1204 Live Stock.— Rabbits—Proper Management of,

or kidded on the top by furze, thorns or ether forts of brufh-wood. This fencing, with that of nets and traps, conftitutes the great expenfe of rabbit-hufbandry; which, when added to thofe of charcoal for drying the fkins, warreners, men for killing and carrying, horfe-hire,&c. is very confiderable.

Befides this, though rabbit-ftock demands, on the whole, but little regard, in fevere winter feafons it 1s neceflary to provide them with additional food, fuch as- hay, turnips, clover, faintfoin, and other fimilar kinds, to be difperfed about in the warrens. Turnips are the beft fort of food in fnows, as the rabbits can find them by the fcent.. From two tothree large cartfulls will be fefficient to fodder a thoufand couple or more a day. One load of hay may be fufficient fora day in ftorms. In fome dittricts, billets of new cut wood afh boughs, gorfe,&c. are diftributed; the bark and other parts of which are confumed, and the quantity of hay by that means greatly diminifhed. There are likewife other expenfes, in clearing away fnow from the fences, to prevent their efcaping, and in the deftroying vermin, as well as- for night-watching.

The rabbit begins to breed at eight, ten, and twelve months old, and goes about thirty days with young, which are about twenty-two days more before they appear from the burrows, being fuckled during that time twice a day by the mother; of courfe they may breed three or four times in the courfe of the year when very well fed, as they are known to take the buck again very foon; but in inclofed warrens they rarely breed more than twice in the year.‘The annual fale of produce is in general eftimated at from three to eight couple per acre, affording a profit of eight or ten fhillings, or more under good management*.‘The produce is the greatefton new Jand+; but much in refpect toprofit muft depend upon fituation, as when it is near to large towns, where there is a conftant demand for the rabbits as food, it muft be greater than inother cafes.‘They are in feafon from the beginning of November tillthe commencement of the enfuing year, during which period the prime{kins are afforded; therefore the greateft part muft be killed in this fhort interval.‘There is annually a great lofs in what are termed half fkins, quarter frins, and racks, fix- teen of which are only allowed for as one whole fkin. Rabbits are fold by the hundred, fix fcore couple making the hundred.

* Young's Agricultural Survey of Lincolathire.+ Ibid. + The following eftimate of the warren on the eftate at Thorefway, is given by Mr. Young on the authority of Mr. Holdgate, the tenant, who ftates the expenfes. of 1700 acres under the filver fort of yabbits, thus;