851. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
177 
vould indeed form a perfect lop-eared rabbit, worthy to 
ater, and likely to win the prize collar, be it of gold or 
siVerj and the breeder may be proud of his success, 
thlugh it be but a rabbit. Much consequence is attach¬ 
ed to the length, quality and carriage of the ear in 
awarding premiums. I was indifferent to this point of 
length, and purchased much lower in consequence, pay¬ 
ing from ten to forty shillings sterling, a piece, for those 
I imported, according to age and quality; whereas five 
guineais is not an uncommon price, and individuals have 
been sbld as high as thirty guineas ! The consequence 
of my selection is, that out of fifty rabbits, in my rab- 
bitry, I have not one that will exceed eighteen inches 
length of ear from point to point ! whereas the Illus¬ 
trated London News of May, 1850, gave portraits of the 
two prize rabbits at the Rochester show, “ from the 
excellent stud of Mr. Geo. Towell, measuring in length 
of ear 21| inches and 21| inches and nearly five inches 
wide.” 
Of those sent by the Queen from her own stock, to 
the Pacha of Egypt, none exceeded 20 inches, but they 
were beautiful in color and form. 
The usual colors are black, blue, gray, yellow, and 
tortoise-shell, on white grounds. These are called 
“ broken colonsf when not mixed with either, they are 
termed “seifs.” 
The food of the rabbit embraces great variety, inclu¬ 
ding grain of all kinds, bran, pea-chaff, miller’s waste, 
brewer’s grains, clover and other hay, and the various 
weeds known as plantain, groundsel, dock, mallow, 
dandelion, pursley, thistles, &c. &c. 
The rabbit thus easily conforms itself to the means, 
condition, and circumstances of its owner ; occupies but 
little space, breeds often, comes early to maturity, and 
is with all, a healthy animal, requiring however to be kept 
clean, and to be cautiously fed with succulent food, 
which must always be free from dew or rain—water is 
unnecessary to them when fed with “ greens.” My own 
course of feeding is, one gill of oats in the morning with 
a medium sized cabbage leaf, or what I may consider its 
equivalent in any other vegetable food, for the rabbit in 
confinement must be, as already stated, cautiously fed 
with what is succulent. At noon I feed a handful of cut 
hay or clover chaff, and in the evening the same as in 
the morning. To does, when suckling, I give what they 
will eat of both green and dry food. The cost to me is 
about three cents per week, per head. 
I by no means recommend this as the best, or the 
most economical mode of feeding, but it happens to suit 
my convenience. Were I in a town or near mills, I 
should make use of other and cheaper substitutes. My 
young rabbits, when taken from the doe, say at eight, 
ten or twelve week? old, are turned out together till 
about six months old, when it becomes necessary to take 
them up and put them in separate hutches to prevent 
their fighting and destroying each other. The doe at 
that age is ready to breed, her period of gestation is about 
thirty-one or two days, and she produces from three or 
four to a dozen young at a “ litter.” It is not well to let 
her raise more than six or even four at once—the fewer, 
the larger and finer the produce. 
Young rabbits are killed for the table at any age from 
twelve weeks to twelve months old, and are a very ac¬ 
ceptable addition to the country larder. The male is 
not allowed to remain with the doe, lest he should de¬ 
stroy the young ones. 
Hutches are made singly, or in stacks, to suit the 
apartment, which should be capable of thorough venti¬ 
lation. The best size is about three feet long, two feet 
deep, and fourteen inches high, with a small apartment 
partitioned off from one end, nearly a foot wide, as a 
breeding place for the doe. A wire door forms the front, 
and an opening is left behind for cleaning; the floor 
should have a descent to the back of the hutch of two 
inches. All edges should be tinned to save them from 
being gnawed. 
Having now given the leading characteristics and 
qualities which constitute a good “ fancy lop-eared rab¬ 
bit,” and its general management, allow me to remark 
on the striking difference observable between Americans 
and the people of many other countries, as to a fondness 
for animals, or what are termed “ Fancy pets,” of and 
for which we, as a people, know and care very little. In¬ 
deed we scarcely admit more than a selfish fellowship 
with the dog, and but too seldom does our attachment 
even for this faithful companion, place him beyond the 
reach of the omnipotent dollar. 
In England, and in other parts of Europe, a love for 
animals, with the attendant personal care necessary to 
their comfort, is encouraged from childhood up, as hav¬ 
ing a beneficial influence on the character. To the young 
it is another occupation, full of varied interest, added to 
the list of home, amusements and attractions, so desira¬ 
ble, and sometimes so difficult to provide for them. 
The operatives, mechanics and laborers, in other 
countries, seem to have a perfect passion for such pur¬ 
suits, and take the greatest interest and pride in breed¬ 
ing and perfecting the lesser animals, though often oblig¬ 
ed to toil for the very food they feed to them. Here, 
too, home influences are perceived to be good, and are 
encouraged by the employer, as supplying the place of 
other and much more questionable pursuits and tastes. 
In relation to the man of leisure and science, I would 
remark that, as the artist delights in the power of mould¬ 
ing the inert clay into life-like form, so does the intelli¬ 
gent and amateur breeder, find infinite pleasure in the 
yet higher, and more difficult art, of modelling the live 
material into its most symmetrical proportions. And 
why should there not be as much satisfaction in produc¬ 
ing what is excellent on a small, as on a large scale? Is 
not the statuette as beautiful, and is it not as much an 
effort of genius and art as the statue? 
To myself the rabbitry is a “ Studio,” whereof the 
material is cheap, rapidly produced, soon perfected, very 
abundant ,and occupying a small space,and is thus brought 
under my own immediate care and observation, with 
but little trouble; requiring months, only, instead of 
years, to practically test theories and speculations, and 
for studying some of the most important, but not under¬ 
stood, laws of nature. Such as, how far it may be 
safe to use close affinities? And if deteriorating, 
what are the first and warning symptoms? In what 
order does the animal structure give way under a 
persisted course of such breeding? The same as to 
cross-breeding, and how far the control of the breeder 
is diminished by its continuance; the comparative 
