328 FARMING FOR LADIES, [chap. xvi. 



to be every morning scraped and strewed 

 with a little sand, or, in cold weather, covered 

 slightly with refuse hay ; for rabbits will never 

 thrive unless kept dry and clean. 



Hutches of this description, well made, and 

 of good material, should not cost more than 

 from eight to ten or twelve shillings, accord- 

 ing to their size. Any carpenter or joiner 

 can make them with these directions, and we 

 have lately seen one of the largest size, in 

 every respect well fitted for breeding, the 

 price of which was half a guinea. 



The hutches, if numerous, may be placed 

 over each other, and are sometimes ranged 

 round an out-house kept for that purpose ; 

 but that is seldom necessary in small families, 

 and the better way is to put them upon a 

 stand in the open air against some sheltered 

 wall, for a too confined temperature is not 

 natural to them, and if kept in a close room, 

 they emit a faint, unpleasant odour. The 

 hutch should, however, be covered at night, 

 as cold will prevent them from breeding in 

 the depth of winter. 



Rabbits are, however, sometimes, though 

 very rarely, kept in open enclosures, in the 



