Shirley Ann Miller, age 9 of Jackson, Miss
Is it true that rabbits produce wool?
Bunnies wear coats of silky hair, some long, same short. Every year, tons and tons of this rabbit hair are used to make all manner of things. Sometimes the whole pelt of the rabbit is used for fur caps, collars and other trimmings. Other rabbits provide long threads of silky hair which are woven into the softest threads and yarns. Even the bunnies with shorter fur make a donation. Their hair is matted and pressed to make felt.
Rabbits have been tamed for countless generations. In facts the tame rabbits have forgotten all about life in the wild and when they are turned loose, very few, if any., of them are able to survive, During all this time, many special breeds of bunny have been developed. When you buy a pet rabbit, chances are you will be told the name of his breed. To you he is a darling, cuddly friend, full of cute bunny ways and fun to watch.
Many people, however, make a business of keeping rabbits. They sell rabbit meat, rabbit pelts and rabbit hair, depending upon what breed of bunny they keep; Tame rabbits thrive almost anywhere throughout the land, but the center of the bunny business is in Southern California.
One of the valuable bunnies is the Flemish Giant, another is the New Zealand White Rabbit. These large, snowy bunnies provide pelts for making spotless fur muffs and collars. Another valuable breed is the chinchilla rabbits a silken bundle of speckled greys. Another is the silky, short‑haired Himalayan rabbit. This fellow might well be called the Siamese rabbit for he is marked like a Siamese oat, His body is lights his legs., tail.* nose and ears are black. All these bunnies provide soft, silky pelts,
The long silken hairs for making yarn are taken from the fluffy angora rabbit. They are woven into angora. fabric for making warm mittens, flaps and sweaters, though not all angora fabric is made from rabbit hair. Some angora fabrics are made from the long, fine hairs of the snow‑white, curly‑coated angora goat.
The very long‑haired angora rabbit is a cuddly bundle of whispy fuzz. Fluffy tufts on the tips of his ears add to his raggle‑taggle appearance. He may be almost any rabbit color, but the white angora is most valuable. Every day, this pampered bunny must be combed and if it is a commercial rabbit and riot a. pet, the wads of long hair which come out with the comb are sent to be woven into yarn. These hairs may be four inches long.
When you are looking for a bunny pet, you may be tempted to choose one of the glamorous angoras. Trues he will be wonderful to watch and your friends will come from far and wide to admire him. But his handsome coat may soon grave to be troublesome. It needs constant care and attention or your once glamorous bunny will soon look like a neglected porcupine. You will have to set aside at least 15 minutes every day for brushing and combing the pretty darling.