BREEDING AND CARE OF RABBITS 



vestigation as the importance of the enterprise de- 

 mands. The three following subjects are less under- 

 stood and the importance of the information essential 

 to best results increases practically in the order above 

 mentioned. 



Variety of Stock. 



It is not the writer's intention to- establish lines of 

 classification in favor of particular varieties of rabbits, 

 as the merits of one variety are frequently lacking in 

 another. Too much dissatisfaction has resulted al- 

 ready from unsound advice offered by admirers of 

 some one variety of rabbits presenting claims to un- 

 proven superiority of their favorites. It would seem 

 preferable to advise each one to raise the variety most 

 admired and to cultivate that variety to its maximum 

 efficiency. 



The experience of the writer with Belgians, Flem- 

 ish and New Zealands has proven that a good strain 

 of one variety is better than a poor strain of another. 

 There may later on appear advanced types of meat 

 rabbits evolved by certain cross breeding, but such 

 possibilities should not now excite our ambition. By 

 many years of patient endeavor our advanced breeders 

 have provided us with standard breeds of rabbits. The 

 writer has experimented on occasion with cross-breeds, 

 and thus far with a resulting gladness to return to the 

 standard article, and endorse a well known authority's 

 opinion that "crossing rabbits is no job for a novice 

 breeder." So little has been proven to establish the 

 superiority of any one variety that the writer advo- 

 cates for most breeders the selection of some one vari- 

 ety and the development thereof to the highest effi- 

 ciency attainable. 



Inasmuch as the merits of large types of cattle, 

 hogs and fowls are admitted for the production of beef, 

 pork and poultry, it seems evident that this principle 



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