GGO ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



BELGLA.N HARE RAISING. 



A furor for raising Belgian hares swept over the United States 

 about 15 years ago and ceased almost as rapidly as it began, partly, 

 no doubt, because it passed into a fad for raising fancy stock for 

 exhibition purposes. Here and there, however, the business has per- 

 sisted, and during the past year, partly, perhaps, as a result of the 

 high price of meat, there have been numerous signs of awakening 

 interest in the subject. The Belgian hare is prolific, easily raised, is 

 little subject to disease when properly cared for, and its flesh is nutri- 

 tious and of excellent flavor. There would thus seem to be no good 

 reason why farmers and others having the necessary facilities should 

 not engage in the occupation, both for the purpose of providing meat 

 for home consumption and also for market. At 20 cents per pound, 

 which the meat readily commands, there should be a safe margin of 

 profit. AVith a view to answering the many letters of inquiry received 

 by the Department in relation to methods of rearing Belgian hares, 

 a circular letter was issued containing the essential facts m relation 

 to the raising of these and other domesticated rabbits. 



COOPERATIVE EXPERIMENTS WITH THE NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK IN 



MINK BREEDING. 



First-quality mink skins at present market for from $3 to $8, ac- 

 cording to size and condition. At these prices, which are not likely 

 to diminish, the raising of these animals should be remunerative, 

 especially in connection with some other established business, as 

 farming, raising poultry, orcharding, etc. Comparatively few at- 

 tempts to raise mink have been made in the United States, and at 

 present little is known on the subject. Hence, in cooperation with 

 the National Zoological Park, the initial steps have been taken in 

 experimenting with these animals, with a view to determining the best 

 kinds of pens, methods of feeding, and rearing. Later it is intended 

 to embody the results of the experiments in a bulletin for the infor- 

 mation of the public. Meantime, in response to the many requests for 

 information relative to these animals, a short circular letter is being 

 sent out, containing valuable hints on the subject of mink breeding. 



PRAIRIE DOGS. 



This is one of our largest and most destructive rodents, the daily 

 forage consumed by 32 adults equaling the amount required by a 

 sheep, while approximately 250 prairie dogs eat in a day about the 

 same amount of forage as a cow. As the region infested by these 

 pests includes a number of Kocky Mountain States and as some of 

 the colonies occupy many thousand acres and aggregate millions of 

 rodents, the extent of the damage they do both to forage and other 

 farm crops can be readily comprehended. During the summer of 

 1911 preliminary experiments for the control of prairie dogs in co- 

 operation with the Forest Service were made in the Pike and Coche- 

 topa Forests of Colorado and Coconino Forest of Arizona. In April, 

 1912, the work was resumed, the chief reliance being placed on use 



