294 RABBITS, CATS, AND CAVIES 



sufficient to use an ordinary hair brush to brush the coats 

 all over, then going through each of the rosettes with a 

 small short-haired brush, a tooth brush for choice. 



In all kinds of fancy stock, although a chance bred 

 specimen may turn out a " star " it is the exception and 

 not the rule, and I am sure it is the wiser course, and 

 cheapest in the end, for any intending fanciers to start 

 with well-bred animals. 



I by no means advise, unless money is no object and 

 it is wished to quickly " gain the top of the tree " to give 

 long prices for noted winners, but to commence by buy- 

 ing two or three well-bred sows from some reliable 

 breeder of reputation, and sending them to some stud 

 boar known as the sire of good stock, or, if preferred, 

 getting the young sows from one breeder and a young 

 boar from another, as I am not an advocate for inbreeding 

 with any kind of stock where possible to avoid it. 



By this method, with patience and perseverance, there 

 is every prospect of breeding something worth showing. 

 One advantage with this variety, as I said of Dutch 

 Rabbits, is that it can be ascertained when the litter is 

 quite young which of them are good enough to be worth 

 keeping, so that a number of " wastrels " can be got rid 

 of to the advantage of those retained and reduction of 

 expenses for keep. 



I am not supposing prize-winners would be bought 

 in the way mentioned above, but if they are well bred 

 from pedigree stock, and themselves typical, there is 

 every likelihood of their breeding something good. 



In selection, I should choose sows possessing plenty 



