850 



Agriculture Abroad. 



[Dec, 



AGRICULTURE ABROAD. 



Information regarding the rabbit-breeding industry in Belgium 

 has been obtained by Mr. P. A. Francis, of the Live Stock 



Babbit Breeding ? r *f * of the t Minis ^ during a recent visit 

 . - . . to that country. The Belgian Ministry ot 



* Agriculture has not had the opportunity 

 since the War of devoting much attention to the rabbit-breeding 

 industry, owing to the heavy work occasioned by the necessity 

 of replacing the larger live stock. The rabbit industry is never- 

 theless a considerable one, as it is estimated that about seven 

 million skins are being produced annually in Belgium. Prac- 

 tically all Belgian peasants, and even the townspeople, keep a 

 few rabbits, which are mostly killed for home consumption, the 

 skins being sold to local collectors. The remainder are sold alive, 

 either in local markets or to travelling dealers who kill them 

 and sell the carcasses to butchers, etc., and the skins to curers. 

 Before the War from 150 to 200 tons of " Ostend " rabbits were 

 sent to London from Belgium weekly ; such rabbits are not chilled 

 or carried in cold store, the object being to put them on the 

 London market in a fresh condition. 



There is a very large rabbit skin factor}^ in Ghent, where 

 before the War several million skins were dressed for fur, chiefly 

 for imitation beaver, chinchilla, seal, marten and ermine, many 

 of which were absorbed in the London market, Begarding prices, 

 good Belgian skins recently realised Is. 3d. each; although most 

 of them are of no particular breed (probably a cross with the 

 Flemish giant) they are large and they are properly dried. 

 Belgium does not produce sufficient skins for the fur industry, 

 and supplies are purchased in France and England. Complaints 

 are made that the skins from England are, as a rule, so badly 

 taken off the rabbits and so carelessly dried that they are of 

 comparatively little value. During the War, however, as much 

 as 12s. per dozen was paid for English wild rabbit skins, but at 

 the present time they are worth only about a quarter of that 

 price. 



From 12,000 to 14,000 skins of the Blue Beveren breed are 

 produced annually in Belgium, chiefly from the Province of 

 Beveren, but not more than five francs (about 2s. Id.) each is 

 being paid for even the best of the skins. There appears to be 

 an almost unlimited demand for rabbit skins of good quality 

 for making-up purposes and for rabbit fur in its natural 

 undyed state, but only about 25 per cent, of the skins are good 



