RURAL RIDDLES
LAPIN NOIR Q
A
Here in Normandy, we recently noticed a black rabbit among several other
normal-coloured wild rabbits grazing at the edge of an apple orchard. Was it likely to have been an escaped pet or do genuinely black rabbits exist in the wild? Miles Goodwin
In rural parts of France, the French do still regularly keep rabbits to kill for the table,
so the one you saw could well have been an escapee. Domesticated rabbits do, however, tend to be larger than wild ones. The occasional appearance of a black rabbit among a litter of ‘normal’ coloured ones is not unusual and might well be the result of an excess of melanin which leads to a darkening of body tissues – which will, in turn, affect the colour of their fur. The French, along with many other
countries, are quite superstitious regarding black rabbits and, out shooting or when out with ferrets to catch rabbits, they will often let a black one go rather than risk ill-luck befalling them or their family!
SELF-SOWN SYCAMORES
W
ith French Property News being published
bimonthly, it takes a while for my answers to various queries to be seen in Rural Riddles – the result being that, by the time they are, they are not always topical to the time of year. They are, I hope, still interesting however. An email received back
in April is a case in point. David Walsh wrote to say that he had “never known a year like it for Sycamore seedlings… normally we get the odd few germinating in the vegetable potager and in the grass but this year they are everywhere.” It was a situation we too had
Lucky black rabbit
LIKE BEES TO A HONEY POT Q
A
How do I find out more about beekeeping in
France? I’m a total novice but would like to learn and possibly eventually keep a hive or two of my own. Geoffrey Boyd
It seems that beekeeping is a popular occupation
of many expats living in France and, as a result, you will probably be able to find out more through the various online forums. There are also several people running gîtes and B&Bs who run ‘taster’ beekeeping courses – just one of whom is situated south of Confolens in the Charente (
13bees.co.uk/ beekeeping-experiences). The UNAF (National Union
of French Beekeeping) website (
unaf-apiculture.info) is well worth perusing – it will undoubtedly give you a great deal of information of the type you require and is regularly updated with all the latest news and information essential to both experienced and would-be beekeepers alike.
The buzz of a new activity
noticed – as had several others of my acquaintance. I can only suggest that the most likely reason is that the weather conditions made it perfect for germination: the cold of last December helping to produce viable seed, followed by cool moist stratification helping the seed break dormancy and initiating the germination process in the spring. Of great importance is the
fact that sycamore seedlings contain a toxin poisonous to horses – some people graze sheep in horse paddocks to ensure that the seedlings are gone before their horses are allowed in the field.
Did you know? Sycamore seedlings are poisonous for horses
GET IN TOUCH! If you have any ‘rural riddles’ for Jeremy, contact him by email at
jcjeremyhobson@gmail.com Jeremy Hobson is a France-based writer who specialises in all country matters
j-c-jeremy-hobson.co.uk
FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: September/October 2023 105
© RUSSELL FAIRCHILD
©
HEDERA.BALTICA/CREATIVE COMMONS/CC BY-SA 2.0
© DAVID WALSH
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