The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-20
RABBITS AT THE ANTIPoDEs.
The South American Skunk will Try
to Exterminate Thorn.
From the Ne,o York World.


From the Ne,o York World.
The increase in the number of Australians
| who visit this country has been very large
| during the last two years. America has
more charms for them than any other coun-
try, and many of them, after spending a
short time here, say that they like it better
than their own country. Just at the pres
ent time there are two prominent Austria
lians in New York-Jacob Wander Hide,
the mining king of Victoria, and James
Watson, one of the largest ranch owners in
that colony. Mr.. Wander Hide controls
several good mines in the Sandhurst dis
trict, the output of this district amounting
to $500, zoo, 900 per year But short dis
lance from this place silver mines have been
discovered and are being rapidly developed.
This is especially interesting here, as all the
mining machinery used in Australia is pur-
chased in this country. Mr.. Van Hide says
that the most striking difference he notices
between this country and bis own is the diff
ference in the relation OF capital to labor.
Here capital controls labor, while in Aus
tralia labor is the master of capital. There
the boycott is all powerful, and it is seldom
that labor does not succeed in its demands.
Mr.. James Watson is making a more des-
perate and successful fight against the rab-
bit pest than probably any other man in
Victoria. The best way of DISCRIMINATING
the rabbit is the most important question
that now confronts the people of Australia.
Incredulous as it seems, a pair of rabbits in
Australia will produce 2 600, 600 rabbits in
two years. Rabbits begin to breed when 2
months old, and they give birth to an aver
age of four filters year. The litters usually
consist of four does and two bucks. These
pests are running New South Wales, and
land that few years ago was worth $40 per
acre, is now worth only 81. Two years ago
Mr.. Watson purchased one of the finest es-
tateS in Victoria, consisting OF $4,000 acres,
which had been abandoned on account OF
the rabbit pest Mr.. Watson began fight
ing the animals by establishing rabbit
factory upon his property. Last year he
canned SOC, 900 rabbits, all of which were
killed on his land and that many more Ill
addition were killed. The rabbit factory is
paying a hundsome profit, but England is
the only outside market, and that Is linn
tied.
You can imagine what a terrible affiic-
ton the rabbits are" said Mr.. Watson,
when the government is building fence of
wire-netting 5000 miles in length, which
will divide Queensland from New South
Wales. The rabbits have not obtained a
foothold in Queensland, and the fence is to
prevent them from getting over. 1t costs
the government of Victoria $625, 900 a year
to keep the keep the rabbits down on the
Crown land, and landowners are compelled
to keep the animals from increasing on their
property To do this the owner of 10000
acres is required to employ 100 men. Owing
to this many are forced to give up their
property, as they cannot afford the ex-
pense. Men who are experts in killing rab
bits make a nice thing out of their occupa-
ton. The government pays 10 cents for a
pair of dead rabbits, and good men can
make $40 per week. Three of the best
ways of getting rid of the rabbits are: To
scatter arsenic on fruit on the ground, by
phosphate of oats or by the ordinary rat
trap. The trap is the means most generally
used. One man can work 100 traps, and
still this very slow way. The govern
ment offers 100000 for a means of exter-
minating the little animal, and it is partly
in hope that Yankee ingenuity will aid US
that | visit this country. Pasteur has
recommended the inoculating of the little an
imals with chicken-pox, but the cure is
worse than the disease. [ have recently en-
ployed man from South America and he
thinks he will capture the reward by intro
ducing the South American skunk into
Australia. Twenty years ago we had no
rabbits in our country, but a lew were i'm
ported from England for sporting purposes
about the beginning of that period"