198 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



EXTRACTED. 



BELGIAN HARES AND BEES. 



Why the Hare is Valuable, and Why It 

 May be Kept in Connection With Bees. 



I am a believer in specialty; and I be- 

 lieve that the greatest success with bees 

 ma}' be secured by keeping bees alone in 

 the proper locality. At the same time I 

 recognize the fact that there are some 

 localities in which bees may be very 

 profitable in some years, and in others 

 they will pay no profits whatever. Then 

 there ara people who delight to have a 

 garden, and a cow, and some chickens, 

 and some bees. So far as I am able to 

 judge, there is nothing at present that 

 can be taken up in connection with bee- 

 keeping that offers greater inducements, 

 to right persons, than the raising of Bel- 

 gian hares. I mentioned in the last 

 Review that Prof. Cook of California, had 

 written an article on this subject for the 

 American Bee Journal, and that I might 

 copy it. The Professor is right on the 

 spot where the hare industr}- is at its 

 height, and is therefore able to speak 

 from actual observation. Here is what 

 he has to say : — 



'"The Belgian hare industry has attained 

 marvelous proportions in ati exceedingly 

 short time in Southern California. Our 

 own county of Los Angeles is the center, 

 the city of Los .Angeles being the focus. 

 For a new business to gnin standing so 

 quickly argues that it is more than a fad. 

 This fact becomes emphasized when we 

 learn that some of our most clear-headed 

 business men are engaged in this Belgian 

 hare propagation. One of the best busi- 

 ness men I know in Southern California 

 belongs to a firm that is said to have in- 

 vested 125,000 in this new industry. 



The Belgian hare, like the shorthorn 

 cow, has been so carefully bred that its 

 habits are very much modified. Its 

 growth and vigor are something remarka- 

 ble, its prolificness is exceedingly great, 

 and it is so neat that it can be bred and 

 cared for in the small compass of a dry- 

 goods box and yet retain its vigor, health 

 and fecundity. 



It has often been asked if there is not 

 danger in intioducing this new comer 

 into our State and country. May we not 

 repeat the experience of Australia in im- 

 porting the European hare into that coun- 

 try? The law first suggested by Darwin — 

 that introduced species are always likely 

 to manifest greater vigor and prolificness 

 than is shown by the native, closely allied 

 species — should always make us wary to 

 contemplate any such enterprise. As I 

 have stated in our public meetings, where 

 this matter has been under discussion, I 

 do not thhik the danger need be feared 

 in the case of the Belgian hare. Like 

 the shorthorn, the Belgian hare is bulky, 

 fat and logy. This rabbit, therefore, 

 while admirable for feeding and breeding, 

 would be illy adapted to succeed in the 

 .struggle of life out on the plain or in the 

 bush. I think in such a case the excel- 

 lence of his flesh would soon be tested by 

 dog or hound rather than by human epi- 

 cure. I have never seen the Belgian hare 

 on the race track, but from viewing him 

 from the show-box or rabbitries so com- 

 mon in this region, it has never seemed 

 to me that he could be any match at all 

 to the cjtton-tail or jack-rabbit. This 

 latter has a hard enough time in its 

 struggle against dog, coyote, and the 

 hunter. I greatly doubt if the Belgian 

 hare could exist at all. 



We know that the care and domestica- 

 tion of the silk-moth b}- man has made it 

 so dependant upon him for its food and 

 protection that were we to cease rearing 

 silk-moths for one year, it would cease to 

 exist. In developing the splendid insect 

 with an eye single to silk-production, we 

 have utterly destroyed its ability to care 

 for itself. I think the Belgian hare is, 

 like the silk-moth, only to a less degree, 

 less qualified to fight its own battles. I 

 believe running wild and extermination 

 would go together. Another reason why 

 this danger would be minimized comes in 

 the very value of these animals. Like 

 the lost coin, the whole country would be 

 swept and garnished to find a single 

 missing rabbit. Therefore, I do not be- 

 lieve we need to fear the introduction of 

 this valuable animal into our State and 

 country. 



I have alluded to the great value of these 

 animals. I have heard of cases where 

 1^250 or f lOO have been paid for a single 

 male. Of course, this shows that great 

 pains have been taken to develop these 

 animals in the way of prolificness and 

 meat-production. 



There are several points in this busi- 

 ness which will aid to foster its rapid de- 

 velopment. The Belgian hare puts its 



