Morris tribune., 1882-08-10
The Happy Babies or New zealand.
Detroit Free Press.l
The favorite lullaby OF the happy
fathers of New Zealand is

Detroit Free Press.l
The favorite lullaby of the happy
fathers of New Zealand is
Bye, baby bunting.
Papa's gone a-hnntlng,
To get q little rabbit skin,
To wrap the baby bunting in.
1t is possible that the words here
quoted are quite as often in the mouth
OF the American as in that of the New
Zealand father; but, whereas, in this
country the words are rendered in sing
song chant, with the wicked and mali
cious intention of deceiving the innocent
and unsuspecting infant and securing
domestic peace for few brief moments,
they are uttered in New Zealand with an
earnestness which carries conviction to
the infantile mind, and which denotes
that there is more truth-a great deal
more truth-than poetry in the senti-
ment.
Even if the American father were dis
posed to carry out in good faith the
promise which be had made to the
cherub, he could not, except in some
rare cases, do it. Therein the New
Zealand father has the advantage. In
his case there is concurrence of heart,
mind, hand and opportunity. The baby
can not only be pleased with the rabbit
skin, but the parent can earn q good
livelihood while engaged in his labor of
love, and at the same time check ravages
which are as destructive to vegetation as
biting frosts in June are in temperate
climates.
The rabbit is not indigenous to New
Zealand, but as means OF producing
sport number of pairs were liberated
there few years ago. The people soon
had all the ''sport" they wanted. They
laughed until they cried, and then could
not see anything to laugh at. The rab-
bit question was serious one. They
had to look at it solemnly. They did
this, made the best of it and hence rab-
bit-hunting has become an important
industry in New Zealand. The rabbits
introduced for sport Increased SO rapid
ly," says Consul Griffin, of Auckland, in
a recent report to the State Department,
sand the destruction wrought by them
was of such character that in few
years it became question whether the
colonists with their focks and herds
should vacate the country, or whether
systematic effort should be made to ex-
terminate the pests. Whole tracts of
hill country had become denuded of veg
citation. Sheep were dying by hundred
and thousands. One hill station on
Lake Wakatipa, which maintained
$4,000 sheep, was, in short time, SO
deprived of vegetation that it would not
support 5000. The property destroyed
by rabbits is estimated by millions.
One sheep farmer only got 900 lambs
from 5000 ewes; another $500 from
10000, and third only 700 from 5000,
and fourth on increase OF all.
Various methods of destroying the
rabbits-such as trapping and shooting
were tried, but although, in addition,
the government had passed stringent
laws for overcoming the rabbit pest, little
progress was made toward abating it
until the method of poisoning the rabbits
with grain soaked in phosphorus and oil
of rhodium was adopted. The nuisance
now appears to be under control, though
there are some serious objections to the
use of the poisoned grain, on account of
the danger to the sheep. The occupa-
ton of killing rabbits in New Zealand
has become profitable one. A good
rabbit catcher can easily earn from IS
to S. per day, and it is said he is
decidedly opposed to their extermina-
ton, inasmuch as his occupation would
thereby be lost.
In 1878, So, TIC rabbit skins, valued at
$6,315, were exported from New Zealand.
The number has since then increased so
rapidly that in 1881 s,514,685 rabbit
skins, valued at 473. $40, were exported.
In the nine years, from 1873 to 1881
inclusive, about %, 500, 900 rabbit skins,
valued at 81 ,310, 600 have been exported.
The expectation does not represent the
tenth part of those actually destroyed,
so that it is gross negligence or indiffer-
ence on the part of the New Zealand
fathers, if each baby does not have a
cart load of rabbit skins.