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BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2011 with funding from

Boston Public Library

http://www.archive.org/details/lairdleesstandarOOhall

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Scored by Judge H. C. Halfpenny. Owned by Hall Brothers.

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LAIRD & LEE S

STANDARD

BELGIAN HARE

MANUAL

The Origin, Mating, Scoring, Feeding and
Management Generally of this Newly-
Crowned King of the Rabbit Race

COMPILED AND EDITED BY

GEO. F. HALL

Member National Belgian Hare Association

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ivAlRO'' & LEE, ?l',!LIbHEI<3

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1901, by

WILLIAM H. LEE,

in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.

CONTENTS

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XX.

Origin of the Belgian Hare,
Present Status of the Industry.
How to Begin the Business,
General Hints on Selection and Breeding,
Scientific Mating, . -.
Housing the Belgian, ....
The Care of the Doe and Her Young,
General Directions as to Feeding,
Diseases and How to Treat Them,
Lessons from my Experiment Farm,
On Judging Hares, ....
The Meat Proposition,
Keeping a Record — Pedigrees,
Belgian Hare I^elts and Furs,
Crating and Shipping, . • .

Identifying the Belgian,
How to Dress, Cook and Carve the Hare,
Possibilities of Business,
What Women Can Do,
Pot-Pourri — Some Don'ts to Observe — Breeding
for Fancy Meat, etc.. etc.,

PAGE

9
20
32
43

58

70

83

90

99

115

121

138

146

152

159

163

168

175

185

''^<0^!rssssi./'

STANDARD BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

CHAPTER I.
Origin of ihe Belgian Hare.

One of the best English authorities, Mr. Ernest Wilkins,
in his little work on the subject, says:

**The Belgian Hare originated in Belgium some time
early in the past century. About forty years ago a race of
tame rabbits arose in that country, which somewhat dis-
tantly resembled the wild hare, and some enterprising
breeder pretended that he had succeeded in crossing the
wild hare and rabbit, and that these were the product, and
were called 'Leporines.' 'When these were brought to the
Zoological Gardens, London,' says Mr. Salter, (I was on
the council of the society at the time), 'the fiction was soon
exploded.'

"A pair of Belgian rabbits were exhibited at the Crystal
Palace Show in 1898. They were imported from Belgium
for the express purpose of demonstrating the difference in
the English Belgian Hare and the continental species. They
can be best described as a mixture of Belgian Hare as bred

10 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

here and the English Flemish Giant, partaking of the color
of the Belgian Hare only, and this of a dark, smudgy shade.
The body was heavy and coarse, and of the Flemish build,
altogether lacking the graceful shape and style, fineness of
bone, and clean-cut, racy appearance which constitute some
of the great characteristics and charms of the typical Bel-
gian Hare.

"Although the possibility of this country's (England) and
the Belgian Hare rabbit breeding together was, years ago,
decided impossible by such a learned body of naturalists as
the Council of the Zoological Gardens, there have been from
time to time to the present day persons who have argued
that such a cross is possible, and some have even brought
forward specimens purporting to be hybrids between those
two animals, but every representation has failed to be sub-
stantiated. I have myself tried to bring about this result
both with Belgian doe and wild hare buck, and vice versa,
and this under the most favorable conditions, but with no
success. My experiences have been so similar to Mr.
Lumb's (another noted English fancier) that his words will
explain both cases, and, I think, that of all others who have
attempted the same experiments: *It is an utter impossi-
bility to breed with the wild hare and Belgian; one is a
hare, and the other a rabbit, I have tried for years with
wild buck and Belgian doe, and with Belgian buck and vv^ild

ORIGIN OF THE BELGIAN HARE. 11

hare doe, in every conceivable manner. I had one wild
buck, picked up in Grimsby Park the day it was opened,
at about three weeks old. I reared him with a spoon, and
when full grown I could sit down on a box and call him
on to my knee. I could carry him about anywhere, but
get him to strike a doe I could not-^in fact, I have left them
together for several days, until one morning I found his
hip skinned and hanging down to his foot, so I thought
it time to part them. Then I got another about two years
after, about a month old, and brought it up in the same
hutch with a young Belgian when it was ready to leave its
mother, and kept them together for six months, but it was
no use; on the other hand the wild one would never let
the Belgian buck go near her to strike her. If ever such a
thing could be accomplished, I ought to have managed it
with my old favorite wild buck Skipper.'

"Since the 'Leporines' (so-called), were introduced into
this country they have bred continuously, but with two dis-
tinct and different objects — in the one for size, and in the
other, ostensibly, to develop a rabbit of the form, color and
fur of the wild hare. The larger race has been called
*Patagonian,' but is now recognized in a different type as
the 'Flemish Giant.' The latter has been named 'Belgian
Hare Rabbit.' Dr. Barnham says of the early days of the
Belgian Hare: 'Early Belgians doubtless were bred from

12 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

the imperfect specimens imported from Belgium. These
latter, although often very racy, were spoilt by the following
defects, viz., washed-out red or fawn color, liitle or no ear-
kxing, white toes, and even white feet or barred fore-legs,
putty noses, white stars in forehead (like horses), little or
no ticking. I have possessed several of the better speci-
mens in my early days (some forty years ago), but none
without some of these defects. To obviate these matters,
fanciers crossed with the common prick-eared sandy or grey
rabbits, and even with the wild rabbit. These crosses, while
improving some of the points, changed the shape with loss
of raciness, and they became more cobby-built, or rabbity,
so the remedy was almost worse than the disease. I have
always suspected that the far-famed Maori Queen had a
cross of the wild rabbit in her composition.'

"In Poultry, Feb. 12, 1885, Mr. Salter, discussing the
Belgian Hare, from the view of a scientific naturalist, says:
'The breeding of fancy varieties of domestic animals has
done much to interest and instruct men of science, and these
efforts were thoroughly appreciated by my friend, Mr. Dar-
win. As regards rabbits, one curious result has been the
production, by artificial selection, of a race which ap-
proaches in external configuration and color the common
hare of this country, lepus timidus'

One of the most scholarly and readable articles I have

ORIGIN OF THE BELGIAN HARE.

13

yet seen on the origin and development of the Belgian
Hare was written by the Rev. Jno. L. Brandt, of Valparaiso,
Ind., for the Prospectus of the American Belgian Hare As-
sociation, of Chicago, published in the summer of 1900.
Mr. Brandt is himself an enthusiastic fancier, and speaks
with authorit}^ He says :

"Animals that suckle their young are called Mammalia,
from the Latin 'Mamma,' a nipple. They are divided into
two great families, based upon their structure and habits.
The larger family is the rodent, or gnawing family, and is
very small in comparison to the other division of the great

family. They are, for the most part, vegetarians. They
have many enemies, and, notwithstanding their weakness
and size, are able to hold out because of their wonderful

14 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

breeding power. This fecundity being so great, it tends to
make them at times a serious menace to vegetable life; and
yet they act as a balancing power — keeping vegetation in
check and transforming plant tissue into animal tissue, or
vegetable life into animal life, thus advancing the scale of
evolution one step. These rodent? are classified according
to the arrangement of their teeth, and scientifically form
four natural groups. To the first group belong the hares
and rabbits. It is known as the Leporide (or Leporine),
arising from the Latin "Lepus," a hare. Each family pos-
sesses twenty-six or twenty-eight teeth.

"Externally these animals are readily distinguished from
others by possessing hind limbs much larger than the fore
limbs, and ears of great length — equal to and frequently
exceeding the length of the head. When in rapid motion
they leap with great bounds, covering from five to fifteen
feet at a single bound. They have large full eyes, a tail re-
curving over the rump, five toes on the fore feet and four
on the hind feet, with the soles of the feet furry. These ani-
mals are natives of all parts of the world, except Australia,
and to this country they were imported, and now abound in
great numbers, notwithstanding the rigorous efforts to ex-
terminate them. They thrive in Arctic and tropical regions,
and, like a Chinaman, can live in comfort anywhere and ev-
erywhere. However, the family is at its best in North

ORIGIN OF THE BELGIAN HARE. 15

America, where there are some twenty different species.

"There is considerable difference between hares and rab-
bits— the rabbit burrowing, while the hare does not; thQ
rabbit Hning her nest with fur pulled from her own body,
while the hare does not; the rabbit gives birth to more
young than the hare; the young of the rabbit are born
naked, blind and helpless, while the young of the hare
are born with a covering and with eyes open. The com-
mon rabbit is sixteen to seventeen inches long, from nose to
tip of tail, and weighs from two to four pounds. From the
original stock there has sprung diverse breeds of pet rab-
bits, of various colors and greatly modified in size, form and
fur. These different breeds have received various names as
the result of some special feature. Thus we have the Dutch,
Himalayas, the Lops and Half Lops, the Silver Greys, the
Fawns, Patagonians, Angoras and Belgians.

"The Belgian Hare is the most important of these vari-
eties, and is called a hare because fanciers have bred it to
resemble the true hare. It is much larger than the com-
mon rabbit, measuring from twenty to twenty-five inches
from the tip of its nose to the end of the tail, and weighing
from seven to twelve pounds. Its limbs are also longer than
those of the common rabbit, and its color of a rich rufus red,
with black hairs so beautifully distributed through the fur
as to produce a wavy ticking appearance. The ears are

16 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

sharply laced with a velvety black, and the eyes are prom-
inent and hazel in color.

"Those who have carefully investigated the subject claim
that it is the result of the application of scientific means to a
desired end — that end being to combine beauty with prac-
tical qualities. Early in the nineteenth century some stu-
dents of nature, who resided in Belgium, engaged in the'
systematic crossing of these animals with one great purpose
in view — that of producing one animal possessed of all the
desirable qualities of the various varieties, and at the same
time discarding all the undesirable qualities, traits and
markings. The animal was then called the Leporide, and
v/as shorter and heavier in body and limb, and not so fine in
flesh and fur as the beautiful Belgian -Hare of to-day.
About the middle of the century the Leporide was taken to
England as a producer of meat, and here it soon attracted
the attention of some English fanciers, who became much
interested in the further development of the animal; and, as
a result of several years of breeding in England, there was
a marked improvement and development in the animal, and
finally the fanciers adopted a standard in 1882, which is the
foundation of the present English standard, though some-
what different. The name given to the animal was the
Belgian Hare, while another development was called the
I'lemish Giant. In the course of this variation the Eng-

ORIGIN OF THE BELGIAN HARE. 17

lish fanciers became energetic and progressive. Numerous
meietings were held. Many discussions took place. Vari-
ous revisions were made. Different standards were sub-
mitted, until finally the fancier's efforts were rewarded by
an alteration in the standard in 1889, when Mr. Lumb drew
up the standard and submitted it to the annual meeting of
the Belgian Hare Club, by whom it was accepted and ap-
proved. Since then the wild hare has been more faithfully
copied, and the result has been the advancement of the va-
riety both in popular estimation amongst fanciers and in
producing a hare-like rabbit. ^

"It is claimed that Mr. E. M. Hughes, of Auburn, N. Y.,
had the honor of first introducing the Belgian Hare into the
United States. This was in 1888. He was a Scotchman of
splendid organism, and a great lover of pets. He devoted
much of his life to introducing his hobby, and in 1898, when
he passed away, the Belgian Hare lost one of its most ar-
dent admirers.

"The industry will doubtless increase in this country
until it equals or surpasses that of Europe and England,
where the hare has become a staple article of food. The
'Dictionary of Useful Animals,' says: 'In the season, England
imports one million five hundred thousand pounds weekly
from Ostend, Belgium, or about seventy-five million an-
nually; that France consumes from seventy to eighty mil-

la BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

lion per annum; Paris, alone, ten million pounds annually.'
The Britannica states that *two hundred tons are imported
into London from Ostend every week during the colder
months of the year. The pelts are valuable — sixty millions
being sold each year in France, thirty millions in England,
five millions in Leipsig, four millions in Belgium, and so
on, besides large numbers being imported into the United
States for the purpose of making felt hats." These figures
are based on official data and are reliable. A conservative
writer estimates that fully two million dollars are invested
ir, the Belgian Hare industry in the United States."

The Agricultural and Live Stock Herald, Los Angeles,
March, 1900, says:

"The present noble and beautiful animal — the Belgian
Hare — finds his remote origin in the wild rabbit of Europe.
The domestic hare has been known in England as a large
and handsome creature, delicious eating, but not prolific.
The wild rabbit lacks in daintiness of flesh what it makes
up in fecundity. Many years ago, nobody knows exactly
when or how, though presumably it occurred in Belgium,
the idea was conceived of interbreeding wild rabbits with
hares to produce a race with the grace and fecundity of the
wild rabbit and the size and toothsomeness of the domestic
hare. This process of upbreeding has been going on for

ORIGIN OF THE BELGIAN HARE. 19

several generations, and the modern Belgian Hare is the
result."

So much as to the origin of what Mr. A. M. Lambert in
his charming little work calls "His Lordship, the Belgian
Hare." He is here, and is beginning what many of his
admirers hope will prove a beneficent reign.

THE WONDERFUL LUCKY RABBIT FOOT.

BY ROLLIN B. TULLER.
Some men are always lucky and live on Easy street :
If they'd fall from off the housetop they'd land upon their feet ;
Not a bone would then be broken and. their bruises would be slight;
But with me — well, I've been reckoned just a poor unlucky wight.

To me the most familiar street has been Old Rocky Row,
And when I've told of my affairs it's been a tale of woe ;
I've had my share of uphill, and I've wallowed in the mire,
And there never blew a lucky wind to bring my heart's desire.

I was born, you see, on Friday, on the tl irteenth day of May,
In the wrong time of the moon's phase, as people often say;
But presto ! things are different — I'm sailing with the tide ;
Luck's now come o'er on my side and I'll just to you confide :

A year ago last Easter I bought a Belgian hare.

Or, more correctly speaking, I bought a buck and pair ;

I did not realize at first the prize I got to boot —

A thing I had longed and hankered for — a lucky rabbit foot.

But the rabbit foot that's lucky must be a rufous red ;
I've put it with the proving with a strain that's thorougbred.
And I'm on the road to fortune, hard times are on the wane,
For my brood is multiplying just to beat the endless chain.

Belgian hares are worth the money, if they have the proper strain,

And with calculation easy one can show the story plain :

Begin with two and multiply in geometric way,

And the lucky foot with money will enrich you every day.

— Belgian Hare Advocate.

20 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

CHAPTER 11.
Present Status of tlie Industry.

It is simply sweeping through every civilized land like a
conqueror! For more than a quarter of a century the Bel-
gian Hare industry was confined principally to England.
There, many men of leisure joined what they pleased to call
*'the fancy/' and followed the business more for pleasure
than for profit. Shows were instituted in different sections
of the "little island," and owners of extra fine animals en-
tered their pets, going from show to show^ capturing as
many prizes as possible, and then winding up with the
world-famed Crystal Palace exhibition. At this crowning
event of every season, a prize cup valued at $250 is given
for the best specimen, and the winner becomes the acknowl-
edged champion of the year. This cup must be won at
three successive exhibitions before its holder can become
its final owner.

At last Americans, seeing the commercial possibilities of
the industry, became interested, and began to import. A'
few specimens were exhibited at the Chicago World's Fair
in 1893, but attracted no eeneral attention. By 1896 there
were a number of fanciers in New York, Illinois, Colorado,

PRESENT STATUS OF THE INDUSTRY. 21

and other states, but not until 1899 did the interest become
epidemic, and then it took its strongest hold in California.
It has been estimated that more than 1,500 rabbitries, large
and small, have been started in and about Los Angeles
alone. The majority are of course conducted in a small
way, but in some instances big capital has been invested,
and the business conducted on an astonishingly large scale.
One firm has a ranch of 80 acres devoted to the industry,
with an annual capacity of 5,000 hares. And yet at the
beginning of the new century the industry is only in its
infancy. America probably leads the world now in the
number of breeders and the quantity, if not quality, of stock.
Ic has been predicted that the country would soon be over-
run with the little animals, that the business would be fear-
fully overdone, etc. Yet it is altogether probable that there
are not to-day Belgian Hares enough in the United States,
big and little, old and young, pedigreed and common, to
feed the people of New York City one day!

In the winter of 1900-1901 I understand one of the prom-
inent clubs in Chicago made a standing offer of 35 cents a
pound for Belgian Hare meat, and agreed to take 200
pounds a week at that figure, but could not get the desired
amount even at these tempting figures. And there are
3.000 fanciers in Illinois! But thus far there is more profit
in raising Belgians for breeders than for market

22 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

Denver and Kansas City are also "storm centers" in this
"craze," both cities having enrolled hundreds of interested
men, women, and children in the industry. And from these
cities many car-loads of animals have been shipped to Bos-
ton, New York, and Washington City. But Chicago, as in
pork and beef, is destined to be the greatest Belgian Hare
center of the world. Already several small fortunes have
been made in and about the city by persons who were fore-
sighted enough to go in on the wave a year or two ago.
Prices are somewhat "off" at present as compared with
1899 and 1900, and perhaps will always remain so, except
for the most superb stock. But as a good rooster brings a
higher price to-day for breeding purposes than ever before
in the history of the poultry business, so a good Belgian
Hare will always command a good figure. At the great
Chicago Stock Show in December, 1900, a certain bull sold
for $8,000, probably the highest price evei" paid for such an
animal since the world began. And he was no doubt worth
it as an addition to the herd of the gentleman who pur-
chased him- In his "Bonanza Rabbitry Manual," one of
the most interesting and helpful works thus far published
on the subject, Dr. Piatt says:

"England is^o-day sending her finest specimens, at enor-
mous prices compared with the prices of two or three years
ago, into Germany, France, Austria, and especially to

Present status of the industry. 2:^

America. These are the fancy Individuals selected and ex-
ported for breeding purposes only. The other phase of
the industry, that of providing a delicious article of food,
has reached enormous proportions in Europe, and millions
of pounds of hare meat are consumed every week in the
great cities of the old world.

"The Belgian has become at once exceedingly popular
wherever he has been introduced. It is a fact that no com-
munity, so far as heard from, has ever refused to receive and
encourage this beautiful little animal. His progress has
probably been more rapid in Southern California than in
most other sections. Within eighteen months, from about
November 1, 1898, to May 1, 1900, some 1,400 rabbitries,
averaging nearly one hundred head each were founded in
this part of the State of California, a district with a popula-
tion of only about 300,000 people. This is a vivid illustra-
tion of the taking qualities of this noblest and most useful
of the rabbit family.

"There are various reasons for this great popularity of the
Belgian Hare wherever known. The first of these is his
beauty. I shall discuss this more at length in my descrip-
tion of the Belgian in a succeeding paragraph. The second
is his docility and fondness for fondling. The Belgian Hare
makes a most attractive pet. He is intelligent, becomes
attached to his owner, can readily be trained to pose and to

24 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

come at call. He appreciates care and good treatment.
The third reason is the interest aroused in every member of
the family fortunate enough to own Belgians by observing
the habits of the animal, especially of the does in caring for
their young. As in all wild animals (for the Belgian is
really a wild animal domesticated) the mother love is very
strong. All their habits of life, the poses that they assume,
their ways of communicating with each other, their care
of their persons, etc., are intensely interesting. Every
sound mind harbors a love for animals, and the wild traits,
such as are shown in the Belgian, are those with which we
are least familiar and which are therefore most intensely
interesting.

"A fourth reason is the fascination of mating individuals
so as to secure best results in the progeny. This appeals
to the scientific turn in every man's brain. It is a well
known fact that a type may be fixed in six generations —
that is to say, you may take an ordinary animal, say a cow
or a mare, and by mating with an improved specimen of
the opposite sex produce better offspring than the mother.
Repeat this process six times and you have an animal which
is entitled to registration as a thoroughbred. This could be
done in the case of the Belgian in less than two years.
Whether carried to this extreme or not, the improvement
of the species has for any man with a talent for this sort of

PRESENT STATUS OF THE INDUSTRY. 25

«
development a most profound interest besides the absorbing

excitement of a legitimate speculation.

"All of these reasons are founded in the more esthetic and
refined phases of the industry. Besides these there is the
commercial side. The Belgian, so far, has uniformly af-
forded a profit. In this country the highest profits have
been in the best stock, that taken up by the "fancy," so-
called. But as a producer of delicious meat the Belgian
has no equal, for the size of the animal and the cost of meat-
producing stock. The meat is all white, tender and sweet.
It has no "wild" flavor, but' is very similar to the best
chicken or turkey, with enough difference to make it novel.
One doe will readily produce six litters a year, averaging
eight to the litter. These will average at birth three ounces
in weight. In fourteen days they will increase in size five
or six times, then weighing from fifteen to twenty ounces.
From this point they v/ill gain a pound a month to five or
six months, at maturity from six to eight months they will
weigh eight or nine pounds each. This meat sells readily
at 25 cents per pound dressed. Allowing one-third for
waste a doe will produce in one year 252 pounds of meat,
ready for the market and readily salable at 25 cents per
pound. This amounts to $63. The first cost of the doe
will not exceed $15 and her keeping for the year will be
not more than $3. This leaves a clear profit, over cost of

26

BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

animal and all, of at least $45, and the original investment
is still left. This is a very moderate estimate. It has been
far exceeded in some instances.

We must not lose sight of the value of the pelts, which
are worth from 25 cents to $1 each, according to their
beauty, the place at which they are sold and the use for
which they are intended. In the East there are some ex-

THE NORTHWESTERN RABBITRY, WOODSTOCK, ILL., U. 8. A .

One of the Largest In the World, Contains 270 Cages. The above Cut represents
one of four sections. Established 1894, Owned and managed by Mrs. Edith
Kingman Poyer.

tensive establishments raising Belgians principally for the
purpose of manufacturing the hair of pelts into silk hats.
They are also made into rugs, muffs, mittens, gloves, col-

PRESENT STATUS OF THE INDUSTRY. 27

larettes and cloaks for ladies' and children's wear. These
are very handsome. Dealers abroad have a process of
"plucking" by which some of the hairs are removed, leaving
on the remainder of the fur a rich, seal-brown color and
luster. A machine has recently been invented which ac-
complishes the same result without plucking, simply by cut-
ting off the dark tips of the fur. This process involves no
coloring or artificial dyeing, although there is another beau-
tiful product, known as "electric seal," which comes from a
process of dyeing. The pelt of the up-to-date high type
Belgian is worth several times as much as the pelt of the
common class of Belgians."

Authentic instances of profit are always demanded by in-
vestigators, and I here present a few, culled from reliable
sources. I think they will help in establishing the claim that
there is no business in the world to-day in which so much
can be made from small capital, and so easily and pleasantly :

A Chicago lady received as a present from friends in Eng-
lang a bred doe. In one year she had sold three litters from
her pet for $1,300.

An Indiana pastor started with a trio in March, 1900,
purchased from a Chicago firm, and by August he had sold
over $1,100 worth of stock, when he left on a three months'
European trip, taking in Egypt and the Holy Land.

A young man in Los Angeles, Cal., purchased $80 worth

28 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

01 bred does from the Meadow Brook people. In two
months he had sold $225 worth of animals and a half inter-
est in his remaining stock for $350.

A poorly-paid California pastor, a personal friend of mine,
purchased three high-bred does for his invalid wife in Jan-
uary, 1900, paying therefor $200. It looked like foolish-
ness, but in August following he told me that she had
raised $2,000 worth of stock.

A Denver man built and paid for a $3,000 home out of the
profits of his Belgian Hare business in three years.

In the "Belgian Hare Success Book," pubHshed by the
New England Belgian Hare Co., many instances of quick
returns on small investments are given.

An investment of $300 in a fine buck cleared the owner
$1,200 in four months, and the buck still on hand.

Two does at one rabbitry dropped progeny for which
their owner received $1,200 and $1,400 respectively.

A book-keeper whose salary was $15 per week, received
as a present from his wife's relatives in England a trio (one
buck and two does). The couple commenced business on
the back of their fifty foot lot. In two years they had sold
over $2J)00 worth of stock, and had $5,000 worth left at the
time of the narrative. The former book-keeper for others
now keeps books for himself, and goes to the old country
twice a year to purchase new stock,

PRESENT STATUS OF THE INDUSTRY. ^^

A writer in the Boston Globe says : "This statement, read-
ing like a fairy tale, is vouched for as true: A Calif ornian
read in a German magazine of a district in Belgium devoted
exclusively to the raising of the Wothen hase.' He sent to
Antwerp for a brace. They have been so prolific that they
have made his fortune. His bucks have earned $5,000 a
year alone. Out of his original investment of $40 for the
pair he has taken $15,000 from the business, and owns a
plant worth $20,000."

An EngHsh wholesale merchant takes great pleasure in
the fancy. He keeps about 40 high-bred Belgians in a small
out-building. His wife and daughters care for them. He
attends to the mating and sales. In 1899 he cleared over
$6,000 from his hutches, many of his finest specimens com-
ing to America at fancy figures.

I recently read of a California woman who claimed that
she cleared $1,500 in one year raising Belgian Hares.
Whether this is true or not, I can not say, but I know two
gentlemen, partners, in Chicago, who I am confident cleared
more than that in 1900. They have a very fine rabbitry,
are good advertisers, and have had a steady business from
the first.

The famous Lord Britain paid his owners 15 per cent, on
$30,000. He cost them but $250, and scored but 94|. But
he was imported at the fortunate moment, and was no doubt

36 ' BELGIAN HARE MANVAL

at the time one of the very finest animals in America. There
are thousands now just as good, and many better, for the
standard of excellence has risen considerably higher since
his day.

I will close this chapter with a quotation from the "Suc-
cess Book" already referred to. Miss E. C. Copeland. of
Kenmore Ave., Chicago, says:

"Can a woman make money by raising Belgians? I an-
swer yes, a thousand times yes! I know to-day many a
poor frail woman, who is supporting an invalid husband
and children, by only raising a few Belgian Hares. Early
in December I received from Mr. W. P. Schumann, the
pioneer hare breeder of Denver, >a Belgian Hare which he
had trained as a pet. I became so deeply interested in the
hardy little creature which is now the presiding spirit of
the house, that I coaxed my mother into letting me have a
few to raise and sell. Of course I met with but little sym-
pathy or encouragement from my family and friends, who
considered it but a silly *fad.' But I closed my eyes and
went steadily on, and soon had a snug corner of the cellar
fitted up with boxes for eight young hares, five does and
three bucks, and so began my business career. From a
small advertisement in an evening sheet, I next day had
the honor to receive twenty-three callers, and by night my
hutches were empty, and I had the sum of $195, which I

PRESENT STATUS OF THE INDUSTRY. 31

at once sent on to Denver for still better stock. There is
no doubt that a woman has the great advantage over a
man in the hare culture. She is naturally more patient and
enduring, and will study the individual traits and disposi-
tions of her many different animals. I would strongly ad-
vise and assist any woman in raising Belgians, and can only
say as to profit, I now clear from $100 to $600 each week.
So if one girl can, with no help, save a smile of incredulity
from her friends, build up such a business with little or no
capital, only fancy what an older and wiser woman, with a
better business head could accompHsh. Once more I re-
peat that I would strongly urge and advise any woman to
give up an office or store position, and put what little money
she may possess in even one good doe, and thus earn her
bread in a way which is clear and sure, and at the same time
is relaxing her tired brain and giving her body its much-
needed healthful exercise."

32 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

CHAPTER III.
How to Begin tlie Business.

The following general suggestions from the "Belgian
Hare Guide," published by the Indiana Poultry Journal
Co., Indianapolis, may be found helpful by those who have
not yet embarked in the business of raising Belgians, but
who are thinking of doing so :

'^The importance of a proper beginning must not be over-
looked by those about to engage in the breeding of Belgian
Hares, as a little careful thought and planning beforehand
will in most cases not only mean a saving of dollars, but
loss of time as well. Whether you go into the business to
raise meat or fancy stock, if you have had no previous ex-
perience, it is advisable to make a beginning with only a
few hares and as your knowledge of the business increases
so will your herd. In the meantime you will have gained
knowledge that can only be learned by experience as to the
habits and what is necessary for the proper care' of the
Belgian, and more than this you will be able to determine
v/hat constitutes a good hare, and thus be able to judiciously
purchase new blood for the betterment of your herd.

"While there are hosts of honest, reliable and conscien-
tious breeders of Belgian Hares, yet as in all other kinds of

HOW TO BEGIN THE BUSINESS. 33

business, we find the unscrupulous among them, and you
should carefully investigate the standing and reliability of
those from whom you purchase, before paymg long prices
for stock. Much depends on the honesty of the breeder, as
high-sounding pedigrees are easily trumped up, and he
must not only have animals that possess merit, but he must
back them up by his reliability and authentic and reliable
pedigrees. Another important point is to purchase only
stock that is in good health and not subject to any hereditary
disease.

"If you intend to raise meat stock exclusively, in the
selection of your foundation stock, size is the most impor-
tant point. Cost of animals will vary, but get thorough-
breds, as the excellent quality of meat is found in them only.

"In beginning with fancy stock it is most profitable to
consider quality instead of quantity, as it is the well pedi-
greed and high scoring animals that bring the best prices
and these can be produced only by parent stock of like
quality. Just what to purchase for foundation stock depends
entirely on your financial condition, and if your means are
very limited you had perhaps better make your investment
in one doe, having her bred to a good buck. A pair, un-
related, about three months old, can be purchased at quite a
saving and cared for until maturity before breeding, but by
this plan the cash returns do not begin to come in as soon

34 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

as if you begin with matured stock. Another plan, and one
requiring a Httle more capital, is to buy a trio, two does
and a buck, all unrelated, and having the does bred at time
of purchase to different bucks.

"In making larger beginnings care should be taken to
select animals of as good and as many strains as possible
that you may be able to supply your customers with trios
or herds that are unrelated. It is best to always purchase
young stock, not over eighteen months of age.

"Many advocate beginning with common or medium
grade stock, which by careful mating you can improve, but
we would not recommend a beginning of this kind unless
your means are very limited, as there is little demand for
the surplus of this kind of stock, except for meat purposes,
and of course will not bring the high prices. It requires no
more room, feed, care and attention to care for a good hare
than a poor one, and if only medium success is met with
the well-bred animal pays you much the best profit.

"We can lay down no fixed prices for either meat or
fancy stock, but by correspondence with reliable breeders
you will be able to ascertain what the quality you desire is
worth.

"If there are any rabbitries in your locality, it would be
well for you to visit them, as you can in this way pick up
much valuable information that you would otherwise have

HOW TO BEGIN THE BUSINESS. 35

to learn by study and experimenting, but by no means
neglect the reading and studying."

In an article addressed "To the Beginner," the editor of
the "Belgian Hare Advocate," Chicago, writes:

"As many are just engaging in the raising of Belgian
Hares, and we have often been asked how to start into the
business, we believe a few suggestions to the beginner will
not be amiss:

W. W. Simmons, Kansas City, and one of his favorites. One of the middle-west
pioneers in the Belgian Hare business.

"First, you must take into consideration your circum-
stances, for with different persons these vary so much that
what is applicable to one will not be to another. "VVe will.

36 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

therefore, try to suggest ideas that will apply to all, without
regard to any particular situation. In procuring stock to
start with, try and get good ones. If the price does seem
a little high, they will prove to be the cheaper ones in the
outcome.

"After procuring your stock do not think that you can
turn them out and let them shift for themselves. You want
to provide good comfortable quarters for them; not neces-
sarily expensive, but comfortable, by being warm and dry.
Hutches 3x4 feet and two feet high for each one is ample
room. Inside of the hutch should be placed a nest box,
for 'Bunny' loves to get in and enjoys a nest very much at
times. Provide some soft hay or straw for a nest. You
may put it in the nest box yourself, or you can put it inside
the hutch and Mrs. Rabbit will carry it into the box herself,
saving you that trouble. The above sized hutch will be
ample room for a doe and her young ones until the young
ones are old enough to wean. When old enough to wean,
say about six weeks old, you can put the \s'hole litter in
quarters by themselves and allow them together until about
four months old, when you should separate them, putting
males and females separate. A place five feet wide and
twenty feet long will contain two or three dozen of these
youngsters very comfortably. Feed regularly, and you can
feed almost any vegetable. I have found it a very good plan

HOPV TO BEGIN THE BUSINESS. 37

to feed two or three kinds one or two days then change to
some other kinds a few days. In summer time there is so
much of a variety to be had, that their feed costs little else
than the trouble of gathering. Do not feed too much at a
time, for by so doing it becomes wasted and is lost. Scraps
from the table makes good feed for them also. No differ-
ence how hard and dry the bread-crusts, give it to them
and see if it gets too hard for them. I guess not! For a doe
with a litter of young ones, if you have milk, you can feed
them milk also. Some say milk is not good for them, and
some say they will not use it, but w^ have never found such
to be the case, and advise soaking bread in milk for them as
being excellent, especially for young ones until several
months old. Rabbits are very great eaters. They con-
sume a large quantity of food during twenty-four hours.
They do not eat very greedily, but they do eat a great part
of the time, and put on flesh very rapidly.

Caution should be used in feeding milk and table scraps.
"They need water as well as food, and you should see that
they have good fresh water. You should give them just as
good and careful attention as you would any other kind of
stock. They need it. They deserve it, either for pets or for
profit."

When I first began in the business,! had a doe that dropped
a litter of nine. Two of them died, but the remaining seven

38 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

got along finely till they were about a month old, when the
mother got off her feed some way, I presume from over-
feeding, for my wife and boys could not do enough for their
pets. She refused to eat, and in a day or two both she and
the little ones were very gaunt. I thought I would try
cow's milk on the little ones, and having access to a fresh
cow, I fed them liberally from her milk. At first they
thrived beautifully — grew as fat as little pigs. But in two
or three days they had the slobbers, and began to scour.
They all died, and I profited by the experience. Beginners
should be careful to feed only that which agrees with the
bunnies, and not too much of that. As to the little ones,
leave them alone, the mother will take better care of them
than you can. Feed the mother right and she will feed her
children properly.

Knowing from my own experience that beginners like
full particulars about all the little details of the business, I
will give the following chatty and suggestive selection en-
titled "Beginning a Hare Farm," from the columns of the
"Poultry and Belgian Hare Standard," Kansas City:

"When we started in the Belgian Hare business, we
began in a small way one spring. When fall came, we had
between thirty and forty hares cooped in covered wire runs,
each about 12 feet square and 3 feet high, with a box inside
about 3 feet square that could be used by hares when stormy

HOW TO BEGIN THE BUSINESS.

Sd

40 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

or by the does for nests. Later in the fall, as it began to
grow colder, we were rather perplexed as to what kind of a
rabbitry it was most advisable to build in which to winter
the stock. We finally remodeled a poultry house in the
following manner. To begin with the house was 21 feet
long, 8 feet wide, 5 feet high at the front, 7 feet high at the
ridgepole, and 6 feet high at the back; the board floor a foot
from the ground, and the door at one end, next to back.
We took the boards ofif the 5-foot side and covered that
side with our inch mesh wire. We then made a second
floor 2| feet above the one already there. This second floor
ran the length of the house, was 4J feet wide, and was made
of matched boards.

"We partitioned off the two floors we now had and made
14. pens, 7 on a floor, each pen being 4J feet deep and 3 feet
wide at the open wire front and 2J feet high. The partitions
between the pens were boarded up for about a foot and the
restwas covered with one-inch mesh wire. In the back of these
pens we had left a space running the length of the house
and 3J feet wide, where we could keep supplies. The doors
in the different pens were made of a framework covered
with wire. These doors were 2-J feet high and 3 feet wide,
and opened into the alley-way inside of the house. In each
pen we had a nest box 12 inches high, 12 inches wide and
18 inches long, with a hole about 6 inches square in one

HOW TO BEGIN THE BU SUV ESS. 41

side. We use sawdust on the floors, cleaning twice each
week, feed principally on second crop hay, oats and water,
besides a few old vegetables.

"In this way, with an open front house, we wintered our
stock, breeding the does every two months. They stood the
two great storms and all the cold weather without any
trouble, were never sick, and we lost only one or two very
young ones. We think this shows pretty clearly that the
Belgian Hare is very hardy and will stand, and breed in
very cold weather."

If one has the will to begin, the way will suggest itself.
I have had many say to me, "I should like to try my hand
in the business if I only had a place to keep the hares." I
always reply that any place is good enough, just so it is
fairly light, dry, and free from draughts, — a woodshed, barn,
attic, basement, vacant room, or any old corner where the
three conditions above mentioned can be met.

Last summer I called upon a ministerial friend of mine in
Chicago, and before leaving he said, "Come up and see my
hares." Thought I, what does he mean? He was boarding,
and I could not conceive how he could raise rabbits under
his circumscribed surroundings. But imagine my surprise
when he took me upstairs to a large bedroom, which he had
rented, stripped of its usual furniture, and divided into neat
hutches. He had about fifty fine animals, and they were

42

BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

doing well. Since then I have started a number of persons
in the business by suggesting to them the use of a vacant
room in the house. If properly cared for, the hutches will

Owned by tha Northwestern Belgian Hare Co., Chicago.

emit no odor to speak of, and the bunnies instead of being
a nuisance, as many imagine, will prove household pets.
Willie Vanderbilt paid $20,000 for a pup some months ago.
If he had put the same amount in Belgian Hares, he
could have had not one, but many pets, and from their cul-
tivation could have doubled his princely fortune in a few
years and showered blessings on legions. But then, we are
not all constituted alike.

CHAPTER IV.
G-eneral Hints on Selection and Breeding".

Perhaps nine persons out of ten entering the Belgian
Hare business blunder by buying inferior stock. They are
not fully convinced that the industry is worth their while,
but they hope that in some way, and quickly, "luck" will
strike them hard, if they purchase a Belgian or two, no
matter of what degree of perfection, just so it is guaranteed
tp be a Belgian. Success does not come in this manner. It
takes ordinary brains to make money in this business as
well as in anything else.

"The most important matter, when first engaging in the
Belgian Hare industry, is the selection of breeding stock.
If your funds are limited, get some medium grade does,
pedigreed if possible, and free from disqualifications. Have
them bred to fine pedigreed bucks, (better animals than the
does) and at the same time buy for your own use a four
months old buck of good pedigree, and as good points as
possible. By buying a buck of this age you can procure it
for about one-half its value at breeding age. This young
buck should not be used for service until he is seven or
eight months old. When he has reached that age the does
will be in condition for another breeding, and can be served

43

44 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

by this buck. The youngsters from these matings will be
better than their dams, and your stock will have taken one
step upward. By continuing on this line, at the end of

CHAMPION FIEB QUEEN.

Winner of Six Firsts and Specials tinder five expert American judges. Owned by
the Kaw Valley Belgian Hare Company, Kansas City, Mo.

eighteen or twenty months you will be producing some
handsome specimens," says Mr. J. Howard Payne in the
*'Bel§:ian Hare Guide."

GENERAL HINTS ON SELECTION AND BREEDING. 45

"If you feel that you can afford to purchase does of the
very best quality, I would advise you to procure this class of
stock. For, if they are carefully mated, the first litter from
them will be as good, if not better, than the stock you would
produce after 'grading up' from the medium grade stock
for one and one-half to two years, thus you save much time
and 'time is money.*

"In regard to pedigrees, these are very important, as the
saying 'blood will tell' is especially true with the Belgian
Hare. Of course, if the pedigree contains the names of
animals unknown to fame, it is not of much value. But if ?^
an animal is the descendant of any English champion, or
American winner, you can depend on the progeny of such
animal being choice. To be sure that the pedigree of the
animal you are purchasing is correct, insist on its being
registered with some reliable registry association.

"Give your does plenty of time to grow. If, by six
months, which is the usual breeding age, they are under-
sized and not fully matured, wait until they are eight
pounds, or a little less, in weight, before breeding. The
youngsters will be racier, and more satisfactory in every
way, if this be done."

In 1882 -a number of prominent English fanciers agreed
upon the following standard :

46 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

Color — Reddish brown 20

Ticking — Extended uniformly throughout and of a

chocolate black 15

Shape — Like that of the wild hare 20

Ears 10

Feet 10

Eyes 10

Size 5

Condition 10

Total 100

Most breeders were agreed upon the points of shape, but
there was a diversity of opinion as to color and ticking.
As a result of much discussion, the standard was revised in
1899 to read as follows:
*Disqualifications — 1. Lopped or fallen ear or ears. 2.
White front teeth or white bar or bars on same. 3.
Decidedly wry feet. 4. Wry tail. A specimen should
have the benefit of any doubt.
Color — Rich rufus red (not dark, smudgy color), car-
ried well down sides and hindquarters, and as little

white under jaws as possible 20

Ticking — Rather wavy appearance and plentiful. . 15
Shape-^Body: Long, thin, well tucked up flank,
and well ribbed up; back, slightly arched; loins,
well rounded, not choppy; head, rather lengthy;
muscular chest; tail straight, not screwed; and al-
together of a racy appearance 20

GENERAL HINTS ON SELECTION AND BREEDING. 47

Ears — ^About five inches, well laced on tips, and as
far down outside edges as possible; good color in-
side and outside, and well set on 10

Eyes — Hazel color, large, round, bright and bold . . 10
Legs and Feet — Forefeet and legs, long, straight,
slender, well colored and free from white bars;

hind feet, as well colored as possible 10

Size — 'About eight pounds 5

Condition — Not fat, but flesh firm and like a race

horse, and good condition 5

Without dewlap 5

100

♦The disqualifications are not a part of the English standard, but were in-
corporated by American fanciers when they adopted it in this country.

Commenting on the English standard, Mr. Wilkins says:
"I am greatly in favor of the wild hare being copied as
closely as possible. The make and formation of the fur, as
before described, is very different in the Wild EngHsh
Hare and in the Belgian. Opinions are varied as to whether
it is desirable to try and copy the formation, structure, and
hare marking of the wild hare's coat, even in the field of
experimental breeding. Mr. Roberts, the great judge, so
far back as 1886, said that he had seen Belgian Hares, the
coat of which he preferred to those of the Wild Hare. I,
however, heartily concur with Mr. Salter, who says, *The

48 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL,

coat of the common hare is one of the most beautiful of all
animals, and if it were but rare it would be sought after as a
fur, for dress of the highest value/ There is no doubt that
the nearer we approach the hare with Belgians the more
beauty'will we impart to our rabbits. I am an enthusiastic
admirer of the Wild Hare; its gracefulness in action and
repose, together with its beauty of formation of body and
coat, produce an impression of pleasure and admiration to
the senses of all lovers of the beauties of nature, and I have
no doubt that the adoption of the Wild Hare as the standard
accounts for the great hold the Belgian Hare has taken on
Englishmen in the fancy in all parts of the world. In tak-
ing the Wild Hare as the standard to which the Belgian
should be bred, we are using a model that is definite and
fixed as no other model can be. Certain writers have dwelt
at length and with emphasis upon the variation of the Wild
Hare, but there is no doubt that the divergence of color
which may occur in the Wild Hare is very much over-
estimated. To quote Mr. Salter again: 'There is really
very little variety in specimens of the same age. I have
been shooting hares for the last forty years, and in many
counties, and have handled them not only as a sportsman,
but as a naturalist, so I can speak from practical experience.
Some may be a shade browner, and some a trifle more
rufus, but that is all The distribution of light and dark,

GENERAL HINTS ON SELECTION AND BREEDING. 49

the white and colored parts, and the regions that are ticked,
are constant and never vary, but at different ages the color
certainly varies. The young and immature specimens are
always dark and more ruddy. At ten or twelve months a
hare has arrived at maturity, and is then a perfect model
to which a Belgian should be bred, not only for color, but
for size, form, and length of limb.'

"To take the points of an exhibition Belgian as they are
required to constitute a perfect specimen, we find color
stands first with a maximum of twenty points, to which
number it is fully entitled, for color in quantity and on the
sides, haunches, and ears (usually the weakest points for
color), and of the correct shade is, beyond dispute, the hard-
est of all properties to obtain. Color in a Belgian is of first
importance; it is the cardinal point. The colors that com-
pose a Belgian's coat are black, white, and rich rufus red or
golden tan, and the distribution of the first two and the
character of the last determine the merits of the specimen.
We are all agreed as to the distribution of the white. It
should be confined to the underpart of the body and the
pads of the feet; bars on the forefeet, white toes, and putty
noses are inadmissible. There is a small amount of white
under the jaw, but too much of this is considered a fault.
What black there is should appear in the form of ticking,
long black hairs protruding through and among the golden

50

BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

Challenge Cup won by the Kaw Valley Belgian Hare Co., Kansas City, Mo.

GENERAL HINTS ON SELECTION AND BREEDING. 51

tan ground color. These black hairs produce the character-
istic appearance of the Hare's coat known as ticking, and
confer the hare-like aspect. Ticking should be coarse,
crumpled and wavy, and of a jet black. It should occupy
certain positions and no more, and its proper localities are
the back and loins. If the area is increased it lessens the
brilliancy of the specimen, as the black hairs in the wrong
places and in too great abundance cover up and obscure the
tan of the under fur. The brightness of the specimen de-
pends on its tan color, and if this is not prominent in the
right places the beauty of the specimen is dimmed. Very
fine ticking which is even and distributed all over the body
is inferior, and not of the character necessary to produce its
Hare-like coat. A much smaller number of long bright
black hairs overlaying the golden tan ground color pro-
duces the best resemblance. There should be no ticking
on the fore legs, chest, lower two-thirds of shoulder, along
the lower half of the sides, and on the hind feet.

"The color described in the Belgian Hare Club's standard
of points is *rich rufus red.' This term for the correct cotor
is wrong, it should rather be 'rich golden tan,' or 'rich red
shaded golden,' this being the more correct term for the
color required, and is also the color that wins under the
best judges of the variety. In early life the coat of a Bel-
gian is not matured. In the nest they are of various colors

52 BELCIAN HARE MANUAL

or shades of color with no ticking, and it is interesting to
note which of the various shades in the nest produce the
best colored specimens. Mr. J. H. Roberts says he likes
mouse colored ones with a dark skin in the nest, finding they
come out the best colored specimens. There can be no
hard and fast rule applied to youngsters in the nest, but I
like to see them bright on the top, showing a greyish red
nest coat with dark blue under color. Golden red young-
sters rarely come out a good color after four months, gen-
\erally going off to a washed-out appearance after their first
moult. So much depends on the strain and the parents,
their breeding and points, and their mode of development,
that no hard and fast rule will apply to youngster, in the
nest. A breeder who knows what his strain is made of, and
what results he seeks for and obtains by given means, can
form, to some extent, an opinion of the merits of his stock
in the nest, but his opinion on another stock at this early
age may be wrong entirely. When in full coat a typical
Belgian is very beautiful, its proper color being a rich red
shaded golden, or otherwise, and correctly termed "golden
tan."

"The next important point to color to consider is shape,
with which I must incorporate style, limbs, and general
make-up of body. Shape gains as many points as color on
the show bench, and is quite as important; the only reason

GENERAL HINTS ON SELECTION AND BREEDING- 53

why I put color first is because it is the hardest point to ob-
tain and retain. A Belgian is not a good specimen if it
lacks color, even if it has good shape, just as a good colored
but badly shaped specimen is not characteristic of the true
hare-like type. Shape is more easy to obtain than color,
but on this I will dwell fully later on. Suffice it now for me
to describe the shape as it should be.

*'The body of a Belgian should be long and fine in build;
the forepart should not be heavy, but fine and graceful; the
back nicely arched and rounded from shoulder to tail; the
haunches round and not choppy; the forelegs should be
long, fine, and well set on, that is to say, they should be so
placed as to lift the fore part of the body well from the
ground and let plenty of daylight under the body. There
are many long-bodied, good-shaped Hares that are lazy and
crouch up in a heap, never showmg their shape to any ad-
vantage, either because they are lazy, crouchy animals, or
because their forelegs are not set on as they should be.
My old champion 'Nonpareil' was not exceedingly long in
limb, but he was always alert and on his toes, and showed
off his shape to great advantage. I always advise the use^
of a graceful, lively buck, because the squatty lazy ones,
although they may have the properties, do not exhibit them,
and often transmit the failing to their progeny.

"The head of a Belgian should be long and lean, with

54

BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

prominent eyes full of lustre. The ears should well set on
the head, carried erect when in motion, and laid on the

FAIEY QUEEN.

Imported by tho Bonania Babbitry, Los Angeles, Cal Sire, Champion Priory

Prince ; Dam, by Red King, he by Champion Unicom. At six months

of age this beautiful doe scored 945^,

shoulder when in repose. They should not be too short, as

GENERAL HINTS ON SELECTION AND BREEDING. 55

shortness of ear causes a rabbity appearance. The correct
length is about five inches, and if you take notice of the ears
of a wild Hare you will at once see the shape they should be.
The neck should be fairly long and slim in proportion to
the body. The bones of the hind legs should be long and
lean, not thick and chumpy, as this spoils the hare-like as-
pect. The tail should be straight, and in no way curled.
The whole properties of the make of a Belgian should
combine to present to the eye, as the Wild Hare does, a
look of gracefulness and activity. A thick, choppy, angular
Belgian is an abomination."

Mr. Wilkins is not only a charming writer, but, it should
be remembered, one of the highest authorities in the world
to-day on the Belgian Hare. Along with this^may be in-
corporated some timely advice from the pen of a well-posted
writer in the "Western Graphic:"

"The length and weight of a doe should regulate the time
to breed. As a general thing a doe should not be bred until
she weighs at least eight pounds, and has an altogether
racy appearance. If you are breeding for the fancy, and
wish those extra long hares, wait until both buck and doe
are eight months old. An Important point is to mate the
doe to a buck that is strong In those parts where the doe
shows a weakness, and vice versa. This will tend to elim-
inate the defects of both the parent stock in the progeny.

56 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

^* Another point : The foundation stock should be of some
good pedigreed strain. This is all important. Fortune
never smiles on the haphazard breeder. One must know
what the particular marking strain has accomplished in the
past, and the proper way to keep posted in this matter is to
have a complete record of your stock.

"One strain may be weak in a certain point, and often-
times reproduce it with startling regularity. To avoid this
you must know to a certainty what other strain you mate to
■ — that it is free from this weakness, or you will never reach
the top round of success. Thus you may readily see the
importance of pedigrees. In selecting your brood doe the
first property to receive attention is color. She should have
a rich red coat, rather inclined to a dark shade, should be of
good length, not too fat, and her coat possess a lustre. She
must have g'ood under as well as top-color. Next for con-
sideration comes shape. The doe should be of good size,
long bodied, and limbs as fine as possible. The more nearly
perfect your doe in this respect, the better your chances for
getting shapely youngsters. If it is not the lot of the doe
to possess the desired color, be sure you get the fine front
and gracefully rounded haunches at least, as in the trans*
mission of this property she is very strong.

"Taken as a whole your brood doe should have good
length of body, be fine limbed, have plenty of ticking and

GENERAL HINTS ON SELECTION AND BREEDING. 57

ear lacing, well colored front and hind legs, rich body color,
sHm, neat head, eye large and full.

"Let the buck be a shade lighter, but possessed of good
general body color carried well down the sides and
)iaunches. Don't tolerate the greyish coat for a moment.
The fore legs should be free from ticking, and the hind feet
well colored up to the hock. He should possess good shape
and be of a lively disposition. Try and get a buck with as
lean a head as -possible. It has been found that a young
buck is best to transmit this property. You will also get
more vigorous and lively progeny from such an animal.
To sum up, your buck must be of the highest excellence,
being particularly strong in head properties."

After all experience is the best teacher. A few months
spent in selecting and breeding for one'- self will add more
to one's fund of knowledge In the matter than he will be
likely to get from all the books ever written on the subject.
But the hints given in this chapter are all from the most
trustworthy sources, and I hope they will prove helpful to
every reader who enters the fancy, and who attempts to

secure both pleasure and profit therefrom.

CHAPTER V.
Scientific Mating.

No fancier should expect good results from haphazard
mating. Given good stock and proper environments, the
most important thing in connection with the business is
mating. This matter has been reduced to a science by ex-
perts, and their suggestions are of inestimable value to
breeders.

Writing on "Proper Mating of the Belgian Hare," Mr.
P. E. Crabtree, of Denver, one of the most noted and com-
petent authorities in the fancy, says in "The Agricultural
Herald:"

"Use the greatest possible care in mating up your stock
if you wish to succeed in producing show specimens. Re-
member that the mating of two specimens possessing a
common defect will surely magnify that defect in their
progeny as positively as will the mating of a common desir-
able quality strengthen it. If you have been guided only by
comparison of animals and have not the guidance of the
score card to assist you in evading the mating of common
defects, we call your attention to a few defects which are
usually overlooked, as well as to a number of features in
animals very desirable for best results in the production of

58

SCIENTIFIC MATING. 59

really high class specimens. On the more ordinary sec-
tions (ones not so likely to be overlooked) we will not at
present dwell.

"Look with suspicion on beefy ears. Require a bold and
round eye. Strive for a deep, rich cream color under jaws.
Give preference to a bright cream color under belly. Tol-
erate snowy white on Belgian Hares only on under side of
tail. Value a cream color for inner part of ear. Outer ear
color should be of as rufus a shade of golden as you can pos-
sibly produce, and should be absolutely free from ticking.
Remember that the ticking of a hare is usually a complex
section to the breeder and to the amateur judge.

"As a whole, the efifect of ticking is what Is to be con-
sidered in estimating that requirement, and this effect is
caused by three things, viz., quantity, quality and distribu-
tion. Turn the animal's head from you to estimate ticking.
Center your point of view at the coupling, the point where
the hip-bone connects with the vertebrae. As to quantity,
you should see a 25 to 75 per cent, effect black (ticking) and
75 per cent, rich rufus red. In quality the ticking should
be very black and the rufus a pronounced red, in order to
furnish the necessary contrast in colors.

"In the matter of distribution, the ticking should be heav-
iest at point of coupling and radiate, In a diminishing de-
gree, in all directions.

60

BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

"These three requirements, properly met, furnish the
efi'ect that is most pleasing and yet difficult to produce.

"Ticking on breast, front legs, and shoulders should be
avoided.

CHAMPION EXCELSIOR.

Winner 24 Firsts and Specials. Owned by Upton Park Babbitry, Thorngroye

Boad, London, England. A. D. Bider, American Manager*

Kansas City, Mo.

"Be satisfied only with extreme length of limb, a feature
that will carry the body high off the ground, adding sym-
m.etry and grace of movement.

"Do not forget that a most discouraging defect, so often
overlooked by amateurs in their breeding stock is a dense
blue or slate under-color next the skin. This should not be
tolerated, as it is the cause of smudgy color on sides, smutty

SCIENTIFIC MATING. 61

color on hindquarters, and sooty color alongside of hind
feet, all of which are very objectionable.

"Make a close study of mating. The instructions here
given, if carefully followed out in the next few matings, will
produce results worth hundreds of dollars to progressive
breeders."

Mr. Wilkins says, "In mating a doe you should have some
particular object in view. The best hares, subject to the
usual variations in results, are specimens which have been
sought for; therefore we must look ahead and predict the
result of a certain cross, and make that cross produce the
result sought for. To do this a breeder must attend to two
matters, and neither must be overlooked: The one is that
the points of dam and sire so match and blend that where
there is a deficiency in any point on the one side, there
may be a fulness of that point on the other, the result being
a point nearer perfect in the progeny. The other matter is
that a breeder should know what his stock are likely to pro-
duce, because hereditary transmission of certain points is a
characteristic of all stock, and they are produced in a more
or less marked degree by all. These results have to be
noted and turned to account. Some does and some bucks
(to illustrate my meaning) will produce striking points in
most of their ofifspring; and this must be borne in mind by
the careful breeder and used when wanted to fill up any de-

m BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

ficiency another may have inherited in the same point.
Here the value of pedigree comes in ; every breeder should
know how his stock is bred, and what, if any particular
points have been most strongly represented in their sires
and dams, grand-sires and grand-dams. By this he will
know what his stock is made of, so to speak; and as hered-
itary transmission is built upon the prominent characteris-
tics of past parents, and as such is most likely to appear in
the progeny, it will be at once evident to the thoughtful
that to know your stock is one of the surest guides to suc-
cessful breeding. With beginners this is next to impossible;
but they have in the following advice as much of the law in
their own hands as may be. Buy of a genuine breeder good
specimens in points of a reliable strain, from someone who
will treat you honestly. Let me firmly impress upon the
would-be-winner-producer the old saying, *You cannot
make bricks without straw;' and in applying this to the sub-
ject under discussion, I translate it thus: 'It is next to
impossible to build up a strain, or to endeavor to produce
high-class stock upon a bad foundation, llie stock you
commence with strikes a chord for success, or a muffled
peal for the funeral of your high ambitions and cherished
hopes centered in their offspring. The stock you com-
mence with cannot be too carefully selected, must possess
certain points, and must have been well bred in these car-

SCIENTIFIC MATING. 63

dinal points to produce stock that may be reliable for future
breeding, or to produce good stuff themselves. The stum-
bling block which extinguishes the bright light of enthusi-
asm and ambitious hope in many beginners is the bad,
weedy wasters they start with (specimens that a good breed-
er would not let go outside his rabbitry alive), and expect to
breed good stock because they may have a grand pedigree
tacked under their high-sounding names. Names and pedi-
grees are excellent, and both useful in every way to a
breeder; but to tack them on to a bad specimen for the
purposes of sale is an artifice no real fancier and breeder
would resort to. Really good breeding stock of reliabl*^
strains can noW be bought at reasonable prices so that there
is no excuse but the excuse of inexperience for buying bad
stock specimens. Mr. Ambrose, in an excellent article in
^Fur and Feather,' gives the key to the solution in the case
nf inexperience in the words : 'Write to a breeder you know
by repute to be an honest man, and ask him what he has for
sale.' Well, if you do write to an honest man — and the
fancy has many such gentlemen, who would scorn to impose
on the inexperience of a beginner—he will not only state
what he can sell you, but he will give you his candid opinion
on their merits and capabilities as breeding or exhibition
specimens as the case may be. Now, I imagine I hear
someone wishing to start in the fancy, and whose ambition

64 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

is fuller than his purse, exclaim, 'Oh, yes, your advice is
very right and good, but if I v/ait till I can purchase such
grand specimens before I can hope for any success, I shall
never be able to make a start at all.' I will ask such an
one to bear with me while I explain in a few words a remark
I made just now. ''Good breeding specimens of reliable
antecedents can be bought from a breeder at a reasonable

ROBIN Red.

Owned by the Kaw Valley Belgian Hare Company, Kansas City, Mo.

figure.' By reasonable prices I mean prices that, taking
into consideration, the value of the strain and the amount
of tim.e, study and labor put into it, represent the just value
of the specimens. Many brood does and bucks in the stud
of a good breeder are actually worth very heavy prices, and
would fetch it. The breeder retains just a few of their
produce, and the others go at a tithe of the value of their
parents.. However, I am treading here on delicate ground,
and as I do not wish to be misunderstood, let me impress

SCIENTIFIC MATING. 67

upon the would-be breeder not to purchase wasters, horee,
ever they may be bred. Buy good bred stock, but thtg a
must be some visible quality. Get as good color, shape, ar;es,
lacing as possible for the money you can invest. Sligligh
failings in other points you will have to set yourself to
eradicate. It is exhibition specimens that, as a rule, fetch
fabulous prices, and these are not always the most desirable
for stock purposes."

Never breed a buck to a doe of close kin. One buck may
advantageously serve four does regularly, and more If neces-
sary. But it is desirable to have as many different strains
represented in one's rabbitry as possible, so one buck to
every four to six does is a good proportion. The bucks
should be the very best one is able to obtain. It is poor
policy to invest in a cheap buck. Never allow two bucks to
run in adjoining hutches, or pens, as under such circum-
stances both are likely to be in a state of frenzy very hurtful
to their development.

When you are ready to breed, place your doe in the pen
with the buck, never vice versa. When a doe is in heat, she
will roll over, stretch herself frequently, and loll about gen-
erally. This is the proper time to serve her. Do not allow
her to remaiu^n the pen with the buck ovet five minutes.
If she does not accept his service in that length of time,
better try her with another buck, or wait till another day. It

BELGIAN HARE MANUAL
64

. setter to allow the buck to cover the doe twice before
is
aoving from the pen, and then it will be unnecessary to

V

it her later, as is the custom in some rabbitries. This
actice is fraught with considerable danger, and I would
not recommend it as a rule. The chances are that your doe
will kindle all right at the end of thirty days if she cheer-
fully accepted the buck twice.

Never leave a buck and doe together over night, or in-
deed any length of time, for they will worry each other to
the serious injury of one or both.

FIERY FOX.

Seven times a winner under six expert judges in England. Impoited and

owned by Edith Kingman Poyer, Prqprieter Northwestern

Babbitry, Woodstock. 111. On Oct. 25. 1900, Mrs.

Poyer refused $1 ,000.00 for this buck.

There are some barren does. If you happen to have a
doe in the rabbitry that will not accept the service of one
buck, try her with another. If in due time you fail to breed
her to any of them, fatten her for the table. Do not palm

ENTIFIC MATING. 67

her off on ^ ateur, who, because of her pedigree,

may be easily deceived with the notion that he is getting a
valuable doe for a song. No matter how high she scores,
unless she will breed she is worth only what she will weigh
out at so much a pound.

A doe will kindle as a rule almost exactly thirty days
from the time she was bred. Occasionally a doe will drop
her litter a day or two before, or a day or two a»fter the
usual time. Do not be deceived into beHeving that your
doe is not with young because she does not become larger
of girth, for sometimes there is very little change of belly
perceptible. Do not handle a doe much after the first week
or two of pregnancy, and then very gently. Never lift a
doe, or a buck either, by the ears. This is cruel, and is very
liable to result in irreparable injury to your pets. Take a firm
hand hold of the hide just back of the ears, and lift the ani-
mal as tenderly as possible, placing the other hand beneath
the body. Never allow them to struggle in your hands.
Press them gently to your bosom, hiding the head between
your arm and body, and then stroke the fur affectionately.
Treatment of this kind will work wonders in subduing even
the wildest hare. Never strike a hare, or in any way treat
it unkindly. It is not only wrong in the sight of your
Creator, but mighty poor policy from a business standpoint.

You can commence breeding your does when they are

68 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

five months old, but as a rule six or seven months would be
better. Don't wait till they get fat, however, as then they
are likely to suiter from fever when kindling, or to have
caked udders, or to take cold easily and <iie.

It is better not to use a buck till he is eight months old,
though if you have but one he may be served occasionally
from the time he is six months old. From eight or ten
months upwards he may be used every other day. He
should be very carefully cared for, as a good buck is equal
to half a herd. Tempt him with tid-bits, mashes, and whole-
some eatables. Groom him often, and make him your pet.
Any sensible affection of the sort you may lavish upon him
will repay you richly in the increased number and quality of
his get. After serving regularly for three or four months,
always allow him a month or two in which to rest. See that
he has a long run, and access to the earth.

Watch the bucks carefully as they develop, especially if
a number are allowed to run together in one pen. They
should be separated at three months of age. Otherwise
they will castrate one another, and the operation is not al-
ways beneficial to the patient.

It has been estimated that a first-class buck can get as
many as a thousand of his progeny in one year's time. Say
you commence work with him when he is six months old,
and use him three times a week for four periods each of
eleven weeks. This will allow him two months rest during

SCIENTIFIC MATING. 69

the year, and still give him service 132 times. If his families
average eight each, he would have 1,056 specimens of his
class to carry his name down to posterity. This is not a wild
estimate at all. In fact, your buck can easily stand a goodly
number of extra breedings if necessary to make up for any
losses that might occur, and he can continue this work
until he is two or three years old, though few fanciers deem
it advisable to use a buck after he is two years old.

Now suppose that one-half of his first thousand offspring
are does, and suppose that they are properly bred, and drop
an average of 50 each their first year — you would have fifty
thousand hares at the end of your second year's business!
No wonder some foolish sentimentalists who never look at
the practical side of things are scared. But those of us
who believe that it is high time the human family were be-
ing fed on a better and cheaper meat than is now obtainable,
see in the possibilities of Belgian culture a God-send to the
world.

Do not breed a buck intended for exhibition purposes
until after he has won his spurs, as service nearly always
thickens the jaw, dims the peculiar lustre of the coat, so
essential to prize winners, and in other ways detracts from
the rating of your candidate anywhere from a half-point to
three points, according to the best judges.

Scientific mating, careful breeding, and common sense
will always bring good returns to the Belgian Hare investor.

CHAPTER VI.
Housing tlie Belgian,

As in everything else, so in housing the Belgian, cir-
cumstances alter cases. How and what one builds depends
largely upon the number of ducats he has to spare. But
a few general suggestions may be given, which I trust will
prove helpful.

In an article on "Houses and Hutches," in the "Belgian
Hare Guide," the writer ("Fields") says:

"One of the first steps to be considered by all beginners
in the handling of Belgian Hares, is where to put them.
Have you the building, or the ground on which to build?
Some writers state that all you need is a good-sized dry-
goods box, placed in a shady place in the back yard, and
while this might do in some climates or for temporary use,
we would not recommend the plan for permanent use, as
great care must be taken to protect your hares from
draughts, dampness and direct heat of the sun in summer.
Being a fur-bearing animal, they can stand almost any
amount of cold, if protected from direct draughts and damp-
ness, but heat must be avoided as much as possible. The
hare is a very cleanly little animal and you will notice they
devote much time to their toilet, thus it is very important

70

HOUSING THE BELGIAN,

11

that you keep their surroundings clean and wholesome, and
to aid you in doing this, careful attention should be given to
the construction of your hutches and houses. If you have
only a few hares and do not intend to go into the business
to any greater extent, it is not necessary that you build a
rabbitry, as hutches may be made of large boxes, and placed

Interior View of Budd Park Rabbitry, Kansas City, Mo.

i-'i a barn or some other building that is suitable. Proper
housing and hutching are responsible for the health and
condition of your hares, probably to a greater degree than
anything else. A slight cold will if not checked in time

72

BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

lead to the snuffles, while dampness always breeds disease.
Too much heat, whether from the direct rays of the sun or

from any other source, is dangerous to their health and
often fine hares are lost on this account, and not only this,

HOUSING THE BELGIAN. 73

but the effect will injure the little ones, often making them
lop-eared, and of a tired disposition, inclined to huddle in
the corner and look as if they were very sick; not bright
and lively as they ought to be, with their little front paws as
high in the wire front of their hutch as they can stretch and
showing their little white empty stomachs at feeding time.
Keep your hares bright and lively, and proper quarters
are one of the chief factors in promoting these qualities.

"In selecting the location for our house, we must keep
off of damp and soggy ground and choose a location that is
dry and drains well, and one that is removed from any ob-
jectionable features, such as a stable, closet, cess-pool or
anything that has an offensive odor to it; a place that is
easy accessible and at the same time safe from marauders.
The size and style of your building will depend entirely
upon your needs and means, but we would advise a frame
structure, as brick holds too much dampness."

I heartily endorse the following paragraph on "The Rab-
bitry" from the experienced pen of Dr. Piatt in his "Man-
ual:" ''We emphatically condemn the practice advocated by
many authorities of building little cooped-up hutches, set
up from the ground, for the hare. The hare requires not
only air and food, but plenty of exercise and close contact
with the earth. In a wild state he roams the earth and is
the most healthy of animals. It is his nature to have wide

74 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

room for exercise. Exercise is an antidote to a surplus of
fat and sickness. It tends to produce not only the finest
animals from the standpoint of the fancier, but the healthiest
as well. Anyone who stops to think for a moment about the
habits of the hare, as nature intended him to live, will see
the force of this reasoning and will realize that, in his do-
m.esticated condition, he should be kept as nearly as possible
with surroundings similar to those of his wild state. To
confine the hares in such small apartments is equal to sacri-
ficing fully one-half the income that may be derived from
them when managed as we recommend. Hares reared in
the "box hutch" do well if they dress one and a half pounds
at two and a half months of age. By our method of man-
agement we get three pounds of a far better quality of meat
at the same age, and a mortality loss not to exceed six or
eight in a hundred of those dropped, while by the "box-
hutch" method, fully fifteen out of a hundred die. Our
youngsters travel the length of our twenty-four foot pens
several times a day when fifteen to twenty days old. They
are vigorous, because of the extra freedom and exercise
enjoyed by their dams from infancy to the delivery of the
young. They are a very active animal, and should not be
deprived of this, the most prominent feature of their nature.
Give them exercise on the earth, and less drugs, and a
smaller graveyard will be needed."

HOUSING THE BELGIAN. 75

■ Mrs. A. M. Bush, of Denver, is generally considered one
of the highest Belgian Hare authorities in America. She
was the founder and able editor of "The Belgian Hare
Champion," until its sale some months ago. She writes
from a vast fund of information, and with a most suggestive
specificness. From a file of her valuable magazme which
she presented me with, she has given me permission to quote
a few things, and I herewith give her entire article on "The
Model Rabbitry:"

"When a man decides to enter the ranks of the Belgian
Hare Breeders, his first thought is of the quality of the
stock he shall start with; then where he shall put it when
he gets it. If his choice of stock should be the very best
obtainable, then he will want it properly housed in a build-
ing that will be inexpensive, practical and adapted to all the
needs of the occupants. One of the most important items
to be considered is complete and thorough ventilation of
the building, without permitting any draughts to reach the
inmates of the hutches. Here is a description of a
model rabbitry which will be too large and expensive for
the needs of the small breeder, but the essential points can
be copied in a less pretentious structure or applied to a
vacant shed or barn already at hand. These statements
are not the delineations of abstract theories, but a combina-
tion of the best and most practical features of the rabbitries

76 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

the writer has visited in the past five years, together with
any original devices that have proven of value.

'The building is 40 feet long, 20 feet wide in the clear,
and 12 feet high to the ceiling joists, with a hip roof. This
roof projects over the walls at least 24 inches, a 4-inch
opening being left above the walls to allow a ventilating
space all around the building. At each end and the back
are windows for lighting the building.

"An aisle 5 feet wide is left between the tiers of hutches,
and the outer wall of the building, for the use of the at-
tendant in cleaning out the hutches from the rear. In this
aisle a car can be wheeled and all cleaning done out of sight
of visitors.

''Bv some a building 20 feet in width might be considered
too wide and a mere waste of material. This width is to
enclose a large space under the roof above the hutches for
the free circulation of the air.

"In hot weather rabbits are kept cooler in a building of
til is character, which is a very important point to be con-
sidered when constructing a rabbitry.

"Having the open front toward the South has been tried,
but has not proven so satisfactory as an Eastern frontage.

"One rabbitry recently visited, which faces the South, has
a hallway of about 20 feet in width. Instead of hutches,
there are runways 10 feet long extending from this hallway

HOUSING THE BELGIAN, 77

on each side. The owner says that the sun never reaches
to the back of these runways, and consequently in the win-
ter time and during damp weather, the rabbits are troubled
with colds. He is contemplating opening windows in the
east side to admit the morning sunlight.

"The hutches at west side or in back of the Model Rab-
bitry are 5 feet long, 3 feet wide and 2 feet high, 3 tiers in

LORD BRITAIN.

One of the most famous hares ever brought to America. Paid his owners 15 per
cent on $30,0u0 annually. Owned by the Meadow Brook Belgian Hare
Company, Los Angeles, Cal.

height, numbering 24 hutches in all. The lower hutches are
placed at least 6 inches from the ground or floor of the
rabbitry. The several partitions between these hutches are
removable, and made so that boards of different widths can
be slipped in in place of the partitions to provide a hurdle
for the young stock. By throwing two hutches into one it
gives them a longer run and exercising place. The first
hurdle is 6 inches high, suitable for the young that have

78 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

just left the nest. As they grow older add another 3-inch
board above the first, and again another as required, until
they have a 12-inch hurdle, which is sufficiently high for
the grown animals.

"These partitions should be made of matched lumber to
prevent the transmission of disease from one hutch to an-
other; likewise the floors of the hutches should be of tight
flooring to prevent any moisture running into the hutches
beneath. An opening 5 inches wide, the full length of the
floor, is left at one end. A shallow, sheet-iron drawer, 3
feet long, 7 inches wide and 2 inches deep, is fitted to slide
in under the opening for the proper sanitation of the
hutches.

"A few extra drawers should be kept on hand, so that
when one is removed for cleaning a fresh one may be
slipped in its place.

"Each hutch is provided with two doors, 2 feet square,
©f one inch mesh wire-netting. A narrow space 2 inches
wide, at back of each hutch near the top- is left for ventila-
tion. This can be provided with a hinged door, which, if
desired, will permit of its being left open or closed. As this
is placed at the very top of the hutch, the inmates may es-
cape any draughts. The health of the animals depends in
a great measure on the proper ventilation. If you have any
doubts of the truth of this, try holding your head in a poorly

HOUSING THE BELGIAN, 79

ventilated hutch for ten minutes and experience for your-
self how injurious tliti air nuist bo where there is poor
ventilation. Rabbits are as sensitive to foul odors as hu-
man beings, and in a great many cases, diseases, such as
colds, snufifies and indigestion, can be traced to this cause.
On the proper saniiary condition of the hutches depends, in
a great degree, the success of the breeder, and too much
care and attention cannot be given to this subject.

"We next consider the nest boxes. These are about 22
inches long, 14 inches high and 16 inches wide, a cracker
box making a suitable nest box. A round opening, 7 inches
in diameter, is made in one side of the box, 4 inches from
the bottom, and 4 inches from one end; having the opening
a little above the floor of the box, prevents the young from
getting out too early — thus causing crooked legs, etc. The
top of the box is hinged, so as to enable the breeder to ex-
amine the nests occasionally v/ithout disturbing the inmates.
This box is placed in a quiet corner of the hutch, and an-
s\vers the double purpose of a shelter for the young as well
as a resting- place for the mother, v/hen she wishes to es-
cape from her family.

''Each hutch is supplied with a feeding trough 20
inches long and 3^ inches across the top. These
can be made rectangular or half C3dindrical, and are made
of tin to prevent the animals gnawing them. These troughs

n BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

are supplied on one side with two or three hooks, placed at
intervals at the back, and can be hooked into the wire front
of the door, just high enough for little ones to reach the
contents easily, without bending their forelegs. As they
grow older occasionally raise the troughs higher. The ob-
ject in this is to prevent the young from crouching over
their food, and thus causing a curvature of the soft, flexible
bones of the forelegs. This position in feeding will also
induce the slender and upright growth of the forelegs, which
is so desirable.

"A hay rack of wire, 12 inches long, 6 inches deep, 4
inches wide at the top, decreasing to 1 inch at the bottom,
and provided with hooks at back, is attached to the other
door of the hutch, at the desired height for the convenience
of the animals. The hutch is also supplied with an earthen-
ware drinking vessel of 1 quart capacity. This completes
the furnishing of the three tiers of hutches in the back of
the rabbitry, which we may consider suitable for the breed-
ing does.

"At each end of the rabbitry are runs for the young stock,
8 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3 tiers high, making 6 in all,
after leaving a passageway 4 feet wide in front of the back
hutch.

"Hurdles, 1 foot high, are placed across the center to
encourage exercise. These runs should be fitted out in

HOUSING THE BELGIAN. 61

same manner as the breeding hutches, with the exception of
the nest boxes, which in a warm climate are not necessary.
In a cold climate the nest boxes are very acceptable during
a storm as a place for shelter.

*'The front of this building is boarded at each end for a
space of 8 feet, to extend to the front of the end hutches,
and doors 4 feet wide are placed at the entrance to the hall-
ways. ^

"The remaining open space of 24 feet, is provided with a
curtain of colored canvas and properly fitted with roller and
cords, to be raised and lowered at will.

"This arrangement of hutches leaves a rectangular court
for the reception of visitors in which to exhibit the stock.
An office desk supplied with all necessary blanks, record
books, etc., is placed at one side and surrounded with a wire
. frame work, large enough to afford sufficient room for the
occupant, and provided with a door which can be locked
when desired. This office in the rabbitry obviates the ne-
cessity of the breeder continually running back and forth
to his residence for pedigrees, etc., and will be found a great
convenience.

"The floor of the rabbitry is of cement (but may be of
wood) so it can be thoroughly cleaned and swept without
creating a dust, and is very suitable in a warm climate.
In a cold climate a wooden floor is preferable. The cement

82 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

should never be used as a floor for the hutches as it is too
cold.

'*A rabbitry modeled and equipped as described above,
will, in the opinion of the writer, be found a comfortable and
convenient abode for any aristocratic Belgian Hare the
fancier m.ay choose to give a home within its walls."

Personally I am a firm believer in the importance of an
out-door run on the ground. Hares like the earth. If every
rabbitry could have its hutches so arranged that the bun-
nies could run back and forth through a small opening,
over which a piece of canvas had been tacked, into an out-
door pen from 12 to 24 feet long, and about 3 feet wide, the
results would well repay the extra expenditure involved in
the improved condition of the stock. Almost any carpenter
can take Mrs. Bush's description, and my added suggestion
regarding outdoor runs, and construct a rabbitry that I
think would indeed be a model.

CHAPTER VII.
The Care of tlie Doe and Her Young.

Every doe should have her nest box in place all the time.
She likes to run out and in the same, and to hop up on it.
Keep a good supply of nice clean prairie hay in the hutch
for several days before the doe is due to kindle. You do
not need to put in the box — she will attend to that, making
a much better nest for her coming little ones than you can.
Shortly before the doe is due to kindle, generally a day or
so, but sometimes only an hour or two before, she will re-
move sufficient fur from the under parts of her body to line
her nest and cover the little ones. When they come, leave
them alone. If it is cold weather the doe will bank up hay
in the entrance to her box to keep out draughts. She
knows her business, and should not be interfered with.
About the third day after the arrival of the litter, remove the
doe from her hutch and tempt her with some dainty tid-b't
out of the sight of the hutch, and then put in your hand care-
fully and feel around for any dead ones. Sometimes you will
find one or two, and these should be removed. But do not
take the others out of their nest until they are a week old at
least, then you may examine them if you wish.

When the little ones are from ten days to two weeks old,

83

Bi BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

their eyes will open, and the} will begin to come out of the
box and play about. From this time on keep a shallow
receptacle in the hutch filled with fresh rolled oats or bran.
They will commence eating quite young, but should not
be stuffed.

Some fanciers recommend milk. I have never had any
success, but on the other hand, some very unsatisfactory
experiences with it. The doe may have bread and milk
once a day during the nursing period if you can conveni-
ently provide her with same. And as the little ones grow
up they will share a few bites with her, but of course she
will get the most of it as she should. Beyond this, I should
not give them one drop of milk, except in the case of the
mother's death, when, of course, the little ones may be
brought up with the spoon, if there is no other doe in your
rabbitry to which you can give the orphans. As my ex-
periments have been carried on mostly in Chicago, where
milk is high, I have fed my does very little of it, and they
have done, just as well as the does of those who bank so
imperatively on milk.

When the doe is about to kindle, plenty of fresh water
should be kept before her, as at this time she has an ab-
normal thirst, and if not satisfied in the proper way, she will
eat her young.

Do not wean a litter under six weeks as a rule, and if the

THE CARE OF THE DOE AND HElZ YOUNG. 85

doe is standing the nurse period well, eight weeks is better.
Of course, if you are crowding for meat, the nurse period
may be shortened. But if you are in no hurry, and want to
develop fine animals, let them run with their mother from
six to eight weeks, unless she begins to wilt under the
strain, in which case, of course, at four or five weeks. By
this time the little fellows will have learned to eat hay,
rolled oats, scraps of bread, etc., and they will get along
all right with cautious feeding.

"For the first few months of their career," says Dr. Piatt,
in his "Manual," "the young do not require such constant
and watchful attention as the breeding does because their
mission in life is then simply to eat and grow and develop.
Nevertheless they must be looked after with a sufficient de-
gree of care. Their responsibilities will increase as they
grow older and they must be fitted and prepared for these.
The hare is a very warm-blooded animal. The young are
born naked, and the mother covers them as soon as born
with fur plucked from her own breast. She then goes out
about her pen and leaves them to themselves till night,
when she goes to them at intervals and nurses them. Ex-
cept during the comparatively brief periods of suckling,
they are left constantly to themselves day and night. Yet
one rarely suffers or dies from the cold, no matter how
severe that may be. The- hair-lined and hair-covered nest

SG

BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

which the mother makes for the young is perfectly adapted
to the cUmate in which they may happen to be born and
the instinct of the mother in this regard is absolutely ac-
curate and reliable. The mother will uncover them when
they require more fresh air and her instinct may always be
trusted in this respect. In the middle of a hot day the doe
will open the covered nest and toward night will recover it.

CHAMPION DASH.

Winner of 22 Firsts, Specials, Cups and Challenge Medal in England. Owned by
the Meadow Brook Belgian Hare Company, Los Angeles, Cal,

Therefore, for the first three weeks, or until they leave the
nest and commence life, to some extent for themselves,
by beginning to take other nourishment than that provided
for them by the mother, she may be trusted to look out for
them. All that is necessary is to provide both doe and
young with quarters reasonably adapted to the climate in

THE CARE OF THE DOE AND HER YOUNG, 87

which the young are to be reared. In cold climates they
will require warmer quarters than they need on the Pacific
coast, for example. In extremely cold climates, especially
during the most severe weather, they should have access to
a mow of hay or, at least, to a bale of hay or straw. The
mother will burrow into this and make a warm, snug nest
for herself and her progeny. With proper attention to these
details, the amount of protection afforded being varied to
suit the degrees of cold to be endured in different climates
at different seasons of the year, the hare will thrive in any
climate and will do equally well in Southern California or
ill Alaska.

"Other animals, the cat for example, lie with their young
to keep them warm, but the female hare never remains
with her young longer than the time necessary to nurse
them. She will permit them to suckle many times during
the night, but rarely, if ever, during the daytime. The hare
is a night prowling animal. He mopes about, usually
crouching in a corner of his hutch during the daytime, but
during the twilight, both of morning and evening, hares are
very frolicsome and they roam a good deal during the night,
especially on moonlight nights. The morning or the even-
ing are suitable times for mating bucks and does. They
should never be disturbed during the middle of the day

88 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

more than is absolutely necessary, and on hot days they
should be disturbed even less than in cold weather.

^'The food of the young for the first ten weeks of their
existence should be light weight bran, hay and a thin shav-
ing of carrot or other succulent vegetable to each little hare.
They should have three fresh supplies of hot water daily
until they are ten weeks or three months old, the dish being
removed from the pen after they have been permittd to
drink.

"Never allow more than from eight to fifteen young to
run together in one pen after they are weaned. And eight
is much better than fifteen. They have a habit of piling
up together and those in the middle of the pile become
heated and rnoist with perspiration or with the breath of
the hares. When the pile breaks and they scatter about
the pen, those very warm are liable to contract very severe
colds. Always furnish both old and young, in some portion
of the pens, a floor, so that they may enjoy occasional rests
from lying upon the ground. A portion of every pen should
be thoroughly protected from the sun heat, and here ham-
mocks should be placed, made of wire screen, half-inch
mesh, and strung about two feet from the floor. These
make very comfortable resting places for the hares in hot
weather. The little bunnies soon learn that lying on the
screen affords more air about their bodies than they secure

THE CARE OF THE DOE AND HER YOUNG. 89

on the ground, and they soon learn to He in the hammocks.
They will spend much of their time there during the sum-
mer season. They will learn to jump into the hammock
from a box which may be placed in a convenient position
with this point in view. The hammock may reach from
side to side of the pen and a width of two or three feet is not
too wide. It should be fitted with hooks at each end so
that it may be dropped at either end or removed altogether
when you want to pass through the pen. The young will
prefer this to a cellar-box during the hot season."

The care of the doe and her young is a very interesting
occupation. It appeals especially to ladies. Many dis-
tinguished women have been led into the pastime, greatly
to their delight, and to the improvement of their health
in numerous instances. Mrs. Col. Geo. W. Bain, of Lex-
ington, Ky., is one of the most enthusiastic lady fanciers in
the South. The Colonel says she just "camps out at the
rabbitry" so deeply interested is she. The Bains have a fine
rabbitry. The Flaglers, Rockefellers, J. Pierpont Morgans,
and other well-known people who have money to spare for
the gratification of any whim, have lately invested quite
heavily in Belgian Hares. With many of these people a
two-fold object is sought — first, a pleasant diversion; sec-
ond, the finest meat in the world for the table.

CHAPTER VIII.

Greneral Directions as to Feeding. .

The Belgian is a dainty little animal and requires cau-
tious feeding. He will eat almost anything, but not every-
thing is good for him. But he abhors filth. His hutch
should be kept at all times scrupulously clean. Just notice
the amount of time he gives to his own toilet, and you will
not be long in concluding that he deserves and appreciates
a clean hutch. If a galvanized iron pan about eighteen
inches long, twelve inches wide, and one inch deep is kept
in a corner of the hutch, the hare will soon accustom him-
self to the use of same, and it is then an easy matter to
remove the droppings each morning. Keep a plentiful
supply of sawdust always on hand— buy it by the barrel —
and sprinkle the same freely on the floor of the hutch, and
in the above mentioned pan. Before sprinkling the saw-
dust, it is a good plan to use a little disinfectant. Crude
- sanitas oil dissolved in water makes a cheap and very ac-
ceptable disinfectant. It will keep the rabbitry smelling
sweet, and the hares will do better on their feed than if a
perpetual odor exists.

Provide each hutch with two earthenware jars, one for
cats, etc., and the other for water. These jars should be

GENERAL DIRECTIONS AS TO FEEDING. 91

about six inches in diameter and two inches deep. They
should be washed in boiUng water frequently.

A small hay-rack may be made of two-inch wire meshing,
and tacked to the side of the hutch. This keeps the animal
from wasting his hay, and the plan will more than save the
sm.all cost involved in a short time.

A vast amount of literature, pro and con, is extant on the
subject of feeding. If one should follow the rules laid
down in the average *^Guide," or book of "Instructions"
issued by the various rabbitries and hare journalists, he
would almost certainly kill his entire herd in a short time.
The best way is to feed what has been proven to be abso-
lutely safe. Every fancier recommends clean white oats,
and good hay. But there are so many varieties of hay!
Yes, and some argue that clover, alfalfa, and timothy are
sometimes hurtful. But so far as I have ever heard, no-
body has ever questioned good, clean prairie hay, the
brighter and shorter the better. So here are two staples.

Bread crusts, the harder the better — toasted if you care to
go to the trouble — and occasional slice of carrot. Nobody
can rule out these two items. Now add plenty of fresh
water, and you have a menu upon which the Belgian will
thrive and with which there is no risk. I know that some
fanciers object to water. But I hold this to be inhuman,
and any man who refuses his bunnies water should be

92 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

promptly prosecuted by the humane society. Salt, of
course, should be given occasionally. All animals like it
and the Belgian is no exception. Some fanciers keep a
chunk of rock salt always in the hutch. Others sprinkle it
in their food or drink.

As to green stuffs I am very suspicious. A very little
may be fed, but if there is any place in the rabbit business
that caution is required, it is here.

In his little booklet, Harry Parker, of Williamsport, Pa.,
writes the following well-balanced advice:

"The proper feeding of the Belgian Hare, v/hile not a
difficult thing to learn, is of much greater importance than
is generally understood. While it will not create a good
specimen out of a poor one, it will make a good one better
and greatly aid in winning in the show room.

All feeding of standard bred stock is done with a view of
producing hardness of flesh, glossiness of fur, an active,
alert disposition and a fineness and slenderness of body
which shows little or no stomach.

"The stock should be fed twice daily, with the exception
of brood does and young stock under three months of age.
These should either be fed three times each day or fed
twice daily, giving enough food to last from one meal until
the next. With these exceptions the hares should not be
fed only what they will eat up clean within one hour. This

GENERAL DIRECTIONS AS TO PEEDING. 93

is a good general rule, but it has many exceptions. Some
hares can consume twice as much feed as others and still
remain in good hard condition. The only accurate way to
feed is to become acquainted with the needs of each individ-
ual specimen and feed accordingly. This is by no means so
difficult a task as it would appear on first thought. Feeding
twice each day and noting the condition of each hare as it is
fed, one. quickly becomes expert at estimating the amount
of feed required by each.

"Should you notice that a specimen is getting over-fat and
showing a tendency to "pot belly," cut down on its feed,
particularly on hay and green food. On the other hand,
should it be evident that the hare was too thin and gaunt,
showing hollowness in the flank or the back-bone being
visible, increase the amount of feed given and if necessary
add bread and milk to the regular rations.

It would indeed be a long list that would include all the
different foods that a Belgian Hare will eat and that will
agree with it. Whole rolled oats, barley, wheat, alfalfa or
clover hay, bread, milk, carrots, parsnips, any non-poison-
ous weed, grass, cabbage, etc., are a few of the best foods.
There is a great difference in the English and American
methods of feeding the Belgians. In England, green food
or roots of some description form a very large portion of
the whole diet, and little or no water is given. In this coun-

&4

BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

try we feed green food sparingly and carefully, and have
fresh, cool water standing before the stock at all times. In
the great majority of rabbitries in this country, oats and
alfalfa or clover hay, form the great staples, and green food
and other feeds are given as a variety.

Owned by the Eockledge Babbitry, Kansas City, Mo.

Judging from the condition of the best specimens im-
ported from England, compared with the best American
bred hares, I am of the opinion that the English method
gives a coat of fur somewhat finer in quality and more
glossy than does the American method, but the skin seems
to be looser on the body and the flesh not so firm as on
our domestic stock. Feeding according to the English

GENERAL DIRECTIONS AS TO FEEDING. 95

method the stock is not quite so liable to take cold, but is
much more apt to suffer from bowel trouble, and the latter
is very fatal in a rabbit.

In feeding green food, be certain that it is fresh and crisp.
Never feed frozen roots or greens that have dew, rain, or
frost on them.

Watch the droppings (which should be dry, hard pellets)
and quickly discontinue greens or roots on noting any ten-
dency to softness of the bowels. The proper time to feed
is morning and evening, and regularity in the time of feed-
ing is quite necessary. Greens in summer and roots in
winter may be given at noon. We feed oats in the morning,
and oats and alfalfa, timothy, or clover hay at night. Bar-
ley is an excellent conditioner and an occasional linseed oil
mash mixed with bran or middlings is a grand feed to give
lustre to the coats. Boil the linseed until it becomes a
thick, pasty mass ; it may then be mixed with bran or mid-
dlings, about half and half, and allowed to stand on the back
of the stove, covered with a cloth, for five or six hours.

While feeding proper foods in quantities will greatly aid
in producing firm flesh, and a bright, lustrous fur, it must be
aided by exercise and daily grooming of the specimen when
fitting for the show room.

After your brood doe has visited the stud buck, begin
gradually to increase th§ amount of feed given her. About

96 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

ten days before she is due to kindle, give her bread and milk
once each day. See that she has an extra supply of feed and
water when due to kindle, as at this period she is liable to
develop an abnormal thirst and appetite, especially the
former. Does short of food or water at this period, are quite
apt to kill and eat their young to appease their thirst or hun-
ger. After the young are born, continue the extra supply
of food and give milk if possible. When the young first
come out of the nest box, place a saucer of bran "in the hutch.
They will take readily to this and it is much better for them
than oats, as the oat hulls often cause indigestion and conse-
quent "slobbers."

Salt, in some form, should be fed regularly. If the stock
has not been accustomed to its use, it must be fed in such
a way that they will get it in their feed. A good method is
to place it in the drinking water. Use just enough to give
the water a flat, sweet taste. After they have become accus-
tomed to its use, rock salt may be placed in the hutches and
they will lick enough of it to answer.

In their "Twentieth Century Manual," Messrs. Corbett &
Langley, Los Angeles, have the following hints on "Feeding
for Exhibition and Meat" :

"This is a very important feature of the business. Many
promising youngsters have been ruined by the too liberal

GENERAL DIRECTIONS AS TO FEEDING. 97

allowance of bulky food, but if these instructions are followed
the best results will be obtained :

' ''After weaning, which should not be before the young are
two months old, avoid giving hay in large quantities, and let
what little is used be well cured. Even if of the best the supply
should be limited to a handful at night. The morning meal
should consist of a warm mash made of boiled flaxseed,
lentils or peas (previously soaked for twenty-four hours)
mixed with sufHcient shorts, feed-meal and bran, until the
mixture will crumble in the hand (not sloppy). This should
be seasoned with a little approved rabbit condition powder.
This feeding of a warm mash -daily is little understood here,
but is used in England with most beneficial effects and is en-
dorsed by no less an authority than Mr. T. C. Lord. To use
his own words: ''Rabbits kept in confinement should have
at least one warm meal once a day." They should get noth-
ing more until noon, when their troughs should be supplied
with oats or barley, on alternate days. The shorts being
from wheat render unnecessary the wheat ration that might
otherwise be given instead of barley. In the afternoon give
carrots or other roots (except raw potatoes). Give no other
green food except say twice a week a little dandelion, parsley
or sow-thistle. Be guided by the general appearance of the
hares and if there is any indication of "pot-belly" cut down
the hay and roots. The amount of mash to be given is about

m BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

4 oz. each, or less if they do not eat it up clean by noon.
Always remove all mash or grain that is left before giving
more, that all may be fresh and clean. Give fresh, pure
water twice a day. Once a week place three drops of tinc-
ture of iron, and one grain of copperas (blue stone) in the
drinking water."

As to condition powders I have very little to say. There
may be some preparations that are helpful, but if the sug-
gestions in this chapter are carefully observed, it is not prob-
able that any reader will need to put his money in any of the
advertised conditioners of the day.

I'M ALL RIGHT — THANK YOU.

While it's true I have been slighted,
By certain men benighted,

Yet what they say from day to day cuts little ice.
For I've cap and station
In this glorious Yankee nation,

And the position that I occupy strikes me as mighty nice.

I must endure the Yankee habit
Of dubbing me a * 'rabbit,"

But I know in my own conscience I'm a * 'bleeding"
But I'll fool the opposition, ["blooming" hare.

And retain my proud position

With a dignity and patience as exalted as 'tis rare.

Adverse critics but amuse me.
But they surely won't accuse me

Of not knowing that my coney fur is in every
For a hare in my position [fellow's hat,

Would be a funny proposition

If he didn't know at every turn exactly where he's at.

— Belgian Hare Advocate,

CHAPTER IX.
Diseases and Hotv to Treat Tliein.

As with the human family a wide difference of opinion
exists on this subject, so with Belgian Hares — everybody
can tell you what is the matter and suggest just what to do.
But the results are not always conducive to the fame of the
adviser.

Mr. A. V. Meersch, in the "Poultry Monthly," has given
the world a strong and timely article on this subject. He
covers the ground so admirably that I will quote him in full :

"The diseases generally attacking rabbits are red water,
the snuffles, diarrhoea, the rot and pot belly. Although
other maladies make their appearance, these will generally
be found to arise from want of due care and cleanliness. We
cannot too strongly recommend our readers to observe this
fact. It will prevent many serious losses and a great deal of
disappointment.

" 'Prevention is better than cure.' Most especially is this
old adage true in diseases of rabbits which, to be treated suc-
cessfully, must always be taken in time. Some varieties are
much more delicate than others — thus the Himalayan Bel-
gian hare, for instance — and will require more careful tend-
ing. You may always know when a rabbit is getting "out

100 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

of sorts;" it will mope in a corner, refuse to romp about as
usual, and neglect its food a few days before the particular
disease manifests itself. Remove it at once to a separate
hutch, in case it should prove an infectious ailment and in
order to treat it more comfortably.

"I should advise you to keep the following rules in force,
and you will be troubled with little or no disease:

1. Breed from sound, healthy stock.

2. Take care that the buck and the doe are not nearly
related, particularly that they are not bred from the same
parents.

3. Have your hutches large and airy. Let them be kept
very clean and dry.

4. Feed your rabbits liberally on sound, wholesome food,
and at regular intervals.

5. Should your rabbitry be an ''inside" one, make a rule
to bring the hutches out into the open air for a few hours
every other day; and as often as you perceive any offensive
smell arising therefrom, purify by applying a coat of lime-
white, in which carbolic acid or other disinfectant has been
mixed in small quantities. A slight sprinkling of turpentine,
now and then, after cleansing, will add to the sweetness of
the hutch.

6. Remember that, although your pets must not be ex-
posed to draughts, yet they must have ventilation.

DISEASES AND HOW TO TREAT THEM. 101

7. Even and genial temperature is of grave importance.
Keep a thermometer for ready reference inside your building.

8. The doe should not be allowed to have more than four
litters a year.

"Red Water. This disease is so called, from the red color
of the urine voided by the rabbit, which in very bad cases is
also mixed with blood. The disease may be traced to a
vitiated state of the blood, combined with inflammation of
the kidneys, and is generally caused by catching a sudden
chill, or by its having eaten 4-inwholesome vegetables.

"Cure. The animal should be as little disturbed as possi-
ble, should be fed on mucilaginous food as endive, dandelion,
sow-thistle, lettuce with cooked potatoes and bran. Six
drops of sweet spirits of nitre may now and then be given,
and a spoonful of water, in which bran has been soaked,
every day until the inflammation ceases. The hutch should
be kept well cleaned and extra warm. '

"The Snuffles. Symptoms. — The rabbit catches a violent
cold in the head, and if not stopped in time, it degenerates
into bronchitis and inflammation of the lungs. It is a very
obstinate complaint and most rabbits seized with it die; more-
over, it is contagious. You will hear the rabbit sneeze often,
and shortly after a thick, gummy exudation runs from the
nostrils, causing great difficulty in breathing.

"Cure. The cure of this disease, when it has not been

102 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

allowed to proceed too far, is comfortable housing and partic-
ular care taken that all draughts and wet are excluded. Extra
warmth should be given and the rabbit tempted to eat. A
few boiled potatoes mixed with a little salt and just warm.
Thin, warm gruel of barley meal, and a piece of carrot or
turnip. No green food should be given during the illness.
Every day for a week, if the disease does not mend before,
give 3J grains of powdered blue stone. If the discharge
from the nostrils then disappears, your rabbit will recover.
Occasionally bathe the nose with warm vinegar and water,"
and every second day after recovery mix IJ grains of the
blue stone with its oats or bran. For another week, 6 grains
of James' powder, mixed with 12 grains of powdered nitre,
licorice, 30 grains, ipecacuanha, 1 grain; mix and give one-
sixth at a time, three times daily. This, in early stages, will
generally suffice, otherwise the case will be hopeless.

"Diarrhoea. This disease — an abnormal laxity of the
bowels which greatly weakens the animal — is generally the
result of permitting the rabbit to eat too much green food
and wet vegetables. To effect a cure, a total change of diet
must be adopted. Give the rabbit a little bran, in which you
have mixed some finely powdered cinnamon and an acorn,
grated small, also a little dry sweet hay, which the rabbit
will eat when the acorn tonic has produced a little change.
The skins of baked potatoes may be given as the animal

DISEASES AND HOW TO TREAT THEM.

m

improves, also dry crusts of bread or roasted bread. Keep
the rabbit in a warm, dry place, and see that the hutch is
frequently cleansed. '

Prizes won by the Raw Valley Beli^iiuii Hare Company, Kansas City, Mo.

104 Belgian hare manual

''The Rot. Symptoms: The rot is as fatal to rabbits as
to sheep in wet seasons. Animals are found lying about
dead, as if the warren had been stricken with pestilence.
The animals are attacked by a sort of consumption, which re-
duces them to extreme leanness, and they become covered
with a contagious scabbiness which is extremely difficult to
cure. This disease, which attacks them when young, checks
their growth, takes away their appetite, and at last causes
them to die in violent convulsions. If it is not arrested in
time, it may soon spread throughout the whole stock. It is
generally attributed to damp and to superabundant moisture
in various forms, which seems to be the mortal enemy of the
rabbit.

"Cure. A rabbit very much covered with sores or pustules
should be, immediately the disease is detected, removed from
the rest, and rubbed with a salve made of sulphur and lard.
Tobacco liquor is very efifective. Take two ounces of "roll"
tobacco, and soak it in a pint of boiling water, stir in six
grains of Spanish fly, and when cold apply to the skin, where
the disease exists, with a piece of rag, every second day.
After a few applications, the scurf and hair will tumble of?
together, but of course the fur will soon grow again. Soft
warm food, in which you may put one-fourth ounce of pow-
dered .sulphur, and dandelions with sweet hay should form
the diet. A little powdered sulphur should at times be

DISEASES AND HOW TO TREAT THEM, 105

rubbed or shaken round the ears, eyes and nose, on the faint-
est symptoms of rot or mange showing itself.

''Disease of the Eye. This disease which mostly affects
young rabbits, and generally proves fatal, is easier to prevent
than to cure. It appears to be caused by the exhalations
from filth and urine in a decomposing state. Keep your
place clean, and you will not fear the disease. Two grains
of sulphate of zinc to one ounce of distilled water, applied
three times daily, is the best remedy.

"Disease of the Ear. This is a most vexatious and un-
accountable complaint, but is not unless neglected fatal. In
some rabbits it completely fills the interior of the ear with
a scabby accumulation, whilst in others there is found a moist
secretion. Again some rabbits in the same hutch will be
affected with it while the others show no sign of a distemper.

"Take a feather, or thin bit of stick, and gently endeavor
to remove or loosen the wax, so as not to cause pain. Then
pour a few drops sweet oil of almonds into the ear once a
day. In a few days the wax will be loosened, and the ear
may be gently syringed with warm soap and water, after-
wards applying the sulphate of zinc lotion. Flour of sulphur
dusted into the ear is a good and simple remedy.

"Pot Belly. Generally caused by not giving green food
properly. Young rabbits are most subject to this complaint.
The belly swells, and the rabbits become weak and fall away.

106 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

If not soon relieved they will die, when their vent appears
as though a mixed discharge of dung and urine had termi-
nated their existence.

''Cure. Good air and exercise, by letting them run out on
any place not paved with stone, plenty of dry food such as
barley, oats and soaked peas, and a very small quantity of
water. A small root or two of carrot or parsnip can be given,
but no green feed.

''Mange. A miserable disease, caused by being kept in
close confinement in a damp and unwholesome place and
being fed poor and unwholesome food.

"Cure. Feed as you would if attacked by snuffles, and
sprinkle small quantities of sulphur daily over those parts
of the skin affected. It is soon cured, if it has not got too
firm a hold, in which case, kill the animal.

"Convulsions. Sometimes attack young rabbits. It is
caused either from too frequent breeding from the same
stock or from overfeeding.

"Cure. The best remedy is semi-starvation for a day or
two, giving them but small quantities of hay and no other
food. Then by degrees let them have a portion of soaked
peas or oats. Keep them ten days without green food.

''Injurious Food. If you find your young rabbit, when
about eight or ten weeks old, becomes ill, and the parts about
the shoulders become swollen and the skin discolored, it 19

DISEASES AND HOW TO TREAT THEM. 107

evident it has been eating something injurious. I give the
following remedy: Mix linseed meal or oat meal, and half
the quantity of sulphur together, with hot water, not too
thin. Give also a little parsley and a carrot or two, once a
day, with plenty of good sweet hay."

It is strange that Mr. Meersch does not even mention
slobbers, which is one of the most common diseases in the
rabbitry. This disease is confined principally to the young,
and is caused by over-feeding, or by improper feeding. Con-
cerning this disease Mr. Lambert says :

*'A running discharge of a watery fluid comes from the
sides of the mouth. The animal may be seen trying to wipe
it oflF with the paws. This disease Is usually caused by a too
sudden change from dry to green food, but may also be
caused by colds or too wet food. Wash the mouth with
borax and water. Give twice daily a teaspoonful of milk or
water into which put five to ten drops of equal parts of oil
of juniper and sweet spirits of nitre, according to age and
severity of attack. Another remedy recommended by some
is made by mixing and well dissolving: Pepsin, 2 grains;
quinine, 1 grain; whiskey, 1 ounce; water, 3 ounces. Dose,
one teaspoonful three times a day. This also makes a good
tonic. Some fanciers use tincture of ginger, well diluted,
for this disease. Still another remedy is six drops of Jamaica

108 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

ginger to a teaspoonful of water, forced down the throat with
a medicine dropper."

I would object to the use of whiskey. It isn't fit for the
stomach of a cast iron dog, let alone that of a tender young
hare. Sane people should never use the stuff under any
pretext.

I would add that the moment a case of slobbers develops
in your rabbitry, remove the afflicted animal to a separate
hutch, and allow it nothing to eat but prairie hay for several
days. Salt and powdered alum dissolved in its drinking
water will hasten a cure.

Concerning the snuffles, Dr. Piatt says:

''Snuffles will attack hares anywhere if too closely confined.
It arises from an irritation of the delicate mucous memibranes
of the nose and air passages caused by the fumes of the
ammonia in the droppings and urine of the hare, as well as
from a cold. It does not come from a cold alone as some
people erroneously believe.

"The best way to cure snuffles is to prevent it. This can
be done by a constant use of antiseptics. The best of all
is fresh air, which is also cheapest of all, and should con-
stantly be supplied in great abundance. Dry loam, not sand,
should also be plentifully supplied to the floors of all pens
and should be renewed frequently, that which has become
saturated and foul being carted away to the manure pile. If

DISEASES AND HO IV TO TREAT THEM. m

these remedial agencies are constantly used there will rarely
be snuffles, but a third excellent antiseptic is Formalin, a
preparation made in England and imported into this country.
It comes in a highly concentrated Hquid, which may be pur-
chased at drug-stores. Twenty-five cents worth will last a
long time. A weak solution is made by adding one tea-
spoonful of Formalin to a quart of plain water. A stronger
and better solution for more severe cases is obtained by using
two teaspoonfuls of Formalin to a quart of water. This
should be sprayed through the pens by use of an atomizer,
such as is used for spraying the nose and throat in sickness,
or, better because quicker, by using a syringe with a nozzle
that will give a spray. In the solutions mentioned this
preparation is non-poisonous and its use every day or two
will keep the pens free from all odors and will thoroughly
disinfect them, killing the microbes that cause snuffles and
other diseases:

''The fact that the hare sometimes takes disease does not
prove that he is a particularly delicate animal. Any animal,
even man, would become diseased if exposed to the condi-
tions that some hares are compelled to endure by their short-
sighted owners. If you wish to make your rabbitry a success
go at it in the right way and remember that care and cleanli-
ness, with abundant, varied and pure food, are the requisites
of success and profit.

110 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

"Do not expect to keep a whole herd of rabbits healthy

if confined in narrow, close quarters."

There are several other ailments that sometimes manifest
themselves in rabbitries. Among them may be mentioned
abscesses, caked or swollen breast, scours, diseased liver,
paralysis of the hindquarters, vent disease, and what is
termed "going soft." On these ailments Mr. Wilkins speaks
as follows:

"Abscess. If an abscess forms let it get ripe; then open
with a sharp penknife, squeeze out the matter, and wash out
the wound with diluted Condy's Fluid ; dry, and then drop in
Condy's Fluid neat. Repeat the washing and fluid for a few
days, w^hen a cure should be effected.

"Paralysis of the Hindquarters. The hindquarters seem
to collapse, and the rabbit drags its hind legs uselessly after
it, and the muscles of the thighs sometimes wither away.
There is practically no cure for this affliction, and the best
remedy is to put the sufferer out of its misery at once.

"Vent Inflammation. This is recognized by an inflamed
condition of the testicle in bucks and the uterus in does.
In the latter it is caused principally by inflammation caused
by kindling, by sitting on dung in dirty hutches, etc. Bucks
usually catch it from contact with afflicted does. It is a
very catching complaint, and on no account should rabbits

DISEASES AND HOW TO TREAT THEM. Ill

be paired while suffering. This complaint is very difficult
to cure, and a lot of patience is necessary to effect it.

"Mr. Malley makes an excellent vent ointment, and a cure
may generally be effected by its use, if thoroughly per-
sisted in.

"Goulard's Extract, mixed with a little spring water, often
does much good.

"Vinolia cream, vaseline, lard and sulphur, all exercise a
beneficial effect; and as the disease is of various degrees of
severity, and in various specimens different remedies act
better than on others, I may be excused for giving several
remedies. As much time is required to effect a perfect cure,
if the specimen is of little value it is the best plan to kill it.

^'Diseased Liver. This is a somewhat common complaint,
and is difficult to cure. In fact, if the specimen is not of
much value the cheapest way is to kill it. It is often caused
by injudicious feeding, such as the giving of decayed green
food. The liver decays by reason of a small parasite, termed
a "fluke," which attaches itself to the liver. The symptoms
are a difficulty of breathing, often accompanied by an audible
noise, and a pinched appearance of the stomch. The appe-
tite may not be affected in the early stage.

"Cure. — If the patient eats well, and is otherwise healthy,
give two doses at intervals of twelve hours of one-half grain
of calomel. Give special attention to food and fresh air.

112

BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

Another remedy is to take nitre, 3 dr.; powdered ginger,
2 dr.; common salt, J lb.; boiling water, 3 pints. Pour the
boiling water over the ingredients, and when blood warm
add 3 oz. of rectified spirit of turpentine, and shake well.
Give a teaspoonful every morning, an hour before feeding,
and repeat the dose three times, missing two days between

Proprietor Kaw Valley Belgian Eare Co., Kansas City, Mo.

each dose. Thoroughly well shake the mixture just before
using.

"A simpler form of disease of the liver is caused by bad
indigestion, which may cause inflammation. In this the
appetite is generally bad. Give twice daily 1 gr. of grey
powder. Dandelions may be given with good results.

''Going Soft. This complaint is, I think, the result of a

DISEASES AND HOW TO TREAT THEM, 118

disturbance of the bowels or of defective digestion. It
appears often in does when moulting. The symptoms are
a soft, flabby state of the whole body, the afflicted one hand-
ling like a lump of soft dough; the stomach is often dis-
tended. The complaint is curable if taken in time, and noth-
ing has equalled in my experience cholerine as the best
remedy, a teaspoonful twice daily. Feed nourishingly, and
give tit-bits of roots, green food, and hay, but do not give
more than is eaten up clean. A week's treatment wiil gener-
ally efifect a cure."

Hares are not so hardy as some varieties, but if well
housed, kept clean, and fed carefully, there should not be
much cause for use of the medicine chest; but as these vari-
ous illnesses will sometimes occur in the best regulated rab-
bitry, it is best to be prepared with a stock^ of the remedies
that will be generally wanted. A box with a lid and parti-
tions keeps the remedies tidy and liandy, and I will give here
a list of remedies and chemicals which it will pay you to
keep ready in case of emergency:

A bottle of Sanitas Oil.

Ditto of Methylated Spirit.

Ditto Cholerine (Knight's).

Ditto Nitre (Sweet Spirit of).

Ditto Oil of Juniper.

Box Vent Ointment (Malley's).

lU BELGIAN HARM MANUAL

Small tin Arrowroot.

Bottle of Ear Canker Lotion (as per recipe).

Bottle Condy's Fluid.

Tin of Disinfectant.

Bottle of Glycerine.

Knight's remedies are recommended by such fanciers as
Mrs. Bush and Dr. Piatt in this country, as well as the lead-
ing fanciers of England, and it is only a question of time
when your druggist will keep a stock of them on hand if he
is not at present supplied.

HARES ON THE BRAIN.

They showed him the park when the light of the moon

Was silvering forest and lea,
•♦I don't care for parks, but I'm thinking," he said,

"What a fine place for hares this would be."
He called on a friend, a composer of note,

Who played for his visitor's sake.
**I've no ear for song ; but the case don't you see

What a beautiful "hutch" it would make ? "

He went to the horse-show and viewed with the rest

The kingliest animals there.
"They are passable beasts, but they've no show at all

Compared to the Belgian hare."
He snubbed a good parson whose "ticking" was poor,

And a maid who in "symmetry" failsd ;
He spurned a pug dog as a gift from a friend.

Declaring the brute was "wry-tailed."
He called on a lady who showed him her pet —

A baby girl,' dainty and fair.
He wished to be gallant, so, in stammering, said :

"It looks like a Belgian hare ! "

— /. Wortkington Jones in the Herald.

LBSSONS FROM MY EXPERIMENT FARM, 117

against doing a hundred things common sense led us to think
were all right — com.mon sense based on our general observa-
tions and knowledge of animal life. We were told that
snufBes were contagious, and a well developed case could
not be cured.

My experience as a breeder for over six years, assisted by
the knowledge of a nose and tliroat specialist of over thirty
years' experience, coupled with the experience of many
others, leads me to flatly contradict all of these theories, and
I think I can satisfy any ordinary mind that in practicing
these ridiculous customs we have been following false gods,
and drifting away from the main great purpose of the hare.
I am not in a position to question the methods of English
breeders, as their climate is damp and very different from
ours and may justify the course they pursue, but I am satis-
fied that if we are ever to place the hare in its proper place in
this country we must get entirely away from many of the old
ideas, and it is in furtherance of this I write this article.

My "experiment farm" is a piece of ground 50x100, fenced
with inch mesh wire. On it I have a good shed 16x32,
divided into compartments^one for does and one for bucks.
Besides the doors and windows I have an opening Qx6 inches
in each part, allowing the hares to run freely in their half
of the large yard. This opening is made indirect by laying
a 16-ft. board in front of it, compelling the hares to enter

118 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

the opening at either end before getting into the shed, thus
shutting out the cold and preventing draughts. No hutches
in this building. With plenty of room and stumps, rocks
and other places of refuge, the hares do not injure one
another fighting. They burrow in the earth, run foot-races
around the yard, eat anything, and are all healthy and long-
bodied. A hundred dollars reward would not bring a single
cold — much less snuffles — to light. The does are treated ex-
actly the same way. No hutches. Every three months I
turn the "buck herd" in with the does, as they do sheep.
In about three weeks I begin to pick up the heavy does
and place them in another building, where I keep them in
hutches until the young are weaned. I then separate the
does from the bucks and place them in with the others in
the large pens. This, of course, is all unpedigreed meat
stock, and my experiments have thus far been confined to
about two hundred head. I feed them anything as I do
my chickens — potato parings, turnips, sugar beets and green
food of all kinds. I feed hay, both prairie and alfalfa, in
racks 18 inches high, provided with a top to prevent hares
from getting on the hay. It takes me about five minutes
to feed the two hundred head, and a small creek through the
lot supplies them with water. In this manner I think one
man can care for 5,000 head.
In my pedigreed stock — which I still keep in hutches —

LESSONS FROM MY EXPERIMENT FARM, 119

when I get one affected with a bad cold, I simply throw
it into the big lot, and the outdoor exercise and pure air
soon cures the cold. I have cured seemingly hopeless cases
of snuffles in this way — turning hares out in the dead of
winter, with four inches of snow in the lot. If allowed to
run this way, hares will not go out in the cold wet storms
of March and April, but will remain in the sheds. Dampness
is the great thing to be dreaded in hares. Dampness, coupled
with close confinement, is sure death. If allowed to run
free, a hare will work off the effects of exposure to dampness.
Cold damp draughts, striking the hare when confined in a
hutch, is what causes pneumonia — for snuffles is nothing else,
coupled with catarrh. If you were treated in the same man-
ner the result would be the same. The man accustomed to
out-door life does not take cold when exposed to a cold
rain. It's the preacher and lawyer, who are confined indoors.
There are two fields open for the Belgian in this country
— the show-room and the table. The latter field is the one
we need to cultivate, and in doing so we must divest the
hare of all the reverence attached to him by the fancier and
put him in the same boat with the homely hen. "His Lord-
ship the Belgian Hare," with all the ravings about red feet
* and symmetry, must give way to B'rer Rabbit the utility
animal, found on every butcher's block, if we ever expect
to fully realize the profit from this animal the future prom-

120 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

ises. The hare will always be raised for the fancy, but it
will be on the same basis as all other fancy stock. The meat
side of the question must be the source from which we draw
the profits, and to do this more economical methods of hand-
ling must be followed to lessen the cost of the meat animal.
Following the method outlined above, hares may be raised
for a few cents, and sold at a profit for a quarter. This is the
ultimate end of the hare, and the sooner we look at it in this
light the sooner we will reap the profits.

(Mr. Barrow was the founder of the "Belgian Hare Jour-
nal," Kansas City, Mo., and edited the same until its con-
solidation with the "Belgian Hare News," Chicago. He is
at present at the head of the Kansas City Belgian Hare
Syndicate. — Editor.)

CHAPTER XL

On Judging Hares.

There are two systems of judging hares in vogue. One is
known as the ''comparison" system, and is used exclusively
in England. The other is called the '"'score card" system,
and has a large following in this country. Concerning the
former Mr. Will C. Harris, a noted American fancier who

Originator of the Score Card System of judging Belgian Hares, Denver, Col.

recently visited England, writes, in the "California Poultry
Tribune":

"Judging in England is all done by comparison, several
specimens being placed before the judge at one time, and

121

122 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

the inferior ones sent awa}^ — as they are so determined —
until the number is reduced to two or three, when the best
in the group is decided on.

A great many people in America have been misled on the
question of championship, thinking that a hare that has
scored one or two prizes in England is a champion. As a
matter of fact a hare does not become a champion until it
has won five firsts under three different judges; and it re-
quires but little reflection to appreciate the fact that a speci-
men must possess unusually good qualities to stand the test
of championship. One judge may have a hobby, and be
prejudiced in favor of an animal because it possesses some
points in accordance with his particular ideas, while another
man, equally as competent, might have his hobby in another
direction, thus making it necessary for the hare to pass
muster under more than two judges. So remember this,—
no hare becomes a champion that has not received five firsts,
under three different judges. A first prize means that the
specimen thus declared is the best in that particular class,
in the estimation of that one judge. A special prize may be
offered by one or more individuals, and is given to promote
and encourage competition and increase the interest in the
fancy. It is oftentimes awarded to the best hare in the show."

So far as the awards are concerned, this is all very good.
But I prefer the American system of getting at the best hare.

ON JUDGING HARES. 123

I do not care to enter into any discussion as to the merits
of the two systems, but simply wish to give my preference
emphatically to the score card system. For a small show
where only a few animals are to be judged, the comparison
system may do. But for an immense mail order business,
where millions of animals are bought and sold annually, we
must have a more capable and scientific system, and I think
the score card harmonizing with the American standard of
points presents all that is required.

Mrs. M. D. Capps, in the "Poultry and Belgian Hare
Standard," Kansas City, presents a very readable article
under the caption, 'To Judge a Good Belgian." Mrs. Capps
is high authority, and I take pleasure in quoting her:

**It is greatly a matter of experience to be able to select
from a number of animals those that will score high or make
first-class breeders.

"There are does that will not score above 90 that make
first-class breeding stock if properly mated to bucks strong
on points in which they are lacking. For the same reason
a buck is sometimes found which is a valuable breeder for
a certain class of does, but will not reach an unusually high
score.

"Those who intend purchasing breeding animals with
which to stock a rabbitry, and who are lacking in practical
experience could do no better than secure the services of a

124 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL. ,

practical breeder to point out to them desirable and unde-
sirable points of animals under consideration, allowing them
to choose according to the object for which they intend to
breed.

"When this is impractical it is well to remember that the
accepted standard by which hares are judged disqualifies or
bars from the showroom animals possessing any of the fol-
lowing defects: Lopped or fallen ear or ears. White front
feet or white bars on same. Decidedly wry front feet or wry
tail.

"First of these in the standard requirements is a rich
rufus red color carried well down sides and hindquarters,
with as little white under jaws as possible. Rufus red is
usually found nearest perfection on the back of
neck. The sides are correspondingly deficient as
regards their distance from the given point and the color of
feet is variable even on animals of fairly good rufus color
otherwise. The white under the jaws should be of a creamy
tinge rather than clear white and it is desirable that it extend
out into view as little as possible. Ticking should be wavy
in appearance and rather plentiful and confined to body of
animal. Although some ticking will be found on the feet,
ears and head it is punished in scoring when very noticable
and is not an addition to the beauty of the animal.

"One of the greatest beauty points of the hare is its long,

ON JUDGING HARE^. 125

slender body, being as near as possible of the same girth
about the flank as it is just back of the shoulders, or in other
words as carefully shaped as a symmetrical roadster, show-
ing careful feeding and a reasonable amount of exercise.
Fat will quickly spoil the shape of a show animal and want
of exercise and overfeeding will certainly produce fat.

"The ears should be carried closely together and alert, not
drooping nor crocked forward to an unnatural position.

"Eyes should be round, bright and bold, and hazel in
color, as they usually are. A dull eye is often produced by
poor condition from improper care and is seldom found in a
vigorous, healthy specimen.

"The weight should be eight pounds for rnature animals
and at least a pound for every month of its age up to seven
months.

"The flesh should be firm and the fur, when the moult is
complete, should present the glossiest of black and the
deepest, richest, rufous red. The glossiness of the fur is a
pretty good indication of the animal's condition, as disease
soon produces a rough, faded coat, anything but handsome
to the fancier.

"A dewlap, which is the loose skin under the neck, is un-
sightly when pronounced, although does which are con-
stantly bred develop this defect almost always.

Bucks are usually thick and heavy in shape of head after

126 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

a year old, especially when used as breeders. This should
be taken into consideration when judging of their breeding
qualities.

"A body well arched or carried well up from the ground
denotes nice length and gives a symmetrical curve to the
back.

"Extreme length of ears tends to produce lop ears and is
not desirable in a breeder. If thin and fine in quality, some
of the young are almost sure to develop this trouble, espe-
cially in warm weather, when exercise is limited.

"An inexperienced buyer is not necessarily at the mercy
of misrepresentation when some study is given to standard
requirements and a visit to several rabbitries will usually go
far towards the beginning of an education in hare lore."

When I began collecting the best material obtainable for
this work, I Vv^rote Dr. R. J. Finley, Macon, Mo., requesting
him for a contribution. He favored me with the following
signed article. Dr. Finley stands high in the fancy as a
careful, considerate judge:

"The all important and first things to be looked after in
judging or purchasing Belgians are the points that disqualify,
which are a lop ear or ears, white bars or spots on the front
feet or limbs, and the time is at hand when the only white
permissible on a Belgian is the pad and the under part of
the tail, also wry first feet. The standard says a wry tail is

ON JUDGING HARES,

127

a disqualification. There is a difference of opinion on what
constitutes a wry tail — some claiming ''turning to one side
or deviating from the right direction" is a wry tail, while
others insist a twisted tail is understood in the standard.
We believe the makers of the standard in the latter case dis-
qualify, while in the former give the animal the benefit of
the doubt, as it is often the case they are carried to one side

Belgian Hare Judge and Editor of the "Record" Macon, Mo.

for quite a length of time and then appear to be all right. A
screw tail is easily discerned by passing it between your
fingers, which, under any and all circumstances, disqualifies.

''A putty nose is easily discovered, and disqualifies.

"After all of the points which disqualify are carefully
looked after, to my mind, the shape is the important thing
in a Belgian. It is the hare shape we want. I am aware
that the color is the first thing on the score cards and stand-

128 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

ard, but give me the perfect shape and I can place the color
on by judicious breeding. It is much easier to obtain the
color than the shape. You can breed the color upon a hog
or hen, but you cannot breed the shape of a hare.

"Then it is necessary to have the body long and racy, from
ten to twelve inches; front feet long and fine bone, a narrow
head and long (not rabbit-shape), a round, bold eye, with
ears erect and well set on the head. The whole shape and
action to conform to the wild English hare, ever on the alert
and ready to flee upon the approach of danger or leap a
hedge fence.

"There are only two things to look after in selecting a
Belgian or judging it — shape and color. We hear and
see a great deal about color and how difficult it is to decide
what is the correct shade for a rufus red or golden tan,
which is the desire of Belgian fanciers. Some go so far as
to advocate a color tape for every judge to carry, and have
the color correspond in shade with the color of the tape.
When man can catch all of the different hues of an autumn
New England forest on a tape line, then give us the tape
line to judge the Belgian by, but not until then. It seems
to me a very easy task to select the color, for when once
seen in its beauty it is not so easily eradicated from memory.

The health of the animal has much to do with the beautiful
brilliant golden hue which is so much sought after. The

ON JUDGING HARES. 129

effect is apparent, equally as much so as in the human race.
A disordered stomach, liver or a cold is quickly discerned
in man, and as plainly manifest in the color and general ap-
pearance of a Belgian. Different shades of light through
which a Belgian is examined affects its color. The degree
of light and sunshine in which a Belgian has been kept has
much to do with the bright, brilliant glossy tinge. A dark
hutch and health is required to bring out and perfect the
much-desired Belgian hare color. Sunshine and light make
a dull, washed-out color. At this point is where many make
a mistake. They have an idea sunshine is required, never
stopping to consider the nature of the animal they are
breeding. The hare and rabbit seek their hole or some se-
cluded, shady or dark place to quietly spend the day. That
is their nature, and see to it you do not try to change it, for
in so doing you will make a failure as a successful breeder.

Ask yourself when rabbits and hares feed in their wild
state and arrange your time for feeding accordingly, regu-
larity and cleanliness in feeding is one of the important fea-
tures which brings a prosperous termination. Another point
which should be considered but is disregarded is disturbing
them during the day which is their time to rest — expressing
in small packages and the noise and confusion attending an
exhibition with the continual handling by owner and strang-
ers worries and wearies them many times, so much so as

130 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

to affect the position they assume when being scored or
compared with others. A person in their home has the ad-
vantage in appearance over the weary and worn traveler,
so a Belgian in his home where everything is familiar will
exhibit better points in shape than at a show where strangers
and surroundings are new and many times alarming. The
exhibitors and officers of every pet stock and poultry asso-
ciation should have a separate room or place apart from the
exhibition room for judging the stock, and none should be
permitted to enter it while the judge is judging the stock
except the attendants who are selected to bring the stock
and it should always be brought in a coop and only handled
by the judge in the room for judging.

"There are many things that go to complete the shape
and color of a perfect Belgian and they are what a breeder
and exhibitor must look after if successful. The reason of
the failure of an animal to have the perfect shape in any of
its parts or the perfect color is not taken into consideration
by the judge, neither is he supposed to know the reasons
or who is the owner, whether friend or foe. He is to judge
the animal just as he stands before him. If the animal has
been taught to take a correct position upon being placed
upon a table it has the advantage of those who have not.
The art of taking a correct position is admired in man and
beast. Teach your Belgians what you want them to do and

ON JUDGING HARES. 131

they will do it when in other hands; like the child they will
do away from home what they are permitted to do at home.
The position taken by the Belgians has much to do with
displaying the color to advantage. Remember the better
the form or more perfect the shape on which you have color
the more perfectly it is displayed whether on man, beast
or fowl. A person cannot be a competent judge of any ani-
mal until he has seen stock which is as near a perfect speci-
men of the species to be judged as is possible to secure.
Every judge's ideal is the best specimen seen by him and
that is the standard by which he judges until he sees a better
one and as he discovers better specimens from time to time
he becomes more critical in his examinations and judging.
Every breeder thinks he has the best until he discovers some
one has something better."

It affords me great pleasure in closing this chapter to
present a signed article prepared for me by the distinguished
Dr. B. C. Piatt, author of the "Manual" that bears his name,
and, with his son, proprietor of the Bonanza Rabbitry, Los
Angeles. Dr. Piatt is a true fancier, and speaks with the
authority of both the scientist and the lover:

A New Score Card on the Decimal Basis the Founda-
tion for a Logical System of Judging
Belgians, by I>r. B. C. Piatt.

The dissatisfaction existing among a large proportion of

132. BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

breeders over the method in vogue for judging Belgian
hares has prompted me to work out a more rational system,
one that will be satisfactory to the progressive breeder and
also to the most ardent admirer of true sportsmanlike
methods.

The prevailing practices*- have done fairly well and have
served to educate the pains-taking breeder and exhibitor in
many directions, notably, that the logical way to determine
the value of a specimen, as defined by the standard of ex-
cellence, is by the score card system of judging. Even with
the crudeness of the method in vogue better results in judg-
ing by the score card have been obtained than by the com-
parison way, but those who have adopted the Belgian hare
as a permanent business proposition are desirous for every
feature tending to advance the best interest of the industry.
There is nothing in the annals of live stock culture in Amer-
ica that at all compares with the profits that have been
made from the Belgian hare and the growth of the industry.
Yet, there is room for improvement in several particulars.
With these improvements effected, still greater benefits than
have been realized will come to the fraternity.

The genuine good business side of the industry is just
coming to the front. To-day the industry is largely in the
hands of a more practical and substantial class of people
than it has ever been, up to within a short time. Now is

ON JUDGING HARES.

133

the time for the adoption of everything that will elevate the
Industry and force upon the attention of enterprising people
its merits. Progression is imperatively demanded here.
Nothing stands still. Advancement must be made, else re-

Reduced Fac-simile of the Crystal Palace Challenge Cup won by Fashoda, at
the Pet Stock Exhibition, London, Eng., Nov, 1st, 1899.

trogression will take place.

The custom of making one-fourth point the minimum
penalty necessitates a great deal of guessing on the part of

134 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

the judge, the spectator, the purchaser and everybody in-
terested in the Belgian hare and the result is very indefinite.

Another and very important objection to this method of
judging is the possibility and probability of many ties in
prize contests.

In the high type class of Belgians the expert judge often
meets with a specimen with certain sections all but perfect,
but he cannot pass the section perfect, yet a one-fourth point
penalty is unjust, but it is the minimum penalty he may
impose according to the prevailing custom.

The practice of imposing a penalty of one-fourth point,
where one-half of this one-fourth point only is due the sec-
tion, and the judge attempting to carry in his mind the other
half of the one-fourth point to some other section where he
may find a like condition existing, is confusing, at least tends
to complicate the proposition and often leads to failure to do
a specimen full justice. The judge may forget or not find
another section where he may right the wrong on the section
previously too severely penalized, or if he chooses to pass a
section on a one-fourth point penalty when it Is entitled to
almost a half point, thinking that he may right it up, the
result is the same.

The application of the standard of excellence by the deci-
mal system admits of finer discrimination in the whole propo-
sition. It forms the basis for exact science.

ON JUDGING HARES. 185

To the eye and mind of one trained to minute distinction,
the decimal basis of judging will prove most satisfactory and
will enable him to judge to a degree of nicety impossible
to equal by the one-quarter point fractional system.

One of the most valuable features of the score card system
of judging lies in the fact that the authority passing upon
the merits of a specimen makes a record of his opinion, which
serves to confirm the ability or inability of the judge and this
record is valuable as a study. Now, with the work well
done by the decimal system, the score of any given section
of the specimen will correspond with the notation on the
card; that is, the defects of sections noted on the score card
will be found in the specimen when specimen and score card
are brought together at any time within a reasonable length
of time after the judge has completed his work. Not so-
with the work done by the rule employed to-day.

We will take, for instance, the section of quality of front
legs that are nearly perfect. The skillful judge with a one-
fourth point card as a minimum cut, and which in this case
is too much of a penalty, must nevertheless impose it under
the existing custom. Now, when the card and the specimen
are brought together and another specimen which is entitled
to just one-fourth point penalty for the same element in the
same section, and each specimen receiving the same penalty,
the injustice or the weakness of the present system stands

136 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

out boldly to all critical observers. Though the judge may
say he attempted to and did even up this excessive punish-
ment on specimen number one, it does not appear on the
card as a matter of record. With a minimum cut of one-
tenth of a point, as admitted in the decimal system, there
remains no room for a give-and-take deal over the sections.
The exact value of a section may be noted and passed once
for all, and the card and sections will correspond.

Regarding ties: With the point divided into fourths only,
many ties are bound to occur in every class in every exhibi-
tion where there are a large number of entries. With the
point divided into tenths, where three or four ties now occur
only one is possible, and even less are probable, and this
percentage may be reduced for the very reason that many
ties now occur through the oversight of the judge to even
up excessive penalties imposed on one or more sections of
the specimen because of the complication of the system and
the confusion resulting.

I anticipate opposition to this advanced move for the rea-
son that some people interested in any given proposition
involving close application, study and thought invariably
adopt the easiest and often a make-shift or pretence of a
way in the matter. But to those who are deeply in love with
the industry, have its future welfare at heart and who are
really enterprising and progressive, I feel confident that a

ON JUDGING HARES. 137

new score card, based on the decimal system, will meet with
hearty approval and immediate acceptance.

I am prepared to demonstrate in actual practice the superi-
ority of the decimal system over any other method of judg-
ing Belgians.*

To those who seek further information on the subject I
would say, that Mrs. A. M. Bush's series of articles on ''How
to Judge Your Own Hares," contained in the file of her
Champion, contains much valuable matter, as also does Dr.
Piatt's ''Manual," and Judge P. E. Crabtree's new work.
Belgian Hare judging is becoming a very important and very
profitable business. I know of one judge who is reported
to have made $10,000 during 1900, judging hares. And the
business is legitimate too. It is certainly worth 50 cents
to any breeder to know exactly what a certain animal scores
— it may bring him $20 more than if sold at a guess,

♦Copyright applied for by B. 0. Piatt.

CHAPTER XIL

Tlie Meat Proposition.

Mr. Frank Evans, in his prize poem written for the "Poul-
try and Belgian Hare Standard," Kansas City, strikes the
nail squarely on the head, something poets do not always
do. Under the significant title, 'The End of the Belgian
Hare," he says:

Beautiful Belgian Hare,

With form so trim and neat,
And eyes so soft and brown, alas!

Your ultimate end is meat.

A poor man's friend, a rich man's joy,
With the ladies: "You're just too sweet/*

But alas for fancier, alas for us all!
Your ultimate end is meat.

We love every point you possess,

Each one helps to make you complete —

Combines to make you charm, but alas!
Your ultimate end is meat.

If you can't show a first-class score,
Ninety-three, at the least, you must beat,

Or fried, or stewed, or roasted you'll be.
Your ultimate end is meat.

Dr. A. S. Heath, of New York City, says: "There should
be hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of Belgian Hare
meat shipped to our Hospitals and sanitariums annually.
For digestibility and nutritive value there is no meat com-

138

THE MEAT PROPOSITION. 139

parable with that of the Belgian. Beef gives fifty-five per
cent of net nutriment, mutton sixty-five, pork seventy-five,
while chicken and Belgian Hare meat gives eighty to eighty-
five per cent of digestible nutriment far superior to any other
meat."

I should much prefer hare meat to that of the chicken I
think if I were a physician, although the two meats seem
to possess about the same amount of nutritive value, for
while the hare is one of the cleanest animals in the world,
the chicken is one of the nastiest fowls on earth.

The Belgian dresses from six to ten pounds at maturity.
There is very little waste, and the meat is practically all white,
similar to that of the quail or young turkey. It does not
have that wild taste peculiar to the cotton tail or jack rabbit,
and it is much more easily digested than chicken. It is as
yet, however, hard to obtain, for nearly everybody who has
Belgians is breeding for the trade, not for the market. But
it is only a question of time w^hen Belgian meat will be found
in every butcher shop, or canned in groceries. The Armours
have already added a Belgian department to their immense
packeries I understand, and pay good prices for the animal
on foot.

What is needed to give the market phase of the industry
a firm hold, is an exchange in every city. On this subject
I am glad to be able to present a signed article from the

140

BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

pen of Dr. Fred E. Jones, Chicago, President of the
National Belgian Hare Association — an article prepared
especially for this work. Incidentally he touches upon
some other interesting phases of our subject also :

President National Belgian Hare Association, Chicago.

"The Belgian Hare meat as an article of diet, is almost
entirely unknown to the American people at large, and for
this reason there appears to be considerable prejudice regard-
ing it. It has therefore seemed proper that an effort should
be made in the right direction, tending to overcome this
aversion. That the meat is desirable as food, there is abso-
lutely no doubt, being extremely nutritious, more so than
that gf fowl or other animals, and tender and of fine flavor,

TBE MEAT PROPOSITION. I4l

it IS bound to find favor where given a fair and impartial test.

"It has been my pleasure to bring before the National
Belgian Hare Association, the question of providing a means
of disposing of the meat product of our members, the inten-
tion being to provide one or more places, centrally located,
as may be deemed advisable, where the animals may be
sent alive, and where, as a protection to the public, they may
be passed upon by persons competent to judge of their
soundness, thus insuring to the public a desirable and pure
article of food, and also provide against the humbugging of
the public through the sale of Jack Rabbit, and other unde-
sirable stuff. In this, I fancy the breeder will be assured the
best possible returns, not only for the meat, but for the pelts
as well, which handled in large numbers will sell the more
readilv and bring a much better price than could possibly
be secured by individual members, in small lots and in com.-
petition with each other. Competition in business may be a
healthy stimulant, but to the Belgian Hare industry, it would
prove a very serious hinderance.

"I feel quite sure that centralizing the sale of market
product in the manner proposed, will do for the breeders
in and about Chicago, what has already been accomplished
and is being successfully tested in other states: California,
Iowa, Maine and Colorado. In Denver, the breeders were
brought face to face with a serious problem, in that the-ir

U2 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

hutches were being overcrowded, with absolutely no outlet,
whereupon the Association took the matter in hand, in some-
what the manner outlined above, making a contract with one
of their prominent markets, for a period of four months,
which was^reluctantly conceded, guaranteeing to relieve the
aforesaid market of any unsold meat that might remain upon
their counter. At the expiration of the four months' period,
the contract was not renewed for the reason of the meat
having gained such a sale that Denver breeders were abso-
lutely unable to supply the demand. We have information
through Mr. Crabtree of that city, that the meat is now being
shipped in from places as far away as Ohio, and the demand
cannot be kept pace with. I am in receipt of letters from
breeders at various points in the West commending and en~
dorsing the plan most heartily. It will appear to anyone
without second thought, in meeting the demand this method
will create, that a steady supply in large quantities is abso-
lutely necessary to insure a continuous market for the meat
product as well as in the disposal of the pelts, and at the same
time aid the members of our Association to make association
absolutely necessary for the best results to breeder and the
public.

"Our Association should, of course, be in constant touch
with every member, whose regular reports to the proper
source, would furnish in advance, knowledge of the number

THE MEAT PROPOSITION. 143

of animals each member could supply, daily, weekly or
monthly, as the case might prove to require.

"It is my earnest belief, that the Belgian Hare as an article
(,f food, will prove a most beneficial one to the people of the
U. S., both rich and poor, as with a little care, a poor man
can have his supply of meat at an extremely low cost, and
I firmly believe that in the next five years the consumption
of this animal will equal, if not exceed, that of Europe, which
we are credibly informed amounts in the aggregate to one
hundred million pounds annually.

"At the present time, I understand that a certain gentle-
man of this city, having the backing of a large corporation,
is about to visit France for the purpose of learning the secret
of dyeing Belgian Hare pelts for the purpose of manufactur-
ing Electric Seal. This will require considerable money,
as the secret is well guarded, and cannot be learned without
a large expenditure. This certainly indicates that the holders
of capital appreciate the future of the Belgian Hare
industry."

It costs so httle to raise a Belgian that his economic im-
portance is almost immeasurable. Mr. Charles C. Chapman,
President of the Meadow Brook Company, Los Angeles,
estimates that where a large number of hares are allowed
to run together they will thrive on ten cents' worth of hay
per month when that article of food is selling at $9 per ton.

Ui BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

A writer in the "California Poultry Tribune," speaking on
the subject of feeding Belgians for meat says:

"The question is often asked by those interested or con-
templating raising their own or some one else's hares, ''Does
it pay to feed for meat?* I contend that it does most decid-
edly, and I know whereof I speak, as I have repeatedly put
ten to twenty bucks six weeks old (just weaned) into my
corral, and weighed their rolled barley to them two or three
times a week, having a hopper-shaped self-feeding box that
will hold ten pounds, and if feeding for meat, I give them
all they can eat, which will average for the first month (in-
cluding hay, of which they will eat the same value) five cents ;
second month, eight cents. They are then three and a half
months old, and the bucks should be separated from the does.
They should now weigh between four and five pounds, and
are at a good age to sell, though I have kept them another
month and made it pay."

Dr. Piatt, in his "Manual," says:

"Without doubt hare meat may be produced, on a small
scale, at a cost of not more than four cents ger pound.
Hares may be kept in any back yard. Not so with cows,
hogs or poultry, to an extent that would leave any profit
to speak of. With the greater net profit in hares over any
other live stock, the poor man may purchase in abundance
all of the commodities produced by cow, hog or poultry.

THE MEAT PROPOSITION. Ut

When from the labor of a boy not more than twelve years
old, an income of over $1,000 is realized, certainly the possi-
bilities for a grown person are very flattering. It is no ex-
aggeration to say that a wide-awake, methodical man may,
by devoting his entire time to the care of hares, make per
year from ten to twenty thousand dollars from the meat for
market only. With a well appointed paddock system of rear-
ing, water piped and all conveniences, a man can care for
1,000 breeding does, dress and ship the increase.

*Trom this herd of 1,000 does should come an increase
of 50,000 hares each year. At five pounds each, dressed,
and at twenty cents per pound, -they would bring $50,000.
For safety cut this estimate in half and then deduct twenty
per cent more. The balance is $20,000. The expenses will
not exceed $5,000 per year, so we have $15,000 net profit.
To many this estimate will seem unreasonably high, so we
will reduce the price of meat to five cents a pound. This
basis brings us $12,500. Deducting expenses, we have a
profit of $7,500 for one man's yearly labor."

Nor does this estimate take any account of the profit to
be derived from the pelts. Certainly this new industry pre-
sents great inducements to the poor of this country, as well
as the rich, and he who brings it to the practical attention
of his fellowmen is a real benefactor, be he breeder, packer,
judge or writer.

CHAPTER XIII.
Keeping a Hecord — Pedigrees.

On this subject Mr. Lambert, always brief and to the point
says :

" 'Order is God's first law/ Order and system should pre-
vail in the rabbitry as much as anywhere, if you would know
at any and all times 'where you are at.' A systematic record
should be kept of the breeding of each specimen and also
a record for breeding does. The first record should show
name or number or both, number of pen, sex, date of birth,
sire and dam. The second record should show name or
number or both, name of buck to whom served, date of serv-
ice, date of testing, date of kindling, number in litter and
date of weaning litter. Both records should have space for
general remarks. Other devices than m^ine may be made
for this purpose. Most readers will probably choose to make
one that will suit his individual fancy. You should also keep
a day book and ledger. Open an account with each breeder.
In this way you may know ^"he aggregate profit, not only
from the rabbitry, but from each breeder. It does not pay
to start into the fancy v/ith anything but good stock, as other-
wise it is but a waste of time, patience and money. Buy
each specimen for its individual merits and the merits of its

\46

KEEPING A RECORD— PEDIGREES . Ul

ancestors. Starting thus, you should be able to give a pedi-
gree with each animal sold, and also to display the same
when exhibiting stock."

All the Belgian Hare pubUcations furnish blank pedigrees
in books or blocks, at a nominal price, but for the information
of those who do not care to use them, but simply wish to
know how it is done, I will give below a reduced facsimile
of the pedigree recently furnished by my three little boys
to one of their customers (they are very successful young
fanciers, keeping always on hand in the basement of our
home a good supply of hares) :

HALL BROTHERS.

Breeders and Shippers of HIGH GRADE BELGIAN HABES,

CHICAGO, ILLS.

We hereby certify that we have this day sold to Mrs. J. G.
McKay, of Hamilton, Mont., one Belgian Hare. Sex, doe. Born
February ii, 1900.

Pedigree of .

Royal Rose
Score 92 J^

,'v^^r,^,A„1^ 5 Diamond King
Sire pRochdale | ^^^^ climax

Earl of Rochdale

tTfTiTiiV ( Young Nonpariel

Jennie j ^^^ j^^^^ ^^ Orange

{r»^i«,o« 5 Yukon Jr. II.
Delmon j ^^^^ j^.^^

Shipped in Crate No. 3.

I,ady Rugby

Breeders should furnish nothing but a reliable pedigree.
There are dishonest people, I have heard, in the Belgian
Hare business, as well as in other lines. Sometimes fictitious

148

BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

pedigrees are written out and low grade animals are there-
with palmed off on the unwary at fancy prices. This practice
is on a level with horse stealing, gold-bricking, or any other
form of devilishness, and cannot be too severely condemned.
As Judge Crabtree said in a recent article, the Golden Rule
should be practiced in the Belgian Hare business. A breeder
should not palm off diseased stock on his neighbor either.
If he has any stock that in any point fails to come up to the
standard, he should be fair and state particulars, governing
his price accordingly.

Every breeder should keep a supply of hutch cards on
hand. These can be obtained also at most any printing ofHce
of the fancy, or can be re-produced from the form given
below at small cost:

HUTCH CARD.

PEN No. 6 SCOKE 93?s DROPPED April 3, 1900

BELGIAN Bamona. SIRE Champion Dagli. DAM Denver Beauty.

Served By

Date.

Tested.

Kindled.

No, of
Litter.

Weaned
I^itter.

No.
Raised.

Kar Marks.

Redwood

Mch9

Mch 11

April 9

7

June 9

7

1.5

This card is copied from one in the home rabbitry operated
by my three boys and their m.amma, and shows at a glance
the full history of the doe under obser\-ation. These cards

KEEPING A RECORD— PEDIGREES.

149

should be enclosed in a little tin frame which can be obtained
of any tinner, and tacked over the hutch. Every animal
should be named, and his record kept carefully tabulated.
It is a real pleasure then to show animals, for one can state
full particulars concerning each one to his visitors, or would-
be customers.

Very little has been done in America as yet with reference
to registration of animals. Writing on this subject Mrs.
Bush says, in the "Champion":

First President American Belgiaa Hare Association, CMcago,

"A Registration System, to be really effective, and of value
to the fancy, must be as stringent as possible; a system that
will admit any Belgian hare rabbit for registration that is not
disqualified for scoring, could result in no possible good. All

150 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

the systems so far adopted by the clubs, seem to me alto-
gether too lenient, and do not enhance the value of the animal
so registered. In one club, the registration rules, which
are the best now in vogue, require that an animal shall have
a three generation pedigree, and to the best knowledge and
belief of the owner, must be a pure-bred Belgian hare rabbit.
The result is that anyone that cares to invest fifty cents
can have their rabbit, whether it Is of any real value as a
breeder or not, registered under this system. Another result
of such easy regulations is that breeders of really fine Bel-
gians will not have their animals registered and thus put on
an equality with those of commoner grades. For my part,
I hav^e never yet had a Belgian hare registered and never
will so long as the rules are so lax.

"The proper animals with which to start in inaugurating
a proper registration system, is rather difficult to determine.
We all know that it should be the best, and we also know
that the best stock now in this country is that which has
been imported during the past two years, or the direct pro-
geny of such importations. If all animals imported during
this time were of equal merit, the matter could be easily
arranged on the basis that they were imported, but in the
rage for imported stock, a great many animals have been
sent over from England that are not equal to some of our
best domestic stock, so that it is necessary to draw more

KEEPING A RECORD— PEDIGREES.

definite lines, and in my opinion this can best be accom-
plished by the use of a proper score card system. Under the
present system, I would favor registering all imported speci-
mens that score 93 or over."

Personally I should prefer leaving out the word ''im-
ported" from the above paragraph, for we are producing
just as good, if not better, animals in America to-day as they
are in England. But clubs will have to settle these matters
for themselves. Thus far most breeders have a registry of
their own. But it seems inevitable that the time will come
when we will have a more general registry, just as do breed-
ers of horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, etc.

THE BELGIAN HARE.

There's a little Belgian hare, don't you know ;
And as yet he's very rare, don't you know:

But he's wanted all the same.

From Florida to Maine,
For he's got a reputation, don't you know.
He's a daisy of a pet, don't you know.
And when baked he's better yet, don't you know ;

For he's never yet been beat

As a wholesome bit of meat,
He's the finest ever ate, don't you know.
He's the smartest beast that lives, do you know,

He can quickly multiply.

And add profits, bye and bye,
If you haven't one, just buy, don't you know.

— Z. T, Spencer, in Fanciers^ Favorite.

V

CHAPTER XIV.
Belgian Hare Pelts and Furs.

On this subject, as yet very little discussed, the "Prospec-
tus" of the National Belgian Hare Association has the fol-
lowing to say:

"The value of Belgian Hare pelts is unquestionable, but
there is little demand.

"One reason for this is that there is as yet so few offered
that manufacturers cannot get them in quantities to justify
the efrort. When in the near future the number increases,
there will certainly be an open market for them. In the
winter months, December, January, February, the hides are
the best. It is just after their fall moult, and the fur is full
and the hide tough. Take off the pelt, leaving as little meat
on it as possible, tack it on a board; four parts fine salt and
one of powdered alum, mixed and rubbed well into the pelt
and covered, and then placed in a shady place to cure. With-
in two or three weeks it may be put aside until enough are
accumulated for sale.

"Any tannery can tan them for you, or you can do it your-
self, though it is not so satisfactory, and some trouble.

"The following process, if carefully carried out, will usually
be successful, and will answer for all ordinary purposes:

152

BELGIAN HARE PELTS AND FURS. 153

"As soon as the hide is taken off, salt thoroughly, being
careful to rub it in well and to the very edge of the hide;
then fold flesh side in, wrap loosely in paper and lay in a cool,
dry place for a few days. Unfold, then shake off the salt and
cover with powdered alum; fold again and let remain for a
couple of days. Then the skin may be scraped with a block
of wood to remove the particles of flesh that may remain.
When smooth and clean, dust over with dry starch and rub
till soft and dry. "^

Charles Fisher, of Los Angeles, in an article in the "Cali-
fornia Poultry Tribune," says :

'The skin of the Belgian hare is well worth saving, and
although at present there is no general market for them, the
demand is increasing. I dry about a hundred skins every
week, and sell mostly to New York Hatters, although I tan
a great many which I sell to local dealers.

"There are a number of ways of treating the skins, but I
find curing the simplest way of preparing them for market.
Skins are cured as follows: First, in skinning the hare, cut
the skin between the hind legs, draw it down over the body
and off over the head, thus leaving the skin whole and flesh
side out. Then stretch it over a shake which has been
pointed at one end, driving a tack in each hind leg to keep
it stretched firmly. Rub a little fine salt on the skin and
put it away to dry in the shade, and when dry scrape off the

154 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

surplus fat. Split it down the belly, take it off the shake,
and the pelt is ready either for market or to be tanned for
your own use.

''If you are clever with the needle you can work up the
tanned skins into handsome garments, or use them wherever
fur trimming is needed. They can be made into fine buggy
robes and rugs. I have seen three ladies' capes, with stand-
ing collars, made of the fur of the Belgian hare in its natural
colors. Whole skins had been used by joining the whites
of the bellies, making a strip of white alternating with the
rufus red of the backs, giving a pretty effect. I consider
the pelts very valuable, for they can be made to take the
place of almost every other kind of fur. Jet black pelts are
the most valuable of all and there is a greater demand for
them. They are one solid color and need no dyeing, but
when dyed they take an even shade. Soon we shall see most
ladies wearing furs made from these fine little animals, which
are not only fur-producers but a table luxury."

Mr. Durkee, in his ''Columbian Belgian Hare Manual,"
writes at some length on the subject of pelts and furs. He
says:

"After you have sold all your fancy breeders at high prices
and your heavier animals for meat, you still have the hides
or pelts of those you dress. These are worth from twenty
to fifty cents each. The *fur is used for capes, coats, collar-

BELGIAN HARE PELTS AND FURS. 155

ettes, muffs, fur trimmings and linings. You have heard of
'electric seal' capes-— they are made of rabbit fur.

"Until the demand for good breeding stock is supplied and
larger numbers are killed for meat there need be no haste
to look up a market for the pelts. As it is but a question of
time when this will be the case and millions of hares will be
killed for consumption as food the profit to be derived from
the sale of pelts will surely prove no small item. The many
uses to which the fur is put and the many more which are
bound to be discovered by American genius as the industry
develops will cause this feature of the business to assume
an importance which cannot now be readily conceived.
There is no question but that eventually there will be a steady
and profitable market for the hides, especially in the manu-
facturing centers where domestic goods are used.

''When the hare has his winter coat on is the best season
for handling the pelts. At this time the fur is thick and soft
and the hide is stronger and will stand more strain. At best
the hide is tender and must be handled with care. France
-. has made more progress in the use of Belgian hare pelts than
any other country, and they have reached a position of such
importance as to give them considerable commercial value.
The hair from the pelt is used for hat-making, and millions
are dyed all shades and made into children's furs in imitation
of seal, beaver, etc. The pelt sales from reliable statistics are

156 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

annually 60,000,000 in France, 30,000,000 in England,
4,000,000 in Belgium, 5,000,000 in Leipsic. New Zealand
exports about 12,000,000 skins annually; value $500,000.

'That the attention of manufacturers in the United States
is being directed to the importance of the hare is shown by
the establishment of a 1,000 acre Belgian hare farm near
Wabash, Ind., by Northam Meyer, of the Pioneer hat factory
of that place, where animals will be grown for their pelts,
the fur to be used in the manufacture of hat felt. Other
similar ventures are being entered into in various parts of
the country, but the matter is still in the experimental line.
The Arctic Fur Company, of San Francisco, is a steady pur-
chaser of Belgian Hare Pelts for use in their business. A
gentleman in Los Angeles has procured a patent for a pro-
cess by which he manufactures a parchment from the Belgian
Hare pelt, said by experts to be superior to that manufac-
tured from sheepskin."

Dr. Piatt is enthusiastic on this subject as well as on every
other that concerns the Belgian Hare. And as no living
man perhaps has made a more exhaustive study of the little
animal in all his adaptations, his opinions are of inestimable
value. He says:

"Wq have demonstrated that the pelts have uses almost
unnumbered. The first of these is for leather. To the sur-
prise of all investigators into ""the qualities possessed by the

BELGIAN HARE PELTS AND PURS, 167

leather made from the pelt of the Belgian hare, it has been
found to be as tough as buckskin and is adapted to a far
greater variety of uses than the buckskin. A strand the
width of a shoestring clipped from a well-tanned hide
possesses tensile strength almost equal to iron wire of the
same thickness. In fact, few men are strong enough to
break such a strand by pulling it with one hand against the
other.

"We have shown that the leather is especially adapted to
use for whiplashes, for covering baseballs, for braided reins
to riding bridles, for Spanish riatas, for belt lacings, trim-
mings to suspenders, shoe uppers, for both ladies' and gentle-
men's shoes, for gloves equal to kid, for book-bindings,
burnt-leather work, doll bodies and an almost endless variety
of similar uses. It is readily tanned to resemble chamois skin
and the skins of younger hares may be tanned and processed
to duplicate the finest of kid. We have worked out various
processes of tanning, several of which are very successful for
the different uses. It is impossible to estimate the enormous
demand that may arise for Belgian hare leather for these
purposes.

'The high-type, up-to-date, large-sized Belgian, with his
rich rufus-red color, handsomely ticked, with either the
snowy white or creamy belly and the light, buff-colored side,
furnishes a pelt that can be made into a handsome garment

158 JBELGIAN HARE MANUAL

without coloring. But there are different processes of color-
ing, especially the electric seal, which add variety. The
electric seal is black and has been in vogue among furriers
in Europe for a quarter of a century. These furs uncolored
are especially adapted for children's wear, in caps, capes,
muffs, boas, collars and for fur linings to gentlemen's over-
coats, for linings to the wrists of gloves or for the whole
glove or for mitts. Beautiful robes and rugs may also be
made from these. In fact, these furs are adapted to any
use of fur, possessing great warmth and great durability."

Wonderful indeed is bunnie! As a minister, student of
sociology, and friend of humanity, I feel deeply grateful to a
kind Providence for opening up in these latter days this
remarkable industry — an industry in which our wives and
boys may share; an industry in which the poor man stands
as good a chance as the rich; and industry which develops
the tender side of ones nature, for who is so hard-hearted
as not to be influenced by the manifest innocence of these
dear little pets?

CHAPTER XV.
Crating" and Shipping.

When I was a boy my mother taught me the old maxim
that ''whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well."
If Belgian hare breeders ever learned this truth many of them
must have forgotten it. Mr. M. M. Conner, of Ada, Ohio,
touches up this matter very forcibly and, I think, sensibly,
in a letter to the "Belgian Hare Standard," Kansas City:

''It occurs to me that hare breeders are making a mistake
in sending out fine animals in the unsightly and cumbersome
boxes that I find a great many. use. I have several of these
boxes on hand, now, that I have recently received from
prominent breeders, and to say they are horrid looking
affairs, is putting it too mildly. Here is an assortment of
Cream of Cereal, Shredded Whole Wheat, Warner's Safe
Cure, Carter's Little Liver Pills, Pisos' Cure for Consump-
tion, etc.

"These boxes are plastered all over with the advertise-
ments of the different firms by whom they are used. But
breeders may say, 'we are selling hares, not boxes.' That's all
right, but how does it look?

"I regard it as poor economy to use such cheap-John
arrangements for shipping fine stock. A nice crate, with a

159

160 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL^

good solid bottom, partly covered with wire screen or net-
ting can be made for a trifle, also printed shipping cards
should be used. This wilPmake a good advertisement all
along the route to destination, and possibly be the means of
securing customers.

'The other day the expressman drove up to my office and
was endeavoring to unload a monstrous box. 'Hello,' says
I, 'Hello,' says he. 'What have you there?' says I. 'By
cripe,' says he, 'I think it's a bear.' Well, we unloaded the
box, pried off one of the top boards, and lo, and behold,
there was a pair of little animals that would weigh about
twelve pounds, crouched in one corner. Now the writer
had sent a check for the contents of that box that would
have made a respectable payment on a farm, and to have
them shipped in such a contraption as that is certainly not
a credit to any concerned.

"Then again it must be remembered that the purchaser
has to pay expressage on this car load of lumber, which your
box contains, and you should therefore have some mercy
on him."

The Editor of the "Belgian Hare Advocate," Chicago, in
a recent issue, says:

"As there are at this time so many orders coming in for
hares to be shipped all over the country, it is in order to offer
a few suggestions as to the manner in which this should be

CRATING AND SHIPPING. 161

done to insure the shipper against loss or accident. There
are many ways of preparing these little pets for the road,
but an article in the Pet Stock Tribune by a Mr. C. R. Root,
giving his plan of crating and shipping, is one of the best,
Mr. Root says: Too little thought and attention has been
given to the matter of shipping. Many a choice specimen,
perfectly healthy, has been damaged in transit. With suit-
able crate a hare can be transported around the globe. I
find the most satisfactory crate is one with light bottom and
sides for nine inches up ; rest of sides and top lath or slatted
material, except in center of top use a six-inch board, on
which place the name and address of consignee. This board
strengthens the cover. Have the space between the slats on
the side three-fourths of an inch wide; on the top one inch,
but never any more than this. Be sure and use the lightest
material possible — say, five-eighths of an inch, for the ends
and about three-eighths of an inch for the rest.

"Provide feeding cups, in which grain and water can be
given en route. Take two one-quart cups and fasten them
on for oats and water. Above all things do not use any old
tomato cans or any other sharp-edged cups. They will be
sure to scratch or cut the animal. Use factory made cups
altogether. Guard the hares against draughts, yet have good
ventilation, which should be supplied from above. One of
the chief advantages of crates with the side openings is that

m BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

they may be open when the crates are placed one above the
other, as is often done in the express car. To insure against
boxes being set right on top of the crates, nail on two or
more three-quarter inch square strips, as on peach and apple
crates. If only one animal is to be shipped in each crate
make it 18x18x15 inches, which will give ample room."

An orange box makes a fairly good crate for a pair. Of
course it is not absolutely necessary, but I think it adds
greatly to the appearance of things if the crates are painted
snow white. Paint is cheap, and when a crate arrives in a
manner that proves care had been taken by the breeder, it
makes his customer feel like he was getting a bargain.

The address should be printed in large, legible, black
letters to my notion, on the upper side of the crate. The
breeder's shipping tags, with address of consignee, may be
tacked one on either end. But in case these should be lost
off in transport, the painted address will be there.

CHAPTER XVI.
Identifying the Belgian.

An Improved Method for Marking Belgian Hares — A Little In-
vention of Great Importance.

Author Bonanza Babbitry Manual President National Association of Belgian
Hare Judges, Proprietor Bonanza Eabbitry, Los Angeles, Cal.

Dr. B. C. Piatt, President of the National Association of
Belgian Hare Judges and one of the most enthusiastic Ameri-
can friends of the Belgian bunny, has recently perfected
an invention that promises to be of the greatest utility to
all lovers of the Belgian hare. This is a new and improved
device enabling each fancier to mark his hares in a manner
painless to the animal yet in a way that cannot be erased or

163

BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

.ered. The doctor has kindly furnished me the following
particulars concerning his device, in manuscript prepared
especially for this work:

"Nearly all former devices for this purpose have consisted
of some form of metal tag placed in the ear of the animal
and numbered, or a system of clipping the edge of the ear.
A common method consists of an aluminum tag pressed
through the ear with a forceps and clinched in much the
same style that lawyers employ to bind together legal docu-
ments. Another device is a tag retained in the ear by an
aluminum wire. These methods are open to many objec-
tions, such as causing the animal considerable pain and being
easily removed by dishonest persons either in the rabbitries*
of breeders or when hares are en route between breeders and
purchasers with the intent and result of defrauding buyers,
and great injury to the reputation of breeders.

"Dr. Piatt's device avoids these and other objections. Like
many other little inventions of great utility it is beautifully
simple and the wonder is that no one ever thought of it
before. It consists essentially in tatooing a device upon the
ear of the animal by means of an ingenious little instrument.
The plan is capable of infinite variety so that every breeder
may have his own brand which he may use to the exclusion
of all others. And, instead of a deformity, as with the alumi-

IDENTIFYING THE BELGIAN.

165

nnm tag, and marking bits, the marking in the ear may be
made really ornamental.

"Stars, circles, squares, diamonds, triangles and other de-
signs form the framework of the device and numbers supply
the necessary individual characterization. For instance, a
breeder may adopt a star and in the center he places the
figure 1 for the first hare and may continue the series up to
a hundred thousand, if the breeding capacity of his rabbitry
supplies the material. We give herewith a few of the devices
that have; already suggested themselves to the fertile brain
of the inventor.

"Such as:

"Some of the advantages of this method are the following:
"First. — It is absolutely permanent as a means of identifi-
cation. The young hare may be marked when taken from
his dam and then has a means of identification attached to
his person that cannot be removed without cutting off his ear.
"Second. — There is no mutilation, no pain. The beauty of
the ear lacing is not marred. There is no disfiguring wire

166 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

or tag. No one likes to torture a pet animal, especially so
docile and innocent a creature as the hare. In most locali-
ties public sentiment is against cutting off the ears of dogs
and the tails of horses, shooting pigeons for sport or run-
ning hares with dogs. Although there has been a necessity
for marking hares which has undoubtedly justified the some-
what cruel methods heretofore in vogue, yet every sensible
and thoughtful person will welcome a method of far greater
utility and infinitely more humane.

'Third. — One may use either numbers, letters, or mono-
grams and the n%rk for ployed will constitute a trade mark
for the owner. With a perfected system of national regis-
tration such as is probable in the near future this method
will be the best that can be employed. It will enable every
progressive breeder to maintain his individuality by adver-
tising and selling the product of his rabbitry under a uni-
form brand of his own. In California it is a criminal offence
to counterfeit or alter the brand of live stock and laws similar
to that of California could be passed in every state.

"Fourth. — The cost of this method is only a trifle. Each
breeder may illustrate his style of marking on his circulars,
stationery and advertising material, and also in his ads in
newspapers. It will be a guarantee against frauds in the
show room or between buyers and sellers and will stimulate

IDENTIFYING THE BELGIAN. 16?

fanciers in their efforts to breed the best specimens, know-
ing that the credit cannot be taken from them.

"Dr. Piatt has filed an application for patents upon this
device in order to protect both himself and all who may
adopt it in practical use. Its simplicity and efifectiveness will
undoubtedly commend it to every breeder and bring it de-
served popularity."

JOHNSON'S HARES.

(Johnson stands for several of us.)

When Johnson dons his talking clothes.
And strikes his favorite "easy" pose,
You may bet the only talk that "goes"
Is Belgian hares.

♦•My buck, he always takes first prize ;
My doe, she always does likewise ;
They are 'hot stuff' ", he cries,
••My Belgian hares ! "

His wife may yell and jar and pout,
His children, they may rant about,
But still that clarion voice rings out :
'•My Belgian hares."

He talked to Smith till he was ill,
Told him all other things were nil ;
That the only things his wants could fill
Were Belgian hares.

When he'd meet Jones along the street,
He'd yell — as Jones would kindly greet —
••They've all got perfect red hind feet —
My Belgian hares. "

And when he learns there'll be a show,
Johnson is always first to go,
Because he wants us all to know

His Belgian hares.
-Frank Evans in the JPoultry and Belgian Hare Standard.

CHAPTER XVIl.
HoTir to Dress, Cook and Carve tlie Hare.

Mr. E. L. Durkee, of Delavan, Wis., in his "Columbian
Manual," gives the best instructions I have seen anywhere
on dressing the hare. He says:

"The labor of dressing a considerable number of hares can
be materially lightened by arranging a place expressly for
the purpose. This can be done in a few moments.

"Every boy who has hunted rabbits knows how to skin
them. But as some, especially our women readers, may not
have done so, a few words may be necessary. Construct a
trough by nailing together at right angles two boards about
two feet long and six inches wide. Leave both ends open.
A better way is to have a tinner bend lengthwise for you a
piece of galvanized iron 10x24 inches. Put your trough on
legs high enough to avoid the necessity of stooping while
at work. Set a bucket under one end of the trough to catch
the blood. Now pass one fore leg of the hare back between
the hind legs and tie three feet firmly together. This leaves
one fore leg free. Lay your hare on his back in the trough
allowing his head to hang over the pail. Take the ears in
your left hand and turn the head well to one side. With
the right strike a quick, sharp blow with a smooth stick at

168

HOW TO COOK THE HARE. 169

the base of the brain behind the ears. With a keen, narrow-
bladed knife pierce the jugular vein on each side of the neck,
training the blade forward and out at the front of the throat.
The disengaged fore leg now assists in the process by forc-
ing the blood out by muscular contraction. Now untie the
legs. Cut the skin around the first joint of the hind legs.
Next cut the skin on the inside of the thighs and pull care-
fully from the hind legs. Tie the hind legs together and
hang the hare to a hook attached to an upright or a clothes
line about two feet above your trough. Now gently pull the
skin downward to the head, being careful not to tear it in
skinning the fore legs. This leaves the carcass clean and free
from flying hairs. Cut the head off, draw the rabbit, saving
the heart and liver if desired and wash the carcass with cold
water to which has been added a little salt."

The next thing is preparation for the table. And when it
comes to this subject I feel a weakness, being just a man!
So I will quote from the columns of that excellent fancier's
publication, the Kansas City ''Poultry and Belgian Hare
Standard,'' a portion of a prize article, written by a woman,
Annie E. Craft, of St. Joseph, Mo.: V

"I submit a few ways of cooking the Belgian hare. You
will see, on reading them, that I do not use any foreign
flavors to spoil the taste of the hare. I have read a few ways,
^ately, to cook Belgian hare, where they used wine, beer, etc.

170 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

Why should one wish to ruin the flavor of a true Belgian
seems strange to me; that way may be all right for the wild
English hare, or for our own wild rabbit, but we do not want
any such way of cooking the real 'Simon pure Belgian.'
Nothing but pepper and salt is needed on the Belgian hare,
if you wish to enjoy the rich, yet delicate, flavor of the true
Belgian/

. "Belgian Hare Roasted j (less than six months-old). — You
need not steam a hare of this age ; use oyster dressing, which
may be made as for an old hare, leaving out the onion. Rub
with butter and seasoned flour, lay in covered pan, with one
pint of water, in which put tablespoonful of salt, one of
pepper; cook till tender, baste every fifteen minutes; if not
brown, remove cover and let brown nicely, turning so as to
brown all parts.

"Fried Belgian, (old). — Cut into eight pieces or more; put
into a steamer; steam until tender; sprinkle over the pieces,
while cooking, one tablespoonful of salt, one of pepper ; when
tender, remove and dip each piece in beaten egg, then in
cracker dust ; have frying pan very hot, with plenty of sweet
lard; lay in, fry a rich brown; serve with rich cream gravy,
in which you have put the liver, cut fine.

"Young Belgian, Fried. — ^The best are from 2J to 4
months. Cut into eight pieces, (these will not need to be
steamed), dip each piece into flour; have pan very hot, with

HOW TO COOK THE HARE. 171

plenty of good lard; lay in, sprinkle with salt and pepper,
put on cover and fry a golden brown, then try the pieces;
set the pan on the back part of stove and fry slowly until
cooked through; that part you must be careful about; serve
with rich cream gravy.

''Belgian Stezv. — Cut into pieces, either an old or a young
hare, an old one will have more flavor and require more
cooking; cover with hot water and boil slowly; when nearly
done, season with salt and pepper; when tender, remove to
a dish; keep hot; add to the water it was boiled in, one pint
rich milk, half cup of butter, boil up, stir in a thickening of
flour, which has been rubbed smooth in a little milk, let boil
up once more, then put in the hare; set on back part of
range, where it will only simmer a few moments. You can
serve this with a rich crust on platter, or serve plain.

"Belgian Hare Pie. — Cut up, put in kettle, boil until ten-
der, cut off the meat from the bones. Have your deep pan
lined with rich biscuit dough. Don't cover the bottom of
the pan; put in the meat, sprinkle with salt and pepper, one
cup of butter, cut fine, sprinkle over all three tablespoonfuls
of flour, pour in enough of the water, the hare was boiled
in, to cover all the meat; cover with a crust; bake brown;
have slits cut in top crust. When done, pour in one cup of
rich milk, hot; serve in dish it was baked in."

Mrs. C. Rapp, of Rideway, 111., prepared a number of

172 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

choice recipes for the "Prospectus" of the American Belgian
Hare Association, from which I cull the following:

"Hare Baked with Rice. — Cut up a hare; stew gently in
stock or water, with enough tomatoes to equal the amount
of stock, and three green Chili peppers, emptied of seeds and
sliced fine; salt to taste. While the hare is stewing, boil half
a cupful of rice in a quart of water ; also boil one dozen eggs
until hard. After the hare is about half cooked, line a baking
dish, suitable for the table, with part of the cooked rice ; place
the hare on the dish with alternate layers of eggs, peeled and
sliced; pour over this the sauce, unstrained, and cover with
a layer of rice and sliced eggs pressed well into the rice.
Pour on the top half a cup of melted butter or thick, sweet
cream, and bake in a slow oven one hour and serve hot.

"Hare a la Creme. — Clean and cut up the hare; melt two
tablespoonfuls of butter, fry in it a small onion, minced; then
fry the hare until a light brown; when well colored, remove
the hare and add to the butter an equal measure of com
starch; stir until smooth, then add milk to make a thin sauce.
Place the hare in a baking pan ; pour over it the sauce, strain
and bake in the oven until thoroughly done.

"Jugged Hare. — Skin, wipe with a towel dipped in boiling
water, to remove the loose hairs; dry thoroughly and cut
in pieces ; stew with pepper and salt ; fry brown ; season with
two anchovies, a sprig of thyme, a little chopped parsley,

HOW TO COOK THE HARE. ltd

nutmeg, mace, cloves and grated lemon peel. Put a layer
of the pieces with the seasoning into a wide-mouthed jug or
jar; then a layer of bacon, sliced thin, and so on till all is
used; add a scant half pint of water; cover the jar close and
put in cold water; let boil three or four hours, according to
the age of the ha,re; take the jar out of the kettle; pick out the
unmelted baoori and rriake a gravy of a little butter and flour,
with a little catsup, A teaspoon of lemon peel will heighten
the flavor.

The "Belgian Hare Advocate," Chicago, gives the follow-
ing directions with reference to that delightful and appetizing
process known to gentlemen as carving:

'Insert the point of the knife under the shoulder in the
direction A and then cut all down the rump in the line A B.
Do the same on the other side, by which process the whole
hare will be divided into three parts. Cut the back into four,
as E D which with the legs is most esteemed. Cut the

114 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

shoulder off circularly as A E G, lay the pieces on the dish
as they are taken off, and then help the company, giving
some stuffing and gravy to each. If the hare is old it cannot
be thus divided ; therefore in that case put the knife between
the leg and back, and give it a little turn inwards at the joint,
which must be hit and not broken by force. When the legs
are separated, a fine collop will be found on each side of the
back ; then divide the latter into as many pieces as you think
proper, and take off the shoulders, which are the sportsman's
pieces, and with many obtain the preference. After helping
all round off the head, put the knife between the upper and
lower jaw, and divide them ; then place the point of the knife
in the center, and part the head in two. The ears and brains
may then be helped to those who choose them,"

KEEP TOOTING.

(TO BELGIAN BREEDERS FOR THE TRADE.)

If you toot your little tooter and then lay aside your horn,
There's not a soul in ten short days will know that you were born.
The man who gathers pumpkins is the man who plows all day.
And the man who keeps a-humping is the one who makes it pay.
The man who advertises with a short and sudden jerk,
Is the man who blames the printer because it didn't work.
The man who gets the business has a long and steady pull.
And keeps the paying papers years and years quite full.

He plans his advertisements in a thoughtful, honest way,
And keeps forever at k until he makes it pay.
He has faith in all the future, can withstand a sudden shock.
And like the man of Scripture, has his business on a rock.

— A/Ur Kingsley Times.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Possibilities of tlie Business.

Mr. G. H. Lanphere, of Kansas City, Kansas, one of the
oldest of American fanciers, contributes the following article
to this work. Mr. Lanphere has always made a specialty
of gilt-edge stock. In 1900 his firm sold $5,000 worth of
animals in four months. A man with his experience and
success is always gladly heard:

A v«t«ran fancier, Kansas City, Kas. Sold $5,000 worth of stock in four
months in 1900.

"Much has been written pro and con concerning the Bel-
gian hare. Some writers have advocated the extermination

175

176 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

of the little animal, denouncing it as a pest that would
prove ruinious to fruit trees, shrubbery, etc. ; and this denun-
ciation is from persons who know absolutely nothing of the
characteristics of the Belgian hare.

''Other writers have printed statements that read a good
deal like the prospectus of a gold brick manufactory, 'a gold
mine in the back yard,' 'how to get rich quick,' and other
equally nonsensical talk. After seven years' experience in the
culture of Belgian hares we are satisfied that both of these
propositions are wrong. We believe that if all the Belgian
hares in America were turned loose to shift for themselves,
in less than thirty days there would not be a baker's dozen
left to harrow the soul of the cautious horticulturalist. If
there were any left after the boys got through their natural
enemy, the dog and cat would soon exterminate them. On
the other hand it is a mistake to suppose 'there are millions
in it.' The business of raising hares or poultry to make a
success of it must be conducted along the same lines as any
other business. Economy in management, business methods
and honesty, and if these three elements of success are put
into the business it will pay. In our opinion one grave mis-
take made by breeders is, in mating their does too often,
the result being an over production of bred-to-death stock
on the market. Where does are mated more than four times
a year the young will be weak, have Uttle vitality or strength,

POSSIBILITIES OF THE BUSINESS: 111

consequently when a light cold takes hold of them they have
no strength to throw it off. If the fanciers would only mate
their best does twice or possibly three times a year, and then
reserve from such mating only one or two of the best of
each family for breeders, and throw the balance into the
killing pen to be fattened for market, good prices for fancy
breeders could be maintained for years to come. Judging
from the quality of stock I have seen in the last two years,
while in attendance at the leading shows, I believe that fully
seventy-five per cent of all the Belgian hares in America to-
day are fit only for market stock. They can't win in the
show room, but as the owners payed a big price for them
on the strength of a padded score card, they are still holding
$3 stock at $15 and $20.

''Everyone who has given the article a trial admits the
toothsomeness of a nicely cooked hare, but it is seldom on
sale at the market. Too much attention has been paid to the
raising of fancy stock for exhibition purposes, and too little
to the practical or market side of the business.

*Tf each breeder would make it a point as he increases his
number of breeding does, to increase his number of custom-
ers for dressed hares, the glut now noticeable in the market
in some quarters would be relieved very quickly.

Of all the astonishing things ever written by Dr. B. C.
Piatt, I suppose nothing has equaled his article on 'The

ITS BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

Fecundity of the Hare," which has been widely copied from
his "Manual," and yet I presume many who will read this
book have never happened to see it. A chapter on the
possibilities of the hare without this remarkable contribution
would be incomplete, so I will give it, but request my readers
to please not all start into the business at once, for if you
do, what will become of Messrs. Morgan, Rockefeller, Van-
derbilt, Carnegie, and other poor fellows who are trying to
make a living out of the monopoly business in the East!

'The hare is a species of rabbit; and the astonishing fecun-
dity of all members of the family is universally understood.
Everyone has read that, imported into Australia, the English
wild hare overran the country and threatened to destroy
every green thing by sheer force of numbers. We have all
heard of the devices for killing them by poison and starva-
tion. Yet this was the wild hare which only drops two litters
a year and one pair at each litter. Nevertheless, his powers
of reproduction were enough to stagger the Australian gov-
ernment, which offered a reward of twenty-five thousand
dollars for any certain method of exterminating him. Now,
the Belgian has from five to six litters a year and from eight
to fifteen at a litter. Had the Belgian been turned loose in
Australia instead oF'ihe wild hare, there is no telling what
the government would have been driven to do.

"The following interesting table shows the possible in-

POSSIBILITIES OF THE BUSINESS: 179

crease from a single pair of Belgian hares for five years,
assuming that all lived for whatever period intervened be-
tween their birth and the end of the five years. The calcula-
tion is based upon a single pair of Belgian hares, six months
old, to start with, allowing each doe of the progeny. to drop
her first litter at six months of age, and the litters to average
eight, the sexes being equally divided. A well-cared-for doe
will breed until she is four or five years old. The calcula-
tion ends with the fifth year. So prolific are these animals
that, if permitted, a doe will drop a litter every thirty days
all the year round, but in making this calculation they are
only credited with six litters a year, or half the full producing
capacity :

FIRST YEAR. No. Born. Total No.

September 1 8 10

November 1 8 18

January 1 8 2Q

March 1 40 66

May 1 72 138

July 1 104 243

SECOND YEAR.

September 1 264 506

Nov'ember 1 552 1,058

January 1 968 2,026

March 1 2,024 4,050

May 1 4,232 8,282

July 1 8,104 16,386

180 BELGIAN tiARE MANUAL

THIRD YEAR.

*

September 1 '. 16,200 32,586

November 1 33,128 65,714

January 1 65,544 131,258

March 1 130,344 261,602

May 1 262,856 524,458

July 1 525,032 1,049,490

FOURTH YEAR.

September 1 1,046,408 2,095,898

November 1 2,097,832^ 4,193,730

January 1 4,197,960 8,391,690

March 1 8,383,592 16,775,282

May 1 16,774,920 33,550,202

July 1 33,566,760 67,116,962

FIFTH YEAR.

September 1 67,101,128 134,218,090

November 1 134,200,808 268,418,898

January 1 268,467,848 536,886,746

March 1 546,872,360 1,083,759,106

May 1 . , 1,073,675,592 2,157,434,698

July 1 2,147,746,994 4,305,181,682

A brief calculation shows that, allowing each hare only
two square yards of space, it would require for the above
number 278 square miles. Allowing an equal amount of
ground for the purpose of raising hay, grain and roots to

POSSIBILITIES OF THE BUSINESS. 181

feed the hares, we have a total of 556 square miles, a good-
sized ranch, almost as large as Orange county, Cal. How-
ever, supposing the hares were only worth $1 apiece — the
price would probably fall off a little with such a large stock
on the market — the owner of this stock could well afiford to
buy Orange county, including all the improvements, and
then could build the Nicaragua Canal, pay ofif the public debt
of the United States, build 100 first-class battleships, give
$25 to each man, woman and child in the United States, and
still have left a neat little fortune of about $1,000,000,000.

"Now take the product of two does and a buck for two
years. This would be the product of one doe doubled. Thus
two does and a buck would have produced, in two years,
32,769. Doubling this we have the product of four does
and a buck for the same period, amounting to 65,538. While
this result would probably never happen in its entirety, yet
the illustration shows the possibilities of the industry."

Mr. J. F. Willey, a well-known Los Angeles fancier, in a
conservative, well-balanced article in the "Pet Stock Trib-
une," says:

"With so many people becoming interested in the Belgian
hare without any previous knowledge or experience in the
business, it is quite natural that the bump of inquisitiveness
should be more than normal. Among the first questions
asked of the average breeder are How much money can I

182 • BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

make out of Belgians? Shall I buy high or low grade, im-
ported or domestic, and from whom? How can I get the
quickest results? Does a cold do any harm? Shall I use
more does, etc. A doe will produce an average of forty
young per annum, and may live five years, but as a basis of
calculation lets take the conservative estimate of two years
as the length of time she will be useful as a breeder. During
this time she Vxdll produce eighty young, one of which must
take her place for the next two years and so on. This leaves
seventy-nine to sell. Dressed Belgian hare brings twenty
cents per pound in the market Now if we turn these
seventy-nine hares into meat as soon as they are large
enough to dress five pounds, we will have the following
business proposition, say for ten does, as this is about the
number for one buck to serve:

790 Hares at $1.00 , .$790.00

10 per cent, tv^^o years on $55.00 (cost of 11

hutches) $11.00

Feed (said to be covered by sale of pelts) . .
Advertising 35 . 00

Net $754.00

"As eleven hares are required to produce this amount in
two years, we have $34.27 as the income from one hare for
one year, which is ten per cent, on $343.70.

POSSIBILITIES OF THE BUSINESS. 183

"With a better class of hares — those that sell readily for
$50 — we have the following for ten does and one buck in
two years :

790 Hares at $50.00 $39,500.00

10 per cent, two years on $275 (cost of 11

hutches) $ 55.00

Feed (regardless of economy) $1.00 per

head 801.00

Advertising, etc 300.00 1,156.00

Net $38,344.00

''Income from one hare one year $1,742.91. To avoid
the possibility of being taxed (by skeptics) with over-estimat-
ing the possibilities of the Belgian, lets cut this down two-
thirds, then we will have $580.97, or ten per cent on
$5,809.70.

*T know of a fancier who sold $1,250 worth from one
doe in one season. How much is a first-class Belgian hare
worth? How much can I make out of one? Shall I buy
high or low grade? Imported or domestic? Well, do not
buy an animal simply because it is imported, or simply be-
cause it is domestic but buy for quality. The legitimate
95-point animal is just as good bred in one country as in
another, except, perhaps, in making a long voyage and be-
coming accustomed to a new climate. Buy from reliable

184 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

breeders who have a reputation at stake and not from irre-
sponsible parties. Tell the breeder what you want and ask
him to do the best he can for you for the amount you wish
to invest. The established breeder will look for future
patronage and do his best for you every time."

I want to suggest to pastors who have churches burdened
with debt, put your people at work raising Belgian Hares
a while, and ease up on begging the merchants, serving ice
cream and oysters thrice weekly, and otherwise boring your
communities. If each family in your congregation would
purchase one trio of hares and devote the proceeds of two
or three years business to work, you could not only pay
every dollar you owe, but quadruple your offerings to
missions and other benevolences.

If young men and women who desire an education would
cease waiting for some rich man to pick them up, and go to
work raising Belgians, they could soon have sufficient funds
with which to school themselves. Verily, this new industry
presents mightly possibilities to all.

CHAPTER XIX.
Wliat Women Can Do.

Francis E. Willard once wrote that *'the greatest discovery
of the nineteenth century is this : Woman has discovered her-
self T Discovered that she has business as well as social
capabilities. Discovered that in her independence lies her
greatest safe-guard for this life.

Thousands of women have entered the Belgian hare busi-
ness, and they are scoring brilliant successes. One of the
most entertaining articles I have ever read from the pen of
a lady fancier, and one which bears directly on the subject
at the head of this chapter, may be found in the "Belgian
Hare Success Book," a small but valuable pamphlet issued
by the New England Belgian Hare Co., Boston. I will
quote a portion of it. The writer is Mrs. Edith Kingman
Poyer, of Woodstock, 111., an erstwhile school teacher, who
gave up her class-room for the rabbitry:

"For years I was on the lookout for something adapted
to my small capital and limited time, firmly believing that
there was a financial future for me, and that I should eventu-
ally hit upon the right plan. The thought of raising poultry
occured to me many times, but was always put aside on
account of the vermin. Reading in a-n English journal one

m

186

BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

evening I threw down the paper and said to my brother,
'What is the reason we could not make money raising Bel-
gian hares? People of good standing in England carry on
the industry with great success. It is said that their flesh is
more relished than that of poultry. They are so clean in
their habits, and large numbers can be raised in such small

Proprietor Northwestern Babbitry, Woodstock, 111.

places, I should think it would pay better than chickens/
After a great deal of discussion, I said, 'Let us try. You
fix up the old barn, and we will start in a small way, and
see what success we have in raising them, and v/hat the
merits of the flesh are.' So, for a small price, we bought
some beautiful Belgian hares, four does and two bucks,

WHAT WOMEN CAN DO. 187

which we placed in the barn, in which my brother built four
cages. This was in April, 1896. We were very successful
in raising our hares, and by January 1 the four does and
two bucks with their progeny had produced for us 338 ani-
mals, which we readily disposed of at, of course, small
prices, our first customer being a little boy who from buying
a buck and a doe raised 51 hares, making a snug little
profit of $45, a very good beginning for a boy of ten. Dur-
ing the season we ate quite a num.ber, finding the fiesli
unusually juicy, sweet, and tender, with no similarity of taste
to that of the common rabbit. We found it could be pre-
pared in a number of attractive ways, with no more trouble
than a fowl, and far surpassing the latter as an appetizing
and delicious meat. The surplus out of 338 hares, reserv-
ing the good breeders, and supplying the table, would not
make one's fortune, but the business we did with those few,
was an index of what might be done when the merits of
the animal were known. So far we had made no effort to
put forth his good qualities, and I myself took particular
precaution that even my friends should not know that I was
inte^-ested in a business so unknown, so uncertain so far as
public opinion was concerned. But in this case public opin-
ion could not be consulted, for had it been, the Belgian
hare business as an industry would have retired to oblivion
upon its first public appearance. Through the winter and

188 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

early spring the question as to its permanency and final
popularity was uppermost in my mind, for in the little barn,
the hares were growing and multiplying and their home
quarters were becoming every day more limited. If the ex-
periment were to be continued they must have a suitable
home of sufficient size and convenience, to insure health
and comfort in caring for them. The question of whether
I would give the experiment a full test was debated every
day. Faith that the American people would become con-
vinced of its table merit, and place it on their daily menus
finally decided my future course, and I commenced planning
a permanent home for the dainty pets, firmly believing in
the outcome, and the assured future of this beautiful animal,
little dreaming that in the short space of three years his
merits would place him for the time being beyond the reach
of market prices, and raise his value to equal and surpass
that of any fancy stock for its size on the American market.
As the demand and value of the fancy animal had not pre-
sented itself to my mind, my building had to be planned
to accommodate large numbers, consequently a three-story
building fifty feet long and twenty-eight feet wide assumed
proportions in my father's back yard in Woodstock, Illinois,
in the early spring following my first experiment. This
building might have been taken for a commodious barn,
but when day after day carpenters continued to work on the

WHAT WOMEN CAN DO. 189

interior, the curious public casually dropped in, only to be
confronted with wire cages from floor to ceiling, 276 in all,
with four wide aisles running lengthwise of the building* with
windows at either end. And then the secret was out.
Pandora, lifting the lid of the magic box, could not have
created more commotion. But as Hope came to Pandora,
so it was ever present with me, never failing me, despite
criticism, costly experience, hard luck, adverse public opin-
ion. That a woman, heretofore absorbed in educational in-
terests, and living her life inside the four walls of a school-
room, should launch so precarious and untried an industry
as the raising of Belgian hares, and erect an immense build-
ing arranged to hold 3,000 animals, seemed to my friends
and acquaintances pitiable in the extreme. From the time
the first sill was laid and the first nail driven, opposition to
so wild a scheme was rife. Even the contractors urged its
abandonment, as they did not wish to be parties to my in-
evitable loss. One friend, of unusual foresight and financial
success said to me, 'it may be all right, but I am very skepti-
cal.' It is pleasant to have the approval of one's friends,
but sometimes it is dearly bought. The approval of an
inner conscience is sometimes all on which we may depend.
We cannot live by the course of life laid down by our friends,
and if, in going forward we lose old friends, we gain new
and valued ones. One dear and most highly valued friend

190 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

whose support I never dreamed of having came to my rescue
and overreached all criticism. Let me pause a moment to
pay tribute to that friend — the newspaper. Quick to see
that this novel enterprise, termed at first a fad, would be
a benefit to thousands of people, it took up the cause, setting
forth its merits and possibilities, proving itself as always, the
benefactor of mankind. As the industry became more widely
known the graceful Belgian became very popular, and a
demand for a hare with the highest points of breeding mani-
fested itself. The hare must be brought to perfection as the
high bred horse, cow or dog. Then I sent to England where
fanciers for years had been breeding for purest type, and
procured some of the finest pedigreed and registered stock,
from which to breed. People who at first thought $25 an
enormous price and openly said that no such amount of
money should ever leave their hands in exchange for a Bel-
gian hare, now willingly paid $500 to secure a champion
animal. One man who ridiculed the industry, and said he
would rather put his money into a dairy, now owns six fine
Belgian does, and declares he would not exchange them
for six of the best cows in the country."

Mrs. Brothers, proprietor of the ''Lone Spring Belgian
Hare Ranch" 75th Street and Troost Avenue, Kansas City,
Mo., is another woman who has made both fame and fortune
out of bunnies. I met her while preparing these pages in

WHAT WOMEN CAN DO.

101

the busy city at the mouth of the Kaw, and asked her to
write an article for my book. She has a magnificent rabbitry,
has personally visited England for the purpose of selecting
hares for her hutches, and has given the industry an ex-
haustive study and test. She kindly prepared for me the
following signed contribution:

TAKING LIFE PLEASANTLY.

Mrs. Marie A. Brothers and her young son on the way to town to buy feed for
The Lone Spring Ranch, Kansas City, Mo.

Belgian Hares in America and England.

"When I first became interested in the Belgian hare in-
dustry, it was through the love of the animal as a pet. This
latter spread to an appreciation of the value of the animal

192

BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

as a meat producer, and this, in turn, to a real enthusiasm
for the fancy animal and a full understanding of the vast
amount of money that was changing hands in the fancy of
the industry.

Proprietor "The Lone Spring Ranch," Kansas City, Mo.

"One of the first things that impressed me most forcibly
was the fact that when one is in the business for either pleas-
ure or profit, they should have some very fine ones as well
as many medium good ones. By using the best judgment
they will soon have their entire stock improving rapidly,
and before a long while has elapsed the progeny of the fancy
specimens will fill the rabbitry and the selling of the cheaper
specimens will be done in conjunction with the rearing of

WHAT WOMEN CAN DO. 193

the better ones in such a systematic manner that no loss
of time or very large expenditure will be necessary.

'With this general plan in view I sought to procure a
few of the very best prize winners that could be had, the
same, however, to be winners at such shows as were judged
in a competent manner. I might here state that the winning
of a specimen does not necessarily mean anything unless
that winning is made in respectably strong competition and
the award made by a judge who knows what a Belgian
hare is.

"No person with ambition enough to give the fancy valu-
able time and a liberal investment will think seriously of
exhibiting their stock where a Show Association or Club
will not announce in their Premium List who is to handle
their stock, nor will they exhibit them under poultry judges
who have never been interested in hares.

"Civilization has reached that stage in America where the
expert is in demand in almost every phase of life. In no
particular instance is it more stringently required than in
the fancy, and in no other fancy is it quite as important as
in the Belgian hare fancy.

"On observation I am led to believe that this matter is
at times overlooked or sadly neglected, with the result that
in some instances the premium is lost on stock worth nearly
half a thousand dollars, to a mongrel heavy weight that more

194 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

nearly resembles a cross between a Leporine and a Rocky
Mountain Burro than it does a twentieth century Belgian
hare.

" 'Business is business,' and I am convinced that good
hares are worth too much money to justify the toleration
of a show on other than the strictest business principles.

"My experience with the best American stock and at the
leading shows has been most satisfactory, and I have been
lured into greater investments and more extended ventures
as the result of continued success.

"Noting the great demand for animals of the highest type
of imported stock, and not overlooking the disappointment
that so many importers meet with, I decided to make a busi-
ness trip to England and to secure the best there.

"Not feeling entirely free to entrust myself to the selec-
tion of them, I engaged the services of Mr. Crabtree, to
take the trip and make the selections for me.

"When he placed them in the Lone Spring Rabbitry his
last advice was, 'Show them wherever a show is to be judged
by a person who knows a good hare and where there is a
practical classification arranged, and you can safely wager
great odds on the result.'

"Never have I been more strongly of the opinion that the
very best pays the largest profits on the investment and gives

WHAT WOMEN CAN DO. 105

the greatest pleasure for the time devoted to the fancy and
the study of the animal in its every requirement.

*'At the recent Kansas City Show with an entry in only
a part of the general classes, owing to the fact of having
much of my stock bred, I was gratified with a sweeping
victory as follows: Six first premiums, four second pre-
miums, one third premium and thirteen specials.

"Among the specials the ones I prize most highly are the
$75.00 loving cup and $35.00 in gold.

''Now, the readers would perhaps like to have my ideas
regarding the respective values of domestic and imported
stock, since my experience and winnings have been with
both.

"I will say this, that it matters little where the stock was
born, if one only has the real qualifications in them.

"Some of my domestic young are fully equal to anything
that I have ever imported when they were at the same age.
Of course they are of the choicest imported blood, but simply
short the word 'imported' when spoken of individually.

"On the other hand, I could not continue as successfully
in business were I deprived of several of the grand specimens
which I brought from England.

"I shall take this opportunity to say that there is a wide
difference between the mating of stock in England and the
same pursuit in America.

196 BELGIAN BARE MANUAL

"America is much more educational in its application of
the work, and mating is here done on very scientific lines
with the result that wonderful results have crowned the
efforts of the breeder.

"In that country a few of the older members of their
National Club make careful matings, but the great majority
of their breeders have little more idea of what a certain mat-
ing will produce than a man on an exploring expedition has
of what a day's journey will develop.

"Thus it is that such a small percentage of their animals
are uniform in themselves or in their propagation, and that
such a general dissatisfaction has gone boardcast over
America during the past year regarding the imported Bel-
gian hare.

"A requirement which is very generally ignored in that
country is size, and although the standard there is the same
in that respect, you will find that the majority of breeders
there produce only 7 lb. animals, and often mature animals
are found that only weigh about 5f lbs.

"Another difference which is noticeable is the health of
animals.

"As to snuffles, the two countries are about the same.
As to ear-canker, little of it is seen in this country except
in recently imported specimens. It is quite prevalent there.
As to the 'Vent Disease,' which is by far the worst disease

WHAT WOMEN CAN DO. 197

to which the Belgian is subject, I have never known a case
to develop in this country unless it be in imported specimens
that have been but a short time here. In England this
disease is quite prevalent and in most cases is not seriously
enough considered.

"Where persons do importing I would advise them to
specify particularly that the stock sent should be entirely
free from ear-canker and 'Vent Disease,' and on their arrival
I should examine them carefully for both, and later give
them a careful and thorough examination again for the Vent,
as it takes forty days from exposure for the latter to develop
noticeably.

"As to which country can and has produced the very best
specimens, there is no choice, as has been clearly demon-
strated by a careful application of the score card, by a com-
petent person, to the very best that has ever been produced
in each country.

"The very highest score ever actually made was the same
in both countries, showing that the foremost breeders of the
two countries are on an equal footing.

"When it comes to the average standing of all the stock
produced, America is far in the lead. I can easily see why
this is true, from the fact that we stick more closely to the
requirements of the standard in our breeding stock, strive
harder to contrast delects that do exist in them and produce

1©8 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

a far stronger uniformity in the progeny than they possibly
can until they follow it up on the same practical lines.

"As to where a customer will get the best satisfaction, I
simply have this to say : Buy of one who is well established
in the business, one who has a reputation at stake, one who
can back up the assertions made in his advertisement by
meeting the strongest of competition where competent
judges officiate.

"What is directly for the good of the industry is indirectly
for the good of every conscientious, well-meaning fancier,
and therefore I wish your valuable publication and the in-
dustry unbounded success."

I am convinced from what I have seen and heard in my
travels that a brighter day has dawned for woman economi-
cally. Every woman likes pin money, Easter hats, etc.
Well, here is the chance- — raise Belgians. The industry not
only means pin money, but it means better health for thou-
sands. The physical exercise and mental diversion gained
while caring for the rabbitry will prove a god-send to multi-
tudes. And the joy of adding a few dollars every month to
the family exchequer — perhaps enough to pay the rent — will
be worth more than one can tell in the limits of an ordinary
book, and so I will leave the subject right here.

CHAPTER XX.
Pot Pouri.

A Belgian buck and a Belgian doe

Of pedigree and renown —
They started a hundred thousand club

Just as the sun went down.

And after a month there were thirty-six,

In six months thousands or more;
And after a year the club contained
A hundred thousand and four.

Fresno Democrat,
* *

Some Don'ts to Observe.

Don*t starve your pets.

Don't feed corn in hot weather.

Don't buy poor stock.

Don't feed musty hay or grain.

Don't feed grass wet with dew.

Don't breed during hot weather.

Don't feed too much green food.

Don't use dark or damp hutches.

Don't neglect to provide runways.

Don't use metal dishes for water.

Don't allow animals in filthy quarters.

Don't neglect to give good, fresh water.

Don't wean the young under six weeks.

Don't use boxes for nests in the summer.

Don't fail to give fresh water twice a day.

199

206 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL

Don't feed grain on the floor of your hutch.

Don't neglect to give stock regular attention.

Don't rely too much on the markings of animals.

Don't handle does that are bred — keep them quiet.

Don't overfeed, but give all they will eat up clean.

Don't breed a buck oftener than three times a week.

Don't handle a doe after she is two weeks with young.

Don't fail to have feed and water before the nursing doe
at all times.

Don't imagine you can have good animals without labor
and care.

Don't feed more than will be eaten in an hour, except to
the nursing doe.

Don't breed too much; four to six litters a year is all a
doe ought to have.

Don't buy an animal because it is cheap. Get good stock
and take care of it.

Don't think you know all about the business or more than
all other fanciers combined.

Don't sell young hares before their markings are indicated
— ^you may sell a prize winner.

Above all things, don't handle hares by the ears. It is
certain to cause lopped or fallen ears and render them worth-
less except for market.

—Columbian Belgian Hare Manual.

POT POURI, 201

State of Mass. vs, SecV Wilson.

The Massachusetts Commissioners of Inland Fisheries and
Game, in their recent report, had this to say on the subject
of the Belgian hare.

"The Belgian hare has come to stay, it is excellent food,
is easily raised and constitutes a fine farm product, where
there is land enough to devote an acre or two to rearing it.

"It is the intention of the commission to stock the state,
more or less, with these rabbits as an addition to our game
resources. As reared at the state rabbitry, the Belgian hare
is as hardy as our own native wild rabbits and is more
prolific.

"The fears expressed by Secretary Wilson of the United
States department of agriculture, that the species, if let loose
in our woods and fields, may become a nuisance, are believed
to be groundless."

This will be instructive reading for the chronic croaker,
as well as for Secretary Wilson, and his biological experts,
who apparently cannot ascertain anything of interest on the
subject.

— Belgian Hare Advocate.

202 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

Meat Stock and Castration.

Require but limited quarters, as an abundance of exercise
would only defeat the object to be obtained. Bone and sinew
instead of meat and fat would be the result. Their small
hutches should be kept clean and occasionally disinfected as
this stock is more liable to disease because of an indolent dis-
position and their large consumption of nutritious food.
When four to six months of age hares make the most accept-
able food. The bucks should be castrated just as soon as the
testicles ''come down." The work of castration is simple.
Let a helper spread a burlap sack or other cloth over his lap;
lay the hare upon this between his legs, head toward
his body and the hind legs extending beyond his knees. Let
him take a hind foot in each hand, spreading the hare's legs
apart. The operator, a sharp knife in hand, grasps a testicle
between the thumb and finger of the left hand, and slits the
scrotum lengthwise. The testicle will exude. It is taken
firmly, drawn out and severed below the red part adhering;
the cord also is severed near the body when well drawn out.
To keep ofif insects and aid in healing at once apply vaseline,
upon which has been dropped a little turpentine. A person
can do this work single handed by inserting the head, and
most of the body, in a boot-leg or similar case. Another

POT POURI. 203

advantage of castration is that the does and bucks can be
kept together. Otherwise they must be separated at an early

^ ' — New Century Belgian Hare Manual.

Determining the Sex in Young Hares.

It is almost impossible to distinguish the sex of a hare
before he reaches the third or fourth week of his existence
without going into very minute methods of examination.

To examine him take him by the ears and skin of the
shoulders with the left hand, lay him over on the small of his
back exposing the parts to a bright light. Place the fore-
finger of the right hand on the skin between the anus and
the tail and the thumb about one inch from the finger, and
toward the abdomen, and press down and outward, extend-
ing the distance between the finger and thumb. This will
expose the parts and in the male a very small but round
orifice will appear with smooth surface of skin between this
orifice and the anus of perhaps from one-third to one-half
inch when at the age of four to five weeks. With the female
there is none of this space and the orifice is oblong and
apparently extends right to the anus and, when well
stretched, will expose an opening about one-fourth to three-
eighths of an inch in length.

204 BELGIAN HARE MANUAL.

Amateurs often make mistakes in examining hares to de-
termine the sex, especially in the very young animals. It
is well to examine frequently though you may have thought
that you had settled the question the first time. This rule
should apply especially when making selection at a very
young age.

— Dr. B. C. Piatt in Bonanza Manual.

Breeding for Fancy vs. Meat,

I am in a position to know that one fancier made sales of
breeding stock in the month of May to the amount of $1,500,
lacking $1.50. I know of another who has cleared something
between $7,000 and $9,000 within the last eighteen months
on breeding stock. Now of course, these are breeders of
very fancy animals. This only shows one phase, and the
hare-breeding for market purposes, another. It is my opinion
that in some three or four years, when the business settles
down to market purposes, that the people who are now
breeding for fancy, and who have not made sufficient from
it to retire from business, will settle down to producing meat.
They will be most thoroughly prepared to handle the little
animal for meat purposes as they will understand its every

POT POVkl. 206

requirement. They will have a natural fondness for the ani-
mal, and will produce meat to better advantage than a be-
ginner could possibly do. At the same time, enough interest
will be retained in the fancy to make it very interesting in
exhibition circles, and carrying out first-class shows will pro-
ceed in this country on similar lines that it is carried out
with poultry, horses and other stock, and with the fancy
shows in England,

— Judge P. E. Crabtree in Field and Stream,

JHE END.

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