FATTENING SALE. 193 



larly engaged for the first fortnight, I scarcely be- 

 stowed a look on my rabbits. When I saw them, 

 instead of the well-fed, merry, gamesome animals, as 

 they formerly were, I beheld a parcel of moping, 

 pot-bellied and scouring creatures, which had lost all 

 the fine solid flesh put upon- them by former high 

 keeping. On demanding the cause of this unfavour- 

 able change, I discovered it to be in the quantity of 

 hog-weed with which they had been daily supplied. 

 This being discontinued, they soon recovered their 

 pristine condition. 



Rabbits are generally sold from the TEAT, but 

 there is also a demand for those of larger size, which 

 may be fattened upon corn and hay, with an allow- 

 ance of the best vegetables. The better the food 

 the greater weight, better quality, and more profit, 

 which I apprehend to be generally the case in the 

 breeding of all animals. Some fatten with fresh 

 grains and pollard. I have tried all wheat, and all 

 potato oats, comparatively; but could find no dif- 

 ference in the goodness of the flesh. The rabbit's 

 flesh being dry, the allowance of succulent greens 

 may tend to render it more juicy; and I suppose 

 the old complaint of the dryness of the flesh in 

 Devon beef entirely fed with hay, might be reme- 

 died in the same way. Rabbits are in perfection 

 for feeding at the FOURTH or SIXTH month ; beyond 

 which period, their flesh becomes more dry and 

 somewhat hard. It requires THREE months, or 

 nearly so, to make a rabbit thoroughly fat and ripe : 

 half the time may make them eatable, but by no 

 means equal in the quality of the flesh. They may 



K 



