Wichita eagle., 1890-02-07
-ysSSNlil6o&y
9ai1u eagle
TERRIBLE RABBIT PEST.
AUSTRAJ ASIA LITERALLY OvERRtlN
WITH THE CREATURES.

WITH THE CREATURES.
Forty Millions Spent in a Vain Effore q
Exterulinatfon-Heavy Dam age to C-xsu
and sl,eep-Ferrets. WeasS.s and Stoa,
Introduced.
''The rabbit pest is the greeitest evil tia
has afflicted the AuStralasian colonists,n sal,
Mr. j. ". Baker, who has spent several year
in that country, land, perhaps, no create
evil has ever come upon any country. T
eradicate it from New Zealand has been tn
constant aim of the government and people
and the ways and means devised and put il
operation to this end have been nuInerou
and ingenious. A rabbit department ha
been established in the government, with
SUPERINTENDENT IN charge, local boards have
been created and private enterprises hav.
been set on foot, all having one common
object In view-the determination of The
rabbits.
| 1.-The sheep farmers cf Nr~ Zealand were
principally from England, and were fond OF
toe ways of the old country. and it is said
that rabbits were introduced for the chase
q popular amusement OF the Old World
But it is Of little consequence now as to why
or how the rabbits were introduced; 1t is
certain that they came. They were brought
from England and Scotland end from Tas-
mania, and were turned loose upon the cou1,-
trv. There are several kinds-the silver
gray, the silver brown, an1 now and then
would be found the blacA aa3 white furred,
but all belonging to the great rabbit family
,.I Ies--iroJ m no or11 falt in Nayv Iaa-
land. When it is considered that rabbits
breed from six to twelve times a year, the
enormous increase that came from the rab-
bits first introduced is not surprising. 1t is
certain that nothing has 50 overrun a coun-
try since the locustS invaded Egypt.
GREAT DAMAGE.
s'Yt is difficult to estimate the great damage
done to that young colony by rabbits. The
pests have eaten out the ranges 50 that the
capacity for raising sheep has been greatly
lessened. The sheep have fallen OF in num-
Der, and the loss has been immense, running
up into the millions It is much easier to
give an estimate of the money expended in
destroying the pests than the amount de-
stroyed by them. At the Australasisn stock
conference held in Sydney in Octobar, 1886,
ii was shown that the RABBIT nuisance was
more serious than was usually believed. The
carrying capacity of the land mad been re-
duced third and the fleeces had decreased
from pound to ! * pounds per fleece III the
weight. Tne LANDING percentage had de-
creased from 30 20 40 per cent, while the
death rate mad increased from 3, and 5 to
6, 10, IL, 10 and 13 per cent
''In 1882 what is know as the RABBIT act
-
has expended annually S35, 600 on crown lands
government land alone One of the dele
gates TO the Australasian stock conference,
mentioned above, estimated that 81 ,256, ,00o
was expended annually by private individ-
uals. During the last eight years there has
been expended the sum of ST., 600 900. and a
very much Larger sum from the beginning of
the warfare, but how nauch it is difficult to
state.
''At the AuStralasian conference Mr.. j. d.
Lance, a member of the parliament of New
Zealand and a delegate, brought up the rab
bit pest, and IN the course Of his address said
that committee of both houses of the New
Zealand parliament considered the question
for two months, and legislation followed tho
action OF the committees. A bill was passed
which, while he could not say that it was per-
feet. was, nevertheless, a step in the right di-
s'ection. He said that fencing was one Of the
great elementsof success, but in New Zealand
fencing was difficult on account of the noun
famous backbone running through the in
tested island, parts of which were 50 precipi
tous and rocky that they could not get pack
horse into very large area, and poisoned
grain could not be carried there Thereupon,
tbaN colll1 rn- at tboca ntoi.,
regions it was possible TO carry out fencing
10 any extent There were spots, however,
where it could be done In the northern por-
Jon fencing could be erected, and there il
was proposed that it should be done, but in
the southern portion fencing would be more
difficult, but they hoped to find fairly good
country over which to carry fencing, and he
thought if they did so they would save that
country from being overrun. If fence were
erected and the great wave of rabbits should
come against it without any opposition, il
would never keep the rabbits back.
FEERETS INTRODUCED.
Therefore they proposed TO build huts at
certain intervals along the fence at distances
Varying according TO the nature of the coun-
Sy, and to have two men in each hut tc
breed feTrets as largely as they could and
urn them out on the country TO make away
With the muchly despised rabbit The gov
rnment does not allow the natural enemies of |
he rabbit TO be destroyed by dogs or other
wise. FerI'ets would not live without plenty
If water, and in one part of the country. |
wing to a lack of water, they had become |
nearly exterminated in a few months time
''The committee examined a number OF !
D,,1 all
reduction Of stoatS ard weaseis rs tae most |
ifoctIve remedy for the evil, and the COM |
nittee recommended that these animals Re !
srgeiy imported Upon examination into
he matter, Mr.. Lance found that the wit
esseS favoriag stoats aud weasels were
argeiy sheep raiserS, or in some way con-
ected with pastoral industry. The agri-
ultural farmers almost to a n,au were op-
oSed 70 the Introduction of stoats and
Veasels, as they thought they would be des-
ructivc to poultry. Cats are most useful in
eStroying rabbits. ana vita feIrets, fencing
nd poisoning sufficient powe.. ia all proba-
ulIty viii be brought to bear TO keep down
he pests. Poisoning is valuable in keeping
own the number of rabbits and is much re-
orted 10 by the natives. The most elica-
ious means OF using poison was in phosphor-
sed oats There is danger of fire from the
Sc o. 1t during the summer months when
be grass is dry. There has not been stone
eft unturned 10 find out better means for
he destruction Of the rabbits.
II have here given the substance of the re-
larks of AI. Lance SO as 10 convey an idea
the trouble, the expense aud annoyance of
ne rabbit pest. Large numbers of men
ave been hired from time 10 time 10 make
7ar upon the rabbits. These men are called
,abbiterS' and it is said these 'rabbiters'
ncourased rabbits in iry way, so as 10 be
bio TO hold their positions, for without the
abblt their occupation would be gone Tney
ave been known 10 Kill the Stoats and fer