RABBIT. 



to be very good food. In winter they cat hay, oats, and cliaff, 

 and thele may be given tiiem three times n day ; but when 

 they eat green things, it muit be obferved tliat they are not 

 to drink at all, as it throws them into a dropCy. At all 

 other times a very little drink fervcs, but it fliould alvi'ays be 

 frefli. When any green herbs or grafs are cut for their food, 

 eare muil be taken that there is no hemlock among it, for, 

 though they will eat this greedily among other things, when 

 offered to them, it is a fudden poifon to them. In this mode 

 of breeding, one male to eight or ten females is fufficient. 



It is remarked, that the author of the Treatife on Agri- 

 culture and Gardening, has bred thefe animals with much 

 fuccefs and ornamental effeft in a fmall artificial warren, in 

 a lawn in the garden, made in the following manner. 

 " Pare off the turf of a circle, about forty feet diameter, 

 and lay it on the outfide ; then dig a ditch within this 

 circle, the outfide perpendicular, the inner (loping, and 

 throw earth fufficient into the middle to form a little hill, 

 two or three feet higher than the level of the Inwn ; the 

 reft muft be carried away. Then lay down the turf on the 

 hill, and beat it well to iettle. The ditch at bottom mould 

 be about three feet wide, and three and a half deep, with 

 two or three drains at the bottom, covered with an iron 

 grate, or a ftone with holes, to carry off the hafty rains, in 

 order to keep the rabbits dry. In the outfide bank fhould 

 be fix alcoves, the fides and top fupported, either by boards 

 or brick-vv'ork, to give the rabbits their dry food in ; by 

 their different lituations, fome will always be dry ; fix boxes,- 

 or old tea-chefts, let into the bank, will do very well. If the 

 ground be very light, the outfide circle fhould have a wall 

 built round it, or fome flakes driven into the ground, and 

 boards or hurdles nailed to them, within a foot of the bot- 

 tom, to prevent the bank from falling in. The entrance 

 muil be either by a board to turn occafionally acrofs the 

 ditch, or by a ladder. The turf being fettled, and the 

 grafs beginning to grow, turn in the rabbits, and they 

 will immediately go to work to make themfelves burrows in 

 the fides, and in the hill. By way of inducing them rather 

 to build in the fides, to keep the turf the neater, make a 

 fcore of holes about a foot deep, and they will finifh them 

 to their own mind ; and if there be a brick-wall round it, it 

 fhould be built on pillars, with an arch from each, to leave 

 a vacancy for a burrow." But there is, he fays, another 

 way that may be pradtifed, which is, " to dig the ditch 

 only about two feet deep, which will yield about earth 

 enough to make the hill ; put fome pales, about a foot high, 

 on the outfide, for that will be a fulScient height to keep 

 the rabbits in. Feed them as other tame rabbits are fed ; 

 and in wet weather fprinkle faw-duil at the bottom, by 

 which means the quantity of manure will be increafed ; once 

 a week is often enough to take it away : the quantity will 

 be furprifing, nor will the.fmell be in the leaft offenfive, 

 even though it be quite clofe to the houfe. In a very large 

 lawn, two or three of thefe hills, with the rabbits f:^eding 

 on the tops, will not be unpleafing objefts. If the bucks 

 happen to be mifchievous in killing the young ones, they 

 muft be chained in an alcove ; or elfc have their liberty 

 as in a warren. After a great fnow they will want fome 

 affillance early next morning ; becaufe the ditch will be 

 nearly filled, and perhaps the alcove, where the hay is, will 

 be blocked up." 



He adds, that " it is a great improvement to caftrate 

 the young bucks, and keep them till they are full grown, 

 before you kill them ; the flefh will be amazingly finer, 

 whiter, and tenderer. But then it will be beft to take 

 them away, and- keep them in another warren, left they 



fhould be too numerous, and difturb the breeding does ; or 

 eH'c liave a few hutches in the alc<n-e to fatten them in." 



It is fuggofted, that " as oil-cakes are found of great 

 life in fattening cattle, it is probable they would be ufeful 

 in fattening ral)bits : and it is afTertcd, that fome of the 

 oil mixed with the pollard or buck-wheat, is cheaper than 

 the cakes ; but having never made the experiment, he can- 

 not afcertain its fupcrior advantages." 



In this mode, attention fhould be had to the breeding 

 thofe forts of rabbits whofe fl<ins are in the greateft efteem 

 with the furriers and hatters. Thefe fkins are gerierally 

 of more value than the f^efh, efpecially in the winter, againit 

 which time contrive to have the greateft quantity of thefe 

 fattened bucks. 



Pi-nfit. — It is remarked, in relpetl to profit in this way, 

 that wliere does are kept in hutches, they are fuppofed to 

 breed fix times a-year, and only five young ones are left 

 to each, \vhich is thirty from each doe : but as thefe ai-e iit 

 a more natural way, and the young ones difficult to be 

 gotten at, let us fuppofe about thirty-fix to be produced 

 from each doe, reckoning only feven- pence for each ; there 

 is a guinea profit from each doe; as the additional valuc 

 of the f]<ins in winter, and the dung, will more than pay the 

 exponce of food and attendance on them. And it is quite 

 neceffary that thofe who keep many rabbits in this way, 

 fhould cultivate fome lucern, parfley, and carrots, as no 

 other vegetables are fuch proper food for them as thefe ; 

 they fliould alfo be fed upon fome of the beft upland paf- 

 ture-hay ; for if it be coarfc, i"o far from eating, tiiey will 

 walte it. Lucern hay is very proper for them in thefe 

 cafes. 



In fome diftrifts very confiderable profits and advantages 

 are derived from the breeding and keeping of white tame 

 rabbits. The flfins of this fort having lately been much 

 employed in trimmings, have fold at a much higher price 

 than thofe of the common kinds. Their dung is alfo 

 found of very great utility in the cultivation of large 

 farms. 



Dijiafes. — When kept in this way, rabbits are fubjeft 

 to feveral difeafes, as the rol, which is caufed by the giving 

 them too large a quantity of green food, or the giving 

 it frefh gathered, with the dew or rain hanging in drops 

 upon it, as it is over-moillure that always caufes the 

 difeafe ; the green food fhould, therefore, always be.- given 

 dry, and a fufficient quantity of hay, or otiier dry food, in- 

 termixed with it, to counteract the bad effefts of it. And 

 a fort of madnefs often feizes them : this may be known 

 by their tumbhng about ; their heels upwards, and hop- 

 ping in an odd manner into the boxes. This diitemper 

 is fuppofed to be owing to the ranknefs of their feeding : 

 and the general cure is the keeping them low, and giving 

 them the prickly herb called tare-thiftle to eat as much as 

 poflible. They are alfo fubjeft to a fort of fcabby erup- 

 tion, which is feldom removed. Tliefe fhould, however, 

 be direftly feparated from the reft: of the ftock. 



It is noticed that the profit in this mode of management 

 cannot, however, be well afcertained, as much will depend 

 on the care which is taken in the feeding, and other manage- 

 ment. 



RABBiT-ZFarrra, the place where thefe animals breed 

 and rear their young. The land for this purpofe fhould 

 be of a light fandy quality, and it is beft to have a hilly 

 fituation, wth a funny expoftire, being well inclofed by 

 means of fod-walls, or paling-fences : any fort of watte, 

 craggy, or rocky land, on winch nothing elfe can be culti- 

 vated, anfwers very well for this purpofe. See Rabbit. 



6 Rabbit- 



