56 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 23, 1860. 
the windpipe below its bifurcation. I will send you the 
feather also. 
I also was shown by a keeper this morning an old hen bird 
with the distoma. He was anxious to see me use the feather, or 
I should have sent you this bird alive as a specimen. I used 
the feather, and as I happened to have some of the tincture in 
my gig, used that also, and brought up six. The man has 
since sent me the bird dead. I never killed any, unless far ad¬ 
vanced, till this year, and they have died with turpentine, 
spirit of wine, and the tincture. 
To return to my twenty-four. They have had twice a-week 
cold boiled water left with them half an hour. Out of the lot 
only eleven survived. Now, this result begins to shake my 
confidence in the theory I had adopted—that the worms being 
the same as in the water, the eggs were conveyed through 
that medium, and that they were the same insect; because in 
this example I am quite sure none but boiled water was given 
them after the first application of the feather. It is possible 
the egg from which this worm comes may be blown about in 
the air, hatched after accidentally getting in the waterbutts and 
the tracheae. But this is not probable. I have never been able to 
detect these worms in a leaden cistern; which I have in a scullery, 
and find them in abundance in the butts in the stable-yard. 
Possibly the soot from the chimnics may kill them in the 
former. 
I have been shown some correspondence in The Cottage 
Gardener where I find they attribute death to inflammation, 
which I feel confident is a mistake; I have opened hundreds, 
and never found it. They die of starvation—consumption; but 
I should like to reserve this point for another occasion.— 
Suffolk. 
BABBITS WILL PAY POB KEEPING. 
It is an injustice to these very interesting animals to charge 
them with consuming any undue and enormous quantity of food ; 
whereas, by proper management, a large stud can be kept at a 
trifling cost, and share with poultry and Pigs the merit of being 
save-alls. I have kept Rabbits these thirty years, and have 
always made it a profitable amusement. 
To commence Rabbit-keeping, the first thing is to get a good 
strain ; they consume no more food, and require no more time 
to attend upon them than the commonest kind, and the produce 
is always saleable. 
The next question is, Which is the best kind ? The long¬ 
eared varieties have been my favourites, although I have found 
the foreign varieties most profitable. The long-eared Rabbits 
are unjustly considered delicate, but it is not the case. To get 
the desired object, which is length of ear, is only to be done by 
increased warmth and high feeding. Many persons buy these 
Rabbits from a warm room or shed, and put them in a cold out¬ 
house, where, of course, they soon pine and die : hence they are 
considered delicate. Any person buying long-eared Rabbits 
should know something of the temperature and food they have 
been accustomed to. Many fanciers, or dealers I may term them, 
have some mode of physicking their Rabbits, which forces the 
gi’owth of ear, and improves the appearance of the coat, which 
looks as sleek as a mole ; but a3 soon as they are sold, and get 
no more medicine they waste away, their coats get rough, and 
they soon die. The young fancier then gives up with disap¬ 
pointment and disgust. Rabbit-dealers cannot see the injury 
they are doing themselves by this practice, or they would dis¬ 
continue it. I know districts where this science of medicine is 
studied. They breed very long-eared Rabbits, but once out of 
their hands they are soon no more. I have known several 
gentlemen who would have gone into the fancy very largely, 
but for being victimised in the commencement by these un- j 
principled men, thereby the fancy has suffered very much; for 
those men who were in a position to assist the fancy have given j 
it up. In my experience I have found it better to go to men I 
whose position is above those paltry actions, and buy, even if 
you pay a trifle more. 
With the foreign varieties there is not this fear, as they are 
very hardy, and the only thing required of them is purity of 
breed. There are more varieties than is generally supposed. 
I have had in my time ten distinct kinds : o f these I have found 
the Chiuchilla, Silver Greys, Ilimalayans, Patagonian, and Dutch, 
the most profitable in consequence of the demand for them. 
The three first kinds are much sought after for turning out, and 
there is good sale for the young ones. The Patagonians being 
extremely large, have been turned out to enlarge the warren 
Rabbits, and with much success. 
Six years ago I bred large quantities of Chinchillas and Hima- 
layans. At that time I had in my possession a piece of waste 
ground, about two acres, walled in, part of which I fenced in, 
and cultivated green food for the support of my stock; and 
being surrounded with market-gardens, I had no lack of food for 
them, as I kept a boy and donkey-cart, which went to the packing- 
yards and collected all the waste trimmings three days a-week. 
I turned out twenty Chinchilla does and twenty Himalayan ; 
they were all in young at the time of turning out. Towards 
their time of kindling 1 had a few trusses of straw thrown into 
them, which was soon carried away for their nests. At the end 
of five weeks I had them all netted, which was not very difficult 
as I had accustomed them to feed at one place at the call of a 
bell, which I always had rung at the time of putting down their 
food. It was surprising to see them all come scampering from 
different parts of the ground at the sound of the bell. 
In the first catch I had got thirty-two of the does, these I put 
to bucks, which I kept in hutches, and after one night’s absence 
from the warren turned them loose. This was done several 
times ; but I found it too troublesome, and I resolved only to 
keep one kind—the Silver Greys, which were more in demand at 
the time, as I could not keep both kinds without being crossed. 
I then took up all the Himalayans, and turned out two Chin¬ 
chilla bucks into the warren. 
The Himalayans I kept in a paved yard ; but the number had 
increased considerably, so I disposed of all the young, and re¬ 
tained my former breeding stock—twenty does. In the course 
of two years I had bred over 2400 Rabbits, and my books showed 
a net profit of £600 upon the outlay of £50, which I paid for 
my stock. I must inform you I paid no rent for the ground, 
as it was in litigation; but I kept an account of all that was 
laid out, and all that was sold. The greater part of my stock I 
sent to Poland, Prussia, and Belgium. At the end of two 
years I had to give up the ground. When first I took it it 
would scarcely grow anything, being impoverished by growing 
trees, &c.; but when I gave up possession it was the best piece 
of ground in the neighbourhood. Several gentlemen took pattern 
of my miniature warren, and one of them makes a good income 
by the above ; but it is on a large scale in Glamorganshire. 
Since then I have kept a large breeding stock in hutches, and 
have generally received more orders for young ones than I could 
execute. In my next I will give you some account of my mode 
of feeding and management.—R. S. S. 
ODE LETTEB BOX. 
Worcester Poultry Show.— The Secretary informs us that he sent to 
the Rev. J. B. “a catalogue and prize list on the 10th inst. That bein°- 
the first opportunity he (the Secretary), had of sending to any one. The 
prize list having to be printed after mid-day on Tuesday, and the Show 
being open at night, he was too much engaged to have a chance before.” 
Breast of Golden-spangled Hamburgh Cock ( T . AT.).—There' are 
differences of opinion, but our belief is, a black breast is a capital defect in 
a Golden-spangled Hamburgh cock. Even at the cost of other properties 
we should advise you to substitute one with a spangled, not laced breast! 
The white deaf ear must not, however, he one of the points you sacrifice 
Fattening Rabbits (Jemima Wilhehnina ).—If you self your Rabbits 
at 6d. each, it must be when they are very young, if you want them to pay 
Even then it is doubtful, if you have to purchase the food for them If 
sent to market at about ten weeks old they would, in all probability' sell 
for about Is. each. If fat and well conditioned, perhaps rather more but 
1.5. each would he an average price. To fatten young Rabbits we would 
recommend oat or barleymeal, bran, carrots, parsley, sow thistles dan¬ 
delion, &c. We have not tried buckwheat, but should recommend it 
ground. We think you could be supplied with good Chinchillas by Mr 
Baily, of Mount Street, who took the prize for them at Sydenham. 
Work on Rabbits [F. II.). — We have made arrangements for its trans¬ 
lation, and shall illustrate it copiously; adding notes from other autho- 
rities. 
Bees (B. B. B.). — We studiously avoid noticing the proceedings of 
Societies unworthy of confidence. We are not surprised that you received 
no answer. 
LONDON MAEKETS. —October 22. 
POULTRY. 
_ We have still a small supply ; the 
little improvement in trade, and some 
Each— s. d. s. d. 
Large Fowls. 3 6 to 4 0 
Smaller Fowls. 2 9 ,, 3 0 
Chickens . 2 3 ,, 2 6 
Geese. 7 6 ,, 8 0 
Goslings . 0 0 „ 0 0 
Ducks . 2 G „ 3 0 
Ducklings. 0 0 ,, 0 0 
only changes worthy of note being a 
diminution in the prices of Partridges. 
Each— s. 
Theasants. 4 
Pigeons. 0 
Grouse . 3 
Partridges . 2 
Hares. 3 
P.abbits. 1 
Wild ditto. 0 
d. s. d. 
0 to 4 3 
6 „ 0 7 
0 „ 3 6 
0 „ 2 G 
0 „ 6 
4 1 5 
5 „ 0 9 
