People everywhere invested large sums of money in breeding stock, all expecting to get rich overnight.
But it soon fell down. People discovered that the Belgian hare of those days was a very delicate animal and that it was subject to many diseases. It had been inbred so long in order to produce show animals that its vitality was nearly gone. Then, again, ignorance as to the manner in which it should be cared for led many breeders to disaster.
In the meantime those who naturally loved rabbits and kept a few for hobby sake, persisted in raising them. They managed to market a few for pets for children.
Others breeds were from time to time discovered by fanciers. From Asia we got the Himalayan rabbit, a little fellow of pure white with black ears and nose. He was so small that he did not make a strong commercial appeal, but he was quite a rabbit for fancy purposes and for fur.
From Holland came the Dutch family.
