BELGIAN HARES ...And How To Raise Them... BY FREDERICK E. SCOTFORD CQAME WARDEN STATE CP ILLINOIS) I ^ » PRICE, 50 CENTS KING TODDIE AT EIGHT MONTHS. Belgian Hares AND HOW TO RAISE THEM. ^ A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON THE CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF THE HARE. By FREDERICK E. SCOTFORD, Hinsdale, III., U. S. A. PRIOE, 50 OXS. Copyright 1900, by Frederick E. Scotford. TWO COPIES RECEIVEO. Library of Congrot% Offico of tbt $f455 MAY 18 1900 <^ A.7 K€glit»r of CopyrtgHfik 59117 INDEX. SECOND COPY, PAGE Selection 4 In-breeding 3 Description 6 How TO Handle the Hare 7 Dewlaps 8 Fecundity 8 The Care of the Hare 10 Size of Pens 10 Food 11 Preparations for Winter 12 The Hutch 13 The Young 13 The Rabbitry 16 Shipping 19 Prices 20 Some Don'ts 21 Raising Hares for the Market 22 Preparing the Hares for the Market 23 Cooking the Hare 24 U. S. Belgian Hare Company's Rabbitry 24 A Word of Caution 26 The American Standard of Excellence for the Belgian Hare 28 The Belgian hare has come to stay. His history in the United States has been brief but triumphant. About seven years ago, as nearly as can be ascertained, the first shipment of hares was made to America, consigned to a gentleman in Los Angeles, California. It is possible that a few scattered pairs had entered the country before that time, but no one had endeavored to raise the hare as a marketable commodity. During this short period, the Belgian hare has obtained so strong a foothold in America that there are to-day hundreds of breeders with capital invested representing in the neighbor- hood of a million dollars. The stronghold of the Belgian hare industry in America, is California, principally because it was introduced there, and the first and strongest efforts to popularize it were made in that state. As a food product, the Belgian hare has demonstrated its value for many years in Con- tinental Europe and in England, and, to-day, is as much of a staple in France, Germany, Hol- land, Belgium and England as beef, and is more highly esteemed not only for its nutritive -qualities but also for its exquisite flavor, and 3 from the fact that it is more easily digested than any other kind of meat. No literature has heretofore been available concerning the management and care of the Belgian hare as it must be handled in central North America. The few breeders who have brought hares into the Great Central Mississippi Valley and like regions have discovered that conditions are so different from those on the Pacific Slope as to make Pacific Coast rules of care and manage- ment almost worthless, except in a general way, SELECTION. In buying foundation stock for a herd of Belgian hares, the greatest care should be taken to secure animals of excellent pedigree, coloring, marking and size. It is as true of Belgian hares as of any other animals that breeding for color alone ultimately causes a decrease in size and vitality. On the other hand, breeding for size may give first-class coloring, although it is a fact that the very finest prize-winning animals are not the largest. But there is no reason why prize-winners should not become the largest, in the course of time, if there be careful selection. Much depends upon the dealer from whom your foundation stock is purchased. 4 The average buyer cannot distinguish be- tween a first-class animal and one of inferior character. This is certain to be the case until Belgian hares are much more widely distributed than they are at present. It remains, then, for the buyer to depend upon the seller for honest treatment in the matter of selection. No reputable dealer in Belgian hares will allow any stock to leave his hands under mis- representations. It is a fact that parentage has much to do with the price of an animal. The offspring of championship stock, even four or five gene- rations removed, will bring more money than equally good hares of other blood. In buying and raising Belgian hares, one should be extremely careful to avoid in-breed- ing. Nothing will so soon deteriorate a herd of hares as this. • If the buyer wants the hares as foundation stock for a small herd which is destined to supply his own table only, one or two pairs will be ample. If, on the other hand, the intention is to go into the breeding of hares for the market or for the sale of foundation stock, new blood must be constantly added in order to maintain a high standard. 6 If the intention is to raise hares for one's own use, there is no necessity for paying fancy prices for the best marked animals. Healthy, strong hares of good pedigree, but without all the little peculiarities in color and marking which go to make up a prize-winner, will produce just as many and just as large hares for the table as the more costly ones. DESCRIPTION. The thoroughbred Belgian grows to a weight of from 8 to 12 or 14 pounds. By careful selection and mating of the largest and most healthy of the animals in a herd it is pos- sible to raise very large stock, and the maximum will undoubtedly reach 16 pounds or even more in the course of the next few years. In color the pure-bred Belgian is what is called a "rufus red," a sort of reddish tan which shows to the best advantage on the shoulders and top of the neck. The sides and haunches will be darker, with many of the hairs tipped with black ; this is called "ticking." The mottled or wavy appearance caused by this ticking is highly prized as a sign of pure blood. In the finest specimens the haunches will have a wavy-brown appearance. 6 The front feet and legs are small and carried well in. The rufus red hairs, though not necessarily of so pronounced a shade as on the back of the neck, must be carried over the front feet with- out being barred with white. The belly and the underside of the tail are usually white, but the presence of brown or tan colored hairs is highly prized. The head is graceful and carried well up. The eyes are dark and brilliant. The ears are about five inches long in a full-grown animal and tipped with a black edging called "lacing." This lacing should extend well down the edges of the ear. The more clearly defined the lacing, the higher the score of the animal. Ears must be carried erect and stiff — droop- ing ears are a sign of degeneracy. The hind legs are large and extremely powerful. In handling the animal, he should be taken by the skin at the back of the shoul- ders (never by the ears) and lifted clear off the ground. The hind feet should not be touched in handling the animal. If the hare is lifted in any other manner than by the skin at the back of the shoulders, one is apt to receive a kick from one or both hind feet which, if it strikes the unprotected skin, will invariably draw blood. In moving 7 a hare from one pen to another a box about the width of the pen in length, and 12 inches wide and high with wire netting at the back and a lifting door covered with wire at the front, should be provided. The hare should be gently driven into this box, when it may be moved easily. The Belgian is not intended as a household pet, he is a business animal em- phatically. So great is the power in the hind legs that a meddlesome cat or a small dog may be van- quished with a single blow. The Belgian hare invariably hops. He never v^alks or runs unless at large and closely pursued. Dewlaps, which sometimes appear in the form of a tuft of long hair beneath the lower jaw of a hare, while not necessarily disqualify- ing the animal, are undesirable and count against a high score. FECUNDITY; The fecundity of the Belgian hare, as in the case of all members of the rabbit family, is astonishing. It is an historical fact that a single pair of rabbits imported into Australia, in the course of a few years almost devastated that country and called fourth legislative action for their 8 destruction The commercial value absolutely precludes the possibility of the Belgian hare becoming too common in this country. Hares in captivity will not multiply so rapidly as those in a natural state, but, never- theless, with ordinary care most astonishing results can be obtained. A single doe will, if allowed to do so, give birth to a litter of "kittens," as the young Hares are known, every 30 days, year in and year put. These litters will run from 6 to 14, averaging about 10 in number. Of course it is not wise to allow a breeding doe to bring forth progeny in such numbers, as the strain upon the mother is tremendous. Every other month, year in and year out, is often enough and will allow the owner to keep his hares in a first-class physical condition. Does are sufficiently mature at five months of age to allow service and will kindle at six months. With proper care they will breed until they are from five to seven years of age A statistician has figured that the offspring of a single pair of Belgians, assuming that none died until the age of five years, bred once in two months, will produce at the end of five years 4,305,181,682 Hares. Of course, this could never happen in reali- ty, as the amount of expense required for handling so many hares and the care to be 9 bestowed upon them, as well as the losses which would certainly result, would reduce this figure tremendously. THE CARE OF THE HARE* There are two ways of raising and caring for a Belgian hare. The best way is, of course, nature's way as nearly as it is possible to follow it. This means that the hare should have plenty of room, light and healthy food. In our rabbitry the pens for each adult Hare are 20 ft. long, 2J^ ft. wide and 6 ft. high, covered on all sides with woven wire netting and with two thicknesses of tarred wire netting buried 6 inches beneath the ground. Above the entire length of the pens is a weather-tight roof projecting far enough to protect the animals from storms. The space allowed each hare is sufficient to afford him plenty of exercise and as he has plenty of earth to dig in, he is kept in first-class condition constantly. Another way, and one which we are sorry to say is more common than the way we have just mentioned, is to confine each individual adult hare in a box about the size of a large packing case say 4 or 5 ft. long, 2 ft. high and 2 or 3 ft. deep. This will do very well for those who intend to raise hares for the table, 10 although even in this case they will not be so healthy nor will they mature so quickly as when they can run upon the earth. When a hare is confined in a small space it is likely to be attacked by some one of the many ills which animals in close confinement are subject to, while allowed to run in the larger spaces such as we have described, illness is almost unknown, except in case of improper feeding. ' Where so much space cannot be spared as is necessary to have pens of the size thus above mentioned, smaller pens may be made to doj but they should by all means be upon the ground and should be open on two sides during warm weather to allow free draft of air. Large out-of-door pens, such as we have adopted for our rabbitry, should be cleaned once or twice a week. This will almost entire- ly prevent the offensive odor where many people complain of as a necessary adjunct to pet stock raising. In this region the best food for the Belgian hare is second growth clover hay, a mixture of equal quantities of oats and bran, and the suc- culent fruits and vegetables. Being a "cud-chewing" animal, the long fibre found in hay, straw, etc., is indispensable. The [hare will not eat flesh, and is extremely cleanly in its habits. Scraps of bread, cake 11 etc., from the table as well as the parings from potatoes, apples, turnips, etc., will be welcomed and readily consumed. A little salt should always be provided, preferably a large lump of rock salt, placed in a convenient part of the pen so that the hares may lick at it as often as they feel so inclined. If salt is given in this manner they will not eat more than is necessary for their welfare. Clean water should be provided every day. Above all things the pens should be kept dry. They should be tightly roofed and have free access to a current of air which will keep them cool during the hot weather. In winter, where the thermometer some- times registers as low as 20 degrees below zero, it will be difficult to raise young in unheated quarters, but hares more than a month old will survive the coldest weather in an unheated en- closure if given plenty of nourishing food and kept in an underground burrow with plenty of straw in which they may shelter themselves. The hare is a fur-bearing animal and if protected from moisture, cannot be harmed by any ordinary degree of cold, although hot weather will sometimes cause them to sicken and die if they cannot have plenty of fresh, cool water. In the winter our pens are boarded up with matched lumber so that no snow can enter, and 12 no other precautions are taken to secure warmth for the hares except that plenty of straw is provided for their underground hutches. THE YOUNG. A doe will kindle in 30 days, almost to the hour and minute from the time she is bred. Two weeks before the doe kindles she should be provided with plenty of fresh, clean straw or hay so that she may build her nest. This she will make preferably in a dry un- derground hutch, which should consist of a wooden box sunk in the ground, with its top flush with the top of the soil. This box should be about 18 inches long, from a foot to 15 or 16 inches high and of equal breadth. A runway should be constructed from the outside so that the Hare may enter on an inclined plane. This runway must either be made of wood or be carpeted with wire netting to prevent the Hares from burrowing, as they invariably do when they can find an opportunity to do so. The top of this box should be in the form of a trap-door, so that the nest may be opened and examined from time to time for cleaning and other purposes. If the soil is wet or likely to be so in bad weather, the underground hutch should be 13 omitted and a box of the same dimensions placed six inches above the soil, in its stead* This should be provided with a door of leather or similar fabric hung from above, so that the mother may have free access and at the same time keep the nest always dark. Do not attempt to make a nest for the doe. She will attend to that herself far better than you could do it. It will be in the form of an inverted cone thickly lined with fur from her own breast. In this soft, downy covering the little ones will lie snugly until they are old enough to leave the nest, which will be at about 20 days. On leaving an underground nest during the time that it is occupied by young, the mother will invariably close the opening by filling it with dirt or straw, if she can find the material for doing so. This is to prevent the little ones from leav- ing the nest and climbing to the light before they are old enough to do so, and also to keep rats and other natural enemies of the hare from getting at her offspring. It may appear to you that this nest is never open, but during the night when the mother nurses her offspring, it is entered frequently. If a larger litter than eight be born, it is necessary to destroy all above eight, or provide a foster mother. An ordinary white rabbit 14 may be deprived of her own progeny to make room for the more valuable Belgians. The greatest care should be taken in feeding the mother or nurse during the period vs^hen she nurses the little ones. She must have milk-producing food. Nothing produces milk so well as milk. A little warm milk given to the mother several times a day will many times repay the small expense, in increased size and health of her offspring. Cereal food products such as oatmeal and wheat products are valuable at this time. Under no circumstances should the doe be given green food while she is nursing young. Nothing will so easily kill a young hare as this. The young themselves must not be allowed to have any green food until they have reached four months of age. It is true that in their wild state they have constant access to green vegetable life without apparent injury, but ex- perience has proven that in captivity they can- not with safety be fed anything except cured provender. At about three weeks of age, the little ones will begin to run around outside the hutch and will nibble choice bits of hay and select dainty tid-bits from a shallow tray of oats and bran which should be provided for them. It is well also at this time to provide the 15 little ones with some bread and milk every night or morning. They will repay the trouble and expense in sturdy, rapid growth. After a hare is four months old he may safely be fed green food which is not wet; he should be accustomed to the diet slowly, how- ever. Never feed a hare wet green stuff of any kind. In the case of clippings from a lawn, green grain, vegetables, etc., it is safe to cut them in the morning and let them lie and wilt in the sun until noon before feeding. If the little ones are carefully attended to they may be removed from their mother at any time after they are a month and a half old. If there is not another litter in the nest it is well to allow them to remain with her until they are two or two and one-half months old. Never allow the sexes to remain together after 2^ months of age. Always remove and destroy a nest as soon as the little ones are old enough to leave it and before another litter is due. THE RABBITRY. Rabbitries can be built for from $1.50 up- ward according to size, etc. As we have already said, large, roomy pens upon the earth produce better animals and 16 healthier stock than more confined ones. Every pen should be six feet high and should be pro- tected from the ground up for i y^ ft. at least, with one inch mesh wire netting. This will keep out rats, weasels and such vermin and, at the same time, keep in the small hares, which will without difficulty go through a two-inch mesh wire until they are a month and a half or two months old. Six inches beneath the CONVENIENT FORM FOR A RABBITRY. surface of the soil there must be a layer of 2 inch wire netting, tarred, to prevent rust. This will prevent the hares from digging out. In building your pens the doors should be hung from a foot to two feet from the ground so that in case they swing open, the hares will not run out. It is necessary to cover the pens above with wire to keep out cats. They are inveterate enemies of the young hares and will carry 17 away a litter in a night, if given an opportunity. The rabbitry should have a pitch roof so that water will not run from it quickly and this roof should be high enough above the pens to furnish ample shade and allow a free circulation of air in the hottest weather. A feed box for hay should be provided and this may be in the form of a half cylinder of wire netting which may be filled with hay so that the hares will draw it through between the meshes or in some other manner which will readily suggest itself. DIAGRAM OF FEED BOX. To prevent waste of bran and oats it is well to have an automatic feed box for this food. This may be made by providing an upright box about i6 inches high, 6 inches deep and a foot broad with a piece running from the front lower edge of the box about 4 or 5 inches highes up so that oats and bran dumped in at the top will slide down this incline to the front and bottom, which should be provided with an 18 opening from ^ to ^ of an inch wide, with a tray with one inch beading about the edge to prevent waste. (See diagram.) Tiiis tray should not be more than 2^ in. wide, for if it is the Httle ones will jump up upon it and scatter the bran and oats broadcast. This food box should be covered at the top and should be suspended at one side of the pen so that its bottom will be about 6 inches above the level of the soil. During the time the little ones are nursing watering cups should be hung on the wire out of their reach, as they are apt to drink too much if allowed to indulge themselves. They will obtain plenty of liquid refreshment from their mother. The offspring of different hares should be kept carefully apart untill they have received a numbered ear tag which will enable you to identify them. This ear tag should be placed through the lower portion of the back edge of .the ear and should be in the form of an alum- inum disk fastened through the ear with an aluminum wire. These disks may be had for a very small price. (See price list in back of book.) SHIPPING. In shipping hares not more than one should be placed in a compartment. They should be 10 provided with watering cups, a food tray and ample provision made for securing hay, oats and bran on the road. Hares should not be shipped for any distance by rail before they are three months old. PRICES. As a food product Belgian hares sell at from 1 8 to 35c a pound, dressed weight. As a hare will dress a pound in weight for every month after six months of age up to ten months, if well cared for, it will be readily seen that they may be marketed at from $1.25 to $2.00 each. The skins will bring from 15c to 25c each if properly cared for. After removing from the animal the skin should be stretched and dried the same as in the case of all other furs and pelts. Hares intended for breeders should be more carefully selected than those for the table and, of course, must be valuable, pedigreed animals. These bring from five to two or three hundred dollars each, according to their parent- age, marking, etc. It is safe to say that a very fair pair of hares may be had for from $25 to $100. Any reputable breeder will treat you hon- 20 estly in this matter, so that you may depend upon him to furnish you the best which he possibly can for the amount of money you have to spend. Any other course would soon result disastrously for him. SOME DONTS. Never take the buck to the doe's pen. Always carry the doe to the buck. Don't lift a hare off the ground in your hands if you can help it, and when it is neces- sary to move a hare more than a few feet, drive him or her gently into a box, such as has already been described and move in that manner. Don't put two bucks in adjoining pens. They will worry one another and will attempt to fight each other through Ihe wires. Don't fail to keep a careful register of every hare in the rabbitry by number and name. Don't fail to keep a ledger account with each breeding buck and doe. Don't build your pens so that cats, dogs and rats can get in, or that old or young hares can get out. Don't allow children or adults to play with or frighten your hares. Don't ship a doe which is carrying young after the first two weeks. Don't allow a buck to cover a doe more than twice at one service. 21 Don't fail to test your does on the third, fourth, fifth, eighth and ninth days by offering her to a buck. If she is with kittens she will refuse. If she refuses, don't leave her in the pen for the buck to worry. Don't feed the little ones green stuff under any circumstances. Don't fail to put a spring on your rabbitry doors. The hares will not attempt to escape if the doors are properly hung from one to two feet above the ground, in any case, but dogs are likely to jump in and destroy your stock if the doors are not kept closed. RAISING HARES FOR THE MARKET. Strong, large, healthy stock should be selected for this purpose. A space of a quarter of an acre fenced in with wire netting to a height of seven feet above the ground and three feet below the surface, (the first two feet above the ground to be one-inch mesh, the balance two- inch mesh), will accommodate twenty-five does and one buck. Brush-heaps or stone-piles, or something of that nature, should be provided liberally, under which the rabbits may dig their burrows, and an abundance of pure flowing water should be provided. A hay-rack, which may be made in any 22 »f C. manner which will prevent the hay from being scattered, should be placed within the enclosure somewhere, and if a roofed-over space, which can be boarded in the winter, is available, it will be well to use it, as it will afford protection for the hares from wet and inclement weather. One buck should not be allowed to serve more than twenty-five does. As many of these quarter-acre spaces may be provided as is neces- sary to accommodate the hares, but no more than this number of hares should be confined in a space. As a rule, no more than one doe should be allowed to a buck in a single day, although he will cover more if given an opportunity. PREPARING THE HARES FOR THE MARKET. Don't alarm hares which are to be killed for table use. When alarmed, they will jump •with terrific force, striking anything in their way, sometimes forming flesh bruises and blood clots, which injure them for food. Hares intended for the market should, be- fore killing, be quietly driven into a small space through a gate, which it is well to pro- vide with each pen, so that they may be removed without violent effort or exertion on their part in endeavoring to escape. 23 To kill a hare, grasp it by the hind legs firmly, strike a quick, sharp blow at the back of the neck. This will stun the hare so that its throat may be cut and he may be bled freely. After killing hang the carcass by the gam- brel cords, just as butchers hang animals in the market. Slit the skin from gambrel to gambrel near the tail, up and down the rear edges of the thighs, and over the belly to the head. Free the skin from the joints and draw it care- fully back and downward from the body, tak- ing pains not to cut the flesh or skin in remov- ing it. Be sure to separate the fat from the pelt before hanging it up to dry. Remove the entrails and hang the carcass in an ice-box to chill. COOKING THE HARE. No method that we have tried equals that of steaming. This preserves the juices and flavor thoroughly and makes a most de- lightful dish. The steaming should be done in a double cooking-dish, such as is used for cooking oatmeal and cereal products. Use just enough water to cover the meat thoroughly. Let it steam in the neighborhood of three hours. Thicken the gravy and add butter. Season with pepper and salt to suit the indi- 24 vidual taste. Serve as you would quail, on hr^t toast. Invalids will find this dish a very dainty one, appetizing and easily digested. Fried or baked, the hare has no equal among food animals, being far superior to turkey or chicken in flavor and nutriment. U. S. BELGIAN HARE COMPANY'S RABBITRY. Our main sales office is in Chicago, Suite 6io Teutonic Building, with breeding yards at Hinsdale, 111,, and for the convenience of our western customers, another breeding farm at Los Angeles, Cal. Through our efforts the Express companies have reduced the rate for shipping live hares just one-half during the last year. Our rabbitry has a present capacity of about 2,000 a year and is being enlarged constantly. Visitors, either at the office in Chicago or at the rabbitry in Hinsdale, are always wel- come. We are constantly adding new blood to our stock and have always ready for delivery fine hares for exhibition purposes or the ordinary grades for breeding and table use. 25 A WORD OF CAUTION. Dishonest speculators who have hares for sale have spread the impression broadcast that it is an extremely easy thing to raise Belgian hares to maturity. This is not so. Unless common sense is allowed to rule and the utmost care exercised in feeding and hand- ling a considerable proportion of young will die. How large this proportion is depends entirely on the degree of ignorance or careless- ness on the part of the owner. If the rules laid down in this book are faith- fully followed the loss will be reduced to a minimum. Those who find difficulties of any kind in raising hares are invited to correspond with us. We shall be glad to give them the benefit of our experience. A stamp for reply is re- quired. All Hares sold by the Belgian Hare Co. are eligble for registration with the National Belgian Hare Club, at Denver, Colo., on pay- ment of 50 cents registration fee to the secretary. Every pen should be provided with a "pen card." This prevents confusion of identity of any particular Hare and gives particulars of every nature of immediate interest to the breeder. A convenient form is as follows: 26 REIM NO. Name Born Sex . . . Served Daie . Tested (If a doe.) Kindled Number of kittens Male Female , 27 THE AMERICAN STANDARD OF EX- CELLENCE FOR THE BELGIAN HARE. DISQUALIFICATIONS. /. Loafed or fallen ear or ears. 2. White frotit feet or -white bar or bars on same. j. Decidedly xvry front feet. 4. Wry tail. A specimen should have the benefit of any doubt. Color. — Rich Rufus-Red (not dark, smudgy color), carried well down sides and hind quarters, and as little white under the jaws as possible 20 Ticking. — Rather wavy appearance and plentiful 15 Shape. — Body — long, thin, well tucked up flank, and well ribbed up; back slightly arched; loins — well rounded, not choppy; head — rather lengthy ; muscular chest ; tail — straight, not screwed; and altogether of a racy ap- pearance 20 Ears. — About five inches, thin, well laced on tips, and as far down outside edges as pos- sible; good color inside and outside, and well set on ID Eyes. — Hazel color, large, round, bright and bold 10 Legs and Feet. — Forefeet and legs — long, straight, slender, well colored and free from white bars; hind feet as well colored as pos- sible ID Size. — About eight pounds 5 Condition. — Not fat, but flesh firm like a race horse, and good quality of fur 5 Without Dewlap. — 5 Total 100 28 PRICE-LIST. (Terms, invariably cash with ordet,) Hares, each $5.00 to $300 00 Service 3.00 to 25.00 Wire Shears (heavy) i.oo " Staples, per pound .12 Door Springs, per doz 3.00 Extra quality Woven Wire Netting, 2 in. mesh, 4 ft. wide, 600 sq. ft to roll, 4.50 Extra quality Woven Wire Netting, i in. mesh, 2 ft. wide, 300 sq. ft. to roll, (no broken rolls) f. o. b. St. Louis or Trenton, N. J 6.00 Asphaltum Roofing Felt (best), 3-ply, per roll of 108 sq. f t. 2.00 Asphaltum Roofing Felt (best), 2-ply, per roll of loS sq. feet 1.50 Roofing Nails, per lb .10 Tin Caps for Nails, per lb .12 (i lb. nails and i^ lb. caps for each 100 sq. ft. of roof.) No. I Scales, weigh up to 25 pounds. . . 2.50 Aluminum Ear Tags (numbered) with wire, each 5 cts., per 100 2.20 Pen Cards, on heavy manilla stock, per 100 I.oo Certificate of Sale, with pedigree blanks, per 100 1.50 Refined Tar in i gallon cans (for coat- ing underground wire netting and roof) per gallon .90 Upon application we will make plans for rabbitry of any size and estimate material needed in construction. U. S. BELGIAN HARE CO., HINSDALE, ILL. - . u. S. A. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 002 848 221 8 U. S. BELGIAN HARE CO., HINSDALE, ILL., U. S. A, Chicago Office, 610-611-612 Teutonic Building. Long Distance Telephone Main 1763. Breeding Yards at Hinsdale^ Illinois^ and Los Angeles^ CaL Pedigreed and pure-blooded Belgian Hares exclusively. No Hares sold for breeding purposes which are not eli- gible for registration under the rules of the National Belgian Hare Club, Denver, Colo. (The official organi- zation of the Hare industry in the United States)<^i^^c^ FINE BUCKS ALWAYS AT SERVICE. Foundation stock for fancy herds or large and heavy stock for table breeders al- ways on handt^iM;^,^.^!^ •♦♦CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED...