BULLETIN NO. 1 OF Boies Pet Stock and Game Farm “THE HOME OF PETS” MILLBROOK, N. Y. Boies’ Utility Rabbits For Meat and Fur By H. A. BOIES —— Price, 25 Cents Copyright, 1917, by H. A. Boies, Millbrook, N. Y. ee FOREWORD. In offering this bulletin to the public, my first object is to answer the many letters of inquiry received, which from lack of time, | have been forced to answer by letter, all too briefly. My second object is to present to you a good form of food supply which has been sadly neglected in this country of ours, and one which has more than enough good points to commend it to your attention. I have always been a great lover of our Bird and Animal friends, and friends they surely are, much more so than most of us realize, for without them we could not exist. Our birds not only supply us with many forms of food but they help to make conditions more sanitary, keep down the insect pests and vermon so that our crops are possible, and delight us with their beauty and song. Our animal friends are our most important form of meat supply and their skins and fur help to clothe us, so you see that many are doubly useful. | During the past twenty years | have raised thousands of birds and animals of many varieties and naturally, have gained much knowl- edge as to those most useful to man. Being one with a family of children to provide for, | know all too well how hard it is to properly clothe, feed, and educate our chil- dren to-day. The cost of our clothing and food supply is way out of proportion to the wages received by the average man. If our wages are raised, the prices of our food advances so that the man to-day with wages two and three times as much as that received a few years ago, really finds it harder to provide for his family than when he received lower wages and bought his food at a much lower price. It seems to’ me that the proper way to lower the prices of our food supply is for all of us to do all we can in the way of supplying ourselves with such things that we need, that it is possible for us to raise. Meat is the most expensive item of our food supply, principally because there are thousands of us consuming it to one producing. We are all too dependent. The greatness of our country, the independ- ence of our country, depends upon the people who inhabit it. If we keep on being dependent it will not be long before this great country will be dependent upon other countries, while on the other hand, if we do all we can to supply all our needs, that it is possible for us to supply, our country will become more and more independent, assur- ing us and generations to follow, real and lasting prosperity. JUN 23 1917 Bieortinat / / MEAT. Meat has been part of the daily diet of the majority of people for ages and it 1s well that it should be, for the compounds contained in the animal foods are, of course, very much like those of our bodies, and therefore need but little change before they are ready for use. When our forefathers settled this great country of ours, the meat supply was very abundant in the way of deer, bear, wild boar, turkey, Grouce, Bobwhite, partridge, pigeons and wild ducks, and even fifteen years ago many forms of game were still abundant, but with the ever increasing population, these birds and animals have been hunted and driven from their old haunts until nearly exterminated, and a few are to be found now days. In later years we have depended upon the cattle, pigs, sheep and poultry for our meat supply, but with the population of the country increasing about three times as fast as the meat supply, any one can easily see, if we wish to have meat as part of our daily food, Boies-'7 Fic. i — HutcH MADE FRON) PRY GOODS BOX. we must all make some provision to furnish at least a part of our own, or it will not be long before many will have to go without. ‘The price of meat has been steadily advancing for some time and though without a doubt, there is no reason why it should be held at the high prices it is now bringing; the only way to overcome it is to raise our own and let these gamblers of our food supply, ship their goods to other countries and sell them for less, which they have been doing in the past. Many people living in small towns and villages have tried rais- ing poultry and pigeons as a means of supplying part of their meat, but the space required and the chances of disturbing their neighbors has made it an unsatisfactory pursuit. ‘The majority have overlooked one source of very good food supply—the Rabbit—though in Belgium, Holland, and France, rabbit: meat has long been a common article of 3 diet and rabbit breeding is common with the people of these countries. Great Britain yearly consumes about $2,000,000.00 worth of rabbit meat, not only are the home warrens and farms drawn upon, but from 10,000 to 12,000 tons are imported annually. In the United States, wild rabbits have always been a source of food supply, especially during the winter months, but very little attention has ever been given to the breeding of rabbits in this country as a means of furnishing us with meat, until lately. Only those who have bred our domestic rabbits and have eaten their flesh, know how cheaply this meat can be pro- duced. The meat of the wild rabbit and hare is dark and coarse, while that of our domestic rabbit is white, delicious and very nutritious, in fact none other of the common meats used as food can compare with it. Dr. A. S. Smith of New York City, writing of the Belgian Hare, which is not a hare, but a rabbit, says, “There should be hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of hare meat shipped to our hospitals and sanitariums. [or digestibility and nutritive value, there is no meat Soa? Box Fie 2— Nest Box From Emrty comparable to the hare. If obtainable, hare meat should be prescribed for fever patients, aged and feeble patients, consumptive and aneamic patients by physicians.” DIGESTIBLE NUTRIMENT. The United States Department of Agriculture makes the following report on the digestible nutriment of various meats. Domestre KRaboih Sea vae wis acc ss Sayre vere 83 per cent. CHICKGI Winsett oes canto Sca wee ne DV ICSECOT:.”, Seearerrenertg isn tetra <. c Risgikore ana eee 65° ~ i TAG Tee 5, % iNeed ener tee aiias os Repuenaeee Anes fxr 7 Here is the most reliable information showing our domestic rab- bit leading our common forms of meat supply by 8& per cent. more di- gestible nutriment than the rest, and a meat that the majority of the people can raise for themselves at practically no cost at all. DEED, mutton and pork have to be left to the man with a farm, and poultry requires quite a bit of space to do well, but the rabbit, why even a dry-goods box can be made into a good home for a good doe and she will get along all right in it and furnish you with a good supply of fresh meat cvery month in the year. HELP YOURSELF, HELP YOUR COUNTRY. The English Government pamphlets and Knglsh papers are doing all they can to encourage the breeding of rabbits in that country. The war has forced the European countries to realize the importance of Rabbit meat as a food and hardly a paper is issued that does not con- tain some article to encourage the people to raise this valuable meat and aid in the public economy. “Breed Rabbits and Help the Coun- try’’—Don’t wait, but do it now. ur meat supply is decreasing and the price is steadily advancing and there is only one way to keep it from going higher: let every one raise half of the meat they use and there will not be the demand for so much beef, pork and mutton, and prices will soon go down in order to secure more sales. PREJUDICE AGAINST RABBIT MEAT. There seems to be too much prejudice against the rabbit, yet the same people will willingly eat chicken, pork, ete., which wall eat most anything, no matter what condition it is in. ‘The rabbit, while it will eat most any kind of vegetable and greens, ‘they must be sweet and clean or they will not touch them. Generally, when sold by hotels and restaurants, it is offered under some other name. The following article taken from the “Journal of Outdoor Enter- prises” shows how the American people like to be humbugged. “THE LONG-EARED JACKRABBIT: It has been not many years since a certain chef in a prominent dining room in Texas was noted for venison served at all seasons of the year. Connoisscurs praised the product of this man and always those who loved good veni- son well prepared, were careful when in that part of the state, to ar- range for a meal or two in the famous place.” “Then came the laws governing the slaughter of deer and the sell- ing of the meat. Still the venison was served in the same good way. And then authorities threatened prosecution. The chef merely smiled and served more venison. cn “Arrest and investigation developed the fact that the venison was merely Jackrabbit steak. Resulting publicity played havoc with the profitable trade. Venison disappeared from the menu and the famous dining room became an ordinary cheap eating-house and so remains. “And now comes the Texas Department of Agriculture and an- nounces that it has undertaken to create a country-wide demand for Texas rabbit meat. Already two carloads have been sold and it is ex- pected that more than a million rabbits will be shipped from this state to the North and East during the winter months. In some cities, rab- bits sell from 25 to 30 cents per pound, it is said, and a good-sized year- ling rabbit runs rapidly into money. To advertise this new ‘Texas export, the Department of Agriculture plans a rabbit dinner in Austin shortly, when rabbit will be served in a dozen or so tempting forms.” It is time that this form of good meat supply should be advanced by States and United States Government. Jackrabbits and Cottontails Pa. tO Fig 3—Movamre ovtro0on Wutcn — AFTEN DAAWING IN BULLETIN No496 U.S. dEVT. of AGRICULTURE. are good, but they can’t compare with our domestic rabbits, sweet, nu- tritious meat, which may almost be had for the asking. Dear reader, do you not think this high cost of living is a great deal what we make it, that we do not make the most of our own opportunities ? CAN I RAISE RABBITS ? Aside from raising rabbits to supply food for your own table you will find many dollars in its supplying those with this meat that would rather buy at twenty to thirty cents per pound than to raise it at five or six cents or less. The “Belgian Hare News” contained the follow- ing statements: “An English wholesale merchant kept about forty standard hares in a small building, in his back yard. His wife and daughters occupied their spare time caring for the pets. ‘They cleared over $5,000.00 from their hutches last year.” 6 “A’ Denver man started with a trio of thoroughbred Belgian Hares three years ago and has built and paid for a $3,000.00 house, out of his enterprise.” I know of hundreds who are raising rabbits as a side line, that get more money from their rabbits than from their trade and there are many more who depend entirely on their rabbits for the support of their family and themselves, and living like kings, too. Without a doubt, the majority of those who-read this book are spending all they make to keep their family and themselves properly housed, clothed, and fed, and the biggest item of these will be the food supply, with the meat bill in the lead. No doubt you would like to save some of your hard-earned money for some stormy day, but the high cost of everything prevents you from doing so. The thought that you could supply all or part of your meat has never occurred to you, but you can, get some rabbits, better yet, get some Boies’ Utility Rabbits or Giants, and do it now. You will enjoy caring for them, they will sup- fie. 4— Movanre OutnooR Hutcu AND Run. ply your table with a delicious meat and add many dollars to your bank account. ARE THEY PROLIFIC? ‘These animals which will weigh from six to eight pounds when grown, can easily be raised by the majority of people; in fact, all but those housed in the apartment and tenement houses of the large cities. They require very little room, will live on many of the things that are going to waste about the average home, and there is no other of our food animals that will multiply their weight so rapidly as these will. A good doe, well cared for will give you five nice litters per year, with from 5 to 12 young to the litter, and unlike chickens, the young are at first nursed by the mother and neither mother or young make any noise to disturb you or your neighbors. Then again they are furnish- ing you food the whole year through. The young are old enough to breed and large enough at six months, Now, for example, we will say your purchase a doe during the first month of the year and one that was bred on the first day of January. The first of February she will give you a litter, and for the sake of con- venience, we will call all their litters of six half females and half males. 7 Now, by the middle of March, the young are about six weeks old and the mother is ready to breed again. ‘The middle of April you have your second litter and by the time these are ready to take away from the mother, six weeks later your first litter will be sixteen weeks old, just in fine condition to kill and each one will give you more pounds of meat than a spring chicken at the same age and meat that a spring chicken cannot compare with. They will weigh a good six pounds at this age and by forcing, they can be made to weigh 5 to 5% pounds at 10 to 12 weeks of age. Following I have arranged a table showing what one good doe can produce in the course of one year. ‘Though their litters are generally larger, I have, for convenience, made all litters of six young and have called them half does and half bucks. [I am not offering any gold brick, or get rich quick scheme, and have been very conservative in putting the litters of six each and only five litters, giving the doe a chance to rest up during the hot weather. Bred Kindled | Bucks | Does | Ready to eat | Ready to breed Doe No. 1 ..... Afehoy, al diehomesz ee 3 3 aM a epi hel Bee ae July 31 Mar. 12.|April 11.) 3 38 June 20..... Oct. 11 May 21. |June 20. x 3. | Awes295 27. Dec. 20 Aug. 27.|Sept. 26] 3 3.) DCC. Omen June 5 Nov. 5..|Dec. 12. 5 V3) j Hebadicee ee Aug. 31 First Litter: | Does Nos. 2, 3, 4/Sept.1../Oct. 1...) 9 | 9 |Dee. 10...... April 1 |Nov. 10./Dec.8..| 9 | 9 |Feb. 16...... June 8 Second Litter: | | Does Nos. 5, 6, 7.| Oct. 15..Nov. 14.) 9 | 9 Janice s May 14 ee eae | 42 | 49 On January Ist, 1916, we started with one good doe and a buck. This doe we bred five times during the course of the year, and she gave us five litters of six young each, half of which were does. These three does from the first litter which were ready to breed July 31, but which we put off breeding until cooler weather, we bred on the first of Sep- tember and again on the 10th of November. Also the three does of the. second litter we bred on the 15th of October. This would give us on the last day of the year the original does and buck, age 18 months, six 11 _ months old, six 8 months old, six 6 months old, twenty-four 3 months old, eighteen 6 weeks old, eighteen 3 weeks old, and six nine- teen days old—total on hand, 86 rabbits. Now to make things easy, we will say all these rabbits over three months old, weigh 6 pounds each and the balance 2 pounds each, which is more than fair, for the older ones will go up to 8 pounds each. We will have 44 rabbits of six pounds each, or 264 pounds and 42 of 2 pounds each, or 84 pounds— 8 a total of 348 pounds, 336 pounds more than you started with, a gain of 5746 pounds tor each pound started with. What bird or other animal can do this? You can easily see that two or three does will give you about all the meat you will want and a few extra ones will enable you to have a supply to offer to your neighbors at a good price, and I tell you when once your neighbor gets a taste of this fine meat, you will be lucky if you have any left for yourself, unless you _have a good supply, for it is THE MEAT. And where do you get all this good meat from? Lawn clippings, weeds, waste cabbage leaves, beet tops, celery and many other greens will furnish most of it, these you have been letting go to waste. Isn’t it much better that you should turn them in this good food supply? Be independent, if your Sx Fie S— Stack of Hut CHES— SHOWING THREE DTYLES OF FRONTS butcher can’t sell meat to you at 4 reasonable price, and we all know he can’t, it makes no difference, for you have plenty of it, easily killed, dressed and many ways to cook and just the kind of meat yout body needs. SELECTING YOUR BREEDING STOCK. In selecting your breeding stock, the principal things to take into consideration are size when matured, time it takes to develop. to an eatable size, size of bone, and color and quality of flesh. 9 The largest varieties are the Flemish Giants and the Black and \White Checkered Giants. Some of these are grown up to twenty pounds and better, but to get these weights only a few of the young can be kept with the mother and a special course in feeding must be followed. All these giants have very large frames, and of course, there is much more waste to them than with the small bone varieties, and I do not think that their meat is as fine-grained or as sweet as the smaller breeds, however, their large size will make them attractive to many, for there are two or three good meals for a good-sized family on one of them. Of the smaller breeds, the Belgian Hares and New Zealand Reds are the best, with the favor more with the former. ‘The great trouble with all our rabbits is that they have been most exclusively bred for fancy points, with little consideration for quality of meat or quantity of meat which would change their form so as to disqualify them for showing. LER LE et TL hod hy > go Boies Mobet SeLrF-CLEANING HuTcH Seeing the big advantage and necessity of a good meat rabbit, | have perfected two breeds of rabbits which I have given special names, so that any one wishing to get rabbits for meat production will get what they want, and not some cull of fancy bred rabbit. I have named then BOIES’ UTILITY RABBITS and BOIES’ UTILITY GIANTS. ‘They are bred especially for quantity and quality of meat, smallness of bone and with a pelt that is saleable at a good price. These rabbits are as cheaply kept as any other; they mature quickly; their meat is white, fine grained and very nutritious and has a flavor that always calls for more. A pair will give you many good meals. A buck and two or three does will furnish a good sized family with about all the meat they will want. Fifteen or twenty does, or more, and three or four ducks, will start you in a business of your own that will pay you well and you can handle it in connection with your present position, until turning in enough to put your whole attention 10 to it, which I assure you, will not be long. See price list in back of book, HUTCHES AND PENS. Our domestic breeds of rabbits will not do well if turned loose and forced to shift for themselves. They are the result of selective breeding, by man, for many years and are entirely dependent upon us for food and shelter. ‘There are many kinds of hutches that will do to keep and raise them in, ranging from the drygoods box hutch to large building built especially for them. As it will depend a great deal upon just how you are situated and the amount of money you will be able to invest to start with, what kind and how many hutches you will build, I will describe and picture a number of different kinds so you can easily find that best suited to your special needs. b ’ L DETWEEN LATN ———— ens B. | Ko DAPTN OF Horca-~ - > | ! ll | Detain of StAt Bortom DETAIL OF HAY-RACK DETAIL OF DRAWER For Nest Box. Figure 1 shows a hutch made from a drygoods box, or large shoe- case. All hutches should have at least six square feet of floor space and eight to twelve is much better. This hutch is very easily and cheaply made. An upright piece about two inches wide is nailed in, about half way across the front on which to hinge the door. ‘The open- ing on the right side is covered with netting and a door is made to fit the left side, out of lumber two inches wide and this is covered with netting and hinged. ‘The nest box shown in this hutch is the same as Figure 2, which is described later. Figure 3 shows a portable out-door hutch and one recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture. It may be taken out doors when the weather is nice and carried back inside when the weather is bad. It can be built two and three hutches high. That shown in the drawing is about three feet deep by six feet long, with about one-third partitioned off on the right hand end for sleeping “11 quarters and nest box. ‘The front to the sleeping quarters and wire- covered front, are both hinged. Permanent outside hutches could be built after this drawing, but the roof should have a little more pitch to it and should project out over the front two or three feet, to keep the storm from beating in, Figure 4 shows another form of outdoor hutch which is for sum- mer use only. The run is covered on sides and bottom with wire netting. ‘The frame is made from 1x2 inch lumber. One-half of the top 1s covered with a movable solid section and the other half with a wire-covered frame that slides under the other half, out of the way when feeding, etc. The top of the sleeping quarters should be hinged for easy access to the inside. ‘This hutch may be moved from one place to another as the ground becomes soiled, and to new feeding ground. “Dhetoig Borey- +7 lic. 8- THe Skin FROM THE RABBIT To THE Davinc Boarb Figure 5 shows a stack of hutches suitable for a barn or any other building. They may be added to, to meet the requirements of any build- ing. A. B.C. show three different styles of fronts, any of which that best suits your fancy or needs, may be used. All partitions between the pens should be made so that they may be easily removed, so that by removing the partition you can give your rabbits a larger run. ‘This arrangement of hutches is both cheap in construction and practical as well. Figure 6. For convenience and a time-saver and a clean, dry hutch for your rabbits, this hutch will be hard to improve upon. The slatted bottom allows all manure and water to drop through onto the 12 teal bottom, four inches below. ‘The hay rack keeps your hay clean and saves lots that would be soiled and wasted otherwise. ‘The nest box is all that can be desired. Figure 7-A. B. C. shows detail draw- ings of the slatted bottom, hay rack, and the nest drawer. ‘The real bottom should have a pitch of an inch or two, which will allow the water to run off. Both the real bottom and the slatted bottom should be painted with asphalt paint, so that they will not absorb moisture. This will make a practical hutch for large rabbitries and can be built three-high and connecting on another to meet the requirements of the building. One man can clean 50 of these hutches in the same time it will take to clean two or three of the other forms. Another arrangement for a self-cleaning hutch is shown in Figure 5B. ‘The floor in this case is made to slant towards the back of the hutch and a space about four inches wide and the length of the t covERE® FRAN EN> BOARDS REMOVES SHowtns Tens i Fig 9. Bores Moper FResy Ark House FOR KABBIT). hutch is covered with one-half inch mesh wire cloth, which will allow the excrement to drop through. Figure 9 shows a fresh-air house that will give you good results. First, it has been proven, beyond question, by numerous experiments, that a one-pitch roof like this one will give you a warmer house in winter and a cooler one during the hot weather, also the air keeps in much better condition than in a house with a two-pitch roof. The building should be built facing the southward when possible todoso. Make a frame of 2x4 studding and cover it with tongue and groove lumber, ship lap, or novelty siding. ‘The back or north side should also be lined on the inside with matched lumber with a layer of tar or building paper next to the studding. The roof should be covered with matched lumber, then some good building paper. Do not make any floor unless you use concrete, as a board floor just makes a harbor for rats, mice and other vermon. Seven feet will be wide enough for 13 the building and this will give you about four feet to work in, in front of the pens which will be ample for the average man. ‘lhe pens should be started about six inches from the ground, which will make your pens about two feet. high at the fronts, the back studs being cut to six- foot lengths and the front to eight foot. Use any style of pen that you like best. The front of this building is boarded up solid for three feet, then there is a window in each end of the front, with the space between the windows containing a muslin-covered frame. This frame is hinged to the opening and opens inward towards the roof where it can be fastened out of the way. During good weather, it should be kept open, and when the weather is stormy and real bad, should be tightly shut, so that no draughts can come in around same. You will always get plenty of good fresh air through this muslin-covered frame, without the danger of any draughts. ‘The windows will always assure you of plenty of sunlight on cold, clear days, when the muslin frame is shut. NEST BOX. A very good nest box can be made from an empty soap or other similar box. (See Figure 2.) The top should be hinged so as to have easy access to the inside. The entrance for the rabbit should be about seven inches wide and eight inches deep. Another very good one is shown in Figure 6. ‘This has a sliding drawer—Figure 7C—which may be drawn out for inspection of the contents. FEEDING. ‘The rabbit is strictly a vegetarian, and will eat about anything eatable in this line, as long as it is sweet and clean. Cabbage, kale, spinach, rape, celery, beets, carrots, turnips, mangels, parsnips, lawn clippings, weeds, apple parings, corn husks, pea pods and. vines, dry crusts of bread, grain and hay, are all readily taken. Most of these are easily and cheaply supplied and in preparing many of the above vege- tables for our own use, the parts that generally go to the garbage pail will make good food for the rabbit and instead of going to waste, will be furnishing the very best of meat for our own consumption. While a few staple foods are desirable, there is no animal more adaptable to sudden changes of diet than the rabbit. ‘The main object should be to produce the most weight with as little outlay as possible, so you must use those foods available and cheapest. Never feed anything wet with dew. Always allow your lawn clippings and other green foods to dry off before offering to your rab- bits. It is much better to allow them to dry in the shade when pos- sible. If you haven’t a lawn of your own, you will have little trouble 14 in obtaining all the clippings you can use from your neighbors, who will be glad to have them taken away. All grass, lawn clippings, planton, burdock and many other weeds which you do not need at once, should be allowed to thoroughly cure, then stored away for future use; they will come in very handy during the winter months. Hay in some form is a necessary part of the rabbit’s diet and by laying away a little each day during the summer months, you will be able to keep your bunnies supplied during the winter months, without any outlay of money. Oats is the best form of grain and when it can be supplied at a reasonable price, it will pay you to give each rabbit a small handful each morning. Summer Feeding should consist mostly of wilted greens, any- thing in the line mentioned above and only a small supply of hay and grain is needed. Winter Feeding :—One feeding should consist mostly of some sort of greens, such as roots and left over vegetable tops and parings from preparing them for the table. A small handful of oats in the morning and hay should be kept before them always. Feeding the Young :—When the young begin to come out of the nest box, give them a handful of rolled oats or a mash made of rolled or ground oats, corn meal, and a little bran, moistened with water or skim- med milk. Bran is a good bone builder. Decrease bran and increase corn-meal as they grow older. Feed a little of this morning and night until six or eight weeks old, when they should be taken from the mother and put in a pen by themselves or with others of about the same age. They should not have any green food to speak of until at least two months old, but should have hay from the first and all they will eat. Pienty of hay enlarges the stomach so that the rabbits will eat more and grow faster. Never feed anything that has been touched by frost. Keep a piece of rock salt in each pen. A ten-cent piece will last them a year or more. Keep water always before them and always see that all food and water dishes are perfectly clean. It is well to scald them out at least once a week. ‘ Time to Feed :—Twice a day, in the morning and again in the even- ing at a time that is the most convenient to you. Rabbits do most of their feeding after dark, so if more convenient to feed at this time, do so, but try to be regular every day. ~ 15 _ BREEDING. While a rabbit can be bred at four months of age, it is not advisable to do so before they are six months old. Many will not breed their does until eight or ten months old, but if they have been well feed and cared for, they can safely be bred when six months old. In breeding, the doe should always be taken to the buck’s hutch and not vice-versa. lf she wall not take the buck, take her away and put with him again the next day and continue until served. A doe will generally be ready for the buck one in every three days. ‘The period of gestation is thirty days. PREPARING FOR THE YOUNG. About a week before the doe is to have her young, she should be supplied with a nest box, unless she has one already, described under heading Nest Box. ‘Three or four days before she is due to litter, her hutch should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and she should be supplied with plenty of fine hay or straw, so she may build her nest. Special care should be taken at this period to see that the doe is not frightened and she should not be handled unless absolutely necessary. Feed plenty of greens and a drink of warm milk, if possible, so as to start a good flow of milk for the young to come. She will generally keep the entrance to nest box covered with litter and it should be left this way until she removes it, for the young should be kept inside away from food they would otherwise get that would be harmful to them. HANDLING. To pick up a rabbit, take hold of the skin of the back, right over the shoulders, and if the rabbit is very heavy, place the other hand under the stomach, allowing part of the weight to rest there. Do not pick them up by the ears, it is uncomfortable and painful to them and is decidedly the wrong way to handle them, KILLING. ‘To kill a rabbit, pick it up by one of the hind legs and hit it a quick, sharp blow on the back of the head, then cut its throat and hang it up to bleed. DRESSING. A rabbit should be dressed by hanging it up by the gamble joints in the same manner as a hog or sheep is hung up. ‘Tie a piece of heavy twine about each joint and hang up in a door-way, limb of some tree, or some other handy place, with the legs spread. Make a cut’ around each leg at X in figure 8-a, then cut the skin down the inside 16 of the leg, crossing just in front of the tail and up the other leg, as shown in the drawing by the dotted line from ato b. It is not neces- sary to save tail. Now loosen the skin from the flesh with a knife, being very careful not to cut the skin, and draw it inside-out towards the head (Figure 8b). Skin to the ears, then remove. Next make an opening from the vent down the abdomen to the neck, using care not to cut the entrails, and remove same. ‘The heart, liver and kid- neys are good to eat and if you like them, they should be saved. Now wash down the carcass with two or three changes of cold water and hang in a cool place, away from the flies, to cool. When the weather will permit, it will be much better to keep in a cool place for several days before preparing for the table. VALUE OF SKINS. Rabbit skins are valuable for the manufacture of boas, muffs, mittens, caps, gloves and for nearly every thing which other furs are used for. The skin of the domestic rabbit is much better than that of the wild and at present, is bringing a very good price. Our wild fur- bearing animals are rapidly decreasing, which will make the rabbit skin more in demand each year and it will not be long before there will be big advance in the prices paid. Many have foreseen this end of the industry, companies have been formed to raise rabbits for their fur, and many individuals are doing so as well. Rabbit fur has been conspicuous everywhere where furs are the fashion, this past season, both as trimming and as boas, muffs, etc., but they were not sold as rabbit fur, the manufacturers putting them on the market under such names as Red Fox, Black Fox, Arctic Fox, and Black Lynx. An enormous trade in rabbit skins has been carried on abroad for many years. In the European countries nearly all the skins of the market rabbit are saved. England and Ireland alone have purchased in the past, about 30,000,000 annually ; while according to the English trade returns for 1910, there was imported in undressed rabbits’ skins, 82,327,101. 11,000,000 coming from Belgium, 4,000,000 from France, about 43,000,000 from Australia and 7,739,960 from New Zealand. The above figures show in a very small way, the big demand there is for rabbit skins. The European countries are at war and have been for some time past. They have destroyed thousands upon thousands of rabbits, both wild and domesticated, to help supply them with food. Every year there is a bigger shortage in furs and every year there is a bigger demand for them. The rabbit is the best way of solving this problem, for they can be both easily and cheaply raised. Get some rabbits at once, raise your own meat, save the skins which will go a long way towards paying for their keep. I will buy every one you can raise at the highest market prices. LZ HOW TO SAVE THE SKINS. After you have removed the skin from the rabbit as described under the caption ‘Dressing,’ you should have a board to stretch it on similar to that shown in Figure 8C. The width will vary from six to eight inches, according to the size of the skin. Make it about 30 inches long, with a shght taper, so the skin can be easily withdrawn when dry. Draw the skin on this, fur next to the board and after pulling on, smooth off all wrinkles, tack as shown in Figure 8d. Now remove all pieces of fat and meat and be careful not to cut the skin. Then hang up to dry, but not in the sun. As soon as they are good and dry, they may be removed from the board and laid away in a dry place until ready to sell. RABBIT MANURE. Rabbit manure is one of the highest grades of our natural manures and when dried and pulverized is very nutritious, immediate and lasting in effect. It makes one of the very best, rich liquid manures. Green-house men prefer it to most other forms of fertilizers. The manure should be gathered every day, kept as free from litter as possible and allowed to thoroughly dry, when it can be put in boxes or barrels until you have enough to dispose of. You will have no dif- ficulty in disposing of it at $2.00 per hundred and without a doubt, could easily get 2.50 or more, if free from litter and well dried. If allowed to stand in the hutches long and become wet or put away in boxes or barrels in this condition, it will ferment and lose much of its fertilizing qualities. It is surprising the amount of manure that can be collected from a single rabbit during the course of a year and for your information I have collected it every 24 hours for 10 days at a time, from both the small and large breeds, separated it from all litter and carefully dried it before weighing. I found the average full grown rabbit, well kept will give an average of one-half pound of dried manure per day, or a good 180 pounds per year, which at two cent, per pounds would amount to $3.60 per year. This form of manure can be easily bagged and shipped, making it especially desirable to any one wanting a good nutritious manure, prac- ically free from disagreeable odor. MARKETING. If you are so situated that you can raise rabbits for market, you will find this a very profitable occupation and one that all hands: mother, father, and children will enjoy taking a part in. ‘There is a ereat shortage of disposing of all you can raise at a handsome profit. Give two or three of your neighbors nice young rabbit and just as 18 soon as they get a taste of this fine meat and know something of its nourishing qualities, you will be sold out in advance from that time on. In offering your rabbit meat for sale, always be sure it is as clean and in as sanitary condition as possible, all efforts in this way will repay you many times over. At the present time rabbit meat is bringing from 20 to 30 cents per pound, a very good price for meat that can be so cheaply produced. I should advise that all rabbits be skinned, cleaned, head and feet removed before marketing; it will go a long ways towards overcoming the prejudice some people hold against them. ns ns ee ee | | NOTIGCE.—Remit by Express or P. O. Order. Unused Total | One Gent Stamps taken for amounts of $1.00, or less. * | MY SPECIAL OFFER To All Purchasers of Boies’ Utility Rabbits and Giants The Meat Supreme I agree to buy from you all the stock you raise from either BOIES’ UTILITY RABBITS OR GIANTS, providing that the stock you raise them from was pur- chased from me. I agree to pay at least 20 cents per pound live weight, F. O. B. Millbrook, for all such rabbits and will accept all sizes, colors, sexes and ages from two months up, as long as they are perfectly healthy and in good condition. Further, I agree to buy back at the end one year’s time, the original stock purchased from me, if you are not perfectly satisfied with your bargain and not more than convinced that there is big money in raising these rabbits. For this stock I agree to pay one-half of the purchase price. I agree to answer all questions you care to ask pertaining to the raising or care of these rabbits, gratis, and shall always be glad to advise you and do all in my power to insure your success. (Signed) H. A. BOIES. Boies’ Pet Stock and Game Farm Millbrook, N. Y. 20 Supplies SANITARY STONEWARE DRINKING AND FOOD CUPS for Rabbits and Cavies. This cup is glazed inside and out- side, making it very easily cleaned. Comes in two sizes: For Rabbits, 24%’’x5”, with 4” opening; and 2144”x41%”’, with 34” opening for Cavies. Hither size, $1.00 per dozen. Sample cup, 10 cents and postage to your zone. R&R GERM KILLER. A very powerful non-poisonous disinfectant, which is guaranteed to be 5 to 6 times stronger bacteriologically than pure carbolic acid, when tested against a vigorous culture of B. Typhosus by the “Hygenic Laboratory Phenol Co-efficient” Method of the U. S. Public Health Service. It has an agreeable odor. Pint can, 60 cents; quart can, $1.00. Gallon Cans, $3.25. AUTO-SPRAY CONTINUOUS ATOMIZER, for applying the above Germ Killer or any other disinfectant of like nature. 1 quart size, $1.25, postpaid. SALT SPOOLS. These are prepared from common table salt. They are about 1” thick and 2” in diamter with a hole through the center for fastening in hutch. The handiest and best form of salt ever offered to the fancier. 25 cents per dozen. HUTCH CLEANER. These cleaners are made of steel 4144’’x10”, with two movable handles, which screws into the steel blade. The long handle can be used in cleaning deep hutches and the short handle for small, narrow hutches. Price with one handle, 60 cents; both handles, 70 cents. Terms Cash must accompany all orders and should be sent by Express or Post- office Money Order. Parties sending currency do so at their own risk. All prices are F. O. B. our shipping point. All stock will be shipped in light, strong crates and will be delivered to the Express Companies in the very best condition; here our responsibility ceases, as they are then in the hands of the carrier. Make all orders payable to H. A. Boies, Millbrook, N. Y. 27 F CONGRESS WHI 18951917 Will nM BOIES PET STOCK AND GAME FARM 40 Acres :- “The Home of Pets” :: + Acres Buy your pets where they are raised right, FARM RAISED, raised in large, light, roomy quarters and fed on the best from the land. These are the kind of Birds and Animals you want and the only kind it pays to buy. Of course, this kind of stock costs a little more than the half starved, sickly, stunted kind, but isn’t it worth the little extra money? If you want any kind of Dogs, Cats, Rabbits, Cavies, Fancy Rats and Mice, Ferrets, Squirrel, Mink, Skunk, Opossum, Raccoon, Fox, Goats, Deer, Shetland Ponies, Poultry, Pigeons, Pheasants, Pea Fowl, Singing and Talking Birds, and Ornamenta! Land and Water Fowl, or, in fact, any kind of bird or animal sal- able, write us for prices. We are breeders of many of the above and our connections with breeders and trappers all over the country, enable us to furnish any kind of bird or animal obtainable, on short notice and at reasonable price as well. Member otf the National Pet Stock Association of America, American Fur Fanciers’ Association, Empire State Pet Stock Association, National Rat and Mouse Club, Game Conservation Society. Our Farm is situated on the main road, between Dover Plains and Mill- brook, New York, approximately three and a half miles from either place. Visit our farm, we will consider it a pleasure to show you our stock, whether you buy or not. Boies’ Pet Stock and Game Farm Millbrook, N. Y. 28