592 MODERN FARRIER. 



Rabbits. 



As these animals afford considerable sport, the 

 following observations may be found necessary : — 



A few rabbits turned out in the spring into a wood 

 of a dry light soil, will breed plenty for the sports- 

 man's diversion, and will dig themselves earths if 

 they like the wood ; should they not breed well the 

 first season of turning out, they must be spared the 

 next winter. Any person who may have a few 

 acres of sandy land, should sow spots of furze of an 

 acre or two each on it, and turn out some rabbits ; 

 they will, in running from furze to furze, shew very 

 great sport. Should they make many burrows, stop 

 the most of them with a v/isp of grass, and take it 

 out when as many as are wanted are killed. Two 

 or three beagles are the best dogs to hunt them. 



It is well known to experienced sportsmen, that 

 some days' rabbit-shooting have very far exceeded 

 the best days' yjheasant-shooting, in number of shots= 



Poachers will catch rabbits, either by ferreting the 

 earths, coursing with a lurcher in nets, in wires, the 

 same as hares, only they are not set so high, or shoot 

 them where they feed at dusk, or by moonlight. 

 Cats must be destroyed. It has long been thought 

 hares will not lie in a wood with rabbits : this is very 

 wrong; on an estate belonging to a sportsman of 

 celebrity, they shoot one hundered couple of rabbits 

 in a year, and near half that number of hares. 



