Chapter III. 



THE BEST RABBITS FOR MEAT 



THE meat of practically all rabbits is 

 suitable for food. Yet only a few kinds 

 can be raised profitably. Moreover, 

 there is a general disinclination to the use of 

 the common white rabbits on the table. These 

 rabbits are said to have flesh which is too 

 sweet to be very palatable, but in any event, 

 they are not commonly included among the 

 utility animals. Europe has rather a long list 

 of breeds considered to be valuable for food, 

 but breeders in the United States and Canada 

 confine themselves chiefly to Belgian hares, 

 Flemish Giants and New Zealand Reds. 

 There are various kinds of giant rabbits which 

 might be used for food if plentiful enough, 

 but the common Flemish Giant is the one usu- 

 ally set down as the meat rabbit. 



The Belgian hare is by all means the best 

 known and the most widely raised. It is a 



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