"In Holland, it is bred with reference to color only, which must be
a pure white, with dark ears, feet, legs, and tail; this
distribution has a singular effect, but, withal, it is a pretty
little creature. The French breed a long, rangy animal, of great
_apparent_ size, but deficient in depth and breadth, and of course,
wanting in constitution; no attention is paid to color, and its
marking is matter of accident. The White Angola, with its beautiful
long fur and red eyes, is also a great favorite in France.
"In England, the rabbit formerly held the rank of 'farm stock!' and
thousands of acres were exclusively devoted to its production;
families were supported, and rents, rates, and taxes were paid from
its increase and sale. The '_gray-skins_' went to the hatter, the
'_silver-skins_' were shipped to China, and were dressed as furs;
while the flesh was a favorite dish at home. This was the course
pursued in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and many other counties, with
their light sandy soils, before the more general introduction of
root culture, and the rotation of crops, gave an increased value to
such land. Since then, however, I remember visiting a farm of Lord
Onslow's, in Surrey, containing about 1,400 acres. It was in the
occupation of an eminent flock-master and agriculturist, who kept
some hundreds of hutched rabbits for the sake of their manure, which
he applied to his turnep crop; added to this, their skins and
carcasses were quite an item of profit, notwithstanding the care of
them required an old man and boy, with a donkey and cart. The food
used was chiefly brewer's grains, miller's waste, bran and hay, with
clover and roots, the cost of keeping not exceeding two pence a
week. The hutches stood under a long shed, open on all sides, for
the greater convenience of cleaning and feeding. I was told that the
manure was much valued by the market gardeners round London, who
readily paid 2s. 6d. a bushel at the rabbitries. These rabbitries
are very numerous in all the towns and cities of England, and form a
source of amusement or profit to all classes, from the man of
fortune to the day laborer. Nor is it unfrequent that this latter
produces a rabbit from an old tea-chest, or dry-goods box, that wins
the prize from its competitor of the mahogany hutch or ornamental
rabbitry.
"The food of the rabbit embraces great variety, including grain of
all kinds, bran, pea-chaff, miller's waste, brewer's grains, clover
and other hay, and the various weeds known as plantain, dock,
mallow, dandelion, purslain, thistles, &c., &c.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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