277 
Care of Tame Rabbits 
A§ many readers of The R. N.-Y. no 
doubt keep Belgian hares and tame rab¬ 
bits. some information relative to their 
proper care and management should prove 
useful. We are led to write on this sub¬ 
ject as in our experience very many who 
start breeding this type of pet stock soon 
quit in disappointment and disgust, after 
losing many animals, with a correspond¬ 
ing loes of cash. 
In many instances the chief cause of 
failure in the business is the attempt to 
keep too many animals in a small space. 
The temptation is also to start with too 
many animals before learning how they 
should be cared for, and worse than that 
is the fact that foundation stock sup¬ 
plied by some unscrupulous dealers is 
diseased at time of purchase. The malady 
most to be feared is “snuffles.” When 
ordering a consignment of hares or rab¬ 
bits for breeding purposes, the buyer 
should therefore require the seller to give 
a written guarantee that the animals to 
be forwarded are free from snuffles and 
other diseases, and have him agree to 
replace stock not found to be sound and 
healthy on receipt. If a dealer will not 
supply such a guarantee, better buy stock 
from a local breeder after personally see¬ 
ing that it is healthy. Then make it the 
invariable rule to quarantine new-bought 
animals for at least a mouth before al¬ 
lowing them to associate with others. 
A healthy hare or rabbit has bright 
ejes, smooth coat and cheerful, sprightly 
. mannei\ The skin is clean, and no ab¬ 
normal discharge comes from any opeuing 
of the body. Avoid buying rabbits that 
have swollen glands about the jaws or 
throat. The normal temperature is 100.85 
degrees Fahrenheit. 
When examining a rabbit do not lift it 
by the ears. That is cruel. Grasp the 
loose skin over the shoulders with one 
hand and lift the hind quarters with the 
other. Watch out for the teeth and 
claws. See that ears are free from sores 
or canker discharges, and examine skin 
for disease, such as mange, and for lice 
and fleas. Examine teeth. Aged rabbits 
have long, yellow teeth, while those of 
young ones are bluish white. Toe nails 
of old rabbity are long and curved. Un¬ 
der a year they do not project beyond 
the fur, and at 18 months or so they pro¬ 
ject, but are nearly straight. 
A rabbit’s ration should furnish one 
part of protein to four or five parts of 
carbohydrates or starchy matters. Of 
such a ration an adult rabbit will require 
approximately two ounces for each pound 
of body weight as a day’s ration. Give 
one-third more feed in Winter than in 
Summer. Dr. C. G. Saunders, a noted 
Canadian expert, recommends in his book 
on the subject that rabbits of medium 
size be given a ration composed of three 
ounces of hay, 8 ounces of roots and one 
to two ounces (dry) of a mixture of 
equal parts wheat bran, Soy beau meal 
or decorticated cottonseed meal, or bean 
meal or pea meal, or linseed meal, or 
maize gluten, mixed with enough water 
to form a crumbly mash. Clover and Al¬ 
falfa hay are preferable. In Summer an 
adult rabbit will eat two to four pounds 
of fresh-cut meadow grass, and needs but ' 
little else. After August additional feed 
is necessary. Give a mixture of garden 
vegetables, but not potatoes or runner- 
bean vines. Feed twice daily. Vary the 
feed, as any one feed is unsuitable. Al¬ 
low free access to pure water. Keep 
hutches scruplously clean, removing soiled 
bedding daily. Protect against drafts and 
keep out rats and mice. Isolate any ani¬ 
mal that becomes sick. Frequently scrub 
hutches clean. Allow daily exercise in 
roomy, clean yards. a. s. a. 
Dry Feed for Cows; Physical Examina¬ 
tion of School Children 
1. Is it good to give dry feed to cows or 
should it be wet? Would dry feed give 
them a cough? I have a neighbor who 
gives a peck of dry feed at a mess. 
2. Is it lawful for taxpayers to pay for 
school children to be examined by a doc¬ 
tor, or should the State pay it? s. s. 
1. Dry feed would not make a cow 
cough unless there was some trouble pres¬ 
ent which made swallowing difficult, or 
otherwise interfered with the natural pro¬ 
cess of eating and breathing. 
2. The charge for physical examination 
<>f children in public schools is a lawful 
one upon the district supporting the 
school. it. B. D. 
W* RURAL NEW.YORKER 
T Sn m H ak K e r °V he Wa £r r -°° B °y. Tractor do not consider it enough that their product is 
dependable and gives efficient service. They have built it into another feature which means 
th r°ughout the years of its profitable use. That feature is Waterloo Boy economy— 
not only in the use of fuel and oil, but for general up-keep and repairs. 
WATI?u>ojgy 
Back in 1914 Mr. E. P. Rowe, ft farmer living near 
Hampton, Iowa, bought a Waterloo Boy Tractor. It 
was one of the earlier models put out by its builders. 
Its gears were not enclosed, its bearings were of the 
plain type—it lacked many of the improvements found 
on the present Waterloo Boy. 
Mr. Rowe used his tractor for all his field operations 
and for most of his belt work. In checking up his 
expense last fall, he found that he had spent but approxi- 
mate!y $5 for repairs during his six years of ownership. 
Only $5 for repairs during six years of dependable, 
efficient, service. And it is still going strong. 
This is but one instance of Waterloo Boy economy. 
There are many, many others. Improvements on the 
present Waterloo Boy make it a great deal more eco¬ 
nomical than the one Mr. Rowe owns. The gears are 
now enclosed and run in oil, Hyatt roller bearings at all 
important points reduce friction and add to its long 
life. Every feature of construction makes for econom¬ 
ical up-keep and operation. 
Find out what a Waterloo Boy Tractor will do for 
you on your farm. Try it out. Your John Deere dealer 
will be glad to co-operate. 
The Waterloo Boy Tractor and the John Deere No. 5 Tractor Plow make a reliable plowing outfit. 
, der describing the Waterloo Boy fully. Also ask for Better Farm Imple- 
I?'sfre„ h°ok illustrating and describing the John Deere full line of farm tools. 
It s free. Address John Deere, Moline, Illinois, and ask for Package WB 737. 
Your garden needs a Planet Jr. 
The success of your garden depends on thorough cultivation, 
which a Planet Jr. will do in a fraction of the time required by old 
methods, and with a fraction of the labor. Half an hour a day by the 
Planet Jr. method will keep the average home garden producing quan¬ 
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sized garden, No. 17 is a remarkably handy and adjustable tool 
p ... There are 54 other Planet Jr. Seeders, Wheel Hoes, Horse Hoes, 
idmg Cultivators, farm and garden implements for every purpose. 
t r , rlte ^ or the free, 72 page, illustrated catalog describing Planet 
Jr. Implements and giving practical suggestions for their use. 
S. L. Allen & Co.,^ 
Incorporated 
Box 1107 V 
Philadelphia 
Planet Jr. 
No. 17 Planet Jr. Single Wheel 
Hoe is the highest type o£ single 
wheel hoe made. The attach¬ 
ments for cultivating, hoeing, 
hilling and plowing are all the 
finest of their kind. 
No. 17 
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guarantee editorial page. 
