BUREAU OF BIOLOGICU. SURVEY. 355 



industry as an important feature of the meat-production pro^rram of 

 the country. Kabbit raisinjr has also proved a popuhir ])hase of the 

 activities of boys' and <;irls' ckibs in many sections of the country. 

 The Biok)<rical Survey has endeavored to stimulate this rapidly 

 growing phase of animal production and guide it along practical 

 lines. Farmers' liullctin 1090. covering breeds of rabbits, })lans for 

 hutches, methods of feeding, breeding, marketing, and dressing rab- 

 bits and cooking the meat for food, with a section devoted to the 

 treatment of the diseases of rabbits, was issued during the year. 

 In order that inquirers might know where to obtain breeding stock 

 and where to ilispose of their output, lists of the principal rabbit 

 breeders in the different States, and buyers of rabbits and rabbit skins 

 have been maintained by the bureau. 



Ivepresentntives of the bureau have kept in close touch with lead- 

 ing rabbit producers throughout the country and have inspected a 

 number of the more important rabbitries and visited establishments 

 devoted to the dressing and dyeing of rabbit skins. At the request of 

 officials in charge, a representative of the bureau was also in attend- 

 ance at the annual convention of tlie American Breeders and Fanciers' 

 Association, held at Cle\eland, Ohio, and at the rabbit show held at 

 Baltimore, Md. "^ 



FUR-BEARING ANIMALS. THEIR PROTECTION AND PROPAGATION. 



Many interesting features regarding the status of the fur industry 

 have been developed as a result of investigations conducted during 

 the year. Representatives of the bureau have visited the principal 

 raw fur markets, including those in St. Louis and New York and in 

 Montreal, Canada ; and also have visited establishments engaged in the 

 dressing and d3'eing of furs and in the manufacture of fur garments. 

 Studies have been made of conditions prevailing throughout the 

 country as to abundance of wild fur-bearing animals, and mainte- 

 nance of adequate breeding stock of the more valuable forms, with a 

 view to the development of sound State and National policies in re- 

 gard to trapping that would maintain the number of fur bearers at 

 the maximum consistent with other agricultural and commercial in- 

 terests. On invitation of Canadian officials, a representative of the 

 bureau was detailed to attend a conference of the Commission of 

 Conservation and the Advisory Board on Wild-Life Protection, at 

 Montreal. February 19-20, for the purpose of discussing matters re- 

 lating to the rearing, registration, and importation of silver and 

 black foxes and other fur bearers in Canada and the Ignited States, 

 and of considering plans for the conservation, increase, and proper 

 utilization of fur-bearing animals. 



The value of pelts taken from fur bearers throughout the United 

 States runs to a total of many millions of dollars annuall}' without 

 taking into consideration the large amount of labor and capital cm- 

 ployed in their manufacture or the value of the product as it goes to 

 the wearer. 



Xorth America has long been one of the most important regions of 

 the world for taking the pelts of wild fur-bearing animals. More 

 recently it has become one of the greatest world centers for the 

 mai-keting and manufacture of fuis. As illustrative of the extent of 

 the fur business, it is estimated that there are apj^roxinuitely 18,000 



