Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-01-12
TEE RABBIT PEST IN AUSTRALIA


reward of 100000 onered by
tho Governments Tor r'heir fSter-
n,iuntton-Ihslr Hnpid Increase
"A pair of rabbits viii produce g.
600 0Ol rabbits in two years IN Austria
lio. y Is a statement that ut FIRST seems
incredulous. aud when James Watson.
of Victoria, made il the other day TO
party Of gentlemen they thought ne
was jcsling. Yot it IS as true as gos-
pei
MIR Watson is one Of the largest
ranch owners in Victoria. Australia,
having under fence alone 80. 600 acres
Tho problem Of how to eNterminale
rabbits is tho greatest question that
confronls the people Of Australia to-
day, us their entire prosperity depends
upon it. It is in hope that Yankee
ingenuity might be able to solve this
important problem that Mr. Watson
now visits America
you can imagine what a terrible
plague the rabbits are, said Mr..
Watson. when the Australian gov
eminent is now building a fence OF
wire netting. which. when completed.
will DO 500 miles long aud which
will divide New South Wales and
Queensland Tho rabbits have not
yet made their appearance In Queens
land. and tie fence is to prevent them
from getting over there.
I'VE have tried hundreds OF ways 10
get rid Of tho rabbits, but SO far moth
ing has been successful We are ouly
aLle to check the increase. About
the best way OF doing Til, Is 10 scatter
ri.t with prseu.c over the ground.
but this is a very expensive method.
In this way | have killed 600 rabbits
with ten bushels OF Iced apples
Then We used phosphate " oats. but
the trouble with This Is that tbo phos.
phate soon loses It's effect think
tho best method in use IL the ordinary
rat-lrap. bur all these methods arc
very expensive. For instance IL cost
tho government OF Victoria St2j. 900 a
year to keep tins rabbits down on lilo
crown government lands Tbs gov.
crnmcnt pays ten cents pair Zoe all
the rabbits killed on Ibslr ltudG 4
good man can make SO Per week
kiIliag rabbits. These muu uso traps
aud one mau can WORK 100 traps.
"a Law has recently bacu PASSED that
Corpul, lho owner OF lac Iaa,ls 10 keep
rabbi o. down II uo shoult fail 10 no
this be is tined $50 III lur first pGsngr.
SloJ for tie second. and up1u tie third
uflsuso tho government employs th-u
TO rlIond to tho rabbits al thc rxpguss
Of tho land owner IN many instances
owners arc compelled to gvo up their
land. IS tho expense $ 30 great This
owner OF 1900 acre, IS oh god 10 en-.
p!of 100 mvu ior Eiliug rabbits alone.
To give on sill better idea oI tho
damage those pests arc doing ist me
tell you that Ian tina; \ Tow oara ago
was worth $50 per aero 10 now only
worth 49,
Il have found way by which / can
keep tho rabbits doNn aui make money
b. !, but Ut course ever, raucbruan
cannot do this have started q rabbi,
canning factory. We can tho rabbit,
much the samn way that beef il came ,
here. aud our principal market Is Ia
England. AZ present | am canning
11N.OiO rabbits n year, a.l ut whicl, ars
Killed OF my ranch. aud ST Il this mum.
bcr does not keep lhc pest down a tic
government rcqu res. ! pat q rabbit
ami halt in can, AMI al present /
make " cents profit on dozen cana
hey ara rc'alcd IN England al IL
cents a pound. aud. considering III,
hiSh price Of beef !, would DO supposs,l
rabbits would become fayor,te dg.b
with tho poor Of England. yet tho rab.
o'ts are now only purchased ~ Tic
higher class. who consider tie rabbit n
great dainty.
How long have We boon hothsrcd
with the rabbilp About 10, ,c,r.
Rabbits were brought to Australia
abou! twenty years ago from England
Tor sporting purposes"
'IeIl no how fast rabbits breed -
"a par Of rabbits will USUALLY ,ro
duc" four docs and two bucks Tho
does breed when two months old and
they nave on au average four ltters /.
year. You can calculate from this ,,d
you will find that tho statement thn, .
par oil rabbits will produce 1000 GOO
in two years is not SO propostcrous 4
IT at first appears"
Il brought man over from sonr,
America just before left and bo ,irn,ls
believes that the South Americas slnnI
would get rid Of tho rabbits Anvwaa
the Australian government offers n 70.
ward Of 800. 1000 for the best plan tor
tneir determination" Bauiy,or.
News. ''"'VTc
"a Modern pnt.,,tt