Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1884-02-07
THE RABBIT PEST.
History of kustralia's Ever Increas-
ing Plague
Sheep Farmers Forced to Abandon
TheIr Kuns--The Various Pro.
vent.ve Measures Which
Have Iseen Taken.
[Cassell's Magazine.l


imported into south Australia as dclicacies
for tho table, that to-day their cxtormlna-
ton would form one of the most serious
problems for the loyis.aturea
New ZEALAND did not receive this gift till
some years later, when it unfortunately o-
cured to n colonist in the southern isle to
turn adrift some rabbits on tho bleak sand
hills along the coast at Invorcargill Acc 'll-
inGy he imported a little family of seven
from the old country and very soon he and
his friends were able to indulge in sohAo
pleasant shooting, and found "a change from
constant nuson voIy satisfactory.
But they soon found that their sport conld
not keep pace with the increase OF tho rab-
bits Soon every blade of grass was con-
sumcd and then the hungry creatures nibbled
the roots which bound the light sanl-hills
and prevented them from blowing over the
arabic land The farmers bcgan shooting
and trapping with all their might, but tho
rabbits had now been introduced to Otago,
whence they spread in every direction, defy
ing all efforts Of the widely scattered settlers.
who for tho most part live eight or ten miles
apart, half u dozen men sullicing to herd
flocks which range over perhaps %, acres.
As it was obvious that these could in no WIS.,
check the ever-increasing evil, it became nee
essary to hire men to trap, shoot, and ferre5
professionally These trapper3 required tho
aid of large packs of dogs, and it was soon
found that the distul bancc thus caused among
the tlocks resulted in greater mischief than
even the ravages of the rabbits Moreover,
the trapperS were paid ut the rate OF two
pence skin, but thc market became So over
stocked that skins sold for less than thoy cost,
When you consider that the rabbit bca!ns
to breed at tho carly age Of X months, and
thcnccforth has about six littcrs year, OF
from six to eight young, it is evident that the
increase of the species must necessarily be eS-
cessive. 1t has been reckoncd that ono an.
cestral couple, having attained to the age OF
a. years, may very we'll see around them II
prosperous clan Of descendants numbering
upward Of 10000.
Among tho many efforts made to subluc
the rabbit pest none ha; more signal'y failed
than the intro luction of cats, which, from
the days Of the marquis of Carrabas down TO
tn present time lave proved such Successful
radiators Wien working on their own ac-
count. Ii New Zealand, however (where 50
many things - by rontralie,l they sem to
Object to sport, ana to prefer u purely do
peStic life.
In Victoria it was at first hopol that tho
native cat, which is a kind of weasel, world
have proved useful ally; bat strange to
say it at once fratcrnizci with tho rabbits,
and now these singular friends are said to
share the slme burrows. Allmanner of REM
cdies have been trcl and succcSsivcly given
up as useless in the face Of so widespread an
evil. ThccEtcnt of the ravages could scarcely
be credited were it not for the ClcGr statistics
of the Rabbit Nuisance committee. Thus, in
South Canterbury, New Zealand, McsSrS. Car
gill and Anderson state that in the previous
year they killed 800, 900 rabbits by poison, and
In the following spring their sheep-run was
just as deeply people by them as ever. Mr..
Kitchen says that he kept n.arly n hundred
men working as rabbit killers for four
months, and actually cleared his lanl. Very
soon, however, newcomers arrived AMI cntelcl
into possession of this vacant tract, AMI now
they are wora tn III ever.
still the plague spreads and the land
is more or less infested with tho post, AMI
many districts are rcluccl to mere warreaS.
Many sheep farmers haze baIn forcai to
abandon rams Of from lj,ODJ to 5000 acres.
Nh Il. Campbell has been co npcltod to aban-
don 80, 900 acres In one year he cXpeniei
f3,OU in tho enlcavor to Gear about half
this land. Mr. Reeves reports having killed
10000 rabbits within twclve months.
In 1873 the total number Of sheep in New
Zealand was upward of l3,WO,O)o but SO tal-
rile have beer the ravaGcs of these feeble
people" that the official returns for 1880 and
1851 show elimination o. 3,OoJ,0JJ in tho
number Of sheep, and the last quarter of lSS2
shows falling Off of ~ per cent. III export of
wool as compare with tha previous year
How one mans pois IL mly bo another
mans meat has been abunlantly shown in
Australia, where several enterprisng colo
nits have established rabbit-i,reservins fac
tories on so large sea c that they may well
be described as rabbit-externinatoEs In
western Victoria there are two such factories,
one at Colac and another at CAmperlown.
The returns Of the former for ono woo!z were
$1,000 pairs of rabbits, while in the same
time the latter received l0.O5J. Thus nearly
10000 rabbits were disposed Of in one week
by these two establishments
a very important ally has, however, now
been secured, and great hopes nrc entertained
that it may prove more Successful rabbit
DESTROYER than any hitherto thought of.
This is the Indian mongooso, (Ierpeste5
griseus), which in the last ten yeats has done
rat killer The rats, attracted by the sugar.
fields, had increased in slch mnlttud Ns as to
threaten the desolation of that fertile Isle.
IL occurred to one Of the planters to iutr0-
duce this notorious ratter, and the results
have surpassed his highest hopes. Tneso
activa little creatures resembling large fer
rets, multiplied with an extraordinary veloc-
ty, and wuged deadly war of extcrnina-
ton against the rats. 1t is hoped they may
prove equally etlicacious in tho destruction OF
rabbits, 80 the New Zealand and Australian
governments have applied to the government
of Iudia for supply Of mongooSes These
are accordingly being collected at Bengal
and sent to the geological gardens in Cal
cutta. whence, when 100 couples have been
secured, thoy will be dispatched to their new
homes, where we may well wish them sue
cess.
MILK i'll Vacuum.