The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-11-27
WALLING OUT THE RABBITS.
New South Wales Proposes to Protect Her
self With "A Brick Barrier.

self With Brick Barrier.
President Charles w Kent. Of the London
Furriefs' Association, recently left San
Francico by steamer for Australia Before
sailing he gave the San Francisco Chronicle
the following particulars OF his mission;
"YoI would like some statistics, To com
mence with, on careful calculation it is
now settled that two rabbits in ten years
will multiply to 100000. That is n mod
crate fgIrc. Rabbits have particular adj
vantages for thriving in Australia. and have
used these advantages for forty years. since
they were introduced. In New South Wales
the Government expended over $}'OOOoVO
from 1883 TO 1890, endeavoring TO extermi-
nate them Besides that n greater sum mas
been expended in private moneys. In one
year %, 2S0, 600 skins had royalty paid upon
them.
Now, there is another side 10 this ques-
ton Of determination. and that IS the raoOlt
killers and the rabbit skin dealers inter-
ests A killer gets two cents head royalty
from the Government for destroying the
animals life He then cells the skin at
from four TO six cents. On the meat, nj
the canning factories, he averages from two
10 four cents. II Is "A nice easy way OF
making money. The skins are baled, press
ed and exported to London. In that city
there is a general auction sale OF skins
every six weeks. The sales average from
800 10 1000 bales, and the average to a
bale is 200 skins.
There are ten companies In Australia
and four i'm New Zealand engaged in the
rabbit skin trade OF these onc-half add
the meat canning to their business. You
will understand. therefore, that there Is
biz monopoly. which is not at all anxious
10 see the rabbits eXtermnated. Interested
with il Is a very large number OF the popu-
lation who find rabbit killing more remun-
erative and less hard work than farming.
"Pasteur endeayored TO eIterminate the
rabbits nv incubation with chicken cholera.
II IL we'll known TO those behind the scenes
that he did not get fair trial, and, In
fact was so hindered and hampercd that
he Withdrew his agents from further e1-
pertinent.
"The question has come up before the
Goyernbcnt again, and q bill is now before
the Sydney Legislature asking for vote
70 build n brick wall entirely around the
agricultural boundary Of the colony OF New
South Wales Rabbits will not burrow low
er than two and a half feet, and II IS pre-
posed TO sink the wall to that limit depth.
This wall being once built, general eN-
termination of rabbits within that incloSure
will be commenced and carried through
The other colonies will watch the expert
ment with great interest. and If 1t succeeds
will probably all follow suit. Such course
would confne the rabbits 10 the great Aus
tralian bush, in whose sandy deserts they
would soon die out.
.Vhat use Is made Of all these rabbit
skins? Why. the hat on your head is made
Of them. The hair Is plucked OIL Inc peil
by hand A fortune awaits the man who
can invent & machine that can do 1t. A me
blue fur is then left on the pct. Inc SKIN
is then pared away from the fur by dcll-
cate machinery machinery so hne that
when the last pairing is cut of the fur some
times hangs into one flmy section. his
Is worked up into felt; ordinary mats are
made from rabbit skin. A better class -
made from hare's skin. The best are made
from the nutrla, a kind Ct water rat Trap
ped in Buenos Ayres and then come heaYer
and muSquaSh. obtained in the Unto"
States and Canada. The cowboy wants
the best hat in the world. and as he pays
for it, he gets ii. The nutria FELT stahus
wet and remains stiff brimmed after soak
ing. because il is made from the FUR or
water animal The American jack ranbit
is no use at all 10 the trade. Inc Ehsnsn
rabbit supplies the best fur-llke siik' Du1
of course net waterproof Ihen comes 'he
New Zealand rabbit, followed by the Aus
trallan.
1--WE used to export hats in quantity from
England TO America, but now the AMER
cans can dress skins Us well as the Ehgh'n'
and they make all their own hats, import
ing the furs from us, of course. 40 hO1
understand why the United states uoes
not impo-t rabbit skins direct from aus
tralia, seeing The enormous quantity when
It buys from England. At rough guess
should calculate the United States man
uflctures G5OC0 hats every day while Eng
land manufactures about 10000. The largest
hat mandatory in the world IS the brus-
sells. which turns out 10000 hats day
"Why am / interested IN the eItcrh'ila-
ton af rabbits in Australia? We'll am
interested in enc Of the chief fur companies
in London and we want to see our Eng
lish rabbits protected against tic marNe,,
lousy multiplying Australian competitors