Chapter XIV. 

 RABBIT FURS AND THEIR VALUE 



IT would be foolish to undertake raising 

 rabbits of any kind simply for their pelts. 

 If the value of these pelts were as great as 

 some breeders would have us believe, rabbit 

 keeping would be taken up by a host of people 

 immediately. At the same time, rabbit fur 

 has sufficient value to warrant saving the skins 

 from animals which are used for table pur- 

 poses except in the summer months, when 

 they are in poor condition. As a by-product 

 the pelts of rabbits may be handled profitably. 

 While the war was on, prices of all furs 

 became unusually high, and a larger demand 

 for rabbit skins was created than had existed 

 before, at least in this country. In ordinary 

 times a vast number of rabbit skins are im- 

 ported from Australia to be used by hat 

 makers. That source of supply being cut off 

 temporarily, manufacturers became interested 



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