THE GAME BREEDER 11 



the farming of all of the land excepting grouse very abundant in the same field 



the narrow strips and swampy places before the days of intensive farming 



left for safe covers and feeding grounds, with nothing but a wire fence to divide 



In places where both corn and wheat the fields. 



are grown it will be found to be advan- It is highly important to keep down 

 tageous to plant alternate fields of each the foxes, snakes, hawks, crows and 

 grain. The grouse enjoy the shade and other natural enemies of the grouse, and 

 concealment afforded by the growing the cats, dogs' and rats should not be 

 corn, but the hedges and nesting sites permitted to take birds or eggs. It is 

 above described should also be maintain- attention to these matters which will 

 ed since neither the corn field nor the make and keep the birds plentiful on 

 wheat field are habitable for a period lands which are made habitable. A 

 during and after the plowing. keeper who knows how to shoot and to 

 In Hungary, where tens of thousands trap vermin easily can protect twelve or 

 of grey partridges are reared and sold fifteen hundred acres and the game rear- 

 on some of the larger places every sea- ed will show a splendid profit after pay- 

 son, corn and wheat or other small grain ing the wages of the keeper, 

 are planted in alternating strips. The Any farm boy who knows how to 

 number of quail that can be produced shoot and trap easily can make a few 

 on a grouse preserve will be surprising, thousand dollars a year by looking after 

 and will add materially to the value of the grouse and quail on a large prairie 

 the farm. The birds are harmonious farm in States where it is not a crime 

 and I have seen both quail and prairie to produce grouse and quail for profit. 



BLACK SIBERIAN HARES AND OTHER "FUR RABBITS" 



The U. S. Department of Agriculture countries also use large quantities of 



during the past few months has received this fur. The bulk of it is sold in bales, 



many inquiries regarding the merits of bringing from 10 cents to 50 cents a 



certain rabbits that have been exteii- potmd, dependent on color and quality, 



sively advertised as fur producers. Re- The better class of skins sell by the 



plies to such inquiries have stated that dozen, bringing from 50 cents to $1, 



the demand for rabbit fur is such as to that is, less than 10 cents each, 

 make it pay to save the pelts of domes- Baled rabbit furs are bought largely 



tic rabbits killed for food, but that rais- for felting purposes, the fur being made 



ing rabbits for the fur alone would be into cloth or coarse hats, while the 



unprofitable with any known breed, skins are utilized for manufacturing 



Some facts about the trade in rabbit glue. Fine hats are made of nutria (the 



skins will be of interest in this connec- fur of the South American coypu) or 



tion. of nutria and rabbit fur mixed. The fur 



More skins of rabbits are collected of the common wild rabbits of Ameri- 

 and sold annually than of all other fur ca does not felt well and is in slight de- 

 animals combined. Before the present mand. Whole skins of these animals 

 war, Great Britain imported each year seldom sell for more than 1 or 2 cents 

 from 70,000.000 to 90,000,000 skins; each. 



while the home production added 30,- The better kinds of rabbit skins are 



000,000 more. The imported supply vised for making fur garments, which, 



came from Australia and the nearer when made up, are commonly sold as 



European countries. France, Belgium, "cony," but often under other trade 



Germany, the United States, and other names. White skins are made up in 



