The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-02-23
Idaho's Rabbit Plague.

The rabbits are again becoming Q
plague in many portions of Idaho, Ne
yada and Wyoming, writes Gen. Bris.
bin to the New York Horld from Fort
McKinny. These little bunnies bid
fair to do as much damage in our coun.
try as they have in Australia unless
timely steps are taken for their exter-
mination. In Australia in many
places they have eaten up the whole of
the country, even the sheep pastures
being destroyed by them. 1t seems
strange that national legislation should
be required against so small an animal
as rabbit, but the English colonists
of Australia are glad enough to have
the government aid them in Destroy
ing the little pests. Everything green
and every blade of grass is eaten by
them to the earth, and, except the
grasshopper, it would be impossible to
conceive of anything more destructive
to vegetation than a re- bbit. They APP
pear in vast armies, and, moving
across country, strip it of all its veg
etable matter. Gardens are their
special delight, and not vegetable
is left where they can once take hold.
When out in Idaho, a year or two
ago, had some experience with rab-
bits. They appeared in great numbers
along the Oregon Short Line, and in
some towns destroyed all the gardens.
Near Boise they attacked the grain
fields and even the pastures. The
methods of destroying them were some.
times quite novel. One gentleman
who had a grain-field and garden
patch surrounded the field with board
on his fence next to the ground.
Above the board he drew wire very
tightly and just close enough to the
board to let the rabbits heads through.
In trying to get over the board they
got fast and hanged themselves. His
field was pretty well strung around
every morning with dead rabbits.
Another farmer put brush fence
around his field and here and there
made a hole through it. On the other
side of the holes he sank large boxes
in the ground. The bunnies would
run through the hole. fall into the
boxes, and be unable to get out. An
other farmer put boxes under his fence
with fitting lids. The outside was firm
enough, but no sooner would the rab-
bit attempt to run through than the
treacherous lid would tip up and land
him in the box below. Then it would
tip back into its place again and be
ready for another rabbit. In the
morning the boys, armed with pitch
forks, would 90 around the field, kill
the rabbits and pitch them into wag-
on. They often got wagon load in a
morning. The rabbits were fed to the
hogs.
Another method was the surround" ;"
A large pit or hole was dug in the
ground where the rabbits were thick
est, and brush piled around the pit for
some distance out. Then the men and
boys made a surround, beating the
brush up and frightening the bunnies
toward the pit. As they closed in the
rabbits would take refuge in the brush
around the hole or pit. When ali had
closed in the brush was fired all around
the outside, and the little creatures to
escape the flames would jump into the
pit. Those that did not fall into the
pit were roasted or killed by the men
and boys who stood close together
around the outside armed with clubs
and pitchforks.
Pasteur, the great French specialist
and curer of mad-dog bite by inocula-
ton, says lie can kill off all the rabbits
in the United States and Australia by
incubation. His plan is to inoculate
live rabbits with chicken cholera and
then let them go among the other rab.
bits. The disease is very contagious
and fatal, and he contends they would
soon give it to each other and all die
off 1t is certainly worth trying, for
greater pest than an excess of rabbits
can not he ina pipp cd