FANCY LOP-EARED RABBITS. Breeding and Management of the. Rabbit. In Holland, it is bred with reference to color, only, In England, the rabbit formerly held the rank of "farm stock!" and thousands of acres were exclusively that this latter produces a rabbit from an old tea-chest, tor of the mahogany hutch or ornamental rabbitry; for or dry-goods box, that wins the prize from its competi the feeling on such occasions certainly is" stand back, fair-play, and let the best win." Clubs and societies abound for the breeding and exhi bition of the "Fancy-Lops," now the favorite rabbit in England, and originally imported from Madagascar. Much pains have been taken, and much money spent, to bring them to their present perfection in form, color and size; all which are minutely attended to, and not very easily combined in any one animal, and hence they form an admirable test of skill on the part of the breeder. For instance, a rabbit to come out a winner, at one of quarters and fine bone. Some of us, I suspect, find it no easy matter to get even thus far in the catalogue of excellencies; but to all these essentials are to be added the more conventional, and perhaps the more difficult points, of beauty and fancy, as laid down by the various societies; embracing not only form but color,-but the particular disposition and forms of color. those exhibitions, must possess all the points of symme try in common with the larger animals of the improved devoted to its production; families were supported, and breeds; such as, a small clean head, wide and full shoulrents, rates, and taxes were paid from its increase anders, broad and deep chest, a wide back, large loin, full 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, nothwithstanding 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 keep 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 marketgardeners 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 A prize rabbit, then, must possess, besides the before mentioned properties, a full, round, clear eye, an ear (colored as the body,) long and broad, of a soft delicate texture, dropping alike and nearly perpendicularly down by the side of the cheek, with the convex of the ear, turned rather out than in. This is termed its "car riage." The color on the body must be in strong rich unbroken masses, spreading itself uniformly over the back, sides and haunches, called the "saddle," but breaking into spots and patches on the shoulders, known as the "chain." The head must be full of color inter spersed with white on the forehead and cheeks, while the darker marking on the point of the nose and on each lip, goes by the name of the "butter-fly," from the resemblance it should bear to that insect. Add to all this a large full dewlap, beautifully white, which spreads it. self (when the animal reposes) over the fore feet and forms a rich cushion for the head. All this, combined, ceptable addition to the country larder. The male is not allowed to remain with the doe, lest he should destroy the young ones. Hutches are made singly, or in stacks, to suit the apartment, which should be capable of thorough ventilation. The best size is about three feet long, two feet 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 would indeed form a perfect lop-cared rabbit, worthy to enter, and likely to win the prize collar, be it of gold or silver; and the breeder may be proud of his success, though it be but a rabbit. Much consequence is attached 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-deep, and fourteen inches high, with a small apartment ing from ten to forty shillings sterling, a piece, for those I imported, according to age and quality; whereas five guineas is not an uncommon price, and individuals have been sold as high as thirty guineas! The consequence of my selection is, that out of fifty rabbits, in my rab-inches. All edges should be tinned to save them from bitry, I have not one that will exceed eighteen inches length of ear from point to point whereas the Illustrated 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 colors;" when not mixed with either, they are termed "selfs." 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, 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 weeks 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 being gnawed. Having now given the leading characteristics and qualities which constitute a good "fancy lop-eared rabbit," 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. Indeed 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 having 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 desirable, and sometimes so difficult to provide for them. The operatives, mechanics and laborers, in other countries, seem to have a perfect passion for such pursuits, and take the greatest interest and pride in breeding and perfecting the lesser animals, though often obliged 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 moulding the inert clay into life-like form, so does the intelligent 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 producing 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 understood, 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 Plan of a Barn. influence of the parents on the offspring, and how evinced. These and many other unsettled questions, involving the first principles of breeding, would require almost a lifetime to decide by experiments on the larger animals, to say nothing of the large outlay it would require, and the serious losses that might reasonably be expected to at-ted Dairy-barn built by the Society of Shakers, at New tend it. With all due value for the very important assistance rendered the agriculturist by analytical chemistry, I would sooner trust the practical experiments of the rabbitry, as to the value of the different kinds of food, than I would the analysis of the laboratory! And though one may prove, that a bushel of ruta-baga be little more or less than a pail of water, yet if the other showed me that turneps, as the principal food, with but two ounces of hay per day, to the rabbit, developed the animal frame by a healthy growth with an abundance of muscle and some fat, I should be strongly tempted to pour out the water, and pour in the turneps. I am inclined to think there is as much science, and perhaps interest, in breeding a "carrier-pigeon" up to its highest capabilities as in breeding a race horse; and I very much doubt if there is more care necessary or greater attention given to the purity of blood, the training and running of the one, than is bestowed on the nice breeding, exercise and flight of the other! Large sums of money depend, in the sporting world, upon the courage, speed, and bottom of both. Hardly is the celebrated "Derby" over, and the winner proclaimed, when pigeons may be seen rising from all parts of the course, prepared to make another race of strengh and speed. These are watched, and bets made, as to which bird "will be off first," with an interest but little less than that which had, but a few minutes before, been bestowed on the horses. The birds tower over head, wheeling round and round, enlarging their circles as they rise higher and higher, until, with unerring certainty, they have made good their point, decided on their course, and then, with astonishing veloci ty, EDITORS CULTIVATOR-Accompanying this explana tion, I send you a draft of a dairy-barn. Though not precisely after the fashion of any barn with which I am acquainted, it is on the same general plan of the celebra Lebanon, so much reduced in size and cost, however, as to bring it within the means of almost any thriving dairy. man. One side of this barn, it will be seen, has three floors, and the other two; the lower, which should be of stone when it can be obtained, is devoted to stables for cows, allowing a space four feet wide for each, with a separate manger for hay, and trough for slop or roots, before each. The following figures serve as a key to the whole building, and its appurtenances. Whole size, 30 by 52. take a "bee-line" to their several destinations. At 3.3. Stables-Platforms on which the cows stand, 5 the club-houses, betting-rooms, printing offices, and lot-feet wide, slanting half an inch to the foot, from the teries, members are waiting their arrival, watch in hand, manger. and perhaps an express in the saddle, to take advantage of the first knowledge of the result to be brought by the fastest bird. To all this, I am well aware, the question will arise with very many of your readers-Cui bono? and the conclusion as definitively follow—“It won't pay.” Perhaps not; and yet I believe that were the thing tried and a small club formed for the purpose of exhibition and experiment, that it would become, to its members, a source of much more interest than they could now suppose. As opportunities will now be numerous of purchasing rabbits from the best London breeders, I will give you the following names. Dr. Handy, just over Waterloo bridge; Mr. Payne, 142 White Chapel; Mr. Bailey, of the Star Coffee-house, Union street, out of Bishop's gate; Mr. Webster, Pleasant Place, Stamford street Blackfriars road, over Waterloo bridge. From these breeders, other addresses can be obtained and stocks examined. Very truly yours, R. Morris, (formerly Butternuts,) Otsego county, N. Y., March, 1851. which 4.4. Floors, settled 4 inches below that upon the cattle stand, into which all the excrement, either solid or fluid, is deposited, giving the animal a perfectly dry bed. This arrangement is indispensable to any good stable, either for cattle or horses. 5.5.5.5. Doors, 5 feet wide. These may be arranged wherever the shape of the yard, or character of the land, renders it most convenient. 6.6. Doors, intended to open into a shed over a vault made water-tight, for the reception of all the manure and litter. A wheel-barrow is used for carrying it to this end of the barn, where it is protected from the leaching of heavy rains, and the liquid portion is retain ed in the vault. where it should be mixed with coal-dust, saw-dust, plaster, muck, or some other substance capable of fixing the volatile gases, and rendering it more pleasant to draw on to land. Too much care cannot be taken of the manure made on a dairy farm. c. Vault for manure, 5 feet wide and 3 feet deep, across which a bridge conducts to the hall. 13. The bay for hay, 52 by 17, capable of storing from 7. Manger for hay or cut feed, 2 feet wide by 20 inch- 30 to 40 tons of hay. es high. 8. Trough across the manger, one foot wide. In the Shaker barn, these troughs all draw out upon a brace or support, (as seen at g. in the end view,) into the hall, and after receiving the mess are shoved back to the cow. This is a great convenience. 9. A large tub for storing whey, or any other slops intended for the cows. When the dairy-house is near enough, and elevated somewhat above it, the whey may be conducted directly from the cheese-vat, through pipes into this tub. Many dairies have a similar arrangement. 10. Pump or penstock, standing in the corner of the cellar, by which it is kept from freezing. Those who wish to incur the extra expense, may conduct water by pipes from this pump to every cow's trough, into which may be discharged as the animal needs it, through a stop-cock. it 11. A chain with two branches, to confine the cow by passing it round her neck, and fastening it by slipping the T through the ring in the other end. The chain is attached to a smooth round post, (12) about 24 inches in diameter, by a ring which slips up or down, as the cow may wish to stand up or lie down. This is believed to be preferable to stancheons, as it permits the cow, when lying down, to rest upon her side, in a natural position, and allows her to lick her sides if she wishes to. 12. The small round post to which the chain is fastened. It should stand a little outside of the manger, to allow the ring a chance to slip down and up. 14. The floor immediately over the stable, 7 feet between joints. 15. The third floor, upon which the load of hay is driven to be unloaded. This arrangement saves a great amount of pitching up, which is the hardest part of haying; but as the floor is 13 feet above the ground, it requires a tolerably long bridge to rise on to it; yet the extra expense is much more than saved in pitching off, and furnishing more room for hay. The carriage is driven out at the other end of the barn, down a bridge that may be much steeper. This floor is well adapted to threshing, when grain is raised on the farm, as is almost always the case. When the building site is somewhat slanting, this high floor is very easily reached by driving in from the uphill end. This inclined situation is to be preferred where it can be obtained, as it furnishes a fine place for a warm cellar, by a little excavation. 16. Hatchways, through which hay is thrown into the hall to be distributed to the cows. 17. A room 13 by 15, or larger, for granary, storing shorts, provender, &c. When grain is threshed above, it is let down into bins and saves much labor in storing it. b. A spout leading to the cistern, (9,) through which provender, &c., is led down to it. 18. This room answers many useful purposes, such as husking corn, storing green stalks, storing wagons in winter, and sleighs in summer, shutting up calves, &c. &c. A door opens into it from the side, at e. This room is so much space saved, that in most barns is over the The Farmer's Late-Book. Best Grass for Low Lands." you bring to a swamp by flowing, have killed your brush and ditched your land and got it a little dry, you may sow your seed among the trees and brush; it will come up, establish itself, and prevent other bad grass from taking possession; then you may clear off the wood and brush at your leisure; and then you will have good grass to mow as fast as you can clear the land. I have seen it grow knee high where the dead brush were very thick. This grass has another good quality, which renders it very valuable in a country where help is so much wanting; it will not spoil or suffer, although it stand beyond the common times for mowing. Clover will be lost in a great measure, if it be not cut in the proper season. Spire grass, commonly called English grass, if it stands too long, will be little better than rye straw: if this outstand the time, it is best to let it stand till there comes up a second growth, and then it will do tolerably well; but this fowl grass may be mowed at any time, from July to October. One of my sons told me, that at New. Fairfield, he saw some stacks of it that the people told it looked green and had a good smell. This is a great convenience in time of sickness, or any other casualty, whereby we may be hindered from mowing in season. This good property renders it a fit sort of grass for a new country, where we often have business crowd too hard We are frequently asked, "What is the best grass for low lands?" The question, probably, has reference generally, to moist "swales," or to reclaimed bog or peaty soil, which it is desired to keep in permanent meadow. For such situations, we know of no grass that we think equal to a species of the Agrostis genus, indigenous to some of the New-England states, and known there as "Fowl Meadow." It has several peculiar pro-him was cut in October; he pulled out some of the hay, perties which render it valuable. It makes a better quality of hay than any other grass that would thrive on such soils, and at the same time will yield more to the acre. A distinguishing trait belonging to it is, that its stems will keep green and retain their juices, even after the seed has ripened and fallen off. The stalks or stems are long and slender, and make a soft, sweet hay, which is much relished by cattle and horses. The roots are regarded as perennial, though it is deemed advisable, in order to keep up a good sward, to allow part of the seed to ripen and fall of itself, once in four or five years. New plants will thus be formed which will supply the place of such as die out. A good time for sowing this grass, is the latter part of summer or first of autumn. The ground should be prepared by the aquatic and inferior plants being eradi cated as thoroughly as possible, and the surface smoothed, when half a bushel of good seed may be sown to the acre, and a bush-drag drawn over to cover it slightly. The seed may generally be had at Boston, and is, we presume, kept by the principal seed dealers there. An interesting description of the "Fowl Meadow" grass, was written by Rev. Dr. JARED ELIOT, of Killing worth, Conn., and published in a work of which he was the author, entitled Essays on Field Husbandry, wrote from a Journal of thirty years Experience, printed in 1747. The following is from that work: There are two sorts of grass which are natives of the country, which I would recommend; these are Herd Grass, (known in Pennsylvania by the name of Timothy Grass;) the other is Fowl Meadow, sometimes called Duck grass, and sometimes Swamp-wire grass. It is said that herd grass was first found in a swamp in Piscataqua, by one Herd, who propagated the same; that fowl meadow grass was brought into a poor piece of meadow in Dedham [Mass.,] by ducks and other water fowl, and therefore called by such an odd name. It is supposed to be brought into the meadows at Hartford [Conn..] by the annual floods, and called there Swamp-wire grass. Of these two sorts of natural grass, the fowl grass is much the best; it grows tall and thick, makes a more soft and pliable hay than herd grass, and consequently will be more fit for pressing, in order to ship off with our horses; besides it is a good grass, not abundantly inferior to English grass; it yields a good burthen, three loads to the acre. It must be sowed in low moist land, our drained [bog] land when it is of sufficient age, (or has been drained a sufficient length of time.] is very agreeable to this sort of grass. As the seed is very fine, there is danger of sowing it too thick, as some have done, so as to come up thick, like hair; this is a loss of seed and prejudicial to the grass. When upon us. In reading Mr. Ellis, I find by him that they have got herd-grass [in England] from this country, and set a va lue upon it; if they like that, they would like this much meadow grass hath quite eclipsed its glory. better; for although herd-grass be a valuable sort, fowl Indian Corn for Fodder. in an immature state, either green or dried, is not un The practice of raising Indian Corn to be fed to stock common. obtained from any other crop. It has been generally It affords more forage, probably, than can be sown broadcast, harrowing in about two bushels of seed to the acre. But experience has proved that it is a better way to put the crop in drills, on account of the advantage it gives for destroying weeds. In broadcast sowing, the weeds often get the start of the corn, and prevent its growth, more or less. chine, drawn by a horse, by which the work is executed with dispatch. The rows may be from two to two and a-half feet apart, and it is best to use seed enough to have the stalks thick and fine, as such are eaten better by stock than larger ones. The crop may be kept clean by the cultivator, which should be passed through the rows as soon as the corn is fairly above ground. In drill planting, the seed may be put in with a ma The value of the crop depends somewhat on the va riety of corn chosen. It is sometimes recommended to take the large southern corn, for this purpose. It may give as large, perhaps a larger crop, but stock do not like it as well. The best variety is the common large sweet corn. It makes a good growth, tillers, or suckers much, and the fodder has a peculiar sweetness which induces cattle to eat it with more avidity than they will eat that of any other kind of corn. A farmer in this vicinity who planted considerable corn last year, for feeding out while green, had three kinds of seed; south yellow or Dutton, and sweet corn. He began cutting the sweet, using it to feed stock which was being exhibited at the State Fair. They ate every bit of it with a good relish; but when the sweet corn was gone, and the usual quantity was cut and fed from the the Dutton and southern, the cattle discovered the dif ference at once. They smelt it over, tossed it about with |