24 PICTORIAL CULTIVATOR ALMANAC. 
FANCY LOP-EARED RABBITS. 
Rabbits have from the earliest times been bred as domestic animals, and used more or less as food. Within a 
few years, however, they have become objects of interest with amateurs, and clubs have been formed in England 
for breeding them to particular 
standards, as to size, shape, and 
color. The variety which has 
generally been employed by these 
“ rabbit fanciers.” as they are 
called, is said to have been origi¬ 
nally obtained from the island of 
Madagascar, but has been greatly 
improved in those points which 
are deemed to constitute beauty, 
since it has been subjected to the 
skill of the English breeders. The 
accompanying cut shows that this 
variety have very long ears. This 
feature is considered a great merit 
by the breeders, and animals have 
received prizes at the exhibitions 
of London Metropolitan Rabbit 
Club, which measured twenty- 
one inches from tip to tip of the 
ears. The specimens from 
these figures were delineated, be¬ 
longed to Francis Rotch, Esq., of Morris, Otsego county, N. Y. Animals of this variety grow to a much 
larger size than the common English rabbit, weighing ten pounds, and sometimes more, each, when dressed. 
They are excellent as to quality of flesh—are prolific and as easily raised as any. 
The Geranium. —The skill exhibited by some of the London gardeners in the culture of green-house plants, is 
finely shown by the above accurate portrait of a prize Geranium presented at the show of the Royal Botanic 
Society. There is perhaps a slight deficiency in the engraving, which represents the plant as rather more solid 
and compact and less free and graceful than the original. 
Sowing Wheat Thick. —The Michigan Farmer in¬ 
forms us that Gen. Williams, of Lima, in that state, has 
been in the practice of sowing two bushels of wheat to 
the acre, the effect of which is small straw, always 
bright, rarely or never liable to rust, and increased pro¬ 
duct—and that others had observed a similar result. 
Advantages of Draining. —Edward Brooks of Bos¬ 
ton, stated at one of the agricultural meetings, that after 
thoroughly under-draining a piece of wet ground, the 
soil not only became firm, so as to bear a team, but that 
the crops may be started a fortnight earlier. 
