as on a large scale ? Is not the statuette as )eautiful, and is it not as much an effort of genius and art IS the statue? "To myself," continues Mr. E,, "the rabbitry is a 'stu- lio,' whereof the material is cheap, rapidly produced, soon perfected, very abundant, and occupying a small space, md is thus brought under my own immediate care and bbservation, with but little trouble, requiring months only instead of years, lo practically test theories and speculations, md for studying some of the most important, but not mderstood, laws of nature. Such as, how fhr it may be >afe to use close affinities? And if deteriorating, what are :he first and warning symptoms ? In what order does the mimal structure give way under a persisted course of such 3reeding? The same as to cross-breeding, and how far fhe control of the breeder is diminished by its continuance ? trhe comparative influence of the parents on the offspring, |ind how evinced ? These, and many other unsettled ques- tions involving the first principles of breeding, would Require almost a lifetime to decide by experiments on the larger animals, to say nothing of the large outlay it would 30 THE RABBIT. require, and the serious losses that might reasonably he expected to attend it." With all due appreciation of the very important assist- ance rendered the agriculturist by analytical chemistry, I would sooner trust the practical experiments of the rab- bitry as to the value of the different kinds of food, than I would the analysis of the laboratory ! And though onejuf may prove that a bushel of rutabaga be little more or lessp than a pail of water, yet if the other showed me that tur^ nips, as the principal food, with but two ounces of hay per »li' day to the rabbit, developed the animal frame by a healthy growth, an abundance of muscle and some fat, I should be strongly tempted to pour out the water and pour in thelp turnips. " Clubs and societies abound for the breeding and exhibi- tion of the ' Fancy-Lops,' now the favorite rabbit in England, and originally imported from Madagascar. <) Much pains have been taken, and much money spent, to )' bring them to their present perfection in form, color, and ^ size ; all of which are minutely attended to, and not very I easily combined in any one animal, and hence they form i an admirable test of skill on the part of the breeder. ) " For instance, a rabbit, to come out a winner at one of ^ those exhibitions, must possess all the points of symmetry f in common with the larger animals of the improved ' breed ; such as a small, clean head, wide and full shoul ders, broad and deep chest, a wide back, large loin, full | quarters, and fine bone. " Some of us, I suspect, find it no easy matter to get even thus far in the catalogue of excellences ; but to all FEEDING. 31 ese essentials are to be added tlie more conventional^ and khaps the more difficult points, of beauty and fancy, as id down by the various societies ; embracing not only rm and color, but the particular disposition and forms ■ color. " A prize rabbit, then, must possess, besides the before- entioned properties, a full, round, clear eye, an ear (col- •ed as the body) long and broad, of a soft, delicate tex- ire, dropping alike, and nearly perpendicularly, down by le side of the clieek, with the convex of the ear turned ^ther out than in. This is termed its ' earage.'' The color Q the body must be in strong, rich, unbroken masses, preading itself uniformly over the back, sides, and aunches, called the 'saddle^'' but breaking into spots and atches on the shoulders, known as the ' chain.'' The ead must be full of color, interspersed with white on the irehead and cheeks, while the darker marking on the oint of the nose, and on each lip, goes by the name of le '' butterfly ^^ from the resemblance it should bear to lat insect. Add to all this a large, full dew-lap, beauti- illy white, which spreads itself (when the animal reposes) ver the fore feet, and forms a rich cushion for the head. l11 this, combined, would indeed form a perfect lop-eared a.bbit, worthy to enter, and likely to win the prize collar, e it of gold or silver ; and the breeder may be proud of is success, though it be but a rabbit. Much consequence 5 attached to the length, quality, and carriage of the car^ 1 awarding premiums. I was indifferent to this point of mgth, and purchased much lower in consequence, paying rom ten to forty shillings sterling apiece for those I im- ported, according to age and quality ; whereas five guin- 2* ^ 32 THE BABBIT. eas is not an uncommon price ; and individuals have been sold as higli as thirty guineas ! The consequence of my selection is, that out of fifty rabbits, in my rabbitry, I have not one that will exceed eighteen inches length of ear from point to point I Whereas the Illustrated JVew^ of May, 1850, gave portraits of the two prize rabbits at the Eochester Show, from the excellent stud of Mr. George Tavell, measuring in length of ear 21 f inches and 21 f inches, and nearly five inches wide." J " The usual colors are black, blue, gray, yellow, ana tortoise-shell, on whit-e grounds. These are called ' broken colors;^ when not mixed with either, they are termed 'selfsr' ; " The rabbit easily conforms itself to the means, condi-j tion, and circumstances of its owner: occupies but little space, breeds often, comes early to maturity, and is^ withal,;' a healthy animal ; requiring, however, to be kept clean,; and to be cautiously fed with succulent food, which must; always be free from dew or rain. Water is imnecessary for them when fed with ' greens.' " " To does, when suckling, I give what they will eat ofj both green and dry food. The cost to me is about three cents a head per week." *'My young rabbits, when taken from the doe, say at eight or ten weeks old, are turned out together till about six months old, when it becomes necessary to take them up and put them in sej)arate hutches, to prevent their fighting and destroying each other. The doe at that age is ready to breed ; her period of gestation is about thiny- one days, and she produces from three or four to a dozen young at a ' litter.' It is not well to let her raise more FEEDING. 53 jhan six,* or even four, at a time — the fewer, the larger jLnd finer the produce." Young rabbits are killed for the table at any age from welve weeks to twelve months old, and are a very ac- ceptable addition to the country larder. j " Hutches are made singly, or in stacks, to suit the ipartments, which should be capable of thorough ventila- tion. The best size is, probably, about three feet long, :hough some recommend four feet, two feet deep, and burteen inches high, with a small apartment partitioned Dff from one end, nearly a foot wide, as a breeding-place Ebr the doe. A Avire door forms the front, and an opening lS left behind for cleaning; the floor should have a descent jO the back of the hutch of two inches. All edges should be tinned, to save them from being gnawed." KABBIT COURTS. ^Tepjiaps the most pleasing, and, for the animals, the most healthy place to keep rabbits in, is a paved yard. If well situated, it becomes, in fact, a practical realization, on a small scale, of Olivier De Serres' grand idea. Two sides of the court-yard may be bounded by tall buildings, as houses or stabling ; if they stand to the north and east, so much the better. The other two sides should consist of a wall not more than five feet high, to admit air and sunshine. For security from intrusion from without, and to confine any fowls that may be kept within, palings may be fixed to the top of these low walls, without any inconvenience arising. The great object is to have the court at once airy, sunshiny, sheltered, and secure. In one or two corners of the court, or against one or two of its sides, there should be thrown a broad heap of earth and rubbish, eighteen inches lower than the top of the wall. In this, the rabbits will burrow and amuse them- selves — though it is better to prevent the does from nest- ing there, for fear of the attacks of cats and rats. The buck must be retained a close prisoner, in a box of his own. The breeding does, when their time of kindling approaches, will be comfortably settled in separate hutch- es, to be described hereafter. The day when each doe is to bring forth will be known from the stud-book, even if it is not indicated by the preparations she makes-— (34) EABBIT-COURTS. 85 uch as carrying about stra^vs and haulms in lier mouth, nd biting them into separate lengths. The rest of the took will associate indiscriminately together in the court, nth the sole exception that all males will be withdrawn, ut, or sent to the kitchen, as soon as they reach an age prove troublesome ; and that young ones just weaned, hat is, from six to eight weeks old, will be kept in a autch by themselves till they are strong enough to join he general herd. The management of the rabbit court is obvious. Food, Either dry or green, has only to be scattered about on the pavement of the court. The small jDroportion of individ- uals in confinement will, of course, require extra atten- tion, which will demand no great time to fulfil properly, i^ll that is necessary is, to do it regularly and unfailingly. Rabbits so kept are much more amusing objects than ^vhen they are constantly hidden from sight in their tiutches. Their gambols are seen — their little antics with ne another — their cleanly habits in brushing their fur boats — 'and even the petty quarrels and jealousies which arise from the elder ones striving for the mastery. They Hvill also become so tame as to eat out of the hand, and to nock around their feeder when he enters with a bundle of vegetables or straw. The whole stud should be so liber- ally supplied with provender, that those intended to be eaten may be able to fatten upon it ; the growing and the breeding rabbits will amply repay the share they consume of this liberal diet, by the rapidity with which they come to hand, and the strength and thriftiness of the litters they bring forth. A rabbit court like this is particularly convenient for consuming the refuse, and 36 THE RABBIT. sweepings of a large kitclien and flower-garden. W' strongly recommend a rabbit court to those whose prem is«3s and situation allow of such a plan being adopted. RABBIT PIT. Another form of dwelling, imitating in some degree thd natural habitation of the animal, though less so than thd] court, is the rabbit pit. One of this kind is described ir "Farming for Ladies," and annexed we give a wood-cut fron the sketch in that work. The enclosure was only aboui twelve feet in diameter, covering a pit of six feet in depth, in which the rabbits were confined, and through the sand} sides of which they burrowed to the extent of from ten tc fourteen feet to make their nests. The proprietor, hoW" ever, it was said, intended to fill up three feet of the depth, as he thought that the rabbits should be brought nearer tc the air. The mode of catching the rabbits in the pit was with a long stick, forked at the end, which was hooked upon their neck when they came out to feed ; or they were snared with a bit of wire fastened to the end of a stick. We quote another rabbit pit from the Agricultural Gazette: — "In the Isle of Thanet, on the east coast of Kent,: the writer witnessed and superintended, on his own prop^ erty, the method which he now proceeds cursorily to^ describe, and the diagram on page 41 will tend to define^ the limits of the spaces required. " No. 1 represents a pit five feet on each side of the square. It is an oblong, four feet long, and about two feet broad. Both are dug to the depth of six feet, perfectly RABBIT PIT. (87) RABBIT-PITS. 39 vel at tlie bottom and sides, tlie latter so mucli wider an the wooden curbs, as to admit of a facing of four-incli ick-work, in cement, excepting the spaces to admit of )ont six arched openings (as marked) of dimensions snf- dent for the passage of the largest rabbit. 2, is the feed- CO u ^- U c ^ n c n ig department. 3, is only an arched passage, tunnelled at le ground level of the bottom of the two pits, about a foot ide and broad, to serve as a communication between the its. This is also bricked and arched, but is not seen at the pp. A covering of oil cloth is added to the curb of each it, and the cloth extends over the frame several inches |eyond the curb, in order to prevent the entry of the 'eaviest rain. At the place op, the arched, passage is Iways ox)en ; and so it is also at the other extremity, 40 THE RABBIT. marked tr^ excepting only when any of tlie rabbits are be taken. Dryness is essential to the prosperity of th animal, therefore the soil should not only be naturally dr but must be protected above, and kept secure at the sid« and bottoms of the pit by the best brick- work. Froi Avhat has been stated, it will be understood that a soue: gravelly or sandstone soil forms by far the most approprial medium for the warren, which the rabbits burrow intd and excavate according to their own requirements. Foi] does and a buck may be reckoned a good breeding stocki! and something of the kind was found when the write purchased the property." I The general idea of a rabbit pit being thus suggestec it will be easy for an amateur to modify it at his pleasure Of the two specimens given, we would only observe tha they both appear too small in their dimensions. A pit also, is not a nice thing to have on one's premises. W' doubt whether animals kept constantly below the surfao of the ground avouM be maintained in such good healt} as those above it. Undoubtedly, the most perfect arrange ment would be a combination of the rabbit court with tb rabbit pit. j BABBIT HUTCHES. We now come to wliat appears the simplest of all mat- rs, and wliicli yet, if it be not well contrived, will liave most influential effect in causing failure. From a tea- lest to a worn-out portmanteau or a leaky tub, any- ing lias been thought good enough to keep a rabbit in. Everybody," says Cobbett, " knows how to knock up a bbit hutch." If the rabbits themselves could only speak, ey would tell us that many a body sets about it in bung- ag manner, and proves himself profoundly ignorant of le fundamental principles of rabbit architecture. To learn these, we must go to the warren. There we ad that the rabbit makes its dwelling in a sandy soil, and lerefore well drained ; in hillocks and mounds, in prefer- pce to hollow bottoms, and therefore dry. The burrows equently communicate with each other, and therefore low a certain amount of ventilation, the wind blowing Ito the mouth of the hole being often sufficient to insure aat. The thick stratum of light earth which covers the pibitations of a colony of rabbits, causes coolness in sum- ler and warmth in winter. In the depth of a burrow it ever freezes, and is never oppressively hot. In short, I'ith the exception of the absence of light, which is of little nportance in a sleeping -place^ a rabbit's burrow, magnified :> corresponding proportions, would make, at a pinch, a (41) 42 THE RABBIT. ^| very bearable dwelling for human beings devoid of otlier shelter ; the nest which a doe prepares for her young i.s soft and warm enough for a baby to lie in, if sufficiently enlarged. And in truth, many thousands of our felluw- creatures spend their lives, are born, and die, in cellars which are less wholesome than a rabbit's burrow on this large imaginary scale would be. Whatever form of hutch, therefore, be adopted, it should be well sheltered, if possible ; it should stand v/ithin an- other airy building, or at least under cover. Its tempera- ture should never descend to the freezing point, nor mount beyond summer heat — scarcely so high, if it can be avoided. On this account, rabbit hutches, or cabins of brick- work, built in a court, offer many advantages ; if made of wood, the material should be solid. Were we now to recom- mence rabbit-keeping, we would contrive a hutch whose top should be thatched with straw and reeds, to avoid all sudden chills, as well as bakings and broilings from the noontide sun. Of course, all sorts of drippings from eaves, draughts of air, and inundations from bad drainage, should be placed out of the possibility of annoying the rabbits. Many stocks, unfortunately, are constantly exposed to nil these evils. Their owners then complain that they do not succeed, and lay all the fault of the failure to the poor, good-for-nothing, troublesome, and tender creatures. "For this reason, hutches should never stand on the level of the ground ; they should be raised at least a few inches (though a foot or tAvo is better), either on legs or benches. The wood of which they are constructed ouglit to be thick, more for the sake of warmth than for strength j SECTION" OF A TWO-TIER RABBIT HUTCH. (-J3) EABBIT HUTCHES. 45 if the rabbits do happen to gnaw them, ten to one it is e more for the want of chy food and an irresistible iring after it, than for mischief's sake. The dimensions vary according to circumstances, and every amateur suit his own convenience ; but no hutch to contain a le full-grown rabbit, ought to be less than a good yard are in area. The depth is of less consequence. ¥e now give a wood-cut of a form of hutch which has ly advantages, and which is useful where a large stock ept, because it is capable of being repeated to any ent in length, like a row of houses, and also, as the exed figure shoAVS, may be constructed with a couple of ies or more. The first, or false bottom (2), is a frame- [•k of strong splines, with a sufiicient interval between HI to allow the urine and small fragments of offal to s through. About an inch beneath this first bottom is icond (1), of wood, covered with zinc. It is fixed with ntle slope from back to front, to aid the escape of the le to the gutter, which will be conveyed to a pail (7) means of a tube (6), which communicates with the ined bottom of each hutch. This bottom ought to be ^able, slipping in a groove, in order that it may be -e easily cleansed. To avoid all likelihood of infection, bucket which receives the urine should be carefully 3tied twice a day, and well rinsed out ; for the urine he rabbit is the sole cause of any offensive smell which r emanate from a hutch. The door of the hutch (5) is ame of wire-work, suspended at the top by a couple of ges, and opening at the bottom. It is kept shut by a k or a button. Doors like these are easy to open, and w a convenient means of changing the litter, which 4:6 THE IIABBIT. requires to be removed from time to time. If preferr^ however, the door may go to slip in a groove, or to ope at the side ; but the former plan is altogether the besi Each 1 utch should be furnished with a little rack, lixc against one of the sides, to prevent the rabbits from Avas; ing their food; for, like other of our domestic animaJ- they will reject the ^Dro vender which they have once trot den and blown upon. In courts, a little rack on the modt of a sheep rack is not only a pretty toy, but a useful art: cle of furniture. At the back a little trough or mange should be fixed, to hold the bran and corn which is desi; able for all, but more especially for nursing-does. Tt troughs for hutches in which weanling rabbits are kq should be very narrow, to prevent the little ones from ge ting into them. Besides the hutches destined for does, there should I one of larger dimensions for the buck, not only to accoii modate his robuster proportions, but to allow a doo i spend the night with him con\reniently. " This matter of rabbitry," observes Mr. Allen, in ^\ " Eural Architecture," " and its various explanations, mi be considered by the plain, matter-of-fact man, as belo the dignity of people pursuing the useful and money -makvi business of life. Yery possible. But many boys — f whose benefit they are chiefly introduced — and men eve may do worse than to spend their time in such appare trifles. It is even better than going to a horse-race. It better even than going to a trotting match, where /^.^ nu as well 2,^ fast horses, congregate. It is better, too, than thousand other places where boys want to go wlien tb have nothing to intcR-^t them at home. * RABBIT HUTCHES. 47 )ne lialf of the farmers' boys, wlio, discontented at ae, leave it for something more congenial to their feel- 3 and tastes, do so simply because of the excessive dul- s and want of interest in objects to attract them there, [ keep them contented. Those who have been well [ indulgently, as well as methodically, trained, may look k and see the influence which all such little things had )n their early thoughts and inclinations ; and thus realize importance of providing for the amusements and pleas- s of children in their early years. The dovecote, the bitry, the poultry - yard, the sheep-fold, the calf- pen, piggery, the young colt of a iavorite mare, the yoke of ,rling steers, or a fruit tree which they have planted L nursed, and called it, or the fruit it bears, their I — anything, in fact, which they can call theirs — are nany objects to bind boys to their homes,- and hallow rith a thousand nameless blessings and associations, )wn only to those who have been its recipients. Heav- 8 blessings be on the family homestead!" Nq will now present the elevation and floor plan of . Rodman's rabbitry, from Mr. Allen's work, together h the front and rear views of the hutches within them. ^o. 1 is the gable end elevation of the building, with a )r and window. 'To. 2 is the main floor plan, or living-room for the l^its. ^IxPLANATiON. — A, the doe's hutches, with nest boxes iched. B, hutches three feet long, with movable par- No. I. — GABLE END ELEVATION, No. II.— MAIN FLOOR PLAN (48) RABBIT nUTCHES. 49 tions for tlie young rabbits ; the two lower hutclies are ised for the stock bucks. C, a tier of grain, boxes on the oor for feeding the rabbits — the covers sloping out )ward3 the room. D, small trap-door, leading into the manure cellar benoi h. E, l.irg3 trap-door, leading into le root cellar. F, troughs for leading off urine from rear f hutches into the manure cellar at K, K. G, wooden :unk, leading from chamber above Ko. 3, tluough this ^to manure cellar. H, trap opening into manure cellar. stairs leading into loft Ko. 3, with hinged trap-door !ver head ; when open, it will turn up against the wall, d leave a passage to clear out the hutches. Note. — The grain boxes are one foot high in front, and fteen inches at the back, with sloping bottoms and sloping t)vers. The floors of the hutches have a slope of two inches ack. The hutches are furnished, at the back of the floor, ith pieces of zinc, to keep them free from the drippings om above. The hutches are sixteen inches high, three ;et long, and two feet deep. The foregoing plans and explanations might perhaps be ifficient for the guidance of such as wish to construct a ^bbitry for their own use ; but as a complete arrangement If all the rooms which may be conveniently appropriated b this object, to make it a complete thing, may be accept- ble to the reader, we conclude, even at the risk of pro- ^xity, to insert the upper loft, and cellar apartments, with Irhich we have been furnished ; hoping that our youthful riends will set themselves about the construction of a franch of rural employment so home-attaching in its issociations. 3 i ^ ' ' ' ■ ' ' ' ' ' No. III. — LOFT, OR GAERET. (80) No. IV. — CELLAR. KABBIT HUTCHES. 51 Iso. 3 is tlie loft or chamber story, next above the main loor. Explanation. — A, place for storing hay. B, stairs eading from beloAV. C, room for young rabbits. D, trap- loor into trunk leading to manure cellar. E, partition bur feet high. This alloAvs of ventilation between the wo windows, in summer, which would be cut off, were he partition carried all the way up. No. 4 is the cellar under the rabbitry. Explanation. — A, manure cellar. B, root cellar. C, ;tairs leading to first, or main floor. D, stairs leading mtside. E, mndow — lighting both rooms of cellar. Ko. 5 is a front section of rabbit hutches, eight in num- 3er, two in a line, four tiers high, one above another, with vire-screened doors, hinges, and buttons for fastening. A., the grain trough, is at the bottom. Ko. 6 is the floor section of the hutches, falling, as before nentioned, two inches from front to rear. A, is the door io lift up, for cleaning out the floors. B, is the zinc plate, ;0 carry off the urine and running wash of the floors. C, is the trough for carrying off this offal into the manure cellars, through the trunk, as seen in No. 2. No. 7 is a rear section of hutches, same as in No. 5, with |the waste trough at the bottom leading into the trench 52 THE RABBIT. before described, witli the cross section, No. 8, l-efore' described in Ko. 6. A, a grated door at the back of tbe liutcli, for ventila- tion in summer, and covered with a thin board in winter. •J 4,i||Vltlill!ll1niill llll!.llllllt 'll:ii:Hl'i|ilt>HipVi".illintll- 'H'lMl Villl'limil'iri'l if^ — CO - 0» IWMI^ I B. a flap-dooi-, fjiir iaches wide, which is raised for clean- ing out the floor ; under this door is a space of one inch, for passing out the urine of the rabbits. C, are buttons RABBIT HUTCHES. 53 for fastening tlie doors. D, the backs of tlie bed-rooms,' without any passage out on back side. When rabbits are kept on a large scale, the hutches are assembled in one inclosure or building, which should be :V'i,'ii'i!!ii 'i|||i|iii covered with a roof and surrounded with walls to secure it from the weather, and the depredations of cats, rats, and other vermin. It is desirable that the inclosure be paved with square tiles; which should have their joints well 54 THE KABBIT. 1 closed with cement, in order to prevent all leakage oi urine or slops beneath, the pavement. This accident i one of the causes most likely to engender disease amongs i the stock. The reason is plain : the earth on which th( > pavements rest becomes sodden with liquid filthy an un ■ pleasant smell is constantly exhaled, and whatever cleanli ness may be observed above ground, beneath is a fertile < source of epidemic maladies, which will go on increasing from month to month, and will sooner or later cause serious injury. In this inclosure rows of hutches are ranged one or more stories high. The first row will touch the wall ; a passage will be left between that and the next row, and so on, till the inclosure is full, when you have a series of parallel passages and rows of hutches, allowing free ven- tilation and easy access of the persons who tend them. In such an establishment, a constant renewal of air is a matter of the first necessity, T\rhich may be insured by fixing in the wall small grated windows opposite each other. If unpleasant smells are perceived, on entering in the morning, it is a hint to the rabbit-keeper to look to his litter and his ventilation. Hutches that are too small and too closely crowded together — ^that are cold and damp, or dirty and foetid — are suJG&cient in themselves to bring on all the diseases to which rabbits are liable. Their result is loss of health, ophthalmia, want of appetite, diarrhoea, pot-belly, rot, mange and death. In the first stage of these disorders, something may be done by vigorous sanitary measures of cleanliness and ventilation, with judicious feeding and disinfection by means of chloride of lime. Eabbits are naturally of a robust constitution, and are but slightly liable to be attacked by small ailments ; but when I RABBIT HUTCHES. 55 hey do become diseased, Ave may be sure that tbe evil is t)f serious consequence. We next give tbe figure of an independent butcb with two apartments, which has been found very useful to con- ;ain a doe and her weanling young, before they are old md strong enough to join the other fatting rabbits in the 30urt. It is also useful for the young beginner who is making his first trial with two or three half-grown indi- viduals of the sort of which he fancies. It is easily moved ander shelter or into the open air, easily tended and cleaned out, and not costly to make. TWO-KOWED HUTCH, ISTos. 1 and 2 are the drainers, the second twice as large as the first, communicating with a sliding-door D, which can be opened or shut at pleasure. At each end is also a door. The roof E, E, in separate pieces, is on one side a wooden lid, moving on hinges at the top, and available either to put in food or hay, or to catch the animals within. T T, are smaU troughs in front, for the reception of oats, 66 THE RABBIT. pollard, or peas. A little rack may be added at the bad part ; and an iron handle at each end, or at H, will enabl a couple of persons to lift it from place to place with ease It stands upon legs to raise it from the damp ground, an( to keep mice from getting in and stealing the grain. Thr floor is pierced with holes to let the urine escape ; othe:: ordure can be removed through the gap at the bottom into which the troughs are inserted, and which may alsc be contrived to admit a false bottom, like that of a birdl cage, but perforated, which every morning may be cleanec( and scraped, besides being sprinkled with sand or straw; The dimensions of this hutch will greatly depend upon the room which the amateur has at command ; but he will bear in mind, that the less cramped his pets are in theiil lodging, the better they will thrive. ' SELECTION OF STOCK. HOW TO COMMENCE RABBIT-BEEEDING. "We again call to our aid the little treatise on tlie rabbit bf Mr. Delamer. "To begin rabbit-keeping," says tbe author, "there are two modes of obtaining stock, which the amateur has the choice of adopting." This is in England. " The first plan is to purchase full-grown animals, a buck and as many does as may be required, and to let them breed once. Some persons are so little disposed to wait for the produce, that they will buy a doe or two far advanced with young, in order to see her progeny arrive as early as possible into the world. The second mode is to obtain one or two litters of young rabbits, after they are fairly weaned, at about nine or ten weeks old, and to tend them, and keep them, and to feed them up, till they are arrived at an age capable of being productive. Having ourselves repeat- edly tried these two modes at different times of our life, we unhesitatingly recommend the second for preference, for the following reasons : — In the first place, whoever sets about keeping any spe- cies of domestic bird or animal for the first time, will have a great many little details to learn, which will be most easily acquired by the observation of individuals sufficiently 3* (57) 58 THE EABBIT. advanced in life to do without the care of their parents and also immature as not to require quite yet the fulfilmer of the great law of nature, — ''increase and multiply. There will be nothing beyond themselves- to attend tc "We need only hint at the many points of health, dirt, hat its, and peculiarities both of breeds, individuals, and sexes with which the amateur will thus become practicall; acquainted, and which will render huTi more competen for the management of his pets when they come to hav' offspring in their turn. It is also a more economical plan requiring less outlay, and less liable to loss. Quite youn^; rabbits, of any ordinary kinds, can be bought both on th^ continent and in England for a few shillings. In case oJ failure, deaths are of less consequence ; in the event oi success, superabundant males, and ugly and unpromisint, females, will always be useful to make their appearance oi the table. But to buy full-grown does that have alreadj reared two or three litters, of handsome appearance, anc probably the favorites of their owner, the purchaser mus expect to open his purse-strings, especially if he applies tc a respectable dealer ; a disrespectable one might possibl} sell him, at a low price, a doe, which, though a good-look ing animal, may have some unseen but serious defect such as an invincible propensity to eat her young, or lurk- ing syniptoms of pot-belly and rot. Another point shoulc not be forgotten: some does, which have proved excelleni mothers with their old master, if changed to fresh quarters (particularly if they have to travel far) when near theii time of kindling, and tended upon by unaccustomed hands, and gazed at by strange faces, will not do well in their new abode. They are apt to make an imperfect nest, tc SELECTION OF STOCK. 59 neglect their young, and even to kill them ; and this habit once begun, is ever afterwards to be apprehended. All these various mishaps, which have disgusted many a young beginner, are avoided by stocking the court or the hutches with young individuals, which can be selected .from, thinned out, or exchanged, till the amateur has got I a stud to his mind. All the males, be it observed, must I be secluded as soon as they are four or five months old, I If, after the foregoing caution, it be still determined to begin with a stock of full-grown animals, the points to be insisted on are, in the doe, teats visibly in a healthy and natural state, plump and swelled with milk if the term of pregnancy is advanced, or she has already httered; the head, with reference to the length of the muzzle and the breadth and development of the occiput, should form a sort of wedge ; ears long, broad, and fine ; chest expanded ; legs strong, and wide apart. As far as profit and fecundity are concerned, a doe ought to bring forth not less than eight at each birth on an average. If she constantly pro- duces less, it will be advisable to change her, even although she may be young and in good health ; for it is an acknow- ledged fact that all individuals are not equally suited for reproduction. The buck is at his best from one to five years of age ; the doe, from eight months to four years : of course, care will be taken to see that they are not pot-bellied. Hard and well - pelleted dung is a certain indication of. good health. It would be very convenient if there were unfail- ing signs, as in oxen, sheep, and horses, by which the exact age of a rabbit, up to a given period, could be ascer- tained ; but all that can be done is to distinguish vaguely 60 THE EABBIT. an old one from a young one. The least equivocal symp. toms of old age are, the general solidity and thickness of the skeleton, especially at the joints, as far as they can be felt by handling ; the development of the belly to a con- siderable amount of obesity ; and finally, the length and thickness of the nails. Breeding does, when kept in hutches, are much better each in a hutch to herself, than inhabiting one common dwelling, however roomy it may be. When a number of does live in the same hutch, the consequences are some- times quite as unfortunate as if the buck were in company with them. K a doe kindles, and leaves her little ones a moment to feed, the other does immediately crowd round the nest, through an instinct of curiosity, peep into, and not seldom disturb it with their fore paws. The mother rushes up to drive the other does away ; a battle ensues ; and half the little rabbits are either killed or wounded for life. The pregnant does which take part in these skir- mishes, generally suffer abortion in consequence of their excitement, and the blows which they give and receive in the combat. Their owner may read the Eiot Act after- wards, but the mischief is done. VAKIETIES OF RABBITS. The Babbit is thougbt to have been originally a native rf Spain, but has been common in the rest of Europe for iges. By domestication tbe colors of this species, as of 11 others which have been reclaimed by man, are very rarious: some individuals being black, blue, yellow, white, rray, lead color, and mixed in blotches of black and white, ilue'and white, &c.; one variety, called the Angora Rab- )its, is furnished with long sHky hair, something like the AtUgora Goat. The wild rabbits are only mentioned here to warn the .•eader against supposing that their young, if caught at an 3arly age, will be of any use to bring up in a domestic jtate. Of aU the troublesome tasks a rabbit-fancier can andertake, is the attempt to rear a nest of young rabbits which have been taken from the warren, the field, or the down. We speak on this matter from experience. The difference of disposition is so immense and radical, that practical people are inclined to believe the two races to be derived from a distinct stock and origin. " Fancy rabbits," says Mr. Rogers, in his useful little treatise, '' are not, as is generally supposed, the result of an improvement in the JEnglish breed of rabbits ; but were originally brought from iTartary, Persia, and Asia Minor ; and have been made the means'^of improving the domestic breeds in this country. (61) 62 THE RABBIT. ! They require more warmth than the common English domestic rabbits ; and thrive best when kept in an atmos- , phere the warmth of which varies from temperate to snm- 'I mer heat." Domestic rabbits may be divided into four general lead- ing varieties : the Small Common Tame JRahhits, the Large Tame JRabhits, the Lop-eay^ed sorts^ and the Angolas. Between each of these there are numerous half-breeds. Angora rabbits are distinguished by having long silky hair ; their colors are mostly either pure white, or a mix- ture of black and white, or gray and white. Their fur iSiij valuable when the skins can be obtained in considerable i| quantity ; but they are delicate in constitution, less prolific, i and many prejudiced persons object to eating them, because, they say, they resemble cats. Notwithstanding which, Angora rabbits are very pretty creatures, and well deserve \ the attention of those who think more about beauty and amusement than profit. We once saw, some fifteen years since, quite a large number of these beautiful little Angora Rabbits, in a yard of the late H. Watson, Esq., of New Windsor, near Hartford, Conn. They were very tame and quiet, and made quite a handsome show. The common small farm rabbits are the nearest in size and appearance to the warren sorts. These are black, white, parti-colored, blue or slate colored, and brown or wild colored. They are hardy and prolific, suited for people living in a blustering climate, Avith only a limited supply of provender at command ; they suffer less from neglect than the others, — ^though the less of that misfor- tune they have to undergo, the better. They are cheaper to buy, and, in short, are just the stock for a boy to begin i ANGOLA RABBIT, (63) VARIETIES OF RABBITS. 65 th, till his experience entitles him to aspire to keep the acy breeds. On the table, their flavor is as good as any, ough they make a less magnificent dish when served up lole. The large variety of tame rabbit is colored much the tne as the former, except that it is more likely to pro- ce albinos, — ^white individuals, with no coloring pigment their eyes, and thence called " red-eyed " rabbits, be- use the blood circulating in the fine transparent vessels sres them that tint. White lop-eared rabbits in general ve black eyelids and common eyes. With skilful man- ement and liberal feeding, the large variety may be ide to attain the weight of twenty pounds. That, or a fle over, is the maximum. French Flanders has long [en celebrated for, and still produces, admirable speci- ens of this variety. It can hardly be called a fancy bbit, since it has not the lop ears which distinguish ose breeds. It is merely an exaggeration or an enlarge- ent of the smaller kind, though an accurate eye will ob- rve that the proportions of its form are somewhat more ongated. HALF LOP (68) FA-I^CY RA.BBITS. LOP-EAK RABBITS. The lop-ear rabbits are tlie kinds avMcIl fanciers delight revel in. The ears, instead of rising from the bead, bh a tendency and inclination backward, like the com- >n or wild variety, fall more or less to the side, as if ly bad been folded and pressed down artificially, form- ;, more or less, decidedly pendant ears. Some few rieties of goats and sbeep exhibit a similar malforma- •n, for so it may be fairly called. In rabbits, the first approximation to this peculiarity is bwn by the half -lop, where one ear falls downwards or )ntwise, and the other remains in its natural position, as 3n. in the Frontispiece. The difference in the ears is very isightly, and is a great blemish in a fancier's eye ; because ears of all fancy rabbits ought to be exactly alike, )th in their shape, and in the way they point or fall, bherwise, it is as if a man had one short arm and one ng one, or one half of his face with a different sort of untenance from the other half ; and yet, a half-lop doe, her other qualities are good, is not to be hastily dis- (69) 70 FANCY RABBITS. carded; because slie may, if judiciously coupled, produo; a few approved specimens in almost every litter. For i is curious that, with fancy rabbits, when both the parent are perfectly formed, have model ears, and are handsomel^^ marked, their progeny do not invariably turn out th same ; while from imperfect parents, if they have goo( blood in their veins, there is a considerable chance of reai ing at least a small number of superior young. Eabbil breeding, in such a case, acquires the same sort of interes; as the florist enjoys when he hopes to find in a bed oJ seedling dahlias or carnations a first-rate specimen or twcj that shall reward him for all his patience and expense Still, the chances of success are greater when both th' parents have the desired characteristics. The oar -lop is the next stage of deflection, when th ears extend horizontally outwards on each side, formin/' a line that is more or less straight, giving the idea of : pair of oars which a waterman is resting out of the wate: in his row-locks, while having a gossip as he is sculhnj along. The term "oar-lop" is sufficiently descriptive. ■ The liorn-lop rabbit has ears which descend obliqueh from the sides of the head, somewhat like the " cow witl the crumpled horn," in the immortal " House that Jacl built." Flat-lops are the most natural, and therefore the mos perfect and valuable, rabbits, in a fancier's estimation The ears of the animal, instead of pointing upwards an( backwards, take a sudden turn downwards and forward? immediately from the crown of the head. The dew-lap is a point not to be neglected in the appear ance of a fancy rabbit. It is sometimes compared to th i DEWLAP RABBIT. (71) THE RABBIT. 73 .ew-lap of a bull, or to the pendant skin, hardly to be jailed a pouch, which hangs under the chin in the African oose ; but is really more like the double chin one some- .mes sees ornamenting the neck of a well-fed* old gentle- jian, or a full-blown matron, whose circumstances are asy, and whose labors are slight. It has the appearance f a goitre^ without its unseemliness, — though goitred la- ies are not without their admirers. The rabbit looks as ; it had put on a fur tippet of the same material as its wn, by way of a comforter, serving also as a cushion for itie chin to rest upon, when "Bunny" is enjoying its rternoon's doze. A thick dew -lap is considered a great 'eauty and recommendation, but it is only slightly visible 11 the animal has arrived at its adult state. llARKINaS: THE SMUT AND THE CHAIN - CARRIAGE. Other points in fancy rabbits are more conventional id variable, and depend more upon individual taste, eculiarities which are the rage to-day, may be only coldly ►oked upon to-morrow. Amongst these are those varic- es of the animal which are discriminated by the combi- xtion of colors respectively belonging to them. We iiote a paragraph from Mr. Eogers : — ' The far of fancy rabbits may be blue, or rather lead- )lor and white, or black and white, or tav/ny and white, lat is, tortoise-shell-colored. But it is not of so much iaportance what colors the coat of a rabbit displays, as it that those colors should be arranged in a particular 4 74 FANCY BABBITS. manner, forming imaginary figures, or fancied resembla ' ces of certain objects. Hence the peculiarities of tli^ markings have been denoted by distinctive designatior What is termed the "blue butterfly smut" was for soi] time considered the most valuable of fancy rabbits. It thus named on account of having bluish or lead-colort spots on either side of the nose, considered as havii some resemblance to the spread wings of a butterfly, wh j may be termed the groundwork of the rabbit's face beiij white. A black and white rabbit may also have the fa-s. 'ouatt on the Horse 1 25 Youatt on the Structure and Diseases of the Horse, with their Ecmedies. Also, Practical Eules for Buyers, Breeders, Smiths, &e. Edited by W. C. Spooner, M.E.C.V.S. With an account of the Breeds in the United States, by Henky S. Eandall. Touatt and Martin on the Hog. • 75 A Treatise on the Breeds, Management and Medical Treat- ment of Swine, with directions for Salting Pork and Curing Bacon and Hams. By "Wm. Youatt, E.S. and W. 0. L. Maktin. Edited by Ambrose Stevens. Illustrated with engravings drawn from life. Touatt on Sheep ; . 76 Their Breed, Management and Diseases, with illustrative eii gravinss ; to which are added Eemarks on the Breeds and Management of Sheep in the United States, and on the Culture of Fine Wool in Silesia. By William Youatt. Lmerican Architect 6 00 The American Architect, comprisin,^ Original Designs of cheap Country and Village Eesidences, with Details, Specifications, Plans, and Directions, and an estimate of the Cost of each Design. By John W. Eitoh, Architect. First and Second Series, quarto, bound in 1 vol., half roan. domestic Medicine 3 00 Gunn's Domestic Medicine, or Poor Man's Friend, in the Hours of Affliction, Pain, aud Sickness, Eaymond's new revised edition, improved and enlarged. By John C. Gunn, 8vo. Pedder's (James) Farmer's Land Measurer; ... 50 Or, Pocket Companion ; showing at one view, the Contents of any Piece of Land from Dimensions taken in Yards. With a set of Useful Agricultural Tables. [Jhemical Field Lectures for Agriculturists ; • 1 00 Or, Chemistry without a Master. By Dr. Julius Adolphus Btockuardt, Professor in the Eoyal Academy of Agriculture at Tharant. TrMislated from the German. Edited, with notes, by James E. Techemachee. aer's (Albert D.) Agriculture 2 00 The Principles op Agriculture, by Albert D. Thaer ; trans- lated by William Shaw and Cuthbert W. Johnson, Esq., F.E.S. With a Memoir of the Author. 1 vol. 8vo. This work is regarded by those who are competent to judge, as one of the most beautiful works that has ever appeared on the subject of agriculture. At the same time tliat it is eminently practical, it is philosophical, and, even to the general reader, remarkably entertaining. Von Thaer was educated for a physician; and, after reaching the summit of his pro- fession, he retired into the country, where his garden soon became the admiration of tlie citizens ; and when he began to lay out plantations and orchards, to cultivate herb- age and vegetables, the whole country was astonished at his science in the art of cul- tivation. Ho soon entered upon a large farm, and opened a school for the study of Agriculture, where his fame became known from one end of Europe to the other. Ph: 6 Boohs Published by C. M. Saxton & Co. This great work of Von Tliaer s has passed through ten editions in the United States, but it is still comparatively unknoAvn. The attention of owners of landed estates in cities and towns, as well as those persons engaged in the practical pursuits of agricul- ture, is earnestly requested to this Yolumc. Guenon on Milch Cows ; ^0 60 A Treatise on Milch Cows, whereby the Quality and Quantity ot Milk which any Cow will give may be accurately determined by observing Natural Marks or External Indications alone ; the length of time she will continue to give Mi!k, (tc, &c. By M. Fkancis GrsNON, of Libourne, France. Translated by Nicno LAS I*. Trist, Esq.; with Introduction, Eemarks and Observations on the Cow and the I airy, by John S. Skinner. Illustrated with numerous Engravings. Neatly done up in paper covers, 87 cts. American Poultry Yard ; 1 00 Comprising the Origin, History, and Description of the different Breeds of Domestic Poultry, with complete directions for their Breeding, Crossing, Rearing, Fattening, and Preparation for Market; including specific directions for Capouizing Fowls, and for the Treatment of the Principal Diseases to which they are subjoct, drawn from authentic sources and personal observation. Illustrated with numerous engravings. By D. J. Browne. The Shepherd's Own Book : 2 00 With an Account of the different Breeds and Management and Diseases of Sheep, and General Directions in regard to Summer and Witter Man- agement, Breeding, ar.d the Treatment of Diseases ; with illustrative engravings, by YouATT & Randall, embra,cing Skinner's Notes on the Breed and Management of' Sheep in the United States, and on the Culture of Fine Wool. Allen's (L. F.) Rural Architecture ; .... 1 25 Being a complete Description of Farm Houses, Cottages, and Out Buildings, comprising Wood-houses, "Workshops, Tool-houses, Carriage and W?gon houses, Stables, Smoke and Ash houses, Ice houses. Apiaries or Bee-houses, Poultry- houses, Rabbitry, Dovecote, Piggery, Barns, and Sheds for Cattle, &c., &c. ; together with Lawns, Pleasure Grounds, and Parks; the Flower, Fruit, and Vegetable Garden; also. Useful and Ornamental Domestic Animals for the Country Resident, &c., &c. Also, the best method of conducting water into Cattle Yards and Uouses. Beautifully Illustrated. Allen's (E. L.) American Farm Book 1 00 The American Farm Book; or, a Compcnd of American Agricul- ture, being a Practical Treatise on Soils, Manures, Draining, Irrigation, Grasses, Grain, Roots, Fruits, Cotton, Tobacco, Sugar Cane, Rice, and every Staple Product of the United States; with the best met.hods of p' an ting, cultivating, and preparation fo/ market. Illustrated by more than iOO engravings. By R. L Allen. Eeemelin's (Chas.) Vine-dresser's Manual .... 50 An Illustrated Treatise on Vineyards and Wine-making, containing full instructions as to location and soil ; preparation of ground ; selection and propagation of vines; the treatment of a young Vineyard; trimming and training the vines ;" manures ; and the making of wine. Bement's (C. N.) Kabbit Fancier; 50 A Treatise on the Breeding, Bearing, Feeding and General Management of Rabbits, with remarks upon their diseases and remedies, to which are added full directions for the construction of Hutches, Rabbitries, &c., together with recipes for cooking and dressing for the table. Beautifully illustrated. The Horse's Foot, and how to keep it Sound; • • 5C With Ci^ts Illustrating the Anatomy op the Foot, and con taining valuable hints on shoeing and stable management in health and in disease, By William Miles. ,'^ % '^ \ ' . ^o ■ • ->°^ V , V* .Tr>-/; , . „,%^* — >^'o .. . ^^. ■^' V .s^ % v^^\>^^. k^i^s^' « ^^. . '':''^^^-, '■ ^0' 'O, * ■) N t-^ xv^^'"-. ° ^" <. *^ ,0^ i^^ j^,.> ''■ \o^: \ ■^^^ .